#nope i didn't cry when i watched this episode

[yoongiseesawmp3]

anything but - jeonghan

summary: roommate!jeonghan. you thought living with your best friend, jeonghan, would be easy. fun. like a sleepover every night. but as he watches you struggle week in and week out with crushes that don't like you back or dates that never seem to go well, he decides to take matters into his own hands.

word count: 8.2k

warnings: none rly, afab reader, unedited, sry

masterlist

jeonghan is ready to go to sleep. he had a long day, followed by a good, but tiring, night with friends, and he's been thinking about his soft sheets for the past two hours now. he's also been thinking about you, thinking about how happy he gets seeing your face light up when he walks through the door, but he knows he won't see that tonight. you're going on a date, dinner with some loser who's not him. he knows he could treat you so much better, but he can't just say that. things would get weird, and jeonghan can't afford the rent on his own. so selfishly, he keeps you and his feelings at arm's length. he's still thinking about you as he puts his key in the lock, wondering if he can stay up late enough to make sure you get home safe. when he opens the door, he changes his mind.

"what are you doing here?" jeonghan asks with a bit of anger in his voice, finding you laid out on the couch scrolling through your phone. "you told me you were going on a date tonight. did you cancel on him?"

"nope," you reply, popping the p as you sit up to stare at your roommate. "he cancelled on me. ten minutes before he was supposed to pick me up, actually, so i got ready for nothing."

that's when jeonghan notices the nice clothes you have on, your hair done up but mussed now that you've been laying on it. and, with a pang in his chest, he notices your makeup that looks smudged with tears. he knows you've been having dating trouble lately, and it's definitely been getting to you. but it makes his heart ache to think that you've been home all night crying over some loser who couldn't even bother to take you out.

"why didn't you call me?" he asks softly, joining you on the couch as he lifts your legs to lay them over his lap. he keeps a comforting hand on your calf as you explain, a slight tremor in your bottom lip as you say, "i didn't want to interrupt boy's night."

"baby, come on," he sighs. "you should have told me. you could've come to boy's night!"

"right," you scoff, rolling your eyes. "and hear all of them talk about their beautiful girlfriends and being so happy in a relationship? i'd rather eat drywall."

"we talk about other stuff," jeonghan laughs. "i told them about you getting us tickets to that soccer game and now i think they like you better than me. mingyu might be calling to see if he can take my ticket."

"never," you smile at him, sitting up and swinging your legs from his lap. "well, it's late. you're probably tired."

"eh," jeonghan shrugs, looking over you carefully to gauge if you're upset. "i could stay up a little longer, if you wanted to watch something."

"we're caught up on all our shows though," you pout. jeonghan sees an idea cross your face, so he asks, "what are you thinking?"

"nothing," you shake your head. "i remembered i didn't watch project runway last week, but you don't like that show-"

"put it on," he nods to the tv, looking over you one more time and noticing your clothes must not be that comfortable. "or you go change, i'll set it up."

"you don't know what episode i'm on though," you squint at him, and he shakes his head.

"nope, you're two weeks behind," he says. "i remember, because we went out the week before and you were ticked off that you were missing it."

"you pay too much attention to me," you mumble as you finally get up from the couch, jeonghan barely hearing you as he checks you out from behind. you're right, he does. too bad you haven't realized why.

when you come back from your room, you're wearing a hoodie that's seen better days and shorts that aren't quite doing their job. jeonghan clears his throat, trying not to stare, but when you sit down and put your legs back over his lap he can't help but skirt his hand over your skin, getting too close to your thigh without realizing.

"that tickles," you giggle, pushing his hand away. "you're annoying."

"ha, sorry," he laughs nervously, not sure what to do with his hands now so he reaches for the remote to press play. not far into the episode you curl up on your side of the couch, your knees tucked up beneath you as you lay down. jeonghan keeps an eye on you the whole time, attune to all your reactions and movements. he notices when you shiver, up in an instant to get a blanket.

"where are you going?" you call out, and he comes back wordlessly with the comforter from his room. he wraps it over you, using the rest of it to cover himself as he gets comfortable again. you find yourself dozing off, waking up every few minutes to see the progress on your favorite designers. you sleep through a whole section of the show, whining that you need to rewind, but jeonghan quietly explains what's happened and you're satisfied enough.

"do you want me to turn this off?" jeonghan asks after he sees your eyes closed again after you just complained about missing part of the show. you shake your head, not much of it visible outside of his blanket. you're noticing how nice his blanket smells, recognizing it as the same fresh scent that follows jeonghan around. it makes you feel at home, and that's part of what's making you so sleepy.

"i don't wanna go to my room," you admit shyly, feeling the tears from earlier just a moment or two away. "i'll stay awake, promise."

"do you want to sleep out here?" jeonghan asks, and you think about it for a moment. it wouldn't be the first time you had a little sleepover of sorts, both of you squished awkwardly on the couch or sleeping far apart from each other on someone's mattress that's been dragged out from one of your rooms. your silence decides it for jeonghan, and he says, "i'll go change, and then we can go to sleep." all you do is nod, getting comfortable beneath his comforter again as jeonghan slinks back to his bedroom to get ready for bed.

he comes back out and laughs to himself, your messy hair and scrunched sleepy face pulling at his heart. he knows someday he should tell you how he feels. he knows what you're looking for, and he knows he's perfect for you. it's just a matter of time before you figure that out, too.

-

a few days later, jeonghan was in the middle of a nap when he heard mumbling in the hallway and the sound of someone slamming doors. he was worried for only a few minutes, thinking it could possibly be an intruder, but as the mumbling gets closer to his door he knows there's a very frustrated y/n on the other side. he groans as he hoists himself up, shuffling to the door so he can peek out at you putting laundry away in the most irritated way possible. it's like you're trying to punish the towels for existing, and jeonghan can't help but laugh at the annoyed look on your face. it's cute, he finds himself thinking, but his chuckle pulls you from your dark thoughts and brings your anger to a new victim.

"what."

"nothing," jeonghan says defensively. "i thought someone was breaking in, you know, with all the banging around."

"shut up," you mumble, shoving the washcloths into the hall closet before slamming the door. you turn to your best friend and roommate, finger pointed accusingly, "i'm in a bad mood so don't piss me off."

"that explains the stress cleaning," he notes, and you ignore him.

"i'm going downstairs to put the dishes away," you grumble as you pass by him to get to the stairs, and he puts a timid hand on your shoulder.

"maybe do something that involves less breakables," he says coolly. "go punch a pillow or something."

"that's a good idea," you say, face lighting up slightly, and he laughs nervously as he finally asks what's wrong. "you remember that bitch of a dude who i was talking to a couple weeks ago?"

"gar bear?" jeonghan asks, and you roll your eyes.

"gary, yeah."

"what about him?" he asks, watching you unlock your phone and scroll to find something. you shove it into his hands, open to a very disturbing picture of a very ugly dick. "no."

"yeah. at three pm on a fucking thursday."

"stop making me look at it," he whines, pushing your phone back to you. "that's what made you mad?"

"yes!" you shout. "how did that thought process work? oh, this girl who i led on and then gaslit and then weirded out, she really needs to see my dick right now. it's the middle of the day! get a job! contribute to society!!!"

"why's he posing like that?" jeonghan asks, noticing more about the photo since you haven't locked your phone yet. "he looks so stiff."

"please stop," you say, but jeonghan sees a smile pulling at your lips.

"so what did you do?"

"i said 'what is your problem' and then i blocked him," you shrug, and he laughs.

"remind me to never piss you off," he says as he wraps an arm around you. "i'm sorry guys are assholes."

"i think i'm gonna become a nun," you mumble into his shoulder, staying in his hold maybe a minute too long. he presses a quick kiss to the crown of your head before letting you go, a blush on your cheeks that he takes pride in.

"you'd suck at being a nun, you're not nice enough," he jokes, and the way you glare at him makes him smile. "plus you fuck too much, aren't they supposed to be celibate?"

"forget punching pillows, i'm gonna punch you."

"sure baby," he chuckles, looking back at you as he walks downstairs. "you want food or something? i'll do the dishes. you just focus on not burning down the patriarchy."

"no promises," you mumble as you follow behind him. "but yeah, i wanna try this recipe i found the other day..."

it's over dinner that night that you realize how perfect jeonghan is. if only you could find a guy just like your best friend. someone who supports you, makes you smile, know how to get your heart to skip a beat. take, for example, his compliments. you like to joke to jeonghan that you need validation on your cooking, like tinkerbell, so whenever you cook for him the praises are nonstop. he's nothing if not supportive, so he tries to find things to comment on that he knows will make you blush. it works, and you do your best to tell him to stop without making it obvious that your heart is doing somersaults at his words.

this is what you want from a relationship, you find yourself thinking. you want to be comfortable with them, feel supported, all the things that jeonghan gives you. that night, you scroll through your dating apps, looking for a guy you think could meet those standards. in reality, you spend the whole night comparing the men on your screen to your roommate, subconsciously thinking of all the things you like most about jeonghan that these losers don't possess. you fall asleep like that, phone open to an empty chat, with jeonghan still on your mind.

-

so, a downside to living with jeonghan is you get the brunt end of all his weird energy. sometimes it's fun, and manifests itself in silly ways. like when you go thrifting, he takes it upon himself to find the weirdest thing in the store and insists on bringing it home. it means your apartment is decorated uniquely, but some of the stranger things you make him keep in his room. you haven't figured out yet that he only does this to make you laugh, loving how you smile sweetly at all the funny trinkets littered around your house. anything that goes into his room is eventually donated back to goodwill, its purpose served, doomed to delight another unassuming shopper some day.

other times, his weird energy comes out in worse ways. like today, he's not home, but you can feel that something's wrong. you know jeonghan is helping his friends with some video shoot, and he won't be home until much later. but there's a vibe in your apartment when you walk in. something is off, and it doesn't take you long to realize it. jeonghan has moved everything around, the couch where your kitchen table should be, the chairs from the table lined up in place of your couch. he's a strange one, your best friend, but it makes you laugh nonetheless, sending him a picture of the chairs and asking, "how am i supposed to fall asleep watching tv on this?!"

jeonghan smiles when he gets your text, shooting back, "watch tv in your room if you know you're just gonna fall asleep!"

really, he did the switcharoo for you to let your guard down. yes, moving furniture around is something silly that he would do, but he hid something further in the house that he wants you to find. he's hoping he'll be home when you do, but just the mere thought of your reaction has him chuckling. he goes back to whatever vernon wanted him to do, curious at each buzz from his phone, wondering if it's you.

jeonghan got the best of you, like usual. you did just go to your room, putting on one of your comfort shows so you could relax after a boring shift at work. you only get up to make a quick meal, dozing off again with the empty plate beside you. when the tv wakes you up you figure it's just time for you to go to bed, so you shuffle to the kitchen and notice a light coming from under jeonghan's door. he must have come home while you were napping, but it's late, so you go about your business. you drop your things off in the kitchen, returning upstairs to grab a washcloth and towel from the closet before you lock yourself in the bathroom. jeonghan is listening intently as you move around, waiting for the sound of the shower curtain pulling back and-

"JEONGHAN?!"

with sock clad feet that send him crashing through the now open bathroom door, he greets you with a shit eating grin. "you rang?"

"what the FUCK is that doing in here," you bellow, pointing at the plastic skeleton jeonghan found at the party store earlier that day. he thought it would be funny to hide in the apartment, at first just thinking about propping it up in the kitchen like the dead guy was making a meal, but the idea of scaring you a little was too good for him to pass up.

"man, when was the last time you cleaned your bathroom?" jeonghan jokes, "he must've been in here a while."

"fuck you," you spit, heart still racing from the surprise. that's when jeonghan notices something: you're naked. well, not entirely. like, you definitely don't have clothes on, his eyes flicking down to see your discarded panties and sleep shirt on the floor. he can't see the goods though because you're dangerously holding a towel over your body, one edge of it slipping as you reach out to try and punch jeonghan.

"what, you don't like him?" jeonghan pouts, stepping out of the bathroom to protect himself. "i thought you said you wanted to start decorating for halloween."

"this is not what i meant and you know it, you jackass," you try to say meanly, but jeonghan finds it cute. "it scared the shit out of me."

"i'm sorry," he says finally, hands twitching to reach out and grab you by the waist so he can rub comforting circles on your skin. but he can't. he physically shakes his hands out, a thing he does often enough to reset his mind that you look at him quizzically.

"why'd you do that?" you ask, and he clasps his hands behind his back defensively.

"felt like it," he shrugs. you roll your eyes and reach for the door, grumbling more expletives at him as you try to shut it in his face. "um, y/n?"

"what."

"you gonna shower with him?" jeonghan asks, pointing to your new friend. "i gotta admit, i'm a little jealous-"

"oh my god," you groan, grabbing the skeleton and throwing it at jeonghan with a comical clangor of plastic bones. "i hate you."

"love you too baby," jeonghan laughs as he closes the door for you, hefting the skeleton over his shoulder to go hide him in another corner of the house.

-

a few days later (jeonghan has hid the skeleton twice now), you come home from a date, dopey smile still on your face. you gasp when you see a body on the couch, thinking it's that stupid skeleton again. you breathe a sigh of relief when you realize it's a snoozing jeonghan instead. he looks angelic, his soft features shining brightly even in the dark room, illuminated by the tv. you don't realize that you're staring, nor do you realize jeonghan is peeking at you, the sound of the door waking him up.

"hey," he calls quietly, startling you. "sorry. i can go back to sleep and you can keep staring."

"i wasn't staring," you say defensively.

"sure," jeonghan nods, checking you out. "you look nice."

"who's staring now?" you ask as you cross to the kitchen. "i went out to dinner, but the portions were too small. do you want something to eat?"

"no, i'm good!" jeonghan calls. "was it a fancy place?"

"what?" you ask, coming back into the living room with a bag of chips. "i couldn't hear you."

"where you ate," he clarifies. "you dressed up, the servings were small, must have been a fancy place this guy took you to."

"how'd you know i was on a date?" you pout.

"y/n, i know you better than anyone else," jeonghan chuckles. "it was obvious. how'd it go?"

"good," you nod, ears burning under jeonghan's close attention. "don't wanna jinx it though."

"ok," jeonghan nods. "well i'm glad it was a good date. you deserve one of those."

"how was your night?" you ask. jeonghan shifts on the couch so there's room for you to sit and join him. once you're settled he explains how his friend seungcheol had come over for drinks, but he left a little while ago.

"i think he's got a girlfriend and doesn't want to tell me," jeonghan says, "because he feels bad that i'm not seeing anybody."

"you want me to find you a lady?" you tease. "you know my friends love you, i'm sure it'd be easy.''

"no," he shakes his head so some of his hair falls in his eyes. it makes it easier for him to stare at you without you noticing. "i'm good."

"well, it's a standing offer," you say as you get up to return the chips to the pantry. when you walk back through the living room, you ask, "where's jack tonight? i'm about to shower, i don't want another heart attack."

"i put the skeleton in your bed," jeonghan smiles with an impish glint in his eyes. "i figured it would be a nice surprise for the poor sap you might have brought home."

"you're annoying."

"thanks!" jeonghan chirps, and you laugh before telling him goodnight. he watches you go, smiling at something on your phone. jeonghan feels a pang in his chest ever so slightly, but he shakes it off, turning the tv off before he goes back to sleep trying not to think about you.

-

the following week, you're acting off. jeonghan notices immediately, but he doesn't bring it up to you at first. he's not sure if maybe work is stressing you, or maybe you've got family stuff going on...whatever it is, he'll give it a day or two before he checks on you, knowing how you like having time to yourself before someone swoops in to help.

the reality is, you really like this guy you've been talking to. that first date was amazing, and you wanted to go out with him again as soon as possible. you talk all the time, always ducking into your room when he calls while you're around jeonghan. you're actually ignoring jeonghan a lot, which you feel bad about, but you just can't get enough of this new guy. even though you're talking a lot, it's hard to set up another date with him because you're both busy with work. you've got plans to hang out on sunday, and for the first time in a long time, you're excited for a date. not nervous, not dreading it, just pure schoolgirl crush excitement.

that's why it's so crushing when, a few hours before, the guy texts you and cancels. you play it off at first, asking when he's free to reschedule, but his response is basically telling you to get lost. it hurts your feelings more than it should, because he is just some loser dude, but you also didn't know him that long. you have no reason to be so devastated over this, but you are.

jeonghan knew about your second date with this guy, so he made plans to be out of the house for as long as possible on sunday. as selfish as it was, he didn't want to be there for the giddy getting ready (you always ask him for outfit advice and he always tells you that you look great) or for the nervous pacing while you waited for the guy to pick you up (jeonghan always distracts you with jokes to calm your nerves). he also didn't want to be there after the date, if you happened to bring the lucky guy home. so he's out running errands, bothering his friends, and killing time until he's sure he won't walk in on anything he doesn't want to see.

when jeonghan gets home, it's late. after his day of farting around he went to his friend wonwoo's apartment for a while to heckle him while he played video games, and wonwoo finally kicked him out.

"don't you need to go home to your girlfriend?" wonwoo had teased, and jeonghan kicked him from his spot on the couch.

"y/n's my best friend and my roommate."

"so basically your girlfriend," wonwoo smiles that little smile of his, and it annoys jeonghan.

"she doesn't think of it like that," jeonghan mumbles, looking for his phone so he can head home anyway.

"because you're being too subtle."

"i'm not trying to be anything!" jeonghan says defensively. "i don't want her to know."

"why not?" wonwoo asks, finally turning to look at his friend. "you afraid she'll say no? because we all think-"

"i'll see you later, ok?" jeonghan says quickly, his shoes barely on as he tries to unlock the door. "hope cheol doesn't kill you again."

"in his dreams," wonwoo mumbles, his attention effectively back on the game and off of jeonghan.

jeonghan comes home to a mostly dark apartment, the stove light in the kitchen the only indication that you got home before him. he stops at the door to make sure there's no...unpleasant sounds coming from elsewhere, and when he's met with silence he kicks his shoes off carefully before heading to his room. he's exhausted, hiding from you all day being a good way to wear a person out. when he passes by your room something catches his ear, and his heart stops. were you moaning?

jeonghan knows he shouldn't, but he presses his ear against your door, telling himself he's only doing this so he can decide if he needs to stay somewhere else tonight. he's waiting to hear another voice, a man's voice, but he's met with a quiet whimper, followed by some sniffles. his heart roars back to life hearing that, almost breaking to pieces when he realizes you're not moaning, you're in your room crying. he's opening the door before he knows what he's doing, and you jump out of your skin at the unwelcome intrusion.

"go away," you whisper. jeonghan ignores you, coming to your bedside and looking down at you with concern in his eyes. "jeonghan, please. go away-"

"why are you crying?" he asks, and you don't say anything. "what did that asshole do?"

"nothing," you sniff again, willing your tears to stay back as you try to appease your roommate long enough for him to decide you're fine and leave you alone. "h-he was bu-busy and had to cancel-"

"fuck him."

"yeah, whatever," you say shakily. "it doesn't matter. i'm fine. now leave. please." your eyes are closed, trying to hide the tears that are welling up, and jeonghan is so quiet you assume he left, but he's trying not to let his own emotions show as he calls your name.

"y/n," jeonghan whispers, and when you look up at him you can't help it. you start crying again seeing him so upset over you being so upset, and before long you're back to bawling your eyes out. you barely register jeonghan cooing softly at you, climbing into bed and scooping you up into his arms. his lips are pressing soft kisses up and down your hairline, and it makes you cry even more. this is what you want, you think. this is what you need, what you've been missing. you want a boyfriend that will care for you like jeonghan does, that will be there for you like jeonghan is. it physically hurts you to think that you may never have that, that there's a possibility you'll never feel that kind of romantic love from someone. and you want to say that, you want to tell jeonghan why he came home to you pathetically crying so much, but he doesn't care. he just wants you to stop, so he'll hold you in his arms whispering sweet jokes to you until there's no more tears. he gets the slightest smile out of you right before you doze off, hands bunched into his shirt holding on for dear life. jeonghan holds you tighter, pressing one last kiss to the tip of your snotty nose before he drifts off to sleep with you.

-

you wake up later, not quite in the morning, but a few hours have passed. you're not used to sharing a bed with someone, especially when that person has such a vice grip on you as jeonghan does. once your mind has registered that you're awake, you also feel the burn of someone's eyes on you. sure enough, when you peek into the darkness of your room you see jeonghan staring back, eyebrows creased and teeth nibbling his bottom lip.

"stop chewing your lip," you tell him, reaching out to tug it from between his teeth. "i'm fine. you don't need to worry about me."

"wrong," he replies, watching you intensely as he brushes a strand of hair behind your ear. the quiet that follows has your face heating up, and the heat spreads through the rest of your body. it feels like every point where jeonghan's body is pressed against yours is on fire, and you want to pull away. but you don't.

"why aren't you in your room."

"because i wanted to sleep here," he replies. "i hope that's ok."

"it's not-"

"bummer," jeonghan cuts you off. "i'm not leaving."

"i'm not crying anymore though," you point out. "so. i'm fine."

"nope," he shakes his head. his bangs fall back into his eyes, and you think briefly he must need a haircut, but you hope he doesn't get one. the long hair suits him, even if it keeps him from seeing sometimes. you don't think about it, your hand unclenching his shirt and instead reaching up to brush his hair out of his face. jeonghan watches you carefully, and your breath gets caught in your throat when you look back down to his eyes. he's staring at you so intensely you can feel it in your chest, and that's when it hits you: jeonghan. you want a boyfriend like jeonghan. well! jeonghan's right here! what are you gonna do about it?

"jeonghan, i..." you trail off, staring at him like you're seeing him in a new light. he waits patiently for you to go on, thinking you might explain the situation a little more, but you don't know what to say. you just get hit with the intense need to bury your face in his chest, breathing in his scent and listening to his heartbeat as you fall back asleep.

"what?" he asks, trying to encourage you to keep speaking.

"um, can i just-" you try, but instead of speaking you just nuzzle into his chest, nose at the base of his neck tickling his skin. "i want to go back to sleep."

"then sleep baby," he whispers as he squeezes you tighter, afraid to let go. as you fall asleep, you let your hands relax against his chest, one of them laid right over his racing heart.

-

the next morning, you wake up to an empty bed and almost convince yourself you dreamed up jeonghan last night. like an oasis in the desert, he came to you when you needed him most. a little part of you wishes it wasn't real so you could go back to a time where you didn't know your true feelings for jeonghan, but your mussed sheets proves it wasn't a dream. jeonghan's scent is still lingering on your extra pillow, and you take a deep breath and remember how it felt to be wrapped up in your best friend.

jeonghan comes back into your room with two coffees in hand and he sees you nuzzling your face into the spot where his head laid just minutes ago. he lets you wallow for a moment before he calls your name softly. you jump up, cheeks warming as you look at jeonghan in your doorway.

"morning," he smiles. he hands you your coffee, your cold hands brushing his and sparking warmth across his skin. he stops himself from leaning down to kiss your forehead, knowing that whatever intimacy you shared last night is probably left in the past. you were sad, and jeonghan was there to comfort you. he'd happily do that a million times over, but he doesn't think you feel the same way he does.

"jeonghan, i'm sorry about last night," you try to apologize, but he shakes his head.

"don't," he stops you. "i would do it again if you needed it."

"well if you find me crying over some loser again tonight you have full permission to slap me," you tell him. "one night was enough."

"noted," he laughs, awkwardly standing in your room, unsure if he can get back into bed with you. you pick up on the way his eyes keep flitting from you to his spot, and you pat the empty space so he'll sit down.

"stop being weird," you say, bumping shoulders with him once he's comfortably next to you again. "so how'd you sleep?"

"pretty good," he starts out, "but there was this really annyoing sound coming from your side of the bed?"

"oh you mean me crying?"

"no, like this really loud, obnoxious snoring, kinda like-" jeonghan starts demonstrating, sending you into a fit of giggles and a pushing match to get him to stop.

"i think that was you!" you shriek, carefully trying not to spill your coffee. "don't spill that in my bed, i'll kill you."

"and then who are you gonna cuddle at night?" jeonghan asks, regretting it when he feels the tension between you both.

"i could always cuddle with jack," you joke to break the awkwardness, and jeonghan rolls his eyes.

"i hate that you named the skeleton."

"the skeleton is a guest in our home," you tease him. "show him some respect."

"whatever, freak," he says before downing the rest of his coffee. he gets an idea then, turning to you to ask, "what are you doing today?"

"um, nothing except work," you reply. "but you know my job is barely real so i'm basically doing nothing."

"let's go get coffee," jeonghan says, a playful look in his eyes.

"we just had coffee," you point out.

"no, no, we'll get good coffee, you can do some work, i'll watch you do some work, it'll be great," he insists, getting up and pulling you out of bed with him.

"if you're still trying to cheer me up i swear i'm fine," you say through your laughter, pressing back against jeonghan trying to push you toward your closet. "you don't need to take me for coffee or do anything else to make me feel better. i'm fine now."

"glad to hear it," he smiles softly, squeezing your hand that's clasped firmly in his. "but i still want to get coffee, so get dressed or everyone at the cafe will see you in that god forsaken t shirt."

the t shirt in question is one that jeonghan found for you during one of your goodwill visits. for whatever reason, it says 'i shaved my balls for this' and it got the biggest laugh from you all night, so jeonghan had to bring it home. despite being awful colors (light blue paired with neon yellow) it's actually quite comfortable, and you love the way it makes jeonghan laugh every time you wear it. it's unironically become your favorite sleep shirt, but you are mortified at the thought of anyone aside from your best friend seeing you in it. you quickly change, grabbing your work laptop from your desk before you head into the living room to find jeonghan waiting for you.

it's not unusual for him to take you out on random adventures, but this one feels different. he stays closer to you than normal, insists on buying your drink, and you catch him actually watching you work.

"get a hobby," you mumble, looking down at your laptop so he hopefully won't see your blushing cheeks.

"this is my hobby," he says. "i'm hanging out with my favorite person."

"seungcheol's going to be very sad to hear he's been demoted," you tease.

"he knows where he stands," jeonghan says, still watching you intently. you can't take it anymore, staring back at him.

"seriously, pretend to read or something! you're distracting me."

"i'm distracting you?" he smiles. "why? i'm not doing anything."

"i'm sending this email and then we're leaving," you say, and he shrugs.

"if you want, baby."

baby. it hits you harder this time, jeonghan's silly little nickname for you. you thought it started off as a sarcastic thing, but recently you feel like it sounds sweeter and sweeter coming from his lips. after last night, it makes your heart skip a beat, and that's when it hits you: are you on a date with jeonghan right now?!

"wait. waitwaitwait. hold on," you say, pointing at jeonghan and then yourself. "is this a date? are we on a date?"

"what? no baby," he shakes his head, and now you're confused. "no, if we were on a date you'd know."

"what's that supposed to mean?" you squeak out.

"do you want us to be on a date right now?" jeonghan counters, and you know your blushing cheeks have you in trouble. "you do?"

"i-i don't know-"

"hm, you wanna go on a date with me," jeonghan says matter of factly. "well, that's good to know."

"what are you doing?" you ask as he starts cleaning up his space.

"oh i need to go back to the apartment," he says. "gotta get my laptop so i can start planning a date that's worthy of you. i'll see you at home?"

"jeonghan, what?" you're left sputtering as he heads to the door, not looking back even though he knows your staring. he's afraid you'll see the excited/nervous shake in his hands, so he needs to go cool off. well, that and plan the best date of your entire life. he's got a lot of ground to cover. thankfully, the idiots you usually grace your time with have set the bar pretty low. jeonghan is determined to bring it higher, so high in fact that you won't be able to go on another first date without comparing it to his. if things go right though, maybe you won't have to go on a first date ever again.

-

jeonghan left the coffeeshop before you, so it would make sense if he was at the apartment when you got back, right? wrong. you come home about an hour later to an empty home, no sign of jeonghan. you think that's fine, it gives you a chance to actually get some work done. but jeonghan being mia has you a little nervous. what's he doing? he said he was going to plan a date. for you. and him. you and jeonghan...on a date? that's crazy.

you've done a good job ignoring that whole concept, trying to get ahead on a project you need to present later this week. you're so hyperfocused that the whole day goes by before you realize it, and when you finally emerge from your room you really expect to find jeonghan in the living room. he's still gone, so you decide to text him, asking casually if he would be home for dinner. the domesticity isn't lost on you, and it makes jeonghan smile when he gets it. he decides to call instead of texting back, balancing his phone against his shoulder and his cheek once you pick up.

"you miss me or something?" he asks, and you can hear the smile in his voice.

"i was just curious," you reply nonchalantly. "you've been missing all day."

"i've been busy."

"oh ok."

"i'll be home soon though," he tells you. "don't make dinner, just make sure you're dressed in an hour."

"for what?"

"a surprise."

"i need more information and you know that," you scoff, and you hear jeonghan chuckle.

"dress nice, but not fancy. and wear something blue so we'll match," he explains, and you feel your cheeks warm. "i gotta go, but i'll see you soon, baby."

hearing that coming from jeonghan now makes your heart skip a beat, and it makes you wonder if you've always felt like this and you just didn't notice. you keep thinking about him as you get ready, steaming out a dress you were planning to wear on a date that didn't happen. it's a soft blue with long sleeves and a low tie in the front. you worry for a moment that it might be too revealing, but checking the time rushes you into action. you're almost ready when there's a knock at the front door, which you ignore. there's another knock, this time louder, so you grumble your way to the living room to peek through the peephole. you gasp when you see what's on the other side.

you throw the door open, revealing a visibly nervous jeonghan with a bouquet of flowers in his hands. he's wearing a blue shirt, almost the exact shade of your dress, and he openly stares at you with a happy smile and a look in his eyes that you've never seen before.

"jeonghan?" you ask, pulling him from his intense focus on your chest.

"y/n," he smiles, eyes flicking up to yours. "you look stunning."

"i'm not ready yet," you pout slightly, checking the time on your phone. "you weren't very specific about when you were coming home."

"you look perfect," he says, checking you out again. "what else could you need to do?"

"wouldn't you like to know?" you tease, and he rolls his eyes.

"i can give you ten minutes, but any longer than that and we'll be late."

"late for what?" you ask as he passes you the flowers. "these are beautiful by the way, carnations are-"

"your favorite, i know," he smiles softly. "you buy yourself a bunch almost every time you're at the grocery store."

"i can't remember the last time someone bought me flowers either," you mumble, opening the door enough for jeonghan to come inside. "what are you still doing out there? it's your house, come in."

"finish getting ready," he laughs at you, reaching for the flowers again. "i'm putting them in a vase, weirdo. you'll get them back when you're done getting pretty."

"i'll be back," you whisper, running off before he can see how nervous you just got. you try to calm your nerves as you finish your touch ups, panicking last minute over which shoes and purse go with your outfit.

jeonghan is sitting on the couch, your flowers in your favorite vase on the coffeetable. he perks up at the sound of you shuffling down the hallway, but he pouts when he sees you holding up all your shoes.

"y/n, we're gonna be late."

"i don't know which ones to wear," you say simply, and he smiles as he comes up to you, analyzing the choices. he picks the white shoes and the white purse.

"glad we're still keeping this tradition alive even though i'm the one taking you out this time," he says proudly, watching you get situated. you stand back up, mussing your hair one last time before he asks, "ready to go, beautiful?"

"i don't know why i'm so nervous," you tell him, taking his arm as you leave the apartment. "we hang out all the time."

"yeah, but this isn't us hanging out," jeonghan says as you wait for the elevator. "i'm taking you on the best date of your life. nerves are completely valid."

"are you nervous?" you whisper, leaning in so jeonghan gets a good whiff of your perfume that he loves finding traces of all through his life. he holds your gaze, eyes flicking down momentarily before he shakes his head.

"no, i thought i would be, but i'm not," he replies simply as you get on the elevator.

"ok good, so i'll just freak out for the both of us then."

"would you? that takes a lot of pressure off of me," jeonghan jokes, and you pinch his arm. "ouch! so mean to me when i've made the perfect night for you."

"and what does this perfect night entail?" you ask. jeonghan just shakes his head, leading you out into the lobby of the building. he takes you a different way, not walking to the parking garage but instead to the main entrance of your building. "jeonghan, are we walking there? i don't think i can make it in these shoes-"

you stop mid-sentence, spotting the shiny baby blue mustang convertible parked outside. you look at jeonghan, mouth open in surprise. he has to tug you down the hallway and out into the cool night air, helping you into the passenger seat with ease. you watch on in shock as he gets into the driver's side, finally cutting through the fog in your mind to ask, "do you even know how to drive this?"

"yeah," jeonghan says coolly, opening the glovebox to hand you a scrunchie of yours that he stole. "here, you might wanna put your hair up."

"you're insane," you tell him, playing with the scrunchie in your lap as he starts the car. you can't believe this so far, and the date's barely begun. what other surprises could he possibly have in store for you?

-

after a quick ride out of the city, you find yourself at a retro drive in that's completely empty. you have a sneaking suspicion jeonghan rented it just for the two of you tonight, but you don't have a chance to ask. once he parks, he's asking you to open the glovebox and you smile when you see the stack of movie theatre candy boxes he's stashed away. you take them out, turning back to jeonghan to see he's produced a tub of popcorn from somewhere and a couple of your favorite sodas. you stare at him with your mouth opening and closing like a fish and he just smiles proudly in return.

"jeonghan, what did you do?" you finally ask, and he laughs.

"do you like it?"

"what are we doing here?"

"watching a movie," he says obviously. he shifts the snacks, the drinks going into the holders by the radio and the popcorn and candy going on the dashboard. "come closer," he mumbles, tugging your arm. the smooth vinyl of the seats sending you flying into jeonghan's side, and you giggle nervously as you adjust your dress. jeonghan lays the snacks out over your laps and drapes his arm across your shoulders for good measure. he looks at you to gauge whether you're settled or not, and when he decides you're ready he presses on the horn once. the screen in front of you lights up, and you gasp as you see the opening credits for your favorite movie flashing before you.

"where did you get the idea to do this?" you ask him with a smile, taking a few pieces of popcorn to give you something to do with your hands.

"just thought it would be something different," he shrugs, and you leave it at that. you can barely focus on the movie, hyperaware of how warm jeonghan is next to you and how every glance he casts your way sends your heart racing faster and faster. a few minutes into it, you remember your hair is still tied up from the ride, so you shuffle out of jeonghan's grasp to pull the scrunchie down and reset yourself. you know jeonghan is watching, so you mumble, "watch the movie, weirdo."

"i've seen it before," he whispers back, eyes still heavy on you. "i'm not missing anything."

"you've seen me before too," you point out, leaning back into his side once you're done moving around. "quite a lot, actually."

"yeah, but i've never seen you on a date before," he says. "and on a date with me? whoa. i gotta soak it all in."

you turn to look at him then, admiring the way his hair falls so slightly into his eyes, the way his lips stretch over his shy smile, how his eyes glisten when they meet yours. you could kick yourself for not noticing any of this sooner. who knew you had exactly what you were looking for right here?

"jeonghan, i-" you start, but realize you don't have the words to tell him what you want to say. you stop, staring at him with your brows furrowed cutely.

"what, baby?" he laughs, his thumb coming up to trace the creases in your forehead. "you're gonna give yourself premature wrinkles like this."

"why are you doing this?" you ask quietly. "why are you so...wonderful? all the time?"

"because," he shrugs, his hand falling from your forehead to rest just below your chin. "i've been trying to show you what it would be like. took you long enough to come around."

"show me what?" you ask confused.

"what it's like being loved by me," he smiles back. you feel your breath catch in your throat, and you want to say something. you want to tell him how you feel, how you're sorry it took you so long, how you love every moment you spend with jeonghan by your side. instead you just lean forward, lips brushing over his. you bring your hands up to his neck, wrapping them in the soft hair at the back of his head as you scoot impossibly closer and try to press all your love into this one kiss. jeonghan keeps his hold on your chin, thumb stroking softly at your cheek. he's the first one to pull back, laughing when you try to bring his lips back to yours so quickly. he leans his forehead against yours, soft hair tickling your skin as he asks, "so you get it now?"

"yeah," you nod, knocking your heads together and sending you both into a fit of giggles. jeonghan steals a few more kisses, and when you finally calm down he pulls you back into his side, squeezing you as close to him as possible. you lay your head down on his shoulder, pressing your lips into the closest part of him you can reach. "thank you, jeonghan. my jeonghan."

"my y/n," he sighs, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. "my beautiful, kind, funny girl."

"stop staring," you whisper bashfully. "you're missing the movie."

"i'm not missing anything," he repeats, but he takes one last look at you before he kisses the top of your head and finally turns back to the screen. this might be your first date with jeonghan, but it certainly won't be your last.

[genericpuff]

Okay, what was up with the "I'm with stupid" SpongeBob episode?

is this like a rhetorical question or are you asking for me to actually get into it lol because i absolutely will, here we go-

CW: discussions of ableism

honestly it's just one of those season 1-3 episodes that hasn't aged as well as all the others. like so much of seasons 1-3 are bangers, they often still hold up really well 20 years later and even the 'weaker' episodes are still solid and someone's favorite that they will fight to the death to defend

but the "I'm With Stupid" episode is genuinely the tarnish on that record because it's just. mean-spirited torturing and gaslighting of spongebob the whole way through. it's both foreshadowing of the declining quality of Spongebob that , at the time, we didn't know was coming (we know now) and foreshadowing of Patrick's character being devolved into the "big mean and dumb bully" archetype that comes around S4-5.

like for anyone who hasn't watched this episode or doesn't remember it, it's the one where patrick's parents are visiting and he's stressing out because his parents always treat him like an idiot (and we do know patrick isn't characterized as being "conventionally intelligent", but he's still a great guy throughout the first 3 seasons, he loves his friends, is the ultimate chill guy, and really he's just total ND vibes for anyone who remembers being that "not conventionally intelligent" kid growing up so I can def 100% understand the premise of this episode as someone who was that kid lmao)

and spongebob offers to help his friend out by sigh pretending to be stupid to make patrick look smarter by comparison

and i'm sure you can see where i'm going with this when i say this episode hasn't aged well

like it immediately starts on the wrong foot with the whole premise of spongebob playing the "protective helmet dummy" act which is just a cruel stereotype of disabled and neurodivergent individuals.

but then as it goes on, patrick basically weaponizes spongebob's idea against him by actually being mean to him the same way his own parents would (and yes his "parents" are cruel right out the gate to patrick, but then immediately shift focus to spongebob as the target once he arrives and puts on the "dumb person" act.)

is this resolved in any actually meaningful way? maybe something like the Squirrel Jokes episode where Spongebob gets rightfully called out by Sandy for making stereotypical jokes about squirrels which is a metaphor for jokes that punch down on girls/minorities/etc.?

nope, not at all. spongebob eventually gets so (rightfully) fed up with the bullying that he decides he's not gonna go along with it anymore esp when he offered to do this to help his FRIEND and that's now clearly being taken advantage of at his own expense. So he approaches the parents as his 'normal' self (ugh sorry i just hate using that word in this context) where he explains that he's not actually an 'idiot', he can do math and even knows how to do his own laundry (sigh, again, incredibly ableist). and how do patrick and his "parents" respond? oh right, they gaslight him and escalate the bullying. the parents don't believe that spongebob was putting on an act and just assume patrick "taught" him how to say the things he's saying to defend himself. which i don't even have to explain is just another level of mean-spirited because this is an ACTUAL THING that happens to neurodivergent / disabled children, their needs aren't taken seriously by the adults around them and because they're often seen as purely the stereotypes of their disabilities, they're talked down to and mistreated just because they don't function the same way that neurotypicals do in a society that's designed for neurotypicals.

anyways, spongebob is literally driven into a meltdown by the parents and patrick gaslighting him, and he runs home crying. that is the last that we see of him in the episode.

and then the "parents" happen to say their names out loud to each other and that's when patrick realizes they're... not his real parents. and the parents go "oh duh, that's right, we don't have a son!"

and that's it. that's the resolution to the episode. there is no moral, it tries to "get back" at patrick and his shitty fake parents by being like "haha see! they're stupid!!" but it just ??? doesn't at all make up for the 10 minutes of manipulating and abusing and gaslighting spongebob???

like up until this point in the show, the one who's usually on the end of the abuse is Squidward, sometimes Mr. Krabs, but both of them are often at the end of some kind of physical comedy as karma. Mr. Krabs is a scummy greedy capitalist, so of course anything that happens to him after he's done something awful is karmic justice in the form of an anti-capitalist metaphor that's funny for children and satisfying for the adults re-watching Squid on Strike who go, "OMG Mr. Krabs is unfair!" Of course because it's a serialized kid's show, it does have to go back to the status quo at the end of each episode so nothing can really come of Squidward dismantling oppression board by board (Spongebob is literally us when we were 6 btw, "Gee, IDK what Squidward's talking about, but he sure sounds convincing" which is just genius writing lol), but even episodes like Squid on Strike and Selling Out have incredibly timeless and STILL APPLICABLE MESSAGES about late stage capitalism and the death of small businesses under the weight of massive, predatory corporations that, if anything, have only aged BETTER over time because now the 6 year olds who watched that back in the 2000's are adults and living the reality that Squidward was living in.

and then ofc when it comes to Squidward, well, it's usually also karma after he took things too far in his cynical opposition to Spongebob's childhood wonder. In a lot of ways, Squidward is simultaneously an empathetic reflection of the adults who have had to survive under the oppression of capitalism, many of them giving up their hopes and dreams to do so; but also a grim reminder that if we're not careful and don't appreciate the little things that bring us joy, we too can become jaded and oppressive to the next generation.

there's a lot in the older Spongebob episodes that's a lot more counter-culture than people give it credit for (unsurprising though considering Stephen Hillenburg himself was a Gen X'er and many shows pioneered by Gen X'ers throughout the 80's and 90's were writing from a comically cynical point of view, like they hated capitalism and the boomers too, this shit runs deep LOL) making it a way more progressive show than many people give it credit for because on the surface, it's just that dumb kids show with the annoying laughing sponge.

nothing about I'm with Stupid is counter-culture or fighting for the "little guys" like so many other episodes do. whether it was a blind spot on Hillenburg's end or another writer on the staff who was severely misinformed, the entire episode shows its age in the most exhausting, uncomfortable, ableist way, by stringing together 11 excruciating minutes of gaslighting and manipulating a normally positive and endearing character who was just trying to help their friend, with no closure or apology towards said character, and no resolution or message in the end about how treating people differently based on their perceived intelligence is wrong and cruel. I feel like somewhere under all the mean-spirited attempts at "jokes", there was some fringe message about how right-wing assholes will look for lesser targets to "punch down on" or use manipulation tactics to make their victims appear weak by poking them in all the right places, but it's lost in the mishandling of the episode's overall structure where it spends the majority of time playing into disability / neurodivergent stereotypes for comedy, bullying a character who did nothing wrong, and then hastily resolves itself by leaving the message at "welp, at least Spongebob isn't as stupid as Patrick and his parents!"

this turned into a longer and more introspective post than I had planned, but man, I was genuinely shocked when I rewatched that episode for the first time in ages and realized it had come out during the seasons 1-3 era which has, y'know, the episodes that are still the most popular to this day 20 years later and contain the majority of every Spongebob meme template out there (of which there are a LOT).

Like I swear to god I always remembered this episode being part of the sort-of-later era, like shortly after the movie came out but before it became entirely mean-spirited in its comedy post-Hillenburg. But nope, I'm With Stupid accompanies Procrastination, one of my own personal favorite episodes from that era because it perfectly encapsulates the ADHD experience, both of which aired in 2001, three years before the Spongebob movie which is when most people agree that Spongebob 'peaked'.

I was just so stunned by that because most episodes of that seasons 1-3 era are generally so positive and equalizing between the varied characters, and when that balance is thrown off, it's usually for the sake of sending a message about being kind and accepting to one another. Shit, Sandy is someone whose entire characterization revolves around her being conventionally intelligent, she literally built a rocketship to fly to the moon, and yet in the very first episode where she meets Spongebob, as soon as she finds out Spongebob couldn't breathe without water, she doesn't make fun of him, she doesn't chastise him for lying to her, she simply accommodates him and Patrick by giving them fishbowls to wear on their heads whenever they want to visit her in her home, which we always see them wearing in subsequent episodes when they go to visit her (at worst she says "you could have asked" in response to their need for water, but in her defense, they gave her the impression they knew what air was and it does make a point about how we need to all play our role in both sides of the conversation so people can express their needs without feeling like a "nuisance"); and we always see her going out and interacting with her friends in Bikini Bottom in her suit, which people don't make fun of her for, until at the earliest the Squirrel Jokes episode which, again, see above, her getting made fun of by Spongebob and everyone in town is meant to serve as a message not to pick on people for their differences.

And no , I'm not saying all this as some nostalgic Spongebob fan, I'm saying this as someone who both watched the shit out of Spongebob as a kid AND as an adult, who regularly rewatches their favorite episodes from the earlier era of the show, has almost all of those season 1-3 episodes memorized line for line (even the ones I don't watch as often anymore), and is currently doing a binge watch of every episode from S1-3. I hadn't watched I'm with Stupid in a long time. Maybe that was for a good reason 😒💀

[lunarspiral1127]

X-Men 97 episode 8 *SPOILERS*

Bastion

Not gonna lie, I busted out laughing when I watched his origin story. This is the second time an antagonist had to wait for a couple to make a child and use said child for their plans. Nimrod was lucky that the guy he infected was in a relationship. Plus, I thought it was gonna make Bastion sympathetic due to his childhood flashbacks, but nope.

So, he made a Utopia for humans, but the mutants are enslaved. Saw old Polaris and the Phoenix. But, what bugs me is that he claims that many of the humans consented to be turned into Prime Sentinels without knowing all the details and won't have any memory of being turned. I find it hard to believe that every single one of them would've consented, especially his elderly mother. Dude omitted many details and I'm pretty sure he turned some of them without them knowing. Plus, I'm still mad at him for killing Gambit.

Cameos of Dr. Doom and Zemo (hydra n@zi Zemo, not the MCU version). Wasn't expecting to see them being members of OZT.

Mr. Sinister's just in it for the mutant experimentation.....y'know what? I shouldn't be surprised with that reason why he "teamed up" with Bastion. More test subjects.

Summers Family

Not gonna lie, I was really annoyed with the drama between Cable and Scott. If this was comics Scott, I can understand why Cable's giving him the cold shoulder. But, this Scott didn't wanna abandon Nathan like his dad did to him! It was Madelyn that gave him to Bishop. So, if Scott was there with her, things would've been cool?! God, I'm so sick of this drama. Thank goodness that it didn't last long and that Jean stopped them from escalating it further.

Summers family vs. Prime Sentinels was pretty cool. I like that father/son fistbump, which means things will get better between the two.

It's funny that Jean's being the mom at Cable who's like this big man in his 50s.

Also, Jean and Scott's relationship is getting better which is a relief.

Nightcrawler

Once again, precious boy and MVP. What he said to Jean was really nice. He's always been there as someone's shoulder to lean and cry on. When he talked about Mystique, I felt so bad for him. Honestly, I hated what she did to him just because he was born that way. In the 90s show, she did feel guilt for what she did when Nightcrawler talked to her. But, I still didn't like her for what she did to him. However, with all the words and hugs he's given to others, I hope he has someone who'd give him words and hugs too. He also needs a shoulder to lean and cry on too.

SWASHBUCKLING NIGHTCRAWLER HELL YEAH!!! I've been waiting to see him use swords and it was worth the wait. Him teaming up with Wolverine was really cool. Plus, seeing how his teleporting works was cool too. Love that he was protecting his sister, and I'm glad that we got something with him and Logan cause we haven't had anything like that since he first appeared.

Beast

Why the hell would he let the reporter stay in?! Even if she's not doing her job, she's shouldn't be involved! It has nothing to do with her, plus, I'm pretty sure he revealed a lot of classified information that only the X-Men should be allowed to hear and see. Dammit, Beast. And, dammit Morph for letting her in too.

*sigh* Anyone else think, he's been done dirty in this episode? Cause having her stay in there got his butt kicked. Sure, he didn't know that she was a Prime Sentinel, but they do know the possibility that any human could be one, right? Now, Beast is knocked out along with Rogue, who hasn't woken up still.

Jubilee and Roberto

Okay, so they are gonna be part of the main plot, good. I was worried that they were gonna be sidelined, especially Jubilee.

His mom is a beech. She sold her son out to the Prime Sentinels and didn't believe him and for what? Her reputation?! Man, f**k this beech, she sucks. Poor Roberto though.

Finally using his powers more than once! I counted four times in this whole series so far of when he used them. It's also something that annoys me about the character. He said that he was training in the Danger Room to surprise Jubilee, but why couldn't we have seen that?! Why couldn't we have Roberto training with one of the X-Men's help and see him develop his abilities?! Hell, have Jubilee be there to train him! That way we could've seen more of his abilities and see him grow more and have him interact with other characters, bonding with them. Not just Jubilee. Maybe have him open up to when he first awakened his powers and why he wants to hide them, instead of just telling us.

On the plus side, they should be okay thanks to Magneto's magnetic EMP ability. Speaking of which....

Magneto

I'm glad he didn't get turned into a Prime Sentinel, but I still don't understand how Bastion and Mr. Sinister got his hands on him from Genosha. That blast should've killed him along with the Morlocks. I don't even think it's gonna be explained how they captured him.

His prisoner numbers....yeesh. 😬

The one good thing that Cooper did. Letting him go and realizing that he was right. Aside from that, f**k her. Seriously, was the only good human (regular human, not enhanced) shown in this was Moira?! Cause that's what it feels like.

Now, I was confused at first with what Magneto did, but I think he went to the North or South Poles and used the Earth's magnetic field which is strongest there to cause a worldwide blackout, disabling all the Prime Sentinels. Not killing them, mind you. All while in his underwear, too.

Honestly, I wouldn't blame him if he wages war. He tried to be good. He tried to respect Xavier's dream. But, look what happened. So, I wouldn't blame him if he did this.

HOWEVER! I like that Magneto was good. Part of me doesn't want him to go back to his old ways cause that's gonna be more conflict between him and Xavier. Plus, only Logan claimed that Magneto waged war. If he did, he would've killed the Prime Sentinels, but he didn't. If anything, he'd be waging war on Bastion since he's the one responsible. But, yeah, I'm sorry Xavier. You're cool and all, but Magneto was right.

Cameos

I mentioned Zemo, Doctor Doom, Future Polaris and Future Phoenix. But there were much more.

Omega Red and the Silver Samurai, but one that made me so excited to see......SPIDER-MAN!!! I was so happy to see 90s Spider-Man. I know many would want a sequel to the animated series, but we'll have to wait and see.

The rest I wanna talk/rant about

Professor X shows up finally, but I got miffed when he said "I hope I'm not too late". CHARLES! YOU ARE VERY VERY LATE!!! I know space travel takes time, but COME ON! He better do something real quick to help stop all this crap that's been happening. Dunno how, but it better be something good.

By the way, I'm still annoyed with that black hole excuse. Why couldn't he just contact Scott and the others and stay in touch with them right when he was fully recovered or was well enough?

WHERE THE HELL IS STORM?!?!?! I know she's with Forge, but you'd think the moment she heard about Genosha, she'd head back home flying. She'll probably show up next week, but it's been like two episodes since she got her powers back. Is her not being there sooner a choice the writers made cause if she was there, the fight with the Prime Sentinels would've been over quicker? *sigh* I just wanna see one of my favorites come back and kick some butt like she used too.

I dunno if Forge is gonna come back with Storm, but I hope he does. I want him to help with this Bastion mess. Plus, he did take a photo with him, which has me worried that he was connected somehow but I hope not. It also would be cool, if he contacted the rest of X-Factor and meet up with the X-Men and team up. But, I don't think that's gonna happen.

So, Bishop is definitely out of the picture for the rest of this season, which is bullcrap. It would've been cool to have him and Cable work together again like before along with the X-Men. But, instead, the excuse was they got separated from the time stream. So, we don't even know if he's okay or if he's lost again, or if he actually made it back home. God, I feel like his character's purpose of the show was to help create another characters origin.

Okay, I think that's pretty much it. It was a good episode, even though I did rant on a lot of stuff. We'll see how parts 2 and 3 play out in the next two weeks and hope that the finale will stick the landing.

[strawberryfloofs]

Caregiver Lucifer x Regressor w Trauma Headcanons !

When you first regressed in front of him, he was both confused and freaking out. I mean- he hasn't been the best father- and now there's a regressed person in front of him! In the midst of his panic, he called Charlie

"C-Charlie, hey! I uh- there's uh...an ad- uh child? Let's say child! Well uh- they're definitely not a child but- but they're crying and I don't know what to do-"

Charlie had to explain to him what age regression was. Sure he's the king of hell, but he never heard of it before- he's in his room making ducks afterall!

He didn't fully understand after the phone call, but it cleared up some things for him. He didn't have to fully understand age regression to want to make things better in that moment, so he did the only thing he could think of in that moment- walk up to you and hold out a rubber duck, squeezing it so you could hear it quack

"Hey there, um, you can have it. . . ducks make me feel better when I'm upset too"

He stood there awkwardly, not knowing how to comfort you, but he really did care. You looked so scared, upset, and sad. He sat next to you, he didn't know what was and wasn't okay in the moment, but he wanted you to know he was there.

When you felt better, you two spent the whole day together! More like- awkwardly following you around and making sure you didn't do anything dangerous

Once he finally got you to bed, he spent that night researching all about age regression. He stumbled upon a word he remembered Charlie mentioning, a caregiver, and he delved into it deeper and deeper. It was something he resonated with, and he wanted to be that for you. He hadn't been the best father for Charlie, but now he can do all the things he missed out on, with you!

The next day, he asked you about age regression and if he could be your caregiver- he was so happy when you said yes! But he was also sad to learn about how it's not always a pure thing for you, he vowed to always be there during impure regression or any type of big feelings that come up from the trauma and or (C)PTSD you hold.

After learning more about your past, he made it his mission to give you a much better childhood when you regress

And he does just that! You have a meltdown or tantrum? He doesn't judge, he's there through it all! You're done with your food but you didn't eat it all? That's okay, he saved it for later- you can go play now! You're scared you're a bad regressor and a burden? Nope! He reassures you and gives you all the words of affirmations in the world! You misbehaved? Off to timeout, a toy goes to toy-jail or lines! Wha- of course he wasn't gonna lay a hand on you, and your comfort items are safe- you still get them on punishments silly!

Lucifer calls you his little ducky, prince/princess/princex. He also loves to call you little one, bubby, duckling, kiddo, angel, and any nickname he'll think of for your preferred name

Now that he has a regressor, he spoils you in all the duck themed things he could think of! There is NO shortage on bath toys-

DEFINITELY the type of caregiver to dress his baby up in the cutest little outfits

He's very much a homebody, and would love if his regressor was as well! The type of caregiver to love cuddling up with his little one and watching movies together. He IS a blanket hogger, but he'll share- just for you.

Lucifer accepted and knew he'd never be a strict kinda caregiver- but he atleast wanted to stick to some rules, so he did! Well sorta- he's really weak to your puppy-dog eyes and pretty-please faces, so they get bent alot . . .

"Uhh, bedtime is at 10 pm ducky! Awww, well- just one more episode, and then straight to bed little one!"

You never went straight to bed, you guys fell asleep watching your favorite cartoon.

In reality, Lucifer is a very soft and easy-going caregiver, but he does have a lot of anxious feelings about doing his best for you, he doesn't want a repeat of Charlie! But it always warms his heart and makes him feel better when he sees drawings of the two of you- which he keeps in his duck workshop forever.

Very VERY protective and worried about you getting hurt, so if you guys ever go out, you NEED to be holding his hand! He'll put on the sweetest voice and face for you, but he WILL rain hell if anyone dares to upset his little baby. . .

If you like Razzle and Dazzle, you guys go visit the hotel just to play with them! Ooh, and sometimes he'll let them sleepover at his house!

Lucifer being your caregiver means your primary babysitters are Charlie (long-term) and Razzle n Dazzle (short-term). But make sure you don't mention Alastor around him if you tell Luci about your adventures at the hotel! He gets VERY possessive.

Lucifer knew caregiver titles existed- but pshh he never thought that he- I mean, him of all people- would ever be called one! So he was very taken aback and in shock when you dropped the first one.

"(caregiver name)- oOh, uh yeah that's me! *nervously laughs* yeah I'm your (cg name)!"

He's okay with anything, he loves anything, it just means alot and he teared up a little bit. Daddy, Dada, Bubba, Luci, etc whatever it is, you'll see him smile when he hears it!

Uses his connections as king of Hell to get you the best toys and any other little gear you want!

Always reads you bedtime stories, his favorite is The Ugly Duckling

Loves to be as involved in your play as possible! He loves pretend play and playing as the weirdest/funniest of all characters, your laughter and smiles are his reward!

He's very accepting of anything- even if he's physically bothered. You were eating applesauce with your fingers and touched his WHITE coat? It's fineeeee... You yanked his hat off and started biting it- oh go- I mean, it's fine! He doesn't wanna hurt your feelings, plus you're just a baby in his eyes!

"M-my hat- uh yeah, you can keep it just don- *chomp* bite it . . okay, well who's a good little one?! That's right, you are!" Requested by anon! I hope you enjoy and sorry for getting to this request so late!

[wanderlust-in-my-soul]

Oh this is going to hurt... a lot.

I should be worried if the first thing I do after an episode isn't open Photoshop. Normally, I would now recall the best scenes of the series and decide on a set… But not today, even though I have the time. I once wrote that when a series can no longer catch me, you can tell by the fact that I stop making gifs… Okay, sometimes I just don't have the time. But today… I wouldn't even know which scene to choose, because there was nothing that got me, nothing that excited me and nothing that I felt emotional connected to. Instead, I have a lot of thoughts in my head that all want to get out somehow.

After the over-emotionalization of the last episode, I had actually already given up on Last Twilight. And that really hurts to admit. I loved the series from the very first second and I just thought it was so good! The problem for me was that they tried to just touch the audience's tear triggers, their emotions, all of them. And they forgot that too much of a good thing is simply not good. For me, episode 11 was right on the edge of what was bearable and I still don't think Day did the "right" thing. You're allowed to argue in a relationship and hold different opinions and then talk about why you hold a certain point of view, for example. If the other person can't deal with it, if you can't find a compromise, then you have to take the consequences, yes. But that wasn't even done here.

Day insinuated that Mhok pitied him, didn't listen to Mhok's side and today we learn that Mhok really only felt pity? Really? And that he is happy Day broke up with him so he could grow? Really? That is so fucking stupid. Day has problems with pity, that's understood and ok, but it's also ok for Mhok to make his own priorities in life and decide for himself not to want to leave, but to stay with the person he loves. But Day took that decision away from him. They could have talked about it. Different perspectives can also make a big difference. But no. Day pushes Mhok away and Mhok lies to Day… But back to tonight's episode. I was actually done with last week (yeah nope, I know). You can see that they tried to find a highly emotional ending that everyone seems to agree with and can cry into their handkerchiefs. The number of fuck yous I hurled at my laptop today shows me that the trick didn't work on me. It was all so over-emotionalized that it just felt fabricated and fake. And that's so sad, because the show felt so fucking real until episode 10. And now it was a weird cliché-ridden cringe-fest.

Honestly, if I had been dumped like Mhok and then ignored for three years, the time I spend thinking about that person would be really wasted. I'd be so fucking angry (probably not anymore after three years, I just wouldn't care). But Mhok immediately starts flirting. They pick up where they left off, but there's three years and thousands of kilometers between them. Unrealistic for me. And then Mhok just carries on, whispering to Day about what's happening and what's going on and just acting like his boyfriend again, holding his hand, helping him get dressed, showing him where everything is. I was a bit surprised that he didn't feed him. And Day is confused and just smiles. I think as a viewer I was the only person who was angry at the end. There were no bad emotions. Nothing. And that felt so fucking wrong!

And then comes the wedding and talk of second chances and of course Day says no because he's too scared someone will take pity on him. Yeah, fuck man, shit happens. and Mhok can't or won't give up. An emotional chase begins and the bride and groom leave their own wedding for the two of them and I lost faith in everything. And of course the plane is gone and of course they're all checked in because the passport was scanned and of course Mhok turned around and went back and of course he clued Night in and of course they end up doing the same dance they did back then and of course the family watches them get back together. And of course the series ends with a bunch of sugary sweet scenes from "call me mom" to sunset and let's repeat this most beautiful and heartbreaking moment from the past epsiode without any emotional impact. It was so predictable and so, I'm sorry, so bad. I'm so angry! And of course he gets his sight back. After all, what kind of a message would it be if Day remained blind? Is that possible? That a blind protagonist can find happiness and love and lead a successful life? No, it's not possible. He has to be able to see again. He has to become normal again in order to lead a normal life. What a shitty message! Damn!

Sometimes less really is more. Not everything has to be perfect and normal. At least that's the lesson I thought I should learn from this series.

If anyone has any gif requests, my inbox is open, but I don't think I'll be making any on my own. At least not today and not with this anger in my stomach.

[hazbinhazbinhazbinreblog]

The other Overlords might have found a solution.

Vox wants to try it right away, but he's not the only guest in this universe.

“We need your Alastor,” Carmilla reminds him sternly.

Alastor still isn't back, and Vox has hit a snag in his work. Contrary to what he told the deer demon, Vox does need his expertise with radio waves and magic to finish it.

Vox sighs. He's been sifting through his memory banks all the way back to the 50s when he arrived in Hell. He can't stop thinking about what Alastor said to him the other day during his episode of anger. He's watched so many old memories of just him and Alastor. It hurts more than he expected it to. He's really tired. “Yeah, okay. Just give me a second.”

He closes his eyes and casts out radio waves. It's been a while since he's tried to find Alastor using just his—their frequency.

To the side, he senses how his other self and the Other Alastor watch him curiously. They can feel what he's doing.

He ignores it. His Alastor is more important.

He shuffles rapidly through the signals in the air and discards the ones that aren't Alastor's.

No.

Nope.

Not that one.

No.

Absolutely not.

There.

…

He's still mad.

Vox sighs again and opens his eyes. “Uh. I might be a while. He's still mad at me. I'll try to calm him down.”

He takes a step towards the corner and melts into the shadows the way Alastor taught him so many years ago, ignoring the exclamations of surprise and shock behind him as the darkness wraps around him like an old friend, much like how it did for Alastor.

In a way it is. It's one thing he and Alastor share, with Alastor introducing him to it once Vox recovered from his fall back then.

Vox feels conflicted knowing that Alastor still keeps the shadows open for him to use. That's a major amount of trust that he really shouldn't give Vox. But at the same time it makes him feel warm inside.

The shadows take him to the edge of the city, where he sees Alastor sitting on some rubble, facing away from him.

Vox approaches him silently and sits next to him.

Neither of them say anything.

In a funny way, silence is easier than talking for the two performers.

There's no tension in the air, just grief sadness.

"My biggest mistake is falling in love with you," Alastor says suddenly, breaking the silence. "I had gone on for so long without opening myself up to anyone even before I ended up in Hell. And then you came along."

Vox feels guilty at that admission. "Al, if there's anything I can do to make it up to you…"

Alastor chuckles and shakes his head. "You didn't let me finish. My mistake is loving you. Even if I walked away my heart wouldn't let me get far. But I can't bring myself to regret it. Even after all this time I still love you."

Alastor turns to face him fully, and Vox freezes.

Alastor is crying.

He's not smiling, he's holding back his grief, and Vox feels a sharper stab of guilt.

"Oh, Alastor…" Vox wraps his arms around the other sinner. "Al, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"I hate you," Alastor sobs, "I hate you. I hate you I hate you I hate you! I hate that I still love you…"

Vox says nothing. Instead he hugs his Alastor tighter. He'll stay like this for as long as Alastor needs him to. It's not the same as before, but it's a hopeful start.

"His- their frequency" screaming crying throwing up I'm on the fucking floor and the leaving the shadows open for him I'm so.

Perfect and devastating as usual so bittersweet at the end but I love it

Someone made fanart for this!

[fountainpenguin]

Riddle watches New Wish - Post #4

... Angela has orange eyes. Interesting... It's a good thing that 8 years ago, I didn't set up my entire magical society to be obsessed with natural orange features like hair because it's the rarest color in the magical world, ahahaha...

Cosmo hung a picture of himself on their wall.

SHE HAS A CREATURE-HUNTER FOR A DAD? Oh no, oh no, oh no... Someone call Doombringer, Crocker, and Ed Leadly- They've got a new friend!

He didn't react to Cosmo and Wanda describing the features Crocker always names as fairy traits (wands, wings, floating crowns), so he probably doesn't know Crocker.

She's so cute...

Okay, I love that Cosmo and Wanda walk backwards while bouncing. They are still not used to being human.

CRYING, Wanda literally noped out with a farewell of "We probably won't be seeing you much." That is a woman who is not willing to get dragged out of retirement and back into creature-hunting threats. I'm very curious as to how they end up with Hazel.

Hey, Hazel's indoor rug is even cooler than the one in the hall.

POV, you usually would fly across the hall but you don't have your wings out right now.

She vaporized the door, doors are STILL for chumps!!

AND WE GET CEILING LIGHTS? They thought of everything!

... Enrichment Academy? Interesting...

Okay, I love how the building design, the hills, and Hazel's schoolmates still totally belong in FOP style:

Hey, that's the guy from the story bible preview! He's getting the skateboard noises; that's cute.

And baby, we're SO back!

Cosmo and Wanda think they slick:

Hazel introducing herself to the class as "liking french fries" is a mood.

"I have an older brother! He's my best friend. He's visiting today and it will totally make up for the fact that no one laughed at my rock joke." - Girl, you are dying inside.

(He's not gonna show and that's what'll push C and W into taking her in... isn't it?)

Oh, they have swirls on their ears like the OG style! Nice. Also, I love the thin, stretchy arms and tiny legs... This is nice.

Oh no.

Yeah, this kid looks stable. Please tell me he doesn't have orange hair. Haha, I'm in danger.

HE'S DALE'S KID??? Lemonade Dungeon Boy got himself a partner? Mr. Only Shows Up In One Episode unless he's the pixie godkid implied by Da Rules' page about pixies in the Musical but he's probably not, he's just always been my leading theory and it was in Season 2?

Ohhh, boy; writers did their homework. I support him and what I can only assume are well-adjusted social skills. And yay, that gives us a timeline.

If this kid were an animal, I don't think I'd let him eat out of my hand. He's ready for collateral damage.

Hazel has been so nice to everyone, not even outing Cosmo and Wanda to her dad, and she's already ready to yeet this kid into the trash because he's not good enough to recycle.

omg, we're getting introduced to the background characters? Yesssss...

Okay, I'm cracking up at Dev introducing the ASMR guy (Whisper) as "gives me the creeps, but I respect the hustle." I'm intrigued.

Whisper was my alt name for Whistle, so I'm glad I went with the latter!

I am saving every poster I ever see.

Love how we're getting to tour more of the building. We've got stairs! And mailboxes! ... Also, Cosmo and Wanda were not her bubble charms in disguise, but that's definitely where they're going.

I like how Hazel's parents did immediate damage control when she started reacting and made sure she was expressing a healthy response in front of Antony.

I'm obsessed with Hazel. She reminds me so much of Chloe. "Running away! Not in a bad way like on TV, but in a good way! 'cuz it's me and I know what I'm doing!" They would be friends. I wonder if we'll get to see adult Chloe.

omfg, Cosmo and Wanda saw "Child running away" and they're IMMEDIATELY gunning for this child. Sir/Ma'am, please get your minds retuned for this century. Do not steal the child.

SLDKJFSDF compilation of past episodes where Cosmo has gone to space after he says he wants to go to space. Looks like the "Spaced Out" saga AND - and I am shook -

THAT'S "TERRIBLE TWOSOME," Season 9! When he's reading jokes to Poof so he'll stop blocking the sun!

Sir/ma'am, where is your paperwork to take this child?

I'm glad I got a heads up that the writers confirmed the bus driver isn't actually Timmy; I can see how that would be confusing.

Stopping here so I can do a thing with my parents. Will return later!

[christelightlavo]

My Ever-so changing opinions : TV show version

I will go from the two most controversial (in my opinion) to going over one by one.

You love but everyone hates : Riverdale, it's more wattpad then the actual wattpad movies ya know??? Do I take the series seriously? No. Do I like it as a series for its storytelling, characters? Not even a bit. Do I find it so entertaining because it's like it's written by a suger high seven year old who just loves sex? Yeah. It's like being high without the weed. The story is shit, the characters are shit but when you off all your brain cells and just watch. It becomes my favorite wattpad comedy.

You hate but everyone loves : Big bang theory, I have the opposite feeling with this one. I love the characters, they are iconic but I can't help but take them seriously ya know? The show is for nerds but it makes fun of nerds. It's dated in some areas and honestly ever romantic relationship except Amy and Sheldon made me very uncomfortable. But even so, I genuinely likes the characters so much so that Young Sheldon is in my top 10 TV shows.

Favorite TV show : Heartstopper, my heart stoped watching this. I am a simple bi girl who was SO DAMN happy with Nick. I am a simple girl, who loves Charlie's story. I am a simple girl who compared my bff with Teo. I am a simple girl who may or may not have a mini crush on Ellie--- you get my point.

Favorite protagonist : Fiona from shameless, I like her. She is like very comforting and loving but bites and is just tired you know? Like she was one of the first protagonists to make me cry. Shameless is pretty much a series that has many main character's but Fiona is the center head of the story in my opinion.

Favorite Deuteragonist : stiles stilinski from Teen Wolf, I am a very simple girl.

Favorite Antagonist : Void stiles from Teen Wolf, a very very simple girl.

Best story : Anne with an E, whenever I see someone talking about this series they mainly focus on the romance which is pretty good but the characters, their stories and the messages are genuinely great. I like almost everything about this story. That being said, I am still watching it, I am a slow watcher give me a break but from what I see, This is worth the watch.

Favorite Intro : Got a secret. Can you keep it swear on this one you'll save~ better lock it in your pocket, taking this one to the grave~ *nostalgia rushing in me.

Have not watched but want to : Young royals, I have heard it's good. The cast seems intriguing but I just didn't have the time :-(

Best cinematography : Stranger Things season 3.

Favorite ending : Heartstopper season 3.

Favorite season : Teen wolf season 3B.

Favorite pilot episode : Pretty little liars, the first episode brought in so much intrigue and levels of mystery that me who watched it after it's downfall was hooked. Even though I knew it would lead to shitty reveals, it is still very well done.

Favorite episode : Big time rush, last episode. It made me smile.

Would like to watch again : Hannah Montana, I miss my childhood.

Would never watch again : Riverdale, do I find it funny? Yeah. Will I watch it again? Nope.

Favorite plot twist : Young Sheldon, George senior not actually cheating on Mary and it being just Mary cosplaying. They did it very well and made it believable to why Sheldon as an adult would still believe that George cheated while maintaining that the man was a loving father and husband. It also hit hard after his death.

Should have more attention : Anne with an E. And also heartstoppers but it already does thankfully.

*points at @fandom-stealer * do your thing.

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

You know what is really bothering me about these last couple of days in Thai BL land?

Yes there were a lot of tears, but none of them were mine. (the exception being cherry magic. that sequence of Karan taking care of Achi and then being heartbroken. My heart wasn't ready)

These are my personal and maybe unpopular opinions so just let me explain. Spoilers galore as usual. We had some heavy episodes this week. Starting with 7 days before valentine and ending with the sign.

7 Days Before Valentine Look, was it heartbreaking? Sure. Did I feel sorry for Sunshine? Nope. Not even a little. Because for 8 episodes we've seen a selfish, self centered human being make a mess of the world without an ounce of remorse. Just picking people off one by one for his own selfish desires. So even if this episode was actually good, because he finally confronted his selfishness, I was watching wearing a big neon sign saying - you had it coming... the world's smallest violin etc... Also we know he's not actually gone so. (this is the recurring theme of the week btw)

Pit Babe I mean Pavel did a great job and this show is doing a great job at showing men being vulnerable and crying. But let's be real. Charlie is not really dead. We know that. Omegaverse or not, this is Thai bl and we don't play that here.

So the idea to leave the audience in the dark is an attempt at a cliffhanger but ultimately void of any real suspense. If the audience were to be let in on the plan, I'm sure there is one, then we could've felt Babe's suffering in a more profound way. Because, in my opinion, that would be more powerful. We could've seen both sides of this and felt bad for both of them. What's the point of leaving us in the dark? Am I suppose to gasp next week when Charlie appears? When what will actually happen will be that as soon as we know Charlie is alive we will get angry at him for making the person he loves suffer and next at Babe because they will get right back to the papa and mamma talk before the I'm sorry leaves Charlie's lips.

Twins I mean, there wasn't really a lot of suffering left to be had here. I was the only one suffering due to the fact that this show really waited until the last episode to make Sprite come clean. And to top it of, making First feel even more like a door mat by forgiving Sprite so fast. What a waste.

Last Twilight I've already said my peace about this show a couple of times. I did feel Mhok's pain. Him alone crying outside the house was heartbreaking. But the problem is how it happened. Idiotic. The catharsis didn't have the time to actually be cathartic for Mhok. The noble break up was not noble. So in the end I cannot emotionally connect to any of this. They threw Mhok's nightmare in there in case we'd forgotten about his baggage, or maybe because they had, so that sudden confession of Mhok had diminished impact as it was followed by the break up which of course is the real heartbreak I guess.

The Sign What is up with the editing of this show?

I already said somewhere last week that I thought the editing of the rescue was terrible because it was not done as to invoke any emotional impact. The same happens this week.

What the hell was that cut after Phaya woke up? We had like 15 seconds of them looking at each other and Phaya reaching out before they cut to Dr ican'tkeepupwiththenamesatthispoint and then to the police story line that let's be honest, it's taking space from everything else that's more interesting and it's not giving us anything of value in return. Stop putting everything but kitchen sink into shows if you can't manage it properly. If you don't have space for these stories to breathe and give me something I'm missing in the main story lines. Look I love that Phaya got up from his hospital bed and immediately went for it, but I mean what am I suppose to feel about it? The show is not letting us settle into any one emotional state long enough to feel anything at all.

And, I'm really asking. Is anyone at all interested in the police investigation? You can have a police investigation as backdrop to a story. But if you're also gonna take it upon yourself to have this massive mythological, past and present lives star crossed lovers story, then something's gotta give. Maybe just make it a case that doesn't also span generations and brings secrets and lies along for the ride.

I'm so mad at Thai bl at the moment. Not you Cherry Magic, you are my precious ray of sunshine in the middle of all this rain. Please be good till the end.

[Thank you @twig-tea for being my proofreader. You're the best. 💜]

[kateknowsdramas]

Another thing I love about My Dearest...(spoilers obviously)

I just giffed the scene of Jang Hyun absolutely decimating Yeon Jun. I love this moment for multiple reasons. First, obviously Jang Hyun does it because YJ has ripped Gil Chae's heart out by basically admitting he likes her but that he's not going to choose her. Jang Hyun watches Gil Chae cry and he's pissed. I love that JH is so righteously angry at how YJ is treating both women.

But this scene shows how smart and calculating JH truly is. He's clocked YJ from the moment he saw him in the village - professing his love for the king and his noble ideas. YJ is all talk - he loves having people praise him and two women chase after him. Yet he has no idea about the true world and how it works. He comes from a village where the nobles are all talk and the older women 'teach' the younger women that if they even show skin to an invader, they should die. Not a super great way to help the younger generation grow up.

So JH sees all his nonsense yet steps in to save YJ's life during battle when the idiot CLOSES HIS EYES while fighting the enemy. He has no business being in a battle but he did it because he wanted to satisfy his own ego. While JH is on the verge of death after saving goodness knows how many people, YJ gets praised by the king and is bestowed his ministerial title. Lovely. The noble boy gets what he wants.

In episode 8, YJ and Eun Ae get their wedding and we think they're going to be happy. But nope...YJ screws it up because of his arrogance.

He confesses (while he thinks Eun Ae is asleep because coward) that he didn't go to save her during the war but he chose to go to the king because he thought it would bring him honor and make the elders of the village proud of the boy they raised.

And then what does this idiot do? He thinks he's being brave and noble and calls out the king in front of all the other ministers. And just like JH says, YJ can't determine friend from foe and, boy howdy, the king is so not his friend and basically punishes him for opening his dumb mouth and is going to send him to the enemy as an 'envoy'. Oh, that wasn't what YJ expected...and he tells the king no which is basically one of the top sins ever....oops!

His arrogance lands him in jail and his household stripped of their wealth and kicked out of their house. He truly can't take care of his family because he's so focused on himself and, in his naïveté, he believes that nobles are truly noble and the king is good guy #1.

This was a very long winded way to say that what I love that our writer has done is subvert the idea from episode 1 that JH is a selfish cad and YJ is a brave young noble. JH has demonstrated over and over that he's willing to do the dirty work to save people - and the king. He not only kills invaders, but he goes in as a spy to get info to his people. He also hauls ass to Gil Chae when he hears that she is in serious trouble.

YJ doesn't have the fortitude to stand up and take the consequences. He doesn't understand the rotten underbelly of society. JH's life was stripped away from him as a child - he's seen the true nature of the hierarchy in the country and knows what he needs to do to survive.

I'm sure this is a foreshadowing for either EA or Gil Chae to step in and get this bonehead rescued because there's no way he can do it himself.

[feelingpure]

I'm just remembering that Hawk forgot Tim's birthday, and I am once again spiralling.

Recap/ramble under the cut.

In this essay (lol) I will explain why this hurts me so much. In short; it's because Tim clearly cares a lot about it, and Hawk completely disregards it.

Alright, let's start from the scene at the club near the beginning of the episode, where Marcus and Hawk are talking about the upcoming weekend trip and Hawk confirms that he's going alone but that doesn't mean he'll be alone (okay, so he's planning on being a lil slutty on the trip if no one else goes with him, cool cool cool).

And just before Marcus leaves, he mentions the birthday.

Marcus: And, not that you care, but you missed his birthday. He noticed.

The way Marcus said that part... he noticed. TIM NOTICED. Tim noticed so much that Marcus noticed that Tim noticed. Idk, that line just hurt me, cause I'm just imagining sweet Tim crying over it while face down in his pillows. Not even a secret card, or a message via Mary? No, ofc not. Cause you didn't even realise when it was, did you Hawk?

So the next time Tim and Hawk get to speak alone.

Hawk: I've decided to forgive you. Tim: Forgive me? Hawk: You haven't called in three weeks. Tim: Four.

So it's been about a month since the end of the last episode. Tim knows how long it's been, Hawk doesn't. Interesting... and even though I've kept it in above, I'm not even going to talk about the "I've decided to forgive you." line, cause 😠. And I'm not gonna talk about Hawk trying to hint at (/mock?) Tim's feelings by quoting a line from a love sonnet either; 🖐️😩 we don't have time for all that! (But do go look up 'How Do I Love Thee?' and proceed to sob).

And as Hawk walks off (after telling Tim to meet him in 15 minutes for the drive to the place, after they bumped into each other by chance - definitely did not plan to ask him along, cool cool cool).

Hawk: Oh, and happy birthday.

The way he says this so smug... 😤 and Tim's slightly confused face and little walk away afterwards.

Then at the 'rough trade' bar.

Tim: Is this my birthday present? Hawk: It's more like an education.

Ugh, the way Tim looks around the bar with a face full of glee and excitedly asks if this is his present. 🥺 And Hawk just... nah, let me tell you about what goes on here. Like that's cool, but then no further acknowledgement of Tim's birthday? …Alright, cool cool cool.

Cut to Tim sat at the bar on his own looking at his watch. Then cut to Tim getting accosted by some stranger in the bathroom.

Stranger: Anyone that'd leave you behind doesn't deserve to keep you.

EXACTLY. Anyway... yeah thinking about how in the 1st episode we saw Tim showing Hawk his family photo album; so it's more than safe to say he at least told him his birthday? If not by then, by the episode 2 pillow talk.

I bet Mary, Luis and co. remembered. Marcus clearly knew. But Hawk, who he's the closest with and known for longer? Nope.

The same Hawk who was so confident when he told Tim to drop everything and meet him in 15 minutes, after not speaking to each other for a month. And Tim, who immediately ran to go meet him outside.

These are just the few moments that I remembered them mentioning his birthday, and I went back to watch them while typing this; I don't think it's mentioned again in the episode (but I might be wrong)?

And yes, this was mostly just me needing to get out some of my Hawk rage. The birthday thing might seem small to some, idky but it really made me * jaw clench, sharp exhale * once it clicked that 'he noticed'.

[queen-of-writing-bad-things]

Henry Danger Reader Insert | Captain Man x Reader: SEASON 1

Episode 25: Henry & the Bad Girl, Part 2

~Big Putts Golf Course~

The Wall Dogs had returned to Swellview's best golf course to finish what they had tried to start the previous night. With no Captain Man or Kid Danger in sight, they rapidly got to work in tagging and defacing the windmill.

"Hey. Hey. Hey, check this out." One of them caught the attention of the others as they noticed Veronika returning to the group, only she wasn't alone. She had Kid Danger by her side.

"Surprise" She smirked at her gang, who scowled as Henry nervously shuffled behind her. 'Just stick to the plan.' He repeated in his head, trying to calm his racing heartbeat.

"Hello, everyone." He waved at the criminals, but they just looked at the two teens in irritated confusion.

"Wait, what?" They all asked, wondering why their teammate would bring the enemy to them.

"so, uh..." Henry looked at Veronika for reassurance.

"Oh, that's T-Paint, Two Canz, Beonspray..." She started to name all of her friends, which stressed them out big time.

"Veronika!" A boy scolded her.

"What?" The girl replied in an annoyed tone. She didn't like it when she was interrupted.

"He's Captain Man's budge." The dude said, and the Wall Dogs angrily pointed at the teen superhero.

"Hey! I'm a lot more than Captain Man's budge! For example, I'm good at tennis, I make excellent tacos." Henry told them, offended that they just saw him as an extension of his boss.

"What if he tells Captain Man where we are?" The boy from before interrogated, glancing at Kid Danger with distrust.

"He won't. I just watched him fight Captain Man and push him down a mountain. I'd be in jail right now if it wasn't for him." Veronika explained, trying to convince her friends that Henry no longer had any allegiance to Ray.

"So, what are you saying now? You're not Captain Man's budge anymore?" The guy asked, still not accepting that the sidekick would betray Swellview's favourite crime fighter.

"Nope. I think it's awesome how you guys go around, painting stuff like that all over the city." The kid smiled, hoping that he sounded sincere enough that Veronika and her Wall Dog chums would believe him.

"Wait! You seriously gonna let Wonder Boy roll with us?" A girl in a glittery mask piped up.

"I don't know." The boy answered, looking between Henry and Veronika with misapprehension.

"He's my friend. You don't tell me what to do." Veronika stood up to the boy, trying to be assertive and confident.

"No. But Van Del does. Call him." He replied and a Wall Dog took out his cell so they could speak to their leader. This was the start of Henry's plan to worm his way into the heart of the Wall Dog's lair. However, the wall dog who made the phone call wasn't particularly bright, and he rang the boy who gave the order. Ah, jeez, this was going to be harder than he thought.

~The Man-Cave~

Charlotte made her way down from Junk-N-Stuff, having received a notification up in the store that Ray had returned. However, what she was greeted with as she stepped out of the elevator, told her that mission hadn't gone smoothly.

Firstly, Henry was nowhere in sight, which made nerves settle in her stomach as she got the impression that something was wrong. (y/n) was crying, Ray was filthy and the way the woman had her head in her hands with Ray cradling her shaking frame made her pale as she tentatively walked over to them.

"How'd it go?" She asked the adults timidly, causing Ray to sigh and (y/n) to look at her with bloodshot eyes. Did she dare tell the girl that her best friend had betrayed them for a stupid gang of miscreants?

"Not great." She whispered hoarsely, wiping her eyes quickly and drying her face in an attempt to pull herself together so Charlotte didn't have to see her cry. The girl didn't need to see her problems.

"Well, what happened? And why are you all dirty?" Charlotte asked, as (y/n) went over to the computer so she could make herself useful. Work was always the best distraction for when her heart was aching.

"'Cause I just went tumbling down a giant mountain, and a mountain is basically one big pile of dirt in the shape of a mountain." Ray answered, trying to keep his voice low so his best friend wouldn't get more upset. He'd already put her through even, he didn't want to make things worse. The large man put a warm hand on (y/n)'s shoulder as she began to track Henry's location. When she got her hands on the good-for-nothing, lying little shit, she'd...probably burst into tears at how hurt she was.

"We've gotta locate Henry." Ray whispered in her ear, his dulcet tone relaxing her into the chair so she could be nearer to his body.

"I'm on it. Schwoz!" The woman yelled, but her voice was still a little strained from her emotion.

"SCHWOZ!!!!" Charlotte bellowed, helping out her friend with her powerful voice. 

"Thanks for that." She said to both the girl and Ray, who had covered her ears to stop her from jumping at the deafening noise. 

"What? What?" A half-naked Schwoz shouted as he came out from the back of the Man Cave, draped only with a pink towel around his waist and shoulders. He was dripping wet and covered in suds, so it took no genius to work out where he had been.

"I was in the shower." The man whined, goosebumps rising on his body as the cold air of the main room stung his wet skin.

"Come help us locate Henry," Ray instructed him, making the small man waddle over, his bare feet slapping on the marble floors.

"Why, what happened?" Schwoz asked, wondering why they'd need to find the boy when they could just call him.

"Ray put the secret tracking device on him, but it's not finding the location." (y/n) told him, standing up so her friend could sit down.

"It's okay, I fix," Schwoz reassured her, ensuring that he didn't knock her confidence. She was clever, brilliant in fact, but she was often so unsure of herself that she questioned her intelligence and capability. The woman stood next to Ray, who was perfectly happy to let Schwoz take over, after all, it meant that he could put his arm around her and pull her into his side.

"Oh, sweet cheese." The girls and Ray gagged as they saw Schwoz's back hair, causing the three of them to step back.

"So, where is he?" The man asked the genius as the signal began to triangulate on Henry's location. 

"It takes time to triangulate his location." Schwoz snapped, (y/n) resting her head on Ray's pec. A strange noise came from the shower, which confused everyone because it sounded just like a pig. WHat had Schwoz been doing in there?

A soapy pig ran out from the shower, making Ray, Charlotte and (y/n) look at it in shock.

"I'll be there in a minute!" Schwoz told the pig, which seemed to satisfy the pig into returning to the back of the Man Cave.

"You were in the shower with your pig?" Charlotte asked him incredulously.

"She has to get clean too." The little man told her, not seeing how (y/n) stared at him with an annoyed expression. A goddamn pig in the showers that she had to clean? Oh, hell no.

"Yeah, she gets clean outside where I don't have to mop down any pig gunge." She hissed, now knowing why Schwoz's shower always smelt funny.

"She has no gunge." He whined, thinking that his pig was perfect and pristine.

"Get that pig out of that shower or we'll be having sausages for dinner tomorrow." (y/n)smiled at him sweetly, but her words scared the living daylights out of Schwoz, resulting in him slipping and sliding across the floor so he could get his pig out of her way. 

~Van Del's layer~

The crazed criminal, Van Del, was busying shooting paintballs at several pinups of Captain Man, his sworn enemy. 

"Van Del?" A nervous minion asked him, not wanting to upset his boss by rudely interrupting him.

"I'm busy painting." The 'artist' groaned, firing at a photo and landing a scarlet splatter right on Captain Man's nose.

"But Spray-Z wants to talk to you." The boy told him, making Van Del sigh and point his paint gun at him.

"Give me the phone, now go stir the paint before I throw you into it." He groaned, making the minion dash off to a large vat of bubbling red paint.

"Talk." Van Del said into the phone, resuming his assault on another pic of Ray.

"Kid Danger's here." One of the Wall Dogs at the golf course reported, piquing his boss's interest.

"Put him on the phone." Van Del ordered, adamant that he should get to talk to the superhero.

"Van Del?" Henry asked, pleasing the criminal exponentially. It wasn't often he got to converse with his enemy's sidekick.

"Kid Danger. I hear your boss wants me in prison." He seethed into his cell, firing at Captain Man's portrait again.

"Well...maybe Captain Man's not my boss anymore." Henry told him, intriguing the Wall Dogs around him and their leader on the other end of the line.

"Interesting. Put Spray-Z on the phone." He ordered the boy, sitting up straighter in his chair.

"It's me," Spray-Z answered after a small kerfuffle over Henry not knowing which Wall Dog was which.

"Did you search Kid Danger?" Van Del interrogated his minion.

"Search him for what?" Spray-Z replied, not being the smartest Wall Dog in the gang.

"Oh, I don't know, meatballs and bikini tops?" His boss said sarcastically, but the dumb kid couldn't read between the lines to see that he was joking. He gave the order, endlessly irritating Van Del.

"Spray Z. Spray-Z!" He yelled down the phone.

"What's up?" The boy asked, wondering what the man wanted now.

"Search him for weapons, recording devices, things like that." The criminal spelt it out plainly so the goon would get the picture.

"Ah, right, right." Spray-Z hit the side of his head, trying to get his head in the game.

"And, use the wand." Van Del added, so the gang did as they were told. Seizing Henry, Veronika waved a hand-held metal detector over his costume, looking for anything that could be used against them. Coming to his utility belt, the wand turned from green to red, indicating that Henry had something...suspicious on him.

"What you got in there?" Two Canz asked him, to which Henry looked at her cooly.

"Nothing but rock hard abs." He sassed her, but the girl wasn't in the mood for games.

"Check his belt buckle." She ordered the guy holding him, so he fiddled around with the metal buckle until he found a blinking microchip thing.

"I swear I didn't know that was in there." He stuttered, hoping that they'd buy it. Snatching the tiny device from the dude's fingers, Two-Canz studied it closely.

"It's a tracking device!" She hissed.

"Captain Man must've put it there! That jerk!" He lied, desperately praying that the plan hadn't just majorly backfired.

~Back in the Man Cave~

Schwoz had scurried back to his seat after moving the pig from the shower and was now trying to secure a fix on Henry. 

"Why can't you find Henry?" Charlotte questioned him, as Ray paced back and forth nervously. Had he been found out? Had their plan failed? Had the Wall Dogs done something to him?

"I told you it takes time!" Schwoz reiterated his point from earlier, frustrating Ray.

"Time is the one thing we don't have." The large man growled, leaning over (y/n) as she crouched down to help Schwoz.

"Well, time and machines that poop gold, we also don't have gold." (y/n) joked to slice through the tension that was rapidly building.

~Big Putts Golf Course~

"All right, if you really didn't know about this tracking device, then bust it up." A Wall Dog instructed Henry, wanting to see the kid break his final tie to Captain Man. Veronika passed him a hammer as Henry internally cursed what he was about to do.

"Okay. But I don't need this." He told the guy, chucking the hammer into Spray-Z's stomach.

"Check this out." He said to the group, throwing the tracking device upwards and shooting it midair with his laser remote. A shower of sparks rained down on the Wall Dogs' heads and Henry prayed that his friends back in the Man Cave were able to pinpoint his location before the signal went dead. 

~The Man Cave~

Everyone looked at the screen in horror as it flashed a 'no signal' message. 

"What happened?" Ray exclaimed, fear swelling in his chest.

"We lost Henry's signal." (y/n) breathed, she and Schwoz trying to find it again, but it was pointless. You can't find what doesn't exist. Ray and Charlotte put their hands on their heads in defeat; what were they gonna do now?

~Back at the Golf Course~

"Now, give us your little laser toy." Spray-Z told Henry, who was reluctant to give up his last line of defence. 

"But this kind of belongs to Captain Man, and I don't think I---" He tried to excuse, but Veronika didn't like his hesitation.

"Who's side are you on? The Wall Dogs' or Captain Man's?" She asked him, getting Henry to choose between maintaining his lie or keeping himself safe as Ray told him to.

"Yours." He cemented, passing the laser remote into the boy's hand, proving his loyalty.

"Cool." It wasn't a good idea to give Spray-Z a weapon, but oh, well.

"Okay, you guys finish working on the windmill. I'm going to work on Kid Danger," Veronika smirked at him, shaking a tin of black spray paint.

"What are you gonna do?" Henry asked her, internally panicking at what (y/n) would say when she saw the mess on his uniform. She'd have to spend hours on the costume to get the paint off and he guessed that he was already in her bad books since she didn't know about his and Ray's plan to infiltrate the Wall Dogs' lair.

"You'll see." She smiled, pushing him into the corner of the course so she could start painting. 

"Hey, how's this thing work?" Spray-Z asked, pointing Henry's laser remote directly into his eye.

"Be careful with that or else you might---"Henry's warning came a little too late as the dumb kid shot himself in the eye, causing him to clutch it in pain. Accidents always happen to stupid people.

~15 minutes later~

The Wall Dogs were still working on the windmill, but Veronika had finished painting over the vibrant red and blue hues of Henry's costume.

"Okay, everybody! Check out the new Kid Danger!" She called out to her friends, showing off how she'd turned his tunic black and had created a swirling pattern on his pants and boots.

"Aw, yeah. That is dope." The gang admired her art, liking how the teen superhero looked like one of them now.

"How does it feel?" Veronika smirked.

"Feels baaaad." Henry twisted his catchphrase to fit his new persona, even though the paint made him feel very sticky.

"Van Del's going to love it." The girl said, the others agreeing with her. Perfect, everything was going according to the plan.

"This is so weird, I feel like a real Wall Dog now." Henry smiled, but the gang was quick to dampen his spirits.

"Not yet, man. We're gonna take you to the grill and we'll let Van Del decide if you can be a Wall Dog." Henry was told.

"What grill?" He asked, curious as to where Van Del's hideout was.

"That's a secret..." A boy tried to say, but Spray-Z couldn't help himself.

"It's the Old Maple Grill." He revealed dumbly, causing his teammates to groan.

"Shut up, man! What is wrong with you?!" They scolded him, not wanting Kid Danger to know the location before they could fully trust him.

"I got shot in the eye with a laser!" Spray-Z whined as the group began to argue amongst themselves.

"The Old Maple Grill's been abandoned for years," Henry mentioned to Veronika.

"Just wait." She smirked, but Henry's stomach dropped as two Wall Dog's dragged Jasper over to the group. What had the kid gotten himself into?

"You guys are going to be in big trouble." He hissed at them, trying to break free from their grip.

"Oh no," Henry mumbled.

"Yo! Who's the herbert?" A guy asked.

"We caught him across the street, spying on us." The girl in the glitter mask replied, Jasper, being not afraid to confirm her story.

"That's right. And I found you and as soon as I get out of here, I'm calling the cops." He told them, holding up his phone like an idiot. Someone should've told him that telling the bad guys about your escape plan is the worst thing you can do in a hostage situation. Snatching his cell from his hand, a Wall Dog threw it far away and into the pond on the golf course.

"But, but, but, but...well, now, how am I supposed to call the cops?" He asked them rhetorically.

"I think this Herbert need to be a little more...colourful." The guy said, and the gang took up their spray cans so they could tag him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up. Why don't we let our new friend spray the Herbert?" Veronika suggested, turning to Henry who gulped at the notion. The gang enthusiastically agreed, but Henry wasn't so sure. He wouldn't do this to a stranger, let alone his best friend.

"Give me some cans." He told them in a stern voice, plucking up the courage to do as they had asked so he could stay in the group.

"Kid Danger?" Jasper gasped as he noticed the superhero stood across from him.

"What's up?" The teen asked cooly, shaking his can.

"What happened to your outfit?" He spluttered, not believing that one of his heroes would turn evil.

"None of your biz, Herbert," Henry told him cruelly, guilt rising in his chest as the Wall Dogs enjoyed his mean performance.

"What are you doing? You're supposed to fight for what's good and right." Jasper stressed, but the boy superhero had to keep up his pretence that he was bad now.

"Things change. Now I spray paint Herberts with big feet." He bullied his friend, hating how disheartened Jasper looked.

"No, no, no. Don't paint me." The captured boy screamed, but it was futile; the kid sprayed orange and blue paint all over his body, torturing him with the cold spray. They let him go eventually, but only after he left looking like there had been an explosion in a paint factory.

~Back in the Man Cave~

"Guys, guys, guys! I found something!!!" Charlotte screamed as she sprinted out of the elevator. She had just legged it from Henry's house, having found Jasper all painted up from his encounter with the Wall Dogs. They had sprayed him everywhere, and there had been an interesting addition to the paint on his back.

"If it's not Henry's head on a spike then I'm not interested." (y/n) said lamely, closing her eyes as she rested against Ray on the couch. He had cleaned himself in the hour Charlotte had been gone and had decided to let Schwoz poke around on the computer whilst he took some time-out with his favourite girl.

"No! I found a message on Jasper's back that Henry painted!" The girl exclaimed, dashing over to the computer so she could put her photo on the monitor. The adults sat up and joined her and Schwoz by the supercomputer, curious as to what Jasper had anything to do with this.

"The bucket kid?" Ray asked, confused by her quick sentence.

"Jasper got spray painted by Kid Danger at Big Putts Golf Course and this is what he wrote on his back." She explained, showing them the image of the abbreviation OMG that had been distinctly drawn there, the black paint contrasting the rest of the bright colours.

"You think it's a message?" Ray asked her, thinking about what Henry could mean. He knew his sidekick was trying to give him a sign about where to go since the signal had failed, but he couldn't grasp its coded meaning.

"It must be a place in Swellview." Schwoz theorised, thinking about every building in the city where crime boss would want to build his secret base.

"But where?" Ray stroked his chin, Charlotte rolling her eyes at how slow they were.

"The Old Maple Grill!" (y/n) gasped, her brain flickering to life as she dusted away the cobwebs in her mind. She felt like she had been pulled away from her depressed mood like a snapping elastic band as her neurons synchronised all at once.

"Yes! The abandoned grill on the east side of Swellview!" Charlotte smiled at her eureka moment, seeing the way she lit up as the dots connected in her mind.

"How did you think of that?" Ray asked in bafflement, surprised but not upset by the fact that she beat him to the chase.

"We used to go there all the time for their steaks. Don't you remember?" She reminded him, recalling how the times she shared with him in the restaurant were some of the first instances where she felt her heart flutter when he laughed at her jokes. It was so long ago, back when she'd only been working for him for a short while, she wasn't disheartened to learn that he had let the memory slip away. It must have been precious only to her.

"Oh, yeah." He smiled, zoning out as his three friends began to get ready for his assault on the Wall Dogs. They busied themselves at the computer as he remembered what it felt like to be sat in that grill. She looked so lovely on those nights, even when she had been tired and run-down from the late nights and hectic days. He recalled how he had cursed to himself when he realised that he'd do anything to make her smile or to keep her there with him. She had become important to him and that terrified the man who had always kept people at an arm's length. After all the women he had gone through, his best friend was the one he had given his heart to and he had no hope of taking it back.

"Ray, are you ready?" Schwoz asked, breaking him out of his daydream.

"What? No!" He quickly stammered, thinking that he had been asked if he was ready to confess to (y/n) that he was head over heels in love with her.

"But we have everything ready." The young woman in question told him with a frown on her face. Taking a glance at the computer monitor, Ray realised that they were talking about going after Van Del.

"Oh right, yeah, I'm ready." He mentally slapped himself into focus, using his Captain Man voice to appear like he hadn't just had a mini-meltdown at the thought of admitting his feelings.

"There's been a lotta activity around the Old Maple Grill recently, so we're pretty sure that's where the Wall Dogs are," Charlotte told him and Ray walked over to the tubes.

"Right, I'm gonna go over there and teach that scum a lesson." He growled, whacking his belt buckle to the tube would come down. (y/n) wasn't sure if he was talking about Van Del or Henry, but in her mind, they were both as bad as each other, so she didn't care.

"Good luck!"

"Kick some ass!" The three friends waved him goodbye as he shot up the tube, intent on bringing the Wall Dogs to justice and Henry home.

~Van Del's lair~

"Kid Danger? He's here?" Van Del asked his minions as he descended some metal stairs in his hideout. The group from the golf course had just returned to their base and were eager to show their leader their newest gang member.

"Yeah. He's outside with Veronika." One of the lead minions answered.

"Bring him. Get him." Van Del smirked, excited to finally relish the fact that Captain Man's beloved sidekick had jumped ship and joined him.

The door to the lair opened and the supervillain rubbed his hands together as Henry nervously stepped inside, Veronika following close behind him.

"How's your eye?" He asked Spray-Z, who was holding the door open for them.

"Gone!" The boy cried and Henry noticed that he was now wearing an eyepatch over the eye that had been burnt. Ouch.

"Van Del?" Henry looked at his enemy with 'respectful' eyes, trying to appear humble in the colourful den of the Wall Dogs.

"Is it true, you've turned against Captain Man and that you want to join the Wall Dogs revolution?" The boss asked him, making Henry turn back to Veronika and grin cockily.

"Yep. I do." He confirmed.

"Roll up your sleeve." Van Del ordered, confusing the kid with his unusual direction.

"Uh...why?" He asked.

"Show him the Wall Dog mark on your arms." Van Del told his followers and they all pulled back their sleeves to reveal that they all had the Wall Dog tag branded on their arms.

"Oh," Henry said quietly, feeling anxious as Van Del heated up the branding iron. This guy was insane.

"First, we test the melon." He said mysteriously, and the minions passed over a melon with a rainbow wig and glasses. This was getting weirder by the minute. Pressing the glowing metal into the fruit's skin, the heat caused it to shrivel and hiss as the Wall Dog's dark mark was left on the green surface.

"So, to join the Wall Dogs now I have to do that to a melon?" Henry asked, trying to buy himself some time so Ray could get to him. Well, only if his message on Jasper had made it back to him.

"Hold up your arm." Van Del laughed, as two goons grabbed Henry and forced his sleeve up his arm.

"Whoa, whoa, can't I just swear on the Bible or something?" The boy asked, really not liking the idea of having a painful burn on his arm for the rest of his life.

"Or if--" Henry's panicking was interrupted as a boot came flying through the door, distracting the gang from their branding.

"Ow! Dang it!" The person yelled as their foot got stuck, but Henry sighed in relief as he knew his salvation had come. An arm came through the door too, as the man tried to force his way in. Then his other leg ripped through the wood and then his other arm, in an attempt to free his stuck limbs from the door, but it only made his situation worse.

Spray-Z carefully opened the door, which probably wasn't the best idea, but he was stupid so he didn't realise it. Opening the door, the guy was revealed to be none other than Captain Man, who was struggling in the position he had put himself in.

"It's Captain Man!" A girl yelled as the Wall Dogs descended into anger and trepidation. Using the brute strength he retained in all his muscle, Ray pulled himself free from the door and scowled at the criminals.

"Well, Van Del, spray time's over." He quipped, having spent the journey time from the Man Cave to the Old Maple Grill thinking about the perfect line for his entrance.

"Prove your loyalty to the Wall Dogs." Van Del ordered Kid Danger as his minions looked between the superhero and their leader nervously. Sighing, Henry sauntered up to Ray by a few steps.

"I've only got one thing to say to you." He growled at Ray.

"Then say it." The man said back in an equally serious tone.

"...I am so glad you're here!" Henry broke out into a gleeful smile and jumped into Ray's arms so he could give his friend a huge hug. He was so worried back there that he'd have to get branded. The Wall Dogs, especially Veronika, watched in horror as the superheroes revelled in their reunion.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Veronika yelled at Henry, not realising that she had been set up.

"Fighting crime, baby." He smirked at her cooly as Ray couldn't contain his elated grin.

"I love this kid." Captain Man laughed at his sidekick's words and gave him a quick side hug. As if he'd turn evil for a girl.

"You lied to me." Veronika cried, heartbroken that she'd been so foolish and trusted the boy.

"Yep." The boy answered truthfully.

"You used me!" She added.

"That is also true," Henry stated, feeling little to no remorse at what he had done since it had helped him and Captain Man find the Wall Dogs 

"She is really pretty." Ray pointed out, knowing what it was like to be swept away by a girl's beauty since it happened to him every day when (y/n) came down from her room for breakfast.

"Right?" Henry agreed, smiling as he appreciated the girl that fell for him.

"But how could you..." She trailed off, not being able to say out loud that he had betrayed her.

"Look, I had to make you think that I turned against Captain Man and that I was falling in love with you so you'd bring me here to Van Del," Henry explained, causing the villain to grab one of his minions in anger.

"You idiot! You led Captain Man right to us!" He snapped, holding the poor kid by the scruff of his neck.

"It wasn't my fault. When we found the tracking device on the kid, we blew it up." He told his boss.

"Yeah. And that's when I knew I had to get a message to Captain Man, so I spray painted O-M-G on that kid you guys caught at Big Putts." Ray smirked at the boy's genius, glad that he picked a kid that was so smart to be his sidekick.

"You mean the kid with the big feet?" Spray-Z asked.

"Uh-huh. But his feet arent big, they're huge." Henry said, amusing himself at his slight jibe at Jasper.

"Wait, I still don't understand all this." A kid said, frowning at how all the facts were jumbled in his head.

"What? You mean that Kid Danger and I set up a whole plan to find your secret hideout and capture Van Del?" Ray asked, and the crowd nodded. They didn't have a clue what was going on. The superhero duo sighed; looks like they'd have to spell it out for them.

"All right."

"We'll explain it in more detail." They said, Ray, sitting down so they could talk about the entire plan.

~45 minutes later~

Well, that was tedious. It had taken them three-quarters of an hour just to get up to the whole OMG thing, and Ray and Henry had almost passed out from boredom.

"And so, when my helper saw the O-M-G that Kid Danger sprayed on that boy's back, she knew that was a clue," Ray explained to the now seated Wall Dogs, who still didn't get it.

"Old Maple Grill, O-M-G," Henry told them, and they all verbally confirmed their understanding.

"Wait. When did you even come up with this whole plan?" A girl asked, knowing that Kid Danger had been with them for the whole day and night.

"Well, you see, at first I lied to Captain Man," Henry said as Van Del started to get antsy from having waited so long.

"By not telling me that Veronika asked him to meet her under the Swellview sign," Ray added, the teen girl in front of him glaring at Henry.

"But then I felt guilty so I told him." The kid confessed, his golden morality shining through his smile.

"Who's a good boy?" Ray asked him in a silly voice and jokingly hit him in the stomach.

"Me." The kid giggled, happy that his boss was proud of him.

"So that's when we decided to really--" The large man was cut off as Van Del's patience finally snapped.

"STOP THIS! This explanation has been going on for 45 minutes! Enough!" The crime boss yelled, making Henry and Ray roll their eyes. What a temper, geez.

"Well, what do you want us to do?" Spray-Z asked, disappointed that he didn't get to hear the end of the story.

"Attack them!" He bellowed and the room collapsed in pandemonium as the Wall Dogs began to punch and kick at Captain Man and Kid Danger. Veronika swiped at Ray who easily blocked her punches as Henry battled Spray-Z, who wasn't very bright so he was quickly on the floor. Overpowering the girl, Ray pushed her onto the floor as the next minion lined up to fight him.

"Hey, Captain Man!" A boy caught his attention, holding up a long metal pole in his hands. Seeing that Ray was in danger, (even though he couldn't actually get hurt, but still), Henry grabbed his laser remote and fired it at the metal, the laser melting through it so it became useless.

Smiling that his opponent was now unarmed, Ray charged forwards and kicked him to the floor as Henry struggled against Spray-Z. Using the kid to lift himself up, Henry kicked an oncoming goon and threw his elbow back into the boy's nose. Now, he had no nose and one eye; it wasn't a good day for Spray-Z.

"Get him!" Van Del grunted when Ray opened a cabinet door into one of his minions' faces. Kid Danger dropped kicked another boy as Ray cut through the crowd, taking down anyone who stood in his path. With another guy being thrown through a pile of paint cans, the leader of the Wall Dogs cringed as the superhero duo annihilated his gang.

Seeing her chance to escape, Veronika ran up the metal stairs to the lair's second level but stepped back in shock as Ray launched a shopping cart of art supplies at her. Spinning around to go back the other way, she found herself trapped between the cart and Kid Danger.

"Where are you going?" Henry asked her as she tried to get past him.

"I'm sorry, but we got to keep you here until the cops show up." He told her as Ray swung across the room on a rope, kicking two goons over a sofa as he did. 

"Really? Is that the truth?" Veronika snarled at Henry.

"What do you mean?" He inquired, puzzled at what she had said.

"Everything you've told me up to now has been a lie." She sniffed at him, growing teary at the thought of the boy she believed she could trust betraying her.

"We had to stop you and the other Wall Dogs from breaking the law." He sighed, knowing that it was his duty to stop criminals, no matter what.

"Well, you're a really good actor. 'Cause the way you kissed me, I thought maybe you liked it...and liked me." She gazed at him with a devastated face. Henry sighed and looked up as he blocked out the noise of Ray beating the other Wall Dogs to a pulp.

"What are you doing?" Veronika wondered why he was looking at the ceiling when she had just spilt her feelings to him.

"I don't know, but I sure hope you don't escape while I'm looking at the cool ceiling." He told her, his suggestive tone making her eyes widen. She looked around to see Captain Man still fighting Van Del and her friends, so she took her chance and ran down the escape corridor, but not before coming back to give Henry one last parting kiss.

Having tied up and hoisted the last minion above the floor using his rope, Ray was joined by Henry and they moved in on Van Del, who backed up the stairs as they tried to corner him.

"Don't come near me." He warned Captain Man, who wasn't even a bit scared of him.

"I'm coming near you." He retorted as the two continued to ascend the stairs.

"Leave me alone." Van Del stressed.

"Nope, here I come." Ray inched closer as Van Del's only hope of escape turned out to be a locked door. With his sidekick on his heels, Ray prepared himself to arrest the man.

"I am an artist." The villain tried to say, thinking that what he'd done was right even though the law said otherwise.

"You're a criminal," Ray growled and pushed Van Del over the flimsy railing and into his vat of red paint. 

"AAH! I'M DROWNING!! I'm drawing in my own paint!" The guy shouted pathetically as he splashed about in the warm and sticky liquid.

"Hey! Hey, hey, hey!" The two superheroes shouted down at him as he freaked out.

"It's only, like, three feet deep. You can stand up." Ray told him, making the man stop flowering and get to his feet.

"Oh. This is so embarrassing." Van Del said as he wiped the paint from his eyes.

"Yeah."

"It really is." Henry and Ray agreed.

~Back at the Man Cave, (y/n)'s PoV~

"We are live at the Old Maple Grill where Captain Man and Kid Danger just captured the graffiti bandits known as the Wall Dogs." I listened intently to the sudden news report, almost choking on my soda when I heard the story.

"Holy shit, Henry's not evil." I gasped to myself, being alone since Schwoz was off doing 'Schwoz' things and Charlotte had gone home when her work shift had ended. I didn't know whether to feel overjoyed or angry at the superheroes onscreen; Henry was still the sweet kid I knew he was, but then again, I was almost certain that he and Ray had been in cahoots about his so-called 'betrayal' the entire time.

"So what do you guys plan to do with the reward money?" Evelyn Hall, the reporter, asked the two. I have to say, I was more than curious to hear their response since after I'd got hold of them they wouldn't be able to spend it after I'd finished with them. 

Ray lied to me. That's the truth, he knew what was happening the entire time and he just let me believe that the kid had joined that stupid gang for some girl. After working with him for so long, I had thought that we had a mutual trust in our friendship, he could tell me anything and I would have taken the secret to my grave. I thought he knew that, I thought he trusted me. Clearly not.

"Well, the truth is, we never would have found the Wall Dogs if a young teenage boy with gigantic feet hadn't tipped us off." Ray's voice came out of the speakers as I sulked and munched angrily on a spring roll. But my heart melted a little when I realised that they were giving the ten thousand dollars to Jasper so the kid could get his foot reduction surgery thing. 

I sighed to myself, debating whether to feel angry or proud that they had completed their noble mission. I suppose I don't have to know everything that went off in the Man Cave, after all, everyone has their secrets and everyone's entitled to keep their secrets.

"And who was this young man?" Evelyn asked Henry, who leaned towards the microphone so he could speak clearly.

"His name is Jasper Dunlop." The boy answered, making me smile at how kind he was being to his best friend. Any other kid would have kept the ten grand for himself, but not our Henry, selfless as always.

"So, we're going to take the ten thousand dollar reward and give it to Jasper." Ray smiled into the camera, and I couldn't help but smile back. That darn smile always got to me.

Switching off the news, I stood up and looked around the Man Cave. It always felt so big when I was alone, but I knew that my friend would be back soon with his heroic sidekick in tow. Thinking about Henry with a gentle smile on my face, the darkness of his costume snapped into my mind. I groaned when I sussed that the Wall Dogs must've painted it or something when he was fooling them. 

"Stupid paint on stupid fabric never comes off," I growled to no one, thinking that I'd be the one to scrub it clean. It was times like this that made my job feel like work, but when he smiled at me, it felt like bliss. Even if he lied to me and broke my heart more times than I cared to count, I'd always be there, waiting for him to come home. I was in love with him, even if he would never love me back.

~Meanwhile, in the Man Van~

The cops had taken a very messy Van Del away in handcuffs, slamming the police van door in his face as he was scattered off to jail with his minions. It had been a long day's work and they were both relieved to just get in the Man Van and drive home. Jasper would get the reward money and they'd sleep tonight knowing that another one of Swellview's enemies was locked up behind bars.

"Do you think (y/n) will be mad at me?" Henry asked Ray quietly as the man drove along the quiet road.

"What? Nah, she loves you too much kid to be mad at you, she'll just...be mad at me." Ray gulped as he ruffled Henry's hair. He knew that his return to the Man Cave meant he'd have to own up to the fact that he knew that Henry wasn't evil, and his best friend would be beyond pissed.

"She'll forgive you though, I mean, you're best friends." Henry reminded him, but it wasn't enough to quell the man's fear. He had always seen their friendship as the perfect oxymoron; indescribably resilient, but also completely delicate. It had stood the test of time, it had endured every curveball life had thrown at them, it had coped with every girl ray had turned to that wasn't her, but he still felt like a wrong move could shatter it like glass.

"Yeah," Ray said quietly, drowning in his insecurities. Henry wasn't stupid and he had been around the couple long enough to recognise the signs of them floundering with their feelings.

"Man, she always forgives you. You don't have to worry." He comforted his boss, trying to calm his fear that (y/n) would not forgive Ray for lying to her. He could take responsibility for the lie and say that it was his idea, but he didn't need to.

Ray was man enough to go home to her, even if he could never tell her the way he felt. The thought of her waiting up for him made his heart flutter and it endeavoured him to press down harder on the gas.

He would face her wrath, her tears, her disappointment because that was what it took for him to go home to her. He wanted to grovel on his knees until she would accept his pleading for forgiveness, he wanted to fall asleep watching her favourite rom-com, despite the goofy storyline always making him groan. He'd do it all for her, because he loved her, even if she would never love him back.

[death-himself]

EPISODE 5 THOUGHTS LETS GO

this series just keeps getting better and better istg

(also I think the only spoilers for non-book readers are at the very end so feel free to read)

the switch to annabeth seeing the fates after thinking percy might've died is INCREDIBLE, I love that change. the fates always seemed a bit out of place in the book so it's nice to see them actually add something to the plot

percy acts kinda different after climbing out of the river, which makes sense, but it's weird seeing him kinda happier and more hopeful

was i the only one who thought that percabeth hug kinda paralleled percy and sally's hug in the first episode? maybe it was just one of them being soaking wet and the other being dry

them hiding when ares comes by because they're hiding from the police is funny

also them popping their heads up to talk to him was adorable

"gimme a second, I'm starting a fight on twitter" CRYING

not too big of a fan of gabe's portrayal in this episode, i feel like they should've kept in how quickly he moved onto another woman to up his shittiness in a disney-safe way

that "i really-we really loved that car" was funny tho, and does make him a bit shittier, so I'll give him that. the fake crying could have been more clearly fake, but that's probably just me being bad at reading emotions

when i saw the clip of grover having to stay behind i didn't really like that change, but now watching the episode i really like it. i loved the grover-ares interaction this episode

i love the whole theme park being made by hephaestus, idk why there's something really cool about that

also i really wanna go there i don't even really like amusement parks but that place looked cool as hell

annabeth getting distracted by how cool the mechanics are she's so adorable i love her so much

the explanation of celestial bronze felt a bit random but they needed to include it somewhere so I'm fine with it

what did ares mean when he said protestor?? there were protestors at the solstice?? what does that mean??

grover hyping ares up and getting on his good side to get information out of him loved that

BABY DON'T HURT ME PLAYING ON THE TUNNEL OF LOVE PLSSS

the tunnel of love showing the story of hephaestus's life is so funny to me, like damn ares and aphrodite went on the ride showing the sad life of the guy aphrodite's cheating on??

like that ride was definitely made with revenge on aphrodite in mind that's funny

"she was trying to keep me away from you guys" that adds something to someone's character and i love that. sally recognizing how terrible the gods are and never wanting percy to have to deal with that

also percy looking to annabeth when he said that. like he knows that she's also a part of this awful cycle of abuse, which adds even more to her rejecting that cycle later in the episode

in terms of casting hephaestus is my second favorite of the olympians aside from dionysus, purely because i've loved his outfit from the moment we got that first picture of him, so this episode is exciting for me

including the chair hephaestus built for hera, idk why but i love that so much. could go into how the gods traumatized hephaestus but i think the episode implies that enough

"was [athena] always like that?" i was expecting them to go into how athena might have also been traumatized by zeus but nope it just turned into a shit-on-athena round, which was objectively better

"if she's so smart explain the owl" i loved this conversation it's so fuckin funny

"and i (no owl) am not?!" they're making me love ares fuck

i know there's a reason behind it, but the back-to-back episodes of percy supposedly dying and sacrificing himself for annabeth felt a bit much. i feel like there should've been a bit more room between those, but that's just my opinion (i don't really know what they could've done instead that'd be better)

I DIDN'T EVEN CATCH THE FIRST SEAWEED BRAIN MY FIRST WATCH WAIT HOLD UP

"this isn't the arch seaweed brain, you aren't pushing me into the stairwell again" "yes i am" STOP I LOVE THEM

"you're better at this than me. you just are" CRYING STOP

i can already imagine the edits those are gonna break me

percy getting incased in gold looked so damn cool it felt so mechanical

annabeth not even going for the shield and immediately trying to get percy out

ngl i was fully expecting annabeth to be able to do it, i didn't even doubt her getting him out herself, so i was kinda thrown off by hephaestus showing up

annabeth and hephaestus's whole conversation was just incredible

"maybe i was that way once. but i don't wanna be that way anymore. i won't be like all of you" i can see the edits

"some of us don't like being that way either" i just love hephaestus i love how this episode implies that some of the gods are victims of the cycle of abuse too

the inside of the zoo truck looks waayyy more cramped than i was imagining it all these years

spoilers for people who haven't read the book past this point

grover knowing who the thief is?? he can't know who it actually is, that'd spoil the entire plot-twist, but then who would it be?? luke and clarisse are literally the only named campers not on the quest so far, so unless ares claimed his own daughter stole the bolt, there's no one else that would be a satisfying red herring

i trust this show to not give away luke being the thief until the last episode, so now I'm just very curious what grover's gonna say

i loved this episode so much, my only concern is they haven't mentioned the whole "gods don't have DNA thing" yet, and considering that they really leaned into the family dynamic thing, it's a bit concerning

like please, for the sake of the new fans and their percanny or smartwater, please tell them percy and annabeth aren't really related it's starting to get weird

[tarisilmarwen]

Rebels Rewatch: "The Honorable Ones"

Kallus starts growing the nigglings of a conscience and also I never want to visit Bahryn ever.

Does this count as Friendship Fetch Quest episode? I mean... we do technically recruit an ally, albeit we make one out of a consistent former enemy, and he is important to things later...

Yeah, you know what, I'm counting it.

Geonosis looks gorgeous.

Oooooof SO many Death Star foreshadowings in this conversation. This is in fact where they started construction on the Mark I, as far back as the Clone Wars. Some time between now and then (Wookiepedia thinks it's between "Breaking Ranks" and now), the project was moved, the orbital stations scrapped, and the entire population of Geonosis genocided to conceal the project's existence.

Just, you know, your ordinary Tuesday for the Empire.

Hi Kallus!

Love Chopper getting to be an absolutely murderous psychopath again lolol.

Ohhhh hey, this cue is from back in "Droids In Distress" when they were about to blow up the ion disruptors. How fitting, lol.

Ezra is still Not Fond of leaving people behind.

He looks so worried. :(

Love how Kallus and Zeb stop fighting for a second when they realize they're about to crash. Matching Oh Crap expressions and everything.

Ngl, I felt that cry of agony deep in the recesses of my childhood.

(I fell off some parallel bars once in gym, didn't break anything, but my first scream? Sounded not too unlike that.)

Lol Ezra banging on Chopper. "Yes, we want him back! Don't be a sleemo!"

Jeez, how terrified Kallus must have been, stuck in the exact scenario that traumatized him so in the past. Lucky for our favorite asshole Zeb is the honorable type.

Yup, yeah, pissing his pants terrified. David does a really good job with Kallus this episode, it's one of the first times they let him show a bit more range and he does shrill and hysterical very nicely, if I may say so.

Kallus is so assured of the Empire's fairness and nobility, aww let's shatter that to pieces this episode. :D

Worried Ezra continues to be worried. <3

He is already shivering, nice little animation here. Also lol @ Zeb pettily pulling the heater closer towards him.

Ahhh the glowing rock of friendship. Love that Kallus keeps it after this.

"You're going to hurt yourself!" <3 See this mother hen behavior right here is why I stuck the Iron Squadron kids with him in my Mirrorverse series, Kallus being a fussy fretful Team Mom is hilarious.

Ah NOPE, nope, nah-uh. Nooooooo thank you.

The bonzami are actually really well-designed. They look like prehistoric dinosaurs of some kind. Definitely evocative of all my childhood nightmares about T-Rexes.

Kallus parroting the Might Makes Right and Social Darwinism of the Empire, leading to Zeb beginning to ask pointed questions.

Oh man there was a really good analysis on here someone did about Kallus's fighting style, how he's better at close quarters than distance/ranged, I wish I remembered who wrote it.

Subtle animation appreciation detail: That pinched guilt in Kallus's expression.

Oooh yeah, that's the good stuff.

Kallus launches into his tragic backstory, possibly to try and remind himself why he personally hates Lasats, rejustify in his head how it was okay for him not to question orders when told to use the ion disruptors--("They deserve it, they're bad people, they kill the injured!")--and the connection to Saw is not a coincidence I think, the writers expand heavily on the whole "It's how we fight that matters." and "The ends justify the means." conflict later on down the line. Numerous characters on this show like Saw and Thrawn and Kallus to an extent represent what happens when you go too far to fight those you consider monsters. I've always loved how firmly Rebels comes down on the side of "The means do matter."

Probably one of the reasons I'm still kind of relucant to watch Andor, I know fandom loves that "I burn myself for a sunrise I'll never see." quote but eehhhhhhhhh.

The exchange right after Kallus's story is a bit clunky, I get what the intent was--that there are people in the Empire who aren't cold and bloodthirsty and evil and the Rebels shouldn't write them all off like they're the same--but it's clumsily executed.

PPFFFFTTTTTT LOLOLOL. KALLUS CANNOT BELIEVE THE SHEER PETTINESS IN ZEB HURLING THE BO-RIFLE OUT OF THE CAVE RATHER THAN LET HIM HOLD IT.

Hey remember when I said I love David Oyelowo's hysterical Kallus voice? Yeah.

Zeb's prehensile feet put to good use again.

Ohhhhh yeah no that's absolutely a terrifying concept for me. Nope.

"Hey we didn't get eaten! Are we friends now?"

There's some debate in the fandom about the inconsistency of the stories Kallus tells from "Droids In Distress" to here. Some parts of fandom point to how he almost gleefully bragged about giving the order to use the ion disruptors and others point out that he couldn't possibly have been high enough in the ranks at that point to actually have the authority to do that.

I tend to fall more towards the latter camp, that he wasn't actually THE one to give the order but he didn't question it and passed it right along due to his prejudice against the Lasat, and only said what he said to Zeb to rile him up. As much as he hated Lasats though, there has been some guilt severely weighing on him since then, and I'm pretty sure it's partly due to his confusion over the Honor Guardsman giving him his bo-rifle. There was a note of aggravated self-defense in Kallus's voice when he explains to Zeb how it was given to him, like he's dispensing with an act and being all, "All right look here's how it really happened."

This conversation is slightly less clear but to me reads like Kallus is detailing his thoughts from the moment he'd been given the order. Like it's mid-battle and it's going harder than they anticipated and the weapons are handed out and he's told to use them and he realizes, "Oh. The Empire is not playing around are they?" and he shoves down his own potential qualms about it and just passes on the order.

Zeb, having had his character development, is dismissive of Kallus's attempt to explain the massacre, saying that it doesn't affect him anymore, basically.

They're so happy to see him. <3

Awwwwwww.

Subtle animation appreciation moment: Zeb's little elbow bump to Ezra's arm as they climb up the ramp.

Ohhhhhh man the behind the scenes had a little plot bit that they should have kept, basically it was not the Empire that retrieved Kallus from Bahryn, it was a scavenger ship, the Empire spent a paltry two rotations looking for him and then wrote him off, he had to make his way back to them on his own.

Konstantine doesn't even look at him.

:((((((

Kallus's redemption is a bit of a polarizing topic in fandom. Personally I'm very fond of it, I like Kallus as an antagonist-turned-Rebel, I think he's a lot of fun post Heel Face Turn and the many myriad fanfics that bridge the gap between "Zero Hour" and Season 4 featuring Kallus slowly blending in to the Spectres are among some of my favorites.

But it's also one of my major nitpicks because it's a bit lacking in legwork. Show👏me👏the legwork!👏 Like 90% of all writing problems can be solved just by expending some effort. Don't just have Kallus as the new Fulcrum offscreen between seasons I need to SEE it.

That being said, this is a mostly tightly written Locked In A Room type episode, well-paced, decently animated. Fandom definitely loves it and I'll still give it fairly regular rewatches since it's another of the husband's favorites.

Next up, we return again to Lothal for Force Weirdness.

[whovianwatchingstartrek]

A Whovian Watches Star Trek for the First Time: Part 108 - Lorca's Betrayal

Star Trek: Discovery - Season 1 Episode 13 - What's Past is Prologue

We don't have cold open today, the episode just recaps then goes straight into the intro. I don't think any episode of Trek has done that for me yet.

This episode starts out with Lorca as our Focus character, liberating his followers from the Imperial Prisons, and then they make moves to capture this universe's Paul. Seeing Evil Paul's spore weapon in use was a good horror shot. Chemical and Biological weapons are terrifying. Meanwhile, Discovery is flying into what is soon to become a battlefield, and Emperor Georgiou wont let Michael warn them.

As of this episode, it's very clear to me that Lorca is just a run of the mill Fascist now. Before last episode's twist I really really liked the idea of a captain struggling to maintain Star Fleet's ideals through his own trauma and an ongoing war forcing him to become more and more Ends Justify the Means, I really don't like that this arc has just turned round to say "No, he's always been like this, he's just from the Fascism Universe." Maybe it would have been salvageable if his pre-established revolution against the Emperor was in the name of something good that played into the Ends Justify the Means outlook he showed before, it would have been more interesting, but nope, just more Fascism. If I wanted to watch fascists wearing gold fight fascists wearing black, I would have put on Remembrance of the Daleks. It certainly did the whole Fascism inevitably ends up eating itself message better.

After a struggle with a few of of the Emperor's soldiers, Michael manages to slip away to Contact Discovery, and they exchange revelations about Lorca and Evil Paul's Spore Experiments. Discovery refuses to leave Michael behind, so they all make a plan to blow up the emperor's ship and sever it from the network.

Lorca and his loyalists make their way to the Emperor's throne room, and Michael's call to Discovery is detected, and Lorca takes a moment to try and convert Michael, but of course that doesn't work.

Meanwhile on discovery, the crew are finding a number of flaws with the plan. Firstly, the shot to break the Charon's spore drive would use up all of Discovery's spore supply, leaving them stranded in the Mirror universe, and that's even if Discovery can survive the shockwave from the blast, which is unlikely in itself though. Despite these odds however, Saru delivers a actually really good speech to the crew, and everyone is down to give it their all, and Sylvia Tilly finds a way to counter both of their problems, and they can ride out on the Network's shockwave like a surfboard, which is a great solution. They initiate the plan, we really cool fight scene, then Michael and Georgiou are beamed aboard discovery to make the jump back home. Seeing Paul use the memory of Culbur to help him navigate home made me cry, I really liked the ending. Discovery ends up in the right universe, but 9 months, and the Federation has fallen to the Klingons, and that's our Cliffhanger.

My misgivings about the Lorca Twist aside, I did enjoy the episode. The action was fun, the final fight in the wreckage of the Throne Room was great, and the manoeuvres Discovery's crew pulled to get out of their situation were fantastic, I just wish Lorca didn't feel like a completely different character post-twist. Also I found it really weird that the Episode was trying to get me to root for Emperor Georgiou, when she's every bit a fascist as Lorca is here and didn't even really show signs of a redemption arc, it was just her goals happened to align with Michael's in that moment. One of you did tell me that this universe pops up in one of the Older Treks, so I'm interested to see how it's handled there

[lesbiandanhowell]

Sam (begrudgingly) reacts to: Dan and Phil play Poppy Playtime CHAPTER 2!

I fucking hate horror games and I am have a high anxiety day so this is like awful timing BUT HERE GOES NOTHING.

- Not a fan of the runtime because I don't enjoy horror so the longer the worse for me personally so fuck this actually oops

- Babes I am literally shaking and almost crying 4 minutes in this will not be fun lmao (but also I know my anxiety won't go away without dan and phil content so might as well hope they will be funny and cute enough to make me calm down).

- I hate this I want to cry UPDATE: I literally started crying right after this, about 8 minutes into the game, but it got better afterwards.

- The touch when saying 'we have to be brave' was very personal to me. (Someone give me someone to watch this with and hold me please because I am scared)

- The buttplug jokes being the only thing to make me laugh, thank you Phil. Dan what do you MEAN "tails in" in reference to buttplugs, did you see the unhinged shit we said on tumblr, because oh god please no.

- "What are we going to do now?" "Cry" Phil gets me actually thank you I feel seen.

- The color game is actually calming my anxiety SO much it's hilarious, like it's just logic and following patterns and those things are so calming even when Dan is screaming.

- "For our lesbian audience that has mommy issues this is gonna be a weird episode" YOU DONT SAY DAN YOU DONT SAY

- new lore alert: Phil going to a wrestling party

- Phil lore: he was afraid of the KFC man as a kid

- PINOF MENTION AND CLIP AHAHA, they love doing these references since they uploaded the first react video.

- Dan hiding in his hoodie is adorable, like he just fully went "nope!" and hid haha.

- I think you can see Phil's hand shaking in the whack a mole, like the camera was SO shakey which was either his inability to use a mouse or he was shaking, place your bets.

- Dan playing the mini game after all, Phil is never beating the younger brother stereotype truly.

- When did they film all of these that their heating is still broken?! Makes me think they really did pre-film most of these to have a less stressful time now during december, which good job guys!

- Mommy's voice reminds me of someone else in a tv show but I can't figure out what? Anyone know?

- Their delighted faces at seeing jacksepticeye are adorable, like you could tell they were so happy truly and I love these little easter eggs!

- "Sean you down there?" HOWLING

- They edited so many clips and memes into this (which makes me think they edited it rather than an editor) haha

- Phil just, maybe unconsciously, moving impossibly closer to Dan is a big mood (only I am alone rip).

- Weirdly enough the mini games are the most calming part for me, like there is a clear focus and clear objective of what to do and it's like: here is a problem, solve it and I think that does wonders for me.

- Unsure if I am shaking from anxiety or being cold (also great I have more uni work to do after watching this)

- Yes please sanitize my boobs. What

- I agree Phil, we have gotten a lot of lore (about you)!

- Phil's panicked "geese!" gets me every time because it's so cute.

- "I feel kinda bad" aw ofc you do Phil and ofc you don't Dan, so very in character for both of them honestly.

- "Sometime in 2023, so not much longer" Phil, honey, there are like 20 days left what do you mean?!

This actually wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be, after I had my little cry at the beginning. I was actually quite calm by the end and I think my anxiety actually is less, which I didn't think would happen. The magic of Dan and Phil, see you tomorrow!