#otp: the inevitability of time

[novelbear]

bickering like a married couple - some silly arguments for your otp to get into

prompt list by @novelbear | requested: @generalfee

"move, you're on my side of the couch."

sneakily placing another dish next to their partner as they're finishing up with the dishes. then laughing through an apology as it naturally sets them off

arguing in the grocery store aisle because one wants normal oreos while the other wants to try one of the new, random flavors that just got released

"no, i'm not going to give you a bite because i know you're not gonna like it. then you're going to ask me how the hell i like it, and i don't want to listen to that right now."

"get up, you're snoring and i can't hear the movie." "then turn it up..." "so you can yell at me for waking you up? no!" "you woke me up anyway!"

"oh my god if you buy one more plush to occupy my spot on the bed i'm kicking you out to sleep on the couch."

if they have a pet, they might fight over whether or not they should let them climb on the furniture

getting annoyed when one sets an alarm which inevitably wakes the other up much earlier than they intended.

"uh-uh, no more reading before bed. you keep waking me up with your dramatic gasps every time you turn the page." "well, i'm sorry that i engage and connect deeply with literature!"

bickering over the right amount of toothpaste that should be put on the brush

^ or over one taking wayyy too long in the shower

"what's the point of the blanket being on the couch if it can't be used?" "it's for show!" "oh for the love of god-"

"take an extra jacket, it's cold out." "okay, mom."

[waokevale]

Looks at you with my eyes sitting in front of you like I'm interrogating you (but it's actually a really nice cozy room). I have heard tale of this WXwood ship. Tell me what you find compelling about the ship I'm considering joining you in WXwood land. Literally just say words at me I'm listening

Alright, very well then, so I shall! 🫡

At first, it was kind of an ironic ship for me, because they seemed like the classic "opposites attract"

But once I got digging, I found they're not actually that opposite, they share plenty of things in common and neither is actually a black or white character. Inevitably I became enthralled with this ship and now it's one of my top 3 or so OTPs.

Here's my reasoning and what I found:

1. WX-78 is actually a bit of a softie if you dig through their quotes enough. They act tough and logical to presumably hide whatever ounce of empathy they have left, that didn't escape them completely. (But they're not doing too good of a job)

Etc. They either use this uncharacteristically soft tone or hide a kind gesture or well-intentioned thought behind robotically constructed sentences and insults.

And of course, I don't have to show the quotes for machines or metallic structures, since WX openly sees them as their family and acts basically the same as Wormwood does with plants.

Meanwhile, Wormwood isn't always an empathetic creature. He can sometimes be callous, apathetic and even have favorites amongst plants (and people too), though he doesn't directly state that. He also isn't as dumb as he portrays himself to be, he definitely knows something, but either has too limited English speaking skills or is actively choosing not to say much.

He often sobs or cries when a creature dies, but there are times he reacts with either "whoops", "oh" or "too bad" like it's a small inconvenience at best.

And those are only some of the examples (I can't show them all since I'm answering this on my phone and therefore there's an image limit)

2. Here's a reason why, despite being vastly different at first, they'd ultimately become friends:

WX-78 actually likes plenty of things that correspond to Wormwood, it's likely for them to eventually settle, once they know enough about him.

And what are those things they like, you might ask?

Bees (going back to their previous quote) since WX is frankly enamored by bees, and since Wormwood blooms, there's countless of them surrounding him. if they were to hang around him, they'd hang around bees too. 👌

Their quote for green gem is: "PRESSURE AND IMPURITIES HAVE PRODUCED PLEASING PERFECTION" which is. well. Something.

They're very fond of pumpkins, describing them as: "IT HAS A PLEASANT SHAPE" while their seed as "IT IS A SOURCE CODE FOR PLEASING PLANTS" And guess who just happens to have a pumpkin skin ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

The lunar affinity. WX practically WORSHIPS the moon, it wouldn't be surprising that, if they found about this aspect about him, they'd get very excited and embrace it, because c'mon, it's the moon. They have dozens of quotes describing how THE MOON IS SUPERIOR, I wouldn't be able to fit all of them into this post, just trust me on that.

WX-78 doesn't hate all organic life, besides they're just playing out a role. But they do certainly appreciate some plants, such as potatoes and lureplants. The former because they can relate to them (potato battery) and the latter because "AWW, IT'S JUST AS EVIL AS I AM". Would it be too farfetched if with his influence they'd grow to appreciate organic life more?

3. Wormwood's quote for W.A.R.B.I.S armor suggests that he admires WX and would like to mimic them. (Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery after all)

4. The survivors farming animation is quite charming, I certainly loved their small interaction there. They're also shown in the official Return Of Them vignette, farming on the side.

5. I like the fact that one of them is afraid of water and the other of fire. Adds an interesting dynamic.

6. They just work. Despite wanting to "DOMINATE ALL ORGANIC LIFE" WX-78 appreciates people who can stand up for themselves. I'd guess Wormwood would be a huge pushover at first, no doubt, but with their influence, he would certainly have to grow a spine (metaphorically speaking)

Likewise, WX-78 struggles to show kindness to non-robotic creatures, because they fear they might come off as WEAK and SENTIMENTAL. Things they loathe to expose about themself. Wormwood could help them show that it's okay to love organic friends and be nice to others! (sometimes at least.)

I'd say they balance out each other perfectly and that is quite rare to see in modern pairings. While they'd definitely struggle to get along at first, they'd surely grow fond of the other one day :)

I hope this convinced you. if not, I'll try and dig up some more stuff. Then again, keep in mind that there aren't many canon character interactions besides whatever crumbs we've got from their quotes and official animations.

[dduane]

In the Young Wizards 'verse, how would the universe handle two wizard-potentials going for the same manual at the same time, like reaching for the same book at the library? Would it somehow magically duplicate itself? Would it avoid the question entirely by waiting to choose the potentials until later? Would either (or both) of them get a notification of the manual installing itself as an app on their phones, thus distracting them from grabbing the book? (So many options!)

The Young Wizards series is one of my all-time favorites, by the way. Thank you for putting it into the world ❤️❤️ I need to reread it again soon!

First of all: thanks for the nice words! Delighted that the books were there for you. 😊

As to your question: I'm not sure this is a problem that's likely to come up, for an array of reasons that have to do with the basic nature of YW-'verse wizardry.

Basically, though: every wizard (like every other human, and every other sentient being) occupies a unique temporospatial position that doesn't just involve where they are, and when they are, but who they are; as well as where they've been, and what they've experienced. Different people, born in different places and raised in different ways by other different people, are inevitably going to have different personalities and different worldviews... and therefore, also, different preferred ways to engage with wizardry.* The chances that a given instrumentality offered to a given person is going to be an exact or even near-exact duplicate of the one offered to another person are pretty small. I don't think we need to worry too much about the two-hands-reaching-for-the-same-Manual-at-the-same-time paradigm.

Bear in mind also that there are a lot of different ways to get at Speech-based wizardly info besides books. Offered instrumentalities can vary wildly due not just to cultural norms, but personal preferences. Someone who likes stories but doesn't care for reading physical books might have their Manual turn up as an (apparent) audiobook. (Or maybe a podcast: or a videoblog: who am I to judge?) After all, we've already had wizards who manage spells or otherwise engage with wizardry by listening to the Sea, acquiring the Speech through sentient laptops, hearing it as in-mind speech which they manage by (probably somewhat Speech-enhanced) memory; by direct communications with the Powers that Be via an (apparent) little magical light source they carry around with them, and numerous other methods. (And don't forget the slightly unusual instrumentality that turns up in the YW 30-Day OTP sequence, in which one new probationary wizard obtains his Manual access via what appears to be Tuxedo Mask's rose from Sailor Moon.) ...Additionally, I have a vague memory of one wizard carrying around a Manual access that seems to be the one and only Magic 8-Ball featuring answers that are not hazy. Don't ask me which book it's in, though. Might be Games Wizards Play, but that's a guess.

As for app installations—no reason that Manual access might not turn up as an app update. Also, in terms of dedicated devices, wizPads and wizPhones (formerly wizPods) have been around for a while now, and both have become canonical over time: Darryl McAllister's using one of the wizPhone-based Manual versions in A Wizard of Mars. (Though these may occasionally present problems for practitioners testing out a new paradigm.) As a wizard grows into their practice of the Art, it's not at all unusual to change instrumentalities as one finds something that works better for them than what the Powers sent them the first time out.

Anyway: hope this helps! 😀

*As for the probably inevitable question, "But what if they're twins?" To quote a well-known authority, "It's never twins." :) (And that said: starting with Wizards at War, we see that occasionally, it is twins... and I'm pretty sure they acquired their delivery instrumentalities separately, though I can't recall whether this gets dealt with in canon.)

[buddie911abc]

I know it is tough when you have such a popular and large cast to give everyone screen time, and I certainly don't want to lose screen time for people I don't know as well, but I really do hope they find a way to work in more Ravi. What little we know about him is interesting, and he is a cutie.

It might be fun if Buck and Eddie get to a point where they know their feelings, but they haven't talked it out yet, and Ravi becomes an unintentional c#ck block. At the firehouse, it would be easy. He sits down at the table in between them at dinners. He interrupts their workouts with offers to spot or to ask for one. When he climbs in the engine he takes the spot Eddie would normally sit in. When they leave for the day, he calls Buck to ask random questions, like Buck is his personal Google. Ravi's doing all this so he can fit in more, but Eddie is beginning to wonder if Ravi has a thing for Buck instead which couldn't be further from Ravi's mind. He's super straight. (I mean the whole firehouse can't be gay, bi, etc. Well, maybe it could, but it would make hetero an outside group instead of another type of sexuality. I like to think of the show as something that brings everyone together, and makes us all root for love whatever form it takes.)

I use Buck and Eddie because they are my OTP, but I think Ravi could get more screen time with other characters too. Like he's met Karen at events thrown by the 118 and the two of them have become besties off-screen. Whenever they do anything random together, even a cup of coffee, they somehow end up in the middle of some crazy shenanigans. Or maybe Ravi and Josh could become besties. Sassy Josh is always fun. Or Ravi, Karen, and Josh get into trouble. Every time Ravi is not working the same shift as the others, he ends up with Karen and Josh. Trouble is inevitable. Athena thinks they need an intervention because the number of times she has had to find a way to get them out of lockup starts to become absurd.

Anyway, I think there is Ravi potential. I hope to see it.

[topsyturvy-turtely]

turtely's OTP challenge!

read day 29 on ao3:

(prompt: doing a chore around the house)

summary:

“You convince me of the craziest things, Holmes."

“Oh, come on! A night at IKEA can hardly be more exciting than Afghanistan!”

“Less murders, I’d hope."

“There is no need to whisper, John. We are alone in this gigantic möbelaffär.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Furniture store. It is Swedish.”

“Why does it sound like you’re having an affair with furniture?”

“I do not know. Shall we check out the beds?”

T, 2.676 words, Developing Relationship. IKEA, Fluff, Love Confessions, Sharing a Bed, First Kiss, First Time, just fluff, i love them your honor

tags under the cut 🥰✨

tag list! (tell me if you wanna be added or removed please 💚) @justanobsessedpan @helloliriels @fluffbyday-smutbynight @inevitably-johnlocked @hisfavouritejumper @rhasima @forfucksakejohn @ohlooktheresabee @turbulenttrouble @so-youre-unattached-like-me @totallysilvergirl @peanitbear @train-mossman @loki-lock @smulderscobie @timberva @grace-in-the-wilderness @chinike @jawnn-watson @whatnext2020 @escapingthereality @missdeliadili @kettykika78 @7-percent @speedymoviesbyscience @astudyin221b @francj15 @ladylindaaa @we-r-loonies @mxster-jocale @sherlockcorner @noahspector @our-stars-graveside @jobooksncoffee @baker-street-blog @macgyvershe @myladylyssa @battledress @a-victorian-girl @dreamerofthemeadow @oetkb12 @ohnoesnotagain @mutedsilence @jawnscoffee @raenchaosandcozyadashofmurder @lisbeth-kk @quickslvxrr @compact-and-beautiful @kabubsmagga @sunshineinyourmind @booksoversleep @wilsons-limped-husband

[welshautisticfurry]

youre so right scarian is toxic im here to offer that it was toxic in 3rd life too cause it was and I'm tired of pretending its not (borderline abusive at times too)

so like obviously they killed each other and Scar had no problem with killing Grian but also there was an unhealthy power dynamic in play since episode one and by the time that Grian was free from having to serve Scar he was in too deep and had no choice but to stay with him

last time i spoke about toxic scarian i was told that it was "inevitable" and idk what that means but the unbalanced power dynamic could have totally been avoided so that person was yapping actually

Thank you! I forgot about 3rd life lol, yes, it was borderline abusive. I hate when people paint them as 'perfect'. As someone else pointed out to me, Scar was also bad. I agree, they're both bad for each other.

On the same subject, how about Flower Husbands? I love it and eat it all up, but Scott can be bad to Jimmy. Quite a bit, actually. Sure, he cares for him when he doesn't need to, but always puts him down.

On the other hand, ShinyDuo is my OTP. They're good with each other, they care, they barely ever argue. Murder Camel scenes were some of my favourites, and they were so wholesome. Just Pearl and Gem having fun together!

Oh well, I'm just ranting now, but thank you for your ask!

[boinin]

Can I get 17, 18, 19, 20, and 29 for Kunigiri and AiSen (Aiku x Sendou)

Hi Mr. Smithereens! You sure can. I'm happy to blab about Aikusen in particular! Such a good rarepair.

17. Who says I love you first?

Kunigami, in nearly every scenario. He's too honest to keep it to himself. Conversely, Chigiri's more guarded, so even if he falls in love first, he'd wait until he's certain before admitting his feelings so boldly.

With AikuSen, it's a drawn out process. Sendou would be too insecure to admit his feelings to someone he knows fools around casually, even where he and Aiku are dating exclusively. I personally headcanon Aiku as somewhat emotionally avoidant, and perhaps freaking out about feeling for Sendou on a deeper level. That said, I think Aiku would accept the risk of heartbreak and say I love you first.

18. Who leaves little notes in the other’s one lunch? (Bonus: what does it usually say?)

Let's be real, it's only ever Kunigami making lunches for the princess ❤️ I think he'd write corny jokes to make Chigiri laugh or roll his eyes. Puns in particular, since Chigiri likes wordplay. He probably Googles them specifically.

Aiku and Sendou don't strike me as big lunch makers, but Aiku would probably include notes of encouragement, like Knock 'em dead today, ace. Sendou reads them and cringes (but secretly enjoys them).

19. Who tells their family/friends about their relationship first? & 20. What do their family/friends think of their relationship?

Answering these together as they compliment one another!

Kunigami tells his family first, casually mentioning that he's dating Chigiri. Chigiri's mom and sister wrangle the news out of him after seeing him post a suspiciously couple-y photo with Kunigami on social media. Both families are supportive, particularly the sisters.

Literally none of Kunigiri's friends would be surprised. If anything, they're surprised it took this long to happen.

Aiku tells his family first, although he'd probably take his time to do so. I'm guessing they'd be pretty chill about it—his dad is Swedish-German and fairly liberal, as is his mom. Sendou would worry that his folks would respond negatively to him dating a man. To his surprise, that's not an issue so much as him dating a known cheater / womaniser. Aiku charms them though as soon as they meet him, and reassures them he's not going to hurt Sendou.

There's mixed responses from their friend group. The original U20 teammates would find it hilarious, given how much both of them emphasised dating women in their early careers. Anyone from their days in Ubers sees them getting together a mile off.

29. one headcanon about this OTP that breaks your heart

Kunigiri are overall so wholesome, there's little to report on this front! But the idea of Chigiri being the first (and maybe only) person Kunigami is willing to talk about Wild Card pulls on my heartstrings.

For AikuSen, what gets me is Sendou's inevitable meltdown when he realises he's started to catch feelings for Aiku. I headcanon Sendou doesn't have the self esteem to believe he has enough worth for Aiku to be exclusive with him. Internalised homophobia (or biphobia?) also packs a punch with these two.

[a-casual-kpopfan]

Now Streaming: Game of Life - Sakura

A/N: I guess Ghost and I are really expanding our tastes to other groups and idols. Lol

~~~~~

Sakura doesn’t understand love.

Or more specifically, romantic love.

Working at a manga café, Sakura has been exposed to every kind of manga there is. Among them, romance takes the cake for the most liked genre of all time. She always hears teens gushing over a certain couple and how “sweet” they are. Even in action or horror manga, she can always hear people talking about how these characters are “OTP”, and they are “sailing the ship”.

Sakura doesn’t get it.

She tries to understand it by reading about it a lot, both manga and novels. But she just can’t bring herself to imagine what love feels like. Is it a deeply passionate kiss? Is it a candle-lit dinner at a fancy restaurant? A public confession or proposal? The nervous feeling of ‘butterfly in stomach’ or the giddiness of being close to the ‘crush?’

When she asks other people, most, if not all of them give her answers that are basically the same as in the manga and light novels she read.

‘The feeling of wanting to be with someone, despite their flaws.’

‘The attractiveness they feel towards their loved one.’

‘Wanting to keep all of them to yourself and not sharing them to anyone.’

It’s not like Sakura has never felt loved. Her family loves her. Her mom, her dad, her younger brother. They love her unconditionally and would be willing to do anything for her. And she would do the same for them. After all, she loves them as much as they love her. Although, familial love and romantic love are two different kinds of love. So back to square one.

In one of the vain attempts in understanding love, Sakura tried dating apps. Though she quickly finds it boring. Most people are either too flirty, saying that they can give her a hell of a time later (aka, trying to get into her pants) or aren’t even confident enough to hold a proper conversation with her. Needless to say, she has never gone on a second date with anyone.

Though, there’s another kind of love that she understands, one that most of her friends don’t even start to comprehend. Video games. Sakura can be categorized as the rare specimen known as a gamer girl. She plays a lot of games, from action, to horror, to multiplayer, she’s played it all.

 She doesn’t understand why her friends don’t play them. They are fun, entertaining, and sometimes, wholesome or heart wrenching. Though Sakura usually focus on more multiplayer games. She likes to interact with other people when they are focused in the game, and not in trying to flirt with her. After all, playing games is how she got to meet her best friend, after all.

Anyways, no matter how much effort Sakura put in, she still can’t understand that kind of love that she hears her peers love to talk about, so she just gives up on understanding it. Why waste time on something that she can’t figure out? It’s not like she needs it to live anyways.

Not when she has video games.

-----

Today was supposed to be a chilly day for Sakura.

It’s the weekend, her day off, and she decides to spend time at the PC bang, playing games to her heart’s content.

All is well, until a certain guy starts to bother her again…

“Hi Sakura.”

The receptionist greets Sakura warmly. Since Sakura is a regular customer at this place, it’s inevitable that almost all employees recognize her. And as the receptionist of the PC bang, he obviously knows Sakura very well.

Politely, Sakura offers him a smile back and heads to an empty PC, doing her prep of checking the headphone, mouse and keyboard to make sure everything is ok.

As she boots up the PC, excitedly thinking about what games to play today, a less than favorable voice appears from behind her seat.

“Haven’t you seen you here for a while Sakura. I was sad thinking that you won’t be coming here anymore. But seeing you here is great! It seems like you still miss me huh?”

As soon as Sakura hears his voice, she automatically tunes out his words, and opens a music tab to drown out the ‘noise’.

That plan doesn’t last long though, as her headphones is promptly yanked off her ears, the man who’s been yapping away is now facing her, his expression less than happy.

“Hey, I’m giving you my precious attention, why are you ignoring me?” The man then raises an eyebrow, his lips curving into a smirk “Oh I see, playing hard to get huh? It’s ok, I know how hot I am, hehe~”

Now, Sakura doesn’t understand the concept of love and crush and whatnot, but she isn’t oblivious enough to not recognize that this guy is trying to chase her and has been for a while now. His insufferable attitude causing most, if not everyone, employees include, to have a less the favorable view on him. However, since he doesn’t break the rules, they don’t have a reason to chase him out.

“Who said I want your attention?” Sakura rolls her eyes, taking her headphones back. “I just want to play games, so please go away.” She turns back to her screen, promptly ignoring him.

“Hah, games? Girl you are talking to one of the best gamers at this place, I will carry you in any games you want, as long as…” he wiggles his eyebrows “you accept to be my girlfriend~”

Sakura doesn’t even need to take off her headphones to hear the sigh of everyone in the vicinity. Ever since she caught his eyes, he’s been flirting nonstop, and it’s driving her insane.

What do I do now? Sakura groans, her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose. How do I get this guy off me?

“Come on, don’t be shy, I know you want to be my girlfriend, you’re just playing hard to get.” The man continues “No one can resist my charm~”

Amidst his yapping, Sakura suddenly thinks of someone. Her best friend. If it’s him, it should be fine, right? Sakura thinks to herself.

“I’m waiting for your answer~” With her patience at the boiling point, she turns to the man suddenly. “Sorry but I already have a boyfriend, so please don’t bother me anymore.”

Her answer instantly stuns the man…alongside the employees and other regular customers who know Sakura.

“You…you have a boyfriend?” The man stutters, not believing in his ears.

“Yeah, it’s Lunar, the streamer.” She fearlessly announces her friend’s online alias. Her fingers seamlessly search his streaming channel to see that he is also coincidentally streaming right now.

“You’re bullshitting me. There’s no way your friends with the Lunar, not to mention dating him!” The man voices his disbelief, and for good reasons of course. Lunar might not be a big-time streamer, but he is still pretty popular, due to his good looks, charming personality, and insane gaming skills.

“Don’t believe me?” Sakura asks with a grin, to which the man shakes his head profusely. “If he’s a streamer, why doesn’t he come here to play?”

“Are you stupid? His set up at home is better than most pc bang, why should he come here?”

His stupid question earns some snickers from nearby customers, but he has yet to give up. “I still don’t believe that you know Lunar.”

Snickering, Sakura takes out her phone and dials a number. Mere moments later, Lunar can be seen grabbing his phone on stream and talking the call with his shoulder holding the phone to his ears, pushing his right earphone to behind his ear. His eyes are still trained on the screen with his fingers tapping rapidly.

“Annyeong, Kkura?”

Everyone gasps the moment they hear his voice, fully not expecting her to actually know him.

“Annyeong Lunar, what are you doing?” Sakura replies cheerfully. “Uh, streaming Elden Ring, what’s up?” His constant typing can be heard through the call.

“Nothing, just feel like calling you.” She smiles mischievously, although Lunar doesn’t know that.

“Oh ok- YAH, STOP SPAMMING THAT SKILL! I’ll call you back later. Kind of busy right now.”

Sakura bursts out in fits of giggles as she glances at the screen, seeing Lunar constantly dodging Malenia’s infamous attack while still in an awkward position with his shoulder propping his phone.

“Okie, see you later Lunar.” Sakura hangs up the call, turning to look at the man. “Questions?” she asks in a sassy tone.

The guy can only stay silent, then goes away.

Sakura finally lets out a sigh, leaning back against her chair, before someone else approaches her.

“So, you really know Lunar?” an employee asks her.

Sakura can’t help but chuckle at how the employee’s eyes just glow when she confirms it.

Glancing back at the screen, she sees Lunar finally giving his attention to the game again, focusing on beating the boss.

How ironic, that the first time they met in a game, they yelled at each other almost every time they met. And now, he becomes her best friend, her confidant, when she wants to share things that she is too embarrassed to share with her parents.

She then thinks back to the declaration that she made just now, about him being her boyfriend.

It’s not like he’ll ever go here anyways, Sakura shrugs. What’s the harm?

----

True enough, Lunar never really visits the PC bang. Until today.

It’s been a few months since that particular incident. Things have gotten better than before.

That man annoys her less than before, seemingly not believing her lie, but still a bit cautious about it. Which Sakura doesn’t particularly care about, as long as he leaves her alone while she is at the PC bang.

Surprisingly enough, most people don’t bother her about questions relating to Lunar. Is it because they are afraid of him? Or is it because they are polite enough to not ask questions, unlike a certain guy? In any case, Sakura is glad she doesn’t have to deal with it anymore.

Well, until today.

Lunar’s parents seem to be visiting him. They nag so much about him sitting in one place and not doing anything else. He does protest that he works out a lot, but it has fallen onto deaf ears. This results in Lunar not being able to play or stream games with his usual schedule.

So, how else does he play games without being nagged by his parents? PC bang, of course.

He casually asks Sakura about her most frequent place. And like any good friend, Sakura first teases him about the fact that he must go to the PC bang to play games despite having a set up at home, then she tells him about her usual place, completely forgetting the lie she made a few months ago.

It isn’t until they meet up together, and walk to the PC bang, that Sakura suddenly realizes what she has just gotten herself into. The realization hits so hard, she stops mid-step, completely still like a statue, causing Lunar to notice it as well.

“What’s wrong?” He turns his head to her, tilting it slightly. “N-nothing! I just remembered that I forgot to do something.” Sakura tries to find a way to stop Lunar from going to the PC bang. “Should we take a raincheck?”

Immediately she could see a light pout on his face. “I’m only free today, Kkura.”

“O-oh…”

“I’ll just go alone then, you go do your stuff, Kkura.” Lunar shrugs, start heading towards the PC bang. “W-wait!” She catches up to him.

“Hmm?”

“I can just do it tomorrow. It’s not that urgent anyways.” Sakura plays it off. “Are you sure?” Lunar raises an eyebrow, looking at her. “Yeah! Besides, it’s been a while since we play games together, no?”

“Mhmm, it’s really been a while.” Sakura’s attempt to divert the topic seems to be successful, as they both head off to the PC bang again.

With no way to persuade Lunar, Sakura decides that it’s better to do damage control instead of letting him go there alone and let things potentially go even worse.

Arriving at the place, things happen almost like how she imagined it would be.

Employees greet her and recognize the youth besides her.

A few customers recognizing Lunar and start to fanboy/girl.

A certain guy who smiles when he saw her, only to be fuming with anger at the sight of Lunar. Sakura tries so hard not to let out a smirk at the sight.

“So, you finally decide to bring your boyfriend here huh?” An employee teases her, causing her breath to hitch slightly as she glances up to Lunar’s face. (As much as she hates to admit it, Lunar is one head taller than her, a fact that he’s been polite enough to not mention, but one that still makes her feel unfair.)

Instead of a confused expression like how she predicts, Lunar keeps a calm face as his eyes seem to scan around the room, taking in every bit of hints that he can get from other people before he flashes his iconic ‘streamer smile’, putting his arm over Sakura’s shoulder.

“Well, I’ve been quite busy recently, so I have not been able to follow Kkura to her usual place.” His words shocked her greatly. Out of all the things she guesses he would do, playing alone was not one of them.

Lunar seems to not notice her expression, as he expertly socializes with the employees and other customers before asking for a VIP room for the both of them, then leads her to it.

“Is there anything that I need to know, my girlfriend?” Lunar teases her right after they enter the room. “I don’t remember asking you out, you know.” Instead of being angry to confused about this, Lunar seems to be…relaxed? Sakura can’t really tell.

Nonetheless, Sakura still tells him the full story with the other guy, and how she uses Lunar as a shield against him.

“That explains his gaze from earlier…” He muses to himself.

“I’ll go clarify with the others later, don’t worry.” Sakura feels quite guilty about pulling her friend into her business but was cut off midway by Lunar. “Why?” He asks her quizzically.

“Uh…because we aren’t really dating, and I just use you to deter the guy?” Sakura is now truly confused. “Don’t bother, I don’t particularly care.” Lunar shrugs “As long as it keeps you safe, I can play your boyfriend.”

“Jinjja?” Sakura’s round eyes stare at his side profile, while Lunar is just booting up their PCs.

“Yeah, why not?” He glances back at her. “I’m not dating, and you need protection, so I’ll gladly provide that.” He shrugs.

Sakura only stares at Lunar for a long while, before saying: “Have anyone told you you’re handsome?” Bursting out laughing, Lunar clutches his stomach lightly. “Yeah, my fans.”

His answer earns him an elbow to the ribs. Gently.

“Ow-” Lunar rubs his ribs. “Let’s play some games!” Sakura pointedly ignores it, rushing him to play games with her.

For the first time in a while, Sakura really, really doesn’t enjoy her time playing games. It could have been that because she was too worried about the other guy, she couldn’t focus 100% on her games. Or maybe it’s because Lunar is here today with her. Who knows? Sakura doesn’t.

But she doesn’t care either. She manages to resolve the gnawing issue that is the other guy following her, and she can enjoy games with her best friend. And that’s all she asks for.

----

“Hey Kkura, I need my girlfriend’s help.”

“Huh????”

----

“So, this is what you meant by, ‘needing your girlfriend’…” Sakura murmurs, standing in front of a restaurant.

“Yeah, my parents have been nagging at me to find someone, and I don’t exactly have someone else to help me with this….” Lunar scratches his head sheepishly.

“It’s ok, I got the gist of it already. Besides, you agreed to play my boyfriend, so it’s time I return the favor.” Sakura lets out a giggle, patting his shoulder, before wrapping her arm around his. “Now lead the way, boyfriend~”

“Also, one more thing.” Lunar says, “Don’t call me ‘Lunar’ in front of my parents.”

“Then what am I supposed to call you?” Sakura raises an eyebrow. Throughout the time she knows him, she has always been calling him by his nickname ‘Lunar’.

“My real name, of course.” He rolls his eyes.

“Alright then, Hyunwoo~” Sakura deliberately calls him in a cutesy voice, causing him to shiver visibly.

“Ugh, let’s get this over with….” Lunar, or Hyunwoo, leads Sakura inside the restaurant, where they proceed to meet with his parents. Little did they know, their lunch might have gone a bit…. Too well.

A few hours later….

“Your parents were a bit too excited, weren’t they?” Both are currently at the PC bang after their lunch.

“Yeah, it’s the first time I ever introduced someone to them, so they overreacted.” Lunar lets out a sigh. “Don’t worry, they’ll go back home next week, so you don’t have to worry about them for long.”

At his word, Sakura turns to stare at him, ignoring the fact that she is letting her character be shot to death. “Aish, what are you doing Kkura-” Lunar complains while trying to save her character, only to be asked a question instead.

“You’ve never dated anyone?” Sakura asks curiously.

“Hmm? Why are you asking that?” Lunar now glances at her face instead of the screen, letting both of their characters die in-game.

“I don’t know, I just felt like you’ve good a pretty good grasp on being a boyfriend.” Sakura muses, thinking back to the lunch date. Despite what his parents say about him, never introducing anyone to them, Lunar, or rather, Hyunwoo displays most, if not all the points of what a perfect boyfriend would be like.

Attentive, respectful, charming, keeping his parents from asking something that might be sensitive while managing to not let the atmosphere become tense, all around an almost perfect boyfriend.

“Me not introducing anyone to my parents doesn’t mean that I’ve never dated, Kkura.” Hyunwoo lets out a small chuckle. “I’ve dated a few people, but it just didn’t end up well.”

“Why?” Sakura is genuinely curious, just by interacting with him one can see how gentle and kind he is.

“Well, let’s just say I couldn’t keep up with them, so we fall out of touch.” Hyunwoo lets out a self-deprecating laugh.

“Anyways, should we start over the heist?” Hyunwoo points back to the screen. Sakura wants to say something, but she ends up swallowing it back as she smiles at him. “Yeah, let’s start over.”

----

It’s been a few months since then.

Sakura and Hyunwoo still pact as each other’s boyfriend/girlfriend when they need to. Having Hyunwoo act as her ‘boyfriend’ whenever someone tries to flirt with her eases her up a lot. It’s nice to have a shield.

On the other hand, Sakura agrees to act as his ‘girlfriend’ whenever his parents video calls him. Watching them nagging at him for various stuffs, while doting on her greatly is a great contrast, especially to see him pouting whenever that happens.

Unbeknownst to them, whatever slight awkwardness they might have between them has faded, as they become increasingly familiar with each other’s habits. Hyunwoo always seems to avoid anything red bean paste related snacks when they go out, knows how to act accordingly whenever a guy comes up to her, and even automatically grabs her hand while at crowded places to not lose her.

Even in-game, Hyunwoo seems to pick up on her little quirks and acts according to it, allowing her to have a great time playing games whenever she’s with him.

Sakura, in her own way, learns more about Hyunwoo in ways she’s never known. How he acts while streaming compared to how he is in real life, although the changes are miniscule and not worth paying attention to, Sakura did. She learns of his self-discipline by going to the gym every day, without missing a day off. She notices how he tends to scrunch up his nose whenever he’s in deep thought.

Despite how much they have progressed, they still regard themselves as nothing more than best friends. Sakura once joked that they are “friends with benefits” to the amusement of Hyunwoo. They do have benefits being friends, just not how people would expect.

.

.

.

“Your boyfriend really is something huh?”

One of Sakura’s coworker comments randomly, catching her off guard.

“Who?” She asks confusedly.

“Your boyfriend Lunar? The streamer?” her coworker points to Hyunwoo who is helping with loading the boxes of manga at her workplace.

“And?” Sakura is too busy with her own work to reply.

“How did a bum who has never dated someone like you manage to snatch such a fine guy?” Her coworker sighs disappointed. “He’s literally the perfect boyfriend described in almost every romance manga ever, and a bum like you snatched him away first.”

“I told you many times, already, we aren’t dating.” Sakura seems annoyed at this point.

“Yet he comes here in his free time to help you, he always brings you latte, he does whatever you ask for, and on top of that, he does free advertising for us on his stream! Do you know how much people would pay for him to advertise something?”

“He’s just being kind.” Sakura shrugs. “Mhmm, keep telling yourself that, hun.” Her coworker rolls her eyes, before a naughty glint appears in her eyes.

“Say, you said that you guys aren’t dating, right?”

“Yeah, and?”

“Can I date him, then?” Upon hearing that, Sakura immediately glares at her coworker before yelling “No!”

“Heh, and you say you guys aren’t dating.” Her coworker snickers, walking off, leaving only Sakura at the reception.

Sakura, meanwhile, was shocked at her own action.

Did she just get angry at the thought of Hyunwoo dating someone? She thinks to herself, then glances at him.

She never realized how dependent she was on him. How she smiles lightly whenever she receives his messages. How much more natural she is as playing his ‘girlfriend’ in front of his parents. How she wipes the sweat off his forehead like it’s just a natural thing for her. How their hands automatically intertwined with each other when they went out together. How she sometimes misses his warm hugs late at night.

Hyunwoo isn’t just a friend to her anymore. Sakura has a revelation to herself. She still doesn’t feel romantically interested in him, but she is sure that she can’t just view him as her best friend any longer.

But…If they aren’t best friends, what are they?

----

“Hyunwoo?”

“Yeah?”

“How long have we been doing this couple act?”

Currently, Sakura is just laying on Hyunwoo’s bed, as she watches him mindlessly fight a random boss in Elden Ring.

“Uh…. Close to a year now.” Hyunwoo answers absentmindedly. “Why are you asking?”

“Nothing, just, thinking about stuffs…” Sakura answers, staring up at the ceiling for a while. “Should we stop?” Hyunwoo freezes at her question. “Huh?” he turns around on his chair to look at her, controller thrown onto the table. “Why?” He asks.

“Well, it’s just been going on for long enough, I think.” She raises her head to look at him, then proceeds to sit up on his bed with her legs crossed. “Don’t you think so?”

She watches as Hyunwoo falls into contemplation, his nose scrunching up as usual as he leans back onto his gaming chair, his feet tapping lightly against the ground as his eyes wander to whatever seems to catch his interest.

The silence stays for a while, each second seems heavier than the next as Sakura eyes Hyunwoo intently, until he finally looks back at her with an unreadable expression on his face.

“What if I don’t want it to end?” Hyunwoo stands up and moves to the bed, sitting down next to Sakura, but still facing her. “It doesn’t matter that it was an act at the beginning because it benefits us, it means something now, at least to me.” He looks straight into her eyes. “I might not understand what romance feel like, but this, what we have right now.” He points to her, then to himself. “I don’t want to lose it.”

Hyunwoo has no idea when it happened, or how it happened, but he knows one thing for sure that he doesn’t want anyone else besides Sakura. And it is the same for her.

Hyunwoo becomes the novel’s definition of how a loving partner should be, and Sakura has no idea when it happened. Sakura might not still understand what romance is, but what they have here, commitment and care, is a form of love between them, and Sakura refuses to abandon it.

That’s why she pounces at him, shoving him down on the bed while she’s straddling him, giggling. “I was just kidding~” Hyunwoo is dumbfounded. “You were?”

“I just wanted to confirm to myself if you feel what I feel as well.” Hyunwoo starts to sit up, his face so very close to hers as she sits in his lap instead of straddling him. “So…what are we then?” Hyunwoo asks her, chuckling. She joins him as well.

“We are whatever we want to be.” Sakura answers. “Best friends, boyfriend and girlfriend, partners, anything.” Sakura’s arms wrap around his neck. “But you’re mine.”

His eyes soften at her words, his arms wrap around her waist.

“Always.”

[piffany666]

What you favourite gba character says about you! (Based on the Eldena doubleca5t series on YouTube)

(This is a joke please do not take any of this personally)

Loyal: your probably either a black butler fan or an angle beats fan

Servos: you had a crush on Marshalllee from adventure time

Yargwin: at some point in your life you've probably been obsessed with either Jack sparrow or Captin hook from Once upon a time. That being said you do have good taste

Kalomos: you just wanted good things for kalomos and really....who wouldn't?

Lry: you need everyone in this series to just chill the f*k out for like 5 minutes

Vail: your favourite trope is a character being blissfully unaware of how powerful they are

Raspa: you are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of a mad scientist

Mortals: you have some....complicated feelings about episode 3 of space pirates

Vision: your childhood crush was garnett from steven universe

Heartburn: you still don't know the answer to the mystery of 1. Why did yargwin tell him that "him and Arkov aren't married" and 2. Why heartburn is even here but the difference is that your not mad about the second one

Kaunda: your either a lesbian or a liar

Banar: you really like full metal alchemist

The butterfly king: your OTP is fizz x Ozzmodius from hellova boss

Albus: you are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of "I can fix him" but you will inevitably realise that you can't and then promptly exept him as he is

Devlin: your probably autistic and the quickest way to your heart is somebody showing even the slitest amount of intrest In YOUR special interest

Odin: you really like God of war

Odysseus: you understand the significance of Odin calling him that...also you probably really like "epic the musical"

Tyr: you really like lore olympus

Fenrir: you are a furry that or your just a redacted fan

Okami: you were the f*kers who kept spaming "okami did nothing wrong" in that one live stream

Makkaro: you are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of "a hero will sacrifice you to save the world but a villan will sacrifice the world to save you"

Zed: I want to use the joke used by the person this post was inspired by and say that you like "men👏 getting 👏pegged!" But honestly if your favourite character is zed you probably just really like the owl house

Mirrin: when zed asked the guardian if they used to be lovers you got your hopes up way to quickly

Frank: you had a crush on Billy butcherson from hocus pocus

Hipswich: you believe in the inherent eroticism of the song "good lookin"

Mahatma/atila: this is just the same joke as raspa but like even more so

Huginn: your favourite ship dynamic is "neurodivergent character rambling" x "could listen to them talk forever"

Muninn: your favourite asmr trope is reverse comfort

[orionsangel86]

You know, I thought we were done with the ageism in fandom thinking that its purely for teenagers? Because it doesn't help anyone to have the attitude of this (now blocked) anon. People don't stop having passions and being fans of things just because they get older. Fandoms thrive BECAUSE older people put in the effort to MAKE them thrive. Do you really think that 100k word perfectly written epic fanfic that you adore so much was written by a 16 year old? Because I guarantee it was more likely to be written by a 35 year old mother of 2.

That amazing cosplay of your fave character you saw at a recent comic con that took phenomenal skill and probably a good deal of expense to look perfect wasn't put together by a 17 year old high schooler, it was perfected through years of passion into a hobby that more than likely required a full time job and a savings account to afford.

That amazing fanartist who has the BEST art of your OTP that captures their likeness in a really gorgeous style? They weren't born with that talent. It takes years to develop a personal art style, and capturing a persons likeness in art is a skill that has to be nurtured. The best artists are the ones who've had years to develop their skills. They aren't school kids. I have had mutuals on this site for a decade now and I have seen how much their art has improved and become absolutely beloved. These are people who at their youngest are in their late 20s now. Most of my mutuals are in their 30s, some of the best fanfiction writers I know are in their 40s and 50s. The meta writers I know are also in my age group. Hell, do you think teenagers run AO3? You'll be surprised just how many "old people" make the best fanworks. If you removed them from fandom spaces, I guarantee you would remove most of the talent, because no offence to you kids, but that talent is something that is nurtured over time, and time and aging go hand in hand i'm afraid.

The people who make fandoms what it is, the ones running events, pouring themselves into analytical posts, providing the best fanart, coming up with the amusing memes and textposts that go viral? Do you REALLY think they are all school kids? Fandoms are made up of PEOPLE, and newsflash assholes, people AGE.

This attitude always amazes me. There isn't an age limit in fandom. This isn't fucking Logan's Run (bet you the kids won't understand that reference) and honestly if these kids genuinely think they need to give it up and quit at a certain point in their future I just pity them.

Fandom thrives because of the older people that have nurtured it for years and carved out a space where younger people can enter in comfort and safety. Which are only possible BECAUSE older people built online fandoms and continued to put in the work to keep them going. If we all had to stop caring and leave fandom at some specific cut off date, the fandom landscape would be a vastly different space - and probably a lot worse for being predominantly run by hormonal teenagers - heh, I guess it would be a lot more like TikTok and we all know how dreadful TikTok has been for fandom so far. If nothing else that alone proves my point.

At the end of the day, no one can stop the passing of time. Even the horrible children who send adults nasty anons. Eventually, they will be the "fandom elders" and receiving their own anon hate from a future generation of brats, I personally can't wait to be the very old lady laughing at them when that day inevitably comes.

[hecckyeah]

don't mind me just watching my otp dancing while they're best friends who won't admit they're best friends but who know each other better than they know themselves and have been flirting around each other for at least a year and all their friends know they're the most important part of each other's lives and they have to keep it professional and they're both such introspective and intelligent people but for some reason neither of them can see that what they're feeling isn't exactly. platonic. until it literally comes down to the wire and they're forced to be closer than they've ever been before for the sake of an undercover case, at which time it's hugely inconvenient because she's dating someone, and so they keep dancing around each other exchanging Looks™️ like it's the pining olympics, until finally, finally she says something and then it's just explosions and honesty and unabashed love and it's like they've never been anything else except together. and neither of them can really decide when the moment was that they fell because it was more of an inevitable journey, like two parallel lines just barely off kilter that just keep going and going, closer and closer until one moment they weren't and the next nanosecond they are, and now there's nowhere left to go except forward, together.

[arcadiabaytornado]

Yes <3 about reading Pricefield as romantic even if they don't kiss in episode 3. It upsets me how often people claim Bae can end platonic (just read an article that says this too) because with Max's feelings for Chloe existing regardless of your choice that is not gonna end platonic. "I'll always be with you" "Forever" was very romantically said you can hear it in their voices. Even if somehow they didn't know how they felt they would not spend their forever as platonic friends with feelings between them existing as we see in the game. I guess it bothers me so much because it feels... it feels like it's only because they're two girls. And that makes it harder for people to see and understand. If they were a man and a woman I don't think anyone would suggest it could end platonic but because they're two girls a lot of people along with not reading the journal don't pick up on what's right in front of them

I can accept that some people just don't ship Max and Chloe. Shipping is very much a matter of opinion, and if a ship doesn't click then it just doesn't click. HOWEVER, it does drive me crazy when people insist that Max and Chloe are purely platonic and everyone is reading to much into it.

Let's pretend for a minute that Max is a man and Chloe is a women. The first time Male Max saved Chloe from being shot in the bathroom, everyone would be going "Oh! OTP!!! End game! It's all going to led up to them kissing! It's inevitable!!" Like...Male Max wouldn't even need to keep saving Chloe after that for people to be like "His devotion to her is insane!" All it would take to prove his love would be that one act.

More Undercut

Male Max wouldn't have to keep proving his love because his love is assumed. Female Max breaks time itself and lets a tornado wipe out a town for Chloe, and that's still not deemed to be enough.

There are some people in the world can see two women have a canon kiss and love confession and they'll say "WELL. That doesn't mean they aren't straight. They just love their bestie a lot." Yet, a man and women can make eye contact for two seconds and that will validate them becoming canon.

It doesn't matter if they have chemistry, or love, or if they treat each other poorly, as long as they're man and women love will always be assumed to be there. Meanwhile, it doesn't matter if two women have chemistry, or a scene where they longingly kiss in the rain, or end the world in each other's names, their love will always be called to be proven, despite the fact that the people who call have every intention of deeming every piece of evidence inadmissible. For they can accept that a women wouldn't love at all, but they can never accept that a women wouldn't love a man.

So, yeah, I do agree with you that the denial of the bay ending feels like it's mostly because they're two girls. I think if Max were a man and Chloe was a women or vice versa, the bae ending would be universally regarded as romantic. Which...makes me sad on multiple levels. (Side Note: The people who didn't read the journal and then try to police the people who did also drive me nuts. But I went on a tangent about male/female vs WLW relationships so I forgot to address that. Oops. But yeah it is partially because they haven't read the journals. But then again if Max were a man I don't think they'd need to.)

[ammy246]

Just saw some Narusasu shippers shitting on Bakudeku, and as someone who's first gay ship and otp used to be Narusasu instead of Bakudeku, I have some thoughts.

I remember the heartbreak I felt the day Kishimoto ruined Narusasu by forcing them to be romantically involved with women without a single bit of relationship development. Naruto ended up with Hinata in a filler movie despite having ignored her even after her romantic confession to him, and Sasuke abandoned Sakura after having a child with her. This was not the ending any of us wanted. We wanted Naruto and Sasuke to peacefully resolve their rivalry, and find love in each other after all they've been through. But unfortunately, that's not what happened as Kishimoto had to force a next-gen onto us, and permanently friendzoned them. It's tragic and felt like a betrayal, but shounen had not been ready for queer relationships, so Narusasu being shafted was ultimately inevitable.

While I cannot say for 100% certain, I can say that Bakudeku has a much greater chance of becoming canon than Narusasu ever did. Horikoshi once stated that he will tell the story he wants to be told and not follow the stereotypical formula, contradicting Kishimoto who went with the shounen ending we've seen many times before of the protagonist accomplishing their goal and marrying a woman and having kids (even though they have no chemistry with said woman or a lack of feelings for them compared to their rival).

Horikoshi had the chance to make Izuocha canon. They could've confessed before the war, but they didn't. The two moved on with their lives, and have made no desire to talk about feelings for each other, but are rather focused on other peope (Bakugou and Toga) as that's where their hearts reside. Bakugou also has no other potential love interest aside from Midoriya as he is the one he is closest too in the entire world and knows the most which is different than Sasuke who had some moments with Sakura scattered throughout the series from the start.

Bakugou cares about Midoriya in a way that's beyond friendship. He means the word to him to the point he was willing to sacrifice himself and even die for him, and will make himself vulnerable around him and nobody else. Midoriya has hidden feelings for Bakugou as his thoughts regarding him are hidden, and his heart always spirals out of control because of Bakugou, but we have not yet been directly told why. Midoriya does not act like this around his other friends, and he has many.

Naruto and Sasuke resolved things right after their final fight, and their friendship returned stronger than ever before, but that was it. Yet even after Bakugou's apology, there are still unresolved issues even though Midoriya chose to forgive him, meaning something must still be said between the two. Midoriya did not want an apology; he wanted to deepen their bond beyond friendship, but was too afraid of rejection hence why he never confessed and hid his feelings instead.

This plotline is still unresolved as of chapter 405. Bakugou is now being honest about his feelings, yet we have still yet to see Midoriya's thoughts regarding Bakugou's death and revival only having been given face expressions. So if their friendship has returned and gotten stronger than ever before despite the series not yet being over, what else is there to develop aside from romantic feelings?

Narusasu shippers, I hate to say it, but we lost. We cannot change the past, but we can have hope for the future. Bakudeku has surpassed Narusasu long ago, and the two are closer to a love confession than ever before, which is something we never quite got close to with Narusasu. If Horikoshi is serious about not following the typical shounen formula, we might have a real chance here. We might not get a kiss or marriage, but if the two confess their feelings for each other and do not end up with women like nothing happened, then that would be a huge victory for the LGBT+ community, and hopefully open the gateway for more queer relationships in shounen jump for the future.

Both Bakudeku and Narusasu are amazing ships. I wish we could live in a reality where both became canon, but getting one would still be a major milestone. Do not attack each other over what could have been, but resolve your differences like Bakugou & Midoriya and Naruto & Sasuke did and look towards a brighter future where LGBT+ can be mainstream without us having to fight for it and fear losing.

[carlyraejepsans]

Sans Undertale.

the funny one. blue guy. skeleton dude. if u please

favorite thing about them: god how to choose. i love how contradictory he is. i love how much he blends into the background and has a net zero relevance on the game's story, and yet he sticks out like a sore thumb, both thematically and tonally. the judgement spiel makes him the direct deliverer of a core game mechanic, and yet he's... such an outsider about it. i love how morally grey he is. a resonance hybrid between a painfully selfless good man and a self serving bastard. he's the depressed nihilistic man. he is his girlfriend's manic pixie dream girl. he is just some guy. he is the last barrier against universal annihilation. he serves cunt (but only once). he parallels flowey in his refusal to engage the narrative, but whereas the narrative starts orbiting flowey instead, sans condems himself as the audience to the player's actions. #finalgirl. also it's still a theory, but if the otherworld stuff is ever confirmed ingame that will make him the most video game character of all fucking time. hands down. no competitors.

least favorite thing about them: every morning i wake up and i stare in the mirror and i ask myself "do i wanna fuck sans undertale??" and i hesitate. and well i could do without that kind of pressure

favorite line: "that's a promise" "besides. chances are... i've already tried to steer you in the right direction. so what can i say? what can i say that will change the mind of a being like you...?"

brOTP: i like whatever he and grillby got going on. that barman/regular comradery, the mood of the bar late at night and being the only client left. the silent vulnerability of it. it's all hypothetical since grillby doesn't really Have much of a presence in the game, but they obviously get along well. alphys too, what a pair of nerds. oh my god i didn't mention papyrus. oh well, they don't feel like a brotp tbh, it's like. they're halves of the same coin. sans inevitably implies papyrus in my mind, and vice versa. do NOT separate them.

OTP: do you have to fucking ask

nOTO: you know people usually put stuff like incest or age gap ships here because they make them understandably uncomfortable, but if there's a ""ship"" that i violently HATE re:sans it's. whenever they make him and toriel a mother-son dynamic. i am not talking about platonic or qpr soriel, i love those as well, they are besties first and lovers maybe, i mean SPECIFICALLY the take that she's his mother. no the fuck she's not. infantilization of sans and mommyification of toriel aside, that's the entire point of their friendship she is NOT his mother. they're on the same level, he is literally the first person she's gone eye to eye with as an equal in her centuries of isolation and THAT is what helps her snap out of her cycle. she is not his superior, he is not her protège. it grosses me out so much.

random headcanon: half decent singer, but hates to sing in public unless he's being a clown on purpose. used to sing papyrus to sleep as a baby. that's a pretty standard hc though, uhhhh.... he hates drinking. though he's surprisingly knowledgeable about corks, for some reason.

unpopular opinion: abby i'm so sorry i know u like it & i 🤝 about it in some cases ex: specific fics we both like, but he does NOT canonically have 1HP outside of a genocide battle. and i'd really appreciate it if people stopped pushing that hc on everyone else.

song i associate with them: Pinch me by the Barenaked Ladies, and If I Ever Feel Better by Phoenix. helplessness but silly and helplessness but funky. v sans songs

favorite picture of them:

heart eyes motherfucker

[yukidragon]

Sunny Day Jack - Reincarnation Headcanons

It’s been a while since I’ve gone on a proper ramble for Sunny Day Jack, so let’s start getting the ball rolling again with some good old shameless OTP self-indulgence, shall we? I have no idea how long my momentum will last, but I’m going to do my best to have fun and see where things take me.

I just loved the script teaser for the upcoming demo update that got publicly posted over on the SnaccPop Studios Patreon. It really got me thinking, and one line in particular intrigued me.

Jack: I can’t explain it, but I know this feeling. I've felt it before. I just can’t remember where...

This really gives me strong vibes that Joseph did have someone he loved before he died… and it really makes me keen to think that MC is his reincarnated lover. Or at least they remind him of a love he lost when he was murdered. This could also be a narrative parallel with the way MC used to(?) love Ian. It’s hard to say at this point.

Regardless, this did make me immediately think of my own MC Alice’s previous incarnation, Mary, who I first mentioned in a previous ramble. I also wrote about her in this very spicy two-sided first-person story, as well as a little snippet about Mary’s potential sweet reunion with Joseph after they were separated for years.

Content Warnings: this post will have mentions of death, trauma, bullying, SA, and probably touch on other dark themes. Reincarnation stories, especially those involving murder, tend to have a bit of a dark side after all. I’ll make sure to tread lightly on these topics since the focus is on indulging in a reincarnated soulmates storyline after all. I might also indulge in some spicy thoughts as well, but we’ll see.

As I previously mentioned, I’m still on the fence about whether or not I’m going to go with the reincarnation storyline for Sunshine in Hell, or stick with it being an AU thing. There’s plenty of pros and cons for both routes in my mind, and I’m still not quite decided yet. Though playing with it more in these rambles, reading that teaser, and even seeing other MCs with past incarnations have made me start to lean in that direction.

Though… it’s pretty sad to imagine that Joseph had love in his past… only to forget about it and only remember the persona of Jack that he’s wearing now. Then again, he would no doubt be sad that his lover forgot about him too. It’s not either of their fault of course. Death is a cruel thing that takes away so much…

Still, it would make more sense why Alice would feel compelled to save Jack, not just because she was in a vulnerable place and couldn’t turn away when someone was suffering and she could help him. A part of her would feel this strong sense of longing and nostalgia, a feeling that she had been waiting for this person for such a long, long time…

It also is more reason for Jack to instantly fall in love with Alice. Even if he forgot he was Joseph and anything tied to that life… he still remembered Mary, even if only as a feeling of love. Names, faces, and places aside from the lore of Sunny Day Jack were erased, but there was only ever one person who made him feel truly loved, and she found him again, just like she did before. He might not remember it, but a part of him wished for her to find him again for 40 long years.

Naturally, with a reincarnation storyline, that means that memories of the past would inevitably return. How much and how quickly are up for debate, but most likely it would be a gradual process for both of them.

It would be interesting if Alice remembered everything first. After all, Jack is practically traumatized by the idea of being Joseph. He doesn’t want to remember being that person who made so many mistakes and was so flawed. This is especially true if his death involved horrible secrets being revealed about him… secrets he never wanted Mary to know that he feared would ruin things between them forever.

Joseph would never have told Mary about his time as a bully, or why he ran away from Haberdae High. He couldn’t forgive himself for what he did, couldn’t see anyone being able to ever love someone who did something so horrible. He couldn’t let his past mistakes ruin things. He couldn’t lose her, not after he finally found her again. He wanted to be a better person for himself and for her.

Mary hated bullies, and Joseph had become the worst of the worst of them. Even if she hadn’t been his victim personally, he knew how she felt about bullies, how the damage they inflicted on someone never truly disappeared…

Having his ugly past revealed before her and the entire world in the worst way possible was no doubt soul crushing.

If the two of them had more time together, Mary could have helped Joseph open up about the things he was ashamed about and eventually forgive himself for his past mistakes, but he died at the worst possible time. It’s all the more reason why he can’t handle being Joseph anymore.

I’d have to consider all the implications of Alice remembering being Mary and if Jack would remember enough to be terrified of that idea. After all, if she remembers, sure she remembers the good moments, but she would also remember when his mask was ripped off and revealed the ugly person he was underneath. In that case, he would try to stop it from happening, deflect and avoid, terrified to let the past resurface while trying not to remember it himself.

Of course Sunshine in Hell is a story of two broken people healing and opening enough to expose their scars in order to heal. Alice would help Jack trust that he can be flawed, he can make mistakes, and she’ll still love him. It’ll take time, but eventually he’ll learn to stop hating the person he was and accept that he was always worthy of love.

While pondering possibilities, I also thought of the classic reincarnated transmigrator stories that are especially popular in the webcomic scene. The idea of Mary being reborn into her favorite story as the “villainess” Alice gives me a little chuckle. Though that’ll be an AU for another post.

Anyway, I considered how much Alice remembers of being Mary and when it started. Many reincarnation stories have the MC remember all at once when they’re young, sometimes even as a baby. That certainly wouldn’t be the case for Sunshine in Hell, since the more I thought about it, the more I knew that it would change the story, particularly when it comes to Alice and Ian’s relationship.

If Alice remembered her past life before she met Jack, it would be a painful gut punch, to say the least. There would be a strong feeling of dissociation. This life is so different from her past one, and Joseph isn’t there. It would give this feeling of not really being sure of who she was or if she should really be there. Does she deserve this life?

Then of course there’s the problems of remembering life as an adult while being stuck in a child’s body and all the issues that come with that.

Still… Mary always longed for a family who actually loved her, and Alice has that. It would be impossible for her to resist wanting to be Alice with her whole heart, to be surrounded by such love in a way she only experienced with one person. The only thing missing would be Joseph. A part of her would feel guilty about being happy without him.

But… if she was reborn, then Joseph must have been too, right? Would he remember her? How would she find him in this vast world?

Though… she did it before didn’t she? On a lonely road in the middle of nowhere, far from their old homes, somehow she found him. Even though he had changed, she still recognized him immediately. Surely she would find him again in this life too.

Mary didn’t have anyone left at the end of her life, and so she lost hope. Alice, however, has people around her who love her. She has hope and reasons to keep living. She has people who want her to be happy and feel loved, even without Joseph by her side.

So Alice would open her heart to the love all around her and live. She would also hold onto the hope that someday she would find her starlight again, no matter what name he had now.

Ian… is not Joseph. There are parallels in the game’s narrative between him and Jack, but their personalities are way too different. Ian and Alice would become friends, but romance wouldn’t develop between the two. It wouldn’t feel right for many reasons to Alice, especially since he’s just… not her starlight. She would be fond of Ian certainly and want to protect him, but she could only view him as a little brother, especially if she had the memories of an adult while they were still children.

So when poor shy Ian gathered the courage to confess to Alice, she had to gently turn him down. It just wasn’t fair to him, or to her. Maybe someday her heart will move on, but not yet, not until she finds someone who makes her feel love the way Joseph did.

Of course, if Alice remembered later on in her teens after she already had a crush on Ian, that complicates things. Sometimes traumatic incidents make people remember their past life incarnations in these stories. For Alice, her most traumatic incident was when she suffered from SA.

Boy, what an awful time to remember one’s tragic death and lost love, don’t you think?

Alice woke up in the aftermath in pain while remembering even more pain, two overlapping identities warring in her mind even as she has to deal with the fresh trauma inflicted upon her. It took her a while to process what happened to her even without adding the memories of Mary on top of all of that.

One side of Alice feels the pain of losing the love of her life as well as fresh memories of dying slowly all alone, and the other side just lost her innocence after her power and agency were stripped away from her. It would be quite a rough time, and how could she tell anyone about these memories? Who would believe her? They’re too real to feel like just a dream she had due to trauma… but what if she’s wrong? Could trauma be great enough to create memories of an entirely different life in an instant?

Fortunately, Alice has the love of her family to help her through hard times, as well as good friends like Ian to support her. It takes a while for her to really process and accept everything, but she at least knows she is loved.

In this scenario, despite the crush Alice had on Ian, she wouldn’t feel right letting it develop into anything more, especially not when her memories of Joseph and the intense love she had for him would be so much more fresh. She would feel guilty, as though she had cheated on… Ian? Joseph? Both?

Either way, Alice is not in any state to enter into a romantic relationship.

So, hey, Alice might be facing reincarnation trauma and dissociation with her identity in this AU, but she avoids a bad romantic relationship and being cheated on. Poor Ian gets turned down by his childhood friend turned crush, but at least they’re still good friends, even if she’s a bit more distant now after the… incident.

Regardless of the twists and turns remembering her past would take her to the present day, eventually Alice finds the tape. It’s just so compelling. When she sees it’s an episode of the SunnyTime Crew Show, well, there’s no way she could resist it. Just the logo would hit her with painful nostalgia and struggling not to cry in the thrift store. For a moment, she just hugs the tape to herself, remembering all the times she wrote for the show as Mary, watched the filming, and especially the last day they ever filmed… and it leaves her longing for the day she finds her starlight again.

Alice has to watch the tape.

It feels ominous too. The blood red handwritten scrawl of “‘84 Incident” makes Alice think about that incident… but surely that couldn’t be… right? LambsWork Productions destroyed every trace of the show. Surely they would’ve gone scorched earth on any recording of the murder?

Then again, if all the tapes were destroyed… that should have included the one she found in this thrift store…

Alice all but runs back home after buying the tape, not bothering with anything else she was going to purchase that day. Her hands are shaking when setting up the VCR, but fortunately she remembers how to use it. It’s almost muscle memory going through the motions of playing a VHS tape. She can’t peel her eyes away from the screen, holding her breath.

The show starts and… oh the pain from nostalgia is unlike anything else. Jack - her starlight - is there. That familiar dazzling smile shining at her as the episode starts. When he greets her and asks her name, she can’t help but answer him, though she doesn’t notice which name she gives him…

I’ve gone over thoughts of how the deal between Alice and Jack might have gone in previous posts. Seeing Joseph’s death again hurts like hell, but the moment Jack starts to talk directly to her, that’s when her heart really starts to pound.

Needless to say, Alice is just as desperate to save Jack as he is to be saved. The pact is made, and their souls are tied together, making them true soulmates.

Then again they already were even without the deal. ;3

Of course, the trauma of the pact does make Alice forget the agreement they made, but her reaction is very different when she wakes up. There’s a moment where she just has to stare at Jack, smiling gently down at her, greeting her like he used to… and she starts to shake. This isn’t a dream, is it?

Jack innocently replies that of course it’s not a dream. Her pal Sunny Day Jack is here to brighten up her day!

Jack doesn’t expect Alice to practically throw herself into his arms and hug him, but he reacts instantly to embrace her. It’s familiar, warm, wonderful, and everything he could ask for.

“I’m happy to see you too, sunshine,” Jack said with a chuckle.

Unfortunately… Jack is in character. Alice calling him Joseph is like a splash of ice, chilling him to the core and he has to correct her, gently of course.

It’s very apparent to Alice that Jack is shaken up. She tries to explain, talk of their past lives and remembering, and Jack… can’t handle it, burying himself deeply into the character of Sunny Day Jack, insisting he’s not who she thinks he is, trying to skirt away from anything Joseph. He cites off lore of the SunnyTime Crew and Sunny Day Jack that she helped write about the character back when she was on the writing staff.

It’s surreal for both of them, with mixed feelings, but Jack is ever eager to change the topic to something sunnier, to try and be the best and brightest friend known as Sunny Day Jack. Alice learns she can’t push him, at least not right now, but now… she’s left wondering if this is really Joseph… or a memory left in the tape? What if he’s just the character brought to life?

What if she lost her mind?

Still, Alice can’t bring herself to push Jack away, even if it’s a bit painful. Over time she picks up that he is Joseph after all, but he forgot everything.

Is this the result of the tape? The murder? Something else? Alice has to figure out what really happened at the studio that day. At the same time, she has to focus on figuring out where to go with Jack.

Alice wished to see Joseph again, no matter what name he had now, but she never expected something like this.

Still… she’s different now too. She’s not Mary anymore. She might have Mary’s memories, but she also has Alice’s memories, a second lifetime in different circumstances, different choices and experiences. She’s different from who she used to be.

So what does that mean for her and Joseph Jack?

Obviously the shadow of Joseph scares Jack. Alice won’t force him to remember, not when his death and what came after were so horrible. Instead she tries to get to know who he is now and figure out where to go from there.

Alice quickly falls in love with Jack. He’s not Joseph, and yet the important parts of him that she fell in love with are still the same. She sees little things of Joseph in him, but he’s also different at the same time. He’s changed, he’s masking things, but he’s still her silly starlight who never failed to make her smile.

Jack tries to overlook memories Alice stirs up in him, hints of sunshine that looked a bit different, but with the same beautiful blue eyes that always held such warmth. He focuses solidly on the present and enjoying his life now with his sunshine.

Still, Joseph’s habits slowly come back in spite of himself. Alice makes him feel so loved and accepted. He has moments where he slips, and she loves him despite it.

Needless to say, this AU would also have a happy ending. They would also get together much sooner than the main universe. While Alice would be trying to keep a respectable distance to understand who Jack was now as he is without forcing him to be someone he doesn’t want to be anymore or pushing her feelings and memories on him, Jack is a yandere who wants her badly. He’s going to notice her feelings quickly and do everything he can to encourage them.

Since Alice doesn’t have baggage from her toxic relationship with Ian holding her back, and she’s been aching to be with Joseph for so long, it won’t be long before her resolve crumbles. He’s always been so good at seducing her, even while dressed up as a silly clown. He might be wearing a different name and look, but he’s still her starlight, and he always had a knack for making her feel so loved, precious, and irreplaceable.

Jack might have buried his memories, but he’s quick to remember all of the ways he could make his sunshine melt in his arms. There are small hiccups due to her SA trauma as he has to be careful about the triggers she has from that, but he’s patient and gentle with her. He thoroughly focuses on her pleasure and comfort, making sure she feels nothing but safe and loved the entire time.

Needless to say, Alice’s first time in this universe is much more pleasant than it is in the main timeline.

It all feels familiar to both of them, the physical and emotional aspects of making love that they experienced countless times in the past, but the feelings are more intense due to the supernatural connection between them making their feelings bleed into one another. Jack at times is almost overwhelmed by nostalgia, but it doesn’t scare him when they’re making love. The nickname of “starlight” Alice used for him was always familiar, but it didn’t upset him like the name “Joseph” did, not when it’s his sunshine calling him that, saying she loves him, and kissing him so tenderly. She makes sure to call him Jack or starlight even while she’s screaming in pleasure beneath him. She’s careful to avoid old names that bring him pain, focusing on who he is now, taking care not to push him when she senses it’s causing him distress. She cares just as much about his comfort and avoiding his triggers just as he does for her.

That increase in intimacy, both physical and emotional, is the trigger that starts Jack really remembering things as Joseph, but not in a negative way. It’s an addicting feeling, one that’s hard to resist, especially when it feels so, so good and comes with so much pleasure and love.

Still, at some point Jack starts to get those fears of Alice learning… something. He still flees from those bad memories, not even wanting to know what that something was.

But over time… Alice helps Jack accept his past. It takes him a while, but when he’s forced to face it and she reinforces the fact that she accepts him, even the awful things he did back then, that she still loves him… he practically collapses into her arms, crying, just so relieved.

For 40 years he was convinced that the reveal destroyed everything, robbed him of love, and it… didn’t. Alice lets Jack be who he wants to be and accepts the mistakes he made in the past who are a part of the person he is today. She loves him even with all his flaws, and she wants to help him to keep growing to become the person that he wants to be, because he’s always been the person she wants to be with, flaws and all.

It still takes Jack a while to accept his past identity as Joseph, but Alice helps him. She can also relate, as it took her a while to accept her past incarnation as Mary too. It’s something they both can understand intimately. Even if their circumstances for being reborn as new people are different, they both understand each other in a way no one else can, and they help each other navigate what it means to live a new life while being haunted by the memories of a previous one that was less than ideal.

Fortunately, this time, their love story has a happy ending instead of a tragic one.

@channydraws @earthgirlaesthetic @sai-of-the-7-stars @cheriihoney @illary-kore @okamiliqueur

[topsyturvy-turtely]

turtely's OTP challenge!

read day 28 "Falling For Love (a 221b)" on ao3!

(prompt: falling in love)

summary: Sherlock philosophises what 'falling in love' means to him.

T, 221w, Fluff and Angst. Sherlock Holmes Loves John Watson, Sherlock Holmes Thinking, Episode: s02e03 The Reichenbach Fall

or read it on tumblr!

TW: REICHENBACHFALL

it is mostly fluff but has a dark twist. i hate spoiling my stories, but trigger warnings like this are so so so important.

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I never understood what 'falling in love' was supposed to mean. The only person I ever truly loved was John Watson.

That’s the thing though, I have just loved John Watson. There wasn’t any sort of… falling… where would I fall from anyway? It is a ridiculous expression. There never was a harsh landing on the process of loving John.

If we must take use of metaphors, I would say that I always have loved John fatefully, steadily, like water. Like a lake, at times like the ocean even. Of course, sometimes the water is rough but most of the time it is… present. It is wide, it is deep, it is inviting, and yet frightening. The fascination and pull some people feel from the water – that’s what I feel for John.

The love I feel for Mrs. Hudson, for Lestrade, for Molly, for Mycroft even, that had been hard-earned. I wouldn’t admit it. Not with words. However my love for these people is unsteady. Sometimes I can’t stand any of them, like the water – the river – was too demanding, too winding.

When I stood up there, with Moriarty, him explaining his genius plan, pushing me into a quandary, I was forced to drown myself. But at least not drain all water.

By falling for love. Off the roof of Bart’s.

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comment on ao3 :)

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