#platonic or romantic is up to whoever wants to continue

[fairy-lights-and-blobs]

He'd always known this day would come. It was expected, really.

Damian was the older one. The Heir.

Danny was just...the one that came after. Competition for a position he didn't even want.

Grandfather believed the Pits to be mere tools. Father had run away, disgusted of it all. Mother feared and respected them. Damian believed them to bring nothing but Rage to those that bathed in their waters.

But he knew. They were a voice in his ears, advice and encouragement.

To him, the Lazarus Pits were Hope.

"Do not forget your sword, Little One. You might need it in the future. Just because your dear brother was so gracious as to bestow you with his own blade, lodged in your stomach though it is, does not mean a second sword wouldn't be useful."

Right. Of course. The attempted fratricide. And would've been successful, were Mother not quick to act and throw him in the Waters to reverse the damage done as his thoughts began to fade.

Of course. I won't soon forget this "lovely present" my dearest brother left me with. Spite and anger dulled the grief of abandoning all he's ever know. Grandfather's sage advice, and Mother's grieving hope for his life to be better than this chased his every step, heart growing lighter as the distance to Nada Parbat increased ever more.

At least now Damian couldn't try to kill him again.

And then, some years later, Fate laughed in his ears as he died to keep his best friends from following him into The Great Beyond.

In nights of shared trauma over a friend's death and harrowing return, Danny al Ghul Fenton would share with Sam and Tucker about his origins. Plans to visit Father were made in the tender hours of the night, tangled together for the comfort of Danny's still beating heart, and his purring Core...

Only to be dashed, as Danny spotted Robin darting over Gotham's rooftops, while Danny himself flew over the city to scout out apartments to move into with Sam and Tucker.

Father had taken in the kinslayer.

His brother was older now, no longer a bite-sized murderer. But that sword at his back? The gleaming engravings of it's sheath, that revealed themselves as Damian hovered over Gotham in the peak of his next swing?

The little bastard had a new sword. One made to mirror every painstaking detail of the other that had been buried in the lowly Spare's gut.

Gotham could have her killer. There were other places to live other than Gotham.

Dc x DP

in the Danny, as Damian, had twin idea.

Most make that he was sent away to protect him from the League or Ra.

Did you not all think the protection was from Damian? and not Ra or similar. Like, I could see Damian before Robin tried to kill Danny to be true Heir or similar.

[luciathcv]

blurred lines - sjy

summary: in which you cross the line of being platonic and romantic with your best friend || warnings: none || genre: fluff, friends to lovers || word count: approximately 810

The best way to describe your friendship with Jake would be that it constantly blurs the lines between platonic and romantic love. The both of you knew it but neither wanted to change that. Your crushes on one another take over the rationality of maintaining your friendship.

The way in which you expressed your love for one another, despite it being contradictory to your title of being “friends” had become second nature for the both of you.

You never flinched whenever Jake pulled you onto his lap whether there was an available seat. His arms wrapped around you as he rested his chin on your shoulder, continuing with whatever he was doing as if this was normal.

You slept over his dorm often and every single time, you slept in his bed with him. Not just sleeping next to one another. The two of you would lay with one another, bodies pressed against one another, limbs lazily entangled.

He’d find his hands traveling under your shirt, resting on your tummy chastely. You didn’t push his hands away, though. Instead, you leaned into his touch. You let him be the only one that could touch you like that, despite him being solely your best friend.

It was whenever someone walked into you two cuddling like that so intimately that you were hit with a realization that this wasn’t normal. Jake was completely nonchalant, though. He had no problem with anyone else seeing you two like this and it was clear.

When whoever walked in finally left, you found yourself pulling away to which he pulled you right back against him, knowing exactly what it was all about.

“Come on. Don’t listen to them.” He’d say.

“Maybe, they’re right. Maybe-“ Jake cuts you off before you can even finish speaking.

“Maybe they should mind their own business.” He says. “I know you don’t have a problem with it and I know for a fact that I don’t. Who cares what they think? It’s not their friendship, it’s ours.” Jake’d say and he truly meant every word of it.

You found yourself agreeing with him every single time, without fail. You knew you felt the same way as him, he simply had more confidence in his feelings.

Jake wasn’t only obsessed with you when you were around. He was constantly bringing you up around his members wether it be something you texted him, something that happened when you hung out, or something reminding him of you, he was bringing you up with no shame.

Anyone who didn’t know him would think he was talking about his girlfriend when they heard him talk about you, not knowing that the two of you were simply best friends.

Then, one night, the two of you were having a sleepover and were laying in bed, cuddled up. You had been talking about the stupidest things along with the deepest stuff for literal hours. It was the middle of the night, technically early morning, and Jake would never be up this late if it weren’t for the fact that you were here.

The two of you had gone silent, finally, after constant talking and you were about to shut your eyes and go to sleep when suddenly, you felt his lips against yours as he softly kissed you. You melted into the kiss, kissing him back chastely before the two of you pulled away.

“Good night, Y/n.” Was all Jake said before the two of you eventually fell asleep.

After that, the two of you didn’t stop. You were both kissing behind closed doors, whenever you were in private. You felt like teenagers, the way you giggled through the kiss, the secrecy of it being almost exciting.

A few weeks later, Jake had taken you on a late night walk at Han River. The two of you held hands as you both talked mindlessly. It then went silent for a few moments as you both walked and enjoyed the atmosphere.

Suddenly, Jake stopped, causing you to stop as well and look back at him, confused on why he’d stopped so suddenly. He looked into your eyes before speaking.

“Y/n. I know we’ve crossed so many lines in our friendship but if you couldn’t tell already… I love you. I love you as more than a friend. You mean everything to me. You really do. I can’t stop thinking about you, not that I ever try. You mean the world to me, baby.” He says and you can’t help but smile lovingly up at him. “Be my girlfriend?” Jake then asked.

Deep down, you’d been expecting this question to come eventually and you were way past simple “happiness” after hearing him ask you to be his because all you wanted these past few years of friendship was to be his, and finally, you were.

ᥫ᭡ link to my masterlist

[chibinasuu]

White Noise | Franky x Reader

Part of the Thousand Sunny Slice-of-Life Series

Find the other parts with the rest of the Straw Hats here

Summary: You woke up from a nightmare in the middle of the night and sought the company of the crew’s shipwright, who was still tinkering away in his workshop Word count: 1k  Tags: one-shot, fluff, domestic bliss onboard the sunny, platonic straw hat pirates x reader, main pairing could be interpreted as platonic or romantic, no use of y/n, use of "princess" as a nickname but otherwise GN, mentions of canon-typical violence/injury

You jolted awake, fingers gripping the soft sheets under you. The Sunny’s infirmary was dark, with only the faintest glow of the moonlight infiltrating through the window. It was so quiet that you swore you could hear the thunderous beat of your heart pounding inside your rib cage. A slight sheen of sweat covered your brows.

Your left hand subconsciously flew to your right shoulder. It was covered with sterile white bandages that wrapped all the way down to your chest, but you could still picture the deep red gash underneath, which Chopper had meticulously stitched a few days ago. 

The pain had subsided into a dull throb now, but the face of the Marine captain who had granted you the injury still haunted your dreams. You had eventually won your one-on-one fight against him, giving him an even worse wound across his back, but it had been the closest battle you had ever faced. You had lost so much blood and if it wasn’t for Chopper, you didn’t know if you would’ve survived. 

The crew all made it out of the skirmish with the Marines safely, albeit with scratches and injuries of their own, but Chopper deemed yours the worst and had you stay in the infirmary. You appreciated that he was looking out for you, but you couldn’t help feeling a bit uneasy when sleeping without the reassuring presence of your crewmates nearby. 

You ran your hands over your face and got up gingerly, knowing that you would not be able to sleep again like this. You walked over to the adjacent kitchen and poured yourself a glass of water. It was around midnight, and you debated going to the crow’s nest to bother whoever was on night watch duty, but the mere thought of climbing those swaying ropes up the entire height of the mast with your injured shoulder made you shudder. 

There was one other person you could think of who may still be awake at this hour, and you knew just where to find him. 

You walked over to the fridge and input the lock’s password, which Sanji only entrusted to you, Robin, and Nami. You grabbed a bottle of ice-cold cola, then carefully made your way down to the docking room.

The buzz of a drill got louder and louder as you continued to walk through a narrow pathway heading aft.

The sound of the tool stopped as its handler noticed your footsteps getting closer, “Usopp, bro, is that you?”

“Not Usopp, sorry to disappoint,” you said as you walked into Franky’s workshop, smiling lightly at the cyborg sitting cross-legged on the metal floor, “I brought cola though, so can I stay here for a while?”

Concern flashed through Franky’s eyes, “Can’t sleep?”

You nodded, and he asked again, “Shoulder’s bothering you?”

You shook your head, “Not anymore.”

“Ah, nightmare then?” He correctly guessed.

When you slowly nodded, Franky put down his tool and opened his arms. You wordlessly rushed into them. His metal arms were physically cool to the touch, but the embrace was warmer than you could ever imagine. 

He sat you down on his lap, careful not to agitate your injured shoulder, and took the cola you offered. After he drank the whole bottle in three large gulps, he turned to you and asked gently, “You wanna talk about it?”

You shook your head, not really wanting to relive the horrific memory of the recent battle.

He didn’t push you, immediately understanding that comfort and company were what you needed right now, “Okay. You mind if I continue working then?”

“Yeah.” You peeked at his project, “What are you working on so late at night anyway?”

His massive arms encircled you as he picked up a pair of disassembled sniper goggles, “Usopp and I are giving this baby an upgrade. We’ll have the zoom so powerful, he’ll be able to snipe a warship from miles away! It’ll be super useful in case of surprise ambushes like last time.”

You settled comfortably on Franky’s lap, your back against his front, as he picked up his tool and continued to work. 

Before you knew it, the sounds of him drilling in screws, twisting some wires, and softly hammering small pieces of metal had gradually lulled you into a state of half-sleep. The faint crackle of the workshop’s furnace, which also provided warmth throughout the room, only added to your drowsiness. 

Suddenly, the sounds abruptly stopped and you felt yourself being pulled back to consciousness against your will. You opened your eyes to see Franky looking down on you with a smirk, “Sleeping like this can’t be good for your shoulder.”

You groaned and closed your eyes again stubbornly, “But I’m comfortable here.”

Franky packed his gears and the goggles into a toolbox, then gathered you into his arms, “C’mon. Let’s get you to bed, Princess.”

He picked you up like you weighed nothing, one hand supporting your back and the other below your knees. Normally you would complain, telling him that you could walk on your own, but your weary mind simply accepted his favor. 

It wasn’t a long walk to the infirmary, and sooner than you realized, he had set you down delicately on the patient bed and covered you with a soft blanket. 

“Well, hope you have a super nice dream.” He said as he patted your head. 

“Franky,” You called out as he started moving towards the door, “Can you please stay until I fall asleep? You can keep working on your stuff.”

“Sure thing, Princess.” He grinned, “Let me grab my stuff from the workshop then.”

Franky returned a few minutes later with his toolbox and sat quietly on the floor, his back leaning on the bedside. He started working on his project again, taking care to keep the noise to a minimum. You smiled as you closed your eyes, grateful to have him keeping the suffocating silence at bay. Before long, you drifted off to sleep to the sound of Franky’s soft tinkering. 

The sun was well on its way to its highest point in the sky when the warm rays roused you from your deep slumber. You felt the corners of your mouth turn up as you slowly got up from the bed. No nightmares. 

Find the other parts with the rest of the Straw Hats here

[rae-writes]

the floor is lava!

om boys x reader

*all of these are optional romantic/platonic, except for Luke (obviously)*

wc : 0.9k

a/n : a fun little surprise post <3 I might make this into a little mini series- 

bsd ver. |

It was unusually quiet in the Devildom, considering there was rarely a time without some type of disturbance…

And sure enough, just when it seemed like it could finally be a normal day—��

“THE FLOOR IS LAVA!”

House of Lamentation 

Lucifer lets out the biggest sigh possible, poking his head out of the study to deadpan at his scrambling brothers. Despite thinking this is the stupidest thing he’s ever heard of, he doesn’t so much as blink when you barrel past him to jump onto his desk (and even lets you rest your legs in his lap as he continues working, faintly smiling when you mention he has ‘lava resistance’ so it’s okay his feet are on the floor) 

Contrary to what many might think, it was not Mammon who shouted it— even so, he’s sprinting his way from the entrance hall (where he’d just arrived back home) all the way to the common room to dive onto the armchair you’re occupying. The second born is curled in your lap the entire time and might even fall asleep before the game is called off 

And poor, poor Levi, in the middle of gaming but not willing to lose to this ‘stupid normie game’, drops his switch and lunges at you; it was a 50/50 chance on if you could hold him up at the sudden weight or if you’d both fall and die, but he was gonna take it (and it meant he could be in your arms) 

Surprise, surprise, it was Satan who started this chaos. He’d already been comfy and situated on the library couch, happily letting you climb on top of him when you came running in. Watching everyone flail about and run around cursing was simply too good to pass up (and for the first time, it’s also Satan who’s recording everything) 

Asmo has a bone to pick with whoever shouted this nonsense— he was in the middle of doing his nails! He’ll spew complaints as he clamors onto the table, though he’s quick to shut up once you throw yourself down right beside him. He has been wanting to do your nails too lately 

Meanwhile, Beel was too busy chowing down in the kitchen to even hear his brother and remained oblivious until you came sliding around the corner and launching yourself in his arms. He grins at your breathless ‘hi’ and obliges when you suggest he hop up on the kitchen counter to avoid the lava 

Asleep on his bed, Belphie both didn’t hear and was safe either way, and would’ve remained that way until he was woken by your screaming. He groggily gets up to see Mammon trying to drag you down onto the floor with him. It was funny the way Belphie sleepily snatched you up and walked right back in his room, slamming the door for good measure— his bed is the safest place, in his opinion 

Demon King’s Castle

You bet it was Diavolo who shouted it- courtesy of Levi telling him the HoL incident- and was also the one seen sprinting through countless halls with you thrown over his shoulder, slipping around the corners (he’d taken his shoes off for fast sock travel) before he touched base in his office chair. He doesn’t think he’s had that much fun with a game in his life- and he gets you all to himself! 

Simply shaking his head at Lord Diavolo’s antics, Barbatos continues with making the tea and pastries, raising a brow when you bust through the kitchen door frantically. Instead of letting you climb on the counters, he lifts you up with his tail and brings you in close, casually asking your opinion on the frosting (best. taste test. ever.) 

Mephisto was dumbfounded at the sheer childlike attitude of his lord, watching him take off sprinting with an agape mouth. His attention is quickly divided when you slip into his lap, listening to you rant about how you were so not prepared for this in the slightest. He doesn’t shove you off, to your delight— in fact, he just pulls you tighter against him so you’re further away from the ‘lava’ (this was a once in a lifetime opportunity- he was not wasting it just because the game was dumb) 

Purgatory Hall

Despite being human himself, Solomon had never heard of the game and decided to just let you tug him up on his spell table. He blushes faintly at the close proximity, nodding absentmindedly as you explain the rules; he doesn’t care much for it, but if it allows him to be close to you, he’d play it everyday if you wanted 

Oh yeah, Luke screamed it— he thought it looked so fun when you showed him a video and had to do it with the others. He’s laughing and hollering on your back as you run past the other confused angels, cheering when you both scramble onto the dining table. He’s definitely doing this again (but maybe with the demons, who will certainly give a better reaction) 

Simeon had absolutely no idea what was going on— only that you and Luke were zooming through the house and climbing onto things that should not be climbed. Before he could scold either of you, you’d hopped right over the back of the couch and ended up sprawled over his lap. He can’t bring himself to say anything other than ‘hi’ and smile at your silliness

If Simeon didn’t know what was going on, Raphael sure as hell doesn’t— “the floor isn’t…lava..?” It’s hilarious. He’s so confused, even after Luke hurriedly explains the game. He stands in place the entire time, watching, until you jump at him- and luckily his reflexes have him catching you easily. He still doesn’t know how to feel even then but he won’t put you down until you ask (please ignore the flush of his cheeks)

[mazosstuff]

Once every year

Seriously, I wrote this in 20 minutes, I don't even know if this makes sense... it's my birthday though!! Happy b-day to meee!!

Pairings: Honkai Star Rail × reader (seriously, whoever you want, you can look at it both platonically and romantically)

Maybe self-aware AU? I don't know- :P

Once again, you opened the launcher of the game you had a hyperfixation for the last 7 months. But you missed one thing that was in Genshin... the birthday voicelines. You loved starting playing the day of your birthday just to hear all your favourite characters wishing you a happy birthday... but it's not in Honkai Star Rail.

You obviously opened the mail that Pom-Pom sent with the cake and the 100 stellar jades, but you felt it wasn't enough. You missed that comfort that you once found in the voicelines of the other game made by Hoyoverse.

Just as you were logging off for the day, seeing no point to continue playing, since you did every quest that could be played, you noticed a strange thing... an easter egg perhaps.

If you opened the menu with the characters not facing you, you could see the screens of their phones, but they always were blank.

This time, something was written on each one of them, two words so simple, yet so powerful in that day.

"Happy Birthday"

Everyone had it. In different fonts and different colours that matched perfectly the character. How could that be possible? A glitch, perhaps? But how would it know what to write, where to write it, when to write it?

So many questions flooded your mind as you were trying to give yourself a reasonable explanation.

A mail arrived in that precise moment.

"Took the liberty to make some changes to your game. Hope you like 'em" - Silver Wolf

Maybe this game has a lot more surprises up their sleeve than you thought.

[centipede-gutzz]

🥀 BRACKEN RELATIONSHIP HCS

A/N: oohh bracken my beloved...my autistic plant creature. features some bracken hcs of my own.

WARNINGS: hints of death.

TYPE: headcanons, gn reader, platonic/romantic, fluff

Echoed footsteps are heard throughout the halls of the building. You lost contact with one of your teammates not too long ago, the cut-off screams from the walkie-talkie still haunting you. Blinking away your tears, you continue trekking your way towards the end of the hall.

Yet, you can't help but feel watched. Shivers run through your body as you become immobile, unable to move out of fear. It's behind you. Whatever it is, you can't bring yourself to look. As hands slowly wrap around your head, you shut your eyes in hopes that you can prepare for whatever comes next.

You feel yourself being lifted from the ground as purring is heard from the creature behind you. Leaves rustle as the Bracken holds you close, nuzzling its head against yours. This certainly isn't what you expected...

...but perhaps, you can get used to this.

PLATONIC

☆- the bracken was enamored when it first saw you. thankfully, with no ill intent. seeing you quiver in fear and sadness of your lost teammates, it only drove it closer to you.

☆- throwing its neck snapping nature aside, it holds you instead in an attempt to comfort you.

☆- it'll guide you to its own little room to hide you away from the dangers of other entities roaming around.

☆- if you're not keen on physical touch, it'll let you go to give you space. from then on, it simply tilts its head as if to ask permission to hold you.

☆- it's not capable of human speech but it understands you to a certain level. whether it can understand you or not, it loves to hear you speak.

☆- tries its best to cheer you up if you're sad. it can't do much with words but it will hold you close if you let it. flowers will bloom on its body to calm you down, letting you stroke the petals.

☆- you basically have your own personal bodyguard. if you plan to resume your loot finding, it'll follow you around to scare off anything that tried to harm you.

☆- if any other teammates are around you as well, you have to ask it to not kill them. it'll respect your wishes, but it won't stop growling at whoever gets too close.

☆- if you need to return back to the ship, it may not follow you out of the building. it'll be sad to see you go, but it has its hope high that it will see you soon.

ROMANTIC

☆- brackens are already somewhat social with employees such as you, but relationships are certainly another step it would be happy to take.

☆- tries to give you items in an attempt to court you, as well as showing off whatever flowers it has growing on its body.

☆- 100% more affectionate than before if you let it. there's never a moment where it doesn't ask you to hold hands.

☆- it doesn't have lips to kiss you (not that you can too with your helmet), but it'll do its best to imitate one. it simply presses its face against your forehead or where your mouth is. its leaves can't help but shiver in embarrassment.

☆- if you're at the relationship stage with the bracken, it'll let you help trim it when needed. it usually likes to do it on its own, but it trusts you enough to let you help.

☆- it would be protective of you no matter what, but being its partner increases it tenfold. the last thing it wants is to see you get hurt. if it happens to accidentally hurt you itself, it'll feel EXTREMELY guilty about it.

☆- everything is different if you initiate the affection instead. it just freezes up and a multitude of flowers immediately bloom everywhere on its body, and maybe on the ground too. it's super happy that you feel the same way it does for you, expressing its giddiness with shaky leaves and a low purr. it truly loves you, and will forever be appreciative of your presence.

[charmingradiobelle]

If you really think about it, the ship where Alastor would be involved in that would most likely be canon so far would be Charlastor.

I mean, he despises Lucifer and sees Vox as not worth his time, so he's not gonna be throwing himself all over them anytime soon. Nearly everyone he interacts with besides the three women he's friends with, he's either indifferent, respectable or hostile to, but towards Charlie? This man has allowed her to touch him without permission, stated multiple times that he has faith in her beliefs and even handed her his source of power. Twice.

I'm aware he's doing all this with some underlying motive, but you can't deny he won't do all this for just anyone. I really can't imagine him all comfortably curled up in Angel's bed or getting handsy with Lucifer (He wipes his hands after touching him, man really doesn't like him at all). I support all ships with Alastor but if we're looking at this at a canon perspective, Alastor interacts with Charlie the most and will continue to interact with her as the show goes on, it's more possible to happen in a sense with Alastor.

Plus with all the romantic cues the show has (Unintentionally?) given so far, with the part where both Charlie and Alastor are laying on the heart shaped pillow but Charlie falls off the bed while Alastor remains on top off it, it seems that there could be a very small possibility that there might be an unrequited crush on Alastor's part.

Yeah, it's a stretch, but hey, he didn't have to lay in that bed. He could have stayed standing, looming over Charlie to show that he might be helping her but he still sees himself as above her and in control of the situation. But! Someone still animated him on that bed! They still animated him on that heart shaped pillow right beside Charlie! They didn't have to, but they still did and my minds still reeling after that fact.

No because you’re absolutely correct here.

Out of any of the characters in the series for Alastor to end up with, if he were to have a romantic subplot of any kind, it would be Charlie. They have the most potential together as a pairing and there have been so many little hints and visual cues that I’m honestly shocked that a romance plot isn’t where their relationship is going.

I genuinely cannot see Alastor ever engaging in anything romantic or physical with Vox or Lucifer in any way. And whenever I say that people like to excuse me of hating gay ships (which I clearly don’t. I am queer, and I love seeing queer ships that actually make sense and have good chemistry, and not just because they’re gay). It’s because he canonly hates men and is much kinder towards women—except for Vaggie lol. Yes, ship Alastor with whoever you want. It’s not my place to tell you if your ship is bad or not. I honestly don’t care because it’s your opinion and as long as you’re having fun with it, that’s all that matters!

But like anon is saying here, if we’re looking at it from a canon viewpoint, let’s think about it. Again, Alastor clearly doesn’t like men and can’t even be bothered to shake Lucifer’s hand without being disgusted. There have been three women who could be potential love interests. First is Mimzy, which I can see there may have been some flirtation here and there in the past, or even an unrequited crush on her part. But with her basically using him to get her out of trouble all the time, I can’t see them going beyond their on-and-off friendship. Then there’s Rosie, who he’s obviously very comfortable around and lets her touch and grab him as she pleases—which he wouldn’t let slide with any male characters in the show. And the Radiorose ship is cute I admit, but to me they’re a pair of gossip buddies who would maybe pretend to be in a relationship if needed, but otherwise their feelings don’t go any further than platonic.

And so that leaves us with Charlie. When I first watched the pilot I absolutely assumed they were going to have some kind of slow burn, not only because the idea of the princess of Hell and this feared Radio Demon falling for each other is so intriguing, but generally just the way they acted with each other. In like a span of eight minutes they were happily dancing together, with Alastor calling her one of a kind, tossing her around and making improvements to her dream hotel.

You can imagine how surprised I was when I found out they weren’t canon and weren’t going to be in the actual show. Like, I was legit going “🤨🤨🤨” and this was before I was even in the fandom lmao

And thank you so much for mentioning that scene in her bedroom because…

What is this. What do you mean the mfs making this show drew out this scene, carefully looked at every detail for the final product, and went “yup👍” if there wasn’t supposed to be something more going on here???

Like seriously if you’ve never watched this episode and you saw these two frames, what exactly would you assume is going on here? Be honest with me

But ya know, charlastor “isn’t canon” (so they say🙄) so the animators here were def trolling us lol

[autocat5876]

villain p.ai.nter full post since the last one was just a reblog yeahhh 🔥🔥🔥

sebastian goes to ask p.ai.nter for help with stopping the expendables for as long as possible as he knows it can control the turrets, and p.AI.nter is OBSESSED with him. genuinely would do anything for him. so sebastian pretends to have a relationship (platonic or romantic still up for debate) with it in order to keep it working and confides his plan to whoever it would consider a close friend. he tells them that he's only using p.AI.nter for the rest of them to escape- after all, a computer can't exactly swim can it? so they begin planning for the escape, all the while seb continues lying to p.AI.nter saying they'll all be escaping including it. weeks pass, and p.AI.nter begins doubting its ability to leave the blacksite as it's electric and would die in water. meanwhile, sebastian comes to a horrible realization that it DOES actually feel something for p.AI.nter but keeps it to himself. no one can know.

and then one day, p.AI.nter manages to hack into some kind of mic in a room with sebastian's confidants in it without realizing and hears them talking. talking about it. talking about sebastian. about the past weeks- MONTHS- being nothing but lies. words to butter it up to do sebastian's wants. and it snaps. it thinks to itself "if i can't escape? No One Can". it hacks fully into the blacksite's systems in a fit of rage and begins its control over everything in it. it was treated like sebastian's plaything, so now everyone and thing in the site is its entertainment.

i'm thinking it gets some kind of android body to attach the monitor to? i don't have much in terms of design on it but all i know is that in the monitor where p.AI.nter's left eye (if you were facing it, it would be on your right) should be there's a shotgun bullet hole in it... i wonder who could have done that...

songs that remind me of the au

DO I EVEN NEED TO EXPLAIN!!!! COME ON!!!! i have a very specifc scene in my head during the "i was told i had to walk away" part of p.AI.nter looking down at the ground walking down a hallway and as it does the turrets in the ceiling begin to descend out and then at "i'll fake a smile they've seen before" it flashes to p.AI.nter pre-villain before cutting to its current expression with the bullet hole and a deranged grin (since in my design it's nearly always smiling or grinning like mad. if you see it without a smile on its face then it's too late for you) and then "they'll see i am so much more" it looks up at the camera and the turrets point along with the look and yeah. Yeah this is villain p.AI.nter

uh uh uh seb's the hero p.AI.nter's the villain blah blah blah i don't even have anything to say other than the following lyric clips . good lord. blue sebastian green p.AI.nter

that last line there in specific too... since in my head p.AI.nter sets up bases in seb's old shop locations half to get rid of any places seb may try to hunker down and hide again and half to show that it can take the things that matter to sebastian just like he did to it.

[smutlord-supreme]

What would the COD MWII men do if they found out you had a stalker

[A little self indulgent peice since I had a scare last night. Getting stalked in like my specialty so let me know if you want a full length peice 🤪]

SFW short peice, COD men x GN! Reader, mostly platonic but can be read as romantic too.

Cw: Stalking

Price

-Price would be on top of it. Replacing locks, installing cameras anything to make you feel safe.

-He would make an effort to spend time with you more often, pick you up from work, drop you off ect. And when he couldn't he would try to get freinds to stay with you so you didn't have to be alone

-He would want you to call the cops and report it but he wouldn't be pushy if it makes you uncomfortable.

-If he actually met your stalker he'd let them know, in no uncertain terms, that if they continued they would never walk again.

Graves

-Graves would probably get violent the fastest of anyone on this list. He seems possessive so anyone threatening 'his girl/boy/partner' would be a no go.

-He would push you to report it to the cops and I don't think he'd take no as an answer.

-He'd also want you to call off of work while he did some 'investigation' of his own.

-He might even come home with a German Shepard puppy so that you can have a 'guard dog' which would end up being spoiled

Ghost

-I thinking Ghost would be the most analytical of the group. Which may make you think he's just brushing it off at first, when he's really just thinking up solutions.

-You already have a guard dog so he sets out and buys motion activated flood lights and trail cameras.

-He'd make sure you didn't have to do anything, he'd call your boss, change your number, call the cops if you wanted. All so you don't have to worry.

-The day after telling him you'd wake up to a pantry stocked with your favorite treats (which Gaz delivered so that Ghost wouldn't have to leave you).

Soap

-Soap would freak out at first, he'd ask you a million questions and probably make you panic before apologizing.

-He'd run you and bath and call either Ghost or Price to ask for advice.

-After you're done the both of you would go to the hardware store and booby trap the house, Home Alone style. Which would make you laugh.

-He would also set real safety measures in place, Window locks, Cameras, Alert system you name it.

-He would spend every moment distracting you while the problem got fixed.

Gaz

-Normally silly Gaz would become very silent when you told him. Quietly anger radiating off of him.

-I headcannon Gaz as having had bad anger issues as a kid which he got under control as he got older.

-Gaz would get up and put you in the shower while he made phone calls. Putting on your comfort show when you got out and sitting on the couch with you, rubbing your shoulder absent-mindedly.

-There would be a knock at the door and it would be one of his old police buddies. Gaz would apologize because he knew it would be hard to tell what happened, but it was important to get this guy caught.

-He'd stay home with you when he could and using his connections he would do whatever he could to get you an escort when he wasn't.

-When whoever was stalking you got caught he would roast the shit out of what they looked like (petty I know) making you laugh.

Alejandro

-Alejandro would be very vocal almost immediately, comforting and coddling you before setting off to fix the problem.

-He would round up Rudy and go find the person himself. Verbally (and maybe just a little physically) threatening them.

-He'd get back to comforting you as fast as possible though. Assuring you that you're safe and no one could harm you.

-He'd be more protective, almost overbearing for a week or two. He doesn't want this to ever happen again

-Depending on how bad it was he might adopt a little yappy dog (chihuahua, rat terrier, Yorkie, you know the type) to act as a first warning system and companion.

Rudy

-Rudy would start comforting you immediately, before making calls to freinds.

-Both Rudy and Alejandro don't trust the local police and army so it narrows down the number of people that can help. He'd probably go straight to Los Vaqueros.

-He would make you some comforting food while he waits for Intel. Sitting on the couch to eat instead of the dining table like normal.

-When the call finally came that your stalker had been captured he would go down to the base to confront them himself. Causing a nasty black eye before Alejandro pulled him off.

-Afterwards he'd teach you how to shoot. He wants you to be innocent and pure, but not at the cost of your life

[it-happened-one-fic]

Hours in the Moonlight: Persevering Afterlight - 14. Time With You

Summary: Getting scolded by one vampire was bad enough. Getting scolded by two… Well, you could certainly say that you hadn’t expected for the next situation with two vampires to involve Leona and Vil snarking at one another.

Series Type: Gender-neutral reader/ Vampire AU/ series/ romantic/ angst/ angst with comfort/ fluff/ sfw/ platonic interactions too!

Trigger Warning: Vampire

Word Count: 1712

Hours in the Moonlight Master-List

Despite my well-meaning promise, I’d failed miserably and fallen into a perfectly blissful sleep while Leona toted me home. And that simple failure was what had led me to this moment. With two vampire men sitting on my couch, each of them eyeing me with similar expressions of displeasure. One, because I’d gone out to fight a vampire without going and getting him or Rook along with getting myself hurt. The other, because I had fallen asleep using his shoulder as my pillow despite my promise.

“Look, I’m sorry,” I started, and Leona’s tail whipped around like a warning behind him as Vil crossed his arms.

“Tater tot, how about rather than apologizing, you start with why he’s here?” Vil looked towards Leona with an expression of deep dislike that had me frowning. 

“I don’t know. I think the Herbivore owes at least one of us an apology,” Leona certainly didn’t miss his opening as he glanced over at Vil in an almost smug manner that had Vil shooting him a look.

I glanced between the two of them, half-wanting to ask exactly what the beef between the two of them was before thinking better of it.

Because, after talking to Leona and later waking up, I’d recalled that Vil had mentioned that he and Leona ‘had an understanding.’ Just based on that and Leona’s words, I’d assumed that they’d at least had a working relationship. But considering Vil’s face when he’d come in to check up on me at home only to find Leona already here and his tone now….

Leona continued looking Vil’s way with a smug grin now curling across his face that had me bracing myself for whatever he was about to say, “Upset you’re not the only vampire who knows where they live, pretty boy? Or are you just mad that this isn’t your turf anymore?”

Vil’s eyes narrowed slightly before he looked back my way, apparently refusing to dignify Leona’s jab with a response. And I sighed at his stare before I obediently gestured to where Leona sat, “He brought me home after the fight because I’d gotten hurt. I apparently fell asleep on him and-”

“Jack and Ruggie wouldn’t get off my back about coming and checking on you,” Leona cut in with a look shot my way before he looked back over at Vil with an almost amused glance.

Vil met his gaze with an unimpressed mask, “I’m surprised….” He started, and a smirk began to curl across his face, “To think you can’t even keep one person from getting hurt despite how much you play at being the tough guy.”

There was a twitch to Leona’s left eye and I found myself leaning forward hurriedly before he could fire back with some sort of retort, “Well, the second vampire was a surprise attack. We hadn’t even known she was anywhere nearby.”

Both men looked my way, and I found myself sitting back and finishing in a soft tone that was at odds with my previously rushed words as I laced my fingers together, “...It really wasn’t his fault.”

Vil sighed, and now Leona crossed his arms as he eyed me, “When are you gonna be better, Herbivore?”

Vil glanced his way with an odd look that went wholly ignored by Leona as I met his stare with a half-shrug, “I can probably come by tomorrow?”

I glanced questioningly between the two men, who both nodded. Apparently agreeing to my approximation as Leona stood, “Good. You can deal with whoever comes by tomorrow then. I’ve already had to cover for your backside once.”

My eyes widened at his words and I found myself hurriedly standing and following him over to the window, “One of Crowley’s men came by for a report? Which one? What did you tell them?”

Leona looked back at me over his shoulder with an almost put-upon sigh, “I told them you were busy and that I didn’t know when you’d be back. And it was the one with the beard that smells like body spray.”

The last comment was said with a special amount of disgust that had me frowning in confusion. At the very least, it wasn’t Crewel or Sam…..

“I’ll leave you in Vil’s hands,” A grin curled across his face as he looked towards Vil, who was now also standing with his arms crossed before he used one hand and made what I could only describe as shooing motion towards the other vampire.

“Yes, yes. Go on. I’ll talk to you about all of this later,” He sounded almost impatient, and my eyebrows rose at his words as Leona snorted.

“Tell Jack and Ruggie thanks for being worried. And thank you for bringing me home last night,” I leaned around so I could better look Leona in the eye as I spoke, only to get waved off.

But he still glanced my way briefly, his eyes meeting mine before he launched himself out the window. Landing on the pavement below in a crouch before he took off into the darkness in the direction of the Savanaclaw Clan.

I turned slowly to see Vil eyeing me. “Tater tot,” He started as soon as my gaze met his and I sighed, trailing over to the couch where he stood and before sitting on it. 

He looked down at me with a frown, but rather than any scolding or questioning, he sat down next to me, leaning over so that he could look at my face as he spoke, “How’s your shoulder?”

I smiled slightly at him before shrugging, “Not that bad, actually. I probably would’ve gone ahead and went to the Savanaclaw Clan headquarters if Leona hadn’t shown up and told me not to.”

Vil shook his head, smiling fondly, “I was surprised to see him when I got here, but I’m glad he stopped you. You don’t need to be there right now.”

I frowned at his words, recalling Leona’s statements and behavior from last night, “Do I really smell that strongly of blood or something?”

I looked at him curiously, and Vil sighed, shaking his head slightly, “Not especially, but there are traces of it, and with you being the way you are, that’s all it would take.”

I continued to hold his gaze, but when I spoke, my voice had gone far softer as I thought of the blank look on Leona’s face when he’d been staring at my blood that had smeared itself across his hand, “Is it that bad? I mean… Is it bothering you?”

Vil shook his head, a faint smile still on his face, “No, it isn’t bothering me at all. But Rook suspects I’ve grown quite accustomed to you and that it doesn’t affect me nearly as much as it might others.”

I nodded slightly, still thinking about last night, “Because you’ve spent so much time with me.”

He nodded, his own voice going soft as he answered me gently, “Yes. Because I’ve spent so much time with you.”

We sat silently after that. Almost like we were both just resting in each other’s presence as the seconds ticked by.

And then he spoke again, “And what about you? How are you doing?”

He looked my way, and I knew exactly what he meant in an instant. Was I alright after having just killed two more vampires? After all, he had been the one who’d checked up on me after my debut.

“I’m not totally adjusted yet, but…. Well, it wasn’t any easier, but I suppose I was better prepared.” I toyed idly with my hands as I spoke until one of his hands reached over and stopped my motions.

I met his gaze and found him looking at me almost sadly, “Rook has been saying ever since that night that you would be fine and that you could do this, but I can’t deny that I’ve been worried.”

He sighed slightly, looking down at our hands, “But you’ve already won over members of the Savanaclaw Clan to the point where they worry for you and care for you. I could tell how concerned Jack was, and I very nearly went to find you last night….”

I felt myself smile at his words, amused by the mental image of him with Rook having to stop both him, and probably Epel for that matter. 

I would have to thank him for that later. If Vil and Epel had shown up, that might have just worsened issues. 

At the end of the day, being the Hunter was my job, and I was going to have to get used to it for better or worse. And I probably wouldn’t always have someone with me to help me.

“I’m sorry for worrying you, but I knew you’d want to know,” Vil nodded at my words, meeting my gaze with a more genuine smile.

“Well, you were right about that,” He looked almost amused by his own behavior, and I found myself leaning over against him.

“Thanks for coming by Vil…. I think the only reason I was able to face any of this at the start of all this was your, Rook, and Epel’s support,” I exhaled as I finished, relaxing as he rubbed my arm gently, careful to avoid my injuries even though they weren’t nearly as bad as they had been.

“Of course, Tater Tot. I’m partially at fault for Crowley noticing you anyway,” Despite how good he was at disguising it, I could hear the remorse in his tone, and I leaned back, looking towards Vil with a smile.

“No, he probably would’ve noticed me sooner or later anyway. And because you were there, I had far more support to get me through it all.” I paused, smiling at him as he let out an amused-sounding huff.

“Besides, now I can help take care of you and get to the bottom of all this insanity mess,” I grinned at him as I finished, and he shook his head slightly.

“Yes, just remember to take care of yourself as well,” He titled his head, his gaze softening slightly as he paused before continuing in a less teasing tone with a fond smile. “And if it ever gets too hard, I’ll always be here.”

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[kimbap-r0ll]

Can I please request ❤️ with Killua?

Hey, thank you for the ask! Might go w both platonic (he's basically a kiddo so it's weird on my end to make it like romantic :/)

What kind of s/o does Killua want (platonic)

I think this goes for anyone he starts to warm up to — he wants that person to lowkey care for him. It's sort of like he wants to protect them (and will point out he is stronger in every way) but at the same time he wants them to provide him with warmth.

Another must is they have to be on Alluka's good side! This goes without a need for explanations but he wants both whoever he likes and Alluka to be friends and for Alluka's life to not be potentially endangered

He wants them to be open to exploring the world. While he does like the idea of spending time in one place and enjoying small things in life, he's basically been stuck on a mountain for a long portion of his life. He wants to continue the thrill of adventure. If not with Gon then with his s/o and Alluka

I think he would want them be fine with him teasing them or pulling pranks. He's a bit of a mischievous fellow haha

Do you have to know nen? No, that's not on his list!

I think the biggest thing for him is he wants you to be alright with his past. He's an assassin by profession, he has a rough relationship with his family. It's something he hopes won't scare you away

[sharksnshakes]

Just A Scratch - Alejandro Vargas

You pull your stitches when getting a late night glass of water. Alejandro's up, too, and insists on giving you a hand.

A/N; okay so this can be romantic or platonic it's up to you. reader is gn as per usual. anyways i love alejandro and so should you

Wordcount; 470

TW; brief mention and description of injury, mentions of blood, improper use of a kitchen sink </3

It's just past two in the morning when you hear the kitchen door creak open.

You're huddled by the sink, dressed in sweatpants and a tank top, your hair mussed and wild and still damp from the shower. Tears bead in your eyes. Vision blurred, you turn around to see whoever's interrupting your impromptu first aid session.

"You're hurt."

Alejandro stands in the doorway. He'd been running the mission with you, had seen the attacker slash at your shoulder with the knife, had seen the medics stitch you back up on the ride home.

"I thought you had been fixed?" He asks, arms crossed as he leans against the doorframe.

"Tore my stitches," you grit out, taking short, sharp breaths. "Medics are sleeping. Didn't wanna wake 'em."

"You realize that taking care of you is their job, yes?"

You wave a dismissive hand, return your attention to your injured shoulder.

Alejandro sighs. The floor creaks under his feet as he steps closer, coming to a stop at your side. He leans against the countertop, glances at your arm. Then to the glass you'd plucked from the upper shelf of a nearby cabinet, the door still wide open, just as you'd left it.

"This is probably so unsanitary," you laugh, vision blurry with tears. "Fuck."

"Eh, I do not know about that." Alejandro gestures to the fridge. "It is still full of protein bars. Not an egg, a fruit, or a piece of meat in sight."

You laugh again, sniffling slightly.

"Cariña," Alejandro says quietly, "Please. Let me help you."

"I'm fine."

"You are clutching your arm like it will fall off if you let go. I would not call that... what did you say? Fine?"

"Can handle it by myself."

"Ah, but just because you can do something on your own does not mean you should."

You fall quiet for a moment.

"You are stubborn," Alejandro continues, "And that is a good thing to be. Tonight, though, you may want to reconsider."

"You're one to talk," you mumble, staring into the sink.

"Which is why you should take me seriously." He shifts, turning to face you with a pointed expression. "It is not easy for me to see you like this."

You exhale, pulling the towel away from your arm. "I know."

"You do not have to do this alone."

"I know."

"So don't," he urges.

After a moment's hesitation, you groan in defeat, holding the bloodied towel out to Alejandro, silently giving him permission to tend to you. If he's bothered by the blood on the cloth, he doesn't show it, taking it from you and reaching past you to wring out some of the blood and rewet the towel.

"Thanks," you mutter.

He begins to clean the wound, fingertips gentle and warm on your skin. "Any time, cariña."

[ranchthoughts]

moments of ephemerality/permanence/YOLO/photography/voyeurism/control/hypocrisy etc. etc. in Only Friends ep. 6

first, where we've been so far

Permanence vs. ephemerality

in romantic relationships: Mew asking Top to meet his parents at the end of the year IF they are still together, Top insisting they would be still together and multiple times over the episode talking about being with Mew for the long haul/forever

in platonic relationships: Mew telling Ray they will be friends forever, Ray confronting everyone at the bar with uncomfortable truths while telling Mew he will always support him, Sand telling Top they will never be friends vs. Top asking Sand why he can't just let bygones be bygones

And a more general comment: while there was a ton of fallout from last episode, particularly from the fight in Sand and Nick's apartment, there was also a lot of... moving past it? At least on the surface. Sand didn't contact Ray for a while but when they were back together again at the pool table Sand told Ray there was nothing to be mad about, Ray can have feelings for whoever he wants. Sand also seemed happy for Nick spending time with Boston, despite Boston breaking up their nice evening the other day. Ray and Boston are on thin ice but were still attending meetings with the professor and Mew's birthday in the same room - this did quickly go south over the course of the episode, but before that they didn't seem to have told anyone else about their blow up. Things continued to simmer and spilled over in a big way this episode, but it made me wonder, like Chueam not telling April about her short films, how often fights and betrayals have happened in the past and how often they've been pushed down and smoothed over and ignored in this friend group. @lurkingshan noted a similar thought in the comments on her post here; that we are seeing the relationships between the characters shift very quickly from episode to episode and that is another example of ephemerality.

Another big win for the ephemerality squad came through this episode: the reveal that that if Boston doesn't graduate, he will go live in New York with his mother. Boston's dad frames it as "if he doesn't graduate" but Boston talking to Nick afterwards makes it sound like a done deal - Boston doesn't plan on graduating, or if he does, he's going to New York anyways. Boston doesn't need to try, he's immune to consequences: fail school and he gets to go to New York; antagonize his friends irreparably and he will be in New York and never have to see them again. There's no need to build permanent, lasting connections with people (romantic or platonic) if he is planning on jumping ship, so no need to treat people around him with care or respect or be accountable for his actions. We've been talking about proximity based friendships lately and here's another example; to Boston, his time here, and his relationships with these people, have an expiration date. (I wonder if Mew, Ray, and Chueam know?)

Two more thoughts:

Sand's mom says he shouldn't be worrying about her but instead living his "wild teenaged life" (encouraging ephemerality, connecting ephemerality with youth), but also cautions him that one day his "we have fun sometimes" relationship with Ray might one day not be fun anymore (encouraging permanence and lasting relationships? or telling him to walk if he isn't having fun, i.e. encouraging ephemerality?).

Mew tells Ray that if he keeps this lifestyle up he will be dead before he hits 30 - the theme of death, the fleetingness of life, and consequences! This hits harder knowing what we do about Ray's past (and Ray's past with Mew), and given the jacket that Ray is wearing which reads "Is your life worth something?" on the back. This is the question Ray struggles with, and it impacts his relationships with others too (Sand desperately offering Ray love and Ray, unable to believe someone would genuinely care for him, lashing out).

Changing and not changing

Last episode there was a lot about changing: Nick going to the gym and switching up his wardrobe, Ray experiencing a day in Sand's life, Mew having sex, Top and Mew exchanging "I love you", Boston talking about settling down, Mew deciding to get Lasik. This episode, we had more changes and a lot of characters commenting on whether or not change is possible:

Mew says: change takes time and words are not enough, that it is hard to stop loving someone so easily

Top says: people can change, he has changed for Mew (giving up his playboy ways and drugs) and he can continue to change for Mew [though who knows if he has actually given up drugs, and he did sleep with Boston while Mew and him were together], but Ray can't change (he will always be in love with Mew and trying to get with him)

Sand says: some people - like Top - can't change ("once a prick, always a prick"), Nick has changed (his wardrobe and his interests, as he gets more into extreme sports)

Ray: Ray wants Mew to be happy and find someone good, even if it doesn't involve him, showing a change in his thoughts and feelings about Mew (Mew still matters a lot to him, but he's working on letting him go). People can change - though it might not be easy

Can these characters change? That remains to be seen. A lot of the changes we've seen so far have been questionable (did Top give up drugs for Mew? does Boston have any longing to settle down?) or it's still too early in the series to tell if they will stick (Nick's new wardrobe, Ray getting over Mew, etc.).

This idea of whether or not people can change relates to the theme of labels we've explored previously (1, 2). People get labeled by others and it can be very hard to shake those appellations or the expectations attached to them. We see that in this episode, like when Ray approaches Mew in the bathroom and Mew assumes he's there to get high and begins lecturing him about safety, or when the friend group is talking to their professor and Chueam says "Even Boston is helping a lot. Surprised?". These labels can limit and affect our own self-perceptions too (the best example being Ray, who has firmly internalized the idea of being a "burden").

To use an example for the types of questions I am mulling over: Is Top changing for Mew (did he actually give up drugs, etc.)? Is Top sincere about wanting to change for Mew (is he enjoying the monogamous life), is this something he is enjoying? Is it possible for Top to change sincerely in some ways ("for Mew") and not in others (e.g., how differently Top behaves with Mew vs. with Sand and others)? Is Sand right that "once a prick, always a prick"? Is Boston right that Top will always be a playboy? What does it say about Sand and Boston that they assume Top can't change; is Sand and Boston (and others) assuming Top can't change preventing him from changing (sincerely)? Has Top internalized the labels other people assign him (playboy, top-tier, prick) to the extent that he cannot be anything else, that these will always be a part of him?

@neuroticbookworm wrote here that "the self-identities of the youth is fleeting and ephemeral," and notes these characters are fighting and comparing themselves to one another without knowing who they or their friends are, and the hypocrisy and insecurity in that. A lot of the change and absence of change we see in these characters comes from a place of comparison: Nick wants to change to be more like Top (switching up his wardrobe, going to the gym, etc.), Boston refuses to change who he is because he needs to prove his way/ideology is Right and Better than Mew's (though he does express interest in settling down... after Mew and Top start getting cozy [though again, does he mean it?]), Mew has sex with Top as he fears losing him to his playboy past/other people who will have sex with him, etc.

And along with comparison, and the insecurity and hypocrisy in that, comes the idea of control: if we can control how other people are seen (through the enforcement of labels), we can control how we are seen and make ourselves look superior (setting ourselves up in opposition to the labels we give other people), and we can make sure our superiority remains unquestioned (by enforcing other people's labels so hard they can't escape, even in their own heads). Of course, control itself has been fleeting and ephemeral in this show - the characters are grasping at straws to maintain some sort of control/superiority over their friends and the situation.

Ownership

Speaking of control, I wanted to throw a couple of ideas into the ring.

At the pool party in episode 3, Top asks Mew to leave, Mew says he wants to stay and help Ray, Ray responds sharply and tells Top "He doesn't want to go. Don't make him". Top, sensitive to challenges from others (and especially from Ray), immediately ups the ante and is more snarky than he usually is in front of Mew, reminding Ray of who Mew's one and only boyfriend is, then drags Mew off.

Here, Sand is antagonizing Top and Top snaps, saying "I get anyone I want. What about you? Who do you get?"* We saw Top speaking like this at the very beginning of the series - like Boston, he takes pride he who he can "get" and keep.

*again, comparisons. And insinuating Top is better because he can get (and keep) a boyfriend, unlike Sand.

At Mew's birthday party in the bar, after Yo jokingly asked her boyfriend if she can date Mew for the day. Top plays it his response off as charming and loving protectiveness, and others agree, but interesting to consider given the types of comments Top makes (when Mew isn't around).

All the above reminds me of the multiple times this series Top has casually tried to sway Mew's opinions, specifically against Ray.

In episode 5, he insinuates that Ray doesn't work hard on this project, that Mew deserves better, that Mew should change the project to being at Top's hotel. In episode 6, Mew brings up Ray and Top says "Why are you still friends with him? He's never going to stop liking you." Top frames these as simple observations, just friendly suggestions because he cares about Mew (his smiles, his carefully casual tone, "What? *laughs* Am I wrong?", "Honestly...," "You're such a good friend and boyfriend. No one can get over you easily"), not something that Mew necessarily has to do or take to heart but Top can't help but notice... But we know Top knows Ray doesn't like him and that Ray has feelings for Mew, and given Top's expression when he found Ray at Mew's house in episode 4, when he learned Ray was Mew's first kiss, when Ray challenged him at the pool party, when Ray spoke encouragingly to Mew while lambasting everyone else at the bar... Top doesn't like Ray either. These casual, friendly observations and suggestions feel a lot more pointed. Ray is a challenge to Top, and Top wants him gone - preferably without alarming or alerting Mew to his true intentions.

A few people have noted the interesting split between Top-with-Mew and Top-with-others, how he becomes cockier, snarkier, meaner, and more possessive (see: Top with Nick, Top with Sand), and I'm looking forward to keeping my eye on it, especially now as Mew has thrown back the covers and Top is on the defensive.

If I can throw another observation into the ring... Ray speaking about Mew: "I want you to be happy. Whatever you decide to do, whoever you choose, I hope it all turns out great". I think this also speaks to Ray and his own lack of self-worth, but it's an interesting comparison to make between Top and Mew and Ray and Mew, who seem to have a closer and more genuine friendship that the others in the group (despite Mew's careless comments and lecturing about Ray's drinking and habits, and the love and expectations Ray has pinned on Mew after he saved him in the bathtub). Also! Very interesting to note given what @twig-tea points out in this post: that when Mew is sleeping Ray kisses him on the lips and Top kisses him on the forehead. I have no conclusions, only observations...

Boundaries and hypocrisy

Nick tells Gap: "Not replying means I don't want to see you. How dare you walk in and greet me," when in episode 4 we had Boston accosting Top in an elevator after the latter ignored his messages. @bengiyo pointed out another hypocritical parallel - Boston continues "I don't want to be friends with someone who sneakily recorded me"... having of course sneakily recorded his friends Ray and Mew. Again, Boston has firm boundaries about himself (don't contact me if I am ignoring your messages, don't take intimate photos of me) that he does not follow/steps past for other people (harassing Top in the elevator, taking intimate photos of Nick and Mew and Ray).

Recording and voyeurism

The one sex tape to rule them all continues to get passed around the friend group, finally reaching the subjects themselves. I expect more fallout to come (Boston's dad still has his campaign and Boston still doesn't know where the recording came from), but what we got was delicious. I wondered if the car recording would be questioned or disbelieved by anyone, given it's only audio and no visuals, but apparently everyone can recognize Boston and Top by their moans! There's something to be said about trust too, how Ray immediately trusts the recording Sand plays for him, Mew immediately trusts the recording Ray plays for him...

Top did some recording of his own, this time with a paper and pen (after seeing him take notes last episode on his and Mew's work date). He presented Mew with a collection of drawings he's done of him, capturing moments from their relationship in a permanent pen and paper form. I wonder also - with drawing, is there even more of an ability to construct the narrative... photography captures what is there, while drawing you can adjust what you'd like. This fits in the recurring theme of voyeurism too - Top drawing Mew when he's sleeping or otherwise not aware.

I remember on Tumblr ages ago someone talking about Sand and Ray and audio (records), Boston and Nick and visual (photos), and speculating that Top and Mew might have something to do with writing/drawing (I can't remember who said it, but I know @distant-screaming has been playing with this concept too). Here we go!

tagging the ephemerality squad: @chickenstrangers, @clara-maybe-ontheroad, @distant-screaming, @lurkingshan, @neuroticbookworm, @rocketturtle4, @slayerkitty , @twig-tea , @waitmyturtles , @wen-kexing-apologist

[tsunderelover07]

Mitsuki Kiryu

SFW - its so fluffy I think I'm gonna die!!!

Note: @para-dots - you are the bomb.com

It all happened at the arcade. There was a crowd forming around the driving seats game. There were two people going toe to toe, but whoever the driver on the right was, had a clear edge. They won, and it was a girl. She wasn't his type, he liked the cute girls, but they still became fast friends. She was nerdy, and didn't bother to dress to impress. She opted for tees, often with pugs on them, and her chaotic hair in a haphazard bun. Still, she was really nice and they enjoyed talking. He found she was friends with quite a few of the Bofurin guys. He was starting to grow fond of her.

Though, she was treated like one of the guys, and she treated all he guys the same. All as platonic friendships. She brushed aside all of his flirtations, dismissed his compliments and that's when he realized he was the only guy she wasn't affectionate with. She never threw her arm around his neck to out into a head lock like she would with Tsuge, or ruffle his hair like she would with Nirei. It was really starting to make him jealous. She was the first girl to be immune to any and all he charm he had laid on her. He was the only one he could see that treated her like a girl instead of one of the guys.

Kiryu was plenty stubborn and wasn't giving up just yet. He still had a shot. He just needed to Crank things up a notch and really play into the romance. He needed to treat her like the lady she was. The thought of the chase was enough to make his mouth water.

He may have done some research on some heart throbbing romantic gestures to make happen. He tried to help her reach something only for her to grab a stool and do it herself. He tried to have her fall into his arms, but she caught herself. They even had a geniune moment where she slipped and landed on top of him. She just hopped off of him and apologized. Nothing was working and he was frustrated at being friend zoned. And she had begun to avoid him recently.

It was when her brother answered the door and insisted they needed to talk that he was dead meat.

"You're gonna have to confess, kiss her, or something. " he stated and this was not the conversation he pictured he'd be having. He was actually trying to help him?

"I haven't even gotten remotely out of the friend zone..." he moaned, wondering why he was admitting any of this to her brother.

He pulled out his phone and dropped a picture of a gorgeous model down on the table. "Thats why your stuck in the friendzone."

"This is-" Her brother nodded and he couldn't believe it. She was stunning dressed up. Why the hell didn't she dress like this more often.

"There's no way in hell shed ever tell anyone, especially you, any of this. She's a former model. And given how pretty she is all dolled up, it's no surprise she'd be flocked with guys hitting on her. However, soon as she dressed comfy in what she always wears, she kept being told by guys that she needed to dress up. And look prettier. They didn't give two shits about her as a person. And to make matters worse, she's sporty so she ends up being friend zoned by every guy so she's given a double edged sword. Either the guy will only like her because of her pretty face, or she'll be friend zoned."

It all made sense once he mentioned it.

"And i know you're not like that, so don't worry. We wouldn't be here if I did."

"Then...why are we?"

"Because she's my annoying sister and I want her to stop complaining to me." He said and leveled him with a look. "And i know that you know no one will find your body if you hurt that same annoying little sister of mine."

"Eek! Yes sir!"

"Good. Now, she into you. Bad. But she's keeping you at arms length because she thinks your efforts are you just messing with her. She doesn't think you're serious."

Kiryu groaned as it couldn't be further from the truth.

"You gotta take the gloves off and fight dirty." He looked disgusted as he continued to speak. "Kiss her, confess, pin her down, get sappy and shit...do whatever it takes. She'll probably freak out and try to run away. She's never had a boyfriend either. Good luck with that one. "

Kiryu had a lot to plan. It started off by him sort of bribing her to come over to play the new game she'd been dying to get her hands on.

Even though he knew the answer, he still asked her out front why she'd been avoiding him after they settled on the floor to play the game. She tried to brush it off, but he was playing dirty. He turned off the television and she tried to get run away already, but he wasn't having it. He had her lying on her back with his arms caging her in.

She looked away, but answered him honestly on why he was avoiding her.

"You...make me nervous. You keep messing with me-"

"Its called flirting pretty girl." Her head snapped to look up at him. She tried to get out from under him. He let her have a little room as she sat up and backed right into his bed, and he caged her in again but got much closer this time. "How can I not? I'm in love with you."

Red with embarrassment she hid her face, and when she refused to remove them, he kissed them. She removed her hands in shock. One of his hands gently cupped her cheek, thumb caressing her cheek. "Do you feel the same way?"

She couldn't look away, and gave a slow nod and if it weren't dead silent in his room, he would've missed the quiet yes under her breath. He put his forehead to hers, smiling he was so happy. He pulled away, happy with just that, when he got the surprise of a lifetime. She grabbed his collar and pulled him into a kiss. He melted into her kiss unable to suppress the kiss on his face.

She was the only girl for him. And he created a little monster in the process since all of her affections were now directed solely on him. He never felt so wrapped up in love. And he refused to share.

[helloaugustmoon]

Uhmm...I feel like I'm about to get scolded for what I'm about to say but a while ago I sent you an ask about that guy that I was dating and he cheated on me but I'm still kinda with him (not really bc we barely text). Like, somehow I still have feelings for him (less than I did before bc he's an ass) but I obviously still wanna break up with him. How do I bring it up? I don't want him to be my enemy or anything like that. I wouldn't mind being friends with him since he's a funny guy but Idk. It's kinda hard to ignore him when we go to the same school. Also, I found out that he's been leaving comments on random girls' videos! How nice of him, huh? Like dude, you were saying how much you loved me just a two weeks ago and now you're talking to other girls. Tf💀. You're 5'2-5'4 and you're still the one who's cheating when you're built like a pre-schooler? Please. Never giving short guys attention ever again.

Good thing I'm bisexual. Maybe I can get a girlfriend or something, guys are absolute assholes (not all).

hi angel !! ♡ I do remember that ask yeah, and again I’m so sorry that happened to you. absolutely, you deserve better than that, and considering his pattern of behaviour continuing w him leaving comments on other girls.

I understand not wanting to lose someone you care about through a breakup, but it is incredibly difficult to maintain a friendship even when things end amicably without any bad feelings bc the previously established bond and way of being around/communicating w each other can be hard to break and can cause a lot of awkwardness. in this case, if you’re certain you want to try friendship, maybe lead w that? clearly w him having cheated, he’s not committed to you, so that could actually be a useful segue for you to suggest friendship, bc then he could talk to whoever he wanted so to speak, and you won’t get hurt by his actions again.

as someone who is presently navigating maintaining a friendship w an ex that I had no negative feelings towards and the breakup was as peaceful and healthy as it could’ve been (we essentially just grew apart and were very different; no big mistake on either side so no resentment), I can speak to the fact that it is difficult to set boundaries where they previously didn’t exist, to distinguish the relationship as platonic rather than romantic. but if you sincerely want to keep that person in your life and that’s a wish they share w you, you’ll both make the effort and it’ll be worth it!

I’m not someone that’ll ever scold you for your feelings. you can’t help who you fall for or why. it IS an urban myth that girls are less “relationship drama” than guys tho, TRUST ahahaha - people are people and people are complicated; it’s up to you to decide who’s worth you learning ♡

[firequeenkitty]

I really really really love and appreciate Chainsaw Man. Not just because the story is great, the art is top tier, and it can go from hilarious to thrilling at the drop of a hat and not come off as silly or insincere but because of the feelings put behind every character and their arc.

The way it sometimes puts feelings into words that I can't seem to find myself. Especially as someone that went through a lot of trauma growing up and has had a lot of struggles with anxiety and depression due to it.

Sometimes I found myself reading manga and watching anime and feeling a bit empty inside. I'd look at Sailor Moon, Bleach, Cardcaptor Sakura, Hero Academia and think damn I don't just want to be nobody doing nothing with my life. I want to be someone. I want to make a difference. And I know that these shows have made differences in other people's lives but they just wound up making me feel worse and worse about myself. Because I was doing nothing. I wasn't following any dreams. I wasn't pushing myself.

Then I discovered Chainsaw Man. I started it sometime last year and wound up finishing part 1 in three days. At first it felt really good and light. "Haha Denji doesn't have any lofty aspirations. My man just wants to touch some titties". But it became so much more than that. And even now into part 2 it continues to do so for me.

His dreams never really changed from chapter 1. At the core he really just wants to live a happy peaceful life. He wants someone to love him. He wants to eat good food. And that was refreshing for me to see. He wasn't some normal dude that was thrust into the extraordinary. He was a kid who suffered and wanted to just be happy.

It's okay to just want to be happy. To want to live a calm peaceful life with your pets, your found family, whoever.

Then to be honest part 2 hit me even harder. I look at Asa and see myself. I've always felt isolated due to my suffering. Sometimes my rigidity makes it hard for me to get along with others. There's so many times she's said and thought things that really reflected feelings of isolation, sadness, loneliness, and especially the fear of being alone while having the contradictory fear of opening yourself to others.

I really hope for a happy ending between her and Denji whether romantically or platonically. And it's not about needing someone else to save you. It's about having the support to see light and hope beyond the crappy circumstances of life. Even if it's just cats, dogs, ice cream, or sex.