#so i spend much of my time trying not to cry

[gguk-n]

hey could you maybe write a lando x reader where when it was clear that lando lost the championship the reader just comforts him but he is distancing himself from her but she doesn’t give up on him so pls a happy end ❤️

established relationship, not very angsty, short

My World Champion

Things had been rough between the pair for a few months. With the mounting pressure on Lando to perform had left him pushing all those close to him away. He wasn't very happy with it but he felt like maybe he could focus better. The person who had to deal with the brunt of Lando's distance was his girlfriend, Y/N. They'd been together for a while and friends for longer. They just got each other like no other but lately Y/N felt like she didn't know Lando as well as she used to.

Y/N did try to bring up the distance. It was Azerbaijan, "Lan, don't you think we barely talk" Y/N spoke slowly, trying to start a conversation with her boyfriend who was sat across from her on the sofa. He didn't bother to even look up, "What's there to talk about when I'm busy trying to win a championship. Let me focus" he huffed. "I didn't mean it like that. I just thought we could spend some time together" Y/N trailed off. "We are sat together right now. How much more time do you want to spend with me?" Lando sighed and finally looked up from his laptop. "I just" she felt her voice die in her throat. 'I don't remember the last time we kissed Lan' her brain thought as she got up and left the room before another fight ensued.

It was during the winter break when things were starting to look up. Lando had just won the Singapore GP, he was more attentive and present; they even cuddled the whole day. Y/N thought that she had her boyfriend back. Oh how wrong she was because as soon as they were back on track; Lando was back to square one. The Austin loss hit deep, making Lando double down on strategising and spending every waking hour with the team or thinking about Formula One. It was like he forgot Y/N existed or for that matter himself. She would sit there and stare at her boyfriend who looked more and more like a stranger with each passing day.

Things had become rocky between them. She felt the divide growing with each passing weekend. Mexico wasn't any better. But Brazil landed a huge blow to Lando. He shut down, he stopped talking to anyone and spent all his time scrolling on his phone. There was nothing she could do without Lando walking out or shutting the door on her face. So, she sat and waited. She would cook his favourite food or leave out his favourite snacks to munch on. But she didn't make much break through on him; as he still chooses to stay reserved, opting to carry the burden alone.

It was after the Las Vegas quali, when Y/N noticed the light begin leave Lando's eyes. All she could offer were words and cuddles but Lando had put up a wall between them. The bed seemed too big for the two of them with either on each side. She stared at the space in between them wondering when it had gotten this big.

After the race, Y/N sighed a sigh of relief. The Championship battle was over and that meant she got her Lando back. She saw glimpses of him when he congratulated Max and couldn't wait to jump into his arms. But it was like Lando was back, just not for her.

That night, they spent it like any other, on either side of the bed. But as Y/N tried to fall asleep, she felt the bed shake. On further inspection, she saw Lando's frame quietly shaking from the sobs as he tried to not make any noise. Her heart hurt watching him, she slowly scooted over causing Lando to stop crying for a moment. She wrapped her arm around his torso and buried her head in his neck. "I love you, my world champion" she whispered causing Lando to turn around. His face was streaked with tears which she carefully wiped off. "I don't like it when you cry" she muttered and pecked his lips. "I thought you fell asleep" Lando mumbled. "Can't sleep without my cuddles" she quipped. "But, I'm not the world champion" was all he muttered, remembering her first comment. "For the world, no. For me, always" she smiled. Lando searched her eyes for anything, but all he found was undeterred love. "And you're not angry?" he asked. "No. I'm happy to watch you compete for the championship because I know, sooner or later you'll win it. Just waiting for that day" she reassured. "I'm sorry for being a dick. I was just" Lando spoke before she cut him off, "over whelmed. I know. But you didn't have to do it all alone. What am I here for?" she spoke tenderly. "I love you" he whispered kissing her for the first time in a long time. "I love you too, muppet" she whispered back. He looked at her for a long time as his hands pulled her closer, running along her frame; "What would I do without you?" he asked. "Crash and burn" she chided. "Agreed" he mumbled pulling her in for another kiss. "You alway know how to make me happy" he mumbled in between kisses. "Only when you listen to me. Otherwise you're Mr Grumpy" she chuckled. "I promise not to be Mr Grumpy anymore" he laughed kissing her again. "Next time I'm grumpy, kiss me. I think all my worries melt away with your kisses" he said pressing her against him. "So, the next time you start an argument, I'm gonna kiss you" she said cupping his cheeks. "Best way to end an argument" he smiled pressing their foreheads together. "I won't disagree" she kissed him again, making up for all the lost time.

[inmoonsblood]

lover : percy jackson

book percy jackson. unspecified godly parent!reader. takes place around two years post trials of apollo. both of them are in college. 815 words.

synopsis: "like hell! the only one who can get me away from you right now is my mom." ; ft; late night rain dancing, taylor swift playing, warm towels and a shit ton of kisses from your second favourite person in the whole wide world.

note: repost 1 from my old account! i love this fic so so much, but i need to heavily stress that this (and all my percy fics) are for book percy, (17-18 year old) i don't write for show percy as of now. an old fic written before the show came out, so please, be nice to me, directly reposted from @the-ink-of-roses incase you've read it before!

percy's hands slip around your waist, your back to his chest, as he picks you up and gently sways the two of you to the beat of 'love story' by taylor swift while he hums the lyrics under his breath.

he tugs you closer and presses a kiss to your cheek and jaw, resting his head on your shoulder later. you giggle when he does that, turning your head slightly to kiss his forehead.

the playlist probably ran out ages ago, now you two are staying afloat purely on the will of the spotify lords and their music choice, but as long as it's a song that either you or percy know, it works.

(anything works, to be honest, just as long as percy's here, behind you, holding you like you're the one thing he never wants to lose. as long as you have that, you know you've won. as long as percy jackson holds your hand and kisses your cheeks, gods, you'll take anything.)

new rome is fun, it keeps life interesting in a way that doesn't risk you, him and annabeth going out on quests--and annabeth having to mock throw up every time you two kiss even if you know she's just as terrified as you two.

swords and running from medusa's sisters (or medusa sometimes. yeah aunty em was NOT happy last time you met her, apparently she still remembered the store circus thing even if it was more than seven years ago) were replaced with chasing deadlines and seeing how many energy drinks you guys can stomach.

you're in new york right now, staying at sally's (when she learnt you were going to spend the holidays in new rome, she demanded her son get you home. no way in hell is estelle's favourite person going to stay alone for the holidays), and like the two very smart heroes of olympus you two are, you're out here dancing in the rain.

it's a little silly, yeah, but in your absolute defence, this started out as percy trying to teach you how to skateboard before the rain, and neither of you are going to let that ruin a date for you (by extension let zeus ruin another date for you, even if this isn't aimed at you--probably not aimed at you), so you two made the best of both worlds, thanking the gods the speaker piper got for you is waterproof. (in hindsight, percy is also waterproof, he just likes this better. despite the inevitable cold coming in soon for both of you).

with one last strike of thunder, the rain slowly dies down, leaving you and him in the park as the spotify lords finally give up on you two.

percy drops you suddenly and you have only two seconds to squeal in absolute surprise before you're turned around to face him this time. he's grinning at you with a look of absolute mischief--you're sure connor and travis had the exact same look before they shoved you into the pool last time you guys visited camp half blood. of course, percy was in there but something tells you that was their goal.

he looks so pretty you could cry.

and this pure boy, who smiles secretly to you, looks at you like you're the one at the centre of his universe, the one who holds your heart. this same boy has given you his, asking only for your love in return, something you're more than happy to give him.

before you can ask him what he's up to, percy suddenly shakes his hair, causing all the water to fly everywhere, including on you.

you almost yell in surprise but with a small chuckle bite back. doing the same, as both of you laugh while shaking your heads to have the water droplets go around everywhere.

it's probably a weird sight to watch--two teenagers, drenched in water, shaking their heads like there's no tomorrow while holding each other, but you don't really give four fucks.

once your head starts hurting, you stop and cup percy's face, getting him to stop as well. your other hand slides into his hair, messing it up further as the hand on his face guides him for a kiss.

he lifts you up again and twirls you--no doubt to get another laugh out of you--before setting you down.

percy doesn't let go of your hand either, not when you pick up your stuff and head to sally's (your current favourite person in the world), not while the two of you are lectured by her on colds coughs and fevers in this weather, not even when warm towels are given to the two of you.

not even when you two keep sneezing the next day to no one's surprise.

[vellazx]

Luffy x Reader (Gender not specified) — Angst / Fluff — Can be taken as platonic or romantic. Small and optional romantic Ace x Reader if you squint.

When all of you got separated at Sabaody Archipelago, Kuma sent you to one of the many places you didn’t desire to be held in.

He asked you right before sending you away, “If you could go someplace for vacation, where would you go?”

You were hesitant to respond.

“Anywhere my friends are.”

Impel Down. He sent you to Impel Down — that wasn’t the slightest bit a vacation. It was pure torture, for all the time you were stuck in a cell.

The World Government considered you dangerous enough to holster you on level 5, considered to be the floor of Impel Down that holds the most world-threatening criminals. You heard of a possible ‘level 6’, but that wasn’t your concern.

You expected to be alone throughout your suffering in that cell.

But there was one factor making it just the slightest bit easier for you.

Luffy’s older brother; Portgas D. Ace.

He sat chained up in the cell right next to yours, alongside an infamous Fishman Warlord who somehow ended up on the Government’s bad side.

When he saw you, he recognized you almost immediately. All the way back from when he met you in Alabasta.

“It’s… you? You’re Luffy’s friend. Why are you here…?”

If only you knew the answer to that question.

Ace grew fond of you rather quickly. Despite your situation, you tried your best to remain somewhat calm and have faith that you’d escape from the hellhole that called itself ‘Impel Down’. He wouldn’t prefer anyone else be in the cell next to his own. You felt the same about him, too.

The two of you sorted your trope out as ‘comfort buddies’, if that even made sense at all. When you were upset, he would try to cheer you up from across his own cell, despite his weak and raspy voice.

You did the same. Constantly telling him that you’d find a way to get him out.

Not just for his sake — but for Luffy’s sake. You cared deeply for your captain, and you didn’t need much convincing to know that he and Ace were the closest of the closest.

Ace saw it in your eyes, whenever you talked about your life-changing (stinky) captain, the glint of adoration you held for him. Therefore he swore to find a way to get you out of Impel Down, as well.

He didn’t lie when he said those words to you.

“Don’t worry. I’ll get you out, too.”

But what about what you said?

Luffy, the boy whom you would die for, held his brother’s cold body in his arms. He found a way to sneak into Marineford, vowing to help you rescue Ace.

You said you’d get him out.

Though his freedom only lasted for a moment.

Akainu prevailed, bringing about the death of a friend you had little time to spend with.

Ace was more than the brother of the one you were deeply loyal towards. He was one of your closest friends, there for you during your breakdowns in that cell — as you were for him.

You were there. You didn’t have time to react as the magma empowered Admiral punched a hole right through his ribs.

You didn’t even do so much as budge.

No lies were to be spread. You blamed yourself for allowing Ace to get killed so easily. You could’ve helped. Saved him.

You entirely believed it was your fault for not doing anything.

So why did he forgive you? No. He didn’t forgive you, because he didn’t see you as a problem to begin with. He had no need to accept your apology, because he deemed it unnecessary.

Your captain. The one who was there during Ace’s death. The one who suffered the most.

He didn’t blame you.

Rather, he showed you sympathy. He knew you had gotten close to his brother while being held hostage in the underwater prison.

As tears fell from your eyes, Luffy wrapped his arms around you, caressing the back of your head with his calloused hand, still bruised from all the fighting he indulged in.

“Stop blaming yourself. I don’t like it. And stop crying! I’d prefer not to see you cry, ‘cause I don’t like it. Not one bit!”

You thought for sure he would’ve been somewhat upset with you for not being able to prevent Ace’s death. But no. Instead, he was upset with you for blaming yourself.

“…But I thought—”

“Urgh. Then— stop thinking!”

He was never mad at you.

Your overflowing tears soaked his bandaged shoulder, damp spots littered all over it.

You weren’t exaggerating when you said you would’ve lost your sanity without him in multiple scenarios. This one easily being crowned the worst.

He held you close until he had to leave for his training.

Even after two years passed, he still didn’t blame you.

“Lu. You see those stars up there, right?”

“Shishishi! Of course I do! What about them?”

“One of them is Ace. He’s watching over us. I just know it!”

“I already knew that! Of course he’s watching us! Why would he not be? C’mon, tell me something more creative!”

“Ugh, you’re ruining the moment!”

[marauder-misprint]

Hii!! I just wanna say, ur writing is genuinely AMAZING. Like, actually tear inducing, feet-kicking, giggling-in-bed kind of amazing. This is my first ever request so bear with me 😔: for your 200 followers celebration (congrats by the way), I was wondering if you could do the prompt 10: “Too good for you? Don’t be ridiculous—they don’t deserve you.” Where reader is in a kinda toxic relationship and Remus, her bestie makes her realize this while also realizing her feelings for him?? Idk if this makes sense I’m sryyy 😭. Totally fine if u don’t feel comfortable doing it, or are to busy! Ignore my ineligible ranting, I for ur I hope ur doing well! Have a good rest of ur day/night!! :)

- 🌅

Thank you!!! This was so much fun to write ♡ Hope you enjoy it

Fireside Conversations

Remus Lupin x fem!Gryffindor!reader

2k words

cw: fluff, toxic relationship

The Gryffindor Common Room was quieter than usual. Which is why everyone there heard your disgruntled groan followed by you basically yelling, “Would you just listen!” as the portrait opened and closed. Peter was shaking his head as he approached the rest of the Marauders where they gathered on the couches by the fire. 

“They are fighting again,” he says as he sits down next to James. He didn’t need to say who. They knew. 

“That’s, what, third time this week?” James asks.

“At least,” Peter responds.

Remus stands up, looking at the portrait hole concerned.

“Moony, don’t,” Sirius says with a warning tone. “She doesn’t want us meddling, remember?”

“I’m not going to meddle,” he says unconvincingly. He wasn’t planning on meddling, rather eavesdropping, which in his defense, you never said he couldn’t do. He found it was easier to comfort you when he knew exactly what the bastard you called your boyfriend did this time. That was why he was going to listen… and to step in or meddle if things got out of hand. 

Remus walks over to the portrait and cracks it open the tiniest bit. He cast a muffling charm behind him so that your voice wouldn’t carry too far into the common room and then hoped you and your boyfriend would be oblivious to the ever-so-slightly open portrait.

“You need to stay away from them,” Remus hears your boyfriend tell you. “They’re using you to get into your pants.”

You scoff. “You’re being ridiculous! I’ve been friends with them since first year, and that’s all we are! We’re friends. Totally platonic. It’s you I like and that’s all that matters!”

“I know you like me. It’s them I don’t trust. So you need to stay away from them.”

“But I trust them. Isn’t that enough?”

“No, it’s really not. I think you’re blinded by them being in Gryffindor with you. You can’t trust everyone in your house, darling.”

“But they’ve earned it.”

“Listen, listen, I’m just worried for you. You spend so much time with them that it feels like you’re putting space between us. I think they’re trying to break us up.”

“They wouldn’t!” you protest. “And even if they were, I wouldn’t let that happen.” 

“Baby, just listen to me, okay? I wouldn’t steer you wrong, would I?”

You sigh and say in a mumble, “No, you wouldn’t.”

Remus lets the painting close quietly and he returns to the couches looking more grumpy than usual. 

“What’s birdbrain up to now?” Sirius asks. 

“Apparently the four of us are trying to seduce her.”

The three boys burst out laughing, a tiny snippet of the rambunctious noise that usually filled the common room. The grumpy look did not leave Remus’ face. It remains as you enter the common room, still looking upset and rubbing your eyes. You give the boys the briefest of glances before looking away and beelining it to the girls’ dorms. 

“Of course he made her cry,” Remus scowls. 

---

He loves me. I love him. He loves me. I love him. 

You kept repeating that in your head. Your boyfriend just cared for you, that’s all. He just cared so, so much. Almost too much. Was that something to fault him over? Goodness, you didn’t want to.

He loves me. I love him. 

Maybe if you said it enough, it would soothe your uneasiness. You’re laying in bed. Sleep was refusing to take you so you toss and turn, trying to make the least amount of noise with your rustling sheets. You really didn’t want to wake Lily or Marlene or Mary and have to have a heart-to-heart about why you can’t sleep. 

He loves me. I love him. 

Eventually, enough is enough. You climb out of bed, grab your robe and go to the common room. You almost laugh when you see Remus already sitting by the fire. From the way he’s sitting, he most definitely has a book in his lap. You stand quietly next to an armchair near him.

“Mind if I join you?” you ask softly. 

He jumps slightly but smiles as soon as he recognizes your voice and looks up. 

“Please,” he breathes, gesturing to the chair you’re standing by. “Couldn’t sleep?”

You nod as you tuck your legs underneath you.

“What’s eating your mind, love?”

“Nothing. Just couldn’t sleep.”

“Don’t lie to me.” His voice was so knowing yet gentle. And he always could tell when you lied and he refused to tell you what your tell was. 

You sigh. “Can you love someone too much?”

Remus doesn’t respond right away; he doesn’t know how to. Did you love your boyfriend too much? Did he love you too much? Was it a good thing or a bad thing to love too much? 

You look at the fire, waiting for Remus to answer. You don’t mind that he isn’t answering right away. You like that he’s thinking about it, choosing his words carefully. It was one of the things you loved about him.

“I… I don’t think you can love the right person too much. Your love won’t be too much or too little when it’s right.”

When you look at Remus, he’s already looking at you with so much concern and love in his eyes. You rest your head on your hands.

“When did you get to be so wise, Lupin?”

He shrugs. “One of the perks of being an old man, I guess.”

You sigh. You think Remus looks very cozy in his sweater and pyjama bottoms. There was something about him that always seemed cozy and comfortable. Being with him was one of the places you felt most at ease. 

You need to stay away from them. 

Your boyfriend’s words echo in your mind. It makes you want to cry. You want him to be the right person, but you couldn’t stay away from the Marauders, most of all Remus. He was your best friend. What if your boyfriend was the right person for you but you weren’t his?

“I… I don’t think I’m enough for him,” you mumble. “He’s too good for me.”

Remus stares at you dumbfounded. 

“Too good for you? Don’t be ridiculous — he doesn’t deserve you.”

“Remus-” you start to say. 

“No, darling, listen. I know it’s not my place and I’m not trying to meddle, but he’s not right for you. He told you you couldn’t cheer for your own house’s Quidditch when we played Ravenclaw and he’s not even on the team.”

“He just really wanted us to be cheering for the same team.”

“He told you to stay away from us.”

Your face hardens and your lips form a thin line.

“You heard that?”

He nods and says, “Your boyfriend shouldn’t be so insecure in your relationship. He should trust you to be around other people, around your friends. Especially around your friends who you’ve known for years.”

“I know,” you sigh. “But-”

Remus cuts you off again. “No buts, darling. Have you ever given him a reason to doubt your feelings for him?”

“No.”

“You give him all your love and that’s how he responds? You don’t deserve that kind of treatment. We’re not dumb, we know how much you’ve been fighting. If he can’t see how lovely, strong, loyal, smart, perfect you are, how devoted you can be when you care for someone, that’s on him. It’s on him for not trusting you, not seeing how you are more than capable of handling yourself and able to come back to the ones who care for you most.”

You close your eyes. Tears are building and you really don’t want them to fall. You know if you start crying, you won’t be able to stop. Something about Remus being right struck a nerve. You should be enough for your boyfriend. If Remus was able to see all of this in you, why couldn’t he? 

You feel a hand on the side of your face. You open your eyes to Remus crouching in front of you, one hand holding your face and the other placed next to your leg, helping him maintain his balance. 

“I know you said not to meddle, but that’s truly what I think, sweetheart. I think that relationship isn’t worth the arguing. I think it’s run its course.”

You feel the tears beginning to fall as you nod. “I-I, I think so too.”

“Oh, darling,” he coos as he pulled you into a hug.

You let the tears fall more freely as Remus holds you tight to his chest. He doesn’t shush you. He just holds you, softly rubbing your back. You could always be vulnerable with him. He understood in a way that you felt no one else did. He never judged you. He was your safe place. 

“Rem?” you ask, looking up at him.

“Mhmm?”

“Will you be there when I end things?”

“You want me there?”

You nod. “I won’t back down if you’re there.”

“Then I’ll be there.”

---

He was there for you. He was there for you when you broke up with your boyfriend. He was there for you when he tried to convince you that breaking up was a mistake. Remus was there for you when you broke down crying later. He never left your side. And you liked it. You had your own traveling safe place in Remus. 

With each passing day, being without your now-ex was easier. Being with Remus was easy. 

But you weren’t with Remus. The more you considered it, the more you wished you were. He already treated you better than your ex did. He never made you feel like you were too much or not enough. You knew he trusted you more than life itself. You didn’t dare say anything though. What if you ruined the friendship? What if you said something and lost your four best friends in one swoop? 

It really hits you one night, a few weeks after the breakup. Today had been nothing special. Just classes and studying in the library with Remus. But it had felt so special and every time your hands accidentally touched, you swear you felt fireworks. 

I love him. … Does he love me?

Why did you always think about things when you were in bed? Once again, you’re tossing and turning. You groan quietly as you get up. You know you won’t get sleep. 

This time, you do laugh when you see Remus already in the common room, sitting by the fire with a book as usual.

“Do you ever sleep?” you ask with a laugh as you join him on the couch.

You rest your head on his shoulder and look at the pages of his book.

“Usually during History of Magic and from three to seven.”

You giggle and Remus turns his head to look at you, a soft smile playing on his lips. 

“What’s on your mind tonight, sweetheart?”

You don’t respond right away, the worry of ruining a perfectly good friendship festering inside of you. 

“Do you fancy anyone?” you ask quietly.

His eyes go wide and he chuckles awkwardly. He looks away. 

Oh, he so does.

“Erm, yeah. I do…”

There’s a beat of silence. 

“Do you think she’s the one? The right one, I mean.”

“I’d like to think so. Only been in love with her since third year.”

“How do you know?”

“She’s my safe place. More than James, more than Sirius, more than Peter. She’s the loveliest person I know. She’s brilliant. Beautiful. Loyal. Perfect.” He pauses. “She has her flaws but doesn’t everyone? I mean, I got my furry little problem.”

Without thinking, you say, “You’re my safe place.” 

He looks back at you, the softest look in his eyes.

“I am?” he whispers. 

“You are.”

“So we’re each other’s safe place, huh.”

She’s my safe place. 

The realization hits you. Your face heats as you stare into those warm brown eyes. 

“You think I’m beautiful?”

He hums in response. There’s a silent conversation happening between you as you maintain eye contact. You nod. He places his hand underneath your chin and lifts your face. He leans in slowly, giving you time to pull away in case he misunderstood you. You don’t. You lean in too, meeting his lips with your own. The fireworks you felt when your hands accidentally brushed paled in comparison to when he kissed you. The hands were barely a spark and this was a firework show's finale. 

Maybe Remus really was your right person. 

[ambiguouslady42]

Joining in <3

This is me!

how do you spend your free time?

Currently, I spend my free time doing a lot of household chores and going on long walks or swimming. I do try to write when I can, but my list of responsibilities hold me back.

what are your hobbies and how did you get into them?

I got into swimming to conquer my fear of water. I'm getting better at it, but I'm still not super comfortable with diving. I love to write as it helps me feel less sad about the situations that are not in my control

what book or movie left a lasting impression on you?

I watched Moonrise Kingdom again last night and forgot how much it can make me cry. Young love is beautiful and full of hope, I'll never forget certain sequences or scenes as they live rent free in my head.

what kind of music do you enjoy?

I've been everywhere with my music. Right now, I've been listening to Kendrick Lamar and Tyler, The Creator as they've released new work. However, I always tend to go back to listening to alternative, indie bands.

who is your favorite character (atm or all time) and why?

Well, we know I'm in love with Loid Forger/Twilight. Aside because he's so fucking handsome, I like that he's so complex; he has his obligations as a spy, but there's a part of him that desires to have a normal life away from duty. It's beautiful to watch his development. If we're talking none 2D characters, Peggy Olson from Mad Men. I admire how her character wants to work and ignore the expectations of most women in the 1960's, but still dealing with that duality of having to choose a career vs. the expectations of women during the period.

OPEN TAGS

tag + q&a game ₊˚ෆ

hello! i thought it would be cute and exciting to do a tag game with all my mutuals to not only talk about themselves, but have fun! so here is my short little game:

alongside this picrew, share 5 things about yourself!

• how do you spend your free time? • what are your hobbies and how did you get into them? • what book or movie left a lasting impression on you? • what kind of music do you enjoy? • who is your favorite character (atm or all time) and why?

i will start first!

my name is rurumi and i enjoy spending my free time writing!

some of my hobbies (outside of writing) includes: drawing, building gundams and keyboards, and fashion! i got into most of them on a whim and became instantly hooked. aside from self-expression, being into fashion also helps with making friends in college because you always have something to talk about!

a book that left a lasting impression on me would have to be either kafka on the shore by haruki murakami or before the coffee gets cold by toshikazu kawaguchi. both stories have kept me up at night thinking a lot about the 'what ifs' in life.

i enjoy soul/r&b alongside anything of jrock influence, but i will basically listen to anything that sounds good. i am currently listening to 'so what' by lucy!

my favorite character at the moment is rin itoshi from blue lock because hes so ridiculously edgy, but at the same time i sympathize with him a lot. on the other hand, my favorite character of all time is suletta mecury from the witch from mercury series, she's an absolute ball of sunshine that i aspire to be.

tagging (+ no pressure) ₊˚ෆ

@kaiser1ns @naenaex0xx @shomatoriashi @choccorin @ryescapades

@rindreamery @soleillunne @kissxcore @rainswept @mitsvriii

[merrybloomwrites]

I Hear Them Calling (Extra: Thanksgiving)

Story Summary: Alpha Harry Styles and omega Y/N Y/L/N meet under less than ideal circumstances. Overtime their paths will cross and they will be drawn to one another in ways they never expected.

Summary: Thanksgiving is Y/Ns favorite holiday, but an unexpected heat nearly derails it. Her alpha, Harry, is there to make sure things go according to plan.

Word Count: 2K

CW: mentions of heat cycle, scenting, omega drop

AN: So happy to bring these characters back for a bit! I do have another couple extras planned for them!

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Thanksgiving has always been one of your favorite holidays. It’s the only time of year that your whole family gets together, and so you always go all out. The festivities last for days, and you always have so much fun and make so many memories.

Which is why you panic when you start feeling signs of pre-heat the Friday before Thanksgiving.

Harry is out at the studio when it happens, starting to work on some writing for his next album. When his phone rings he checks it and smiles seeing your name there. 

“Hi baby, I promise I’m wrapping up here within the hour,” he says, knowing he’s been gone longer than he planned to.

“Alpha,” you reply, your voice shaky. Harry is immediately on edge, your tone worrying him as well as his inner alpha.

“Omega, what’s wrong?” He’s on his feet, gathering his things as he listens to you reply, “I think I’m going into heat.”

He takes a breath, relieved that’s the answer. He was admittedly worried that something was really wrong, or that a strange alpha was trying to hurt you. But a heat, that’s something the two of you can handle.

“How soon do you think?” he asks.

“Uhm, not immediately. Maybe tomorrow,” you answer.

“Okay well I’ll finish up here as quickly as I can and clear my schedule. Everything is going to be alright.”

“No it’s not!” Harry’s shocked by your outburst. You’re normally so calm and level headed. He knows there has to be more than just an oncoming heat.

“Sweetheart you’ve had heats before, you’re never this worried. What’s going on?” 

It’s quiet for a moment until you answer, “I don’t want to miss Thanksgiving.”

“Oh, baby. I know you don’t. But I really don’t think we will. If it starts tomorrow like you think it will be over in time to get home, just like we planned.”

“It will?”

“It will. You’ve never gone more than three days since you’ve been on these suppressants. If it makes you feel better why don’t you start packing and getting ready for the trip now? That way you won’t have to worry about it after. We can just relax until it’s time to go.”

“Okay. Yea. That’s a good idea,” you reply.

“Alright. You start that and I’ll take care of the last of my work stuff. I’ll swing by the shops on my way home and get some heat food for us.”

“Okay. Don’t be too long. I miss you. Need my alpha,” you say, causing Harry’s heart to swell.

“I’ll be as fast as possible. I love you, omega.”

“Love you too,” you reply before hanging up. 

You feel antsy, wanting your alpha home with you. The extra clinginess is always one of the first signs of your heat. But you do as Harry suggested and pack both of your bags. When that’s done you start to build a nest, wanting a fresh one to spend your heat in.

Harry’s impressed when he gets home. Not only are you done packing, but you’d built a beautiful nest for the two of you. 

You spend the rest of the night by his side, first not wanting him out of your sight, then later not allowing him out of your reach. Saturday morning comes and you’re disappointed that you’ve made it through the night without your heat starting.

As the day goes on you get more and more anxious. It has to start soon, the time you have until Thanksgiving is ticking away. You become more agitated, and even Harry can’t calm you like he normally can.

And then finally, just as you’re cleaning up dinner, the first wave hits you. Nearly crying in relief you rush Harry to your nest, where you’ll spend the following 72 hours. 

By Tuesday night your heat has mostly passed, and you happily let Harry pamper you. The two of you bathe together before sharing a delicious meal. You’re both exhausted, quickly falling asleep in the bed that Harry has expertly made with fresh sheets.

Wednesday morning comes and Harry is confused to wake up to an empty bed. He’d planned on a lazy lie in where he could continue to cuddle and scent you, give you the closeness and the touch that your omega needs after a heat. 

He finds you in the kitchen making breakfast, and his alpha scolds him for not taking proper care of you. 

But you don’t see it that way. You feel great! You’d just had an enjoyable heat shared with your wonderful alpha, and you’re excited to get on the road to be with your family. Right now, everything is perfect in your eyes.

“Baby, what are you doing up?” Harry asks, coming over to help you.

“I slept like a log all night. Don’t think I even rolled over once. So I’m feeling refreshed. How are you, did you sleep okay?”

“Yea, yea I’m good,” he answers. You gesture for him to sit and he does as he’s told. The two of you eat together and he makes sure to thank you and compliment the breakfast you’d made. 

“Alright so I’m going to shower and finish getting everything ready. I’m hoping to be on the road by 11. Those bags by the door are ready. Can you load them in the car?”

Harry’s taken aback again. Surely you don’t plan to leave so soon. You’re barely twelve hours out of your heat. He’d hoped that you would be willing to wait twenty four hours and drive up that evening. Well really he wanted to wait until the following morning, but he knew you’d want to wake up at your mom’s house on the actual holiday. 

But this? This made him nervous. You seem fine, but this is not how you normally are after a heat. Normally you won’t let him leave your side for at least two days. You try to hide away from the rest of the world, wanting to stay home, stay in your nest. He doesn’t want you pushing yourself too much, but he also knows that there’s no stopping you at this point. You have the plan made, and you’re going to execute it.

Vowing to keep a close eye on you, Harry follows your lead. Just as you’d planned, you’re on the road by 11. Harry is relieved to see you nap for a bit of the drive, and he’s reluctant to wake you once you get there. 

But everything starts out smoothly. Your parents are excited to see you and Harry, and after you settle everything in your room, the four of you have a lovely lunch together. 

Mid-afternoon the rest of your family arrives. You say hello to everyone, and then your cousin Kelly introduces you to her new boyfriend. You’re immediately taken aback by the scent of an alpha. 

Aside from you, every single person in your family is a beta. You never expected that there would be an alpha at your family gathering. 

Harry tenses beside you and you know he’s picked up on the scent as well. You both remain polite before excusing yourselves for a moment.

Quickly you head up to your room, Harry following close behind. Once the door is closed you take a deep breath.

Harry sits on the edge of the bed, reaching out to help you sit next to him. 

“I didn’t know that an alpha would be here,” you state.

“I know. Are you okay?” he asks. You’re hesitant around alphas as it is, and seeing one while fresh out of heat is clearly upsetting your omega. 

“I don’t know. I feel a bit weird. Can you scent me? Please?” 

“Of course, baby,” he replies. He leans down, his nose brushing the scent gland on your neck. He douses you in calming pheromones and you begin to go lax. But a knock at the door has you tensing once again.

“Who is it?” Harry asks.

“It’s Erin, can I come in?” You nod yes and Harry speaks the reply. The door opens and Erin says, “Just wanted to make sure you guys are okay.”

You smile at this. Erin, who is a few years older than you, has always been more like a big sister than a cousin. It makes you happy that even though you’ve both grown up, she’s still looking out for you.

“I’m okay,” you reply. “It’s just- I finished a heat yesterday and didn’t expect there to be an alpha here.”

“What do you mean? There aren’t any alphas except Harry.”

“Kelly’s boyfriend. He smells like an alpha,” you explain.

“That’s odd,” Erin replies. “He’s definitely a beta. He does have an alpha brother, maybe that’s what you're smelling. I can go talk to him to see if that’s the case. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,” she says and leaves before you can even thank her. 

She comes back a couple minutes later and says, “It’s confirmed. He’s a beta and is borrowing clothes from his brother. He found a clean shirt and even sprayed some neutralisers to make sure the smell is completely gone.”

Suddenly you feel embarrassed by your overreaction. Harry can sense this, but simply replies, “That’s so kind of him. Thank you for helping with that. We’re going to stay up here a little longer. Can you tell everyone we’ll be down in a bit?”

“Yea of course. Feel free to text me if you need anything,” Erin says before leaving the room, closing the door behind her.

“What’s wrong?” Harry asks.

“I feel bad. Like, guilty that I overreacted,” you reply.

“There’s nothing to feel bad about. Sometimes our secondary genders take a bit of control. I know mine did down there. The second that scent hit me my only goal was to get my omega as far from that unknown alpha as possible.”

It does make you feel better to know that Harry was as affected as you were. You lean up to scent him briefly, before pulling away.

Harry gives you a questioning look and you say, “I’m a little dizzy. I think- I’m pretty sure I’m dropping.”

“That’s perfectly okay,” Harry replies. He moves the two of you so you’re comfortably lying in the bed. “I’m here, omega. I’ll protect you. I’ve got you.”

He’s releasing soothing pheromones, and before you know it your world goes dark as you enter into a peaceful drop.

It’s quick, only lasting half an hour, and you wake up more refreshed than you’ve felt in a while. Finally you’re ready to join your family. 

Dinner that night is simple, takeout from a local Italian restaurant. But it’s not about the food, it’s about the people. You catch up with your family, enjoying this time with them as your alpha sits beside you, a steady hand resting on your knee to reassure you of his presence after your heat and drop. 

The next day is wonderful as well. Harry has never celebrated American Thanksgiving before and you and your family make sure he gets the full experience. Which of course includes the frantic rush to get the turkey in the oven on time while the Macy’s parade plays on the TV. 

That night you’re seated on the couch, Harry beside you, and your heart fills with pride at seeing him interact so wonderfully with your family.

The next morning is much more relaxed, everyone sitting around enjoying their tea or coffee. Both lunch and dinner consist of the previous day’s leftovers, and the vibe remains calm

That is until the table is cleared of food, making room for board games.

Somehow you’d forgotten to warn Harry about this part of the family get togethers. 

You wouldn’t say you’re a particularly competitive group. But something about board games really leads you all to get extra excited. 

No one ever gets angry or anything, just very, very loud. And honestly, quite silly. 

Harry fits right in, joking along with the rest of you as things continue to get out of hand. There’s more laughter than anything, and you pause a moment to simply take it all in. You have everything you could ever want, and as you watch Harry give up the crown to your cousin during the Pretty, Pretty Princess tournament, you feel a sense of peace.

Being an omega in this world is hard, but now that you’ve found your perfect alpha, it all feels worth it.

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AN: Thanks for reading! If you celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you have a lovely day! If not, I still hope you have a lovely Thursday!

If you have a request for an extra for this story please let me know!

Taglist: @akkatz @pandeebearstyles @walkingintheheartbreaksatellite@theekyliepage@numafarawayglxy @booberry019-blog @hillzrry@ssareidbby @gem1712 @acesofspadess@houseofdilfs@shaquille-0atmeal-1@kissitnhekitchen @amateurduck @poguestyleskye@n0vaj3an@snwells@drunk-teens-doing-drugs ; @fdl305@creativelyeva@daphnesutton@selluequestrian@lovingfurypanda @stardream14 @tbsloneely@eversincehs1@boomitsallie1@rose-garden-dreamz@fictionalmensblog@buckybarnessimpp @ottawaoutlander @storyschanging @jerseygirlinca@stylesfever@alwayslovingharry @daphnesutton @harrydeary

[1796samuel-seabury1729]

i hate being aroace so much actually . especially because im on the side of the spectrum [ both asexual and aromantic ] where i feel no attraction AT ALL . and all my friends have partners or crushes and theyre always talking about how much they love them and how great it is to be loved and i . dont know it makes me uncomfortable when people talk about romance but i dont want to say anything to anyone about it and ask them not to talk about it because like that makes no sense i cant tell them what they can and cant say . but it just makes my tummy turn whenever anyone mentions their romantic partners i cant understand it . and it scares me like they love them so much and they always talk about them they are their best friends and it feels to me like a competition . . like if i am not good enough then they will forget about me and spend less time with me and then only focus on whoever their partner is and i feel like this even with some of my closest friends one of my best friends from like third grade has a girlfriend now and it feels like shes only spending time with her now and not me . and i cant say anything to them because i am not supposed to have a say in their relationship . like i feel if i express how i feel about it to anyone then theyll think im interested in them or am trying to tell them they cant have a partner . so i dont say anything .

and adding more onto the " no one acknowledges that im aroace " bit , it genuinely makes me so upset . i live in a really conservative town so even the few queer people i know typically arent educated enough to even know what aromantic is , let alone aroace . so im constantly being told " you two would make a cute couple " or " are you dating ? " and bullshit like that because im really affectionate with my friends and it makes me so uncomfortable and tense because its CONSTANT even after i tell people that i dont like conversations about that and tell them i dont experience attraction like that . everyone has a sort of " love is what makes us human " mindset , and they make me feel like a doll or a robot just because of my feelings and to make that even WORSE im neurodivergent and can barely ever be around large groups of people [ even if theyre my decent friends / im acquainted with them ] without getting really overwhelmed and breathing heavy and crying and that makes me feel like some child . i hate how complex human emotions are and i hate that i cant just be normal , be happy .

this really isnt important its just something im thinking about a lot because almost all of my friends are falling in love right now , and im losing one of my closest friends ever because of it . so . sorry for the yap .

[d3vils-island]

dave headcannons? 💕 absolutely in love with your writing

I have been dying to do a list of my Dave headcanons, I’m so glad someone requested them!! (PS: this is the first time I’m making a headcanon post, so I don’t rlly know how to format/write this… but I’ll try my best 😭🫶)

My Dave Mustaine Headcanons <3

• * • * • * • * • * • * • * • * • * • * • * • * • * • * • * •

How he is dating you:

For starters, Dave wouldn’t care for you like he would anyone else. He’d treat you like you were his most prized possession (which you are). He writes songs for you, and sometimes performs them for you if you two are alone. Anytime you’re near him, he feels his heart rate increase and he trips over his words, not knowing how to react knowing that you’re his and only his.

Once he figured out how to talk to you without stuttering, he would shower you with compliments every day.

“Did I tell you how beautiful you look today?”

“I can’t believe your mine.”

“Every time I look at you, I never get used to how gorgeous you are.”

On the outside, Dave looks like a tough son of a bitch who hates the sappy shit about love, but on the inside, his heart is full of the cheesy kinda love which he can only give to you

His forms of affection:

His biggest form of affection is physical touch, but he also loves words of affection.

After a long show, the first thing he needs as he’s getting off stage is to be in your arms. It calms him down tremendously and he couldn’t live without you. He doesn’t even look at anyone after a show unless it’s you, and once he lays his eyes on you, he tosses his guitar to the side and runs up to you with open arms, embracing you in a tight hug.

It’s not only for after shows though, whenever he feels like he misses you, he needs to show you how much he loves you, or he’s just feeling like it (which is often), he hugs you. His favorite thing is coming home from a long day and seeing you on the couch, cuddled up. He immediately kicks off his shoes and sits next to you, snuggling with you for a while as you chat about your days.

He loves complimenting you too. Seeing how your face reddens at his words really make his heart skip a beat, and he loves to make sure you know how much he loves you.

“You look so pretty today…” he says as he goes up to you, planting his hands on your hips and kissing you.

Seeing you cry:

Dave is very protective, loving, and loyal. If you ever came up to him with tears rolling down your face, he wouldn’t hesitate to beat the shit out of whoever made you cry.

“Are you alright? Who did this to you?” He says, wiping a tear that was falling down your cheek before his face became fueled with rage as he tried to figure out who had hurt you.

Holidays:

Every holiday, whether it be Christmas or thanksgiving, Dave always tries to plan something fun with you. On Christmas, you two will go to a trail of lights, and on Halloween you’ll go to a pumpkin patch… the list goes on. Dave wants every holiday to be special, so why not spend it with someone who is special to him?

In bed😏:

(Let’s get to the good stuff.)

Dave is……… 95% a dom in bed. So I’m not gonna lie and say he’s a sub because let’s be honest for a second, Dave wouldn’t be caught dead as a bottom.

(I remember in this one interview where he said something about how he hates feeling over powered and not in control…)

His favorite position:

Dave’s favorite position has to be over-the-shoulder missionary. It allows him to shove his cock into the deepest parts of you, causing you to make more pleasure-drunken faces (which he adores). He loves seeing your expressions as he’s pounding into you, getting to kiss you all over as your coming on his cock, and getting to bend you however he wants.

Kinks:

He definitely has some secret kinks he likes to use on you as well… like how he loves to choke you, tie you up, hear you beg for mercy as he uses you, and he loves it when he sees marks after sex like nail scratches on his back and hickeys all over you.

His secret kinks has to be daddy and sadism… he adores it when you call him daddy as he has his hands wrapped around you pretty little neck.

Oh, and how he loves to go look at himself in the bathroom mirror after and admire all the pretty scratches you created on his back. He loves looking at them, thinking of how much pleasure he caused you for you to do them. He trails his fingers on the marks, a smile tugging at his lips, before he goes back to cleaning up your frail and tired body up.

Dave as a sub?!:

So, let’s just pretend for a second that he would be a sub, what kinda sub would he be???

As a sub, he would still try and be in control, telling you how to move or what to do— but let’s say you magically got him to fully submit to you, Dave would be a mumbling mess under your touch. Seeing you on top of him would make his heart skip a beat, watching as you toyed with him however you pleased. The only name he loves to moan is yours, and he only loves to moan it to your ears.

His darkest secret is he loves it when you tie him up and use him. Rarely does he give you the opportunity do it- but when he gives you the chance, you make sure that you do your best to please him.

His fav places to do it:

His favorite place to fuck you has to be the bedroom, but he doesn’t mind having a quickie in the car or on the couch…

Occasionally,— when he’s in the mood— if you two are at a bar, he’ll drag you to the bathroom and give you a good fucking. Oh, how he can’t keep his hands off you when he sees you all dressed up for him…

[literaticat]

It took me a while to stop crying and resolve to help people who will be targeted (starting 1/20/25). I am also trying to reconnect to even a scrap of joy, by tiptoeing back into writing. But...I keep analyzing my WIPs through the lens of how That Guy will be making half the country feel, wondering, "Is X funny enough? Is Y topic too serious?" Help?! Is it worth writing/querying anything that's not totally escapist? Are there genres that should just stay in a drawer right now?

No need to wait until January to help people! :-)

As to the writing piece: I think you are overthinking it. And hey, I get that! Half the country is still somewhat in "reeling mode", it hasn't even been a month, no need to make any huge decisions or change the course of your writing life or fret about queries that you aren't ready to send anyway right this second. Give yourself some grace. Do some deep breathing.

Nobody knows what the future will bring.

Hey, maybe people will want to read more than they ever have and publishing will thrive across all genres. Maybe there will be an unforeseen trend of books about cowboys in space or something that will make a genre flourish that we haven't ever even thought of before!

Or, maybe the tarriffs will eff publishing up so badly we won't need to worry about ANY genres anymore. Maybe he'll sell us all to Daddy Vladdy for a nickel or start Civil War II and we'll all have to become resistance fighters. (Or, maybe we'll get lucky and the meteor will come; that might be better, because I don't have much to offer in the way of actual resistance fighting unless the troops need children's books or cookies!)

But since none of those lines of thinking are particularly helpful or healthy, maybe let's not focus on speculating about all the random possible scenarios. It's too much! Your brain will break!

Here's what is within your purview: YOUR LITTLE CORNER OF THE WORLD. That includes your work, yes, but also your home, your family, your personal behavior and habits, your physical and mental health, and the well-being of your communities (both literal, like, the people who live near you, and figurative, the people near you or even across the country or the globe with whom you have shared values, etc)

I'm not an expert obvs, but I do feel like, when I stop "reeling" and thinking about whatever bizzaro outrage some politician is perpetrating and start thinking about what tangible things I can do to help support MY LITTLE CORNER OF THE WORLD, I feel a lot better. More useful.

(Like, how about instead of doomscrolling, I actually take that time and put my impotent rage to use pulling out the dying tomato plants and getting the yard ready for winter? How about instead of crying into my pillow, I gather a bunch of stuff to donate to a local charity? OH LOOK, I FORGOT ABOUT THE NEWS FOR A WHILE AND GOT THINGS DONE AND MADE MY CORNER OF THE WORLD BETTER! And now I'm tired and can take a nice shower and watch something silly on TV and go to sleep! Yay!)

What I'm saying is, AFTER you do the deep breathing and give yourself grace and all that stuff -- maybe DON'T think about your WIPS through the lens of "OMG what horror show is that freak in the white house doing" or "what will random terrible people think about what I'm doing" -- but rather, think, how do *I* feel about what I'm doing?

We have limited time on this earth -- do you WANT to spend your time on this? Will working on this bring you joy? Does the idea of writing it excite you? Will it reading it bring other people in your communities joy, or hope, or escapism, or important information, or inspiration, or *something else positive*? Those are the kinds of projects you should focus on, imo.

Obviously I have no clue what "Trends" will be coming up in the future, or what the publishing landscape or the world will look like at all -- but I DO SUSPECT that what we will need the most is books that bring something positive to the table. Whether that means a book full of pure delight/escapist entertainment, or reminders about what is beautiful in the world and special about humanity, or tools to help people enact change, or fuel for the next generation of rebels and resistance fighters, or whatever it is.

And, I think that "something positive" could come in the form of fiction, nonfiction, and pretty much ANY genre or category.

(Probably not a great time for extremely bleak / hopeless books, and certainly not a great time for books that you yourself are not passionate about. Writing and publishing is hard enough - don't do the projects that are a misery on top of all that!)

[alfredfortnitejones]

me fr

[thekittyokat]

you ever just have a lot, a LOT of feelings all at once about a character and not even remotely enough words or brainpower to FORM the words to describe everything you're feeling. so it feels like you may explode. yeah

[dirty-droid]

So I played through some more dbh last night and woke up thinking, God, there is a good reason Markus and Kara, and their respective companions never got as popular as Connor and Hank. Literally The Bridge is surrounded by the most *do everything for absolutely no reason* chapters, and there's no comparison.

First the Kara chapter wastes your time, she barely gets any small talk in with Luther, then the car breaks down, then you're just doing tiny tasks, doing a shitty sum up of her story so far when Alice asks you to make one up- they could have done something interesting with that story but they chose not to, literally anything specific anything that would function as a parallel to their journey would have actually had some value. Then you barely start a conversation with Luther, where are you maybe get a hint of his personality before we're back to just talking about the plot and Alice, but then it's over again and you meet the Jerries and you learn almost nothing about them.

It is a chapter where you do nothing interesting, and you learn almost nothing about the main characters, for a downtime chapter, I expect character development and get barely a sneeze of it. There is so much room and so much time for you to really push and question your main characters but it just doesn't get used.

Honestly I think the protagonists all could have probably really benefited from the audience getting to hear their internal monologues if they weren't actually going to talk to their companion characters, but even that would just be a substitute for decent writing.

Either way, after that, we come back to Connor and Hank, who do almost no tasks in this chapter, *but spend the entire time TALKING.* They talk to each other in a constant volley back and forth for the entire length of the chapter and it's probably one of the best chapters in the game, it's certainly one of the most important in their story. You spend the entire bridge scene learning more about Hank and Connor's inner worlds, and how they think, and how they feel, you spend the whole chapter learning so much about their perspectives, this chapter is all about asking the hard questions about both of their individual characters, and the tension is high, it's a straightforward chapter to play, and it really fucking feels like your choices matter here, there will be immediate consequences, not just walking through your environment trying to find the right answer, or being dragged through an interaction. It's just plain good.

And then Markus infiltrates the Stratford Tower, and you get the most boring and useless and frustrating chapter in the game that doesn't seem to serve any purpose beyond looking cool. If Kara's last chapter was only to gain sympathy and create some soft and fuzzy feelings, this chapter is only about looking cinematic. This is probably my least favorite chapter in the game, honestly I've just gotten lost on that yellow ass office floor building too many times, even though I'm very familiar with the game now I still managed to get lost again last night.

I will admit that eventually it does become an opportunity to decide between pacifism and violence but that seems to be the only real development for Markus, and it wouldn't have been hard to make that kind of opportunity in another setting. Because we get next to nothing watching him get past the front desk, or from walking around that floor, just some outfit changes and pretending to be a machine and a little more Android hate in the background, Markus is almost completely silent yet again, there is almost no talking with North once she appears. We actually get more about North's personality here than Markus', she just feels like she has more lines somehow, because sometimes she just talks without it being connected to the plot and Markus never does.

This bit is more speculative, but my fiance and I were going off last night about whyyyy did they have to break into the tower? We're never given any reason for what the steps are and why they are important, just usually pretty important in these mission impossible type scenes, they're usually explaining in a voice-over why they are taking the steps that they are taking. But we get no explanation for why he needs to go to the 47th floor or whatever, No explanation for why he needs to change into a maintenance Android uniform, why North was in the stairwell, how Josh and Simon got in, it's all just handwaved, and whyyyyyy they couldn't have just?? Made a recording and then hacked the station's broadcast remotely and basically just posted the speech? I don't know, it's just a particularly frustrating chapter to play, personally, but it isn't strong.

Either way, you've got two chapters with next to no character development, that just have a lot of empty space and time where the characters could have been talking or could have been doing something else, but didn't because the vibes were more important, sandwiching a simple scene with ten pounds of character development and it just feels weird. And once I noticed it, it just made the Kara and Markus chapters look incredibly weak and poorly written... And conversely, make the Connor and Hank chapter look much, much stronger in comparison.

It's like Detroit become human almost needs it's own type of Bechdel Test, just to show how much they fail Markus and Kara. "Do they talk about something that isn't the plot?"

"Do Kara and Luther talk about something that isn't Alice or getting to Canada?" "Does Markus talk about anything besides his speech for this chapter?" "Does Alice talk at all beyond basic communication with Kara?" "Does Markus or his buddies talk about anything that's not the revolution or just Markus himself?"

... They don't pass a lot.

It's just hard to take these characters above simply *likeable* when they just, don't, ever, talk. There's little to no development for Markus or Kara, and because they've just become deviants, there's hardly any character establishment in the first place, they barely even get the chance to just be flat, because if they don't really know who they are, we don't really know who they are.

Connor and Hank's friendship is more functionally the main plot, more so than the deviant investigation, and for Markus and the team, and Kara with Alice, that's simply just not the case, there is hardly any relationship, they're just in the same boat. This is why Connor got astronomically more popular, and why he and Hank have the staying power that they do.

Markus and Kara just don't ever talk, and Connor does. And I'm fucking mad about it. The amount of time that was just wasted in their stories, I could probably take a damn stopwatch to all the moments where there could have been a little something-something, and nothing was put there. It's not to say Connor doesn't get some quiet moments too but he always gets the chance to make up for it.

Even at the beginning of the Stratford Tower chapter, I noticed that they could have had Simon and North talking about something maybe unrelated when Markus walks up, but there's nothing, only silence until Markus comes in with a plan. And of course we know about every time Luther tries to bring up the fact that Alice is an android, only to be shut down and walked away from. It fucking kills me how much time Mark is has the focus of the camera but it's only so he could look cool for a minute, and share no thoughts of his own, none of his new feelings, everything is only implied and then followed by the action where he is only allowed to be the leader of the revolution and never just Markus. There's a tragedy in that, but they could have driven it home harder by *pointing that out.*

[harmoniouseclipse]

MLP Violet doodle bc burnout has hands (her outfit is like an elden ring boss)

[thawthebeez]

oikage......... if you carry the one and factor out a four... are a manifestation of the thin line between admiration and jealousy .... i've solved it....🚬

[jestroer]

Being incredibly social and thriving in a company of literally anyone pleasant enough to talk to and also having an extreme social anxiety is not an easy work but somebody has to fucking do it

[gentlethorns]

you know what? i'm gonna say it. i miss being seventeen. not for the "glory days," bc they weren't, by a country mile lol. if i had glory days i'd say they were in 2020. but i miss the electricity, the constant undercurrent of euphoria and deep plunging black. i miss the fight i had. i was literally known for being scrappy. i was self-destructive and coping poorly, but goddamn if i didn't burn bright and long. it took me until my twenties to finally start to fizzle out. does the candle with its wax melted down to the base of its glass cage miss when the wick was lit?