#so in that sense I see this as first *true* love

[beloveds-embrace]

Ok Duke au but only one of the boys fell for user! Maybe it was when she first came to the castle/ house, yk if Price ain't gonna give her love then let him!

Or maybe feelings showed up slowly, finally realizing that maybe he should go finally interact with her grace, seeing as she avoids any interactions with others.

Sorry if it makes no sense, I tried to make the decision of which boy falls only for user up to you, minus price >:)

i didn't want to make this too angsty fjddkcj </33 so it's more of the normal dukedom au

Kyle knows he shouldn’t; it isn’t part of the arrangement.

You were meant to be a formality, a necessity, a woman to fill a role, nothing more. And for a while, you had been just that. Sweet and competent, always carrying yourself with quiet dignity no matter the murmurs of high society. A wife in name, a duchess in duty, a friend of theirs, but never a true part of their world.

John had expected you to remain at a distance, and in return, you had been given a life of luxury and protection. That was the agreement. That was how it should have stayed.

But Kyle should’ve known better.

He should have known the moment you leaned over his shoulder one evening, peering at his bookkeeping notes with genuine interest instead of mere obligation. He should have known the moment you scolded Johnny for burning his hand, or when you’d pressed a cool cloth to Simon's temple after a headache instead of calling for a servant.

He should have known when you stopped seeing them as just your husband’s lovers.

But the real moment of downfall- the moment that shattered any fragile delusion he held- was when you smiled at him.

Not a polite smile, not a passing pleasantry.

A real smile.

It had been late. You had been working over estate documents at the desk, and he had lingered, pretending to tidy up, pretending to have something important to do. And then, you had looked at him, eyes warm, lips curving in a way that made something in his chest lurch.

"You work too hard, Kyle. Come sit down with me ?"

You had said his name. Not 'Mr. Garrick,' not 'the head butler.' Just Kyle. And it wasn’t the first time, but it was the first time it made his heart ache something fierce and longing.

Because it was too soft. Too familiar. Too much like a wife speaking to a husband.

And now, he is here, standing beside John as you make your absurd little request, completely unaware of the way his hand clenches against his side.

You are oblivious, as you always are, so innocent in your own kindness. You do not see the way John’s gaze darkens, the way Kyle stiffens at your words.

"I am merely a bit… unsatisfied."

Your voice wavers slightly at the admission, and Kyle wonders- if he had been the one to claim you, if he had been the one to hold you at night, would you ever have been unsatisfied?

He bites the inside of his cheek and looks away, even as John’s fingers tighten around his glass.

Something tells him neither of them will let you remain unsatisfied for long.

But he knows the truth.

Even if you are claimed, even if you are made theirs, it will not be by some stable boy.

And that knowledge alone fills him with smug satisfaction.

He doesn’t miss the way John’s grip tightens around his glass, and he knows that if the other two were here as well, Simon's jaw would have tensed and Johnny would have lost all his amusing charm. You are oblivious, of course- always so sweetly naive, thinking you can simply ask for something like this and have it granted without consequence. But this? This will never happen.

John would never agree to this.

And Kyle is relieved. Relieved that your foolish little request will be swiftly discarded. Relieved that you will stay exactly where you belong- here, with them, under their watchful eyes.

You don’t even realize what you’ve done, do you? You think this arrangement is still just convenience, that they merely tolerate you. But Kyle sees it- the way even Simon looks at you during dances, the way Johnny slips you extra sweets as if bribing you into affection, the way John has begun watching you more intently, possessively.

You’ve wormed your way into their hearts, tangled yourself so deeply into their lives that they can’t ignore you anymore.

And Kyle?

Kyle is pleased.

Because it means you are theirs, whether you realize it or not. And no matter how much you pout over John’s rejection, you’ll never be anyone else’s. Because even if he'd been the first to fall for you, he did not need to worry about the others not liking you as well. And now, he will not need worry about anyone else taking you from them.

Not now, and not ever.

[sailoryuns]

INAMORATA ─── PSH

genre. idol!sunghoon x model!f!reader | established relationship

warnings. angst, fluff (moreso towards the end), smut, accusations of cheating, hoon being lowkey toxic, cunnilingus, multiple orgasms, overstimulation, some mentions of crying, not proofread wc -> 1.5k

ps. the position i’m referring to is this (nsfw link), i usually hate vids but this was rly good imo.

“i think we should take a break...” you admit, voice growing shakier as you spoke. this was never something you wish to say in a million years, you wanted this relationship to work more than anything. but you were at your wits end with everything, talking to sunghoon was like conversing with the wall, never fully grasping any of your concerns.

you noticed the cracks beginning to seep in the midst of six months of being with him. he would often be dishonest of his whereabouts, saying he was out late due to “work” but was actually out drinking at some bar with jake or something. it made no sense for him to lie about such trivial things but he does it without even thinking. this was supposed to be a lovely vacation in paris together but lately you’ve grown tired of feeling like you’re unappreciated. a break from each other might be the best solution in getting his act together once and for all.

sunghoon felt his whole body turn limp as you uttered those words. not only was he blindsided by your decision, but you never indicated before to him that you were ready to propose such a drastic idea. “but why though? don’t you think this is a bit random? i mean this came out of nowhere y/n, i thought everything was good between us, why are you suddenly saying this now?” his thick, bushy brows furrowed in confusion, he wasn’t letting you off this easy and you know it.

“i just think it’s for the better right now hoon, we’re both so busy. we have a lot on our plate, especially you… and this relationship is just— it’s only putting more strain on everythi-”

“are you serious y/n? do you hear yourself? i knew what i was getting myself into the day i asked you to be my girlfriend. i’m well aware that i can’t be with you 24/7, and neither can you—however, i don’t expect that anyway. all i ever wanted was to have you by my side, i want to work through the hardships with you but if you’re so willing to give up like this then… i don’t know. i don’t even know what to say to this honestly..” sunghoon couldn’t help but cut you off, once his emotions take over, all sense of logic and reasoning is thrown out the window.

he was never one to question his worth in the eyes of his partner, but you were his longest relationship, he saw you as his first and only true love. it never occurred to him that he could lose you, the possibility of this break lasting long enough to make your love fade away was a scary revelation. there had to be a way he could fix this, he couldn’t bear to be without you.

“are you seeing someone else? maybe that’s why you’ve been so distant towards me lately…” he wanted to scream for saying that out loud but at least he got it off his chest. he knows how petty it sounds but he didn’t care, he wanted you to give him answers.

“no! i’m not seeing other people, i don’t have an interest in anyone but you sunghoon. i want to do this for the sake of us, we’re clearly not where we need to be and this break could help with getting us back on track and spending time apart could be beneficial.” you try your best to articulate your words properly but he remained unconvinced, he wasn’t on board with any bit of this.

how could you even be okay with something like this? spending time away from you drove him absolutely insane, he couldn’t fathom taking a break—not from someone as important as you in his life. he just needed to remind you that the love was still there, though it may be but a dull flame, he could ignite the spark again, with the little bit of hope he had left.

the foundation of your relationship was built from shared interests, since you both are part of professions that rely heavily on looks, you refused to see each other based solely off those superficial aspects. instead you got to know each other’s minds, your core values and beliefs, what mattered to you the most. you cherished every one of those deep conversations you shared together, it was a beautiful experience, an indescribable memory that shaped your bond forever.

so why is it now that you feel this way? was he really that oblivious to everything? he should’ve done more to prevent this but now he fears it’s too late. he’s faced with the conundrum of losing you and there wasn’t much time for him to stall or ask for a chance of redemption, he couldn’t waste another second.

“fuck that,” sunghoon angrily spat, his face contorting into a look of pure disgust. “you’re not going anywhere.” he reaches out to grab your waist before you could walk away, aggressively pulling you into his chest.

no matter how much you attempt to escape his hold, he’s not letting you go in the slightest. he’s much stronger than you, could easily lift you up without breaking a sweat. there was no use in fighting, you had no choice but to give in and let this conversation go. once his lips crashed into yours, everything faded to black. as if a simple kiss was the cure-all of mending this decrepit relationship.

sunghoon’s forehead pressed against yours as he pulled away, “shhh, lye down baby,” he hushes your quiet mewls, instructing you to do as he says. “gonna make you feel so good,” his hands slid under your skirt, gently rubbing over your clothed core “you’ll forget everything.”

* :.･ﾟﾟ･ ✿

“oh my- fuckk, sunghoon!” you cry out, almost on the verge of tears just from how skilled he is, rutting your hips upwards into his mouth as he devours you whole.

the pace of his tongue is relentless, roughly lapping up all your juices like he’s the most starved man alive. you’ve lost count at the amount of times he’s already made you come undone just from his mouth alone. your body’s buzzing with titillation, all you can do is scream and clench your pussy around nothing while he fiercely sucks on your clit.

you couldn’t stop twitching, feeling yet another orgasm approaching. your legs anchored over his shoulders, unable to think or speak coherent sentences as his face was fully buried into your sloppy cunt. he relaxes his jaw a bit more, going all the way from the bottom inching further up as he comes back in contact with your puffy clit. at any given moment it feels as if your heart’s about to stop.

“hoon-” your heads thrown back into the pillow, digging your nails into his shoulder blades from how overly sensitive you are. “n-need to cum.. can feel it. m’so close.” it surprises you when you’re able to even express such words.

a low grunt can be heard underneath, sunghoon loves hearing you— it’s arguably the best part about going down on you. the hand that wasn’t occupied went straight to gripping a fistful of his ebony hair, continuously moaning his name so loud that you genuinely feel bad for whomever the unlucky people that got to hear this.

just when you thought it couldn’t get anymore intense, he slips 2 of his slender fingers inside, making you gasp from the overwhelming sensation. flashes of white invade your vision, violently shaking as your lips form an “o” in the throes of ecstasy. sunghoon knows your body so well that this is nothing for him, he’s got it all down to a simple science. no one knows your body like he does, and especially no one can make you cum as hard as he can.

“go ahead, make a mess for me baby,” he strongly encourages, picking up his pace as his digits fuck into you faster. “just gonna clean it up with my tongue all over again.”

your eyes roll back to the depths of oblivion, feeling an out of body experience when reaching your climax. a string of curses leaves your shaky breath, limbs trembling and faint tears stain your flushed cheeks. sunghoon slows his movements, rubbing his thumb over your clit gently to make you even more sensitive. you love the way he calls you “good girl” and how proud the look on his face becomes while you ride out your orgasm on his fingers. he doesn’t stop showering you with compliments, only ramping up his affection as he plants fleeting kisses to your thighs, hips, and stomach.

once he’s finally come back up for air you grab his face to pull him into your lips again. moaning in his mouth while getting a taste of yourself was probably the hottest thing sunghoon’s ever witnessed.

“can’t believe this is all mine.” sunghoon whispers against you, gently massaging your aching thighs. “i love you so much, baby.”

“love you too hoon.” you instantly say back, feeling more at ease now that things are somewhat back to normal.

maybe a break isn’t necessary after all, how else would you be able to have such earth shattering orgasms?

- 完 ♡︎

[multiversediaries]

MORE THAN FRIENDS

⤷ FRANK CASTLE X READER

Summary: After overhearing a conversation between Matt and Karen, you find comfort in the arms of the big, bad Punisher.

Warnings: mentions of cheating, small angst, soft, and i mean, VERY soft frank

Part count: 1/?

A/N: i loved, loved, LOVED! writing this!!!!! i hope u guys like it as much as i do ^-^ apologies for any mistakes! english is not my first language!

“Why aren’t you listening to me?” You heard Matt’s voice from outside of their office. You had just came back into the office, after looking more into a few cases you were all working on. You were eager to share the information you acquired to both your boyfriend, Matt, and Foggy.

“You are in a relationship, Matthew. This is insane.” Karen soon spoke up. You raised your ears in curiosity. Were they talking about you? You leaned into the door, trying to listen into their conversation.

You have been in a loving relationship with Matt for about two years now. You met him while working at his law firm, and ultimately fell for him. Who wouldn’t? Matt is a dream come true. It didn’t make you uncomfortable to know that his ex girlfriend, Karen, also worked along side Matt, since you knew he loved you. He reminded you every single day of how much he loved and appreciated you. He never gave you a reason to doubt him.

“Y/N? God, Karen. Can’t you see? She means nothing— not next to you.” Matt said, your heart sinking at his words. No, this isn’t the Matt you knew. The Matt you knew and fell in love with would never speak of you like this. No.. he loved you. He told you every day.

He loved you… right?

“You don’t mean that, Matt.” Karen replied softly. You could sense pity in her voice for you.

“Y/N… she’s lovely. She really is— she’s so good to me, but she’s not you. She will never be you.”

You heard Karen reply, but you weren’t paying attention anymore. You bit your bottom lip, hiding your silent cries, and shuttering breaths. You started to walk away from the office, not daring to even look back. You were grateful it was usually noisy around the office during that time, so Matt wouldn’t have been able to hear you.

You stood in the middle of the sidewalk, finally allowing yourself to hurt. Tears streamed down your face, painful sobs leaving your throat. The stares of people didn’t matter to you. How could he? How could you have been so naive? It was all too good to be true, and you knew this. You knew it was, yet you brushed it off. Just thinking this was the universe finally letting you be happy, for once. How naive.

You walked around the streets of Hell’s Kitchen. not having a place to go. You shared the apartment with Matt. You couldn’t go to Karen, or Foggy. Gosh, where were you going to sleep for tonight? Those were the only people you truly trusted and knew. You didn’t have any family left in Hell’s Kitchen. No one.

As you walked around town, flashbacks kept replaying in your head. Walking past that italian restaurant Matt loved so much, the small bar Matt liked playing pool in, the park Matt loved taking walks with you at, everything reminded you of him. You closed your eyes in defeat, as you felt small rain drops fall on your skin.

Just what you needed.

But even then, it was comforting. You always liked how the city looked during rainy nights. It brought you peace and now, consolation. You walked around the streets you loved so much, an emotionless expression in your face. You felt empty. You felt so pathetic, and like you had wasted two years of your life. Two years of nothing but what you thought was happiness and love. But it was just a fantasy. A delusion. Fiction. It just wasn’t real, nothing was real. You weren’t Karen. You didn’t have as much history with Matt as Karen did. You just weren’t her.

While you continued to walk, your tears now hidden in the rain, giving you the freedom to let go, to cry as much as you pleased, you heard a name you hadn’t heard in a while.

The Punisher.

Frank Castle. The man who once saved your life. The man who seemed to care so deeply about you. A long lost friend. You lost communication with him a few months ago. It was nothing new, Frank traveled a lot, he never truly stayed at one place for too long. You didn’t know he was back, as he hadn’t told you. He’d always find a way to contact you, to let you know he was alive and well. Most of the times, he simply got you flowers. He knew how much you liked them. So he wanted to be associated with something you liked so much.

You soon found yourself at his front door. Terrified he wouldn’t be home. After composing yourself, or at least trying to, you knocked twice on his door. You bit your lip, looking down anxiously.

Please be home, Frank. Please.

After a few minutes of silence, that sense of hope inside of you started to die down. He wasn’t home. Of course he wasn’t home. You let out a breathy chuckle, shaking your head. Again, how fucking naive. You wiped your teary, swollen eyes, and turned around on your heels, starting to walk away from his door. You began thinking of where you could spend the night. If anything, you could wait under they all leave the office, and you could sleep there.

“Y/N?” You heard a deep, raspy voice call out behind you, interrupting your thoughts. You could have sworn your heart stopped. You turned around slowly, finding Frank.

“You’re home…” You managed to whisper, earning a cautious nod from Frank.

“Everything okay, doll? What’s goin’ on?” Frank asked, his eyes scanning you, looking for any injuries on you. His expression softening at the sight of a broken you.

You opened your mouth to speak, yet nothing came out. You faked a smile, wiping your eyes once again. Frank’s heart tightened. He slowly began making his way to you. Your smile soon turned into a frown, small sobs leaving your lips. You couldn’t stop yourself from breaking down in front of him. Loud, and sore wails filling the hall you both were standing on.

Frank didn’t say a word either, he only embraced you into a tight hug. His strong arms stroking your back lovingly, as he held you together, knowing that if he let go, you’d fall apart right in front of him. Once he noticed your cries had calmed down, he finally spoke up.

“Let’s change you out of these wet clothes.” He spoke lightly, guiding you into his apartment. He closed the door behind him, leading you into the bathroom. He brought some of his clothes for you, and a towel.

“Take a warm bath, and then we’ll talk if you want to, alright?” Frank said, before offering you a small, pitiful grin, and closing the door. You took off the damped clothes and jumped into the shower, instantly relaxing as soon as the hot water touched your cold skin.

Frank could hear your whimpers and cries from his living room, where he impatiently waited for you. He had never seen you like this. His heart felt heavy while looking into your blood red, swollen eyes, your quivering lips and broken expression. He sighed harshly, remembering how cold you felt when he held you into his arms, how much you were shaking. He quickly stood up, gathering warm blankets for you. He also prepared warm chocolate for you, your favorite kind, in hopes of lifting your spirits, even if it’s just a little.

He must have gotten too caught up in trying to make you feel comfortable, that he didn’t notice you. You stood by the counter of his kitchen, wearing one of his t-shirts and long pants, which were most definitely a little big on you. He smiled just a bit, once he locked eyes with you. You returned the kind smile, watching him as he poured the hot chocolate into a cup for you.

Soon, your eyes drifted to a flower arrangement, carefully sitting by the end of the counter you were leaning on. You sighed quietly, in relief.

“Those are yours, sweetheart. Was gonna have them delivered to you tomorrow, or somethin’.” Frank said, handing the cup to you. You smiled, genuinely this time. Of course he was going to. How dare you doubt him? He cares about you. Truthfully. You brought the cup to your lips, softly blowing it, before drinking from it.

“See, I just didn’t know where to send ‘em to.” Frank continued, looking at the flowers he got for you. Tulips. “Didn’t know you moved in with Matt.” He said. You sighed at the mention of his name, a frown appearing once again.

“Yeah, well. Definitely don’t send them there.” You replied, so soft it was almost a whisper. Frank nodded, not wanting to push you. He didn’t want to pressure you into telling him anything.

“Are you alright, doll? Talk to me.” Frank said, as softly and tenderly as possible. You sighed shakily, recalling what you heard. Frank bit the insides of his mouth. “Let’s go sit, okay?” He offered, a hand lightly on your waist, leading you to his living room. Frank sat across from you, giving you all the space you needed. You looked down at the cup in your hands, trying to find the right words.

“It’s Matt, he—”

“Did he hurt you?”

“No! Of course not— I mean, yeah? Kind of?” You replied, placing the cup down on the coffee table in front of you, before your hands ran to caress your temples in frustration.

“I’m sorry.” Frank said after taking a deep breath. “Didn’t meant to interrupt ya.” He finished, his eyes never leaving yours. Your heart almost melted. Frank has always been this kind, this attentive.

“It’s fine, Frank. It’s just—” You continued, running a hand through your damped hair, trying to find the best way to explain your situation. “I don’t even know how to explain it, he just— he just doesn’t love me.”

“What?” Frank asked, truly baffled at your words. Because how can anybody not adore you?

“I heard him speaking to Karen. And he told her I was nothing compared to her, and that he only wanted her.” You continued, your voice breaking. “He doesn’t love me, Frank. Simply because I’m not her.” You finished, your head dropped in embarrassment and hurt. You held back your wails, yet there was not point in stopping the tears that now ran down your face. You heard Frank sigh.

After a few minutes of nothing but your silent cries, Frank had now moved to sit next to you, an arm wrapped around you, as you cried into his chest. His fingers traced circles on your skin, attempting to comfort you as much as he possibly could. A few more minutes passed, yet Frank hadn’t said a word.

“Why haven’t you said anything?” You finally spoke up, your voice sore and tired from all the crying. Frank shrugged his shoulders, looking down at you.

“Just can’t understand how anyone would want anybody else but you.” Frank said, his eyebrows furrowed in utter confusion. He was dumbfounded. “You’re it for me, sweetheart.” Frank continued, his face showing utter bewilderment.

“Didn’t know Red could be so goddamn stupid.” Frank said, looking down to stare into your eyes. Your eyes glassy and overflowing with tears. He sighed, his rough fingers wiping away the small teardrops on your cheeks.

“I’m sorry I can’t comfort ‘ya any better, I’m just bamboozled.” Frank confessed, making a small giggle leave your mouth. He offered you a small grin.

“Don’t you dare doubt yourself ‘cause of him. You know your worth and how fucking amazing you are— he’s missing out on you, pretty girl.” Frank continued, his rough hand felt warm and even soft against your skin. You bit your lip, killer butterflies filling your stomach while you heard Frank speak so softly and lovingly to you.

“I just don’t understand— if it were me, I would’ve put a ring on your finger ages ago. Fuck, I would’ve made you a mom by now.” Frank rambled on, your eyes softly widening at his sudden confession. Frank seemed to realized what he said, since he quickly looked into your eyes in panic.

“I mean— I would’ve never exchanged you for anyone or anything. I’m telling ‘ya, you’re it for me.” Frank finished, his hand leaving your cheek. You frowned at the loss of his warmth.

“You should be exhausted, go to sleep, alright? We’ll talk more in the morning.” Frank said softly, before planting a tender kiss to your forehead. You nodded, mostly speechless by what just happened. You made your way to then vacant room Frank had offered you, looking back once in a while, locking eyes with Frank. You smiled timidly, before walking into the room, and closing the door behind you.

“‘I would’ve made you a mom.’ ‘The fuck were you thinking?” Frank cursed under his breath, cleaning up his living room. His eyes going going over to the room you were sleeping at, wondering if you needed anything, and most importantly, if you were okay.

Inside, a smile had formed in your lips, remembering the words Frank had said to you. You couldn’t help the obvious attraction and love you felt towards him, from the very first day you met him. Matt hated Frank, probably because of how fondly you spoke of him and how excited you used to get when a bucket of flowers would get delivered to you. You used to reassure Matt to not worry about Frank, that you two were just friends.

But were you?

[eclipixels]

Hyperpigmentation

Rafayel x Reader

Content: Blurb on the hyperpigmentation meme

[516 words]

      Rafayel sat there, still and composed, staring straight ahead. His posture was perfect, an ideal subject for any budding artist. He was a little uncomfortable, having to hold still for what felt like ages, but his love for his daughter outweighed his discomfort.

      "I sat here and posed for like 10 minutes, let me see the product," Rafayel whined, a playful yet eager tone in his voice.

      Your daughter, holding her sketchbook, hesitated, glancing nervously at her father before slowly turning the pages. She stopped at the drawing she had just finished, waiting for his response. Rafayel leaned in, his eyes scanning the sketch closely. It was a rough but heartfelt attempt to capture his likeness. His expression was unreadable at first as he took it all in.

      "Is that me?" Rafayel asks, trying not to show his true expression. His voice carried a mix of curiosity and amusement, his tone soft to avoid discouraging her.

      Your daughter fidgeted, her face falling into a look of uncertainty. She anxiously awaited his judgment.

      "No! No, it's nice! It's so Nice! Ohhh! I've never—I've never looked better.” He held a fist to his lips, trying to keep his composure as he eyed the page. Your daughter nervously fidgeted as she anticipated her father’s approval.

      “Oh, where were you? Where were you when they were making my statue?" Rafayel said, his enthusiasm growing as he tried to assure her. His hands moved animatedly, trying to convince her of his genuine praise, even if he couldn't quite hide the fact that it wasn't exactly how he envisioned himself.

      "Daddy, I don't think it looks good." Her voice dropped, clearly discouraged.

      "It is fantastic! Oh my god! What's that? Is that hyperpigmentation?” He pointed to a scribbled blob in the center of his face in the drawing. Your daughter pouted, shying away in embarrassment. Rafayel immediately picked her up, sitting her down on his lap trying to cheer her up.

      “Just tell—Okay. You know what? I never seen nothing like this before. I just want you to just keep up, keep it up! Okay?" Rafayel urged, grinning to himself as he tried to offer his daughter encouragement. He didn't want her to lose confidence, even if the likeness was a bit off.

      Your daughter, still unsure, couldn't help but ask, "Well, why was Mommy laughing?" The question hung in the air, a subtle challenge to Rafayel's unwavering positivity. He turned his head to you, shooting you a glare. You couldn’t help yourself, unfortunately, and you felt terrible but still couldn’t stop laughing.

      "Mommy don’t know what she's doing anyway. That’s how—That’s how you say that’s—that’s a great drawing in French," Rafayel said, his voice filled with an exaggerated sense of sophistication. He shot her a wink, trying to defuse any lingering tension. He was proud of his daughter, no matter the outcome of her drawing.

      You two didn’t know what the future held, whose footsteps she’d follow in or if she’d pursue something completely different from what her parents did. Either way, you encouraged her in whatever she chose to do.

[craziertogether]

soooo close! you’re wrong actually.

**no hate intended to original creator**

i swear the GA is actually watching the show with their eyes closed and on mute. the OG creator in that tiktok stated that byler getting together would be cringe/awakward and out of place BASICALLY fanservice. i feel like this comes from such a misconceived notion that there is ZERO buildup and that them getting together would be as CRINGE as m*leven getting together like a sudden will kissing mike and then they just hold hands and walk into the sunset. or that will pulls some CORNY ASS “i like you mike and i always have and ik you’re with el but i just.. i err. i love you and i want you to dump her and get with me right now” and mike responds with some corny ��eureka you’re right will, i hate eleven and i always have and it’s always been you.”

while i’m sorry that we lost a byler because they let the GA mindset take over. chat please be so fr rn. that is it what anyone wants, it’s not fan fiction, it’s not gonna even be a straight up “i like/love you will” in public. what i really believe will happen is it’s going to a silent realization of feelings from mike and when it comes down to an intimate and private moment, it’ll just be known between them, there won’t be a grand confession because they’ve always known they loved each other, just not in the way they’re realizing it now. i actually hope there is NO “i like/love you” from either will or mike so that the GA/m*leven shoppers CAN’T say we’re trying to BS it or that it’s fan service. it’s always been there you just haven’t been paying attention. byler’s build up has been too long and well for a cheesy get together, they’ll be natural and themselves, which dorky sure, but it’ll be just a quiet love like it’s always been.

i’m so sick of anti-byler rhetoric. if you can’t see queer relationships happening just say it. but honestly that’s on you, this ship is TRUE queer representation. it only seems “forced” and “fanservice like” because YOU have been conditioned to think that queerness is surprising and rare. it’s the same reason people have to “come out”. mike and will’s tension has been insane for years, their chemistry reads, shared looks, & straight up admiration for the other is not found even in any of the other ships in the show. because they ARE the show. they’re the core of what makes stranger things a show for outcasts. like if you don’t want them together fine, but jesus christ don’t act they wouldn’t make any sense when the show has done NOTHING but cater to them.

(side note this rant came bc i got into my first fight with a m*leven stan in tiktok comments and they just ended it with “i’m not reading your long comments to my one short comment” and the comment was “well mikes always been there for eleven” (first off dead naming is crazy) second, no one said i thought that mike didn’t love el at all, he’s just been confused on what kind of love he has. )

[aphroditesmoon]

smoke signals (part ii)

lighthouse keeper!sevika x selkie!reader

summary: sevika is content with her life, the loneliness that comes with her job is inevitable. but then one day, as she reaches the peak of mundanity, almost turning into insanity, you appeared. cold, quiet, clueless, sea-sent you, like a wish fulfilment for her.

warnings: selkie!reader, reader has selective mutism in beginning.

a/n: thank you for the love on part 1!!! i love selkies and seals! and i think we all meed some softness and love in this trying times.

taglist: @lilredbird101 , @djstinkyfartz

wc: 2.4k

PART 1

---

To find simple kindness in life isn't as easy as people make it out to be. To give out kindness after receiving none of it is even harder. 

You know what it was like to have your innocence ripped off from your hands since you were young. To have to force yourself to stand up tall against the fragile sand breaking in between your toes and keep walking anyways, despite knowing that there's nothing waiting for you at the other end of the world.

Losing your mother at a young age meant having to be comfortable in your own presence. All selkies were seals, but not all seals are selkies. And on nights where you're swimming under the moonlight with your friends, crossing borders after borders, it felt like everything is going as it's meant to be. Even if the feeling never lasted. 

You're a runner, or swimmer, technically. You needed to constantly be moving to fill that emptiness in you. You'd find a place with new kinds of entertainment to satiate the deep curiosity you have for the man-folk, and then leave before you can get attached, that was your game. 

But lately the thrill was disappearing. There was this feeling you just couldn't shake, the feeling that you were truly and completely alone even in a room full of people. 

There was a longing for true connection, but no one to connect to. No one made sense to you. Except her. 

You've been hanging around her for months now, even when she doesn't notice you, while shes doing work, getting on and off the boats with the big man and hia daughters, when she's enjoying the cold wind under moonlight while the sea is calm.

She confuses you, a woman with so much freedom, and yet she chooses to stay here instead, all alone. Why deprive yourself from real connections when you can easily obtain it? Do the other humans not satisfy her?

And so maybe your new curiosity is taking shape in this weirdly lonely and awkward woman. 

You don't really know what you want, self discovery as half sea creature /half man isn't easy. But all you knew that for some reason, the waves of your heart is insistent in going her way, and so you follow in hopes that it would help you feel any other other than aching desperation to be understood.

When she picked you up and carried you inside last night, you had managed to acknowledge a few things about her. The first thing is, she's a man of action. If plan A doesn't work, she's going straight to Plan B. She didn't force you out of your silence and instead worked through it. 

The second thing you learned was that she's less scarier than she looks. And the third is that you were wrong about her purposely depriving herself of human connection. 

With how quickly she went for aiding you is one thing, but you could see the same kind of craving for another person in her eyes, when she caught you out of bed and rummaging through her belongings, there was more of confusion than irritation, but most importantly, there was a need to comprehend your existence.

You couldn't find your coat. It's a few hours before dawn, and she's somehow managed to fall asleep by the rocking chair downstairs. You had used the extra time you had before its time for her to wake up to quietly tiptoe around the tall tower, exploring every level and getting yourself familiar with the place. 

This place is as old as it looks. The paint is peeling off the walls, and the lights flicker every few seconds, giving the tower a sense of melancholy and nostalgia. 

It was just the kind of place you liked, historic but also monotonous. 

Once you reached the level she was at, you silently watched over her, observing her sleeping manner as she remained unconscious. You didn't want to accidentally wake her up, so you only looked around from wher eyou stood to see if you could find your coat, but when you couldn't, you decided to go back to bed, all out of options. 

What was your motive, truly? You weren't sure. You've decided that you're staying, but what angle are you going with?

You've had your fair share of experiences around humans, and in each time, you made sure to have a certain role or goal you're going in with, it saves time, and it's necessary for your own safety. The last thing you needed was some dirty sailor or pirate, locking you up against your will.

But this time, nothing is clear, not even your intentions. You see this situation as a process of trying to understand yourself through understanding her. So the end goal, should probably be some feeling of clarity, right?

It sounds silly, trying to find  pieces of yourself in another woman's puzzle, but sometimes, things fit even in places they dont belong in.

—

Sevika woke up 5 minutes later than usual with a sense of urgency in her chest, which technically meant that she was still early, but that wasn't the point. Something was different today, compared to all the other repetitive and mundane days she's had.

Usually, she'd berate herself for the clumsiness as she'd have nothing else to do. But today, as soon as she woke up, you were the first thing that crossed her mind.

The peculiar girl that somehow survived the antagonising waves of the sea. 

She pulled herself out of her chair and was about to make her way up to the bedroom until she saw you standing outside from the window, leaning against the railing, basking in the calm air as the sun slowly rose up.

You were checked out if reality, enjoying the morning glow as the wind blew through your hair, turning your cool skin even colder. It was a sight to behold, Sevika thought. There was no one who seemed more in her element than you at this moment.

As you seemed blind to her presence, she decided to take advantage of it and get started on breakfast. omelettes would do, at least for now. She even added an extra effort by drawing a smily face on it using soy sauce. 

You entered back in while she was still preparing the food and went up to her from behind, taking a peek at Sevika's neck twisted to meet your face. "Good morning.” Sevika greeted as she placed the plates on the table.

She then beckons you to take a seat with her,  and you don't hesitate to do so.

How did you sleep? She wanted to ask, but she doubted that you would answer. The speaking barrier is stressing her out. There are still some things she actually needed to figure out, were you mute or foreign. Because if you were simply unable to speak, at least she'd be relieved to know that you could understand her.

She sits opposite you and watches you ravage the omelette without a single care for her and the world, not that she'd blame you, if you've been up earlier than her. you must be starving.

You appreciate each bite like it's be your last, and Sevika views you with both awe and frustration, not knowing what to do in this situation. 

It's quite a silly thought process actually, she already knew that there was nothing she could do and that you'd be stuck with her for a while, but how does she tell you that? Or do you already know and that's why you're weirdly chill? Why are you so chill? Were you still in shock?

And why is she having more trouble processing this than you were? Sure its jarring to spend months alone and then suddenly be having breakfast with a stranger who steals her bed, but Sevika has always been a rational and calculated person, so what was the issue now?

Sevika groaned, wiping a hand over her face,  causing you to look up from your plate.

She caught your eye and straightened her back. "I- we need to talk." She forced the words out, not breaking eye contact.

Your eyes never strayed from hers as you feed a spoonful into your mouth. "Do you understand what I'm saying?" She asks slowly. No response.

Sevika didn't want to show her disappointment, so she decided to start with something easier. Pointing her finger to herself, she repeated her own name in a show of introducing herself. "Sevika." She repeated, still pointing to her chest.

You nodded then, shyly but surely. Sevika couldn't help but beam at you, smiling ear to ear. "Yeah? You understand me?" You nodded again.

"And you?" She asks. "Your name?" You're unresponsive again, simply staring blankly at her. Sevika tries again, pointing to herself and saying her own name. "I am Sevika." She says, then begins pointing towards herself, "You?"

She thought that you must be completely lost in your head again as your eyes squint in confusion, but then after a minute or two passed, you shook your head at her.

"No?" What does that mean? The imaginary brick wall between the two of you that she thought had been removed, has just returned.

"I'm Sevika." She repeated herself for the fourth time. "And your name is?" You shook your head at her again. 

"No name?" Sevika is grasping at the end of the straws here. "You have no name, or you can't remember your name?" You went static again. Sevika sighed.

"Well, I need to call you something." She muttered under her breath. "How about this, I'll say a few names, and you nod your head at which one you like, how bout that?" Unresponsive, of course.

Here goes nothing, she thought. "Lily, Kate, Alia, Nadia, Tella, Belle-" Sevika went over a bunch of names in her head until she paused at a particular one when she saw something flashed in your eyes.

She said the name aloud and noticed your eyes widening slightly. "Is that your name?" You didn't quite agree, but you tilted your head to you and gave her a look that said "It'll do." And so for now, It'll do.

---

The phone isn't working, she had known it wouldn't. The line here have always been problematic. Sevika anxiously paces back and fourth after hanging it up, rubbing her temples in a manner that distinctly shows her frustrations. 

"Well there's no safe way to send you out." She says, turning to look at you, who's comfortably  on her rocking chair, playing with a strand of your hair.

"But that isn't something we don't already know." She finishes her sentence.

She halts all of her movement all of the sudden, reminded of something she'd almost forgotten to bring up. Sevika reaches further into the backroom by the kitchen and comes up with a familiar piece of clothing.

You all but jumped out of the chair, striding towards her. This was the first time you've ever reacted this strongly towards anything for all the time you've been here.

"I guess this is yours?" She asks, waving your white coat up. You nodded and extended  your hand to take it from her, but just before she could, you pulled your hand back and frowned.

"What?" Sevika asks. "You don't want it?"

She watches you open your mouth briefly, as if about to say something, but the. closing it back and taking a step back.

"I'll admit, " Sevika starts. "It is quite a useless coat, very inefficient." She teases as she walks forward, taking note of how you keep moving backwards. 

"What's wrong?" She asks again, genuinely worried. "You're not suddenly gaining consciousness about the realities of your condition and stranger danger, are you?"

You laughed at that, a choked, short laugh. But a laugh nonetheless. Sevika smiled despite herself. 

"So you do understand me."

You sat back down at the rocking chair, leaning back and closing your eyes, completely ignoring her and the coat. Sevika confusedly hung the coat on the chair by the window, and dragged it infront of you before taking a seat.

"In all seriousness, you did understand what I've been telling you, yes?" You opened your eyes, and stared into her dark orbs.

"You're going to be stuck with me for a while, until I can find someone to help me get you back to where you came from." You responded with a single nod.

"And you do know where you come from?" You gave it a moment before nodding again. Sevika's eyes brightened. "That's good. Great, even. " She reached for a long folded paper that's pushed to the side by the closet on your right and rolled it open in front of you.

It's a map. "This is a map." She stated. You raised a brow at her, an expression that translated; "I know what a map is."

"It would give me instant relief if you could just circle where you're from, just so we can get some things clear.

She passed you a pencil and moved to give you some space, patiently waiting for you to point towards your home.

You looked through the foreign words you've somehow mastered as you travelled and found yourself in a state of hesitancy for the first time in your life.

You never knew where you were born. From the first time you opened your eyes, you had found yourself in dry land, an infant who had stuck  by her mother's side, and before your mother had passed, the both of you returned into the deep blue sea, swimming through unnamed waters.

You can feel her expectancy as you raised the pencil in your arm, drawing it closer to the map. And so in the end, you dotted a big circle over the whole map, and passed it back to her in satisfaction.

"You gotta be fuckin with me." Sevika groaned, making you smile.

"You are..." A pain in the ass, you thought she'd say, "-an enigma." 

Sevika rolled and dropped the map to where she got it and began walking upstairs, leaving you behind. "I got some checking to do on the lights, call me if you need me. Or don't."

Your eyes stays on her back until she disappears before they turn to your coat that's already dried up and safely hanging over the chair. 

You're gonna leave it there for now, you decided. After all, you'll be here for quite some time.

[tannieastrology]

Composite Observations

💔 Ive noticed that alot of long term couples have asteroid briede conjunct the sun which makes sense because its literally the asteroid of marriage and union.

💔 Cancer rising couples will find it very hard to leave each other even when they arent good for each other. From the moment these two meet they feel so comfortable with each other and will feel like "home". They are each others comfort people but ive often noticed that these relationships tend to stagnate especially if the rest of the chart has complicated placements. They are also very moody around each other lmfao. The fights get intense and almost "domestic" which is why its important to be careful w cancer placements because codependancy can become an issue.

💔Gemini Rising couples are so cute and fun omg. So flirty and when youre near them you wont even feel like youre third wheeling. The fun couple.

💔 Libra Rising/ Venus in 1st house omg literally everybody shipped us together. Everyone always assumed we liked each other(which i did but he didnt) and told us we had such good chemistry. We looked really good next to each other but it was hard getting close to him beyond that. Our Venus was in libra first house but it squared our 7th house ruler mars in the 10th house, so we argued alot since the day we met. Our arguements were public and everyone had an opinion but they also all shipped us at the same time lmfao. If you do tarot you would know that justice is represented by Libra so our entire friendship had themes of "justice" in it. Our disagreements sometimes became very bitter.

💔 About 10th house mars, im starting to not like this placement ngl. I definitely feel like in this house it acts more as a malefic. There will be power struggles and difficulties seeing eye to eye if AFFLICTED. I think if its not afflicted then maybe you can push each other to grow together in yalls career but for the person I had this with it was our 7th house ruler and made multiple squares in the chart. Literally everybody had an opinion in our business and also like i said the fights were intense. The thing is we were immature kids. Im sure if we were adults it wouldnt have been that bad and we wouldnt have acted out of ego but it was hard seeing beyond it sometimes. Now as im older I feel like im starting to really admire how talented he is( I always have) but in a way now where I want to support him instead of trying to piss him off lol. Another thing is when Mars transited over our composite 10th house we had a huge fight and everyone at school knew it. I cut him off.

💔 Speaking of transits yall pleaseee look at them for the composite chart they are so so so accurate. They have predicted almost every issue I had with him. Another thing I noticed was if you set the transit for January 1st of that year it will predict the themes between u and that person off the composite transits. Every year this had been so accurate as to what happened and its worked for multiple couples I observed. For example when venus and mars was transit on the 5th house during new years the couple started dating that year. It acts as a solar return.

💔 Alot of long term couples have sun in 4th house composite and they are actually healthy.

💔 I love 11th house placements in the composite like yall will just naturally get along so well. This is the true "crush" feeling you would get sometimes more so than the 5th house but instead yall will have a friend dynamic. Just be careful not to get friendzoned LMFAO

💔 8th house placements are not for the weak and having it in the composite can be more complicated than having it in synastry. You were meant to meet this person because both of yall need to go through a psychological change through a partnership of some kind. I dont think 8th house placements are toxic if people are self aware but theres not a lot of people out there who are mature like that at a young age.

💔 Good luck if you have saturn in 12th house with someone. Yall will constantly have issues that neither of yall will understand how to fix. Boundries will be nonexistant and honestly it will be hard to form a partnership. This is IF yall hide from each other and do not communicate. You need to be vulnerable with each other. This is one of the biggest indicaters of a karmic partnership and its painful. Theres always this feeling of something feeling off and hurt in the back of your mind even when something isnt wrong. Ive seen from astrologers that saturn feels comfortable in this house and saturn here represents longevity but the benefits of this placement will not come through until yall go through some serious struggle.

💔 Chiron conjunct the mc will expose all of yalls pain to the public. A couple that had this through aries chiron transit the MC made it known eventually that they become toxic and everyone just thought of them as the couple that fights and hurts each other alot. They also broke up near this time.

💔 Ive noticed that the MC represents the status of the relationship. Having jupiter transit the MC made the couple have good luck and were trying to get together romantically. They also had asteroid anteros(god of requited/mutual love) conjunct jupiter in 10th house as a transit and EVERYONE was talking about them at school and were trying to get the two together.

💔 Lowkey I feel like davison charts(which can be read exactly like a composite) are even more accurate than composite charts. Not to say composites arent accurate but when it comes down to showing the overall long term duration of the couple I found that davisons are more accurate.

💔 If yall have venus square saturn just pack it up lmfao the universe do NOT want yall together and I often see couples trying to work it out but in the long term they often arent compatible. They force it and try to go against the grain and it never works out.

💔 I hate seeing jupiter squares in composites yalls values will be so difficult to align

💔 Jupiter in the 5th house is such a good place for romance. Ive also heard of couples doing "it" very early on in the relationship and most of them had this placement.

Hope Yall Enjoyed

-Simmi K💋

[tyrannosaurusprex]

Opinion: Mark Scout’s arc is not about moving on from Gemma, and [spoiler] is not necessary for his healing.

Long post, spoilers for Severance up to Season 2 Episode 7 below the cut.

Mark Scout’s arc is not about moving on from Gemma. Leaving her fate in Lumon’s hands is not necessary for his healing.

It seems that the common consensus among the fanbase, at least before S2E07, was that from a meta perspective, Mark should not be trying to rescue Gemma, because he needs to move on from her and her “death” in order to achieve character growth. The argument was that his inability to move on from her brought him pain and suffering, and that from a storytelling standpoint, it would therefore be unsatisfying for him to be “rewarded” with Gemma again. He could only fulfil his character arc by moving on.

I never really liked this theory. Mainly because I never thought that Gemma died in the first place; it seemed more likely that she had been kidnapped by Lumon, and that she deserved to be freed. It seemed cruel and unjust to leave her in the hands of Lumon just so that Mark could achieve character growth. The show makes us empathise with all the innies, so I felt bad for Gemma and Ms Casey, too. They all live bleak lives and they all deserve freedom. But I also realised that this interpretation of Mark’s reaction to Gemma’s disappearance is just inaccurate, as far as my reading of the show goes.

People were basically saying that Mark never tried to move on from Gemma, which brought him pain; therefore, trying to get Gemma back will bring him more pain, and the only way to achieve peace is to move on. I think that would make sense if the premise were true. But the problem is that Mark did try to move on from Gemma. The whole reason he got severed was to try to move on. He left his job at the college they both used to work at, and he moved out of the house they used to share, and he got a procedure so he wouldn’t be able to remember her for 40 hours of the week. Was it a healthy attempt at moving on? No, but it was a genuine attempt. So many things show us that Mark was legitimately trying:

Devon says that “forgetting about her eight hours of the day isn’t the same as healing”. This dialogue is basically exposition that tells us that he is trying to heal from his grief, but he is going about it the wrong way.

Mark tells Petey that his wife died two years ago and that the severed job is helping him.

Mark goes on two dates with Alexa; the second one goes much better than the first. Mark comfortably brings up Gemma but apologises for talking about her too much. He and Alexa share a sweet kiss and sleep together, showing that Mark is capable of forming new romantic connections. And in fact, the reason the second date ends badly seemingly has nothing to do with Gemma. If Mark had not picked up Reghabi's call, and had not witnessed a violent murder, he might very well have gone on more dates with Alexa.

After Mark drunkenly rips up Gemma’s photo, he puts it back together and reminisces about her in a touching moment. The next time we see him, in S1E8, he’s contemplating leaving his job at Lumon, because as he says to Cobelvig, he doesn’t think he needs it anymore. Implying that what he needs is not to forget Gemma, but instead remember her and keep his love for her alive. This will help him deal with his grief in a healthy way. This whole episode he looks much happier and more at ease than he has seemed pretty much the whole season.

In S2E02, he is staunchly convinced that Gemma is not alive, no matter what Devon says. He is trying to move on from her here. If he weren't, he probably would have jumped at the possibility.

Milchick convinces Mark to return to Lumon with the promise that Lumon will help Mark continue to move on from his grief. Milchick tells Mark that Mark has found love at Lumon, and instead of seeming repulsed, or uncomfortable, this seems to give Mark hope, as he returns to work the next day. Because he wants to move on.

Mark only starts to suspect that Gemma is alive when Cobel avoids his questions about her in a very…weird…way (i.e. demonic screaming). And even then, he only believes that Gemma is alive when Reghabi tells him she’s seen her at Lumon. Before this, practically the whole time, Mark was genuinely trying to forget and move on from Gemma, which was actually what was bringing pain and suffering to him, his innie, and Gemma herself. His attempt at moving on — that is, his job at Lumon — resulted in his torture on the Severed Floor and Gemma’s torture on the Testing Floor. Only after Mark actually confronts his memories of Gemma in S1E7 does he seem happy, healthy, and willing to quit the evil corporation.

To me, all this is saying that Mark’s character arc is not about how he needs to forget about Gemma to heal. Forgetting about Gemma is what led him to the evil company. Perhaps what he needs is to confront his memories of her instead of avoiding the pain. When he believed Gemma was gone, his desire to forget about her drove him to split his brain in half, creating a version of himself which was doomed to hell; now that he believes she’s back, he’s decided to stitch his brain back together, freeing his innie, in a way. Reintegration is clearly dangerous but I don’t think the show is trying to tell us that it’s the wrong choice. It’s currently the only way that an innie and outie can coexist.

So is the show saying that we shouldn’t try to move on from grief? I don't think so. I think it’s saying that we shouldn’t try to ignore all the negative things we experience. We shouldn't compartmentalise to such an extreme extent. As Devon says, forgetting is not the same as healing. There are things we all need to confront, and Mark has needed to confront his grief and his love for Gemma. This, I think, is the first step to his actual healing.

[asaka-lucy-hl]

Report on the 3rd Online Meeting of the Last Defense Academy School Council (Held on February 28)

The archived video is now available for the School Council members, so I’ve listed the key points and comments from Kodaka and Inou (THL’s producer) that I found particularly important or amusing. Part of the report is written in the form of a conversation, and the person named Miyokawa who appears in it is the editor-in-chief of a Japanese gaming media outlet called Famitsu.

Q: There are now 55 days until release. How are things going? Kodaka: We’re working on some patches, but development itself is basically finished. Until recently, I was making final adjustments to the parts I was responsible for, as well as checking the balance of the SRPG sections. But now that’s all settled, so I’ve been playing through the parts written by other writers—the ones I wasn’t involved in during development—as a player.

Q: So you're playing THL from a player’s perspective? Kodaka: Yes, exactly. There are parts I didn’t oversee at all, so I’m experiencing them for the first time myself.

Q: The demo’s reviews have the status of “Overwhelmingly Positive”… Kodaka: They’re all fake reviews. (Everyone laughs) Kodaka: We paid people 100 yen each to write them. Miyokawa: That’s cheap. (laughs) Inou: I personally wrote about 30 of them. (Everyone laughs) Miyokawa: Let’s not make jokes like that—it could spread in a weird way. It’s not true! (laughs) Right now, there are around 806 reviews. Kodaka: It’s really nice to see so many reviews for just the demo.

Q: Do you feel the impact of the feedback? Kodaka: Yes, I do. With Rain Code, we didn’t release a demo, and while DRV3 had a demo, there wasn’t really a place for people to leave reviews like this. So being able to see this kind of reaction is really valuable. We’ve even used some of the feedback to make adjustments in patches, so in that sense, I’m glad we released a demo. Also, as I mentioned in my Famitsu interview today, seeing the reactions to the demo has been a relief. My worries have eased a bit. Before the demo was released, I was thinking, “What if we only sell 600 copies...?” But now I know we’ll at least sell 800, so I feel a little better. (Everyone laughs) Miyokawa: I don’t think 800 copies is a number you should feel reassured about. (laughs)

Q: The SRPG sections were more challenging than I expected. Kodaka: That’s true. I think that’s one of the aspects that received particularly good feedback. When it comes to the story, a lot of people commented that it felt “Danganronpa-like” and nostalgic, but for the SRPG sections, it seemed like many players only truly understood what they were like after playing them.

The SRPG has a system where, if you get a game over, various relief measures kick in, making it progressively easier. Personally, when I play action games and keep getting game overs, I always think, “Why doesn’t this game have some kind of relief system?!” Since I’m more of a casual gamer, after dying three times, I just want the game to let me clear it already.

Miyokawa: So THL has that kind of relief system? Kodaka: Yes. Since I’m the type of person who wants that kind of feature, I made sure to include it.

Q: Since we have Kodaka here, I’d love for the School Council members to share their thoughts directly with you. But at the same time, many fans are hesitant to say too much because they’re worried about spoilers.

Kodaka: Yeah, but honestly, what’s playable in the demo is really just the tip of the iceberg—actually, more like the tip of the tip of the iceberg. I’ve seen a lot of reviews commenting on how surprisingly large the demo is, saying things like, “I can’t believe they released this much content.” But in reality, it’s just a small fraction of the full game. So many more things are going to happen from here on.

On the other hand, since the development team talks openly about all this stuff among ourselves, I sometimes worry that I might accidentally slip up and drop a keyword or something.

Most SRPGs tend to have a fantasy feel, but I think this demo really conveys just how much of a 'chuunibyou' (edgy, over-the-top) vibe the game has.

(Everyone laughs)

One thing that’s always bothered me about SRPGs is how, toward the end, the gameplay often turns into just surrounding the last enemies and bullying them. At a certain point, you realize, “Oh, I can’t lose anymore,” and the tension disappears. I wanted to reduce that as much as possible.

So, I designed the game around "comeback victories." The more allies you lose, the stronger you become.

I set it up so that, near the end, you might think, “Only two of us are left... but if we risk everything, we might just pull this off... We did it!!!” That kind of dramatic, high-stakes moment. I feel like that also adds to the game’s chuunibyou spirit.

---

<Kodaka's Comments During the Fan Q&A Session>

Darumi is the kind of character that seems like they could fit into Danganronpa but actually can't. If you have a character like that, they’d basically have to be killed off early on. So, while they might seem like a Danganronpa character, they actually wouldn’t work.

Maruko wouldn’t fit either. Someone that much of a coward would be hard to use in the story. Ginzaki as well—if he keeps sinking into self-loathing every time he speaks, the Class Trial wouldn’t progress at all. Surprisingly, there are a lot of characters that seem like they could appear in Danganronpa but actually wouldn’t.

For the first nine characters (except for Takumi), I wanted them to feel a little more relatable, a bit more grounded compared to the ones in Danganronpa or Rain Code. Maruko, Kawana, Shizuhara—they don’t have over-the-top appearances. Since this game has war as a theme, I wanted to include somewhat realistic reactions to that. So, at first, I aimed to depict real high school students with these nine characters. ...But I couldn't really do it. laughs In the end, I just kept adding more and more, and it turned out the same as always—intense characters all over again.

(Everyone laughs)

Kodaka: Still, I think the designs are slightly more relatable than those in Danganronpa, don’t you? Miyokawa: Darumi might be a bit extreme, though. Kodaka: Yeah, that’s true. But then all the characters that got added later ended up being way too intense, which made for a really unbalanced mix. laughs

Q: Are you participating in the 100-day login campaign? Kodaka: I haven’t logged in once. (Everyone laughs)

Q. The controls with the keyboard are difficult. Can they be improved before release? Kodaka: To be honest, I strongly recommend using a gamepad. Well... making adjustments for keyboard controls costs money, you know. Inou: Yeah, it’s not like we didn’t consider it, but given the budget, we decided it was better to just ask players to use a gamepad.

Q: Will there be any shocking announcements before the release? Kodaka: Honestly, we’re still debating how much to reveal. From a marketing perspective, it would be better to make an honest announcement that "This and that happen," people would go, "Whoa, this game is insane!" But at the same time, I want players to experience those surprises firsthand. So I’m thinking maybe it’s best to hold back and rely on post-release word-of-mouth instead. I don’t want to ruin those moments of shock for the players.

That said, I was looking at the demo reviews, and it seems like a lot of people were really reacting to Aotsuki’s event CG from Tokyo Game Show. Maybe that’s because, after playing the demo, they understood the characters better?

Inou: Yeah, that one definitely got people buzzing and stirred up a lot of "What!?!" reactions. Kodaka: At TGS, we had a bunch of event CGs on display at the booth. And we figured, "Hey, let’s throw in something fun at the edge of the lineup!" So we deliberately included one of the more intense event CGs. But I think it’s still hard to understand why things turned out that way.

There are over 600 event CGs in the game, so I doubt many people will see all of this.

---

On the development process

Kodaka: Today, various sections of the team were interviewed, and while reminiscing about the road to release, our staff kept saying things like: "I never thought we’d finish this game." "There’s no way this is possible."

Honestly, for the past two years, I’ve been hearing nothing but people saying, “It’s impossible! We can’t finish it!”

Miyokawa: Sounds like the whole Tookyo Games team was in despair. Kodaka: Yeah, Tookyo Games was in despair. Even Media.Vision (the company handling the SRPG sections) was in despair. Inou: Right. And since I was managing the project, I was in despair too. (Everyone laughs) Inou: So, at some point, I thought we had to force ourselves to finish it. Speaking of which, someone started saying scary things like, "If we had another year, we could have done even better..." Kodaka: It would never be finished at that rate. laughs Miyokawa: That just shows how ambitious the game was. Kodaka: Yeah, and I think the quality turned out really high. The character sprites and music are really abundant, too.

Plus, in the ADV sections, the scripting was all handled by the actual scenario writers. For the sections I wrote, I also did all the scripting myself. In fact, the entire ADV section of the demo—I handled all the scripting for it.

That’s probably why people kept saying in reviews that it feels like Danganronpa—because everything, from the way sound effects are used to the way music changes, was all done in my style.

While working on this, I realized that I’m actually really good at scripting. Maybe even better than writing scenarios. I genuinely feel like my directing makes things more engaging.

Miyokawa: Do different writers have their own distinct styles? Kodaka: Yeah, you can really tell, especially with Uchikoshi—his writing stands out a lot. There are some sections where you just know it’s him. But I think that’s part of the game’s charm—there are so many different routes, and multiple writers contributed to them.

---

[Closing Segment]

Miyokawa: Now then, does anyone know what day it is today, February 28th? Kodaka: Monster Hunter release day! Miyokawa: (laughs) Oh, the team members know what I mean. That’s right—it’s Ginzaki’s birthday! So, we have prepared a cake for him!

What do you think? Kodaka: That’s impressive. It does look a bit like his ears are melting though. Miyokawa: Well, is he really that beloved? Inou: I believe a lot of people will end up loving him. He’s already popular at ANIPLEX, and he’s one of my favorites too. Kodaka: He does have a great range of expressions. A lot of them are annoying, though. (Everyone laughs) Miyokawa: Even the expression on the cake is a little irritating, right? He doesn't seem to be aware that he is being celebrated. ---

Miyokawa: Lastly, do you have any message for the School Council members? Kodaka: Well, after the release, I’d love to have a meeting where we can share our thoughts without worrying about spoilers. I think a lot of different impressions will come up. Probably, about a month after the release, people who have played it will have completely different opinions, so I’d like to hear everyone’s thoughts at a good time. I think this is a work where sharing impressions will be a lot of fun, so please look forward to it and wait until the release.

---

That’s all for now. Please note that this post only highlights the parts of their statements that I found interesting, and some sections have been edited for flow, as they were not originally consecutive.

I hope you find some parts of it enjoyable to read. Thanks for reading! 🌟

[will80sbyers]

I'm sure I've seen a post about Superman being El and Will being Clark before (forgive me but I don't remember the first user that pointed this out now), but I was thinking about it again and it's just so freaking true, and the talk Mike and Will have in the van is also the most obvious hint towards this intended parallel, in that moment we see Mike wanting to be Lois Lane... And Lois Lane in a lot of versions of the story idealizes Superman and gets a crush on him before she knows who he really is but she also realizes that she loves Clark Kent more... we're always back to that dynamic with them with every parallel we get, El is Mike's "superhero" she's not his true love and they told us pretty explicitly with this, I don't think they're gonna reveal El and Will are the same person that got separated personally, but the parallel makes a lot of sense as to show what's happening internally with Mike, he's idealizing El and putting her on a pedestal and eventually he will understand that what he feels for Will is what real being in love is

[iheartinkonpaper]

i'll be like one of your girls (or your homies)

Everybody loves you, baby

“Hey, blondie.” 

Somehow, in the span of four months, Art had managed to forget just how big Patrick Zweig was. 

Sure, he was tall, but Art was, too.  Sure, his body was incredibly toned and bulky from years upon years of intense conditioning and tennis playing but Art’s, though more lean, was toned, too. Sure, he had big hands, a big, gorgeous, face, and, based on what glimpses of skin he’d accidentally caught in the locker room and what he’d barely felt during that feverish night in the hotel room back in June, a big– no. Why was his mind going there?

You should trademark your face

But the biggest thing about him was his presence. How the energy shifted, became heavier, hotter, more, when he was in a room. How he held court without even really trying, permanently at ease and entrancing crowds of people in his little Patrick spell by flashing his sweet little Patrick smile and saying even sweeter little Patrick words.

Linin’ down the block to be around you

“Hello? Earth to Art!”

Art blinked. Patrick had been standing in his dorm doorway for god knows how long at this point, laden down with heavy bags full of clothes and tennis gear. It had been four months– by far the longest it had ever been– since the pair had last seen each other. Art hadn’t been able to sleep last night, tossing and turning at the thought of seeing his best friend after so long. 

All day, he had been thinking about how he would greet him. How he’d run into his arms like they were an old married couple and Patrick would ruffle his hair like they were best friends and everything would be okay again because they were something in between. And now that the moment was here, he had frozen.

“Well?” Patrick had an eyebrow raised, clearly confused and a little glimmer of something in his eyes. Could it be apprehension? Anger? Hurt?

But, baby, I’m in first place

Art turned off his brain and finally stepped forward and pulled his best friend in for a hug. Now Patrick was everywhere. His arms were wrapped around Art’s back, one hand smoothing it up and down his spine in a way that made his brain short circuit. His smell, a smell that Art could only describe as The Patrick Smell, overwhelmed his senses. His curls brushed up against the side of his jaw. His nose pressed gently up against his shoulder as he tucked his head there. 

“Finally,” Patrick murmured into Art’s neck, causing his face to go hot in a blush that he prayed he wouldn’t see. “There’s my Art.”

“Missed you so much,” Art managed to choke out despite his pounding heartbeat and increasingly muddled brain. 

What was going on? He was hugging his best friend. They were the touchiest pair of best friends either of them knew; there was always an arm slung around a shoulder, a hand on a thigh, a leg tossed over another leg. That was just the way they were. 

Patrick, much to Art's embarrassment, was the first to pull away, striding into Art's tiny little shoebox dorm and surveying it, picking up and putting down trinkets, looking at the posters on the walls and the papers on the desk. 

"Man, I can't believe we're no longer roommates," Patrick muttered, sitting down on Art’s tiny twin bed, looking him in the eye and leaving him with no choice but to nod along. Art walked over and joined him, careful to leave a few feet of space in between them. Patrick’s brow furrowed slightly at this, but he quickly wiped the expression away. Art was mollified. He knows something is wrong with me. 

Face card, no cash, no credit

"Yeah me neither," He said, because it was true. It was crazy. "It's weird that your face isn't the first thing I see every morning."

Patrick laughed and grinned, raising his eyebrows. 

“Oh yeah? Whose face are you seeing instead?”

Art felt himself turn pink again under Patrick’s gaze.

“Um, no, I, I haven’t really, um, slept with, or I guess I should say, um, hooked up, since–”

“Dude, that’s not what I meant,” Patrick interrupted, laughing in that easy, lighthearted, Patrick way–much to Art’s horror. “I meant if you have a roommate or anything, but I’m all for hearing about my little Artie’s romantic conquests.”

“I don’t have one,” Art whispered, studying his hands under the heat of Patrick’s scrutinizing gaze.

“Don’t have what? A roommate or a romantic conquest?”

“Both. They never gave me a roommate at the beginning of the year and I haven’t… had sex at all,” Art replied in a tone that he fought to keep cool and casual, daring to look up and meet Patrick’s gaze. Clearly, he was slightly shocked, but there was something relaxed and assured about that shock. Something relieved. 

“Dude, no way you haven’t gotten laid at least once this year. Girls aren’t throwing themselves at you from every direction?”

Art felt his face turn warm again and Patrick grinned. 

“Aw, don’t go all shy on me, Donaldson. You know girls love a pretty face like yours. And you’re tall and you’ve got muscles and you’re smart and actually, like, sweet. What’s not for them to like?”

Yes God, don’t speak, you said it

Art flushed again, and this time, he could tell by the quirk in his eyebrow that Patrick noticed.

“No, Patrick. I’ve had plenty of offers, trust me.” Calm, cool, collected. Calm, cool, collected.

“Oh yeah? Why don’t you take them?” 

Look at you

“Not interested.” Calm, cool, collected. Definitive. 

Patrick’s lip curled a tiny bit and narrowed his eyes in a way that made Art feel like a petri dish under a microscope. 

“Sure you aren’t.”

Art was hot, hot, hot, all over. His mind was a jumbled mess of half-baked excuses and wild stories that he could use to distract Patrick and, god, Patrick, Patrick and his face and his eyes and his hair and his hands and–

“That’s it, Donaldson. You’re thinking too loudly. Relax. It’s just me.”

Art smiled weakly.  That was the problem. It was just him.

Patrick’s eyes lit up. 

“Hey, let me tell you about this insane hookup I had a couple weeks back,” Patrick grinned, flopping back on Art’s bed.

Art flopped back with him, staring at the ceiling and praying to God that he would make it through this alive. Sure, he’d listened to Patrick’s sex stories in extensive detail countless times, but that was before. 

Skip the application, interview 

“So we were on a date at this new restaurant in New York. Shit, I can’t remember the name, but it was so fucking good, Artie. Had these sweet potato fries–I know you love those– that almost made me orgasm before we even got back to my hotel room, I swear. Anyway, we get back to the hotel and get in the elevator, and he–”

Art felt his heart freeze in his chest. 

“He?” He squeaked out, pushing himself upright. 

Patrick looked at him like a deer in headlights. Helpless, Art watched, for the first and what he hoped was the last time in his life, Patrick’s walls go up before his very eyes. He sat up so that he was sitting face to face with Art, so close that they could feel each other breathing. 

“No, Patrick, Patrick, I’m-I’m not homophobic or anything I swear, I just…didn’t know.”

Art could barely breathe. Could barely think. Could barely anything. 

Patrick’s face relaxed a little, but Art could tell he was still nervous.

“Well, that’s me. I’m bisexual. Bring out the rainbow flags” Patrick cracked a small smile. 

“What made you realize it?” Art whispered, daring to look at him. 

He looked shaken, a little relieved, and, suddenly, a little… embarrassed? 

Sweet like Maribou 

Patrick was silent, and bowed his head down to his lap. This caught Art off guard. Patrick was never like this. 

“You don’t need to tell me if you don’t want to,” Art quickly reassured him. His heart felt like it was going to beat right out of his chest and run away. He knew it was now or never. Knew now that Patrick wouldn’t judge him for what he was about to say because he was the exact same way. 

Still, he felt like he was going to throw up when he said, “It’s just… I think I might like guys too.”

It was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Patrick looked up, meeting Art’s eyes with an overwhelming cocktail of emotions in his own. 

He took a deep breath, then mirrored Art’s question from a minute ago. 

“What made you realize it?” 

Art felt the same way that he did when he was strapped into the drop tower at the amusement park near his childhood home, waiting for his seat to plummet down, down, taking his stomach and his breath along with it. 

“You.” He whispered. 

“Art,” Patrick breathed raggedly, eyes now wild and alive and searching Art’s for any sign of deception. “Art, I swear to fucking God, if this is some sick, fucking, joke because now you know I’m bisexual-”

“Patrick. I mean it.”

Maybe it was his tone, quiet and firm. Maybe it was the crack in his voice. But there was a shift in Patrick’s gaze that told Art that he knew he was telling the truth. 

“Patrick, I can’t be around you normally anymore, I-”

A slow, cocky, smile, spread on Patrick’s face. 

“Oh yeah?”

Art squirmed under his gaze. 

“Yeah,” He continued, voice breathy and quiet. “I don’t really know when this started, or why it started, but you’re just so pretty, you know, your face and everything. and it just makes me so mad because I can’t look away, and when you talk, I feel like you’re hypnotizing me or something because it’s all I can focus on, no matter how stupid whatever you’re saying is, and when you touch me, fuck, Patrick, when you touch me, I feel like I’m on fire. “

Look at you 

Art was breathing heavily. Patrick was grinning like he’d just won a billion dollars and slowly, hesitantly, reached out and cupped Art’s jaw. His eyes went wide and he let out the tiniest, most pathetic, little whimper at the contact that Patrick would be playing on repeat in his head every night for the rest of his life. 

“Seems like you have some pretty big feelings, honey.”

Art turned tomato red at the pet name and Patrick’s cheshire cat grin only grew wider. 

“What are you gonna do about them?”

Art’s body went on autopilot and he leaned in and pressed his lips to Patrick’s.

Give me a call if you ever get lonely 

They were kissing. What Art had imagined every day for the past few weeks (months, honestly) was finally happening. 

And god was it better than any half-formed horny fantasy he could conjure up in the middle of Econ 101.  Now Patrick was really everywhere, his hands moving from his jaw to smooth up and down his torso, his curls brushing Art’s forehead, his strong thighs pressing against Art’s, and, best of all, his lips on Art’s. Art wanted, no, needed, more. 

To Art’s dismay, Patrick pulled back after a few seconds with a concerned look on your face.

“You didn't move a muscle. What’s wrong?”

Now it was Art’s turn to be the deer in headlights. He felt so good that he could barely even process what Patrick just said. Patrick seemed to realize this and laughed, shaking his head like he couldn’t believe how fucking lucky he was.

“Aww, I’ve barely kissed you and you’ve already gone dumb, huh?”

In any other circumstance, Art would be embarrassed. Instead, he nodded.

“Fuck, Patrick, need you so bad, please,” Art whined, too far gone to care about how ridiculous he knew he looked and sounded. 

Who was Patrick to deny such a pretty beggar?

Torturously slowly and languidly, Patrick pressed his lips back to Art’s. It was probably the most delicate Patrick’s ever been, Art vaguely thought as Patrick’s hands smoothed up and down his waist and they gasped into each other’s mouths. Now Patrick’s fingers were knotted in his hair, and he slipped his tongue into Art’s mouth and tugged on his curls gently at the same time. Art moaned, his brain short-circuiting. 

“I know. It feels good, doesn’t it, Artie?” Patrick pulled away to breathlessly whisper against Art’s lips, laughing quietly when Art only whined in response.

I’ll be like one of your girls or your homies

Patrick pushed Art backwards, not breaking the kiss, so that they were both laying down, slotting his hips between Art’s.

They both groaned at the contact, a breathless ‘fucking shit’ slipping out of Patrick as their clothed crotches pressed together. 

“Please, Patrick,” Art gasped, closing his eyes and pressing his hips into Patrick’s desperately, hands clawing at his back. He barely even knew what he was asking for.

“You feel so good, Art,” Patrick moaned as he pulled away from Art’s mouth to kiss along his jaw. “So good for me.”

Art let out a sound like he was a girl in a bad porn video.

“You liked that, didn’t you?” Patrick laughed weakly, his voice shot. “Always knew you’d be into that shit.”

His smugness was short lived as Art, trance seemingly broken, pushed up against him and flipped them over so that now he was on top.

“Shut up, Patrick,” Art whispered, grinding his hips into Patrick’s with increasing fervor, soft pants and whines escaping his lips.

“Fuck, Art, you’re so–” he broke off in a groan as Art bit his lip gently–” needy. Me kissing you wasn’t enough, huh? Just had to get on top and take what you need from me, didn’t you? You’re such a slut, Art.”

Say what you want, and I’ll keep it a secret

Art gasped at the word, moaning as his neck dropped into the crevice between Patrick’s neck and shoulder. 

“I’m–I’m not a slut.”

“Oh yeah? Then why are you grinding on your best friend, fuck, like you’re one?”

“I’m–” 

Art broke off in a moan so loud Patrick was sure people in England could hear it, sticky whiteness shooting out and making a mess of his boxers. 

“There we go, Artie. That’s it. Let it all out.” Patrick murmured as he rubbed his back up and down as he shuddered and whined, cheeks pink and lips parted in pleasure. 

Art looked straight out of a renaissance painting, all messy curls, pouty, swollen lips, big, glassy eyes, and flushed cheeks. It was that very thought that sent Patrick over the edge, a quiet groan leaving him as he too made a mess of his boxers.

“Well.” Patrick was first to speak after a few minutes of silence aside from their labored breathing. “I learned a lot today.”

Art turned pink again and Patrick laughed, ruffling his hair.

“I wanna shower. I always shower after…sex,” Art muttered. “I’m all–”

“Can I come with?”

You get the key to my heart, and I need it

[akatsuki-tia]

"i can see now how the og post might come across otherwise, but it never was about going "why doesn't the 10th gen care about tsuna??" or anything lol." @hopeswriting

Woops. I didn't actually mean it like that if you’ll believe it. It was more of general statement to answer my own diss on their emotional intelligence and people’s negative sentiment on the way they treat Tsuna’s wishes in general.

But yeah, I do have a good idea of your opinion on the 10th Gen. I’m pretty sure I’ve read every single one of your posts and your Ao3 fanfics on the subjects. And I absolutely loved them. I think your thoughts influenced my own interpretation of them a lot over time.

"like, there's this subtle power dynamic between each other, you know?"

Yeah, I do know. It’s like- a sense of responsibility, you could say? That Tsuna has toward them. He feels responsible for them, for their happiness, their safety, in a different way they feel responsible for his. If anything, the responsibility component in the 10th gen’s wish of happiness and safety for Tsuna is way lesser than Tsuna’s own. Though that doesn’t mean their wish is any less strong for it. And that gap in the sense of responsibility that colors their relationship, leader to subordinate, Sky to Guardian, even as they remain friends and family as well, it influences the direction their actions will take. Nuances the love they share. At least, that’s how I see it.

"but the 10th gen? there's no universe where letting go of tsuna can ever be an option. which also means that they have to do anything they can so tsuna won't be the one to let go of them first, forcing their hands. and if it means it leaves them with only two options to fight for his happiness to the bitter end, either making his pain a little easier to bear by never letting him know the true extent of their own, or letting him know he isn't in this fight alone but watching him hurt even more for it, is it any surprise at all they made the choice they did?"

Yes. You get it. That’s exactly it. I’m glad I was able to get my thoughts across.

"the love makes it worse but it's good enough the end of the road will be loving if nothing else. it's all that matters, even. they don't need it to be anything else but loving."

Yes, yes yes. Love was the beginning, and it’ll be the end, because what else could it be? When it’s the most precious thing they hold, when it’s the whole reason, when it’s the whole point? It’s the love they found, the love they’ll cradle and fight for and bleed for, till the bitter end. This love is the answer to their struggle, the source and reward of their pain.

It's no choice at all really, when it’s drinking the poison or dying from the thirst.  

[ID: Three panels from the manga Katekyo Hitman Reborn, showing Gokudera Hayato, Sasagawa Ryohei and Yamamoto Takeshi. They say “Woah—!!”, with bright and happy faces while smiling widely. /End ID]

this is their reaction to reborn letting them know about the upcoming inheritance ceremony, and it made me think of that ask i got about how frustrating it can be that the 10th gen seemingly has no problem being/becoming mafia even if it’s the last thing tsuna wants. and i actually didn’t remember this scene, but seeing this it’s only fair to wonder if they do, in fact, even care about tsuna not wanting to become mafia, yeah.

but honestly this reaction feels kind of off to me? and a bit–well, not necessarily ooc, but also not the type of reaction the natural progression of the story should have led to, because they’re literally right out of the future arc here, and we all know how that one went. tho gokudera is one thing because being mafia is all he’s ever known, and becoming vongola, let alone the leaders of vongola and all that it implies, is the best thing and happiest ending that can happen to him, and he still projects that on tsuna and assumes he must feel the same, but yamamoto? whose dad was killed in the future because he was mafia? who was forced to give up on baseball (i.e. his civilian life), even if it was only temporary, so he could give his best trying to make things right again? and ryohei who was so mad (and scared) about tsuna involving kyoko in the mafia any more than she had to to the point he punched him?

like, even putting aside tsuna altogether and how they should care to take into account his wishes on the matter, why would they be happy with the prospect of officially becoming mafia? tho the way the scene is framed they’re solely being happy for tsuna here, and still the question remains because why would they be? don’t they know tsuna at all??

(and not quite relevant, but it’s interesting that hibari’s reaction isn’t shown, and in fact he disappears from the conversion entirely from this point onwards. and i know it’s likely just hibari being hibari and not considering himself part of the group and so not considering himself concerned by any of this but like… interesting.)

[babybells123]

I’m obsessed with them already

[wolfwarrior142]

Callum just really wanted some of his hair to match Rayla's, okay?

[willyhoos]

metamy is insane. like.

what if i was the hero you loved gone wrong. defeated and destroyed. rebuilt as my own greatest enemy. what if i lost everything. what if i had been reprogrammed to despise all i had once fought for. what if i couldn't even remember why i had fought at all.

and what if you were made of roses. what if you represented every beautiful thing i once died trying to protect. what if you wore flowers in your hair and cared for small creatures and had eyes the color of the forests i used to call my home. what if you were everything i once loved.

those memories are just out of my reach. infuriatingly. maddeningly. but if anyone knows who i am (who i used to be) it's you. if anyone can make me feel like who i used to be (who i really am) it's you. i can't speak, i can't breathe, i can't remember anything (but you).

you are the world i have been ordered to burn. i am the weapon you have chosen to resist. i was (am) the hero that you loved.

you are my only memory.

[butterflysonnets]

yes i'm rooting for m*leven breakup because byler is neat but mostly? i'm rooting for m*leven breakup for the sake of el and mike.

to me, their romance was always a puppy love born out of a combination of social pressures, naïve curiosity, and a lack of true understanding regarding intimacy and romantic love and what it really is. it was real in that they do truly, deeply care about each other and they are close friends, maybe even shared an attraction, but a maturing romance is so much more than that. they've grown up and out of being boyfriend/girlfriend, and that's okay! i think television/film needs to show more often that most of us don't have definite "soulmates" or first childhood loves that we spend our whole lives with. it doesn't mean these relationships meant nothing and didn't impact us, it just means they've run their course and that something else is in the cards, and this is part of life!

i've always felt el was at her best and most confident self when broken up with mike, discovering who she was and what she liked alongside another girl her age instead of just relying on mike for mentorship on how to live in the real world. she deserves more of an opportunity to find herself, her autonomy, and her independence, and to love who she is, and she's made it clear she's felt insecure in the relationship with mike because she isn't being loved and understood the way she wants, needs, and deserves from someone who is her partner.

also, it's okay if mike doesn't love her in "the way he should". he is not obligated to love her romantically and stay in a relationship with her just because she's a girl, because she "needed someone", or because he cares about her a lot. he shouldn't be pressured into a romance if it's not truly coming from his heart. he deserves freedom to find out and honour who he is, too, instead of just staying in his non-functional first relationship — one he got into as a child, essentially — and defining himself that way because it's what's expected when a boy and a girl are close. he loves her in some way, yes, but it's okay if he doesn't feel comfortable or secure being her boyfriend anymore, for whatever reason that is. he's felt insecure too, and that's valid and it matters.

they are their own people and are steadily growing and changing every day. they need time to figure out who those people are, and it's become clear (at least in my opinion) that those people aren't meant to be a couple at this stage.

they deserve freedom. they deserve to grow up and be authentic to themselves and not feel like they need to lie for the sake of a relationship. they deserve to move on from this version of their relationship that isn't making them happy and rekindle the best part of their bond: their strong, beautiful friendship. they don't have to be a couple if it doesn't make them stronger and better and happier people.

i think it would be healthy and wonderful for a show, especially one consumed frequently by young adults, to show a relationship starting, progressing, and ending on good terms in this way. sometimes things don't work out, and that is okay.