#the guy really just gaslight gatekeep girlbosses his way through this

[eemoo1o]

I feel like one of the many expressive forms of self torture is watching phantom of the opera (2004)

[elaemae]

The premium version of human is here to wreck house, mfs.

[Twst x ObeyMe!AFAB!reader]

CHP. 7

Again, I thank y'all for the reblogs, likes and comments guys, it really helps me :)

CW: Blue pronouns or address for MC every time they get mistaken for a guy. Also, I'm a potty mouth so MC is too.

Inhale..

Exhale....

Inhale......

Exhale.......

Inhale.........

Ex-fucking-hale.......

You're about to have a stroke right now.

You should've just went back to the goddamn infirmary instead of checking in on these obnoxious, bitch-less, probably father-less, motherfuckers.

It's just cleaning windows!! How the hell can you mess up like this?! Why the fuck did the cafeteria chandelier get involved??

GODDAMNIT!! WHY IS YUU INVOLVED AS WELL?! AHHHH—!

*One eternity of screaming like a banshee later*

After sending those damn kids and cat away to get some sort of magical stone in some godforsaken mine, you wrangled with the headmaster for at least two hours to prevent him from writing up the expulsion papers of Yuu and that Blue-haired kid who was mostly innocent about the ordeal.

(Meanwhile, encouraging him to kick that Ace kid and the damn cat off the school. You ain't about to let audacity run free rn, mostly because you feel yourself start genuinely tweaking as you almost got possessed by the urge to sucker punch someone's soul out of their body.)

[Satan perked up, there it was again.

That distinctive spark of wrath that he can feel through your pact with him is both concerning and comforting.

On one hand, the anger he feels means that you're alive. And seeing that what he's feeling through the pact is mostly annoyance, then that must mean that nothing marginally bad or traumatizing had happened to you yet.

You're actually more pissed off in a 'someone-had-the-audacity-to-eat-my-snacks' kind of way more than anything else, meaning that you're safe for now.

But on the other hand, he doesn't know how long that temporary safety will last.

There's also the fact this is the fourth time he'd felt that spark of 'I-wanna-punt-someone-into-the-fuckin-sun' kind of anger from you, which is worrying because it hasn't even been 48 hours since you were kidnapped by some mf.

He shook his head, calling upon a subordinate (read: Devoted fan) to collect more and more books to learn what type of teleportation and sleeping magic was used in your kidnapping.

With the massive search party spanning all three realms that they'd called upon, they will find you sooner or later.

And once they do...

Well... You'll need to get used to being with someone at all hours of the day.]

*Passive-aggresively reminding Crowley that he can't kick out an innocent kid for something they didn't directly do as they had no way of stopping the events that transpired.*

["You don't want the word to get out that you let an innocent teen roam around in a foreign world with absolutely nothing to their name and nobody to protect them, right?"

"That is true, but I still can't just let this go unpunis–"

"Especially when it's the school's faulty equipment that took them so far away from all of their loved ones and belongings, right?"]

Needless to say, Yuu ended up being "fired" in the end, quite an unfortunate result because they will need to freeload off of you until the end of your stay in this world. (Poor them, they got fired before they knew that they had a job in the first place.)

Oh well, it's better than being kicked out from practically their only way back home right now...

Hays... That cruel crow..

Anygays, it's time to snoop around and hopefully make some connections to the residents of this school.

This is a well-known college, right? So there should be influential people here somewhere...

Hehe.. It's time you bring out your gaslight, gatekeep, gold-digging skills so that you can girlboss your way into stability inside this foreign world.

• • • • • •

Suddenly, more than a dozen individuals felt a strong shiver run up their spines.

Haha... Well that's ominous!

• • • • • •

Ortho deadpanned at his brother.

It seems that almost burning down their dorm room last night isn't enough to deter him from making his [Mr. L/n x reader] fanfiction complete with mandatory fan art for every single chapter.

Haaa....

But at least his brother isn't 'fanboying' about another fictional character again...

Hm... Now that he thinks about it..

Maybe his brother will be more inclined to make friends if it's Mr. L/n!

And thus begins Ortho's journey of being an unknowing wingman as he tries to get his introverted brother to make friends.

• • • • • •

You narrowed your eyes as you looked at the small gift on top of your temporary bed in the infirmary.

Dats suspicious....

Dats weird......

You turn your necklace into a staff and start poking the box, trying to see if it'll suddenly turn into a horrific eldritch monster and jump you. (Won't be the first time that happened.)

• • • • •

"It is done, ××× ×× ××××××" (This is too easy to guess😑)

• • • • •

Diavolo sighed for the tenth time that hour, lamenting how trying to focus on his paperwork is a really hard task when MC gets thrown into the situation.

'Maybe a small break will help clear my head?'

He might as well just go out for a walk in the garden to get some fresh... air...

Oh? what is this?

His eyes scanned the dark envelope he'd seen wedged under the 'To burn' stack of paperwork in his desk.

This envelope wasn't here yesterday...

After confirming that the piece of paper wasn't cursed or charmed, he opened it with apprehension.

...!

This..!

• • • • •

Barbatos appeared in the office, tense as he'd heard his lord call out his name with haste.

Reading the letter shoved in front of his face by the serious Diavolo, Barbatos made a mental note to get the dungeon chambers ready.

They've got themselves a lead.

← Pr.6 | Chapter List | Chp. 1.1 →

Just tell me if y'all wanna get added in the permanent taglist, even if I already tagged y'all here.

That's just so I'll know if you wanna get tagged in all the upcoming chapters of this fanfic.

@caprinaesprout

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@leviathans-tail-scales

@twst-om-lover

@a-traveling-void-human

Reblog or I'll take your ankles😈 (Pls like and reblog, it really gives me motivation🥺)

Also, the next chap is the start of Arc 1: Satan but short.

[gaslightgatekeepgirlbosscombat]

Group G, Round 2, Poll 8:

Propaganda under the cut

Taylor Hebert / Skitter

Gaslight: She’s constantly gaslighting herself, like seriously all the time. Mainly because she couldn’t properly process her own emotions to save her life. ‘I’m totally fine after doing [fucked up thing]. Totally fine. It was my only option, and definitely not a result of my own deep-seated trauma affecting the way I perceive and interact with the world around me. Plus it’s not like it was even *that* fucked up. Actually, it was definitely the most moral choice in that situation. I had no other option. They forced my hand’. No they fucking didn’t Taylor. You had tons of other options, you’re just too much of a traumatized mess to recognize them. And *Worm* is well-written enough that, because we’re constantly seeing things from her fucked up point of view, we believe her. Especially when she describes events slightly yet very significantly differently from how they actually *textually* occurred previously in the text, but not so obviously that the readers notice without it being pointed out to them. It’s only during interludes from the POVs of other characters that we get a view of her without that lens of self-delusion. Gatekeep: Probably the weakest of the three for her, but somebody else could probably tell you more. Girlboss: She has the power to control bugs, with perfect coordination, infinite multitasking, and even proprioception. What does she do with that (in no particular order)? Rot somebodies dick off. Stick flies up his urethra. Eat his eyes with your bugs after he’s already disabled. Stick bullets ant up somebodies anus. Have bugs clean off the sweat and other material immediately after losing your virginity. Use your bugs to to drive a car through a city post-disaster while blind, without anybody else realizing you’ve been blinded. Get stabbed in the shoulder through bone, and proceed to monologue to the stabbed without showing any signs of pain. Line up bugs on people your shooting at with bugs on your gun to give you pinpoint accuracy. Hide massive amounts of bugs in the folds and crevices of your body, as well as in in your hair. Join a gang of supervillains. Carve out somebodies eyes. Turn butterflies into an instrument of terror. Kill a baby. You know, just completely normal things for a barely 16 (pre-timeskip) / not-quite 18 (post-timeskip) year old girl to do (most of these were pre-timeskip).

[copied from @lakesbian so credit to them]

*rotting a guy's dick off with brown recluses. on accident. *realizing due to her accident that it's actually pretty effective to put bugs on genitals and starting to threaten people with putting tapeworms up their asses on purpose. and also putting bugs up asses and peeholes on purpose. really if theres an orifice she puts bugs up there on purpose *dips her bugs in capsaicin before putting bugs up orifices on purpose so it hurts more. [skitter voice]i just dipped every tarantula hawk wasp in my villainous lair in liquid pepper spray so nows not the time to get stupid with my ass *using spider silk to create rube-goldberg machines of suffering i.e hauling a dude 3 stories up into the air and then dropping him, shattering all of his limbs on impact. all while casually holding a conversation w/ someone else *using centipedes to hollow another villain's eyes out and then putting maggots inside and just Leaving Them There with the intent of the heroes she hands the villain over to finding the maggots later and being scared of her *killed parahumans' wonder woman equivalent by putting bugs in her lungs and then using those bugs to make silk in her lungs to block out airflow. while monotone-quoting something wonder woman had said to threaten her earlier back at her as she died. wonder woman wasn't even in the room to hear it she just did it anyway. *only time she has ever successfully been jailed is when she turned herself in on purpose *made a phone call using bugs once. not villainous but very funny and iconic *used bugs to swang around a disintegration knife on a massive length of silk, killing like 50 people instantly, because she wanted one (1) person in the room dead and was willing to just shotgun that shit until it worked out for her. and then immediately after proceeded to think of herself as "not much of a fighter." because she has psychological issues. *mind-control kidnapped several thousand people once *literally made fun of god's dead girlfriend until he got suicidal and died about it *drove a car. blind. using bugs. no one realized she was blind for like 12 hours because she's a bug freak superorganism of a girl who walked around using bugs to triangulate perfectly w/o vision. also not villainous but still iconic *wanted to put 10000 black widow spiders in a shared villainous base to make costumes out of spider silk w/ and when the other dude who lived there was like "wtf can we not??" she was like "huh that's surprising. you don't want 10000 black widow spiders in your home? why? are you arachnophobic or something?" because she's a freak. *fucked, got up, and immediately made several hundred bugs crawl across her naked ass body to clean her off. because she's a freak. her boyfriend has had spiders on his dick he's just going to have to live with this *literally psychologically cannot refrain from putting bugs in the hair and clothing of everyone within a several block radius to keep track of them at all times because she's a panopticonic freak. like i'm talking "her friends occasionally talk to bugs they see under the assumption that it's her spying on them, and they're Right" level panopticonic freak. she rocks. *did i mention she's 15. world's most autistic freak 15yo dissociates hard enough to kill god more at 7

Regina George

Mean Girls became a template for high school drama movies, Regina being the meanest of the titular "mean girls"

[redflagshipwriter]

Hi, it's Tim (just Tim) chapter 6

Masterpost

San Francisco was a breath of fresh air. It would have been better if Dick wasn’t shepherding him there like the world’s most anxious and chatty herding dog. Tim halfway wanted to make a break for it to see if Dick would bark at him.

He nobly resisted the urge. He actually hadn’t gotten in trouble for going no contact. Incredibly, Bruce hadn’t noticed that he had been with Superboy. He must really be wound up about the Red Hood.

Speaking of- “What’s the Red Hood done that makes B think I’m the target to be concerned about?” Tim asked.

Dick looked a little ill. He clearly didn’t want to answer. “Well, he’s been pretty clear,” he said apologetically. “Very clear. A lot of metaphors about breaking off your wings that B is taking pretty seriously. It’s like English class all over again,” he complained. Dick scrunched up his face and gestured wildly with his long elegant hands. “There was this like, poetic reference that I didn’t get, but it was about stomping on a bird and crushing all their bones under your boot. B had to look it up.” He cocked his head to the side at the end.

…This guy was referencing poets B didn't know offhand, and they were meant to think he was some big scary thug?

“...So he’s, uh, well-read, then,” Tim concluded, adding it to the very short list of things they knew about the Red Hood. “Loser.”

“We shouldn’t say that,” Dick demurred, which meant ‘lol yeah.”

Tim gave the older bird a judgemental look for even trying as Dick typed in pass codes for Titan Tower. That was their whole thing as Bats. They took information and made deductions. This particular deduction made him feel cockier. While the big bad Red Hood had been wasting time reading, Tim had been studying the blade and uh, making out with a really hot guy. Heh. He couldn't hold in the self satisfied smirk. Hood was a loser. He could use his time much better than by reading moldy old books.

Dick stayed long enough to get Tim settled, but he was clearly anxious to get back to Gotham.

Tim was torn. On the one hand, he did not like essentially being benched. But… Well, he wasn't benched outside of Gotham, Tim decided, wandering through the shared kitchen and rummaging around for a snack. He could go on any Titans mission that came up. He opened the fridge and squinted suspiciously at something in the vegetable crisper.

He had always assumed someone really liked potatoes. But knowing what he did now, he wondered if those were Kon’s groceries. Did the guy just eat raw fruit like some kind of lunatic?

…Maybe no one kept potatoes there after all. He had thought it was weird since he never really saw anyone cook. Tim picked the suspect up and sniffed at it. This ugly thing was a fruit?

Well. He was brave and he was bold. Tim bit through the skin. His teeth sank in with much less resistance than he expected: not a raw potato. It tasted okay. This was Kon’s favorite flavor? Tim had another bite and mulled it over. It was alright. It wasn’t exactly bacon and artichoke pizza or sour cherry candy, though.

Huh. He shut the fridge door with his hip and made his way to his room, planning to drop off his travel bag.

A window opened and slammed shut nearby. Tim detoured to see who it was. His heart beat hard against his chest when he rounded the corner.

“Superboy,” he said casually, as if he hadn't been making out with the guy a couple hours ago.

“Hey, Rob.” Kon breezed past, obviously lost in thought. He stopped midair and frowned. “Do you smell mango?”

Tim hid the half eaten fruit in his utility belt. “No. Maybe you're just hungry.”

Gaslight gatekeep girlbossing worked, as always. Kon let out a “huh,” cocked his head, and zipped away to the kitchen.

Ah, hell. Tim realized he was smiling like a dope to the empty hallway. He wiped the expression from his face and hoped that no one ever reviewed that section of security tape. How embarrassing.

He hid away in his room for a while, letting tactics and plans stew away in his mind. He was hyper aware of the fact that Kon was somewhere in the tower. Was anyone else? He didn't know. He should check.

While he was at it, he should try and hack into whatever B was hiding about the Red Hood on the bat computer. Tim spun idly in his desk chair as he thought it over. Bruce was being twitchy. He wanted Tim so far away from the situation that Tim knew in his gut it would eventually be his problem. That was how this shit always worked; the most dramatic thing possible would happen.

He emerged from his room to find Kon in some kind of argument with Cassie. Tim decided to stay way the fuck away from that. He steered to the living room. Raven looked up from her book, expression flatly unamused.

“Robin.” She acknowledged. Then she looked away.

She was in a great mood, then.

He checked through the logs: it was just the four of them. As Tim watched, Cassie's status dinged to display ‘out of the tower’.

Just the three of them, then. And Raven wasn't going to come seek anyone out.

Tim went Kon hunting. Kon was sprawled out in his room, tossing something up and down. It glittered where it caught the air.

“Superboy,” he said, leaning on the doorframe casually. Did it look casual? Did it look douchey? Tim stood up straight before Kon looked up.

“Hey, Rob,” Kon said. He flashed his toothiest grin at Tim. Fuck, he was pretty. “Did you want something?”

“Yeah, I wanted to talk. Can I come in?”

Kon sat up on his elbows. “Come right the hell in, my dude.” He cocked his head to the side and a curl fell over his face. “Everything alright?” A smile tugged one half of his mouth up mischievously. “Come sit on my lap and tell me all about it.”

The thing was that Kon said shit like that all the time. He said it to Tim, he said it to Cassie, he said it to any number of civilians. Tim had thought that Kon was just being kind of a bitch to him.

“Thanks,” he said easily, and sat with his knees on either side of Kon’s thighs.

Kon’s mouth fell open. Tim waited, but no sound came out.

“I was actually wondering- you say things like that to me a lot,” Tim continued, feeling very smug. Haha, Kon hadn't just been needling him. He'd been pulling pigtails. He wanted Tim, what a loser. “A guy starts to get the impression that you're interested. And…” he dragged his gaze pointedly down Kon’s perfect body. “I'm not disinterested,” he finished coyly.

“Robin.” Kon swallowed visibly. “I uh. I'm really flattered.”

Ah. Fuck. Tim had a very bad feeling.

“I'm kind of seeing someone at the moment.” Kon’s voice cracked. “If- if I hadn't been, I would be all over this. But I am. So.” His hands hovered uselessly a few inches from Tim’s sides.

Well then. Tim slid off Kon’s lap. He didn't let howling frustration show on his face. He was cock blocking himself. “I see,” he said simply. “No worries. I'll see you around.”

“Right.” Kon’s voice cracked again. He shoved his hands in his pockets. His eyes were wild.

Wow. Okay, so life isn't fair. It was good to know. Tim sulked his way back to his room. Well no, actually, he hated this information a lot. But it was useful for his prediction models. He should have known better than to think things would work out.

On the one hand, Kon was apparently loyal to his flavor of the week. Tim could choose to appreciate that, since he was flavor for early September.

Or he could be mad that he'd apparently chosen the wrong ID to flirt with Kon under. He paced an angry circuit in his room around the pile of things he was going to eventually reconstruct. Hell. Fuck. This sucked. Kon had a crush on Robin, the guy he actually knew. What a wasted opportunity!

He calmed down enough to think.

Of course that was when sirens went off. Tim booked it to the landing pad, pulling up the alert on his wrist computer on the way.

They had a mission. Okay. Tim compartmentalized away all the mortification. He could deal with it after they got back.

[kookidough]

i know world tour rewrites are probably overdone by now but i wanna see an alenoah world tour rewrite where pretty much everything is the same but (predictably) it changes at/around i see london

so in this rewrite, pre-london, similarly to canon alejandro is flirting with other teams to get them off their game and eliminate them (cough cough bridgette, leshawna, etc) but he thinks it’d be a good idea to flirt with someone on his own team- not to throw them off their game, but to get a closer bond with them and hopefully a steady alliance once merge rolls around. after all, it’s easier to get closer to a team member than an enemy right now.

he’s weighing up his options and he Hates owen, izzy is Insane, and tyler serves no use to him, which leaves noah.. alejandro thinks he’ll be a good choice since while noah is weak he does somewhat try in challenges and he is very smart, so having him as an ally will benefit alejandro, also he genuinely enjoys noah company, viewing him as being on the same level as him in levels of wit/intelligence/humour, so boom it’s settled, noah will be his ally post-merge

anyway back to i see london, the episode goes the same up until the elimination ceremony, alejandro yaps in the confessional about it being unfair that chris let team amazon win since his team were the ones that actually caught the ripper-type guy. he also knows that since he was caught before the challenge even started, he’s probably going home !! so he needs to figure out a way to gaslight gatekeep girlboss everyone and stay in the game

he, like in canon, is of course irritated at noah for talking about him behind his back and thinks about eliminating him, despite previously thinking he’d be a good ally. this is where i diverge fully from canon and say he can’t really risk losing an ally here and maybe, without noah having the influence of anyone else, he’ll be able to turn things around with him. izzy is already gone so if alejandro eliminates owen, then noah will have no other allies and most likely be searching for one, so this is where alejandro can swoop back in and continue to ally with him (while definitely planning to use him for his intelligence and double cross him later as revenge for gossiping about him, and also because alejandro wants to win)

so with 2 votes for ale and 3 votes for owen, the big guy is sent packing and things are playing out the way alejandro wants them to. when he approaches noah for an alliance he’s surprised at how little convincing it takes, and he thinks this plan will be easier than he thought

hoooowever noah is also planning to double cross him and he approaches heather, despite disliking her, because he knows shes currently the only other one that can see through alejandro. he may not like heather but he knows she’s smart and a very capable player and hey, if things go south then it can’t be that hard to get her eliminated, because she’s literally heather

so just . AUFHHR i need this dynamic of noah and alejandro thinking they’re one step ahead of each other and they’ve got each other all figured out but they’re actually both just playing each other’s game and they have all the stupid flirty rival banter while they tango around their feelings for each other it’s great

and they dont even have to be final 2 !!! maybe their plans crumble and they end up voted off and get into some tense aftermath segment and have a very chaotic game of “truth or volcanic eruption” !!

[wish-i-were-heather]

okay so im halfway through the gandest game!!! (spoiler warning up to chapter 42)

i already gave my thoughts up to like 24 so im just gonna continue from there (literally copy and pasting off of the doc i have where i just write my thoughts as i read)

I’m 100% on the theory that Odette is Alice Hawthorne because how would she know Tobias????? I mean sure she could have some other past with him but idk I feel like that’s her

“Gigi didn’t get to fall apart” (118) um ma’am do we need to talk are you okay gigi? I feel like at some point we’re gonna have a scene where she breaks down and omg what if Grayson comforts her that’d be so sweet

I’m gonna jump Knox. Not in a good way. 

TALK NERDY TO ME????? (121) NO WAY THAT WAS A COINCIDENCE  THAT HAS TO BE A REFERENCE

“Make yourself useful, British” (123) Wow Savannah really getting creative with these nicknames

Ok but I keep forgetting Rohan is British and has a British accent which only makes him 100x hotter

Omg just kiss already

I love how Lyra is like no he can’t pick me up “she already knew how Grayson touch could linger, how it’s ghost refused to be exorcized” (136) honey no that’s not him he’s only doing that bc hes in love with you 

SHE REWATCHED THE KISS?? GIRLLLL WHATT I would’ve too tho NOT BC AVERYGRAYSON BUT BECAUSE GRAYSON IS SO FINE and i'd want him to kiss me 😔

Odette is like us she so ships them omg I kinda love that for her “you hands, her hips” (137)

GRAYSON CAN PICK ME UP ANY DAY OMG I GOT FRICKIN BUTTERFLIES READING THAT SCENE DIHSISBSJSBISJD

“I need a moment” (138) Grayson honey we all know why you really need that moment but please try to focus on the game and be horny for Lyra later okay?

I kinda ship Gigi and Brady tho. I never liked this slater guy so honestly I’m not complaining

GRAYSON HAWTHORNE ADMITTING HE'S WRONG??? If Jamie was there he would never hear the end of it

The way that Brady and Knox talk about this calla person reminds me of how book one Jamie and gray would talk about Emily but like different ofc

OKAY IF BRADY AND GIGI DON'T BECOME A THING EVENTUALLY I WILL RIOT BECAUSE WDYM HE LOOKS AT HER THE WAY JAMESON LOOKS AT AVERY?? IDC IF HES JUST LOOKING AT THE WORDS ITS MORE THAN THAT-

SAVVY??????????

“I do not care what words people use to describe me, because those people are all beneath me” (163) SAVANNAH GASLIGHT GATEKEEP GIRLBOSS GRAYSON OMG

Wait after readint the end of chapter 41 what the heck is up with knox??? Obviously he and brady have some sort of history but why’s he being like that???? Im really confused and honestly a little concerned. Whats up with him and small spaces, some sort of trauma? But also like he makes me feel unsafe 

WAIT SHE PRESSED THE WRONG BUTTON? Its okay tho shes just a girl 🎀 

Ok wait brady and knox’s history together???!!! Does that explain why knox was like that when brady said his mom had cancer? Still don't like knox tho like what

[lollytea]

Re pen featherington, I love (and love to hate) just how messy the whole thing is. Everything she does for good intentions is also tarnished by being just as self serving, it’s sooo not black and white. Like yess, Colin should know what he’s getting into marrying Marina, but to air the whole thing out to the world?? When Pen KNOWS that Colin is the type of guy who’d agree to be a dad to a non-bio kid. And the fact that the breaking point for exposing eloise was eloise saying she’ll pose as lady whistledown? Like girl the final straw was not protecting your friend it was your own reputation??

(I just really love the juxtaposition with her and eloise though. That "at least I did something" really did hit home. Oof!!! But at what cost??)

But genuinely I DO NOT KNOW how she can pull off peacefully entering the bridgerton household with all the scandal and heartache she’s put them through, especially with one of them already knowing her secret. And it’s almost the Marina situation for Colin all over again!!! You can’t stand by your decision to out Marina to protect Colin and then expect Eloise to not out your secret to protect him too. Karma is alive and well in the ton!!!

(I'm sorry you sent this a while ago but I forgot to answer it!!)

I admire how realistically flawed both Eloise and Penelope are. Eloise is self centered and arrogant and judgemental and whiny. Penelope is cowardly yet impulsive. She's scathing and cruel and she has too much power and she uses it flippantly to hurt other people. They're both just teenagers who are in WAY over their head. They kinda suck. But they're still so young and so sheltered, despite being already advertised for marriage. Because of the society they've been placed into, they've both donned such nasty armor to protect themselves. Little girls who are expected to perform as adults. It's made them terrible people. But unfortunately, I don't think the narrative itself views it that way, which makes it frustrating. I'm perfectly okay with the show having its main characters do awful things, but I'd appreciate it if said awful things leave an impact.

I think what Penelope did to Marine was probably the vilest thing she has ever done. I don't really consider the Eloise thing half as terrible. At least it was at least somewhat of a "frying pan or fire" situation that Penelope felt like she had to choose for Eloise. Meanwhile, with Marina, Pen should have just minded her own damn business.

Like. Colin would have been FINE. He's a man. A rich man. Getting married to a woman who lied to him would not be the end of his life. At worst, he would have been a bit unsatisfied. Meanwhile if Marina did NOT marry Colin, she could have been on the street. The girl lied and manipulated for the sake of survival. And I frankly don't care if she did. They're really going to create a society where women are held at the mercy of men and NOT expect the women to start getting all gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss about it? Fuck yourself. Maybe the men should just be smarter.

It's debatable if Penelope really understands the complexity of the situation. Or if she even realizes just what could become of Marina if her secret is revealed. After all, she is only a teenage girl at the time. And a sheltered one, at that. However, Lady Whistledown proves that Penelope, for all her sexual unawareness, is exceptionally intelligent and has an extensive knowledge of social norms. So it's like....iunno? Did she fully understand the consequences of her actions? Did she care? Did she regret it? Or was she just a stupid lovesick girl who only cared about a boy who barely looked at her.

I think I'd really just like Penelope to talk about it. Explain what was going through her head at the time. Allow this action of hers to be held with significant weight by the narrative. What pisses me off is that it was just waved off as irrelevent once Marina was written out of the show. Its like they're scared of delving into it because the show loves shying away from what a messy character Penelope is. At the moment, it feels like they're ignoring it in favour of making her a misunderstood tragic angel.

ALSO YEAH it makes me so sad. I saw a few gifsets of the scene where Colin announces their engagement to the family and Violet and Francesca and Hyancinth are so wholesomely delighted and they swarm Penelope with affection. They love her. They love her so deeply. Meanwhile she has caused this family so much pain. And she did so deliberately. What will they think of her once its revealed? What bothers me is that I fear that THEIR feelings are going to be glossed over as unimportant.

But COLIN'S feelings too!!! How the fuck are you gonna do that?? Like even if he wasn't in love with Marina, she was still an innocent girl in a difficult situation that he had quite a lot of affection for. And then he finds out that his current fiancée ruined her life. How is he supposed to react to that? And his sister too!! His sister who he loves deeply. Colin is supposed to be kind. I really can't imagine him feeling anything but disgust. But I KNOW the show is gonna have him way too heart-eyed over Penelope to really care to the extent that he SHOULD. He MIGHT be angry but it probably won't last long. And there definitely won't be a satisfying reason for his anger to subside. Probably just because Penelope looked at him with her big puppy eyes.

AND YKNOW I wouldn't even care if Penelope and Colin were simply acknowledged as shitty people. But they're not. Penelope is a messy morally grey queen but the show is scared of getting into the thick of it. They've made her do too much awful shit and now they're scared to unpack it. Now she's their special little princess <333

UGGHH. YKNOW???

[deathandnonexistentialdread]

My understanding of the main characters in only friends based on what I was told:

Mew: goes to dating apps for a long-term relationship. Demisexual coded (win for the aces!!) Currently living in a regency romance.

Top: a cardboard refrigerator filled to the brim with bad boy tropes. Does not actually seem like an actual character. His character needs more dimension. He is wet paper. Nobody likes him. Really wants to sleep with Mew. Currently trying to win Mew's heart to sleep with him.

Ray: a drunk, sad boi with abandonment issues and unresolved trauma. Wants affection but is afraid to seek it. Likes his friend but doesn't confess for some reason. Stupidly endearing. Very Rich. Great taste in music. Hates Top. Currently bonding with Sand while pining for Mew.

Sand: (formerly San) financially and emotionally broke. Very snarky. Very hurt. Currently living through the Global Economic Recession [the dude has 3+ jobs] Great singer. Cinnamon Roll. Pansexual coded (win for the pans!!) Hates Top as well. Currently having feelings for Ray.

Boston: Does not just cause problems, Is the problem. Likes sex, does not like the feelings. Wants Top for some reason [he can do better]. Currently manipulating people for the end goal of sleeping with Top. Does not stop him from sleeping with others in the meantime. Aromatic coded? (a win?? for the aros). Red blanket. Currently Gaslighting, Gatekeeping and Girlbossing his way through the show.

Nick: IT guy who repairs Boston's phone and becomes obsessed with him. Has boundary issues: he bugs Boston's car without his consent. [how did he even manage it?] among other things. Is being led on by Boston. Red flag??. He should talk to someone. Roomates with Sand! Currently crying in his room sadly.

There are also lesbians who are living a messy free love life. Good for them. Not given enough screen time

[cherchersketch]

Daisy - How to become the Duke’s Fiancee

Is this another ~contract marriage~ with a stoic duke marquess (but not from the north)? Yes. Yes it is.

The artstyle changes halfway through but I think it still looks ok. Though you can really tell the difference when they put in flashbacks with the previous artwork. Lol

Summary Our main girl, Daisy, travels back in time after being drowned to death. Back to the day one of her useless dad’s creditors showed up to the house. Instead of blending into the background as she did before, this time she boldly approaches the ~cold duke marquess~ with an offer of marriage. Because he’s totes going to need that in 3 years when grandad kicks the bucket and his will states that his successor needs to have been married (happily) for 3 years or more. It’s a win-win because she’s sworn off love after the events of the previous life and he doesn’t believe in love because of his family’s history. Of course, they eventually fall in love, even though it’s just meant to be a ~contract marriage~. Come on, it’s a shoujo manhwa after all. 

Tropes   - died and came back to life X years before to escape the death flags   - just throw this gambling-addicted father away   - this is just a contract marriage he/she would never love me   - these grandad dukes really love putting in a no-marriage no-inheritance clause

FL - Daisy Filberlin D’Essel

 - oh no it’s the ~middle child~ syndrome ;w;  - so glad she is now never gonna get together with the trash man ;w; (though I’m interested to see if he’ll ever show up in the current timeline)  - employers love her: the 20 year old with 20 years of work experience  - 10 steps ahead of everyone (being from the future helps)  - gaslight gatekeep girlboss  - a lady’s battlefield is tea parties and banquets

ML - Marquess Killian D’Essel

 - wow a rich noble who actually works (and not like sits behind a desk of paperwork all day)  - not a duke yet but he already has the cold duke of the north personality nailed  - richer than you’ll ever be  - the guy always falls in love first ;w;  - put him in horny jail

this series doesn’t really have cute little chibi scenes ;x;

Rating: I enjoyed my time reading this It’s a chill, cute romance. Hehe Status (as of 11 Nov 2023) Ongoing. Honestly, it’s probably way longer than it needs to be. We’re just barely touching on the whole ~madness of the OG Duke family~ plot. But as a bingeable series it’s fairly interesting I guess. Though it should really be like half the length ;;;

Same Same but Different  - The Predator’s Fiancee  - The Villainess Lives Twice  - No more Nice Sis

full rec list

[prongsmydeer]

Ayesha Liveblogs She-Ra S2-S3

“Wow, Flower Princesses can’t aim.” Mermista said we believe in power profiling LMAO also how many flower princesses could there possibly be

You know, I was expecting more emotional consequences from last season’s interactions for Catra and Adora

“Is the one you call Catra... not mean?” “No, she is.” Update from 1 minute later: The consequence is that Adora must work through her feelings through Codependent Romantically-Charged Unhealthy Friendship Simulation 

“Can you teleport anything you want? Like a cannon? I can make ice cannonballs.” Hahahah awww Frosta wants to be friends 

“When you grow up with someone, they just know how to push your buttons.” “I can relate. I also have buttons.” Light Hope really is deLightful lmaoooo

Catra’s emotional consequences are her becoming a peer mentor for Gaslighting Gatekeeping and Girlbossing

Also I can’t wait to see Kyle’s inevitable defection into the Rebellion

I love how often Bow says exactly what I’m thinking: 

Why is Mermista bullying Perfuma LMAO is this her way of inviting her to become a throuple with her and Sea Hawk

“Maybe we should hold hands and think healing thoughts.” ARE they flirting? It really seems like they’re flirting

Frosta is readily demonstrating the problem of having 10-year-olds in your army with her inability to listen to a single order 

“I thought I could help and be the Rebellion’s tech master.” Not to make everything about how much I love Bow but I love Bow

“Why can’t you be what I want you to be?” It’s a Miraculous Lucky Charm situation, Adora; your sword is telling you you need to be better hydrated and to use less brute force

WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH THE FOREST REGROWING BECAUSE OF THEIR TEAMWORK. I KNOW IT’S ONE EPISODE INTO THE SEASON BUT I LOVE A MAGICAL GLOWING FRIENDS MOMENT:

“When they’re ready to roll out, I’ll be at the head, and you’ll be here, rotting. Thanks, I needed this.” You know those posts that are like ‘traumatize ur parents BACK’ that’s Catra and Shadow Weaver

“Entrapta’s alive. And we left her behind.” THE FACT THAT THIS IS BOW’S FIRST THOUGHT RATHER THAN THE RECOGNITION SHE IS HELPING THE HORDE. I LOOOOOVE BOW

The fact that Dryl has been forced to cede to the Horde just because Entrapta has no strength of character. Dissolve the monarchy!!!

“He is apart of you. Your destines are intertwined.” I won’t lie, I wasn’t expecting Horsey to have such a significant role

“We’ve got to save her.” Glimmer my love... your friend sucks kjghkjgh

I really am trying to give Entrapta some grace mentally, cause I get it, she’s like 16, her friends abandoned her, she’s got a hyper-fixation on alien tech, these guys offered her new friendship and encouraged her technological growth... but it’s not a good enough reason to like. Colonize and oppress a planet. Like, okay, Entraptylo Ren. Have some perspective, my girl. LOL

Hahahaha Light Hope having to reboot for her software update

“But [the Watchtower] was destroyed by Mara when she lost control and attacked Etheria.” I am so interested in them explaining Mara’s story. I love a legend inside a narrative. Avatar Wan was by far the coolest part of LOK, I am not accepting constructive criticism at this time

This fight with Catra and Scorpia really suggests that Bow should work on his hand-to-hand. He’s a mid-range fighter compared to Glimmer and Adora’s close combat

Perhaps Adora, like me, just doesn’t really know what to do with a talking horse:

“We took a hostage! We’re supposed to be the good guys.” Bow did this show not literally start with you and Glimmer capturing Adora LOL

Not directly related to the content, but it does bother me that the captions don’t match the audio. Like they shorten Scorpia’s “Catra, you beautiful genius, I’m coming,” to “Catra, I’m coming.” Why! Shouldn’t it be accurate? Those aren’t filler words or stuttering that might take away from the readability, it’s literally the way Scorpia is addressing her

I too, like Swift Wind, appreciate the toppling of unjust hierarchies

Entrapta really has -1,000 empathy. Casually telling Bow and Glimmer about hacking the Black Garnet which almost killed Glimmer’s mother. With peace and love. Get some help. 

“I saved a little magic, just for you.” [Blows raspberry] I think Glimmer should be a little spiteful, as a treat

I want to see the shady backstory between Mara and Light Hope!!

“Who needs Entrapta? You’ve got Bow, tech master and premier member of the Etherian Maker Community.” I love that Bow’s narrative arc is him being Rebellion tech whiz who is all empathy, all the time

“Thus far, your performance has been lacking.” Wow, so the emotionally-malnourished 10th grader you made your General HASN’T changed the tide of the war in two episodes? Who’d have thunk it, Hordak?

You know what’s genuinely a little funny. I think Catra came because she wanted parental attention (to be yelled at) and Hordak entertained her because he wanted someone to yell at. New fucked up father-daughter dynamic unlocked

“Nothing gets past us,” said Glimmer, which I’m sure isn’t foreshadowing 

I’m sorry I’m so sassy about Entrapta but I cannot believe she has more moral quandary over whether to go into Hordak’s sanctum than about orchestrating the downfall of society lmao

“Portals aren’t theoretical, they’re real. And I’m going to open one.” I love how quickly Hordak has embraced Entrapta as his lab assistant hahahah. Finally something funny!!

“Etheria is the only planet I’ve encountered that does not seem to understand [that there are countless planets and galaxies].” Is Hordak’s story about how he wants to go home like E.T. I’d laugh so hard

“You are the one bothering me, Force Captain, with your unwanted intrusion. I am working. With Entrapta’s assistance.” Daddy Hordak’s got a new favourite daughter 

Also. Why is Glimmer the only Princess with parents? Are the rest of these gals orphans? Like Frosta for sure bc she took the throne at age 8, but all of them??

“I need [Catra’s gift] to be something that says ‘Thank you,’ but also, ‘We are soulmates tied together by the beautiful threads of fate.” Scorpia’s adoration of Catra is very sweet

It kills me that in their DnD war simulation campaign, Bow imagines everyone in outfits accurate to their 80s design. I truly love him to pieces:

HAHAHAHAH PERMISSION FOR THE REST OF THE STORY TO BE TOLD ONLY FROM BOW’S PERSPECTIVE:

Bow: It looks like I’ve got you meow, evildoer. 

Catra: I’d paws to reflect on your upcoming death if I were mew.

Bow: I don’t know, I’m feline pretty good right now.

“Adora, isn’t this all going a little overboard. We’ve faced the Horde before. What’s the worst that could happen?” said Bow, as if Glimmer’s father didn’t literally DIE in battle

Fjkfhkjhfkjfh apparently Glimmer is still team pro-improvising. RIP Daddy Glimmer

Hahahahaha @ them taking halfway through the second season to identify Rogelio the Lizard Guy 

Love that there is no justification or explanation for why Perfuma can create sentient plants:

DID GLIMMER JUST MURDER ROGELIO THE LIZARD GUY. SHE THREW HIM OFF THE TOWER OMGGGG

Update from a minute later: Rogelio is fine. We did not witness a live casual murder by one of the protagonists just yet

“All in favour of blaming this on Kyle?” We continue the inevitable steps towards Kyle’s defection LOL

Legitimate question. If they glow every time their teamwork is good, would that become their main metric for how successful they’ve been? Like if you’re not glowing, the plan isn’t going well?

“Mermista cancelled our plans this week, and she’s hanging out with her other friends and didn’t invite me to join.” HKJHGKJGH Mermista told Seahawk you’re not invited to my weird flirt-bullying with Perfuma, actually

I’ve been wondering if Scorpia’s feelings for Catra were romantic or not (it seemed romantic, but like, could easily be read also as just loving her a lot as a friend) but this Arctic After-Hours Invite seems very clearly to be a date hahaha

Interesting that She-Ra is impervious to the cold! How exactly do these powers work lmao

“Maybe there’s scientific truth to the rumours about strange things happening in this region,” said the Magical Technology Princess to her two friends, who are half-scorpion and half-cat

1) Why have I never noticed Sea Hawk fighting with a lightsabre!!! Is that new? 2) I love him asking Scorpia if he’s cool mid-fight and her going, “Potentially.”

“Looks like you’re mine now, Adora.” Gay and rude. Catra’s only two personality traits 

“Yay! It’s a girls’ night in.” It’s interesting that infecting her sword has effectively made Adora drunk LOL

I won’t lie, I paused to watch some other stuff, so I forgot about the terrifying snow monster hahahaha

It’s so funny that Sea Hawk just politely announces he’s come to rescue Adora instead of you know, attacking with his laser sword. I am wondering if he is the diversion:

“Whatever the Horde is giving you, it’s not worth the damage you’re doing to Etheria.” Bow brought logic to a magical science fight

“Does she even understand how much I do for her?” “Exactly, it seems like the only time anyone wants to hang is when they need me to give them a ride or do something for them.”

1) It is so funny that Sea Hawk is bonding with Scorpia but please don’t tell me he’s going to join the Horde. I will lose my mind

2) Isn’t the way you met Adora, Glimmer and Bow literally bc they needed a ride to Mermista’s place? Why are you surprised that continues to be your role?

3) You’re in the Rebellion! Of course people need things from you, Sea Hawk

4) However, I get that you need some good friends who want you around. Maybe u should expand your social circle beyond miscellaneous rebel princesses lmao 

“I don’t need their opinions to validate me. I’m Sea Hawk.” “And me, I am brave, strong, and give great hugs, and I’m loyal.” YEAHHHHHH SEA HAWK AND SCORPIAAAA

“I’ve got control of Adora. I am not giving that up.” I wonder how many of Catra’s problems could be solved by getting some therapy

Sea Hawk telling Scorpia that caring is the greatest adventure of all. It is cheesy and I am WEAK and soft-hearted. I love them <3 

“You can’t expect me to out-cast Light Spinner, the greatest sorcerer to ever walk the halls of Mystacor.” I can’t believe we’re getting Shadow Weaver backstory AND finding out that boys can do magic

I don’t remember if they’ve ever said his name, but based on him needing to a relevant character, and on his similar appearance to Castaspella, I’m gonna say that Micah must be Glimmer’s dad.

Are we to gather from the lines and circles on Hordak’s back that HE is First One’s tech? Is he Mara or Light Hope’s weird boyfriend? I don’t know how I’d handle that 

Daddy Hordak has really found a way to recreate Catra’s exact Favourite and Scapegoat childhood trauma. He’s really embracing his place in the parent dynamic 

[Light Spinner, but also me, voice]: I’ve only had Micah for one day but if anything happened to him I’d [redact] everyone in this room and then myself:

“You’ll make [the Guild] see [the threat of the Horde]. If anyone can do it, it’s you!” Awww so Shadow Weaver wasn’t ALWAYS a terrible influence on teen lives. It’s a fun spicy update that we get later on

“Why do you really want to keep her around?” Stockholm Syndrome and Mommy Issues

I can’t believe that Shadow Weaver’s origin story is that she got Alphonse Elric’d by trying to do dark magic with a twelve-year-old

“I had to earn my power. Fight for it. Why should it be any different for you?” “I was a child when you took me in. What could I have possibly done to deserve the way you treated me?” Yaddah Yaddah Generational Trauma: The Sequel 

“Serenia. Portal. Mara.” I’m doubling down on Hordak as Mara’s Weird Boyfriend 

Are we gonna find more about Bow’s family!! I LOVE BACKSTORIES. WHAT A FUN COUPLE OF EPISODES

“Adora! Glimmer! We’re so happy to finally meet Bow’s school friends!”

Bow having two dads is actually one of the few things I knew about this show going in, but I am SO happy that they are depicted on screen, and not just like, mentioned. <3 YEAHHHH SHE-RA!!!

KJHGKJHGKJHGJK I CANNOT BELIEVE BOW NEVER TOLD HIS PARENTS HE WAS IN THE REBELLION OH MY GOD

This scheme has really forced me to remember that Adora STILL only wears her Horde uniform as her everyday outfit. HOW DO BOWS DAD’S NOT NOTICE JGHKJGHKGJH

“Youngest of 13! All historians just like us.” THIRTEEN??? THAT’S SO MANY SIBLINGS. ALSO HOW ARE YOU HISTORIANS THAT DON’T KNOW WHAT A HORDE UNIFORM LOOKS LIKE OH MY GOD

“So I did the only thing I could. I secretly taught myself archery, ran away and pretended I was at a made-up boarding school.” “That seems really elaborate, Bow.” Honestly. Honestly! Life mood for wanting not to upset your parents but still to live your life in way that reflects your values and identity

Yaddah yaddah parallel journeys to queerness in youth while inverting the heteronormative structures in which they usually take place 

From 5 min later: “I act like someone I’m not with my family because the truth would hurt them.” LIKE HELLO???? BOW!! I LOVE HOW CLEARLY THIS WAS WRITTEN BY A QUEER PERSON

And: “I’ve tried to tell them before but they don’t want to hear it. So, I pretend.” AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. 

HAHAAHAHA funny how they did not have a way to organically bring up Lance and George’s names so they made Bow first-name his own dads

“We’ll find Shadow Weaver, the two of us, and not a word of it will leave this room.” I KNEW THE iROBOT BABY RECORDER WOULD BE LISTENING

HKJFHKJGHKJGHKJHF Bow’s historian dad having a First Ones tattoo that says, “Lunch.” Poetic cinema. This is why u should never get a tattoo in a language you don’t understand 

“Adora is a sixth major in She-Ra?” I love how quickly Bow’s lie has fallen apart

I’m losing my mind that the thing that signifies Bow returning to himself his him wearing a crop top. Also his dads SCREAMING as he rips his shirt

“You only listened to me if I said what you wanted to hear.” [...] “We love you the way you are, Bow. And we’re proud of you, no matter what path you take in life.” CRYIN’

“This was a test, and you failed.” I won’t lie to you, I took a long pause from this show purely because I knew whatever emotional trap Daddy Hordak laid out for Disgraced Daughter Catra was going to make my heart clench LOL. Delayed this two minute scene by weeks 

Shadow Weaver said: I will not let Daddy Hordak take the terrible surrogate parent spotlight. Time to haunt Adora’s room like a sleep paralysis demon 

“Technically it’s the spare room. But it is more than adequate as a holding cell.” You’re telling me with guards as attack-happy as in S1, you’ve NEVER imprisoned anyone in the castle? I CANNOT BELIEVE. AREN’T U IMMORTAL ANGELLA. SURELY U’VE BEEN RULING LONG ENOUGH TO CREATE SOME KIND OF JUSTICE/REHABILITATION SYSTEM ON BRIGHT MOON. DIDN’T YOU FIGHT A WAR!!!

“Shadow Weaver is dangerous. I will not let that woman near you.” Angella said: Maternal bond with Shadow Weaver ended, Adora. Now I am your best mom 

“You will answer for the crimes you committed during your time as my brother’s teacher.” I’m glad that the Micah thing is coming into the main narrative because I keep forgetting if they confirmed it before bc I’ve stopped watching this episode for months at a time LOL

“I have to believe that others can change too, even Shadow Weaver.” Ohhhhh Adora <3 

Adora referring to Shadow Weaver as the woman who raised her :’( I’m with Angella, Adora deserves to not be around these adults who only want to use her 

Shocked that Shadow Weaver is being honest about Hordak’s plan. Shadow Weaver said manipulate, momtrauma, military defection

“You were bought through a portal from another world.” AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?????????????

“I was a baby! Babies don’t remember things.” “Interesting, I will make a note of this.” Light Hope’s not wrong about her assumption though, there are studies on trauma in infancy. This is truly the story of how your fucked up childhood can come back to haunt you later on LOL.

“Don’t I get a say in what happens to me? Don’t I get a choice?” “No, this is your destiny, you do not choose.” 1) The heartbreak in Adora’s voice as she’s finding out she’s a First One is killing me and 2) WRONG 

KJGHGKJHGJH Catra dunking on Hordak in front of his entire army. She’s right, he is incapable of defeating teenagers

Bow tapping Adora on the head reassuringly with his Space iPad to let her know they’re there for her as much as they’re there for the Rebellion. I love himmmmmmmmmm

I have this series on 1.25x speed atm because it’s so hard to focus and let me tell you. It sounds normal. So I stand by the view that they just pace the dialogue too slowly LOL

Bizarrely, the more screentime they get, the more invested I am in the father-daughter relationship of Entrapta and Daddy Hordak. He really does seem to care for her. If it was just her value as a tech person, he wouldn’t have listened to her about changing his plans for Catra to go to the Crimson Waste instead of Beast Island: 

THE STAR WARS BAR??????????? ARE WE ON TATTOINE???

Why is the proportion of furries in this bar so much higher than in any other place. Furry Exile Wasteland

I’m with Adora in terms of immediately admiring Huntara. I think it’s the voice and how she stepped in to protect the kids. Also maybe the ponytail 

However. I believe her when she says no one should be trusted, including herself LOL

IFjkfjfkjfkjfh is that a smaller Hordak inside a test tube? Daddy Hordak making a new clone baby????????????? Saving an old baby???????

“We should say something.” “NO! We are supporting her.” LMAO @ GLIMMER AND BOW. When ur friend is making bad decisions but u don’t want to alienate them gkjhgkjhgjhg

“Paralyzing darts. But you probably figured that out, being a fast learner and all.” Best Friends Squad said: Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal, Huntara

Why is Hordak and Entrapta’s relationship so fucking endearing???? It’s killing me as he hisses while she tries to force-feed him soup:

Are they still morally bankrupt. Yes, I do think so. Are they very funny. Also yes!!!!

“I am not discussing this.” “Your armor, it’s holding you together.” “It’s none of your concern.” Maybe I wouldn’t feel this way about Hordak if I didn’t have Repressed Immigrant Father Syndrome kjhgjhgkjhgb

“I am a clone. A clone of the Emperor of the Known Universe.” HELLO???????? I THOUGHT HE WAS CLONING, NOT CLONED. IT DOESN’T EVEN SOUND LIKE A WORD ANYMORE 

“And Horde Prime will see that he was wrong. I am not a defect. I am worth something.” WOW, IT REALLY IS THE STORY OF YADDAH YADDAH GENERATIONAL TRAUMA. EVEN HORDAK’S PROBLEMS ALL CIRCLE BACK TO DADDY ISSUES 

HOWEVER. I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN ALL OF THE DEATHS ATTRIBUTED TO THE HORDE. [Insert coolmotivestillmurder.jpg LOL]

LOTS OF PEOPLE HAVE CHRONIC ILLNESSES AND DISABILITIES HORDAK, NOT ALL OF US COLONIZE SPACE 

Side note: Adora and Hordak are really carrying the voice acting for this season so far. Like Adora’s yelling at Light Hope and Hordak’s “I am not a defect.” AHH!!!!!!

Also I really do love how they animated this cutaway sequence. Conveying the energy of Hordak’s past without necessarily revealing everything, and giving us a sense of how Hordak views himself and his history:

“I do not need your help.” “Everyone needs help sometimes.” Entrapta said: I’m here for you, Daddy Hordak!!! The generational trauma ends here, as I am impervious to criticism 

You can tell that she really doesn’t absorb criticism by the fact she talks about her homies abandoning her like she had nothing to do with it LMAO. THEY THOUGHT U WERE DEAD, FOUND U LATER, GAVE U THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT AND U SAID ‘ACTUALLY I PREFER SPACE COLONIZATION INSTEAD XOXO’

“No matter what you say, you are not a failure. Any who discount you are utter fools.” Wow, Hordak’s using his words. Growth?

Awwwww I love that Adora’s comment from last episode about people can change is immediately coming to fruition with Huntara. Ex-Horde mentor!!!

“I’m looking at the Crimson Waste, the place Hordak sent me to die. I have no idea what you’re doing, as the last thing I told you was to leave me alone.” Scorpia’s just here to love you, Catra

Fhkjghkjghkj I feel like Catra and Scorpia fit in better at the Star Wars Bar because they are also Criminal Furries

“But me? I’ve already lost it all,” said Catra, as if her homie Scorpia who would go to the ends of the galaxy for her wasn’t standing right there 

Same energy as Kakashi saying everyone he cares about is dead when he has at LEAST four friends

“Who’s the strongest in the Crimson Waste?” “LASHOR.” Tung Lashor said my love language is words of affirmation 

Wild how so far Catra has been achieving victory over all these adults through no other skill than bullying jkhgjghkjgh. Although $10 says she wins this battle through the convenient paralytic darts she asked for earlier

Update from 1 minute later: Alright, I owe you $10. Bullying it is 

“This is the one place they’ll never find us. I saw what they would do. The deaths that would follow.” !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Assuming ‘they’ is the army of Horde Prime? But it would be interesting if it were someone else. I really, really want to see more of Mara’s backstory

You know. This past two and a half seasons I have been assuming that this would lead up to a Catra and Adora relationship because they are the main characters. But they have also made it clear that Scorpia likes Catra and based on this episode, it does seem like Catra is starting to respond to those feelings: 

“So why would we go back? Let’s stay here. Forget Hordak. Forget Adora. Forget all of them. We could rule the Crimson Waste together, just the two of us. We could, you know, be happy.” Scorpia is shooting her shot

“We are going back. We are going to open a portal. And we are going to crush them all.” Wow. Didn’t take much to sway her in the other direction

Hordak 🤝 Catra 🤝 Entrapta

Pretending like your abandonment issues are a good reason to colonize space

Speaking of abandonment issues. LMAO @ BOTH HORDAK AND ENTRAPTA NOT WANTING THIS PORTAL TO DISRUPT THEIR FUCKED UP LITTLE FOUND FAMILY

“Before I started ‘rushing in,’ the Rebellion hadn’t made a move in years. You need me.” I feel like what I’ve learned is that Glimmer is usually not the best judge of what to do, unless she’s directly defying Angella, in which case it is the right call kjghkjghkgjhgkjh

“I could not have lied to you about who you are, because I have never known or cared about someone as inconsequential as you.” Daddy Hordak said Shadow Weaver got full-custody of Adora in the divorce

Glimmer hasn’t really learned much from her dad’s journey with having Shadow Weaver as a mentor. This is what happens when you keep secrets from your kids

Adora trying desperately to reason with Entrapta while Entrapta continues to facilitate the downfall of the planet. Just Quirky Girl things: 

You know, thus far this seems to be amounting to a rough day for everyone involved

“If we open a portal, the anomalies will be catastrophic. It’ll unhinge time and space, creating a warped reality that will collapse in on itself, erasing us from existence.” OH, SO NOW WE CARE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PLANET. WHERE WAS THIS THE PAST TWO SEASONS, ENTRAPTA? 

“Adora gets everything she wants.” LIKE ALL OF EXISTENCE NOT EXPLODING, CATRA? WHY ARE YOU ALL SO STUPID LMAO

[Insert Guardians of the Galaxy, “We’re the idiots who live in it.” LOL]

“Who do you think let the princesses in?” “She wouldn’t--” LOL @ CATRA TRYING TO RUIN ENTRAPTA AND HORDAK’S WEIRD FAMILY. Catra said: If I can’t maintain any meaningful relationships with the adults in my life, NEITHER CAN ANYONE ELSE

“Wow, I can’t believe you like me, that is so embarrassing for you.” [Laughing and playfighting] “Stop it, get off! This is not because I like you.” If Adora and Catra do end up together it will be a tough pill to swallow considering Catra has been so SO MEAN TO HER this whole time like she literally broke reality rather than listen to people side with Adora LOL

“I don’t know what it is, but I do not like you.” It’s because your crush is obsessed with her, Scorpia

“If you get us out of this, I promise I won’t hate you. I will just dislike you a reasonable amount.” I kind fo love that this has turned into a Buddy Adventure for Adora and Scorpia:

I like that Adora is connecting with people (Scorpia, Lonnie, Madame Razz) every step of the way <3 

“Don’t you get it? I am never going to go with you.” I know I’ve called Catra Space Lesbian Furry Sasuke, but truly that is unkind to Sasuke bc it’s absolutely understandable why Sasuke does what he does, but Catra barely has a whisper of a motive for her actions. What? You miss Adora? She’s right there extending her hand every time. Shadow Weaver doesn’t love you? Tough. Glimmer and Bow are the only kids in this show who have parents. You got an inferiority complex? Surely the legions of followers and the putting down everyone you meet helps. You were raised by the Horde? So the hell was everyone else, you don’t see them collapsing reality. Get! Some! Help! 

“That’s alright, dearie. You don’t need to understand. You just need to remember.” I love Madame Razz

MICAH <3 At least one good thing has come out of this!!!!

It is tragic though, that in order to preserve the world, Glimmer will have to give up her father

“You’re a great fighter, a genius inventor, and you shouldn’t worry about what your dads think. They’re proud of you, just like I am. And Glimmer, you never give up, and you never admit defeat. I know making friends is hard for you, yet you’re the one who pulled us all together. I’ve never met anyone like you.” ADORA TALKING ABOUT ALL THE REASONS SHE LOVES HER FRIENDS <3 SWEET GIRL

Ohhhhhhhhh Angella’s goodbye to Micah is killing me. They love each other so much 

MICHAH CALLING OUT TO ANGELLA “I’M NOT” IS DADDY GLIMMER ALIVE??????????

“But whoever shuts the portal down can’t leave.” AHHHHH is Angella going to strand herself here? Poor Glimmer!!!!!!!!!!!! She’s going to lose both her parents at once 

You know, I actually thought now was gonna be the time that Horsey’s fate and Adora’s intertwined 

“You made me this.” SHUT UP CATRA, YOU MADE YOU THIS!!!!!!

“I didn’t make you do anything. I didn’t break the world, but I am gonna fix it. And you? You made your choice. Now live with it!” YEAHHHHHHHHHH ADORA 

“And now I choose to be brave.” ANGELLA NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Does this mean Shadow Weaver is the only adult figure for these princesses now? Oh how the turn tables 

“So that’s where you’ve been, little brother.” Not only did Glimmer lose both of her parents, but also the plan didn’t really succeed? What a deeply sad ending to this season omg 

[luniise-kel]

Opinion on each of the Phantom Thieves ?

oki im going to go in the order of whoever i remember first, this turned out kinda long lol (also i ramble a lot in this, sorry not sorry) 

Akechi - hes a silly, little silly man. goofy goober, committed lots of crimes i think he should be jailed for these crimes. He and joker kiss. I think Akechi is a really complex and well written character and that his entire life is really tragic, I really love his character in general. Akechi’s character is someone who sticks to his ideals, no matter the situation or if his ideals are proven wrong and this loyalty to his ideals translates to his loyalty to the protagonist and the deep sense of envy he is implied to feel for him. baby man, my babygirl Protag/Joker - opinion for him r all my hcs. he is like cat. Futaba - forced to kin her, i love her omg. shes so me. character great 12/10 love her to death. She was the most useful character in the metaverse no i do not take criticism. wasnt able to finish her confidant in vanilla but im def going to max her out on my royal playthru. I do like futaba’s videogame logic being applied to irl logic bc,,,, i do that too and erm Ryuji - i like him. I hc he wears a leg brace. I wish all his prevy scenes were cut, idk they all felt out of character for him. also i wish we talked more about childhood friends ann and ryuji like. hello? they should have been besties, sharing embarrassing stories about each other. Ryuji’s confidant was def one of my favorites, always hung out with this man. I really like Ryuji’s strong desire to be helpful and to just be a guy, he wants to make ppl happy and like yeah me too bestie Ann - atlus ruined you im so sorry. act 1 ann was fire, she was so badass amazing 10/10 great character. everything past the first palace was like ????? where her character go??? i wish we had more scenes were ann explicitly takes back her sexuality, like she is not uncomfy with it and rather confident or something idk. but i love her anyways, i hope she girlbosses gaslights and gatekeeps her way through life Yusuke - sigh, another force kin. i think he is also silly, my honorary babygirl. Yusuke struggle with his identity and place in the world is really cool bc Yusuke is a great foil to Akechi, i guess its a more black mirror situation with Yusuke and Akechi but whatever. Yusuke being an orphan but had a (albeit bad) father figure with akechi has no father figure and the closes thing he got was shido (shitty father). and like i wish we would have gotten more yusuke relates/sympathizes or something with akechi, i mean they both have strong ideas r without a mother, cmon atlus do something. also Yusuke is like, my favorite, besides Akechi. hes so girlypop. Makoto - sorry makoto lovers shes not a favorite. i do like her character but also i hate it. Like some aspects r cool amazing great even, but other parts. I like her persona thats cool. um not much to say other than decent character. solid 6/10. not a fav but i still love her.  Haru - i have literally not met her yet, she spoke to her once in vanilla and im working my way slowly to her in royal. current opinion is: she exists. i like her hair. Morgana - cat (i almost forgot about him) Sumire - shes cool, i like her so far. accidentally spoiled her entire character arc for myself……whoopsies. dont have much to say about her other than good character, shes solid.   

Okay and i think thats everyone, i really love all of the phantom thieves and yeah maybe ill come back to this question when i finished the game but this is my currect opinion on everyone. 

[eemoo1o]

The fact that the girl and the phantom met in the first uneventful 20 minutes just shows how badly paced and written this movie is and demonstrates the amount of drag we as the viewer are going to experience for the next TWO HOURS OF OUR LIVES (if the opening scene of black and fucking white didn’t perfectly demonstrate that already)

LIKE WHAT THE FUCK THIS FILM REALLY JUST FAVOURED GOOD MUSIC OVER GOOD WRITING

EACH CHARACTER IS A BLAND HUSK OF PAPER AS A MEANS TO MAKE WAY FOR THE “ROMANCE” but not even THAT was good like WTF HOW IS THIS FILM HELD IN SUCH HIGH ESTEEM

FUCK THIS FILM

[genesis-of-the-between]

MORE OF THESE GUYS LESGO

I’ve figured out the earth and wind elements so here they are!

The wind element is Zephyra “Zeph” Jouvan. She’s a trans girl, and vaguely intimidating, but she’s pretty nice. Very tall. Tall as heck. She grew up in a pretty bad environment, and was raised by a gang, but she turned out fine. She knows how destructive that lifestyle is, and doesn’t intend to stick around once she gets old enough to leave. The gang knows, understands, and encourages this. She wants to study law when she gets older and is saving money to do so. She really hopes the whole “saving the world” thing won’t get in the way of her future. Lien tells her it won’t but she’s not so sure.

Ajax Dasos, on the other hand, is her exact opposite. He’s a gay bastard with a lot of money. Gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss, am I right? He did actually know about his powers beforehand, but his parents were scared that he would be outcasted for it, so it’s a secret. He didn’t know why he had them, though. When he found out, he got his parents to let him use the basement of the mansion as their base of operations. He’s the rich benefactor but one of the heroes at the same time.

I don’t think I mentioned this, but all the elements have little sigils on their wrists that glow when they use their powers. They all just look like really simplified symbols made of lines. While Lien doesn’t bother to hide hers, Ajax is almost always wearing long sleeves, Zeph gets into a lot of fights so her hands are almost always bandaged, and Nuri’s burn scars from the house fire cover his. These sigils mark them as the elements and whoever bears them are destined to protect the world. Five thousand years ago, those who bore such sigils were made royalty by the people. They are passed down through blood, and in times of need they appear on the skin of those who are deemed worthy by the universe. For 5000 years, no threat has been big enough to warrant divine action, and although no one truly knows what they’re fighting, it must be something terrifying.

also they all have fancy weapons and magical girl transformations. Lien has a scythe, Nuri has a lance, Zeph has a hammer and Ajax has an axe. it’s fun.

[gaslightgatekeepgirlbosscombat]

Group A, Round 1, Poll 4:

Propaganda under the cut

Azula

Personal gain and because she was gaslit herself.

100% pure girlboss. So good at lying and manipulating that the magic human lie detector can’t figure her out. Gatekeeps her father’s “love” from her brother

Azula was considered a prodigy in firebending at a young age. And she manipulates and plots to get what she wants.

They (gas)lit stuff on fire, gatekeeped the avatar from the Fire Nation, and girlbossed all the way into insanity

Akane Kurashiki

Zero Escape spoilers! Akane Kurashiki is dead. Died in an incinerator as a child. But she's right here, isn't she? She's talking about mummies and the Titanic and I'm holding her in my arms. But also she's Zero, mastermind who trapped us here and threatened our lives. That guy literally just exploded. But Akane couldn't have done that, she's so sweet and she's so scared. Also she's dead? But wait, she's right here, and she has a fever again.

lied to a group of ppl including her childhood bestie so they'd enter a death game she planned, she's so funny. also later planned another death game to save the earth etc

GASLIGHT: - Lies to everyone and pretends to just be an innocent quirky girl when in reality, she is the mastermind behind the situation everyone has been put in. - Pretends to be sad and concerned when the bastard who almost killed her pretends to do a heroic sacrifice to get everyone's sympathy. - Pretends she's put bombs inside everyone's stomachs. Really, she only put bombs inside the people she wants revenge on. - Pretends that she and her brother aren't related. - Erases her fiancé's memories and makes him forget he proposed to her so she can go to the moon and stop the outbreak of an apocalyptic virus without him getting in the way. - Puts herself into a schrodinger's cat situation where she's both living and dead until you decide what door to walk through. - Manipulates her way into a Mars mission program. - Makes a guy think he is 45 years younger than he actually is. - Pretends she is going to stab two people to force them back in time. - Manipulates a child into participating in his father's research so he can act as a spare if necessary. GATEKEEP: - A psychic who gains near omniscience in some circumstances, but refuses to explain snything unless it suits her plans. - Says ""Only God decides who lives and dies!"" But she kills several people. Perhaps only God and Akane Kurahiki decide who lives and dies. Or maybe they're the same person? - Manipulates a woman into breaking up with a man so she can kidnap him and bring him to the moon. - Refuses to let her boyfriend meet her when it doesn't suit her plans. - Kidnaps two women and puts them into a coma for 45 years. GIRLBOSS: - Very willing to kill to achieve her goals or get revenge. - Queen of random trivia. Will info dump about her interests whenever it suits her (including when she is trapped in a freezer with two people). - If anyone touches a hair on her boyfriend's head she will not hesitate to cut them down with a chainsaw. - Stages not one but two mass kidnappings and killing games (that we know of). - Great at multitasking, she manged to save her own life and dispose of the people who almost killed her at the same time. - Uses her knowledge of the future to manipulate the stock market and become super rich. If that doesn't scream girlboss I don't know what does. - Starts her own organisation to fight cult leaders and save the world. - Has two nemeses, the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, whose life she completely destroys and a >100 year old cult leader. - Co-runs a moonbase where she has command of AIs and robots.

[steely-eyedmissileman]

The Vampire Diaries, Ep. 2x08

Rose

what is this doctor who in two thousand and five??? (fun fact: i am watching doctor who as i type this.)

we begin this episode in a random field on an entirely too nice day. i've been around the block a few times: weather this good means something bad is going to happen.

oh yeah, elena got kidnapped. forgot about that one, a bit. the guy in the car elena didn't come from refuses to be out in the light. he's a vampire without a daywalking ring.

meanwhile, jeremy has realized elena never came home last night. caroline has done a very good job covering for tyler, but damon insists that she not tell tyler about her. he has the ability to kill vampires, so it's important that he not know about them. i'd argue that tyler doesn't want to kill caroline right now and it would be better to trust him and ensure that that remains the case. damon instinctively distrusts everyone, but there can be a better world. once again, tyler deserves all the information so he can make his own decisions.

why don't we ever see ht at school anymore? i miss him. jeremy and stefan have figured out that elena went missing last night.

we see where elena is being held, and the vibes on this place are colossally bad.

is this guy gonna be hot? i can't handle another hot man. i also can't handle another white man. i can barely keep track of the ones we've already got. he's a vampire. this girl that he's with has interesting hair. it's still a bad vibe here.

damon and stefan are going to rescue elena. bonnie and jeremy are going to hang out and try to help from a distance. jeremy really wanted to go rescue elena, but he would only be a liability. the brothers got weapons from ht, though we don't see him.

caroline did a good job of covering to tyler. i'm very proud of her. i don't think he believes her, through no fault of her own. tyler's just too damn suspicious.

who is elijah? he sounds ominous.

bonnie's going to do a tracking spell. she needs jeremy's blood and he cuts himself on the palm again. because everyone on this show seems to think that that's the best way to draw blood even though it's fucking not! the map is exciting, though. greensboro?! winston-salem?! i love winston-salem! historical winston-salem is so lovely! bonnie gets a nosebleed doing the tracking spell.

damon has big crazy eyes these days. he's obviously going with stefan to save elena because 'it's elena.'

caroline is gaslight gatekeep girlbossing it up.

stefan is trying to get damon to talk about his feelings for elena. they have one of the funniest conversations i've ever heard about it. damon: 'can we not do the whole road trip bonding thing? the cliche of it all makes me itch.' stefan: 'oh, come on damon. we both know that you being in this car has absolutely nothing to do with me anyway.' damon: 'the elephant in the room lets out a mighty roar.' stefan: 'well, it doesn't have to be an elephant. let's talk about it.' damon: 'there's nothing to talk about.' stefan: 'that's not true. i'm sure there is. just get it out. i mean, are you in this car because you want to help your little brother save the girl that he loves? or is it because you love her too? hmm? i mean come on, express yourself. i happen to like road trip bonding.' damon: 'keep it up, stefan. i can step out of helping as easily as i stepped in.' stefan: 'no, you see that's the beauty of it. you can't.'

meanwhile, bonnie and jeremy are going to send a message to elena. jeremy reveals that the gilberts just keep a random candle in their bathroom. bonnie doesn't say anything audible when she casts the spell, which is disappointing because i wanted to judge the fake latin. bonnie passes out because she's doing too much magic.

meanwhile, the vampires are refusing to tell elena why they kidnapped her. until she knows too much. now they are relatively open with the information. they mention 'the originals,' which i happen to know is the name of a spin off of this very show. we also learn that elena is 'a petrova doppelgänger. you're the key to breaking the curse... the moonstone breaks the curse. the sacrifice is what breaks it... in order to break the curse you're the one who has to die.'

tyler thinks that caroline is also a werewolf. she then freaks out and vamps out a bit. 'i'm not a werewolf, okay.' she laughs so much. i love caroline.

katherine is the first petrova doppelgänger, apparently.

bonnie's mom left and her dad doesn't want to acknowledge her powers. if jeremy and bonnie kiss, i am going to be so upset. they're bonding over being emo.

stefan reveals to damon that he's been drinking human blood. damon asks, 'elena know you're drinking blood?' stefan replies, 'i'm drinking hers.' damon then fondly remembers stefan in his first days of being a vampire. 'what happened to that guy? he was a hoot.'

i feel like these two new vampires are going to die. elijah is british. how is there working electricity in this house? elijah is zooming around the room. he has to smell elena to confirm her identity. he could be more normal.

damon and stefan have another nice conversation outside the house. damon: 'are you sure you want to do this?' stefan: 'yeah, i'm certain i want to do it.' damon: 'because if we go in that house, we may not come back out.' stefan: 'alright, then i won't come out.' damon: 'so noble, stefan.' stefan: 'i can't think of a better reason to die, but if you want to stay here, i'll totally understand.' damon, of course, follows him into the house.

inside, elijah slaps the vampire man's head off. he takes elena's vervain necklace off to get her to reveal the moonstone's location. elijah gets shot through the hand. he's not european; he's just weird. he made a big fuck off stake by breaking the hangers off a coat stand. elena throws a vervain grenade, which is super exciting! damon stakes elijah. hell yeah, damon! elijah is dead.

damon's face lights up because elena looks so happy to see him. but she's looking at stefan behind him, and damon's little face falls.

stefan apologizes for forcing damon to turn into a vampire. stefan: 'i'm sorry... for being the guy who made you turn 145 years ago... i've never said it out loud. i guess i just need to say it and you need to hear it. i'm sorry. what i did was selfish. i didn't want to be alone. i guess i just needed my brother.' it's such an important moment for them. i hope it brings a new peace to their relationship.

caroline and tyler are bonding. 'how can you be a vampire?' 'how can you be a werewolf?' these two are going to get together? tyler's scared about his new identity, which is super fair.

rose reveals herself to stefan because she knew lexie. she reveals that elijah wants elena for klaus.

damon goes to elena's room to give her back her necklace. first, though, he confesses his love and kisses her on the forehead (not her lips, thank god). he cries, and then he erases her memory and returns her necklace

elijah's not fucking dead. fuck

[wincestation]

Ultraviolence, Chapter 3

Read on AO3

Ship: Sam/Dean

Rating: PG-13

Square Filled: Tattoos for @spnkinkbingo

Summary: When did I turn into this? Dean thought, staring at the blank page on his screen. More importantly, how do I make sure that Sammy gets out okay from this mess? That was a rhetorical question, of course. The answer was the same as it has always been: by keeping him close.

Current Word Count: 5512

Warnings: Sam is going through some heavy emotional traumas, childhood abuse and nervous breakdowns. Dean is not helpful, and definitely doesn't fulfill his mural and ethical duties as a therapist. This is obviously not how any person who's taking care of you and your health should act. (tldr: Dean is Gaslighting-Gatekeeping-Girlbossing his way into Sam's mind/heart/pants.)

A/N: So this time, instead of doing two really short chapters - I decided on a longer one that contained both of our boys' POVs. Hope you enjoy, and if you did, please let me know. It means the world :)

Dean buried his head in the palms of his hands as soon as the door closed. The situation was way worse than he thought.

He just spent an entire hour listening to Sam admiring him - well, Sam didn’t know it was him, of course. Even when he tried to force it out of him, Sam refused to say anything bad about his big brother. The look on his face when he realised the Dean he knew lied to him… Not to mention the complete douchebaggery of making him relive all of that in a way that would only hurt him further, the psychologist in him noted.

Sam was completely blind to anything bad Dean ever did to him, and oh, there were so many that even Freud would be amazed. He honestly spent his entire life loving and aching for a perfect older brother that didn’t exist, admiring the only person in the world that ever made him feel loved, as twisted and violent this love was.

Not that Dean was to blame - like Sam said himself, so defensively that Dean wanted to expose himself right then and there. But he couldn’t, not yet.

God, what is wrong with you? The Smith in him thought, mortified. That poor guy - how would he feel when he finds out? Why wouldn’t you just transfer him to someone else?

And the Winchester in him replied, terrifyingly cold and calculated: Because he’s mine.

Dean was just finishing up lunch when his phone rang the next day. He took a little bite of his salad and said, “Dr. Smith speaking.”

“Hey, Doc,” the shy voice said on the other end, and Dean almost choked on his lettuce.

After a little cough, Dean found enough of his vocal chords to say, “Yes, Sam, what can I do for you?” He took a sip from his coffee carefully.

“I wanted to - “ Sam started and then sighed, and Dean imagined eyes closing, cheeks flushing. “I think we should move up our next meeting, if that’s okay.” Always so polite.

“I’ll have to ask my secretary if that’s possible,” Dean tried to sound official but the wheels in his head were spinning out of control. “Why didn’t you call her directly?” It’s not like he didn’t know the number.

“Well,” Sam sounded embarrassed. His cheeks were definitely flushed now, if they weren’t already. “It’s just - I’m not doing so well, ever since our last meeting,” Dean felt guilt and shame creeping up on him, like long icy fingers, “And I thought maybe - “

“Yes, of course. I’ll move some things around.”

“Thank you, Doctor. I just - really need to see you.” Dean cursed himself for the satisfaction these words brought him. He clicked his computer awake and opened his schedule. “Could tomorrow morning work?”

Sam’s “yes” was so quick and desperate that it almost made Dean sick. He muttered a goodbye and ended the call, but his fingers couldn’t let go of the phone, lunch forgotten and coffee getting cold. Sam needed him - that was the only thing that both the Smith and the Winchester in him agreed on. In the absence of their constant battle, Dean finally reached a decision.

*

Sam dragged himself past Dr. Smith’s door and sat down heavily.

“You don’t look so good, Sam,” his therapist noted, and Sam wanted the ground to open up and swallow him.

“I didn’t get much sleep in the last couple of days.” Sam sank into the armchair. He didn’t get any sleep, to be honest, but the Doctor was already looking pretty worried and Sam didn’t want to freak him out.

“What’s been keeping you up?” The pen and paper were balanced on Smith’s leg, like usual; Sam stared at them for a second, and then scolded himself, you can’t possibly be jealous of still objects, you freak. 

“I lied to you in our first meeting,” Sam said, completely ignoring his question or maybe answering it. “About the reason I came here.”

Dr. Smith looked frozen and through the fog of exhaustion that clouded Sam’s mind, he was confused. Was that fear on his face? He continued, storming wildly past the point of no return. “I said it was because of a girl. I lied. It was - it was a guy. I don’t know if it’s even relevant, but, yeah. I’m gay.” The words were still weird to his ears, even after all those years of saying them. Like a part of him was still surprised.

Dr. Smith stared at him. “I’m glad you told me that, Sam.” He said eventually, not letting his eyes slip away from Sam’s. “Is that something you usually lie about?”

“No.” Sam admitted shamefully.

The Doctor sighed. “It’s okay, but I want you to stay completely honest with me from now on. I can’t help you if you’re hiding things from me.”

Sam nodded obediently. “You’re right. And I’m sorry.” His eyes were feeling heavier every time he blinked.

The ridiculously handsome man in front of him clicked his pen and set it to the paper. “Tell me something, Sam - do you drink coffee?”

Was Sam so sleep deprived he was hallucinating? “Are you asking me out for a coffee?”

Smith blinked. “No, it’s - you said you weren’t sleeping.”

Ground? Hole? Now would be a great time! “I - oh god, I’m so sorry.”

“No, no, it’s okay.” Dr. Smith smiled. “Now that you mention it, I think that’s a great idea.”

And that’s how Sam found himself sitting at a coffee shop, clutching a mug in his hand like his life depended on it. His sanity and his ability to keep his eyes open definitely were, as Smith was stirring his coffee calmly from across the table.

Sam now knew how his therapist was taking his coffee (large, black, no sugar) and it wasn’t supposed to make him feel all tingly and warm, but it did. Or maybe it was just the caffeine. 

“I’m glad we’re trying this, Sam. I feel like sometimes the formality of being in the office holds us back.” Dr. Smith took a sip from his coffee. “Just talk to me like you would normally talk to someone you’re comfortable with. I want you to try to think of me as a friend.”

“I usually know my friends’ first names,” Sam said without thinking, catching himself in the lie while he said it. He didn’t really have any friends.

“You’re right,” the green eyes looked embarrassed, almost full of shame. “Well - it’s, it’s Dan.”

“Dan,” Sam reiterated. The name sounded so… normal, so mundane across his tongue. “That’s a nice name.” Smooth, Sam. What’s your next move? Talking about the weather? Trying to ignore the mocking voice, he said, “So, anyways. Ever since our last meeting, I’ve been having… I don’t really know if they’re memories, because they come up really fast and strong, and I can’t control them. It’s like - kinda like flashbacks. I know it sounds ridiculous,” Sam said quickly, “I mean, it’s not like I’ve been to war or something. My dad, I mean, John, he’s been in Vietnam, and - well, he’d probably laugh at me for saying stuff like that.”

Dr. Smith - Dan - placed his hand on Sam’s arm, and his fingers were so soft and warm and gentle that Sam felt instant heat spreading from where he touched him to the rest of his body. “Just because someone else is suffering doesn’t make your own experience less valid. I want you to remember that, okay? We all have our personal Vietnam.”

Sam nodded, feeling the sentence echoing through his mind. Damn, his doctor was smart. “That’s a good motto. I might have to tattoo it.” He tried to make it sound like a joke, but Dan raised his eyebrows in surprise. “I didn’t know you have tattoos, Sam.”

“I do, they’re just - not in visible places.” and of course, his treacherous mind had to send him flashes of a fantasy, of the man sitting in front of him tracing his tattoos, kissing them, sinking his fingers into Sam’s inked skin - 

Stop! Snap out of it right now. His cheeks were burning with heat and he carefully looked up from his coffee, meeting a little smile. “We would have to talk about them sometime. Tattoos are a very interesting way to get to know someone.” and then he winked at Sam, and his heart skipped for an embarrassingly long moment. “I have a few of my own, too.”

Oh god, he’s trying to kill me.

“So, you were telling me about those flashbacks. Do you want to go into details about them?”

Sam cleared his throat. You’re here for therapy, he reminded himself. “There’s not much to tell, really. I just think that talking about them last time made me remember them much clearer. They’re not all bad, but the way they come up, it’s like my mind is attacking me and I can’t push them away.” He dropped more items from his hands than he’d like to admit. “I’m probably the first person in the world that going to therapy made him worse.”

“Sam.” Dan said almost aggressively. “You need to stop being so hard on yourself. What you went through, and still going through, it’s not easy. And neither is therapy. More often than not, it’s a tough and long process that needs constant work. I know it can get overwhelming, And you’re allowed to feel that way.” He grabbed Sam’s hand and held it on the table, and Sam stared at the sight. “But that doesn’t mean we give up. At the end of the road, you’ll be grateful to yourself for doing this. For now… just know that what matters most is how well you walk through the fire.”

Sam lifted his gaze with surprise. “Bukowski,” he said. It was one of his favourite books.

“What, psychologists can’t enjoy classic literature?” Dan said jokingly, his eyes sparkling at Sam from across the table. 

“No, no, it’s - I just never thought of you as a Bukowski type of guy.”

“Really?” Dan leaned his cheek on his hand, casually, a smile toying with the corners of his mouth. “What type of guy did you think I was?”

Was that - was he - flirting? “Um. More of a ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’ type?”

Dan laughed and Sam felt it like a wave of warmth, washing over him. “I’ll take that as a complement. But I’ll have you know, Sam, I do read books. Fictional books. For fun.”

The playful emphasis made Sam chuckle. “I’m not saying you don’t! I just - well, my favourite book growing up was ‘Flowers in the Attic’. So I can’t judge anyone, really.” Sam suddenly felt like he shouldn’t have said that. He quickly withdrew his hand from Dan’s, who seemed confused before his professional face returned. 

“That’s an interesting one. What did you like about it?” his tone was clinical again, and Sam was as disappointed as he was relieved. He needed a reminder that this wasn’t a date before he’d make a fool of himself.

“Well, I know it’s about… incest, but, other then the sexual stuff - I think maybe I felt like I could relate, you know? Being in a bad situation without any proper parental figure, isolated from the world. It wasn’t so surprising, to me, when the brother and sister turned to that eventually. They’ve been through so much, and all they’d ever had was - “

“Each other,” Dr. Smith said, and Sam nodded, surprised. “Yeah, exactly.”

“I like that observation, Sam. You seemed defensive about this subject in the past, but I do think this gives me a better idea about your relationship with your brother. He really was your safe place, your home, when you two grew up... Am I right?”

“I - yeah, you are.” Sam just stared at him, searching for words. “I’m - it’s probably the first time that I feel like somebody understands.” It was only when he said the words out loud that he felt the amount of relief this realisation brought with it.

With a smile and a shrug, Dr. Smith was gone and Dan was back. “Just doing my job,” he said, winking at Sam again from above his coffee mug.

Sam slept through the whole night after their meeting, and was energetic and optimistic for the next few days. And if that was more because of his therapist and less because of the therapy itself - well, it couldn’t be that bad, right?

…Right?