#there is really not depth to either of them

[stellaspectral]

okay i have a request: bayverse!leonardo x fem!reader. the reader has been friends with the turtles for months and during this time she and leonardo have developed a close relationship thanks to their love of reading and the fact that both of them are calm introverts (the reader is much more sweet and in tune with her emotions tough, bay!leo really needs someone like this imo). now leonardo is realizing that what he thought was just friendship is becoming something more, at least on his part, and he doesn't know what to do about it. obviously his brothers notice this change and their way of helping him is to tease him in front of the reader to force either of them to confess (they secretly been shipping them since the beginning and finally their ship is sailing!).

A/N: Hello, anon! I loved writing the dynamic between Leo and the reader, how they’re a lot alike but she has that emotional intelligence that he often lacks. And the brothers’ teasing “encouragement” to get them together was also a fun element to incorporate, even if it’s rough-going at first 🫢

I hope you enjoy! ☺️

Between the Lines (angst/fluff)

💙 Bayverse Leonardo/Female Reader 💙

CWs: Mutual pining, sibling teasing and meddling, brief anger/snapping, emotional vulnerability, confessions, first kiss, happy ending. All characters are aged-up.

The familiar, cool air of the lair wraps around you like a well-loved blanket.

You’re curled up on the worn but comfortable cushions of the couch, a thick hardback open in your lap. Across from you, Leo occupies his usual spot in a patched-up armchair. He’s immersed in an old, slightly battered-looking copy of Miyamoto Musashi’s The Book of Five Rings. He furrows his brow in concentration as he tracks the lines of text.

This is your usual routine, which began not long after you—months ago—literally stumbled into Leo and his brothers’ hidden world. And this comfortable silence you now share has become one of your favorite parts of it. You both found kinship in your introversion. A quiet understanding that doesn’t require constant chatter.

And of course, you’ve bonded over books and love to discuss the stories, the characters, the ideas within them. Sometimes the discussions are deep dives into themes and motivation. Other times they’re just comfortable exchanges about a particularly well-turned phrase or a plot twist neither of you saw coming.

While you’ve grown fond of his brothers’ more eccentric dispositions, Leo’s calm presence is something you enjoy. You appreciate the depth you sense beneath his disciplined exterior, the careful way he observes the world. You, in turn, offer a gentler perspective, a willingness to voice the emotions he usually keeps tightly locked down.

You sometimes catch him watching you when he thinks you’re not looking—like right now. For a moment, his brow smooths out, and there’s a flicker of something unreadable in his blue eyes.

Before his gaze snaps back to his book, brow furrowing once again.

A faint warmth spreads through your chest at the intensity you glimpsed, even if it vanished as quickly as it appeared. You keep your eyes dutifully on your page, though the words blur together. You pretend you didn’t notice, respecting the boundary he clearly erected by whipping his gaze back so sharply. And that’s part of the understanding too: knowing when not to push.

You shift slightly on the cushions, the worn fabric sighing softly beneath you. The sound seems amplified in the quiet. You reread the last paragraph on the page, forcing your focus back to the intricate plot unfolding. And for another minute or two, the silence stretches. You find yourself wanting to bridge it. But again, you relent, convincing yourself not to press.

Your cheeks are warm. This isn’t just the comfortable quiet anymore; your skin tingles, and the air feels like it does before a storm. Again, you attempt to focus on the words in front of you, but you can no longer comprehend them. All you can think about is the definite shift you’ve sensed in Leo—and the precarious question mark hanging in the space between you.

Because lately, the way he looks at you—it feels … different.

The words on the page have become meaningless squiggles, drowned out by the roaring silence and the frantic beat of your own heart against your ribs. Just now, you feel that look again. That focused stare. You try to take a slow, steadying breath, but it hitches halfway. Then you risk another look at Leo—

—and this time, he doesn’t look away immediately.

Instead, his eyes meet yours. And for a beat, you swear you feel the air crackle. There’s a tension in his jaw you’ve learned to recognize as him grappling with something internally. He continues to hold your gaze, not looking away. You swallow, rooted to the spot.

Inevitably, something shatters the moment.

“Ooooh, lookie here! Study buddies getting intense?” Mikey’s voice booms as he skateboards into the main room, executing a wobbly turn.

Leo’s posture goes ramrod straight. Every muscle seems to tense. “It’s called reading, Michelangelo.” He speaks in a clipped, overly formal tone—a sure sign of his discomfort.

Donnie wanders in, tapping away at a tablet. Though his eyes flick between you and Leo with keen interest. “Technically, Mikey’s right. Leo’s bio-feedback readings have shown a slight elevation in heart rate and galvanic skin response when you’re in close proximity.”

You press your lips together, trying not to laugh as you bookmark the page and close your book. Oh boy, you think as Raph enters the room. Here we go. The peace is officially over.

Raph glances from a now distinctly uncomfortable Leo to you, a knowing smirk spreading across his face. “Yeah, ‘reading’. Looks more like our fearless leader is trying to figure out how to use his words for something other than barking orders.” He gives Leo a pointed look.

Leo’s shoulders bunch up even further, and he shoots Raph a glare that could curdle milk. “I was contemplating strategy, Raphael. Something you might benefit from trying occasionally, instead of just charging in.” The deflection is immediate, sharp.

You tuck your feet beneath you on the couch, feeling the tension in the room climbing. “He’s right, guys,” you say softly, trying to inject a note of casualness. “We were just enjoying the quiet.”

“Quiet? Dude, the air was buzzing!” Mikey insists, ditching his board and planting his feet firmly on the floor. “Like, zzzzt! Electric eel quiet!” He makes buzzing noises and wiggles his fingers for emphasis.

“My sensors registered a distinct increase in localized atmospheric ions,” Donnie says, “that are consistent with elevated emotional states. Fascinating, really.” He taps his screen again. “Further analysis pending.”

Leo makes a strangled noise in the back of his throat. “Donnie,” he grits out.

Raph folds his arms over his plastron, that knowing smirk still firmly in place. “Aw, relax, Leo. Nobody’s judging.” He pauses, letting the implication hang heavy. “Much.” He winks at you, making you blush. “Just sayin’, Leo. Maybe Musashi ain’t the only thing holdin’ your attention these days.”

“Shut up, Raph,” Leo snaps, his gaze darting towards you, checking your reaction.

“Aw, is Leo getting flustered?” Mikey teases, grinning as he looks at you. “You finally break through that super-serious shell of his?”

Heat floods your face, matching the flush you see creeping up Leo’s neck.

You manage a small, slightly shaky laugh. “You guys are relentless,” you say, aiming for amused rather than mortified. You gesture vaguely towards the books resting nearby. “There’s no ‘shell breaking’ going on. We were just reading.”

Leo pushes himself abruptly out of the chair, his movements stiff and jerky. He places The Book of Five Rings down on the armrest with more force than necessary. “Enough, Mikey,” he bites out, his voice low and tight with warning. He refuses to look directly at you, his gaze fixed somewhere over Mikey’s shoulder, his jaw clenched tight.

“Actually,” Donnie begins, adjusting his glasses, “the ‘shell’ metaphor is interesting. Because psychologically, prolonged exposure to a non-threatening, emotionally open individual can foster increased vulnerability and trust in subjects typically exhibiting guarded behavior. My preliminary data correlates with a significant decrease in Leo’s baseline stress markers when in your presence, contrasted with—”

Raph snorts, cutting Donnie off. “See? Even Donnie agrees you’re gettin’ soft, Leo.” He grins wider, thoroughly enjoying the leader’s discomfort. “Must be all that … quiet reading.”

“Is Leo gonna start writing poetry now?” Mikey says, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet, completely oblivious to Leo’s darkening expression—or perhaps relishing it far too much. “Ooh! Or maybe singing love songs?” He strikes a dramatic pose, hand over his heart.

“That’s enough!” Leo finally snaps. His voice cracks through the room like a whip, sharp enough to make even Mikey flinch back a step.

The playful teasing evaporates instantly. For a fraction of a second, Leo’s furious gaze lands on you. You see a flash of something raw and conflicted—Panic? Frustration? Regret?—before he wrenches his eyes away and pivots on his heel. “I’m going to train.”

Before he can go far, Raph grabs his arm. “Leo, wait. We didn’t mean—”

“Let me go.” Leo shakes off Raph’s hand, his voice low, strained. His gaze flits momentarily back to you, and the raw emotion you glimpsed earlier—that maelstrom of panic and frustration—is starkly visible before he clamps down on it again, hardening his expression.

Raph lets out a heavy sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. The smirk is long gone, replaced by a frown of genuine concern mixed with self-reproach. “Leo, we’re sorry. Didn’t mean to push ya like that. We got kinda … carried away.” He casts an apologetic glance at you as well.

Mikey looks up, nodding quickly. “Yeah, dude. Sorry. We were just messing around. Because you know, the two of you …” He gestures vaguely between Leo and you, opens his mouth to say something—before wincing slightly, thinking better of finishing that train of thought.

Leo’s about to throw some barbs at his youngest brother when you stand abruptly and go over to him. “It’s okay,” you say, trying to calm him. “They’re just being—”

“Annoying?” Leo bites out. “Intrusive?”

“Accurate,” Donnie supplies, leveling a look directly at Leo.

“Seriously,” Raph says. “We see how you get all quiet and weird—well, quieter and weirder—when she’s around. So just spit it out already.”

He glares at Raph. “There’s nothing to ‘spit out.’ Unlike some people, I don’t feel the need to broadcast every fleeting thought or impulse that crashes through my head.” The insult is sharp, aimed squarely at his hot-headed brother.

Mikey winces again, glancing between his two oldest brothers nervously.

Raph raises his hands in a placating gesture. “Whoa, easy, Leo. Just sayin’—”

“Saying what, exactly?” Leo cuts him off, his control fraying. “That I enjoy quiet companionship? That I value having someone around who … who understands me?” His eyes flicker briefly, almost involuntarily, towards you again.

Your cheeks grow warm once more. But before Leo can say anything else, you quickly move forward, laying a hand gently on his arm. “Please, Leo,” you murmur, your voice soft but clear. “It’s okay. Really.”

He freezes at your touch. His muscles remain rigid beneath your hand, taut as bowstrings. But the furious energy seems to stall, caught short by your intervention. He looks down at your hand resting on his arm, his plastron rising and falling with agitated breaths. Then, slowly, he lifts his gaze to your face.

The anger in his eyes vanishes, momentarily overwhelmed by that conflicted look again. His vulnerability warring fiercely with his ingrained need for composure. And for a fleeting second, he looks utterly lost.

Exposed.

Raph watches the silent exchange between you and Leo, his own expression softening considerably. He nudges Mikey. “C’mon, guys,” Raph says quietly. “Let’s, uh … Let’s give ‘em some space.”

Mikey nods, looking immensely relieved to escape the line of fire. “Yeah! Space! Totally! Good idea, Raph!” He backs away towards the tunnels.

Donnie again looks between the two of you, before following Mikey out of the lair. Raph joins them soon after, leaving the room to fall quiet again.

It’s heavy, thick with everything that was just said.

And everything that wasn’t.

Leo hasn’t moved. He’s still looking at you, your hand still resting on his arm. The tension hasn’t fully left him, but the volatile anger has receded. Slowly, deliberately, he covers your hand with his own for a second—before pulling away. It’s not a rejection so much as a gathering of courage.

He turns away slightly, running a hand over his face, his gaze fixed on the floor. “I … apologize,” he says, the word strained. “For their behavior. And … for my reaction. It was inappropriate.”

“It’s okay,” you say softly. “Brothers tease. It happens.”

He shakes his head. He still won’t look directly at you, focusing instead on the worn pattern of the rug. “No. It’s not just teasing.” He pauses, his shoulders tensing as if bracing for impact. “They weren’t entirely … wrong.”

Your breath catches in your throat. You wait, hardly daring to breathe, as he visibly struggles with himself. His fists clench and unclench at his sides. He takes a deep, unsteady breath, the kind you’ve seen him take before facing a daunting opponent.

Finally, he turns back to face you. His eyes meet yours, and the turbulent emotions beneath shatter his usual discipline. The raw vulnerability you glimpsed earlier is fully present now, unguarded and intense.

“Donnie’s observations,” he begins, his voice rough, stumbling slightly over the words. “And Raph’s … accusations.” He swallows hard, his gaze unwavering now, locked onto yours. “While crudely delivered, they hold a measure of truth.”

He takes another breath, forcing the next words out. “My focus—it has been compromised lately. When you are here.” He gestures vaguely towards the couch, towards the shared space, towards you. “This quiet companionship, as I called it. It’s become … significant. To me.”

He pauses again, the silence stretching, amplifying the frantic beat of your own heart. You can see the effort it’s costing him, the sheer force of will required to push past years of ingrained stoicism and emotional suppression.

“I find your presence centering,” he continues, the formality of his words contrasting with the emotion in his eyes. “And distracting. Simultaneously.” A faint, self-deprecating grimace touches his lips before vanishing. “My thoughts deviate from strategy. My focus … shifts.”

He looks down briefly, then meets your gaze again, his own filled with a hesitant, almost uncertain intensity. “What I mean to say,” he finally manages, the words quiet but clear in the heavy silence, “is that my feelings for you extend beyond friendship.”

He doesn’t say more. He simply stands there, stiff as a board, his jaw clenched. As if preparing for a blow after having laid his carefully guarded heart bare. His eyes, usually so calm and assessing, are wide, searching yours, filled with a potent mixture of apprehension and hope.

You can only stare, the echo of Leo’s words reverberating in the space between you. It’s the confirmation of the subtle shift you’d sensed, the answer to the unspoken question that had been tightening your own chest for weeks. But hearing it spoken aloud by him causes a warmth to bloom inside you, chasing away the anxiety that has plagued you for so long.

You see the tight set of his shoulders, the way his hands are still loosely fisted at his sides as if he’s bracing for rejection. For the possibility that he’d misread everything, that he’d shattered the comfortable dynamic you share for nothing. You take a hesitant step closer, closing the small distance between you.

Shoving down your own introverted caution. Because he deserves the same honesty he just offered you.

“Leo,” you breathe, your voice barely a whisper.

You lift a hand, not quite touching him yet, letting it hover in the charged air between you. “That quiet companionship …” you begin, echoing his earlier words, your voice gaining a little strength. “It’s … significant for me, too.”

Relief flashes across his face, but he remains still. Waiting.

“I thought … I thought maybe I was imagining things,” you admit, a wobbly laugh escaping you. “The way you looked at me sometimes. The way it felt just sitting here. Reading.” You finally meet his gaze fully, letting him see the emotion swimming in your own eyes. “It wasn’t just comfortable silence anymore, was it?”

He shakes his head mutely, his throat working as he swallows.

“My focus hasn’t exactly been stellar either,” you confess, a small smile touching your lips. “These last few weeks, maybe longer. Trying to read when all I can really think about is …” You trail off, suddenly finding it hard to say the words, your own vulnerability rising to the surface.

You take another step, finally closing the gap. Your hand finds his arm again, resting gently on firm muscle. This time, he doesn’t pull away. Instead, his own hand covers yours almost instantly, his grip surprisingly gentle but firm, anchoring you.

“Leo,” you say again, your voice steadier now. “My feelings for you … they extend beyond friendship, too.” You take a deep breath, the words tumbling out in a rush of relieved honesty. “A lot further. I …” You swallow. “I love you.”

The admission hangs in the air, raw and true.

For a heartbeat, Leo just stares at you, his eyes searching yours as if trying to absorb the reality of your words. Then, the tension visibly drains out of him. His shoulders slump in relief, his posture relaxing. His grip on your hand tightens possessively. A slow, tentative smile—one that reaches his eyes—transforms his face, erasing the lines of worry.

It makes your heart do a ridiculous flip.

“You …” he starts, his voice thick with emotion, almost rough. He clears his throat. “You do?”

You nod, unable to speak past the lump in your throat, your smile mirroring his. Tears prickle at the corners of your eyes. Not from sadness, but from overwhelming relief and happiness.

He raises his other hand, his fingers brushing gently against your cheek. The contact sends shivers down your spine. He seems momentarily lost for words, the disciplined leader grappling with an emotion far more complex than any battle strategy.

“I …” He shakes his head slightly, that small smile lingering. “I hoped. But I wasn’t sure.” He leans closer, gently cupping your face. “I love you too,” he murmurs, his breath warm against your skin.

The world seems to narrow down to just the two of you. Leo’s thumb strokes gently over the back of your hand. His other hand remains cupped against your face, his touch feather-light but possessive. His gaze flickers down to your lips, then back up to meet your eyes. You give the slightest nod, a silent permission that sends another wave of warmth flooding through you.

He leans in slowly, deliberately, giving you every chance to pull away, true to his nature. But you don’t move. You meet him halfway, rising on your toes. The space between you disappears. His lips meet yours, tentative at first. His lips are surprisingly soft against yours, moving with a hesitant tenderness that makes your heart ache in the best possible way.

You sigh softly into the kiss, your free hand coming up to rest against his plastron, feeling the steady, strong beat of his heart beneath your palm. It’s racing almost as fast as your own. He deepens the kiss slightly, his hand tightening its hold on yours. It feels like coming home, like finding a piece of yourself you hadn’t realized was missing.

When he finally pulls back, it’s only by a fraction, his forehead resting against yours. His eyes remain closed for a moment, as if savoring the connection. You keep yours shut for a few moments, too.

“Wow,” you murmur, your eyes fluttering open.

An unguarded smile touches his lips again. “Yeah,” he agrees. “Wow.” He gently brushes a stray strand of hair from your face.

He takes your other hand, holding both securely in his grasp. He looks down at your joined hands, then back up at you, his expression serene, resolute. The vulnerability is still there, but tempered now with confidence, with the quiet joy of reciprocated feeling.

“So,” he says after a few moments, a hint of his usual pragmatic nature returning, though softened around the edges. “Reading might be … slightly more challenging from now on.”

A laugh bubbles up from your chest, light and happy. “Might be,” you agree. “But I think … I think I’m okay with that.”

He smiles—a proper, heart-stopping smile that lights up his face. He leans down and presses a brief, sweet kiss to your forehead.

Your respective stories have taken a turn neither of you fully anticipated. But it is a chapter you were both eager to finally write.

Together.

[crescenthistory]

Hey, Carina! I wanted to congratulations you on 2k and say I hope this awful anon didn't affect you, they're wrong, ok? You, elle, and all the others that unfortunately were being bothered are wonderful 💗

Can I have an analyze with poly!rosekiller x potter!reader who get close after jegulus start dating? You don't have to do it if you don't write for rosekiller!

Kisses, kisses, bye! <3

hi darling<33 thank you for saying that, you are such a sweetheart. i'm alright and won't take online things too hard thankfully. big hugs to you!

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i will ANALYSE poly!rosekiller x potter!reader

carina's 2k celebration

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cw: fem!reader, references to sex, manipulative bcj and ev, semi-open relationship, background jegulus, happy ending

i imagine barty and evan have been unofficially recognised as soulmates since first year and then officially began traditionally dating in fifth year

however, nothing about their relationship was ever really traditional – they had their own way of communicating almost telepathically that no one else understood and had unique boundaries

for instance, it was not uncommon for the two of them to invite someone else into the bedroom for the night, or simply just collectively admire them from afar

evan is on the ace spectrum in my book and i think he views most human connections as something to study and pick apart, while barty views his body and personality as tools

it works out for them because they find understanding and love in each other

as the slytherin friend group has been quite heavily opposed to the gryffindors from day one, one of the things that truly frustrated rosekiller, though perhaps mostly barty, was that "those potters just had to be proper fit"

he would sling comments like that around every now and again over the years, rolling his eyes at you twins, who remained oblivious to how you're being discussed from across the room

dorcas, who always bantered with barty most freely, would answer with "gryffindors are allowed to look good, you know" or "go shag them then, if you're so hung up on it"

he never would, only ever scowling or snarling at you when you were near, though he kept grumbling about how you and james just had to be so "perfect"

dorcas laughed with him, evan only ever raised his brow or stoically nodded in agreement, and pandora didn't really interfere – but regulus, he always kept quiet

you can imagine rosekiller's reaction when regulus eventually lets them know in sixth year that he is dating james, and behind sirius' back at that

barty couldn't decide whether he was livid that regulus was dating a gryffindor, jealous that he was dating a potter or ecstatic that he was dating his brother's best friend

evan decided on all three right then and there – without making a big deal out of it

"big black isn't going to like that," he drawled with a raised brow from the seat across regulus

"and you do?" regulus was always extra sassy when he was feeling defensive

"no, but i don't intend to deal with the consequences the way he has to"

i have always imagined that if regulus willingly tells his friends about james, they wouldn't really understand it to begin with, because regulus will rarely ever show emotions if he can help it

so, unless it's revealed in the heat of the moment or during a breakdown, i think rosekiller would misunderstand the nature of jegulus' relationship to begin with

evan didn't understand that there is such an emotional depth there, that there is true love at play – it felt more natural that this is a jab at reg's brother while also getting with one of the fittest guys at school

(his own excluded)

barty was a lot more emotive, wanting answers and explanations from regulus, all but demanding they either breakup or engage in a foursome, but evan reeled him in with a hand on his shoulder in that way only he could

they let it be – for now

because evan had a plan; if regulus could break the unofficial 'no gryffindors rule', then so could they

how do they wreak the most amount of chaos in the marauders' circle while also taking advantage of a once in a lifetime opportunity?

they try to get with you, of course

james' twin sister and light of his life is adequate revenge for him 'defiling' their star, regulus

the look on sirius and james' faces alone would be worth it, but rosekiller had both always had this fascination with you specifically that they weren't mad about getting to act on

so, while jegulus is still a secret from sirius, they try to approach you in secret as often as possible

at first in the hallways when walking to class

"little potter, wait up!" barty would yell, running up behind you

you would give him a weirdly amused look and clarify that you were born first, to which evan would hold his hands up

"fair correction. big potter, then."

they walk with you and try to chat you up, just falling a little short of their goal

mostly because evan had expected barty, the infamous flirt he is, to take the lead with you, and he didn't. barty fell oddly quiet, almost stuttering.

if it didn't botch evan's plans, he would have found it painfully endearing

unlike your brother, you don't have as much of an immediate dislike for slytherins and wouldn't have been opposed to a friendship with them had it not been for how they actively scowled at and avoided you for years

but precisely because of your brother, you could also smell a prank from miles away

so you engaged in banter with them, but kept them at arm's reach as they approached you in hallways, in the courtyard, in hogsmeade

you could tell they were trying to flirt within the first few times, despite being thrown off by their change in energy

but you became more uncertain over the weeks as they seemed to grow... comfortable? with you?

behind the scenes, evan had scolded barty a little for growing shy the first few times, but became quickly distracted himself as they talked more and more with you

it took longer than expected – and they inadvertently grew comfortable with you

considering how you kept brushing them off, what wound up happening most of the times they approached you is that you just... talked. together. for longer than evan talked with even most of his friends

hm. peculiar.

speaking of, pandora was just sitting there smiling endearingly at her two boys floundering around the whole time, always knowing where this was leading

eventually, rosekiller became comfortable enough around you and forgetful enough of the plan that they wound up speaking to you in public, with your brother and friends near

that's when regulus noticed first, having wondered where the hell his friends have been running off to

the look he sent his two best mates was the definition of deadly

they would yell something at you across the great hall and sirius would immediatley whip his face around to look at you.

"you're on speaking terms with rosier and junior, pots?"

you just shrugged, kind of brushing it off

even as it happened again on the quidditch field with barty waving at you from the field as they fought against hufflepuff

"bub, what is going on?" james would ask

"i don't know. i think they're just a bit odd. you know, socially."

rosekiller accept that their plan has not worked out at all, so they deviate from it one final time – instead of trying to hook up with you at some party, they ask you out

in the hallway, after your final classes of the day

you just laugh at them

which, ironically, is when they both realise they actually, genuinely, disturbingly like you

"okay, it's time you two spit it out. why are you running around after me and flirting with me like this?"

you knew it was a failed prank somehow, but you didn't get what, how or why – it amused you, really

evan composed himself, trying to think of the strategically best answer to give you when you're so clearly calling them out on their bullshit

unfortunately, barty is wired a little differently

"regulus is shagging your brother"

instead of saying something to risk you getting upset with them – which, based on their track record with you, barty did fear they might – he said the one thing you might all unite on

"WHAT?!"

unlike barty and evan, you aren't upset with the idea of gryffindor and slytherin or potter and black – but you were bloody pissed at your brother for keeping it a secret from you

barty spills everything regulus had told them, though of course affected by his own interpretation of it

"they've been shagging ever since big black sent potter to check in on regulus, the fucking audacity he had," barty would grumble, to which you only raised your brow

"yes, how dare he care" combined with an eyeroll

then, you would squint your eyes at the both of them, reading how annoyed or frustrated they are with the idea of regulus and james

evan could feel his stomach dropping for once, feeling scrutnised by you only shortly after embracing the idea that he maybe cares what you think and feel

luckily, you only burst out laughing when you realise

"is that why i've gotten myself two street cats suddenly? you want revenge on my brother?"

for once, barty is stunned while evan is stuttering

"i- we-" he cuts himself off and embraces it. "yeah. a potter for a potter. i guess."

"i won't apologise, but you know... sorry," barty added. "to be fair, i think we went after the better one."

which is when your grin went from amused to a bit sweet

"you're two right idiots, you know," you started, taking enough pleasure in how they're squirming to prove that maybe the three of you are an alright match. "but i'll help you."

barty's jaw was nearing the floor while evan's eyes began to gleam

you held up one finger. "except, not how you maybe originally planned." you looked at them both with a mischievous glint that made your relationship to james undeniable. "if you truly want to go out to dinner, we can. the revenge is, we don't tell james either."

at this point, barty was ready to admit to himself that he didn't give a fuck about the revenge anymore

a quick glance sideways to his partner, he saw his own emotions reflected there in a way only he could decipher. and maybe, hopefully, you could one day, too.

suffice to say, you went out to many, many dinners

at hogsmeade in hiding, around the hogwarts grounds, once at the edge of the forbidden forest

enter a montage of laughing and falling in love in springtime

the boys could now be fully comfortable with you in a way neither of them could ever have expected – the beginning of a genuine relationship

you took lighthearted enjoyment in knowing you are keeping it from james when he had kept something big from you

meanwhile rosekiller immediately told regulus and giggled at how horrified he was

"don't you bloody dare ruin this for me," reg would moan in a mix of a plead and a complaint

"if anything, we're making it easier on you, pretty boy"

the best part of the punchline, though, was that james, of course, knew too

the poor sod sat in his dorm, positively tweaking seeing his twin sister running around as a part of a new disturbing trio on his little map

unable to confront you on it without being a massive hypocrite

and barty was right – their emerging relationship with you, did make life easier for jegulus, too

because when sirius noticed the three of you on the map and wanted to confront them, james had to be the one to stop him

"excuse me, prongs? are you just going to let that lot run around with your sister?" (and if sirius almost said our sister, james didn't mention it)

james would sigh, squeezing his eyes shut

he had been avoiding and postponing this conversation with sirius simply out of fear of how he might take it – that's why he didn't tell you either, he knew it had to be sirius first and he was simply too scared

but how else would he explain that he couldn't interfere in your relationship without setting a precedence against his own without telling him?

so, at last, james told him everything

and he truly was a poor sod for having tortured himself over something sirius already had been expecting since fourth year

a happy ending<3

james would come up to you in the common room one day, looking somehow both mischievous and sheepish

he toed your shoe with his to get you to look at him and sat down across from you

"you know, don't you?" he asked carefully

"that you're an asshole? damn right."

he playfully smacked you, "don't be cruel"

you tilted your head at him and inquired back. "are you telling me because you know too?"

he failed to fight back a wince. you kicked his shin under the table. "yeah, yeah, i know."

"and?"

"i won't ruin it for you if you don't ruin it for me"

your smile was nothing short of loving. "deal."

[lemotmo]

What do you think Temu's role is in next week's episode? Apart from the funeral, (though I have fucking idea why he's carrying the coffin and not anyone else from A shift)

(Hopefully his final one!)

Yeah, the choice of him carrying that coffin is just weird. The 118 isn't just made up of Hen, Eddie (will be back soon), Chimney, Buck and Ravi. There are plenty of other firefighters at the station. We see them all the time in the background. It would make more sense that one of them would carry that coffin. He was their captain too.

But for plot reasons I suppose they decided to use Tommy. 🙄

I do think Tommy is there for a reason. We've seen in 15 that Buck and Tommy are back on good terms, but we also know that a relationship between them would never work. One, because Tommy knows that Buck isn't as interested in him as he would like him to be, mainly because he heavily suspects that Buck is in love with Eddie.

And two? Well, he is right. Buck is in love with Eddie. He just doesn't want to see it or even acknowledge it. 🤷‍♀️

But how could they fit that in the episode?

Well, I keep coming back to all the parallels between 7x03, 7x04, 8x15 and possibly 8x16:

I've been thinking about Tommy's arc. It started with him flying his helicopter to save Bathena (7x03). The next episode (7x4) he tried to woo Eddie, but ended up kissing Buck.

Now he, once again, flew his helicopter to help save Chimney and the others in 15. He showed up because Buck called him.

We also know that Eddie will be back in 16. I've speculated before that I think there'll be a convo between Tommy and Eddie. I really think this I'll happen as a parallel to 7x04, where Tommy and Eddie were shown to be friends. We do know that Eddie stopped talking to Tommy when BT broke up, so it might be a bit of an awkward conversation where both feel out of their depth.

Additionally I potentially see Tommy give Eddie some kind of hint as to not wait to long to go after what he wants or something generic like that. Which will undoubtedly puzzle Eddie and might be something that he can't get out of his head in the two last episodes.

So, my current theory for 8x16 is that they will parallel the scene where Tommy comes over to Buck's loft in 7x04. Only this time it won't end with Tommy kissing Buck.

So Tommy shows up at Buck's house after the funeral to check in on him and finds Eddie already there, taking care of Buck because Eddie knows exactly what Buck needs. At the same time Buck will also take care of Eddie, because he lost Bobby too. Tommy will probably also find out that Eddie is staying with Buck as long as he's in LA.

Cue the awkward conversation (+ possible hint) with Eddie I talked about in the paragraphs above. Tommy might then have a short talk with Buck (probably in the kitchen again) that links back to the kitchen conversation after they hooked up.

And that might just trigger Buck to realise that life is too short. He can't just keep denying these feelings he has for Eddie. Cue Buck realising and accepting that he is actually in love with his best friend.

It might even end with a nice Buddie scene after Tommy leaves. Now, in a perfect world it would end with a Buddie kiss to parallel the BT kiss, but I don't think we are quite there yet. It seems a bit too fanficy. And also... Bobby just died. Now might not be the best time. 😫😂

So most probably Eddie will ask Buck if he is okay and Buck will just stand there trying to be normal with the realisation that he has fallen in love with Eddie.

Oh and let's not forgot the Bathena parallel in both episodes either. In 7x03 Buck and Athena had a reunion on the ship with Buck, Eddie and Tommy looking at them.

In 8x16 they'll (hopefully if Bobby is still alive) have another reunion as Bobby will be back. Probably with everyone there to see it.

(Yes, I am a Bobby is alive truther. Trust.😌)

I also don't think that Eddie's realisation will be too far behind once we have confirmation of Buck's feelings. Oliver has expressed his concerns before of not wanting to do the storyline of the bisexual man falling for his straight best friend. So I think they'll try to avoid that by making sure that Eddie will start his own journey of realisation as he starts to get more and more aware that Buck is a part of his joy and happiness in life.

All right everyone, keep in mind that this is just speculation.😋 These are my thoughts about what MIGHT happen in 8x16, based on what we know so far (which is almost nothing) and based on parallels with previous episodes. So please take all of this with a grain of salt. I'm here for the fandom fun, but I'm not clairvoyant. 😉

This might shock you, but I have been wrong before in my spec. 😂😂😂

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

In Class 2

I was going to wait to binge watch the rest of the show tomorrow but honestly I need to put this show behind me for several reasons. Let me just get this out of the way before I say anything else. I am a big fan of the manhwa, simple as it may be. I have lived with these characters in my head for two years now. So my bias is clearly showing. But one thing that I want to make perfectly clear. Just because I love the manhwa, and admittedly I have a bias, does not mean I am dense, and incapable of watching and judging the show as it's own thing. I still have a brain. Ok. Now for the show. This usually goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. These are my opinions. Read at your own risk.

This is not a bad show. It's also not a bl. And that fact alone, makes this a bad adaptation. Let’s be honest, they adapted a bl and turned it into something that’s not a bl any more, as many have stated before. This is a kdrama with queer themes. Liking the show, and even acknowledging that it’s good, doesn’t change that fact. And if people honestly can't understand why people would have a problem with that, then nothing I will say about it will make a difference.

Now for the actual show. As a kdrama this isn't a bad series. The characters have depth, the astronomy metaphors are clever, even if at times they felt really heavy-handed, the acting is really good, for the most part, and there are some brilliant scenes that could make this show a great one. But it doesn't all come together. It's inconsistent. And it doesn't commit to its queerness. It's a series that was made two years ago, and it shows. Maybe even further back, actually. Which, regardless of my feelings for the source, is just sad. I'm not a romance kdrama watcher so I have no real frame of reference in that regard. But it seems like this show wanted to be a couple of different things but ended up not being either. It's not queer enough to be a bl, but it's too queer to be mainstream. It's not hard to see why this show couldn't find distribution for two years. They were aiming for mainstream but that was never gonna happen two years ago. Well, it didn't happen right now either, so...

My favourite part was the sisters. I love them. I think their various adventures in dating were really important as a parallel to Heesu. Which is one of the reasons I don't think the Chanyoung and JiYu couple were necessary to drive that point home. Nor do I think that's why they were there. One of my favourite scenes was Heesu coming out to his sister. And her reaction basically being, "Oh, I should say I love him now, that's what one should do in this situation." It was so well done.

Ahn Ji Ho was great as Heesu. Just really great. His emotions shined through beautifully throughout the whole series. Lee Sang Jun also did an amazing job as Seung Won. His physicality was on point at all times. I love these two so much. 

I think time was not used efficiently here. Mostly with the queer couple. I live for pining besties. But by episode 9, there were way too many chances and everything with the hets was already in the open, so why stretch it out? Cause it feels purposefully stretched. The editing in the final two episodes was a mess and I kept wondering what might've been left on the cutting room floor. It just didn't flow at all, and I kept getting pulled out of the emotional journey. It really seemed like they were forced to have 10 episodes but they couldn't really give us more than 5 minutes of the boys together so they made a mess of things in the final stretch.

I think the friendship between Heesu and Chanyoung was the weaker part of all this. They never felt, to me, like best friends. A lot of times, there's an issue with friends to lovers, which is the blurring of lines. You are crushing on your best friend, so everything becomes deeper, more hurtful, than if he was just your best friend.  I think for the most part, Heesu navigated this pretty well. We've certainly seen much worse. He slipped sometimes and messed up, but he never really stopped being by Chanyoung's side. 

However, this is still a very unbalanced friendship, mostly because of Chanyoung. He makes fun of Heesu for not having any friends, but it seems like he has the same problem. Cause it seems like he only reaches out to Heesu when he has a problem. He comes and goes as he pleases, and if he hadn't been sleeping at his house and seen Heesu unable to sleep, I doubt he would've noticed anything was wrong with Heesu at all. I'm not saying Heesu was a perfect friend, btw. But the confession scene and the subsequent summoning of Heesu to the tennis court where Chanyoung could feel safe, where he literally has home court advantage, where he could throw balls at Heesu, was a step too far for me. (Also, JiYu, you could do better!)

I liked the final three minutes because I have a heart. And I could finally watch my boys be together even if only for a short time. But it came too late and it stumbled too much to get there for me to feel the level of joy that I usually get. I think I needed more of them throughout the show to feel that same sense of joy when they moved past all the hurdles and finally got together.

I think maybe I should stop now. I think I could forgive more about this show if it was actually mainstream. If I could say, you know what? At least we're getting a queer coming of age story in a mainstream kdrama. I might still not like that they chose this manhwa for it, because there’s no shortage of those, so to pick one that is just about two boys falling in love and little else confuses me. But at least then I could feel like something was accomplished here. As it stands, I'm just left disappointed by a show that I had been waiting for since I first read the manhwa a couple of years ago.

[syndrossi]

I was re-reading some of the aus and have been struck by a desire to see Rhea's POV of Reverberate AU. Can you tell me what Rhea was thinking when Daemon came back to Runestone? I want to knooooow. And what about after she had (or her sister had) the twins?

I'm also kind of curious about Runestone's response to Rhea finally having heirs (babies!) in Reverberate or even Regnal. I hope they were beloved. Did Jon and Rhaegar get spoiled by the servants???

Buckle up, this is a long one!

I imagine it was a shouting match at first between Rhea and Daemon when he first showed up, because he was flinging accusations about her planning to hide Elys's child(ren) by marrying her off quickly and quietly. Even Daemon showing up was a bit of a shock. I like to think that for half a second she was charitable enough to believe that he had returned out of remorse about dishonoring her sister and to confess. Which...I suppose from a certain point of view, you can squint and see it. But Daemon came in with fire and fury, and she matched it in kind.

At which point Daemon realized he needed to back off and take a different approach, so instead he made his absolute best case for desiring fatherhood. (Knowing just how much losing those years ate at him in Resonant, there were probably genuine tears as he detailed every which way that he would care for his sons--er, children. Uh, child.)

Rhea, who has always assumed that Daemon has the emotional depth of a potato, would have been pretty caught of guard by that. It would have transitioned to bargaining (with Elys herself likely speaking up, wanting the best for her child). And that would be when Daemon made his proposal that Rhea pretend that she's pregnant and claim them--uh, the babe, as her own. LOOK, he just really thinks that there are twins in there, okay?

I doubt she agreed immediately. There was likely a week of Daemon doing everything he possibly could to ingratiate himself with her (much to his resentment) as well as guilt her (by making it clear just how desperately he wants children) into agreeing. Which, hilariously, the Runestone household servants almost certainly read as once the "pregnancy" was revealed as: "Daemon fucked off to the Stepstones like the brat he is, only to receive a raven from Lady Royce that she was with child, prompting him to return and beg her forgiveness."

I don't think Rhea ultimately agrees to the scheme for Daemon's sake, but because it does seem like the best solution. Her sister's honor is preserved, she gets an heir, Daemon might actually be semi-tolerable with the distraction of fatherhood. And Daemon likely pointed out repeatedly that what she had been considering bordered on treason, if Viserys ever caught wind. And I'm sure he made it clear that there were only two options: either she claimed them, or Daemon claimed them immediately as his bastards.

So after a week, they put the scheme into motion. Rhea announced her pregnancy and expressed a desire to retire to the summer estate for the fresher air. Daemon went into planning overdrive, arranging every possible thing the nursery might need. The servants probably still were side-eyeing him, but vaguely hopeful that this represented a turning point in Lady Royce's useless ponce of a husband.

And much as Rhea herself maintained a healthy suspicion, I'm sure Daemon's enthusiasm and care wore it down over the weeks/months. I doubt her own resentment over his betrayal (and her sister's) waned as quickly, but she accepted at a certain point that Daemon did apparently know how to care for someone other than himself.

I do think it took the twins' birth and parenting them together to finally break down the most fortified walls between them, though not completely. We can see even in Reverberate that Daemon wrestles with reconciling his fury at Rhea due to the pain and loss he felt in Resonant at her hands vs what it is almost a debt he owes her for agreeing to the scheme here. (And seeing himself that she also has a heart.)

As for the household response to the babies, it varies a bit between Regnal and Reverberate! In Regnal, the pregnancy happens so fast (with Daemon getting to "rehabilitate" his initial poor impression by being assigned responsibilities by Rhea that demonstrated trust) that there isn't time for much rancor to develop between them, so the initial tension is written off as Rhea successfully managing an overly proud teenaged husband. So a lot less focus on Daemon, and much more focus (especially with Baelon's involvement) on the twins as a source of pride. The king himself (as well as his heir) have taken a personal interest in Rhea's babes, after all.

Of course, that interest means a lot of split time between Runestone and King's Landing, which means when the twins are home, they get even more fussed over, because the poor lambs have had to deal with the filth and corruption of King's Landing, and isn't it nice to breathe in the fresh sea air and see proper mountains in the distance?

Whereas in Reverberate, in some ways they're even more celebrated, but instead because Rhea has been childless for so long that everyone assumed she would have to select an heir from the other males of her family, since her husband was useless. Instead, now she has heirs, and her line will live on, and since she has been such a beloved ruler, they're thrilled that one of her sons will inherit instead. There's also that lingering suspicion toward Daemon that dissipates probably within the first month of him devoting his every waking hour to them. And Rhea leads by example, treating him as more of a partner (albeit not in the ruling of Runestone itself).

I like to think that he slowly wins them all over (Rhea included) with his displays of exuberance and joy over the twins. The sling he has commissioned so that he can carry them both, the silly races where he abandons all dignity to make them laugh, the secret dragon rides that they learn to pretend not to notice once it's clear that Rhea isn't truly upset.

And then there's Rhea herself. She had many of the same assumptions as the rest of the inhabitants of Runestone. She's reasonably fond of Allard, though she doesn't know him especially well, so she had felt okay about making him her heir. But there had been some regret, I think, that the cost of her independence had been a marriage to Daemon and thus no reasonable chance of her own heir. She had spent so long assuming she would have a childless rule that suddenly having not just one baby but two is a bit overwhelming at first. (It definitely helps that they're so well-behaved.) But I also think that just holding them in her arms, she felt a connection, and that drives some of her guilt over taking them from her sister. The fact that she had wanted them. That part of her was glad that events had played out this way, even if it would have been easier if her and Daemon's very brief, reluctant copulation before he left had resulted in her pregnancy instead.

Regnal!Rhea feels very differently, of course! She still views Daemon as somewhat immature/spoiled/arrogant like she did in the first few months of their marriage, but he's shown a lot of growth, in ways that are a lot easier to believe than with Reverberate!Daemon where there's so much history. But she can see them building a solid partnership, and it's early enough in their marriage that she still had assumed she would likely have children with him. She has more insecurity over her rule, since she's only been Lady Royce for a few months, and Baelon's constant interference doesn't particularly help at first. Learning that she can say "no" to him without him playing the "Heir to the Iron Throne" card helps a lot.

But whereas Reverberate!Rhea is secure in her lordship and left in peace to raise her children, Regnal!Rhea has to "grow up" quickly to hope for any control (or agency) at all over her own heirs' fates. So she gets maybe a few honeymoon weeks/months of them being just hers (and okay, sure, Daemon's; and apparently Baelon's) before the degree of the Crown's interference becomes apparent. I think the hardest and most unusual role for a female ruler of a holdfast to find herself in is to also be married into the royal house, because whereas most marriages in her situation would be matrilineal (where she has full control over her children and they are born into her house), hers are legally of House Targaryen, and the king himself is the head of their house, so he holds almost all the power.

So I could see her having quiet moments holding them on her lap, fretting over what the royal family will ask of her/them. And Jaehaerys formally declaring Daemon heir after Baelon (over Viserys) opens an entirely different can of worms, where she has to now think about what it might mean to be queen while also ruling Runestone, and how much more that will demand of her babies, and how to preserve their identity as children of the House Royce, not just House Targaryen.

[gcmercury]

doing things you suck at is important

I'm a Gojo gagger and I come by it honestly. I love him from the depths of my soul, he is very special. Does it come from the fact that I relate to him greatly? Maybe so. I cried harder when Ch 236 was leaked than I have at the loss of my last few relationships and personal tragedies that befell me. Why is this?

It's because Gege Akutami managed to put something I had felt my whole life into words. To be able to convey that sort of private loneliness, the one that comes from someone who's been through a great deal and although they've done their best to overcome, it still follows them. It's the Gojo that held himself apart from others, because something in him just couldn't bring himself to either let them in or he just didn't know how to in the same way others do.

It's lonely being neurodivergent. I relate to the messiness of Gojo's delivery when it comes to his feelings. I may say a few grand words and desperately hope they will understand because I can't say anything else. When pushed to the edge, I too am not able to mask and have also been called cruel and cold. "The kind of person who can cut their friends off out of nowhere, so what's to say I'm not next?" I had a (now former) friend say that to me. Recently. And yeah I proved them right I guess.

I feel it all. I have so much feeling to me I've had to learn how to bottle it and use it constructively, or I'd drive myself into ruin. Like learning to harness cursed energy, to use it efficiently.

Like Gojo, maybe I am overlooking the few people that do understand me in some sense. But at the same time I can't help how I feel. I have that part to me that always knows that pang of loneliness, the kind you just know existed before you really knew what it was. There was no reason for it, but you felt it all the same.

I cried because I know the feeling of loving those around you and knowing how much they love you too, and yet knowing what you feel is beyond them. I cried because it gave me hope that when it's my time someday, I'll be surrounded by my friends and family and pets who left before me and I won't be alone, even if I feel lonely my whole life. I cried because of the deep enjoyment of living out your life in a manner that is befitting of who you are despite every sorrow along the way.

Gojo inspired me in a way that woke me up inside during the summer of 2023. I started doing things again I had been subconsciously telling myself I wasn't capable of anymore and proving those thoughts wrong. I felt powerful and motivated and passionate, to be the most of myself.

His death absolutely crushed me. I still can't think about it or read Ch 236 without crying. Hell, I can barely bring myself to re-read parts of Gojo vs Sukuna without getting ridiculously emotional knowing how it ends (And I have this great love for Sukuna too).

Gojo is someone that has millions of admirers and fans. Sometimes I want to curse Gege for writing him so meta. For me, nothing hurts worse than someone loving you for their own fantasy of who you are. They project their fantasies about who they think you are and how you should act onto you, and then get extremely upset when you refuse to comply.

Which finally brings me to the point of this post. I love all of Gojo, and especially his rough edges that make him so real. It's why all of the JJK characters feel so real, because Gege wrote them as if they were, with the mistakes and messy feelings that come with being a real person.

I love that Gojo isn't this perfect mentor/teacher figure. He's late all the time. He's not prepared for class. He's too nonchalant. He's a natural genius and can't teach for shit. He still throws the important details to others. He's made some questionable decisions.

He doesn't have Geto there anymore to bounce things off of, to tell him maybe he shouldn't Hollow Purple Hanami, because they can't tell if that Special Grade curse was exorcised or not LMFAO. So Gojo has to make his own choices, and he is who he is. He makes choices based on that, and really, he does his best. One of my absolute favorite moments in JJK is this beautiful quote by Choso:

Gojo's at the top, and people are looking to him. In that way, he doesn't exactly have someone to ask if he's doing the right things or not. He had to make his choices and live with them, and so he kept making mistakes. He even made some of the same ones multiple times (which is certainly humbling irl).

He sought Megumi out for his talent, to hopefully be his first 'Strong And Intelligent Ally' -- a five, maybe six year old kid. That's not something most people would do, but maybe it speaks to the great respect Gojo has for youth/young people to place his future hopes there. It's evident enough that Gojo tried his best to teach Megumi about jujutsu, while trying to let him still be a kid. Megumi did continue to live with Tsumiki, he attended a normal elementary and middle school. Gojo would even pop in to bug him and take him out for some non-jujutsu related fun:

(The translations of the LNs vary, the printed version says "... Fushiguro was ready for a long haul, similar to one of those Sunday mornings when Gojo would say, 'Megumi, shall we go to Parque España?'")

However, Gojo also had this idea that maybe Megumi would be on his level someday, and then maybe he could understand him. He knows the potential that Megumi holds, and he tried to foster it, and with that, placed expectations on Megumi, who is a very different person than Gojo. Gojo shares bits of his own personal philosophies with him because he recognizes Megumi's talents. There's good intentions behind it -- to never throw one's life away, and the mindset with which you do things matters a great deal.

But for Megumi, who's already struggling with the weight of all the baggage he never asked for and was born with, it's a lot. He does heed Gojo's (and Sukuna's) advice and we see the progress he's able to make mentally and physically, only for him to revert in Shibuya when he summons Mahoraga.

Gojo may have put too much on Megumi, some consciously and some unconsciously. Gojo can only operate in the manner that he knows, and as someone who is a product of his own unfortunate circumstances, he can only project his own experiences. He was an imperfect benefactor/mentor/parental figure of sorts to Megumi, however you read their relationship.

During his time in the Prison Realm, Gojo was forced to really take a look at himself as well as accept certain things. I think it's subtly stated, but supported by his and Yuji's final conversation, that he recognizes the pressure he put on Megumi to rise to his full potential, baked into this beautiful sentiment:

His students don't have to be like him to be strong. He recognizes that there are other great strengths that surpass his own, these things he couldn't do that these brilliant young people can. He's accepted that someone doesn't have to live up to their full potential to have that sort of strength.

He knows that Megumi is just Megumi. And that there's nothing wrong with that. He says as much with the note he left him about killing Toji. That everything is alright between them. As long as Megumi has the desire to live, that's all that really matters. And that he isn't alone (That was the most important thing, that his students weren't alone if something happened to him. Even if in the end he wasn't able to reform the system, he wanted those kids to have someone).

I kinda went on a mini tangent of sorts there, but the point is that Gojo made a lot of mistakes, just like anyone else. He misread Toji's strategy. He wasn't able to save Geto from defecting. He didn't cremate Geto's body and the Shibuya Incident happened. He got rid of all cursed tools that could forcibly dispel his Cursed Technique. He said something racist to Miguel. He misread Sukuna's strategy.

He knew what it was like to lose. He knew the feeling of failure. He carried a lot of unspoken guilt and that twinge of regret with him. He explains in Ch 236 how he stopped feeling like a person, yet he never cast these feelings out. He was much more human than he felt like or realized.

Gojo may have struggled as a teacher, but he came through for his students in the ways it really mattered. He sucked at trying to explain things, but it didn't matter because his heart was in the right place. Because he had a real passion and a deep, unrelenting drive for what he was trying to do. That is so inspiring.

I love that he did his best to protect them, but knew that they would face heartbreak, pain, tragedy one day, and they would need the right tools to be able to handle it. You can't remove sadness, suffering, anger, hatred from the world. There will always be those with ill intentions. To not let those things kill your heart (like what happened with Geto), that's what he wished for his students.

Yuji didn't lay his grandfather to rest alone. He put Yuji's room right next to Megumi's. Gave Megumi the better seat outside. Put in a personal request for Yuji's uniform because he thought he was fond of hoodies. Gave kids who are outcasted or ostracized a place to belong and develop confidence, a reason to live. Organized the baseball game for the final day of the Goodwill Event. Wanted to give his absolute best because his students were watching and he cares what they think. Tracked down Nobara's mom in the case that she would maybe want to see her. Saw Ijichi's talents and pushed him in that direction even if he was an asshole about it. Broke the cycle by giving Megumi the choice for a different path than the one he himself had as a clan kid.

When he says he loves everyone, he meant it.

Gojo could have lived a life full of nothing but things he absolutely excelled at. Instead, he challenged himself doing things he knew he wasn't well suited for because they were important.

If you're really passionate about something, who cares if you suck?

If your hearts really in it, isn't it worth it to struggle?

We learn about ourselves when we purposefully set out to do things we know are difficult for us. It might feel good to do the things we know we can nail, but it doesn't keep us sharp.

Don't lose the feeling of what it's like to fail. Keep failing over and over. Keep making mistakes, even the same ones. It takes courage to fail and even more to laugh at ourselves and carry on when we do. That is its own, supreme strength too.

I am so horrible at a great many things. But I'm gonna do the things I love, even if I am never good at them. I don't think I'll ever be able to stop saying "like" and "um" and "you know" a million times when I'm trying to speak, but that doesn't matter. I'm gonna say it anyway.

I love people who make mistakes too because it keeps us all human. And I love Gojo for the same reason.

[strandnreyes]

In regards to Carlos not really being present as a 'papa bro' in law, I don't know if it's about writing him as a poc who is absentee, so much as just going with what the show actually told us. Many people I've seen still say it was forced on him, that he didn't really want it, and I guess the show told us he had a change of heart, but it would have been nice to actually see that convo between him and TK so we get more in depth Carlos' feelings on it, because many people still don't buy it. Either way, now he's the only one working, whereas TK is the stay at home who will be spending more time with Jonah. Even in that last scene of them Carlos says he was on a stakeout until 3am and then they woke him up to eat breakfast before he goes back in to work right away. And TK talks about what him and Jonah will be doing that day and that it's the life he signed up for (not they). I think people maybe took it at face value and just assume that this is a normal thing and will be in the future.

After Carlos wraps up his dad’s case, we see him at Marjan’s wedding, building furniture with TK, meeting with the social worker, going to the firehouse for the ceremony. None of that depicts a man who is constantly at work.

We see him with Jonah in his lap at the ceremony, hosting him in the air on the couch, cuddling him and kissing his head. All the while, Jonah has been in their lives for 5 minutes of canon (aka not a lot of time to see much more). None of that depicts a man who wouldn’t be there for Jonah.

The narrative that he’s always missing nights at home with his family and TK is Jonah’s primary caregiver with Carlos just tagging along as TK’s spouse is not based on canon, but prejudice.

[insomniac4000]

Chained Together- George Clarke Part 15

George sat open mouthed at his short housemate, in absolute disbelief at the proposition that had just been given to him.

“Are you purposely trying to push me over the edge?” George ran his hands up and down the side of his face in despair.

“Look I’m just trying to help!”

“Do you not know me at all? What possessed you to ask me in the first place?”

“She’s just a girl I went out with. She then went travelling, but she’s back now and messaged me. I just told her I’ve met someone but maybe I have a friend for her and I’m just asking you if you’re interested that’s all!” Chris was trying to defend himself but was failing miserably. George crossed his arms and shook his head as he sighed.

“Why me though? Don’t you think I’ve got enough going on in this fat head I have?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You know full well what I’m talking about. My head is already full of confusion from your sodding girlfriends friend, the last thing I need is another complication!” George spoke animatedly with his hands, even throwing them down on the table in front of him at the end. Chris was a little taken aback, he had never seen him like this, the guy was usually so calm about everything, seeing this side of him was such a shock.

“I had no idea you were thinking about things this much. This is so unlike you,” Chris pulled out the chair, the sound of the legs scraping against the wooden floor echoed throughout the flat.

“I know. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. You know the saying living in your head rent free? Well it’s happening to me and it’s fucking awful.” George sighed and banged his head on the desk. Chris’s eyes widened as he watched his housemate plunge into depths of despair.

“What are you going to do about it?” Chris asked in a soft way not in an accusatory or noisy way.

“I was hoping you had some ideas,” George whispered, he looked broken. Chris wanted to help him, he did but there was a part of him that didn’t really want to meddle. Esme seemed so protective of Florence, he wasn’t sure if this was something he wanted to get in the middle of, but he didn’t want to see George suffer either. The moment George looked at Chris he knew his answer, this was hopeless.

“What are you trying to do to me?” Florence stood open mouthed at her flatmate who now looked ready for the floor to swallow her up.

“I didn’t mean anything by it. It was just an idea that’s all.”

“Sometimes I wonder if you know me at all.”

“I didn’t mean anything by it and I didn’t expect you to do anything. I just thought now that I’m happy maybe you thought it could be your turn.”

“I like my life.” Florence replied bluntly, she had choked on her latte when Esme had asked her if she wanted to set up a dating profile again. It was under the guise of a video idea but Florence was against the whole thing, there were some things she just wouldn’t do for content.

“And I love your independence. Forget I said anything,” Esme smiled before leaving the flat for work, leaving Florence alone, just how she liked it. Well some of the time. It wasn’t that she didn’t want companionship it was more that she just could not envision herself with anyone ever no matter how hard she tried every time she thought about the future she was alone.

“No pressure but I would really like you to come,” ArthurTV whispered to Florence. They were both in Chris’s latest video and were on the same team. The premise of the video was expert vs amateur; Arthur and Florence were on the amateur team and were competing in a series of challenges against Chris and Theo. The catch was Arthur and Florence had an ex premier league player to give them pointers. Team amateur were watching Chris and Theo discuss tactics before their turn at a team goal, Arthur was having birthday drinks that Friday evening, it was now Wednesday and he noticed she was the only person yet to respond on the group chat. Florence smiled and nodded, she had a soft spot for Arthur and had done since she had met him absolutely not in any romantic way but she felt he was someone she could trust, and that was something she couldn’t say about many people.

“I’ll be there,” she smiled back at him as they watched on. Typically Chris and Theo were bickering.

“Sometimes I think they’re the couple and not Chris and Em,” Arthur mused, Florence giggled and nodded.

“If I hadn’t of met Chris first of all on a dating video someone could have told me he was gay and I’d believe them,” Florence added, causing Arthur to laugh loudly.

Typically Chris and Theo decided to do something incredibly complicated to try and score more points but also typically, it backfired. Theo kicked the ball a little too high and Chris missed the shot, the bickering started again.

“Well if you had normal sized legs then it wouldn’t be a problem!” Theo sighed.

“Shut up you bald ginger twat!”

“Why do I agree to be in his videos?” Florence sighed but she had a smile on her face.

“I’ve been asking myself that question for years,” Arthur replied.

Soon Friday rolled around and as usual with this group of people it was organised chaos. Florence had to admit her social battery was already drained from a week of videos. She wasn’t in the mood to babysit a bunch of her drunk friends, if it was anyone other than Arthur or Esme she would have bailed.

“Well I’m in the mood to get wankered,” Arthur proclaimed to everyone holding his beer up in the air.

“You just don’t like being sober, but I’ll drink to that,” Chris raised his glass as did everyone else. To her surprise Florence found herself chugging over a quarter of her glass already, it seemed she had adopted a if you can’t beat them then join them attitude. It was less than twenty minutes since they had all sat and Florence smashed the glass down having finished her beverage.

“Getting dunk are we?” George asked with a little surprise. Florence shrugged before smiling, she stood up careful between the booth and the table they were all squeezed in.

“Anyone want anything from the bar?” Florence asked, there were a couple of nods and holding up of drinks, when Florence returned she had them all, plus a tray of shots.

“One of those weeks?” George asked, genuinely concerned.

“My mind has been all over the place lately. What better to make it clearer than a shit ton of alcohol,” Florence replied lifting a tequila. George did the same and the pair clinked their glasses before downing their shots, the liquid burning slightly as it slid down their throats.

As it was Arthur’s night he got to dictate where the group went and after a few drinks at the pub; three for him and Chris, four for Bach, Liv and Esme and five for Florence and George, he wanted to dance so off to a bar they went, one with music they had frequented so many times before. The bass in the bar pulsed like a second heartbeat, thudding through Florence’s ribcage as she leaned against the sticky edge of the bar. Sweat clung to her hairline and she blinked at the glowing neon sign above the dance floor. George glanced down at her now, eyes slightly glazed but alert. His drink was still half-full. Hers was long gone. George was worried, he knew he could handle his drink but wasn’t sure if she could. Not like this.

“You good?” he asked, tipping his head, voice loud over the music.

Florence gave a thumbs-up and a shrug, feeling too warm in her own skin. She wasn’t drunk, not really, but she was fuzzy at the edges, and when a 6 foot floppt haired guy sauntered over from the dance floor for the third time with an unearned confidence and a shark smile, she knew she didn’t have the energy for this.

“Hey,” the guy said, brushing sweaty hair off his forehead. “Just checking you don’t need some company.”

Florence blinked. “I don’t.”

George smirked behind his drink.

The guy didn’t take the hint. “Come on. One dance.”

“I said no,” she replied, not angry yet just bored. Tired. She wasn’t interested, and definitely didn’t want to deal with some bloke who clearly didn’t understand boundaries.

But the guy moved closer, hand brushing her arm in a way that made her skin crawl. “Don’t be like that. I’m just being nice.”

“I’m not interested,” she snapped, stepping back into the bar.

He followed. “Why not? You got a boyfriend or something?”

George’s head turned sharply. His posture shifted, he stood upright more, puffed his chest out, just enough to suggest he was suddenly paying full attention.

Florence rolled her eyes. “No, I just don’t want to talk to you.”

That should’ve ended it. But the guy leaned in again, grabbing her wrist now — not hard, not hurting, but it was enough. Too much. The bar was hot, noisy, crowded, and suddenly the haze lifted into something sharp and panicked.

“Mate.” George’s voice cut through the noise, low and firm. He stepped forward, between them, taller and broader than he looked on camera. “Let go of her.”

The guy frowned. “What’s your problem?”

“She said no.” George’s voice was level, controlled. His hand went to the guy’s shoulder — not aggressive, just steady. “So back off. Now.”

Florence blinked, suddenly aware of how fast her heart was racing.

The guy hesitated before letting go, huffing like George had just ruined his night. He turned back toward the dance floor, muttering something Florence didn’t catch.

For a second, neither of them moved. Then George turned to her, brows raised. “You alright?”

She nodded slowly, surprised at how shaky her voice felt when she said, “Yeah. Thanks.”

He shrugged like it was nothing, took a sip of his drink. “You always pick the weird ones.”

Florence let out a short, breathless laugh. “I wasn’t picking anyone.”

“I know,” George said, softer now. He glanced at her again, and for a moment, there was something unreadable in his expression. Concern, maybe. Understanding. Not smugness, not the old biting sarcasm.

“Let’s get back to the group,” he said, offering her his hand.

And without thinking, she took it.

[existence-is-a-pain87]

eh uhmm am quite nervous since this is my first time asking for a resquest but u seem nice and cool so i thought i would make a shot for it! Can I have astro with a reader that is lazy asf like him like they could both sleep for a whole day and still sleep again and do whatever in their dreams (feel free to ignore this or reject!)

Most of my requests were about the Self-Aware AU, but then I saw your request. And since this is your first request, I'll take a short break from the self-aware AU and fufill the request for you!! <3

BTW, I'm sorry if you wanted this to be set in the self-aware AU. If I messed up at all, please tell me immediately!

I have a tendancy to done goof a lot, lol.

Sleep the Day Away

Astro x Lazy!Toon!Reader

Warnings: N/A

--☆☆☆☆☆--

When you were introduced to the other Toons, the first thing you did was yawn, nod, and walk away.

You didn't even say your name. Just ignored them all talking to and being curious about you and waltzed off. When they found you later, you were asleep on a bench.

So, was it surprising when it was revealed you were meant to be a counterpart to Astro?

--☆☆☆--

Astro was a little apprehensive to you, especially at first.

He didn't know what to really do with you. Even if you were like him- calm and easily able to go to sleep- you were also so... different.

You were ditzy, daydreaming the day away. And you were almost constantly exhausted. To the point you often just outright refused to do many things because you were too tired.

And if you weren't daydreaming, you were usually just sleeping the day away or was outright gone.

Most Toons barely noticed you because of this. You usually were just gone, sleeping somewhere off to the side or sitting somewhere with bleary eyes.

You barely spoke to anyone. Especially Astro. Sure, you were now often made to stand next to him due to the marketing, but you two never had much of an in-depth conversation.

You always seemed like you were in your own world. Even when awake, and even when asleep. But your dreams...

--☆☆☆--

Astro could only describe your dreams as completely unexpected for you.

Your personality was quiet, sleepy, ignoring reality.

But your dreams?

They were beautiful.

Serene, breath-taking... like someone brought a painting to life.

Sometimes it was a garden of flowers. Other times it was a galaxy.

And every time in your dreams?

You knew you were dreaming. And you were simply painting.

And you knew Astro was there.

And in your dreams, it was the first time you spoke to him.

"Hi Astro. You needed a break too?"

Astro then decided he liked you.

He liked that he never had to make your dreams either.

--☆☆☆--

While Astro was meant to be of dreams when asleep, you were of daydreams.

But you also listened. To everyone.

When Astro just thought you were sitting off to the side, you were listening to Toons woes. Helping them daydream and find peace when awake. To pursue their dreams in reality.

He liked that about you. You were kind.

You were just constantly exhausted, and not even Astro knew why. Your dreams gave no hints, like a perfect facade. A way for you to escape.

Astro worried for you and your tendency to just ignore reality. Especially when the ichor operation started.

He barely noticed when he started to love you. He just thought he worried and trusted you.

--☆☆☆--

Astro became a Twisted to save you.

You often went off to distract due to being quick. However, your constant exhaustion made your stamina close to none.

So Astro stayed close, regenerating your stamina as much as he could to keep you safe.

One day, your exhaustion was worse than any other. Because you weren't sleeping. You were forcing yourself to stay awake to help the other Toons. The ones who remained.

Astro felt guilty he didn't join you in helping the Toons. You even taught him how to make daydreams, but he didn't go and help you calm down Toons.

He was too busy trying to keep them peaceful in their sleep. But even when he was unable to find time to help you, you managed to find time to help him.

Then panic mode occurred on one of the later floors, and you fell asleep in the middle of running.

When Astro watched you collapse unconsious, he panicked. You were being chased by several Twisteds, and he knew that you may not make it through this.

He panicked and immediately ran into the fray, as Goob noticed you were unconsious and dragged you into the elevator.

But the elevator closed before he could make it in.

--☆☆☆--

Astro blamed himself for the fact you nearly became a Twisted.

If he helped you, maybe you'd be less tired.

If he did something else, maybe he wouldn't be a Twisted.

If he didn't become a Twisted, maybe you wouldn't have been left behind on a floor.

He found you asleep in a corner, barely noticeable.

And despite the ichor in his body, he didn't attack you.

He just found his old blanket (now too small for him) and wrapped you in it, protecting you.

He still was able to go into your dreams. Even if he was still a Twisted, even if him being in your dreams corrupted it.

You still just looked up at him from your painting, and smiled. As tears dripped from your eyes at the sight of his Twisted form, you kept smiling.

"Hi Astro."

That was when Astro realized he loved you.

And that you loved him too.

[ghasel]

Your Color Saga pt. 2: The Color That Represents You According To Yourself

A little disclaimer: I am not claiming and I'll never claim that the cards can know yourself better than you! This reading is not to let you know something about yourself, but to confirm something you already know, to bring clarity. You know you!

I have decided to do this reading because I think it could be useful to compare how you see yourself and how the universe and your loved ones (coming soon!) do!

How it works: pick the card that attracts you, then scroll down and read the correspondent reading! Remember: take what resonates, leave the rest!

[image description: three cards, representing the three piles, on a wooden table; each card has their pile number written over]

Pile 1

[image description: pile 1 spread, consisting of a crystal card and a tarot card on a wooden table]

color: dalmatian stone (19): black and white; you may see yourself in b&w, like youìre too "boring" for colors (you're perfect the way you are btw) or haven't developed your colors yet (the face in the stone looks like a baby)

why: 3 of cups in reverse: there's a feeling of drought, but at the same time also a dawn feeling, like there' a new beginning starting soon, but you're still in the passage between the (not great) past situation and starting something better; I feel that you haven't had the chance to loko for your colors (p.s. doesn't mean you can't find them in the future ofc!)

Pile 2

[image description: pile 2 spread, consisting of a crystal card and a tarot card on a wooden table]

color: aqua aura quartz(6):aqua light blue, I feel a deep and bright light blue; there's a feeling of lightness and depth combined, as if you're not scared to go deep (ex introspection, serious things) when it's needed

why: the sun: you see yourself as an open person,who lives in the sun and goes on with their life regardless of what people think; I see you as a free spiritedbut totally in tune with yourself person; you're transparent, like water, you show who you honestly are, but you have your own color; there's a very summer-y vibe

Pile 3

[image description: pile 3 spread, consisting of a crystal card and a tarot card on a wooden table]

color:seriphos green quartz(50): green! I feel either a dark shade of green or a shading that goes from a lighter green to a darker one; the shape also reminds me of plants like aloe; the face looks like an elf and it makes me think of a connection with nature

why: the star: you go on and are committed to grow, no matter how much it feels like foinf against the current; you may be in your first stages on a healing journey, possibly where you try to go back to "ground zero", checking what you know for sure and start from there; there's really a committed to healing journey energy

[art3mis-twt]

I appreciate you taking the time to explain your side—it’s way more thought-out than a lot of the discourse floating around, and I respect that. I think a lot of what you’re saying boils down to the difference between how people approach canon, and how they approach interpretation—and where those two things collide, especially in a fandom as big and heated as MHA’s.

You’re absolutely right that Horikoshi has only explicitly confirmed a few LGBT characters, and yeah, that matters—especially in a country like Japan where representation is still a sensitive topic. Canon is canon. But I think where we diverge is in how we treat what’s not canon. People using headcanons or reading queer subtext into character dynamics isn’t the same as claiming canon, even if fandom excitement sometimes blurs that line.

Interpretation has always been part of fandom culture—especially for marginalized fans who never got to see themselves in canon growing up. So when people say they see queer dynamics in bkdk, it’s not necessarily them rejecting canon; it’s them engaging with the story in a personal way. The emotional depth, the tension, the growth between Bakugo and Midoriya is intense—and people connect to that. Not everyone sees it as romantic, and that’s fine, but people who do aren’t delusional or disrespecting Horikoshi by doing so.

That said, the harassment you described? Completely unacceptable. No one should be told to kill themselves over a ship. That’s not “passion,” that’s toxicity—and it happens across all corners of fandom, even if you’ve mostly seen it from bkdk fans. I’ve seen plenty of ugly behavior come from other ship groups too, and I don’t think any one fandom owns toxicity. But if you were genuinely harassed like that? I’m sorry that happened to you, and you absolutely deserve to feel safe expressing your interpretations just like anyone else.

But the flip side is that queer fans also face harassment just for shipping a gay couple or reading queerness into a story. They’re not always attacking—they’re often defending. There are plenty of people who use “it’s just a headcanon” as a shield for saying really homophobic stuff. That’s why some bkdk fans are on edge. It’s not about labeling every disagreement as homophobic, but rather about patterns: dismissing queer readings while fully embracing weaker straight ones, mocking queer headcanons, or calling people delusional for something that’s been a part of fandom culture forever.

And while I get that queer coding can be complicated and sometimes rely on stereotypes, it’s also historically how queer people were allowed to exist in media for decades. It’s valid to be wary of that, but it’s also valid to explore it—especially when the subtext is there, whether intentional or not.

Finally, on the “let people ship” thing—I meant that literally. People should be able to engage with stories however they want, whether that’s canon-faithful, headcanon-heavy, romantic, platonic, or anything in between, so long as they’re not harming others. That includes you wanting to see bkdk as brotherly. That’s 100% valid. The problem is when either side starts treating the other like they’re ruining the story for everyone else just for seeing something differently.

So yeah—thanks for explaining your side. This kind of respectful convo is rare in fandom spaces, and I hope more people can have these discussions without turning it into a warzone.

I FOUND IT MY SIGNATURE POST ALIHERABLIHFBAELIHBALEIHBAE

No but seriously those of you who have been liking and reposting know EXACTLY what I’m talking about

— ❇️✴️

[thenotoriousscuttlecliff]

I once read a review of 'The Woman Who Fell to Earth' that said because Graham had cancer and Ryan had dyspraxia that meant they both had more depth than a character like Clara. I remember reading that and just being so annoyed because that's not what character depth is. Character depth isn't simply something sad or tragic that happened to the character. It's about revealing more about that character than we initially see. It is about going beyond the surface levels details to find out what lies beneath. That isn't the case with Graham and Ryan because we learn all this stuff about them right away. Those are the surface level details. Clara has depth because we learn more and more about her as the show goes on, begin to see so many different layers to her as she reacts to everything that is thrown at her, from Eleven regenerating into Twelve to the arrival of Danny and his death.

[andi-o-geyser]

despite how you feel about the changes from the stream to the show, if you like or dislike them, i love how inherently hilarious the narrative path tlovm is taking regarding perc’ahlia is because a situationship would literally kill campaign percy and vex like how the internet would kill a small victorian child. they are NOT built for that

[celtrist]

I really want to see a more fucked up version of Charlie in canon. Like, okay, I am a die-hard for sweet bubbly girls in media. But I always see how some people make Charlie actually, oh I dunno... demonic? And it's so refreshing for her type of character. I could honestly see her having low empathy (and we kinda see this with how she handled Angel's situation or even Vaggie's nervousness about taking control on an activity). An exploration of that trait (if it was intended) would be interesting to see for a protagonist, especially when her main goal is about helping others. I would love to see her actually have a level of difficulty in understanding others' feelings from the other residents, sinners, and even her father.

But give her a fucked up side. Not a "she gets more power when she's angey uwu", but a "oh, she's a little fucked in the head". It would give so much to her character that she just doesn't have.

@/murmurmurena (don't wanna bother them so slash there we go) has some fun ideas with Charlie. I highly encourage people to check their stuff out! So many fun dark ideas with her character while also still keeping to her canon personality pretty well! Personally, I think Charlie being a bit more naive to her own messed up traits would work best but her also being aware of these traits can make for some interesting character for her.

THIS FIC, "A Game Between You and I". RIGHT HERE WITH THE FIRST CHAPTER. A bit of spoil for the fic here: but I love how they handled Charlie’s absolute ignorance as to why the idea of Russian roulette is horrifying to Angel Dust. It doesn't feel like her being intentionally malicious or aware that she's the odd man out here. This is also a pretty old fic going by only the pilot, but the point still stands that it was such a fun take for her character!

Charlie is one of my favorite characters in the show in part of the POTENTIAL she could have as being the most bubbly sweetheart character while also being the most messed up character in the show. I can't say I have strong confidence with the show's writing and fully expect them to stick with Charlie being the "nice girl but oh no, don't get her angry or she gets scarwy". Which isn't bad for a character mind you, there's just so much more potential to Charlie outside of that trope, especially when you get into the theories of her either being a doll, Roo's biological daughter, or what have you. And for the MAIN CHARACTER of the show, it would be not only interesting but also bring the spotlight back to her.

There's really no question that the side characters steal the show, particularly all the male characters. If I'm honest, Charlie does not feel like she gets a lot of love from the show itself when she's supposed to be the main character. She feels far more flat compared to the rest of the characters (again, the male cast in this "female-lead" show has more depth than most of the female cast currently. I wouldn't be pointing this tidbit concerning the genders of characters if it weren't for the fact Viv defended Helluva's lack of development with their female cast by saying "Hazbin is a female-lead show and Helluva is a male-lead" and Hazbin ended up with it not feeling female lead (to me) and the male cast just completely stealing the show. I don't normally care about gender stuff, especially since I do personally lean interest towards male characters. But using one show as a defense for poor development of the female characters, and then that show not really holding up with no very interesting well-developed feeling female characters irritates me. It's just very clear that these shows don't seem to care much about the female cast :/)

If you like how Charlie is written that's totally fine. PERSONALLY, I just think they're missing so much opportunity with her character by just making her the standard female character type. I honestly don't have a lot of faith they'll actually do something with Charlie's character though. She's a pretty static character in S1 being the same from start to end. Not changing or learning anything to create any development. What does the end of season Charlie do that start of season Charlie wouldn't do? Fight back? Because we see with the pilot (which is the “first episode”) that Charlie does fight people if pushed like with Katie Killjoy and even Valentino. Static characters can work in media depending on the show or their role. But Charlie is the MC of a show about “bettering one's self”. So to have her as a static with not a lot of strong dilemmas for herself (like we see with Angel Husk Al and even Vox) seems silly. Plus, considering Hazbin is telling a whole story and it's not a fun episodic thing, characters are expected to grow on some level. Or else, what was the point of their hero's journey?

[carlostck]

I think about Lloyd and Zane and how both of their lives changed significantly after someone with spider imagery came into play

[rxttenfish]

bellanda and laudanda are both so alike to each other in personality and they both fucking hate it so much. it endlessly irritates both of them to see any comparison to themselves in the other and this endlessly fuels just how much they hate each other overall.