#they don't make their partnership more than bickering

[chuuya-fan-page]

it's frustrating watching a bsd gacha vid about chuuya and they make it all about dazai. look dazai is cool, but when i watch a chuuya vid i want it to focus mainly on chuuya pls 😭

give me sb, give me 15 ln, don't make the majority of the vid dazai then you title your vid "bsd react to chuuya"

it's one thing if its about their partnership, but even then, most skk react vids focus more on dazai than chuuya.

and lets not even begin to talk about how horrible skk characterization is in bsd gacha reacts.

[tosomeonessomeone]

Intertwined.

words・3.2k /pairings・Bang Chan x reader / genres・fluff, humor, little angst/ warnings・ none

You’ve been working with Stray Kids for a long time as an artist and visual creator for the group, you and Bang Chan are really close due to being both 97’s liners.

The dance studio pulsated with tension as Chan grappled with intricate moves, each step echoing his mounting frustration. Minho's concerned gaze caught Chan's eye, "Hey, Chan, something's off. You seem distracted."

Chan let out a heavy sigh, "Yeah, it's been one of those days. Everything feels like it's falling apart."

As they retreated to the break area, the atmosphere grew more strained with the members bickering over trivial matters. Felix raised his voice, "Can we just focus, guys? This isn't helping anyone."

Chan, feeling the weight of the day pressing down on him, rubbed his temples. "I need a break," he muttered, escaping the heated exchange.

Silently, Chan sought refuge in your studio, a sanctuary amidst the chaos. As he entered, you looked up from your work, sensing the distress in his eyes. "Rough day?" you asked.

Chan slumped onto a chair, "You have no idea. Dance practice was a disaster, and the members are at each other's throats. I just needed some peace."

You nodded sympathetically, "Take your time. I'm here if you need to talk."

The frustration lingered as Chan paced around the studio. "This song is just not coming together! We're running out of time, and it's driving me crazy," he vented, frustration evident in every word.

Approaching cautiously, you offered, "Chan, take a deep breath. We'll figure it out, like we always do."

He shot you a sharp look, "It's not that simple! Do you even understand the pressure we're under?"

"I do, Chan. But snapping won't help. Let's talk it through," you urged, attempting to diffuse the tension.

He scoffed, "Talking won't magically make the song perfect! We need results, not empty words."

Remaining calm, you said, "I'm not trying to provide empty words. I'm here to support you, but yelling won't change anything."

Frustration boiling over, Chan exclaimed, "Support? I need more than support! I need solutions, and it feels like you're not getting it!"

Taking a deep breath, you carefully responded, "I'm on your side, Chan. We're a team, and we'll find a way together. But lashing out won't solve anything. Let's step back and rethink our approach."

He sighed, a mix of anger and exhaustion in his eyes, "I know, I just… I'm sorry. This is so much pressure, and I didn't mean to snap."

You nodded, "It's okay. We all have our moments. Let's take a break, clear our heads, and come back to it with a fresh perspective. We've got this, Chan."

As the tension gradually subsided, you both understood the challenges you faced but also the strength of your partnership to overcome them.

You extended your hand towards Chan, offering a silent gesture of reconciliation. He hesitated for a moment, then slowly lifted his hand to hold yours. The touch, though tentative, spoke volumes about the unspoken bond between you.

You guided him towards the couch, and as you both sat down, a heavy silence hung in the air. "Chan, I know it's tough," you began softly, "but we can navigate through this. We always do."

He sighed, his shoulders slumping, "I just get overwhelmed sometimes, you know? It feels like the weight of everything is on my shoulders."

You nodded, squeezing his hand gently, "You don't have to carry it all alone. We're a team, remember?"

A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips, "Yeah, a team. I forget that sometimes."

"It happens," you reassured, "but we're in this together." The room was filled with a comforting silence as you both absorbed the shared understanding.

Chan finally broke the quietude, "Thank you for being patient with me. I don't say it enough, but I appreciate you."

"I know," you replied with a soft smile, "and I appreciate you too, Chan. Let's tackle this challenge together, one step at a time."

As the weight of the argument lifted, you both leaned back on the couch, finding solace in the shared space. The connection between you spoke of a partnership resilient enough to weather storms, and the quiet moments that followed were a testament to the strength you found in each other.

Feeling the need for a break, you suggested, "How about we take the rest of the night off, Chan? We could use a breather."

He nodded in agreement, "Yeah, a break sounds good. My head's been spinning with the music."

You both settled on the couch, legs stretched out on a large puff in front of you. "What do you feel like eating?" you asked.

Chan thought for a moment, "Let's go with something comforting. How about ramen and dumplings?"

"Perfect choice," you grinned, reaching for your phone to place an order.

While waiting for the food, Chan scrolled through the movie options. "How about this one?" he suggested, showing you the screen.

You nodded in approval, "Sounds good to me. Anything to take our minds off things for a while."

As the food arrived, you both dug into the delicious spread of ramen and dumplings. The tension from earlier slowly dissipated, replaced by the warmth of shared comfort food. The movie played, casting a soft glow in the room.

Chan stole a glance at you, "Thanks for this. I needed a break more than I realized."

"You're welcome," you replied, "Sometimes stepping back is the best way to find a new perspective."

*your pov*

As the movie played on the screen, my thoughts swirled like a whirlwind. The atmosphere was relaxed, the air tinged with the comforting scent of the food we just enjoyed. Yet, there was a subtle undercurrent of unspoken emotions.

Feeling the weight of the day's events, I contemplated our journey together. Chan's dedication and passion were evident in every note he crafted, yet the toll of creative struggles was undeniable. The realization dawned that sometimes, in the silence between shared glances, words weren't necessary.

In a moment of unspoken connection, I decided to lean my head on Chan's shoulder. It was a subtle move, a gesture seeking solace and understanding. The soft fabric of his shirt provided a tangible reassurance, a quiet acknowledgment of the bond we shared.

As my head rested against him, I could almost feel the tension dissipate. The movie continued to play, but my attention was drawn to the rhythm of his heartbeat. There was an unexpected intimacy in this simple act, as if the proximity ignited a flutter within both of us.

I stole a glance at Chan, and our eyes met briefly. In that moment, it felt like our hearts were engaged in a silent conversation, exchanging sentiments that words struggled to convey. I sensed a subtle shift, a recognition of vulnerability and strength entwined.

For Chan, my head on his shoulder seemed to unleash a cascade of emotions. The rise and fall of his chest quickened, a heartbeat echoing the unspoken understanding that enveloped us. It was a moment frozen in time, where the complexities of the day faded into the background, leaving room for an uncharted connection that pulsed between us.

*Chan pov*

As her head gently found its place on my shoulder, a mix of emotions stirred within me. The weight of the day's frustrations lingered, but her silent gesture offered an unexpected balm. I could feel the subtle warmth radiating from her, a connection transcending words.

My mind raced, contemplating the intricacies of our partnership. Her support was unwavering, a pillar that held me steady amidst the creative storms. In that moment, as the soft fabric of my shirt cradled her head, I couldn't help but acknowledge the depth of our bond.

Her presence felt like a lifeline, a silent reassurance that we were navigating the challenges together. The movie played on, but my focus shifted to the rhythm of our shared heartbeat. The vulnerability of the day seemed to dissolve in the quiet intimacy of this simple act.

As I stole a glance at her, our eyes met briefly, and a surge of warmth pulsed through me. It wasn't just the weight of the day that quickened my heartbeat; it was the realization that our connection ran deeper than the melodies we created. It was a shared journey, marked by unspoken understanding.

Her head on my shoulder seemed to unlock a reservoir of emotions. The uncharted territory of vulnerability and strength interwoven echoed in the accelerated beats of my heart. In this unassuming moment, I found solace and a silent promise that, no matter the challenges, we faced them united, and that, perhaps, there was more to our connection than even I had realized.

*end of povs*

As the movie wove its story on the screen, a quiet tranquility settled between you. The weight of the day gave way to a shared moment of solace, and the air held a delicate sense of connection.

In a subtle shift, Chan's fingers brushed against yours, and without a word, he reached out to intertwine your hands together. It was a gesture both gentle and firm, a silent agreement that spoke volumes. The warmth of his touch sent a reassuring current through you, a reminder that, despite the challenges, you were navigating this journey hand in hand.

The intertwining of your fingers became a dance of unspoken understanding—a language that surpassed the need for words, a silent promise echoing the depth of your connection. In that shared grasp, the complexities of the day seemed to fade, leaving behind a sense of unity resonating between your intertwined hands.

As your fingers found their natural fit, you stole a glance at Chan. His expression mirrored a subtle mix of reassurance and vulnerability—a moment frozen in time, a bridge between the challenges you faced and the uncharted territories that lay ahead.

The movie continued to play, but the real narrative unfolded in the intertwining of your fingers—a quiet acknowledgment that, no matter the twists and turns, your hands would navigate the journey together.

As your intertwined fingers created a connection, a comfortable silence enveloped you. The movie played in the background, providing a soothing soundtrack to your unspoken conversation.

The soft glow of the studio lights created an intimate atmosphere as you gazed into Chan’s deep brown eyes, a gentle smile on your face. "You know, one of the things I love most is seeing you feel loved by your members. Despite the hardships, the way you guys support each other is truly heartwarming."

Chan's eyes reflected gratitude, "Yeah, they mean everything to me. Their support has been my anchor."

You nodded, "And now, it's made me realize something important."

Curiosity flickered in Chan's gaze, "What is it?"

"I want you to feel loved and cherished by me too," you confessed, "just like you do with your members. You deserve that, Chan, and I want to be the one to give it to you."

A warmth spread across Chan's face, a mix of surprise and appreciation. "You'd do that for me?"

"Absolutely," you assured, "you've shown me your vulnerabilities, and I want you to know that I'm here for you, just as you've been for your members. You deserve all the love and support, and I'm ready to be a part of that for you."

As the weight of your words settled in the air, Chan's expression shifted from surprise to a profound sense of gratitude. It was a moment of mutual understanding, a bridge between the support he received from his members and the love he was now willing to accept from you.

You couldn't help but glance at Chan, a soft smile playing on your lips. "You know," you began, "seeing you well, in your element, it just… makes my heart flutter."

He turned to you, a hint of surprise in his eyes, "Really? I thought I was a bit of a mess today."

You chuckled, "Everyone has those days. But the way you handle it, your dedication, it's inspiring. And being here for you, supporting you, it just feels right."

Chan's gaze held a warmth that mirrored your sentiments, "You have this way of making everything feel a bit lighter. I appreciate that more than you know."

You grinned, "Well, if you ever need someone to share the weight, I'm here. Always."

His expression softened, "That means a lot. It's reassuring to know you're by my side through all of this."

You nodded, "Absolutely. We're a team, right?"

He squeezed your hand gently, "Right. A team." The acknowledgment lingered in the air, and in that moment, the unspoken promise of always being there for each other became a quiet foundation beneath the surface of your connection.

As the movie's glow painted the room, Chan took a deep breath, his eyes reflecting a mix of vulnerability and determination. "I need to be honest with you," he began, his words measured yet sincere.

You turned your attention fully to him, a sense of curiosity and anticipation in the air. "What's on your mind, Chan?"

He ran his free hand through his hair, a subtle nervous gesture. "Over the past few months of working together, I've come to realize that just being part of a team with you might not be enough for me."

A quiet intensity settled between you, and you searched his eyes for understanding. "What do you mean?"

Chan met your gaze, "I've been feeling… more. More than just collaboration. It's like, every shared moment, every challenge we overcome, it's been building up. And I can't ignore it anymore."

Your heart skipped a beat as the weight of his words sank in. "Chan, what are you trying to say?"

He took a moment before confessing, "I think I've developed feelings for you, more than just professional admiration. I care about you deeply, and I can't help but imagine a future where it's not just about the music, but about us, together."

A blend of surprise and warmth enveloped you. "Chan, I never saw this coming."

He nodded, "I know it's unexpected, but I needed to be honest with you. I've been grappling with these feelings, and it felt like the right time to share them."

The room hung in a delicate silence, the weight of Chan's revelation echoing in the air. It was a turning point, an acknowledgment that the dynamics between you had shifted beyond the realm of collaboration, and the uncharted territory you now faced held the potential for something deeper.

Chan chuckled, breaking the emotional tension, "You know what made me realize it even more? It's those moments when you're just… you. Like when you decide it's a good idea to get me all dirty with paint, or when you declare a spa day because you can't deal with your artwork anymore."

You couldn't help but laugh at the memories. "Guilty as charged. I might be a bit unconventional with stress relief."

He grinned, "And that's what I love. Those silly moments, the laughter – it's when I feel closest to you. Like that time we had face masks and painted each other's nails."

You chuckled, "I didn't think you'd enjoy that."

Chan shrugged, "Honestly, it was one of the best days. It made me realize how much I appreciate not just the artist in you, but the person. The one who's not afraid to be a bit goofy, to let loose."

The sincerity in his voice melted away any lingering uncertainty. "Chan, I appreciate your honesty. These feelings, they're not one-sided," you admitted, "Those moments we share, they mean a lot to me too."

As the weight of his confession and your shared laughter lingered in the air, it became clear that your connection had transcended the professional realm. The acknowledgment of deeper feelings was met with a warmth that extended beyond the art studio, painting a canvas of possibilities for the journey ahead.

Chan's laughter filled the room, a contagious sound that lightened the atmosphere. "And you know what really got to me?" he continued, "When you started recreating all those memes from the group. Like that time you screamed 'Ice cream!' just like Minho."

You grinned, "Well, Minho's enthusiasm is contagious. I couldn't resist."

Chan chuckled, "You nailed it. I couldn't stop laughing. And then there was the moment you sang 'Listen to my heart beat' just like Chanbin. I think that's when I realized, I love seeing you be a part of our craziness."

You blushed, "I never expected my attempts at humor to have such an impact."

"It's not just the humor," Chan explained, "It's the fact that you're willing to dive into our world, to be a part of it. It's endearing, and I can't help but be drawn to it."

As your laughter echoed through the room, it became another layer of your connection—one that transcended the challenges of music and embraced the joyous, silly moments that brought you closer. The acknowledgment of these shared experiences added a touch of lightheartedness to the depth of emotions already present in the room.

As the glow of the TV casting a soft ambiance. Your eyes met Chan's gaze, there was an unspoken understanding, a connection that transcended words. A subtle shift occurred as your fingers brushed against each other's arms. The touch was gentle, tentative, yet filled with a mutual yearning for the uncharted.

Chan leaned in slowly, his eyes shifting from yours to your lips. The anticipation hung in the air, a sweet tension building. You found yourself doing the same, drawn to the magnetic pull of this unexplored territory.

In that moment of suspended time, your lips met in a sweet, lingering kiss. It was a delicate fusion of emotions—affection, longing, and the acknowledgment of something new and beautiful. Chan's hand cradled your cheek, his thumb brushing against it softly, deepening the connection between you.

The kiss unfolded in a slow dance, a merging of two souls discovering a shared melody. The studio, once filled with the echoes of music, now held the harmonious rhythm of your intertwined emotions.

Time seemed to melt away, forgotten in the tender exchange between you and Chan. The once-muted movie now a distant hum, overshadowed by the quiet symphony of shared emotions. As you shifted, Chan's hands found your hips beneath the oversized t-shirt, a subtle reassurance that echoed the newfound connection.

With a gentle motion, Chan helped you transition, and you found yourself straddling his lap. The warmth of his touch lingered through the fabric, creating a cocoon of intimacy. The shared gaze spoke volumes, revealing a depth of understanding that transcended spoken words.

Your arm circled around his neck, fingers gently tangling in his soft, curly hair. The texture was a testament to the authenticity of the moment, the tangible connection grounding you both in the reality of this shared space.

As your bodies intertwined, the studio became a canvas for a different kind of art—one painted with shared glances, lingering touches, and the quiet melody of your breaths. The oversized t-shirt draped loosely, a symbol of the vulnerability and ease that enveloped you.

Chan's hands on your hips and the soft strands of his hair entwined with your fingers created an unspoken language—a dance of intimacy that deepened with each passing moment. The movie, now a mere backdrop, faded into the periphery as your shared connection took center stage.

hey guys, this is my first time posting my writing here! hope you enjoy it.

[digi-lov]

Digimon Liberator Novel

[read on the official website] DEBUG.1-1 [Yuuki] - DEBUG.1-2 [HEAVY METAL PLAY] - DEBUG.2-1 [Winr] - DEBUG.2-2 [GOOD GAME]

First spoiler free, then more detailed including spoilers under cut

So the first 2 chapters of the Digimon liberator novel dropped last week! We don't exactly know how frequent it'll update, but most likely not as regular as the comic. First impressions on the main characters, I really like them. I think they are fun and interesting enough to drive the story. They don't feel like exact copies of previous characters, and make me exited for a fresh adventure!

As far as I could tell, the translation seems fairly good, but there was a mistranslation of a card effect. However the translation of TCG card effects can be a bit tricky, and the translators might not have known the official english wording. They also show the respective card right there, so it's easy to see what the effect should be, but it might be confusing to people who weren't already familiar with the cards.

Nevertheless I'm optimistic and looking forward to read more!

So now for a bit more detail

First off, I think they way they incorporate the player's tamer cards is really smart. A player get's their own blank tamer card, and can obtain various effects to add to it within the game, to customize their own tamer card to their play style. Nice! This way it doesn't feel like a weird 4th wall break for Yuuki to have a Yuuki Tamer card for example.

I really like Yuuki , immediately! She's fun, and she definitely has flaws and quirks to work on that'll make her interesting to watch grow. Her relationship with Impmon is nice too. Impmon is not exactly a serious character, but does want Yuuki to be a bit more serious, and recognize the weight of the situation. To an extend, Impmon wants Yuuki to take their partnership more serious in turn, I'd say. The way they talk to each other feels very familiar. You can tell they're close, not holding back complaining about the other. They bicker, but they also quickly drop the fight when needing to figure something out together.

Yuuki's Impmon, as most already know, get's a new evolution line: Punkmon, Loudmon, and HeavyMetaldramon. I love them! I like how it gives Yuuki and her Impmon more of an individual identity, than if they used a previously common Impmon line. The detail about Yuuki being a dancer, and vibing with the cool metal dragon is sweet too!

Also, I wonder if that Altea character is this girl from the poster? It's interesting that Impmon is not a fan of her...

Winr and FunBeemon's introduction was great too. Winr seems like a proud kid, without being feeling too stuck up. The story taking place after he's already known Yuuki for a year, really helps with his walls having started to come down already. I'm curious if his parents will be related to the in universe Digimon Franchise or Game Company in a way, or it they're just generic absent rich parents. Which, I don't think would take away from Winr's character if they are. I feel for him to want to escape from his home life into a virtual world. I love his relationship with FunBeemon. FunBeemon is very attentive to Winr's feelings, and cares a lot about him. And Winr doesn't get annoyed by it, but appreciates it, even though he doesn't quite know how to express it. The new evolutions for FunBeemon are also cool! I've like FunBeemon for a partner Digimon for a while, and I'm excited to see it finally happen!

I'm curious about Winr's real name too, assuming Winr is his username. Winr is a play on "winner", with his Japanese name サイキヨ Saikiyo being a play on 最強 (さいきょう) saikyou meaning "the best" or "the strongest". FunBeemon's nickname "Winnie" is キヨちゃん kiyo-chan in Japanese.

For anyone who's interested: Japanese first person pronouns

Yuuki uses the japanese first person pronoun あたし atashi, which is quite feminine, but as being too over the top girly is sometimes seen as disruptive, atashi also has a do-as-I-please kinda vibe sometimes. For example, it's used by Yuffie from FFVII. The even more cute-girly atai in turn is often used in media by very strong-willed, rough women, such as Plumeria fom Pokémon Sun&Moon, or the Gerudo women from the Legend of Zelda games. It can also be played straight as super cute too thoug, like with Vivian from Paper Mario TTYD.

Impmon uses オレ ore, which is a strong, proud, often masculine pronoun. In formal situations it would be considered rude, but it's normal for guys to use in a casual setting. Very rarely it is also used by super tough women in media, such as Kumatora from Mother 3, or Big Mom from One Piece. Eiichiro Oda mentioned himself knowing women who use ore, but this is quite uncommon and likely a modern developement. You go girls! Impmon also uses it in katakana, which gives it a bit more emphasis.

Winr uses 僕 boku, which is quite common for young boys, or more soft spoken men in casual settings. In media it is also occasionally used by girl characters that have a "tomboy" vibe, but also sometimes by female singers in their songs.

FunBeemon uses 私 watashi, which is technically a polite neutral pronoun, but using it in a casual setting has a feminine connotation.

PS: Sorry this took so long, I'm still very sick, and writing coherent sentences with okay spelling is diffcult.

[zahri-melitor]

So I read Batman 147 (on the basis that with how fast the conversation is moving right now I don't want to wait on DCUI Ultra delay), and I am having even more thoughts about how it as an issue positions the difference between Damian-as-Robin and Tim-as-Robin as characters adjunct to Bruce, and also in terms of both characters' long term storylines.

Because Damian as a character has always fought for attention and focus to be on him, and used various methods to gain that attention. He acts up as the youngest and reiterates his blood connection to Bruce and puts emphasis on being the Son Of The Bat because he wants acknowledgement, he wants to be special, he doesn't like that he arrived in Gotham and in Bruce's life and found that he wasn't the centre of Bruce's focus.

As a character Damian's most often written as part of an oppositional pair: his main titles have always been Batman & Robin and Super Sons, not Robin. He bounces off another character more than acts as a member of a team, whether that's working as Batman and Robin with Bruce or with Dick, or in stories where he's more in a bickering besties relationship with Colin Wilkes or with Maya Ducard or with Jon Kent. His team appearances frequently fall apart, because he starts trying to order people around.

So Damian says about his time with Dick as Batman and Robin "we were the best" and he says about himself and Bruce “Batman and Robin. Father and son. We don't need anyone else." It's about Damian's feelings of possession and entitlement and jealous ownership over the position as Robin. It's about how he has to regularly assert that his time with Dick as Batman and him as Robin, above and beyond anything else, was the best that Batman & Robin have ever been. It's his past need to prove himself and show himself as better than any previous Robin, about fighting them all, particularly Tim, to prove himself as the Worthy Best Robin.

And in 147 that's the Damian we get, one who has returned home to his father and is working on bonding with him again, and so he sees people doubting Batman and his back goes back up and returns to that Us Against The World mindset. Damian is following ZEA Batman’s orders because they make sense to him (yes they’re more violent but defending the Manor and Cave against Waller? There’s nothing in that which should raise alarm bells).

And Damian DOES clue in immediately on something more serious crossing his radar to what’s wrong with ‘Bruce’. As soon as ZEA trips up seriously, Damian notices it. This is actually a really good fallible Damian and he’s not actually being shown as holding the idiot ball here – he’s following on from the extended trust he was showing in Gotham War. ZEA Batman is in his blindspot over being the more violent Robin who does tend to want more physical solutions to how to fight crime. Also Damian’s immediate response being “I’ll kill you!” is so incredibly Damian. Still heightened violence.

And all of this level of possession, of 'all that is needed is Batman & Robin' nobody else, no other connections, is being contrasted by Zdarsky with the shape of Bruce and Tim's relationship as Batman & Robin.

Because Bruce and Tim, by contrast, view their partnership together through the frame that Tim is there to hold back the darkness and save Bruce from himself (a more classic depiction of Robin's role). Bruce is thinking about where to hide that ZEA Batman would not consider, and he thinks about his connections - he goes to Happy Harbour, and then he goes to a cabin that is about civilian family, and he thinks about Tim and about hard work because Tim IS the other character with a strong connection to Happy Harbour. And Tim comes to find where Bruce is hiding and feeds him and does the dishes (the caretaking! The reflections on how Bruce couldn't look after himself while Alfred was gone post Knightfall! Tim making Bruce dinner for Father's Day in Beechen's run!) and the first thing Tim says is “sounds like you need a partner”.

The focus and the conversation revolves around why Tim became Robin in the first place and saving Bruce from the dark via having connections. About having a reason to get up in the morning and for why Batman exists and why he has a partner and a family. It's answering "why is Tim Robin" with "Batman needs someone to haul him back when he overreaches".

It's the contrast between Damian, with his ‘natural, born and raised to be Robin’ conviction of his right to his position, compared to Tim, who “REALLY had to work at it”, and Bruce choosing that he needed to take inspiration from the goal make yourself great purely through your own hard work.

And it's meaty! juicy! these are their very different world views (where Damian has always fought for attention and focus from Batman to be on him, while Tim has pulled Bruce from being obsessed with himself/his grief).

I just want to roll around in it all.

[hypostatic-oath]

Hi there! How do you think a team composition of Raiden, Diluc/Yelan (depending on the day), Kaeya and Kazuha would work? Especially in SAGAU terms.

I headcannon that Ei once referred to Kaeya as "son of Khaenri'ah" and Diluc has been defensive ever since.

Forgive me if I get Yelan's characterization wrong - she's one of the few characters I don't have, the most I've seen of her was the story quest, the Chasm event with Itto and Yanfei, and that she apparently stole a coat Pantalone wanted to give to the Tsaritsa, which honestly would immediately put her in Diluc's good books.

That being said - for Diluc and Yelan, I think the switching would work out really well. I mean, they're both busy businesspeople with probably tightly packed schedules, so I reckon your usual antics might even start a close partnership between the two, even if only on a personal level, i.e. each updating the other on what was done during their turn as that day's chosen vessel, or asking the other to potentially cover for them on a day where they just really really couldn't make it. They'd be grateful for the on and off schedule, it gives them time.

Yelan and Kaeya look like they'd be the kind of fast friends that are friendly only on the surface, because they are both distrustful of each other since they're equally sneaky, but I see them growing accustomed to each other as you take them out together. Hydro and Cryo work well naturally, and I can see them having an easier time working in synergy the more they begin to understand one another. It's not openness - neither of them is going to share their innermost workings with someone like that - but it is a form of comraderie that they both end up being thankful for. I'd wager Yelan reminds Kaeya of Rosaria somewhat, and that on downtimes, the two have gone out for drinks and perhaps some gambling.

As for himself and Diluc, Kaeya finds himself even more thankful for the opportunity. The chance for their bond to truly heal from what happened on the day of Crepus's death had not yet surfaced. He knew Diluc still cared - but in a different, silent, far more distant way than before. Kaeya did miss having his brother have his back, and doing the same for him. The first months were difficult - packed with "This meams nothing" and "I am following the Overseer's will, that is all", with Diluc ditching the place as soon as you tabbed out. Kaeya's teasing feels sharp, Diluc is almost cold, and the two can bicker back and forth so often that one would forget they are not the only ones on the team. The teasing never truly goes away. Diluc never truly lowers his guard. But the moment anyone or anything gets in the way of one, the other will lend a hand almost on instinct.

Diluc justifies it as doing it for you. You placed them together, and you rely on both of them, and it is very clear that you like them both enough to place them on your main team. You surely don't want any of them hurt, right? They both use the same argument to justify not sparring - a suggestion brought up by the Shogun, who was genuinely trying to help. Of course it's not because deep down both of them want the best for one another - it is simply because you want the best for both of them. Of course.

But if that were the reason, why would Diluc place himself between his brother and the Archon every time since he heard that one casual remark? He didn't know what bothered him so much about it - it was accurate, wasn't it? Son of Khaenri'ah. There was a time, once, when Diluc would've called it preposterous - Kaeya was a son of Crepus, just like he was. Regardless of his birth parents, he'd been raised a Ragnvindr.

But... was that really true? Had it ever been?

Being placed on the same team as Kaeya, Diluc finds himself grappling with thoughts he had back when everything came to light. For the vast majority of his life, Kaeya had been, indeed, just as much a child of Khaenri'ah as Diluc was a child of Mondstadt. But a man's future is not defined by his past - instead, his present. Kaeya is as much of a sneaky bastard as Diluc is used to him being... but the more the two work together, the more he realises that Kaeya has become more of a Mondstadter than he himself is aware of. He may have been a child of Khaenri'ah once, but the man he's grown into is as much of his brother as he thought him to be as children.

He does not, however, say this out loud. Ever.

The Shogun has since stopped reffering to him as that - it very clearly makes both of them incredibly uncomfortable, and though it is nice to get a break from the bickering, she was not actually looking to offend anybody. So far she's taken to reffering to Kaeya by title instead, adressing him as Captain. She doesn't strike me as the type to jump directly to being on a first name basis with people, and would want to maintain that distance.

Her and Diluc interact very little - she much prefers the Yelan days now, if only due to the fact that she knows there's still some lingering tension from that little incident. I could see the two getting along somewhat well before, but the relationship definitely soured in that awkward quiet way that never leads to an actual confrontation. But then again, I can see this being a very, VERY tense team. Like seriously the only person here that has no beef at all is Yelan.

Because while the brothers' antics take the main stage - their bickering is dramatic and explosive and their jabs at each other end up taking the attention from othet issues, which is quite thr relief - there is also the strained feelings between Kazuha and the Shogun.

Oh yes.

You and the Traveler may have gotten through to the Archon, shown her the power of people's hopes and dreams, and helped repel the Vision Hunt Decree. Inazuma may now be open again, and the Nation of Electro may be slowly rebuilding itself and its foreign relations after the civil war. The Shogun had her redemption arc, and joined you as a Vessel, and so far she has been nothing but helpful and reliable on the field of combat.

But Kazuha's friend is not any less dead.

Kazuha himself says that he's thought about it, and that he holds no resentment towards the Shogun. His friend died in an honorable duel, and that's that. But not resenting someone doesn't automatically mean a close or good relationship, nor does it mean that what was done has been forgotten. Kazuha supposes he'll trust your judgement, and that the Shogun is there to help - but there's still that lingering fear, that cold sweat when he wakes up and that shiver running down his back, because the aftermath of a war is never easy, and though she's on their side now, what if one day she isn't. Were it not for the brothers' antics - and possibly Kaeya, let us be honest here, he's the one who talks - the team would be... very, very silent.

From either angle, your team is PACKED with tension, but hopefully they'll be able to slowly grow to rely on each other, and maybe mend what was broken along the way.

With a bit of luck they go out for drinks and dango. I think they deserve it.

[johanarchy]

Lately I've been having a lot of fun creating some Chaos Marine OCs and I thought I might introduce them here !

So behold ! A very unlikely friend group :

The Iron Warrior is called Cassius Merle, the Death Guard is Mychos Ankou and the Emperor's Child is named Antares Fitz.

I have a whole story for how they met, but the short version is that they all got stranded on a ruined world after the end of the 13th Black Crusade and had to team up to get away.

I have informally named them The Smelly Trio because they all stink. They bicker. They share a braincell. Together they can overcome anything.

Mychos and Antares are in a romantic relationship. No one understands how it happened, least of all the two of them. Cassius is in some kind of queerplatonic partnership with both, though he would rather die than to admit that he actually likes them.

More doodles and yapping under the cut (ft me not being fully set on what their armours look like)

"I really don't care for the Gods. Like everything, they serve a purpose, but I have never needed their help blowing walls up, and I don't see why that should change."

Cassius is the youngest, he was recruited just a few decades before the Black Crusade. As most post-Heresy Chaos Marines, he isn't his Primarch's gene-son; he comes from Imperial Fist geneseed, something he feels extremely angsty about.

He's short of height and of temper, and though he tries very hard to be the hypercompetent brain of the group, he is absolutely not suited for leadership, or for functionning outside of the rigid structure of his legion. That's not his fault, he was just never really taught critical thinking. Or proper social skills.

He likes manual labor, it makes him feel useful and lets him turn his brain off, both things he desperately needs.

"You misunderstand me. I do not wish for the end of humanity. Humanity delights me, like all species of living beings do. But to think that, just because I am part of it, that I should believe it above the laws of nature ? No, this is something that I cannot accept."

Mychos is the oldest, having actually been part of one of the first waves of Death Guards from Barbarus. He used to be, and technically still is, an apothecary, but nowadays his duty is mainly to create more and more elaborate biological weapons for his fellow Plague Marines to use.

He carries himself with the unnerving friendliness and cheerfulness that only nurglites can have, and with a sort of "gentle giant" attitude that makes many people dismiss him as slow and simple minded; but do not be deceived, this is a wisened veteran who knows the world he lives in, he's just very chill about it.

He is a big nature lover, with a soft spot for fungi, which he lets grow over his exposed bones. He tends to start little gardens in every place he stays in for more than a few weeks, something he is exceptionally skilled at. He talks to all living things in his little ecosystems, plants, fungi, insects, even bacteria, and sometimes they actually answer.

"The problem with the Imperium is that it's run by losers and prudes who have never had a single minute of fun in their lives, and they expect everyone else to be as miserable as them or die. I say fuck them. Do whatever you want. If your so-called-God has a plan, you won't live long enough to see it happen anyway."

Antares is also fairly old, being of the original Emperor's Children stock, but he joined the legion at the tail end of the Great Crusade, just before the Heresy, so to him, the influence of Slaanesh has always been an integral part of it.

As such, he became the very picture of selfish hedonism; indulging his impulses and never thinking about consequences. This makes him a pretty bad soldier, as he does not respond well to authority and struggles greatly with delayed gratification. His saving grace is his skill as a fighter, especially on difficult terrain where his satyr-like mutations offer him great mobility. He had to heavily modify his armour to accomodate his legs, but his own vanity was also very much a factor in some of the choices.

Like any good slaaneshi, he loves his drugs and sex and music, but his true passion is food. He is teaching himself to cook, to varrying degrees of success, but mostly he tends to pillage the kitchens of whatever place he is helping raid at the moment. His taste is not refined, he just chases intensity in flavour.

I have more to say but it would take entirely too long to type it all up so I will stop there for now. Thank you for your time !

[smytherines]

do you have any hcs for precanon curtwen? how they got together, what they were like etc

Oh for sure I do!

I think they were probably paired up together for missions over the span of a couple of years, and had all this romantic & sexual tension that they convinced themselves was all in their heads, before they actually got together. They had long enough to build a friendship, a partnership, and they're both afraid enough of the consequences (both personally and professionally) that they don't want to even consider making a move.

I always imagine it as something goes wrong on a mission, someone gets hurt, or maybe they have a spectacular success and are high on adrenaline, and Curt impulsively kisses Owen because hey, this guy is attractive and Curt has a crush. Owen is just kinda stunned by it, and Curt pulls away like "oh shit he's gonna kill me," but really Owen has been infatuated with Curt for ages and just assumed Curt wasn't interested.

I could see Owen having an inkling that Curt is into men, but assuming that if someone as cocky and confident as Curt hasn't made a move, it must mean he isn't interested. So Owen has just been pathetically pining for him. I think Curt has been pining too, but because he just kind of assumes in that young closeted queer way that nobody else is "sick" like him, that confiding in anyone will get him in trouble. And in my headcanon, Owen is bisexual, so perhaps he's had affairs with women and Curt assumes that means he isn't interested in men.

Anyways, I love thinking about them in a relationship, even though it breaks my heart. Because realistically Curt and Owen probably only saw each other a handful of times per year, so everything they manage to build together is based on these little stolen moments. I think they start casually hooking up, killing time on missions, but it very quickly becomes something more. It almost has to. You don't get a lot of time to date as a spy, and even less as a gay spy. So even just the act of repeatedly hooking up by default sorta makes them the most important relationship in each other's lives- especially because they were such good friends first.

I personally don't think pre-fall curtwen were as toxic as a lot of people think. I don't really see any evidence of that in A1P1. I mean they both seem to be little freaks who get off on danger and violence, and I'm sure constant distance and secrecy and danger took their toll, but for me A1P1 shows two men who love and respect each other, even if they bicker and mess with each other.

One thought I keep coming back to is that they sneak off for movie dates, mostly because I love classic films and get really into imagining them reacting to the many gay subtext films of the early 50s. I think they sit in the darkest part of the theater and only their legs are touching, and maybe if there's nobody there one of them will put his hand on the other's thigh and it's almost a real date.

I think they'll go to bars- not underground gay bars specifically, but bars where a lot of queer people just happen to congregate, and sit at a booth or a table, and drink together and find little ways to be discreetly affectionate.

I think Curt thinks it's adorable that Owen is a kind of a nerd, and tries his best to pay attention when Owen goes on a ramble or a rant about boring tech stuff (but gets bored and starts trying to make out with him instead). I think Owen is fascinated with how Curt's mind works, how he's seemingly so chaotic and disorganized, but in a crisis he is absolutely cool and calm and comes up with clever, creative solutions for problems.

I think they loved each other, they knew each other so well that one could barely finish a sentence before the other picked it up. I think they were a bit codependent, and the distance started to gnaw away at them towards the end, but they were each other's favorite person in the world. They trusted each other more than anyone else on Earth. They missed each other desperately, but tried their best to put on a brave face every time they had to part. I think they sent each other coded love notes and presents and found excuses to request each other on missions. I think some of their pillow talk included imagining little scenarios where they could run off together and never have to be apart again, and it starts as a fun thing but gradually gets sadder and sadder for them as they realize how impossible that would be.

(That's all I have time for right now but I might pick this back up later)

[raayllum]

for @kradogsrats

It takes the third time of Viren shutting a cupboard more firmly than he needs to for Kpp'Ar to sigh, raise his head, and ask, "What is it this time?"

At his best, Viren is dutiful if prideful as a pupil; at his worst, he is frequently stressed and, when bothered enough, moody and bad-tempered. This seems to be a combination of all simultaneously, as he's kept his eyes on the records book Kpp'Ar had assigned him to update all morning, and his concentration hasn't wavered, but... his mood has only soured as the day has gone by.

Viren glares at him, running a pale hand through his hawkish mop of brown hair, freshly anointed wedding band glinting, and Kpp'Ar thinks for a moment his apprentice won't say anything when Viren grits out, "Lissa's pregnant."

Kpp'Ar nearly drops his wrench, the clock on his work table not quite tuned right. He turns, a strange swooping sensation in his stomach. "Oh."

"We knew... we thought we wanted children. But not now." Viren buries his face in his hands, sighing deeply. "I don't know what we're going to do."

Kpp'Ar is quiet, each word sticking in his throat less measurable than the last. What does he know about having offspring? If there's one thing he's avoided more than people, it's tiny, wailing, squishy-faced people who can't control their own thoughts and impulses.

Finally, he says, "Don't be daft. You'll do quite well for yourselves. You have the castle to live in, and—"

"There's more to raising a child than putting a roof over their heads," Viren snaps. He crosses his arms like the petulant child he may raise. "Not that my father would know," he grumbles in a lower voice.

Kpp'Ar rises, reaching for his cane and wincing. His joints are always worse this time of year, and Viren's crisis isn't worth it, maybe—the man is dedicated and singleminded to a fault, so long as he pays the child proper attention, there shouldn't be many issues—but...

Kpp'Ar curls a hand over Viren's shoulder. "So long as you show up, and love them, I'm sure you'll be a perfectly adequate father."

Viren's lips twitch. "That seems like an awfully low bar." He straightens, puffing his chest out slightly. "And I intend on being far more than adequate."

"There you go," Kpp'Ar says, moving back to his bench. "Treat it like you have something to prove, and you'll have an easy path laid out ahead of you."

As easy as parenting can be, anyway.

"It cannot be that straightforward," Viren says, his mood gone, eyes alight with amusement.

Neither will ever admit it, of course, but Kpp'Ar knows—secretly—that they both enjoy the intellectual challenge of their constant bickering as much as any other pursuit of their partnership.

"You have good intentions," Kpp'Ar counters. "Many fathers do not even have that."

"Hm." Viren goes and pulls down a flask from one of his stores in the walls, taking a swig.

Six months later, Viren and a smiling Lissa bring by a little boy with blue eyes and wisps of golden hair, and an only slightly squishy looking face. The old cogs of Kpp'Ar's heart stir in ways he didn't think he was capable of.

He makes the boy trinkets, and his sister too, when another one follows a year or so later.

Soren is frail and dying the last time Kpp'Ar sees him, a father's fury in Viren's eyes. Good intentions, Kpp'Ar thinks, as the gold swallows him up.

(You know what they say about hell.)

[thesmallestgir1]

Kaleidoscope by Chappell Roan was written about Hayffie

an analysis

Here we go again

Everything is fine

Year after year they put on a show for games season, but this year something has changed

I guess we could pretend

We didn't cross a line

After their tributes died, they had a huge fight, which led to a kiss

But ever since that day

Everything has changed

The way I write your name

The cursive letter A

Effie tries to push what she feels aside because she doesn’t believe that Haymitch feels the same way

Whenever it may be

That you go on your way

If you really wanna leave

I'll never make you stay

Typically victors will stay for the crowning, but Haymitch left to return the tributes bodies to the district and Effie wouldn’t dare try to convince him to stay

Whatever you decide

I will understand

Effie tries to be understanding, knowing that Haymitch has gone through things she couldn’t even imagine

And it will all be fine

Just go back to being friends

She knows that next game season they will go back to constantly fighting

And love is a kaleidoscope

How it works we'll never know

And even all the change

Is somehow all the same

Effie doesn’t know what it feels like to be in love, but she hopes it doesn’t feel like this

Turnin' to the left and right

Colors shining in your eye

And even upside down

It's beautiful somehow

It's never just a shape alone

Love is a kaleidoscope

Even during their fights and bickering, she can’t get over how handsome he is

And if you ever find

Someone who could write

A better song for you

Well I'd love to see them try

Effie is the only escort that has lasted longer than 2 years in district 12, so if he pushed her away, no one could really replace her

Put it all in words

And sing it all in tune

There's no one else who could

The only one is you

Haymitch knows that Effie is the only person (besides chaff) that will fight him on more than a superficial level, she isn’t afraid to call him out

And if you change your mind

I will understand

And it'll just take time

To go back to being friends

Effie knows that they are risking years of partnership if they try to make things between them work and they don’t

And love is a kaleidoscope

How it works we'll never know

And even all the change

Is somehow all the same

Turning to the left and right

Colors shining in your eye

And even upside down

It's beautiful somehow

Every color of the rainbow

Even after all the engagements, the flings, the boyfriends, Effie knows that she has never, and will never again, experience a love like this

Don't be afraid to hold it close

It's never just a shape alone

Love is a kaleidoscope

Effie is the one that finally convinced Haymitch, after the war was over, that there wasn’t a reason that she couldn’t hold her close. There was no one to use his love against him

[icedragonlizard]

Wave 3 Dream Friend dynamics

A lot of the Kirby fandom interprets these three being friends. No surprise that I do the same.

I'll be going over their individual dynamics: Magolor & Taranza, Magolor & Susie and Taranza & Susie.

But before that, I have one general headcanon for all of them: They all met each other before Star Allies. Hahaha. There you go.

Anyways, let's get started on their individual dynamics. Please note that as always, this is purely my headcanons.

I'll put a 'Keep reading' tag because this is gonna be quite a long one!

Magolor and Taranza

-They're conversation partners. Magolor is always energetic and talkative in terms of conversations, and Taranza really likes that from him, so he considers Magolor as a really good convo partner.

-Magolor sometimes gives Taranza gifts to make him feel better, because he feels bad for his loss.

-Hugs happen between the two as well, since Taranza could always use hugs. It always makes him feel better.

-Magolor sometimes pranks Taranza but he never tries to go too far. There are occasions where Taranza attempts to prank him back as a 'gotcha moment'.

-Magolor has gotten Taranza out of his comfort zone to do more and more fun things.

-Being friends with Magolor long enough has convinced Taranza to start slowly growing back the super smug and arrogant persona that he once had before Sectonia's death.

-They sometimes have dumb and stupid fun together. Taranza is one of Magolor's many partners-in-crime.

-Considering that they're both magicians, they talk about magic. Magolor is a magic fanatic and always gets stoked to see Taranza performing his magic.

-Magolor promotes Floralia in Merry Magoland, to Taranza's joy.

-There were moments where Magolor ended up upsetting Taranza with things that involved Sectonia, including the "Old Friend" mask when he was making masks for Merry Magoland. However, he always sincerely apologizes every time this happens.

-They sometimes visit each other's homes.

-Magolor sometimes likes to hype Taranza up to other people. Taranza thinks it's both really nice and also honestly a little bit embarrassing at the same time.

Magolor and Susie

-Conversation partners. They both have wider vocabulary than just about anyone else, so their conversations will seem super nerdy.

-They've disclosed their Another Dimension experiences with each other. They both totally agree that Another Dimension sucks. Magolor was incredibly stunned at how long Susie was stuck there.

-Friendly rivals, basically. They love to constantly 'own' each other through bickering and insults. They get entertainment out of pissing each other off. It's enriching for them.

-Magolor pulls pranks on Susie sometimes. Eventually, this has resulted in Susie learning to pull pranks on her own. She does it to Magolor, much to his surprise. He both loves and hates it when she pranks him back.

-These two are basically partners-in-crime. Aside from trolling each other, they also like coordinating in trolling others.

-They've bailed each other out of trouble a few times.

-Magolor has gotten Susie out of her comfort zone to do more fun things, similarly to what he did for Taranza.

-They talk about technology a lot. They collaborate on tech stuff. Susie once offered to help repair the Lor Starcutter when it broke down one time because Magolor crashed it during a trip.

-They've formed a business partnership. Magolor promotes Susie's tech in Merry Magoland and even gives her free ice cream when she shows up. Susie on the other hand flies by other planets to advertise Magolor's theme park. Susie also occasionally sings in Merry Magoland whenever her schedule makes it possible.

-Neither of them are seriously huggers on their own, so they don't hug each other, but they fist-bump a lot. They mostly fist-bump when they both feel smug. They also do super 'cool' handshakes.

-Magolor has told Susie a few times that he would've liked to meet her father. She isn't really sure what to make of this. It made her feel extremely awkward at first when he went as far as to make a mask of her father for Merry Magoland, but eventually got over it.

-Susie's weekend outfit mask for Merry Magoland happened because Magolor asked her to show him another outfit she wears to make a mask out of. He was generous enough to make 2 masks of her likeliness because she's one of his closer friends.

Taranza and Susie

-They found genuine solace in each other because of their losses. They feel really bad for each other. The friendship between these two is special because they understand each other's struggles in a way that nobody else does.

-Best friends.

-They both act as emotional support for each other, even if Susie normally isn't great at doing that, but she really feels for Taranza because she's noticed the similarities that his struggles have to hers... both stayed loyal to their corrupted loved ones until they died.

-Both have been working on trying to recover from their losses, but Taranza has had a harder time doing so. This has resulted in Susie often taking care of him whenever they're near each other. Vice versa has happened as well, but not as often.

-Hugs happen between these two. Taranza is one of the very few people that Susie gladly accepts hugs from. The other being Kirby.

-Taranza gets really defensive whenever someone would accuse Susie of being a bad person. He would always immediately stand up for her and make it clear that she's trying to be better compared to what she was before.

-Susie protects Taranza. She literally acts like a 'protective big sister' for him although she's like barely a year older. She'll kick your ass if you try to bully Taranza in any way. I'm looking at you, Marx.

-"HE ASKED FOR NO PICKLES" is basically what these two are like.

-They help each other learn more about each other's interests. Taranza learns more about tech and Susie learns more about flora.

-Because Magolor has gotten these two out of their comfort zones, it resulted in these two doing silly fun things together.

-Taranza wasn't really an ice cream eater before being friends with Susie. Eventually, she helps get him to eat ice cream more.

-Taranza likes that Susie's voice sounds similar to Sectonia's voice. This is a hc of mine, because… I mean, they have the same canon voice actress.

General headcanons for the trio as a whole

-They all have phones that they talk to each other on. Susie made the phones. This is especially helpful because Susie lives on a different planet that isn't Popstar, so she can just talk to the other two whenever without having to go back and forth.

-Magolor and Taranza sometimes visit Susie at her home planet, whether it's at the same time or it's just one of them. She visits them at their homes as well.

-Whenever Susie takes a vacation on Popstar, she sleeps at either Magolor's place or at Taranza's place.

-Magolor sometimes takes the other two in Lor Starcutter rides.

-The first time that any of these three visited the Forgotten Land is when Magolor used the Lor Starcutter to get all three of them there at the same time, and thus they all made their first visit there together. They did this because Elfilin doesn't like them and thus refused to make a portal for them.

-All three of them act like 'older sibling friends' to Kirby. They've been staying in touch with him after Star Allies. Kirby acts as emotional support for all three of them.

-All three of them really like Gooey. Whenever Gooey encounters one of them, he's going to receive head pats.

-The Mage Sisters are close friends to all three of them. There are hangouts and parties that involve the six of them.

-Sorry, but Marx doesn't form a quartet with them. This is because Taranza and Susie both hate Marx, as he loves to upset them both. Magolor is the only one out of the trio that is friends with Marx, as he has to keep Taranza and Susie away from him.

-One could maybe say that in my headcanon universe, Daroach could have a better chance of forming a quartet with them than Marx does. But even then, he doesn't quite make the cut either. Daroach likes to steal from Taranza and Susie, so they're not fans of him as a result, although they can tolerate him a lot better than they can with Marx. Magolor on the other hand does consider Daroach as a friend, as the two have this thing where they love stealing from each other.

-All three of them hate Dark Meta Knight. This is because of DMK's involvement in corrupting Sectonia, which of course has caused Taranza to hate him with every fiber of his being. Magolor and Susie sometimes mock and harass DMK in the name of Taranza.

-Magolor considers Taranza and Susie to be his next best friends, after Marx and Kirby.

That's everything I got for these three! If you're a fan of one of these three characters and you really liked reading all this, you're welcome!

[chuuya-fan-page]

Ppl call SKK toxic bc they focus on the “I wanna kill you” without registering the “I don’t want you dead”

See people tend to focus on that so much in this fandom. They think "tried to kill e/o" equals toxic but it doesn't. Example is Ranpoe, which many believe is a very healthy relationship, Poe tried to kill Ranpo well, that does not make them toxic.

The thing with skk is they say stuff they don't mean, that's what their bickering and bantering is, even so they are more than that. They have a partnership filled with trust and understanding. They say they want to kill e/o but don't make actual effort to genuinely kill the other person despite having so many opportunities to do so. Their murder attempts on e/o aren't really actually attempts to genuinely harm the other person, they're just weird like that and like to do that. It doesn't make them toxic; it just makes them weirdos. Their relationship and many other relationships in BSD cannot be labeled as toxic as they are far too complex and nuanced, when you slap labels like that, a lot from the relationship is stripped away because you chose to boil their relationship down to one term.

-A

[dalek-ix-writes-stuff]

Red Ruin - INTERVAL 01: INITIATION (Part V)

"Wow, it's really booking it."

"Yep."

"How big is that thing?"

Ruby adjusted the scope on Crescent Rose until her target was in focus. She then read off the range numbers on the dials.

She wished she hadn't.

"Big," she told Yang, and resumed watching over the Nevermore, "Very big and very old."

Yang didn't have a telescopic scope, but she could still see the Grimm unaided. The only thing that had given it away as something that wasn't a bird high in the sky had been when they'd seen it go through a cloud. They'd immediately gotten off the path they'd found after that, hiding under the cover of the trees.

Ruby felt an idea come to Yang.

"No."

Yang sputtered. "I didn't even say anything!" She complained.

"Still no," Ruby shot back, "too high up for that, and it's not gonna pass near us."

Yang grumbled, her arms crossed under her chest. "Would've been pretty cool if we could pull it off," she said.

"… Yeah," Ruby agreed. It would have been pretty amazing to down the Grimm like that; after all, it deserved to die.

They ALL deserved to die.

"Wonder where it's going," Ruby thought out loud.

Yang snorted, "With how fast it's flying? Probably the worst partnership ever."

Ruby lowered her sweetheart, currently in rifle form, and looked in the direction the flying Grimm had been heading. In the distance she could just make out a-

cut deep cut once cut twicd cut many times how dare she say that to ME I'll show her what does she know she will eat her words and I will serve them to her-

She winced. "Ouch."

Yang raised an eyebrow. Then another. "Wait, you can actually see it from here?"

Ruby nodded, and now Yang winced as well.

"Wow."

"Yep."

"And they have a Giant Nevermore after their asses. Not to mention they're probably pulling a whole bunch of Grimm."

"Yep."

There was a pause. Yang and Ruby looked at each other, and then bolted, the scythe wielder leading the way.

----------

"You shot me!"

"I called out the shot! You didn't move! And that's nothing; you were this close to skewering me!"

"And maybe I wouldn't have if you hadn't decided to get in my way!"

"What do you mean "maybe", Schnee?!"

Weiss Schnee was quite sure she was dead. Perhaps the airship had crashed, or the White Fang had finally gotten lucky with their bombs. Maybe Whitley had been even more of a worm than anyone could've believed and had poisoned her food.

"I said go left! That was not left!"

"And why should I listen to you, Schnee?"

"Because, unlike some people, I've actually taken formal courses in command and know what I'm talking about?"

"You mean you sat in a nice, comfortable classroom in your mansion and studied textbooks, because Gods forbid you get your dress dirty and take to the field, unlike some people, Schnee."

"And another thing! My name is Weiss! Weiss! If you're going to insist on bickering, you could at least call me by my name!"

"Like you've called me by mine?"

"Indeed, Miss Baetica."

Yes, Weiss was pretty certain she was deceased. Because she was clearly in hell.

"If you could shut up-"

"And let you walk all over me? Besmirch my name? Question my integrity? Insult and belittle me? Have you ever considered that maybe I wouldn't have to follow through if you didn't start?"

"Maybe if you stopped sniping-"

This time, their argument was brought to a halt by Blake's eyes widening and the girl diving to one side. Weiss followed shortly after, and the Nevermore's talons passed through the space she'd occupied a second ago.

Lying on her back, Weiss looked on as a flying Grimm the size of an Airbus swooped over and then up, cawing out a monstrous cry that almost sounded like disappointment.

"Oh my." Was just about the only thing she could say after that.

She heard Blake laugh in a way that did not indicate amusement. "First time seeing a Giant Nevermore, Schnee?"

Weiss decided to pretend that Blake had preceded her last name with a "Miss". "Yes, Miss Baetica," she said, "They don't grow so…" She swallowed. "Large in Atlas. The blizzards kill them if they're too big to seek shelter."

A pause. They pulled themselves to their feet.

"… Blizzards." Blake said flatly.

"We have them in the winter," Weiss explained, pretending to have heard some scholarly interest, "Bad enough that even the Grimm seek shelter, else they freeze. Of course, if you happen to be outside during one…" She trailed off. Everyone in Atlas grew up with tales of people who had forgotten that the cold and snow that protected them from the Grimm was indiscriminate.

Blake nodded. And said nothing else.

Weiss felt her jaw clench, and her dominant hand twitch. Sure, she hadn't been nice to Blake, but how could she when every word she'd heard from the girl had been designed to cut and wound from the start? Blake wouldn't hear one word of apology until she got one first.

And if she insisted on calling her by her family name-

Weiss knew the sort of response her father would've wanted from her. A false smile. Sweet, meaningless words of apology. Mild, calculated flattery. A smokescreen for the knife.

Except Father isn't a Schnee. No matter how much he wishes he was.

Weiss straightened herself, hands clasped behind her back. "I don't like you, Miss Baetica," She said, about as bluntly as she could while still being polite about it, "And you don't like me."

"Obviously," Blake said. Weiss ignored the sarcasm.

"However," Weiss continued, "We're in a forest full of Grimm and-" she glanced up, partly to check, and partly for emphasis "-being hunted by a Giant Nevermore. And neither of us are interested in failing admission into Beacon by dying." A pause, to let that sink in. "I'm not asking to be friends; just that we agree to not draw every Grimm in the forest to us."

Blake seemed to look conflicted. Weiss could see why; It was a perfectly sensible plan from a source she didn't like much at all.

And Weiss wanted to know why.

"Fine," Blake ground out, pragmatism having won out, "But you stay out of my way."

"And you out of mine," Weiss smoothly replied. Blake's eyes narrowed and-

Her head turned left and her hands drew the rather exotic combination weapon on her back. Weiss turned right, facing the same way, Myrtenaster in a middle guard position, and felt the tension in her body go straight back up again because she'd just (maybe, temporarily) dealt with one problem, damnit.

There was a red and black blur that zigzagged around the trees, red petals in its wake. It came to a halt right in front of them, and it revealed itself to be a rather young-looking girl in a black and red combat dress, black and red corset, a red, hooded cloak, and who had dark crimson hair.

She looked vaguely familiar to Weiss. Then she saw the giant war scythe she was carrying, and she remembered the rather excitable young girl who had nearly tripped over her luggage in her hurry to barrage Weiss with questions about Myrtenaster.

What was her name again? Did she even tell it to me?

Silver eyes blinked, and went from Weiss, to Blake, and then back again.

"Oh, good!" She said, grinning, "You're not dead!"

There was a long, awkward silence. The smile on the girl's face became a little brittle.

"I mean, we saw the Nevermore swoop in," the girl –seriously, what was her name? Weiss had it right on the tip of her tongue– explained, miming the flying Grimm with the hand not holding the scythe, "like whoosh, and I got worried it hurt someone, so I ran ahead to help and," a laugh, "and it looks like you're both fine, right Blake?"

Weiss shot Blake a look. Did Blake know this person? How?

Blake pointedly ignored Weiss and instead spoke to the girl. "We're fine Ruby," she told the scythe wielder, and finally Weiss remembered the name she'd gotten immediately before being grilled on her weapon's cylinder mechanism, "but… Who's "we"?"

"Oh, it's Yang and me– Yang's my sister," Ruby explained, "and my partner." The smile grew warmer.

A beat.

"… Aaaaand I just ran off without her," she realised, shoulders slumping. Ruby smiled awkwardly at Weiss and Blake. "Um… Mind if we wait a little for her to catch up?"

[shipcestuous]

It's Always Sunny

I had told myself in the past that I was going to post Dennis/Dee commentary after every episode and not hoard it in my head thinking I'll post it later, meanwhile forgetting all of it bit by bit.

It seems like a lot of my fellow D/D fans have departed Tumblr since the era when this community was at its most active talking about them. Pity! But I'll do it anyway.

Of course Dennis totally disregarded Dee for most of 16x01. But he tends to do that with whoever is not part of his ongoing project. But once Charlie pitches bringing the whole gang in on his investment, he looks over at Dee to see what she thinks:

In the following scene, when Charlie comes up to them and reveals what the investment really was, you can see that Dee and Dennis are sitting right next to each other at a very small table.

It's like they chose the spot in the bar that would allow them the least amount of space...

16x02 was nice because it was a Dee/Dennis team-up. They take Frank out to dinner and naturally it reminded me of when they did that before, and Frank thought they were going to confess that they were in a sexual relationship with each other. I really wish it had been the same restaurant, that would have been amazing.

Dennis and Dee spend this episode on the same page. I can't remember them arguing or insulting each other even once. Their goal at first is to make sure Frank is including them in his will, and then their goal shifts to giving him a great day before they take away his gun, so it was very Reynolds-family focused. I have to wonder if these two get along better in that kind of context. We've seen them fight plenty when they're alone, just the two of them, but I think it general they fall into partnership-mode (even with some bickering) when Mac and Charlie aren't there pushing Dee's ostracization.

Then Frank accidentally shoots them. Twins getting hit by the same bullet, it's so poetic. Of course at the end of the episode Frank accidentally fires again and the bullet ricochets around the bar eventually hitting Mac and Charlie both, but there was no bouncing around here.

They're like parents to Frank in this episode, it's kind of adorable. I know the analogy is supposed to be to a dog but it's also like a child.

The highlight of this episode for me was actually meeting Charlie's sisters. Mac made a meta joke about forgetting that Charlie had sisters but I actually always remembered that he mentioned having a sister. It only happened one time - in Charlie Got Molested, in season 1. (I'm not going to forget that someone has a sibling!) I assumed they decided to effectively retcon it because it didn't fit with their vision of Charlie's family as the show moved forward, or maybe they just totally forgot, so I loved that they brought that back fifteen years later.

We don't find out his sisters' originals names, but they go by Candy and Bunny now and they make a killing doing topless ASMR on OnlyFans. (They're played by real life sisters.) They seem to be significantly younger than Charlie, at least 15 years, maybe more like 20 years younger. They hate Charlie and Charlie hates them and I enjoyed every second of their interaction. He might be a lot older but they certainly repartee on equal terms.

They call him "dirt grub" which I think is kind of adorable and a very accurate nickname.

They seem to know Mac very well so they've been around.

Anyway, now I'm picturing Charlie checking out their OnlyFans out of disdainful curiosity, or maybe just to see his beloved jar of teeth, and then becoming addicted to it.

[prince-of-elsinore]

happy wincest wednesday!! asking folks similar questions on a central theme: what elements of sam and Dean's relationship, or things about themselves as characters, do you think are often done REALLY well in fic? any examples??

(or, salty edition: which elements are often done poorly, in your opinion?)

Happy Wincest Wednesday! What a good but tricky question. It's difficult--impossible, really--to generalize wrt fanfiction, when you consider the sheer breadth of works in Wincest fandom, from early fic to new and every niche of taste besides; and then there are my reading habits, which are hardly representative of fanfic at large.

All of which makes it much easier for me to think of elements often done poorly, imo 😅 (I do get to positives below the cut as well!) The biggest offenders that come to mind are:

for Dean, his lack of boundaries, possessiveness/entitlement wrt Sam, and overriding of Sam's--forgive me for the overused word--autonomy. These are all, to some extent, present in his canon character and important themes of the show, but I find they are often grossly exaggerated in fic. Of course a lot of this comes down to how one interprets canon; if you see Sam as brainwashed/Stockholm Syndromed by his brother from Carver era on, then I guess it seems natural to write a Dean who deviously manipulates Sam and rides roughshod over his sense of self, who rules the bunker with an iron fist. If, however, like me, you see Carver-era+ Sam as coming to terms with his relationship with Dean and how much he not only needs but wants to be with him, and if you view him as the primary agent in his own life decisions, and if you recognize how much (often tacit) power he holds in his relationship with Dean, that characterization becomes nonsensical. Dean does in some ways harden over the years, particularly with his anger, but he still carries an innate emotional vulnerability that is his need for Sam and fear that Sam can and will leave him (he's the only one who's ever walked away from family!). Simultaneously, in later years he has more trust in his partnership with Sam than ever, which includes, I think, trust that Sam will stand his own and be a counterbalance to Dean when need be. Anyway, all that is a roundabout way of saying that I don't think it's in character for Dean, especially a late seasons one, to seriously violate or disrespect Sam, and on the whole "possessive Dean" is a fandom invention.

for Sam, relatedly, it's writing him as too yielding and needy. While I appreciate a rare and earned moment of vulnerability, Sam, even at his most victimized, isn't innately as emotionally vulnerable as Dean for reasons mentioned above. He has a firmer sense of self, even if at his lowest he has serious doubts about his abilities and worth. Except in very rare moments, I don't see him as someone who willingly gives up control. When he seems to "go along" with Dean I see that as an intentional choice, not a weakness. He chooses his battles, and God help (hm, poor choice of words but you get it 😅) the person who tries to cross Sam Winchester when he's drawn a line in the sand, even--actually especially--if it's his brother.

But I don't want this post to be nothing but salt! Here are some things that generally, at least in the fic I read and like, people nail on the head:

Sam and Dean love each other! They mean everything to each other! Even when they're on the outs over something. They are ride or die. Their love is a love that can destroy and save the world <3

They belong together. Especially in later seasons, they are truly domestically committed (whether it's Established Relationship or not). There's no one else who gets them like they do, no one else they could ever feel so comfortable with. "It's always been you"--you know the rest!

They're brothers. First and foremost. Teasing, bickering, one-upping, gross-outing, sniping brothers.

I'm always pleased to see a version of this done well, and many of my favorite fics nail it: how scary and new everything is when crossing that line the first time. Whether you spin it towards fluff or angst, I love those moments of discovery--of each other's bodies, of their own pleasure--unease, awkwardness, giddiness or terror, when a sexual element is added to their chemistry. They know each other so well, but not like this. Everything is so familiar and foreign at once, and how much does it change things? Too much? Practically nothing? I love them figuring those things out together, and I'll never tire of reading it. Luckily there is a feast of such moments in Wincest fic 🍿

Okay examples of diverse fics that I think get all of the above right!

This Next Town by @nigeltde-fic (gentle, domestic late seasons, with a wonderful description of the stunning newness of their intimacy)

The Elko County Adventure by candle_beck (the brothers of it all! The underlying tension and fear and care and love!)

Carry Me Over the Sky by killabeez (for an angstier take--the pure need for each other and the horror of changing things irrevocably)

Baby Blue by edwardina (for a kinky take that may not be everyone's cuppa, but I was surprised by how well it sold it to me--this Dean is right on the edge of over-the-line possessive for me, but works I think because of how surprised he is by his own feelings, and how sturdy Sam remains despite his outlandish and dependent circumstances)

side two, track one by @zmediaoutlet (they're brothers, they're committed to each other already, and then all of a sudden something shifts and they're both in terrifying, thrilling new territory)

Thank you for the ask! Hope you enjoy the longer-than-expected answer and recs :)

[baishouqijia]

✧ ―   𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍. relationships with the other harbingers.

pierro. of course, everyone has their own reason for joining the tsaritsa's cohort of harbingers. to pantalone, none other than pierro have a more valid reason to bite back at celestia. whilst pantalone does not care for members of authority, he does believe in pierro's leadership and thus happily works under his guidance.

il capitano. pantalone thinks he is hypocritical ― a warped sense of justice, that ends in bloodshed regardless. of course, he is not averse to violent methods but at least come by it honestly, no need to dress it up under morals and chivalry. is he about to say this to his ... face? absolutely not, but he will make a snide remark here and there.

il dottore. as someone who respects intellect, dottore is high up in pantalone's estimations. it's a symbiotic relationship ― dottore comes up with the ideas, and pantalone pays for them to come to fruition. it was actually haeresys that caught his interest first; pantalone just made it profitable by making it a show for the wealthy. and thus their partnership was born. with enough money, any ethical concerns just because a small fine at the end of expenses. they work separately day to day, but reconvene privately to discuss 'business' matters.

columbina. the less time he spends alone in her company, the better. they don't particularly have much to say to one another ― a compliment on her singing here and there, but this is where their pleasantries end. he would do anything to avoid her laced gaze after hearing the rumours of what she's capable of.

arlecchino. their methods clash more than anything ― pantalone preferring to control from the shadows, whilst arlecchino values field work, perhaps due to her involvement of training recruits. pantalone often signs off on the orphanage's expenses and so they only really cross paths for professional reasons. still, he enjoys her theatrical displays and overlooks most rumours regarding her flaky commitment to the tsaritsa. everyone has their reasons, right?

pulcinella. if pantalone learned his diplomacy tricks from anyone, its pulcinella. the mayor has a way of disarming others, all the while pulling the strings for more nefarious acts. through pulcinella, pantalone learned that money talks much louder with the political power to back it up. that, and pulcinella is about the only one willing to listen to his ideas at great length . . .

scaramouche. who? pre-wipe, pantalone disliked scaramouche. terrible team skills, always bickering with his fellow harbingers, and never showed up when invited. ironically, scaramouche would have received his most sincere responses when they spoke, as pantalone did not even care to dress up his words with civilities ― he didn't like him and didn't bother to hide it.

sandrone. pantalone often requests sandrone to fix up his pocket watches, which gives him opportunity to quiz her on her creations. whereas most would probably avoid her workshop due to her 'poor' attitude, he finds her straight forward. he doesn't care much for machinery however he does care about what it can be used for. that said, he does avoid getting too close to her automaton ― it once malfunctioned at one of their banquets and broke the chandelier...

la signora. pantalone respects signora's work ethic and her methods. her death is a great loss to the harbingers, and whilst they weren't on close terms, they were certainly amicable. prior to her passing, he could have listened to her tales from the akademiya for hours and on a more personal level, thought she was rather striking. needless to say, signora's death reminded him of his own mortality.

tartaglia. ah, his scratching post. for years pantalone was the lowest harbinger ― a glorified bank administrator ― and now he gets to order another harbinger about. he spends a lot of time teasing childe: e.g. sending him on pointless trips to check on the northland bank, likely with vague instructions just to see what he does out there. whilst he thinks tartaglia is too blood-thirsty and would call him dense in a heartbeat, he actually quite likes him.

[abysmal-black]

The prince has already readied himself for push back, white gloves at his side still palming a targeting device. The pitch of Ichiji's blast have changed, sizzling air reminiscent of lightning and he'd been counting the time between the flashes. When Law does move it's imperceptible again but not to attack. Dark eyes snap to the pirate as he reappears on the ground.“I'm bringing him in.”

“Bullshit.”

“Shut up Niji.” Ichiji's steady voice cuts in with the barest hints of a growl. Heaven forbid he's not the favorite for one second. “Hurry up and get them off the island, that pirate’s thrown off the schedule.”

“The juvenile snail is already on its way.” Judge ignores the childish bickering. “Well played Sanji.”

Is that praise on a shared line? Sanji could count on one hand how many times he’d received anything more than a passing hum from his father. No wonder Ichiji likes it so much.

Law is before him again, agitated and swordless. The pirate’s demanding tone makes Sanji want to protest on principle alone. Law has lost and is now licking his wounded pride by grasping for control. It's pathetic but the prince nods along comfortably in victory. “The theatrics aren't necessary.” Whatever fear the man attempts to provoke in Sanji bears no fruit. “I assure you, my word is better than yours. Judge wants a partnership, a disgruntled employee is useless.” Whatever information his people attempt to extract from the snail in the meantime, the prince will consider a freebie given his newfound good mood.

“Oi, bear.” Head twists toward the mink, eyes carefully watching Law as he speaks. “Keep heading that way towards the docks.” Thumb jerks over his shoulder. “Reiju will clear a path towards the snail ship.”  He turns back towards Law. “Don't want them getting lost.” Behind his mask a smile is unmistakable. On cue the way behind the men narrows to urge them forward, poison forming a polite arch to spare further exposure to the rain enroute.

 Sanji has enough sense not to gloat… that much. The surgeon’s smug carefree aura was more insulting than homicidal glares. Law’s been nothing but sure he's had the upperhand in their short exchange, the anger is wholly familiar even if the root of it isn't. With Law’s subordinates safely in Reiju's care, Sanji steps forward and unceremoniously loops an arm around Law's waist before boosters easily launch them into the air.

Noise falls away, the crackle of lightning and deafening thums of lasers a far off light show below them. Germa 66 has already methodically reduced a third of the island to ash save the stray points of interest Sanji marked. Kashi Island's whistling cliffs now shrill cry's of the damned and drumming boots of infantry. Like stepping through a wall, the smoke clears, sheer mountains lined with ascending snails on all sides. Only one ship has broken away from tight formation in Germa's coastal blockade and bypasses destruction heading towards a rear port.

Sanji lands with Law firmly tucked into his side, a squadron of armed clones and pair of white coats there to greet them. One of the men moves in to quickly inspect the prince once the pirate is released; the other cautiously gestures behind them towards Germa's main castle. "His highness awakes you in a debriefing room Dr. Trafalgar."

   Law retains his smug control even as Stealth Black questions his desire for one of Germa’s snails. It’s simple really. He wants time to analyse and take apart their tech. Ikkaku might not be as into the Sora comics as Law and is three oldest friends are but she would have so much fun taking apart the equipment on one of those snails. Plus, the integration between living creature and technology is absolutely in line with Ikkaku’s interests. She is currently working on possible cyborg enhancements for the crew. Law is all about helping his people become the best versions of themselves and today he was kinda hoping to help Ikkaku down that path.

   He watches the Germa prince turn to listen to another conversation, possibly coming from a personal transponder snail Law can’t see. Likely in that headset the guy is wearing. That of course peeks Law’s interest, the doctor already thinking of some useful applications of that covert kind of tech. Golden eyes narrow a little but the smirk is still in place. At least for a little while longer because when Sanji turns his attention to Law and offers his ultimatum the doctor’s features instantly darken. He straightens, those once amused golden eyes turning cold. Kikoku is pulled from the tiles, his grip tightening on her as his jaw locks. Knuckles go white and for a moment the Surgeon of Death radiates a distinct desire to kill.

   How dare he suggest Law hands one of his crew over as a hostage. How tempting it is to step forwards and cut of Stealth Black’s head. It’s what he deserves, it’s what Germa deserves, but instead the pirate captain stays silent. He glares death at Sanji right up until he stops talking and then Law just vanishes.

   Law pops into existence back on the street in front of his friends. He opens a hand to Bepo, gesturing for the mink to give him his scabbard. Law sheaths the disappointed Kikoku, the curse blade was practically vibrating with Law’s anger and malice. He then hands her to Bepo. All the while he gives his instructions in a low whisper.

   “I’ll be the hostage,” Law says, raising a hand when both his friends open their mouths to protest. “Give me a den den mushi. I want up dates on your progress and you better call me if something goes wrong. Contact Pen and set up a meeting spot. I want Ikkaku and Darter to meet them in the escape sub. They are not to reveal the Tang’s location under any circumstance. Oh, and if I don’t get what I’m about to ask for make sure you guys stall for as much time as you can so Ikkaku can have the chance to at least look over the snail’s systems. You got that?”

   “Aye aye, captain,” they both say, Bepo giving a salute as he hands over a snail phone. Law nods then and with another twist of his fingers he is back on the roof, without Kikoku.

   “You can use me as the hostage,” Law states, voice demanding no arguments. “You’ll get the meeting location once you’re out at sea. Your people are going to meet my engineer and you will answer whatever questions she has. You’ll have my co-operation only after I know my people are safe.”

   With that last word Law’s Room vanishes and he steps forwards, voice turning dangerous and that murderous look once again in his golden eyes. “If I get one hint that they’re in danger I will tear apart anyone and anything close to me and then I’ll turn all my efforts towards destroying the rest of your failing empire. If I die in the process, then so be it.”