#they need to stop causing me so much grief gah

[2aceofspades]

Presence...pressure

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Short update but it's ✨her moment✨ okay??

[dreamybasil]

Can you tell me the plot of the game of Omori?

Thanks!

lplot... omor.....

[huge HHUUUUGGGEEEEE essay below the "keep reading"] (i'll try keeping it short..........not) (i cant help myself)

Basically it starts off with WHITE SPACE, a blank world where a boy OMORI lives!! You have MEWO, a tissue box, a laptop and a sketchbook in there!! and wont forget the black bulb :D

There's also a door, that leads you into NEIGHBOURS ROOM where all your friends are! Not really all of them, but the ones that will follow right with you! Aubrey, Kel and Hero!!!

Aubrey is a really cheery girl who's pretty much inlove with Omori

Kel is an energetic baller who's athletic and silly and stupid /aff

Hero is Kel's older brother! Also the one who stops all the fights between Kel and Aubrey, because those two fight a LOT

When you get outside the room, you can go to the forest playground where you see a lot more of your friends, and especially MARI on her picnic blanket! Mari is Omori's older sister!!

She's loving and perfect, a pianist who takes care of the whole group and is like the glue that keeps them all together.

And lets not forget BASIL!!!! He's Omori's best friend!

He's really shy and caring but cherishes all his friends <3

There's a ton more places to go to in headspace, where you can all explore!! And each one in the order of the game...

Vast Forest, Train station (with additional bonus Orange Oasis and Rain Town), Otherworld, Junkyard, Pyrefly forest, Lost forest, Sprout mole village, Sweetheart's castle, Deep well, Last resort, Deeper well, Humphrey...

But the game also has psychological horror genre in it, and that concludes into even more places

specifically: BLACK SPACE. A total opposite to WHITE SPACE, and there's a bunch of doors, each one leading to one nightmare and a mess of a world.

But without a conclusion, all of those are just dreams, made by a teenage boy named SUNNY!

If taking plot by using the SUNNY ROUTE.... He can come out outside after KEL knocks on his door, and explore the outside!

A small city with just 15 houses and a church!

Faraway Town, Faraway Park, Faraway Plaza and a supermarket mall-like building OTHERMART, that also connects with HOBBEEZ, GINO's and FIX-IT!!

gah im yapping so much and getting into tons of little details..

If a little shorter, through the story you acknowledge that Mari is actually dead, and Basil helped Sunny with the murder, in a way.

There was an argument between Sunny and Mari, since they had a recital to attend at autumn and Sunny threw his violin down the stairs in their house, and Mari started yelling at him, and out of pure rage Sunny pushes Mari down, causing her death.

Sunny tried bringing her body upstairs and put her into her bed, thinking she just needed a rest, but then realizing she's dead.

Basil saw it all, and he tried to help out Sunny, by carrying her body into the yard and framing her death as if she hanged herself with a jumprope, but once they tried to go back inside, Sunny looked back at her and saw something horrifying, which traumatized him for the whole time until he finally came back outside to see his friends, who changed a lot, because it was 4 years since the accident happened

each one of them also show one stage of grief

kel shows acceptance, basil shows bargaining if i remember right aubrey - anger hero - depression and sunny is denial

in the end, taking the good "true" ending, Basil and Sunny had a fight during a sleepover at Basil's house, ending in both of them being in a hospital due to severe injuries and Basil stabbing Sunny's right eye out

and at the hospital, after Sunny wakes up and beats OMORI in a fight, he goes into Basil's room where everyone else were, and tells them the truth.

Once the truth is out, their immense guilt is not following them anymore, both of their SOMETHINGS (hallucinations, in a way) disappear!!

[sins-of-the-sea]

“Hey…”

“Hm?”

“Is everything all right?” the Gentleman asks as he gets up from the bench to check on Rashid and Phoebus. Though he didn’t hear their conversation, he did catch a glimpse of Rashid slamming Phoebus against a tree. “W-Were you two fighting…?”

“Oh, no!! We’re fine! I forgive him, he was-... I said something bad and he just knocked me into my place! That’s all!”

“Aheh, yes, indeed,” Rashid sputters. “We had a brief argument but it’s all done now. We’re good. Really.”

The Gentleman blinks. He then turns to Phoebus and smiles at him. “Well, if a much larger man is going to pick on someone his own size, you know I am here to help a friend.”

“O-oh!” Phoebus mumbles as he looks upon the fellow. “Well, nice to know I have someone who’ll look after my back.”

“Phoebus. He’s your brother’s date. Not yours.”

“GAH!!”

“Well, you do have something to look forward to… Val, is it? Guy is Phoebus’ identical twin brother, but he’s nowhere as wimpy as Phi is. At the very least ten pounds worth of more muscle.”

Come on, really? “Thanks, Rashid.”

“Is that so?” Val, as Rashid correctly identifies him as, looks over to Phoebus with a little smile on his face. “I am happy to know the man I am being set up with is as handsome as you.”

“O-oh!! Wh-Why thank you…”

“Good grief.” Rashid laughs as he lightly slaps Phoebus on the back–though this makes Phoebus yelp given he was scraped there moments ago. “Don’t steal Guy’s date now! Or else he’ll be more upset with you than he already would be!”

“Oof! No worries, I have my own paramour anyway. I just can’t help but blush at a charmer.”

Val chuckles. “You are too kind. I’ll get back to the bench and wait for Ruixiong and Guy.”

“You do that. It’s nice meeting you, Mr. Val-”

As the three men turn around, they finally see the pillar of smoke coming from downtown. “....Oh, no… is that-....”

“Do you think someone needs help?!” Val is about to pull out his device when Rashid holds up a hand.

“I think I hear firefighters coming their way already, no need. Do you have Ruixiong’s contact number?”

“I do not…”

“Then stay here. You’re in no danger, and the smoke is blowing the other way. You should be safe.”

He then steps away from Val again with Phoebus in tow. “My God, that has to be Guy. What sort of trouble did he cause this time around?”

“....................”

“....Phi?”

“Phoebus??”

“No… no….” Phoebus turns around to look at Val, who is keeping himself busy with his phone. “I know who this gentleman looks like!! Why he looks so familiar!”

“What?? Who?”

“I’ll explain along the way, but we have to find Ruixiong and stop the date from happening!”

“What?! Stop the date from happening?! Are you mad?! Do you want to break your brother further!”

“If this date happens, it could destroy him!! Please! This was meant to be a secret–but Guangzhou is centuries ago! You have to understand-”

[arcade-stannon]

hi

posting this from my smaller fallout account cause idk it’s more intimate info

i had to break up with a man i am still very much in love with, and i keep being okay with it for about a day at a time. but as ABBA once said, “If it wasn’t for the nights, I think that I could take it”.

we weren’t right for each other. gah. the damn anxious/avoidant dance. you know?

he’s self aware. he didn’t blame me. he knew his impulses to totally withdraw and shut me out were ultimately what killed our relationship. he apologized for basically backing me into a corner and making me end it by way of a five-day ghosting. of course, as soon as we spoke again, I asked to call him and, well. four hours later, that was that.

i wish i’d been mentally healthier, though. maybe it wouldn’t have affected me as much; maybe if we’d both taken that attachment quiz before we broke up we could have stayed together. known how to navigate each other better.

we still love each other. he even admitted that. it was hard for him, i know, to say it, let alone at such a painful juncture. goddamn, it was hard for me.

i went on some dates, two were awful, one was wonderful, then me and that guy had a second one and then he broke it off.

i couldn’t even bring myself to care. 

because he didn’t kiss like A, he didn’t draw me closer by the waist, he thought it was weird that i kissed the tip of his nose. 

but then A came back! we got back on talking terms. we actually got along really well. breezy. light. we saw each other. we slept together. we spent three days together. we KNEW it meant we weren’t back together. friends with benefits is honestly okay by me, because it sure would benefit me to learn that not everyone i cross paths with is meant to be my spouse one day. i’d like to learn to appreciate a connection for its own sake instead of what it could be. i really would.

...

and then! of course, back to the anxious/avoidant dance. too much for him. barely heard from him since. i mean, I have, but we aren’t talking much. i’m sure he’s sleeping with someone else. which is fine. he’s allowed.

i just hope that i don’t lose his friendship as a result. that hurts my heart to even consider.

he said i was the only woman he ever dated he liked enough to call his girlfriend, the only person who even chipped a little bit away at that full suit of armor besides his brother, his closest friend outside of family.

and i do believe all of that. we connected in a very, very special way. i know everybody says that. but this wasn’t your everyday entanglement.

we fought for it, despite our differences. my god, did we. he wanted so badly to make me happy, he wanted so badly to be what i needed...he did everything he was mentally capable of doing. i did what i could to keep the communication wide open, but he just couldn’t speak up before he was checked out.

it’s funny. we connected in a strange way. we were both on Tinder waaaaay too soon after we’d experienced the deaths of our respective parents--my mother in December 2020; his father three weeks later in January 2021--we met in June 2021. bonded so fast in our grief. because nobody our age gets it. nobody. we were so alone. but we had each other.

and we loved each other.

and we wanted it to be enough, and it just wasn’t.

that’s the most painful lesson of all. that love isn’t always enough.

and frankly, i’m sure i’ll let him wander in and out of my life as he pleases forever. not just because i don’t want to let go of the connection we have, but because he deserves someone who gets him. we all need that. and people who get A are hard to come by, let me just say.

in the meantime, i’ll have to work on myself.

in the meantime, i will oscillate every day between “i’m so glad he’s my friend” to “my god, just come back already! we can try again!” until the whiplash stops.

and it will.

it always does.

we’ll find our rhythm and the capacity we’re supposed to be in one another’s lives, in the end.

[give-me-back-my-rhodey]

Love in an Underground Bunker - AU Day 5

Title: Love in an Underground Bunker

Author: Purple_ducky00

Prompted by @ironfamquotesincorrect​

Link Filled: U2: Secret Relationship of the Bucky Barnes Bingo

Rating: Explicit

Warning: N/A

Relationship: James “Bucky” Barnes/Tony Stark

Link: Read on AO3

Summary:  Tony doesn’t remember not living in fear. When his father was a young man, there was an uprising against the government. In turn, the government unleashed a highly toxic gas upon its citizens. The few who did not rebel were rewarded with palaces and mansions built on higher elevations to protect them from the gasses. They were transported in hover jets. Those who rebelled were forced to live on the ground, choked by the deadly gasses. Although the government committed genocide, some people had foresight, however, and built large underground bunkers. Howard had invented a device that filtered the gas out of the air. The rebels planted them in many places over the country. When the government found out, they began to send their AIM agents out to replenish the air with their toxic gas.

DISCLAIMER: THIS WORK IS NSFK!

++++++++++++

The air is bad. They have to find shelter, but they might not have enough time. The AIM agents are upon them, spraying them with the toxic gas that caused so much destruction in the first place. Tony trips on a rock, falling flat on his face and smashes his oxygen mask. The gas starts to fill his already weak lungs, and he can feel himself drifting… drifting… Suddenly the cool oxygen is back. He looks up to see a mask-less Bucky Barnes.

 “Stay there” Barnes mouths and spins around firing his weapon. Tony knows Barnes is superhuman, but even he can’t breathe too much of this gas, or he’ll die. Natasha slides in beside Barnes, taking down AIM henchmen one by one. As the AIM men fall, the gas rises. Pretty soon, it gets too high and Tony, Bucky, and Nat have to make a break for it. They reach their hideout before the gas overtakes them.

Bucky takes one step inside the bunker and collapses. Captain Rogers, the leader and Bucky’s best friend, runs over. “What happened? Where’s his mask? Tony, why do you have his mask on?” He roars. “What is the number one rule in this unit?” 

“Never take off your mask nor take another’s outside the bunker.” Tony mumbles. 

“Exactly.” Rogers snaps. “Now, Bucky could have died! He’s being taken to intensive care now. What do you have to say for yourself?”

“I’m sorry.” Tony looks Steve right in the eyes. “It won’t happen again.”

 “You’re damn right it won’t! From now on, you’re not cleared for missions. Your entire job is to repair broken armor and tech.”

 Tony wants to scream. That is not fair. All he did was trip on a rock that he couldn’t see due to the gas. They weren’t even supposed to be out that late, but Steve needed intel. And it wasn’t his fault that Bucky gave him his mask. What was he supposed to do – take it off and hand it back to Bucky? Then they’d both be suffering from the gas. Knowing it’s no use to argue, Tony sighs and turns to go to his quarters.  Exhausted from the long day, he gets a quick shower and falls asleep.

 ++++++

Tony doesn’t remember not living in fear. When his father was a young man, there was an uprising against the government. In turn, the government unleashed a highly toxic gas upon its citizens. The few who did not rebel were rewarded with palaces and mansions built on higher elevations to protect them from the gasses. They were transported in hover jets. Those who rebelled were forced to live on the ground, choked by the deadly gasses. Although the government committed genocide, some people had foresight, however, and built large underground bunkers. Howard had invented a device that filtered the gas out of the air. The rebels planted them in many places over the country. When the government found out, they began to send their AIM agents out to replenish the air with their toxic gas.

 The water is toxic, and the insurgents must rely on deep water wells for drinking and cleaning. Underground greenhouses with UV lights are used to grow plants. Animals are kept in paddocks as large as each unit can afford. Storehouses of canned goods are piled high. Each leader must set their own rations. Given that Steve had fought all his life, he set rations fairly.

Every day at 7pm, AIM agents are air dropped into the lowlands and spray more gas across the lands. Anyone who had to leave the bunker made sure they had a weapon and got back before 7pm. AIM agents are known for shooting first and never asking questions.

Last night, an AIM agent destroyed the SHEILD bunker transmission systems, so Steve’s unit was stranded with no comms. He sent Tony, Bucky, and Nat out to repair the systems. It was not an easy fix, however, and it took Tony a long time to repair the busted systems. By 6pm, he had the comms up and running functionally but not perfectly, but Rogers asked them to stay a little to perfect and camouflage them. By the time they had finished, it was 7pm and they had to avoid AIM agents.

Now, Tony’s sitting on his bed, wondering if Bucky’s ok. He would go sit by his bed, but no one knows he and Bucky are dating. The units don’t encourage relationships for a few reasons. 1.) They don’t want children running around the bunker. They understand that in order to survive for generations, they will have to reproduce, but they hope to make the world a little better before they do. 2.) People unfortunately are bound to die. Everyone should be unhappy, but they don’t want anyone unable to do their jobs due to grief. Steve is a little more lenient with his unit, but Tony knows Steve disapproves of him, he wouldn’t be happy to know his best friend is dating him. 3.) Close quarters. No one wants to hear anything.

Tony decides to check in on him, if only to see what he’s doing. Unsurprisingly, Steve is sitting beside Bucky’s bed. He looks up when Tony walks up to the open door. “What are you doing here?” He hisses.

“I just came by to see if he’s okay,” Tony blurts, taken aback by Steve’s animosity. He thought Steve would by upset, but not full-out angry.

Steve rises from his chair. “You don’t deserve to see him. He almost died!”

“So, Steve, I was running some numbers, and it looks like…” Howard stops at the door and looks up from his tablet. “What’s going on here?”

 “Your son almost got Bucky killed. Now he wants to make sure he’s all right.” Steve scoffs. “He wouldn’t have to if he had just kept his mask on.”

 Howard shakes his head. “When has Anthony ever been rational? He’s an idiot. Now, Tony, leave us so Steve and I can discuss.”

 “Whatever.” Tony throws up his hands. It’s not like he’ll get anywhere trying to argue with these two. Neither of them like him, and they’re just going to dismiss him anyways.

 Tony understands why Steve is so protective of Bucky. He was captured by the government at one point and experimented on. They wanted to turn him into an invincible mindless AIM agent that would destroy the rebellion once and for all. Luckily, Steve was able to sneak in, thanks to Howard and Peggy, and free Bucky. It took a while for Bucky to readjust to his life, and he was kept in isolation for a long time. Now, Steve freaks out if even the slightest thing happens to him.

 Slamming his hand against the wall, Tony groans and walks into his makeshift lab. He does most of the updating and innovation now. Howard used to but as his health is declining to his great dismay, he reluctantly passed the role off to Tony. Howard doesn’t hesitate to rip Tony apart any chance he can get, even if Tony’s update works excellently.

 He grumbles as he fixes up his mask. He’s going to make this thing nigh indestructible. DUME wheels over, cocking his claw as if asking a question. “It’s ok, DUME, it was my fault, but I’m just mad.”

 “Why didn’t you just tell Steve yours broke?” Tony jumps as he hears Nat’s voice from the doorway.

 “Gah. Nat, I have a condition!” He yelps. “You know he won’t care. It’s me. I’m always fucking up. I’m sure if it were up to Howard, he’d send me out without a mask to fend for myself. Luckily, Steve cares a little about human lives, even if he’s not a fan of the human himself.”

 Natasha walks in and pats DUME on the head. He squeals and wheels around in circles excitedly. Tony smiles. “He already has a crush on you. Don’t encourage him.”

“Tony. I know why you don’t want to make a big deal about it. You guys have been very subtle and sneaky, but I know. No matter what, you should tell Steve that your mask broke.”

 “I’m not going to. And you’re not either.” Tony points a finger at her.

 She smiles sweetly. “I dare you to stop me.” And walks out, closing the door behind her.  

 Tony groans again and bangs his head on the countertop. What is his life?

 ++++++

Bucky wakes up with a start. Tony is dying… or hurt… or… Bucky struggles to find air. It feels like someone just sucked out his lungs.

 “Bucky. Bucky. Hey, you’re safe.” Steve is there.

 He sucks in a large breath and starts to cough. “Where’s cough Tony cough? Is…” His sentence gets cut off by a series of hacking coughs.

 Steve waits until Bucky calms before he schools his face and says stiffly, “Tony’s fine. He should be the least of your worries. It’s his fault you got hurt.”

 “I had a dream that he was in pain. Is he here?”

 “It’s just the neurotoxins from the gas,” Bruce explains calmly. “Tony’s fine.”

 “I need to see him.”

 “Bucky, please. He’s fine.” Steve starts to argue, but Bucky just pleads.

 “Steve, you should know why I need to see him. Just… let me see him, please?” Bucky has told Steve about the nightmares he’d had after Steve rescued him from the government. Bucky would have to sleep in the same room as Steve so that he knew that Steve was still there, alive and well. A physical touch went a long way for Bucky after these nightmares.

 Steve can’t say no to the fear in Bucky’s eyes, so he calls for Tony to come to medical. Tony arrives a few minutes later, shifting from foot-to-foot. Bucky latches onto his Sun, the center of his universe, immediately. “Tony,” he breathes.

 ++++++

Tony is helping | Rhodey with his new armor when Steve’s voice crackles through the speaker. “Tony, report to medical immediately.”

 “What did you do?” Rhodey asks. He is the only person Tony told about him and Bucky. He knows he can trust Rhodey to keep a secret.

 Tony raises his hands. “I didn’t do anything! Maybe that’s what the problem is.” He shakes his head. “I better go before I get reduced to dishwashing duty only or something.”

 He races down to the medical and stops at the door when he sees Bucky is awake. Bucky is looking at him with relief and adoration in his eyes. “Tony,” He says, almost reverently.

 “Hi Bucky.” Tony smiles sadly. “I’m glad to see you’re alright.” He turns to Steve. “Did you need something?”

 Steve nods to Bucky who has reached his arms out and is now wiggling his fingers at Tony. “Go to him. He needs to make sure you’re ok.”

 What the hell is going on here? Did Bucky tell Steve? Tony thinks incredulously as he walks over to Bucky. And Steve is supportive? Then he remembers Bucky telling him about nightmares he has that feel so real, he needs physical reassurance. “Hey Bucky. I’m ok. I’m alright, thanks to you. You saved me.”

 Bucky pets Tony’s hair and runs his hand down the side of his face. “You’re ok.” He says softly. “Tony, darling, I almost died in those nightmares. If you weren’t here? What’s the point?”

 “I’m sure you could live without me.” Tony doesn’t know what to say. Are they still keeping it a secret? Are they not? He doesn’t know.

 “No.” Bucky clutches Tony’s hand to his heart. “I love you, Tony. You’re my life, my love. When you fell and I saw that your mask was cracked, I knew I had to give you mine. I knew I’d be fine without one, but you wouldn’t have been. Don’t ever scare me like that again, love.”

 Tony’s heart melts. “Hey Winter Wonder. I love you, too. Don’t worry, I’ll be staying in for a long time. Now, it’s just me who has to worry about you.”

 “I’ll be extra careful.” Bucky smiles and closes his eyes. “Now kiss me.”

 Steve gapes and sputters. Tony doesn’t care. He leans down and kisses Bucky, who sighs in happiness and kisses back. When the kiss goes past PG, Steve clears his throat, and Tony pulls back. “So, um, you and… and… Bucky.” He looks like he swallowed a lemon.

 “Yep.” Tony challenges Steve to say something.

 “Oh… I didn’t know…” He just mutters.

 Bucky whines and pulls Tony back to him, seemingly oblivious of everyone else in the room. Tony sits on the bed next to him, and Bucky nuzzles into Tony’s hip. He falls back asleep very quickly. Steve sits in the room with them for a few minutes, then excuses himself.

 “Call me if he wakes,” Bruce whispers and heads out, too.

 Tony pulls out his phone and plays a game that he programmed for a little while. He soon gets drowsy and leans back against the headboard and falls asleep. Having been moved down to lie beside his lover, he wakes up a few hours later to see Bucky’s face inches from his. “Hi,” he whispers.

 Bucky is more lucid now, and he asks, “Did we just out ourselves to Steve?”

 “I think so. Is that ok?” Tony’s eyes search Bucky’s face for any sign of anger.

 “I don’t care. I just wanted to make sure you’re not mad at me.” Bucky squeezes his hand. “I was the one who said something first.”

 “You should have seen Steve’s face.” Tony laughs. He recounts how Steve reacted to Bucky, who laughs loudly, then clutches his chest. “Note to self, don’t make Bucky laugh until he heals.”

 Tony stays with Bucky until he heals. Steve comes to see him after Bucky is released and Tony is back in his lab. Bucky is under his table, blowing him. Tony steels himself, waiting to be reprimanded. Steve clears his throat and says, “So, Natasha told me that your mask broke.”

 “Yeah. It snapped on a rock, but I fixed it. It shouldn’t break anymore.” Tony holds up the mask. Bucky changes his technique and Tony lurches. “Sorry that it wasn’t in the begi-”

 Steve cuts him off. “No, I’m sorry. I’ve been treating you wrongly, and it | was not fair of me to treat you so. You are a big help to this team, and I’ve treated you like I would someone who slacks off at every turn. Unfortunately, I believe I’ve been influenced by Howard, but I plan to change that. Can you forgive me?”

 “Sure…?” Tony is dumbstruck. Never in a thousand years did Tony expect Steve to apologize. It’s also hard for Tony to concentrate when Bucky’s doing that to him. “It’s alright Cap. No harm done.” Tony bites his lip to keep from moaning.

 “No, it’s not. And I am going to change. You're cleared for missions, too. Thank you, Tony.” He makes to leave, then turns back. No Steve, just go. I can’t hold it in any longer. “And Tony? You are good for Bucky. I’m happy for you both.”

 Tony gapes. Steve said what? “Did you hear that?” He asks. “Did he say what I… ughhhh… thought he said, or am I oh fuck Bucky just hnng dreaming?”

 Bucky just swallows him to the root, and Tony spills over the edge. Bucky swallows every last drop, tucks him back in, and says, “I definitely heard it, babe.”

 Tony lets him come out from under the desk, then pushes him into the chair. “My turn.” He locks the lab door and prepares to give Bucky the best head he’s given yet. The future might look bleak, but Tony and Bucky are just enjoying the moment.

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

The Successor

And...that’s what happened...

...

...Dammit...Why Hiroko, why...!?

She showed no hint of fear last night...It’s almost as if...

She knew she’d forfeited her life as soon as she agreed to help you...as soon as she spoke Haiji’s name.

But why!? Why would she make that sacrifice! She’s so...Stupid!

Probably because...she cared more about you than she ever did for Haiji...

Hiroko has a son...but to her, you were like her own daughters...

...It’s....my fault...

Komaru...? No, don’t say that, I-

Sh.....she’s....dead....because....of me......!

It’s my fault It’s my fault It’s my fault It’s myfault It’smyfault It’smyfault It’smyfault It’smyfaultIt’smyfaultIt’smyfaultIt’smyfaultIt’smyfaultIT’SMYFAULTIT’SMYFAULT IT’SMYFAULTIT’SMYFAAAAULT!!!!!!!!!

KOMARU!

KOMARU! PLEASE CALM DOWN!

Gah...!

*Toko desperately attempts to console the struggling Komaru as she suffered a mental breakdown, with Mikan rushing over to help her.

IT’SMYFAULTIT’SMYFAULTIT’SMYFAULTIT’SMY--

*SLAP!!*

...

...

P-Please...!

Please, don’t do this to yourself!

*Toko, ignoring the rest of Komaru’s injuries, lunges at her and hugs her tightly.

Please...Please Komaru...!

...

I-I don’t mean to c-cut in at this important moment...But...

I-It’s getting pretty late, a-and visiting times are almost over...

N-No...p-p-please....don’t go away...!

*Komaru grabs Toko’s skirt, desperate to keep her close.

I’m not leaving...

I’m not gonna leave her side. Not now, not ever again!

...

...Th-That’s fine...I’ll make an exception.

I’ll leave. Only one of us needs to be here for her, and I prefer it be Toko.

O-Ok. But please, don’t make too much noise.

*Mikan walks away to tend to other patients and Nagisa leaves the nurses office.

...*Sigh*...Never leave her side, huh? Reminds me of something...

Huh!?

Wh-What’s going on!?

I-Is this for real?

Huh?

*Nagisa walks briskly over to the lounge area where Sayaka and Hina are watching a news broadcast on TV.

Reporter: Sightings have confirmed that the tower that once stood high in the sky, has now been reduced to nothing more than a high pile of rubble. Towa Tower was the base of operations for the Towa Group before-

Towa Tower is gone!?

Someone apparently bombed the place...!

You don’t think...Haiji...?

No, that doesn’t make sense! What am I thinking!?

Right...Why would he blow up his own tower?

...

Dammit...

*Nagisa leaves quickly.

[Hope’s Peak Meadows]

Hmhmhmhmhmmm!

So you really did come back?

Course I did. Didn’t I say I would?

You never said anything about blowing up a building before you did.

Are you here to scold me?

If that tower’s gone, then it gives us an advantage, right?

Not exactly. Haiji could be anywhere in Towa City right now. We’d have no way of knowing where.

But his base of operations is destroyed, so he’s suffered a loss, hasn’t he?

The more you provoke him, the more dangerous he becomes. Even though it seems like he’s hit the limit to how insane he’s become, he’s nowhere near it.

He’s already amputated a person and killed someone, among many other things. We can’t make this worse for ourselves...

I’m sorry Monaca, but the truth is...

I really can’t trust you. I don’t think you’re going to betray us or anything, but doing things like this separate from us really doesn’t help you.

Last I checked I wasn’t part of the team anymore.

Last I checked everyone hated my guts...

It’s because you go off on your own, doing your own thing.

I’m not saying what you did was wrong, and you just wanted to get back at the people who wronged you...

But it seems more like all you want to do is ruin other people’s lives and destroy everything just for the sake of getting a kick out of it!

If you’d just talk with everyone, we could come to agreements on what to do and how to go about doing it!

...Nagisa...?

What...?

You’re...not talking about the tower anymore...are you...?

...

I...I was nothing more than like a virtual pet to my parents...You know this...

But...Of all the grief...and the strife...and the pain I’ve suffered throughout my life...

Nothing...Absolutely nothing I went through...was worse than that...

[Flashback]

Don’t be mad, Nagisa. The one who sent Mr Servant on his task was me.

...Huh? M-Monaca!? What did you say!?

Ahem, liiike I said, I was the one who asked Mr Servant to help me.

Wh-What did you tell him to do?

I asked him to bring Ms Komaru Naegi all the way back here.

Y-You’re lying right? Th-This is...some kind of joke, right?

Sorry, it’s the truuuth.

Lies! Why? Why would you do something like that!?

Oh, that’s too bad. No matter how smart you may be, you still don’t understand it, hm?

But I guess that’s to be expected. I never actually gave you a proper explanation.

E-Explanation? What are you talking about? What needs explaining? We’re going to make a paradise, right? And...And that’s why we caused this revolution, right?

Sorryyy. Monaca doesn’t care about paradise or anything like thaaat.

...What?

Oh, I guess you could say the paradise I want and the one you want are different things.

I have no interest whatsoever in a paradise where kids can live peacefully. 

S-Stop kidding around Monaca! What the heck is this?

Sorry, but this is all for the sake of the successor to Junko Enoshima.

Huh? Successor...?

Yes, the second generation of Big Sis Junko. That’s what I’m after.

My aim is different than Mr Servant’s. But we agreed to work together at the beginning.

So, don’t get so jealous, Nagisa...

I-I don’t understand...What are you talking about Monaca?

It’s fine, it’s fine...You just have to keep doing your best for my sake.

Right? For Monaca’s sake.

...Huh?

Nagisa: ...ah!?

Monaca: Mmm...chu...mmm...

Ehee...I totally stole Nagisa’s first kiiiss!

Wh-What are you doing?

You love Monaca, right? You can’t live without Monaca, riiight? You love me sooo much, sometimes you even have perverted thoughts about me, riiight?

S-Stop...Please, stop!

You’re glad you got to kiss Monaca, right? If you work hard, I can do other things too, you know...

So you’ll listen to Monaca’s little request, right?

D-Don’t come near me! Get away from me!

You have such a hard time, everyone has high expectations of you because you’re so smart. And you even have high expectations for yourself. And you’re always suffering from that, right?

I said, don’t come near meee!

*SLAP!*

But Monaca won’t expect anything of you.

...What?

From the very start, I never expected anything of you. That’s why I kept the Successor a secret. After all, you’re just a weak, weak little child who nobody expects anything from.

I-I said get back!

*SLAP!*

Maybe nobody expected anything of you in the first place.

*SLAP!*

You probably just THOUGHT they did.

*SLAP!*

Maybe it was all a misunderstanding.

*SLAP!*

Don’t come near me! Get back! GET BACK!

*SLAP!*

You hit a girl...How uncool. But...

Monaca loves how uncool and worthless you are, Nagisa! Monaca loves you most in the whole wide world.

Nagisa: Mmm! MGH!

Monaca: Chu...mmm...mmm...

Nagisa: Mmm...mmmnn...

*Nagisa falls to his knees.

If you want Monaca to have high expectations of you...you gotta listen to Monaca’s requests, okay?

For Monaca’s sake...kill all the adults. Risk your life for Monaca.

Isn’t that nice, Nagisa?

...

At the time, I was willing to lay all the blame on the servant...

Because...I just couldn’t believe that you were so hell bent on slaughtering countless innocents.

Sorry...you make it sound like killing a bunch of adults was my idea and mine alone...

I killed adults for the sake of making Towa City a paradise...Because I thought that’s what we all wanted!

But clearly...I was wrong!

But even after you revealed your true nature, I still held onto hope.

And what did you do? You crushed it...!

You jeered at me, you broke my soul! You ripped my heart in two, you tried to break me mentally by using my past trauma against me! 

You even forcefully kissed me, which by the way, is SEXUAL ASSAULT, we were FUCKING KIDS Monaca!

...

Not my best moment...I’ll give you that...

But...it’s too late for apologies...Isn’t it? That was so many years ago now...and I’ve been gone for a while...

...Actually...I don’t think so...

Huh? What, you think I can be redeemed or something?

That’s not exactly what I’m saying.

Despite all you had done, I still see you as a former friend. In fact, I asked Toko and Komaru to not hurt you too badly.

I was blinded by my affection for you and I believed in your goodness. But even if that was a lie, the abuse that you suffered was very real...

So...while I have a chance...a chance to make amends with you...I want to take it...

...

My reason for coming back...my REAL reason for coming back...was because I realized something.

Outer space is empty. A place with no hope and no despair. I went there to escape from it...

But life without Hope and life without Despair is no life at all...

Right now, I just want to up and do something...but I don’t know what.

But if there’s anything I can do to let you know that I’m on your side, at least for now...then tell me.

Actually...I had something in mind...

*He whispers something in her ear.

I see...I’m sure I can do that...But will you help me?

Sure thing...

Then let’s get started...!

[elyvorg]

Imagine a scenerio where Shuichi attacked by a killer who still has their weapon then Kaito shows up, but doesn’t notice Shuichi. Shuichi could’nt scream or refused to in order for his friend to not get killed and hopes the killer doesn’t kill him. Thankfully Kaito left, but sadly he’s left in the mercy of the killer. Imagine Kaito’s realization that Shuichi was dying under his nose the whole time and talking to his soon to be killer.

[For context: this is the AU anon is presumably thinking of in which this situation would even be able to happen. Go check that out too if you haven’t already.]

I’m not entirely sure whether or not you’re implying Shuichi ultimately ends up getting killed here… but for now let’s assume you are.

Obviously, any situation in which Shuichi was killed, no matter how it happened, would absolutely destroy Kaito. Not only with grief, but also with the guilt of feeling like he failed his sidekick and should have been better at protecting him, regardless of whether it was even remotely possible for him to have prevented it in any way. But, yes, a particular situation like this in which Kaito realised that he absolutely could have saved Shuichi and simply failed to do so would be even worse. If only he’d noticed, been more observant.

(But being observant and noticing things in that way was always what Shuichi was good at, not him, wasn’t it? Shuichi would have been able to save him if the roles had been reversed.)

It’s much more interesting to think that Shuichi refused to call out to Kaito rather than that he just physically couldn’t, so let’s go with that. That’d be some incredible courage he’d have shown in the face of death, to stay calm enough to realise that the assassin will very much kill Kaito too if he interferes, and that, despite how much Shuichi’s always looked up to him, Kaito will realistically barely stand a chance against a trained assassin. So Shuichi decided it wasn’t worth the risk and chose to give up his own tiny chance of getting out of this alive just to be sure Kaito would be safe. God, that would also destroy Kaito if he found out - not only that Shuichi sacrificed himself for Kaito (it’s not meant to happen that way around! Kaito’s meant to be the hero who makes that kind of sacrifice! Didn’t Shuichi know that?), but also that, in his final moments… Shuichi didn’t even believe in Kaito and didn’t think he could have saved him at all. Gah.

(If it’d been Maki there instead of Kaito, Shuichi would have believed she could save him and called out to her for help, wouldn’t he? But not Kaito. He couldn’t notice things like Shuichi, and he couldn’t fight like Maki; he was utterly useless when it mattered most. And apparently, Shuichi knew that all along.)

In short, thank you for allowing me to imagine Kaito’s hero issues causing him to absolutely tear himself apart with undeserved guilt and self-loathing on top of the grief he’d already be feeling, when really none of this should reasonably be blamed on him at all.

If Shuichi had somehow managed to escape this situation with his life, then… well, Kaito would thank Shuichi for trying to protect him, but also tell him that he shouldn’t have, because Kaito is happy to risk his life for his sidekick and would totally have stopped that assassin! But also, hey, since things turned out all right in the end, they should just be grateful for that; there’s no point dwelling on what might have happened if Shuichi hadn’t been able to miraculously escape by himself, because he did get out alive and that’s that. (So no need whatsoever for Kaito to think about the fact that he didn’t notice Shuichi in deadly peril, or that Shuichi apparently didn’t even believe Kaito could have saved him; this definitely isn’t going to keep eating away at him every time he remembers that this happened.)

[casualcatte]

RP Journal: 08/12/2020

Lorrendor finally found the courage to see me, right before dinner. Gods, just hearing his voice filled me with indignant rage, recalling the pathetic excuse of a letter he’d sent. I couldn’t help myself, I picked up the sandwich I’d just made and threw it at him. I kept throwing things at him, whatever came to hand -- which seemed to mostly be produce. After all, throwing rocks at make-believe Bridge-Lorrendor had helped me to feel better, surely throwing fruit and vegetables at the real one would help, too, right?

(Courtesy cut for length because these are never short!)

My rage didn’t last near long enough, though. Just thinking about Tristane and the way Lorrendor had used him against me caused that same upwelling of pain and grief. Lorrendor was… sadly Lorrendor. Apologetic, self-deprecating, like he was trying to say all the things he thought I wanted to hear. He offered nothing to explain himself.

So, I asked him why he did it and what he wanted. He said he wanted to be my friend again. His reasoning for his actions?  Because sometimes people will do anything to protect those they care for. How in heaven’s name is using Tristane against me /protecting/ me? Why can’t I get him to understand that I don’t /want/ to be protected. He constantly says that it’s his nature, like I just have to accept that and deal. But what about /my/ nature?

If he wants to protect me from something, he should start with himself, because no matter how hurt I get on the Hunt I always heal. Tristane… Tris is not something I can magically heal. And it hurts ten times worse when people I consider friends use him against me to prove a point. He still never really answered why. Why he thought it was okay to use Tris like that. I’m not sure he’ll ever honestly answer the question, because he knows he was trying to manipulate me.

He insisted that all he wanted was to be my friend and that he regretted how wrong he’d done me. I told him that we could still be friends, but that I could never again trust him as I did. And he could never mention Tristane again. That’s one part of my life that is now off-limits to him. I will never discuss Tris or my feelings about him with Lorrendor again. 

During the latter half of this discussion Edgard squeaked his way into the room. Being less… Edgardy, but still Edgard. He made the occasional quip, mostly at me, but generally minded his manners. Bit weird, though, offering to share his silk underwear with Lorrendor. Apparently armor chafes and that’s the cure. Silk underwear. Not much for swimming in, though, given what I saw at the hot springs last night. Either that or Mu-Onna /really/ didn’t interest him.

Once things were more or less settled, everybody had a sandwich. For a moment, it reminded me of the night in Kugane when the two of them drank sochu and I pigged out on dumplings. It was nice and the company was welcome. I hope to have more nights like these and fewer nights spent fighting. We shared a bit of our hunting exploits with Lorrendor, but Edgard soon had to leave to prepare for his return to Ishgard. I certainly hoped he wouldn’t be leaving just yet. I still needed to say good-bye.

I spoke with Lorrendor a while longer and, for some reason, I felt like I would always have to prove myself to him.  To prove that I’m competent and capable, not some foolish, headstrong glory-hound that rushes headlong into battle simply for the thrill of it. That’s not who I am either. I plan ahead, I hunt prepared, I play to my strengths. It’s why I don’t /need/ protecting.  Protecting just messes with the plan. Protecting doesn’t play to my strengths. 

He says he knows I’m capable, that I’m supposedly a better hunter than he is. Yet, he won’t stop bringing up that “bad things happen” as if I don’t know that.  /Me./  Of course I know bad things happen. I /watched/ bad things happen as Tristane bled out in my lap. I’m not stupid or reckless, but I’m not going to live my life in fear of “what if” either. If the Twelve decide it’s my day to die, then no amount of protecting or over protectiveness is going to stop them, now is it?

Imagine my surprise when Lorrendor brought forth some research he’d done concerning The Saurotaun. I could hardly believe that his search had found anything of note. Or that he’d be so forthcoming with it given our current state of affairs. I’m sure it was meant as a peace offering, so I took it for what it was.

The Saurotaun, according to his notes, was a construct dating back to the War of the Magi. I couldn’t believe it, every accounting had made it out to be some kind of beast, but a construct made more sense.  If it was some kind of magical creature, the hunting party it slaughtered, including my parents, may not have known how best to fight it. Gods, this gave me hope. I’d need more information, of course, but it was more than I’d learned in moons!

He went on to tell me of a sighting in Coerthas near the Convictory. Something about a giant six fulm long footprint as something attacked one of the yaks out there. It apparently tears apart its prey en route, though I’m not sure why. My first thought that it was just a particularly vicious Dravanian; they grew that big, but the habits didn’t seem in line with them. I’d have to ask Edgard what he knows about dragons. I didn’t want to get my hopes up too high, I’d followed rumors of sightings before only to have them come up for naught.

Even after all I’d said and done to him, he still gave me this sprig of hope when he didn’t have to. He could’ve kept it to himself or not done it at all. He endured my wrath and yet still gave me this gift. Even if it turns out to be nothing, I’m still grateful that he tried. It made me feel somewhat bad for my anger and my temper. I know I’m not what a good friend should be. I made it a point to apologize and thank him for what he’d given me. We’d probably never have the same friendship we had before, but we could at least start over on the right foot.

Not long after, Lorrendor left to return to Ul’dah.  And /I/ went to soak in the hot springs. I had a lot to do before I left for Ishgard, so it was probably the last chance I’d have to feel well and truly warm before freezing my beautiful tail off in Coerthas.

I was soon joined by Edgard, of course, but since I owed him a trip to the hot springs I didn’t mind. I’d brought his gift with me anyway, so it was all well and good. Naturally, he seemed more than eager to join me in the water. I swear, that man can be such an idiot sometimes, a right damnable fool.

It took him no time at all to start into his idle flirtations, but I gave as good as I got. So, I’ll just put it to record here that Edgard is my worshiper now and he keeps a shrine in his inn room dedicated to me. Clearly, he’s head over heels for me.  He just won’t admit it.

Okay, I can’t even write that with a straight face.  How does /he/ do it all the time?  He went on to say that he was leaving for Ishgard in the morning and that if I wanted to say farewell to him or give him a good-bye kiss, it had to be tonight. I told him that I had a gift for him. While it wasn’t /quite/ as exciting as a kiss, it would have to do.

The item I commissioned was a feathered hair ornament built from one feather from each Twintail we’d taken captive.  It was woven into some leather ties, accompanied by beads and small, glittering gems in blue, purple, and white. Silver discs bearing the date of the hunt in elaborate runes swung just beneath the clasp at the top, so that they would chime together like wind chimes whenever he moved -- If he deigned to wear them, that is. By design, they are meant to be woven into the hair, but can be worn on a cloak clasp, or attached to a pack. The possibilities were endless, really.

Edgard chose to have it woven into his hair, but confessed he had no idea how. So, after asking his permission to touch his snowy tresses, I demonstrated how to braid it in.  His hair was so soft, like touching the finest silk, and smelled faintly of lavender. Not what I would’ve expected. I would’ve expected something manly and musky, but no, it’s something soft and soothing. Curious.

I spoke to him about his upbringing and he teased me about parts of it. While I was braiding his hair, I noticed that he’d twitch a bit every time my hand brushed the side of his neck. Ticklish! Naturally, I had to exploit this newfound weakness as punishment for picking on me. So I did. He countered by splashing me with water, which I fully deserved. He also said I could take advantage of him fully if I wanted, if I was going to exploit his ticklish spots.

I went to caress his jaw and flirtingly tease him about being unable to handle being fully taken advantage of -- but he took my hand in both of his and gave me this alluring look as he confessed that he’d take it slow for me. I know he’s just being Edgard, flirting to see what kind of reaction he’d get out of me. For a moment, though, I felt my heart race and my ears flutter nervously. I don’t even know /why/. He’s not serious about anything and neither am I. There was /nothing/ to get nervous about. 

He told me how much he enjoyed the hunt, how he hadn’t had that much excitement since the war. I was honestly glad to hear it. What excitement could I possibly offer someone who hunted /dragons/ for a living?  I told him I planned to pick up another, probably somewhere in Dravania if I could manage it, since we’d be in Ishgard. He countered that I didn’t have to look so agitated when I asked him, pointing at my ears. Gah, damn traitors!

I just wasn’t certain he’d want to go with me again. Perhaps he finds I’m too reckless for his tastes or that I’m not as amiable company. He’s said a number of times that I’m a different person out there. Maybe he doesn’t like the Huntress and prefers the City-Catte. 

He went on to say that he couldn’t wait to go on another hunt, which gave me a strange sense of relief.  It felt nice to be accepted for who I really was. Not everyone can. I’m a bright, independent huntress with skill and experience to rival most adventurers in the field. Edgard gets that and, on the hunt, he respected it. He followed my lead and only really questioned me when I put him to the true test in front of the male bi-fang.

I wanted to see what he’d do. Would he leap in to protect me or would he trust my judgement? I’ve seen how he can move, it would’ve been an easy thing for him to jump in there and snatch me out of the bi-fang’s hunting stoop. He didn’t, though, even though I could tell it worried him. I was both proud and grateful to him for that. I spoke volumes for his character and how he regarded me.

I told him that if he “beat” me in a hunt -- which is never going to happen -- he could have any prize he wanted, short of sleeping with me. It’s Edgard, of course that’s the first thing he’d ask for. I admit -- I wasn’t prepared for what he /did/ ask for. He asked me to play the guitar for him.

I haven’t played for anyone else since Tristane, so the request took me by surprise. I must’ve looked… offended or something because Edgard suddenly got up and said I could choose something else. I quickly put that train of thought to rest by telling him the truth of it, which he understood. I did promise him that I’d play.

He thanked me for making his time in Kugane “not so bad” which I’m sure is Edgard-speak for “absolutely perfect” I can read between his lines, it’s fine. We bade each other farewell and promised to see one another in Ishgard.

Now, see, Beaumonts?  /That’s/ how you bid someone good-bye.  Take note.

Mentions @therpperson​ for Edgard Beaumont And a bunch of other people who don’t have Tumblr!

[poppibranchlover]

Nine Lives, One Fight - Part 18

The story: Deep in the forest of Troll Town, there lies a mysterious tiny purple mushroom that has a secret magical ability. King Peppy calls this mushroom forbidden for all Trolls to go near it. One day, while Branch is out in the woods doing his survival research studying, he encounters it and, not knowing it is a regular mushroom, decides to harvest it and bring it home. But in the next morning, its magic effects transform him into a small blue cat! After being sent to the animal pound, his girlfriend, Poppy, finds him and decides to adopt him, although not recognizing it is Branch. Desperate to finish his research project due for a special event invented by Poppy, Branch is forced to learn how to behave like a pet cat and must figure out what caused him to become one.

You already seen what had happened in Part 17. Now get ready for Part 18!:

Poppy ran up to her friends, who were worried sick about her and Branch. “I have some bad news,” she announced, on the verge of tears.

“What happened just now?” Biggie asked. “Branch didn’t shown up on stage yet.”

“No, guys,” said Poppy. “He was gone.”

Her friends suddenly shouted in a myriad of shock and disbelief.

“What?!” Biggie cried.

“Oh, snap!” Mr. Dinkles said in a deep voice, echoing his owner’s reaction.

“WHY?!” Guy shrieked in his shimmery voice.

“GONE?!” Cooper shouted.

“Oh my gah!” Smidge remarked.

Satin and Chenille let out some small shrieks and fainted.

“Guys, calm down,” Poppy told her panicking friends. “This is not what it looks like, but I think I discovered what happened to him.”

Smidge took a step forward. “Poppy, tell us what’s going on,” she said. “Why didn’t you return with Branch for so long? Is he sick?” She looked concerned.

“No,” Poppy explained feebly, nearly crying. “I was alerted by my dad and he informed me that someone had harvested the forbidden Archaeo morphisis mushroom.” She wiped one of her tears before continuing. “He thinks Branch is the one who did it, and now he will never come back.”

“Oh, Poppy,” Biggie told her, holding up his arm. He looked down at the ground. “We’re very sorry. If we do know that something’s really wrong with Branch, I hope everything will be fine.”

“Biggie does have a point,” Guy chimed in. “Nothing to worry about at all. Maybe he might return after a long week absence from work, or maybe he took a vacation he made for himself or something?”

“He wasn’t playing tricks on me,” Poppy pointed out. “It was an accident.”

Guy immediately realized how right she was. “Oh.”

“Poppy seems correct indeed,” Biggie said. “It was sort of an accident that most Trolls have done when they’re curious.” He turned to see Poppy, whose back was turned with grief. “You need any help for presenting our awards to us and our projects?” he asked her, wanting to continue the party.

But Poppy felt like not moving on to the next subject. “No, thanks,” she said hopelessly. “I’m just…gonna leave it on hiatus until Branch comes back.”

Then, without another word, she walked away. The rest of her friends watched her go, wondering about her explanation about the tragedy.

“Hey, guys. I once had a cousin who got mysteriously concussed and ran away from home,” Cooper said, not very helpfully. “It’s a tragic backstory no Troll has ever told.”

Meanwhile, far behind Poppy’s friends, Branch and Wiggles hid in some bushes. Then they emerged and continued exploring the woods. Wiggles was leading away. He jumped on a rock, sniffing the air. Branch was right behind him, trying to keep up on his four legs. When you are running like a cat, it might get easy to get your paws dirty, but it allows the animal to frequently move around. Branch wondered how can he possibly be making his “hands” dirty when he sprinted along on the grass. As a Troll, he should probably get a hand-sanitizer for this little trick! On the other hand, he is totally unsure of how moving like a cat feels like.

A few minutes later, Wiggles and Branch reached a grassy clearing when they walked through some trees that are standing between them.

Branch was hoping they were on the right track, but was feeling not so sure where they are headed. “Uh, Wiggles?” he asked. “You sure this is the right way to find the Archaeo morphisis?”

“Relax, kid,” the bunny told him, smiling and waving his paw nonchalantly. “We’re nearly there. We just need to get past the traffic first!”

He pointed out to a road in front of them, which is flooded with lots of passing vehicles. Their engines roared very loudly as they kept passing.

VRRRRROOOOOOOMMMM!!!!

“TRAFFIC?!” Branch screamed, his fur raising up in horror. “Oh no! No, no, no! Nope, that’s it! No more of your terrible shortcuts! Too dangerous for me!”

He started to turn around on the grass, so he could get back to the forest. But Wiggles pulled him back and chuckled. “No, it’s not!” he replied. “There’s only one way to go. Go past the driving bugs!” He gestured to the dangerous traffic, but Branch backed away in fear. He knew it seemed impossible to cross the road like that, unless there is a pedestrian crossing area somewhere.

Branch looked at Wiggles in the eyes. “Okay. New information; Is there a way to find the mushroom that involves a safe path?” he asked, wanting change of plans. “You know, like a shortcut? Because finding directions is really my survival strength.”

“Look, kid,” Wiggles explained. “If you want to find that magic mushroom of yours to turn you back into a Troll, you need to put your feline bravery to the test!”

“But the road’s too dangerous!” Branch protested. “I’m too afraid! If only we find a zebra crossing line in this area!” 

“Cats don’t take pedestrian crossing, silly!” Wiggles said, laughing. “They had to jaywalk through the traffic without getting run over!”

“But how exactly am I gonna do that?” asked Branch.

“It’s very simple!” Wiggles instructed. Then he pushed Branch closer to the road. “Before crossing the road, check if it is safe to get across by placing your paw on it.”

“What?” Branch cried. “No! I don’t think this is a good idea!”

“It’ll be fine, buddy,” Wiggles told him calmly. “Just give it a try. I’m right behind you.” 

He stopped pushing him and hopped back to the grass, watching him proudly. Branch just stood there awkwardly, close to the road and trembling. He doesn’t like this idea. Most cats also don’t like it too.

Branch nervously turned back to Wiggles, who gave him a reassuring nod. “Come on,” he urged him. “I know you can do it. Place your paw on the road.”

Branch turned his attention back to the road. It is now silent as the heavy traffic lasted for just ten seconds before he got started. Taking a deep breath, he cautiously stared down at the road.

Doing what Wiggles had instructed him, Branch placed one paw on the black pavement.

Soon...

VRRRRROOOOOOOOMMMM!!!!!

A red bug-like car whizzed by, almost running into Branch’s paw on the road! He screamed and backed away quickly. Now safely back on the calm grass, he crouched in fear as he watched the heavy traffic going on again.

“I can’t do this!” Branch yelled, panicking. “It’s not safe!”

He sat there on the grass, trembling and hyperventilating. Wiggles rushed to his side to comfort him. “Look at me, kid. Just breathe,” he told him. “It wasn’t that bad!”

“I am breathing!” Branch wailed, unable to calm himself.

Wiggles looked at the traffic and made a face, knowing that Branch is unable to cross the road and avoid a bunch of cars along the way due to his new experience as a cat. “So you think this road’s not safe for you to cross because there are too many cars?” he asked.

“Y-yes!” Branch stammered nervously. “Should we try something else to get across?”

Wiggles listened carefully to his suggestion. Then he lit up and said “You made a good point. I have a much better idea!”

He hopped back into the forest. Branch followed him, suddenly relieved that they are changing the plan. Instead, his face fell when they came to a large tree in front of them.

“Let’s try climbing this tree!” Wiggles explained. “It’s more safer to cross the road when you’re a cat!”

“Seriously?” Branch cried, exasperated. “We’re supposed to climb that?!”

“Yes!” Wiggles replied, hopping up and down excitedly. “My woodland pal once told me that this is a little trick that cats do in order to cross the road, and even I can climb it too!”

“Why should I do that?” asked Branch. “Isn’t there another way to get across?”

“Come on. Learn it right!” said Wiggles. “Cats climb trees. It’s their natural ability!” Then, with his four paws, he clung tightly to the tree trunk, making his way to the top.

“Hey, wait!” Branch called after him. “I don’t know where to start first!”

“Don’t worry, kid!” Wiggles called from the top as he crossed a branch to get across. “I’ll meet you on the other side! You will have to do this on your own.” Then he disappeared into the distance. Branch watched him go and gulped nervously.

This was it. This is the perfect to time to panic. But he knew panicking would waste any time to find the missing Archaeo morphisis mushroom right now. Looking up at the tree that he was supposed to climb on and the branch that was stretched out above the passing cars on the road, he took a deep breath.

“Hmmph,” Branch grumbled, looking down at his front paws. “Okay then. It’s just like a camouflage fur suit with suction cups. It’s totally worth it.”

Imagining his cat body as one of his survivalist camouflage gear, he started to take action. He leaped up and clung himself to the tree.

Branch reached out a paw, grabbing onto the tree’s surface with his claws and hauled himself along. A cat’s body is really heavy when you’re climbing with your front legs. He tried again, stretching his cat legs as far as they’d go. Inch by inch, the top of the tree is getting closer.

Very quickly, Branch climbed the tree with great effort, learning from his survival training experiences. He reached out one paw, then the next. After a few seconds, he had a grip on the tree branch. He dragged himself up, until his face reached for the branch.

Grunting, Branch hauled himself higher until his back legs were on the top of the tree. He sat there, exhausted and holding on to the branch for dear life. He tried not to look down.

“Whoooo!!!” Branch gasped for breath. “Okay...I’m starting to get the hang of this.”

He began to cautiously get across on his perch of the branch, trying his best not to look down and fall on the road. One slip and he’d drop to his doom.

Branch held on the tree branch with his claws, managing to keep himself into place as he carefully proceeded with each step he took. As a Troll, he was a great expert on climbing trees and using his hair to make his way across. However, when he tried using his hair as a cat, it didn’t seem to work because most animals don’t have Troll hair. With Branch’s hair incapable of climbing from one tree to the next, it was worth a try to climb like a cat anyway.

Branch found himself dangling on the edge of his tree branch, and he can see another one stretching out from another tree, leading to the other side of the forest. As the tree branch he was on started to bend slowly, he did his best to hold on tight.

When Branch looked down at the road, he gasped and looked away quickly. “Uh...oh, boy,” he muttered to himself through the difficult climb.

He tried to call for Wiggles on the other side of the tree. “Wiggles!” he cried out. “I’m already close to the other tree! Could you help me out over here?”

There was no response. Branch shouted even louder. “WIGGLES?!”

Unfortunately, as he yelled, he moved very close to edge of his branch. It began to bend down and crack!

CREEEEEEEEAAAAAAAKKKK!!!

“Aaaah!” Branch screamed as the tree branch started to descend from his weight, where he would surely fall on the dread of the passing cars below. “Wiggles, now’s the time to come over!” he called to the other tree again, but this time, still no answer from the rabbit.

Branch looked around frantically, trying to find a way how to get to the next tree. But as the branch he is still clutching on was still lowering down, he had no other choice but to make a jump for it.

“I think I can make it,” Branch whispered to himself. Then with a burst of speed, he leaped for the other branch, letting out a fierce battle cry. 

“YAAAAAAAARGH!!!!”

In mid-air with his front paws outstretched, Branch managed to grab on to the next tree branch. “Oooof!” he said as he made a landing for it.

Branch held on to the other tree branch with his two paws. His little body was dangling in thin air. Not watching where he was supposed to look for, he looked down, realizing how close he was above the traffic!

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!” Branch screamed in terror, dangling in the air helplessly. He held on to his branch for dear life, trembling as cars whizzed past him, almost reaching for his tail. He couldn’t believe that he had made his way across the traffic, but now he must get to safety.

It was quite a challenge for Branch. He took a big breath to calm himself down and hauled himself higher on his perch, struggling with effort. His back legs kicked furiously in the air as he heaved himself harder.

Grunting persistently, Branch struggled until his chin was touching the branch. Seizing the opportunity to pull his whole body to the top, he climbed up until his stomach fell flat on the branch.

He panted and sat there, sweating and looking more exhausted than his first climb. “Whew!”

But his break was cut short when the tree branch he was on started snapping from his weight, startling him!

SNAP!!!

“Aaaaah! Whoa!” Branch yelled as he began to slip down to the road. He dug his claws into the sides of the skinny branch, his heart pumping like mad. He began moving forward, clutching the sides for support. Once his claws missed their grip and his whole body would slide backwards again.

Slowly and steadily, he bravely crawled forward again, feeling the full weight of the branch shifting behind him. Then he carefully stood on his four legs and quickly made a run for the trunk of the tree, causing the tree branch to wobble as he sprinted.

Branch leaped to the trunk, digging his claws into it. He began to climb down the tree and leaped for the next tree, doing the same.

Climbing around this tree, Branch turned to a corner and spotted a bush, a good choice for a safe landing! Without hesitating, he jumped to it and landed inside it.

Inside the bush, Branch landed on the ground and looked around, tired and bruised. He was breathless from all that rough climbing.

“I’m alive!” Branch gasped, taking a few moments to catch his breath. “I’M ALIVE!!!” He sighed with relief. He couldn’t believe that he had made it to the other side! He did it!

Wiggles emerged from another bush, hopping to congratulate his friend. “Branch, there you are!” he said. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere since you are stuck in the traffic for a few minutes!”

“Yeah, it was pretty intense!” Branch said proudly, almost going to faint. “I nearly fell down on my way through, but I completely survived. Thank god, it was now over!” He immediately forgot that he was panting heavily when he spoke.

“Wow! I knew you can do it, kid!” Wiggles said with his usual enthusiasm. He nuzzled Branch’s face and added “I’m so proud of you! You can really tell a story!”

“Thank you, Wiggles!” Branch replied with sheer excitement. “I would’ve needed your help, but I’m so agile enough to do it! I can’t believe I am able to climb like a cat!”

“And for your good effort, slap me some paw!” Wiggles held up his paw for a high-five. Branch raised his own paw up and high-fived it against Wiggles’ paw. They chuckled and smiled at each other. Then Wiggles changed direction for the other bush, saying “Wait ‘til my kids hear about this! They’ll be so proud of you!”

Branch pricked up his pointed cat ears. “I’m sorry, which ‘kids’?” he asked, wanting clarification.

“Just follow me, Branch!” Wiggles squeaked, pushing himself against the shrubs.

Without saying a word, Branch reluctantly followed him through, not sure what to make of the smart little bunny. But deep down, he was happy to make it past the dangerous traffic.

                                             To Be Continued...

                                          Stay tuned for Part 19!

[iamseeress]

Golden Blossoms Inside My Chest

Izuku grows flowers inside his chest. You would not know it to look at him but he's been doing it for a long time now.

It's brutal work; the human body is not meant to create these things. But he doesn't know how to stop growing them. Or if he even would, had he known how. It's all jumbled up and complicated, like his own relationship with the man who causes them to bloom in the first place.

Most days pass without incident. It's simply another weight to be borne, like many such things in his life. It's not so much that Izuku has gotten used to it — more that he's made his peace with it. But some days are harder than others.

On a routine patrol on a Tuesday morning, a villain attacks.

In the heat of battle, Izuku barely even feels it; the sensation as much a part of him now as the lightning coursing over his scarred skin. His body moves following a combination of training, instinct, and experience, easily compensating for the shortness of his breath.

But once the villain is immobilized and the threat stops, that’s when it makes itself felt: a pressure on his chest, heavy, weighing him down. It's gotten heavier just now, stealing his breath away.

Katsuki had been magnificent during the fight. Pure poetry in motion. As amazing to Izuku as when they were four and Katsuki the only kid who could capture dragonflies.

His smirk now is triumphant, fierce, satisfied.

Izuku stares for a moment, looks his fill, then moves on. He’s a hero on duty. The villain is down, yes, but there are still things to be done.

A few more minutes and the area is secure, the villain in custody and the ambulance on its way, bearing injured bystanders.

Izuku slips down an empty alleyway, bricks on both sides. His hands are shaking; he needs relief or he will fall apart right here in the middle of the city he protects.

He flicks a clasp on his belt and the top half of his green body armor melts away, returns to its dormant state.

His scarred hand clutches at his chest. He can barely breathe now. He thinks of Katsuki, embraces the pain.

He thinks of his fierceness and pride. His arrogance, his gracefulness, his absolute brilliance in everything he does. His laugh, so seldom heard. The subtle, lingering sweetness of his scent. The thick corded muscles on his arms, his chest. The way his pale lashes spread like wings across his cheeks. The way he says —

Izuku’s chest cracks open.

A line running from collarbone to just above the navel splits his torso. There is no blood; not from this. But the pain is as real as if someone had taken an axe to his chest.

Tears fall down Izuku’s face even as the flowers spill from his open breast. They are beautiful, as if that’s a consolation. Ethereal, otherworldly, in a way flowers in the fields are not. They’re brilliant gold, shimmering with light despite the darkness in the alley, each petal perfectly carved from Izuku’s pain.

The golden blossoms flutter down slowly, unhindered by the laws of gravity, and are gone before they reach the ground. Vanished. There is no one to keep them, no one to care.

Each flower gone eases Izuku’s pain, allows him to breathe, but leaves him hollow. It fills him with near-unbearable sadness and longing. Leaving a secret garden perfect for growing golden flowers. An unending cycle of grief, pain and love unreturned.

Izuku hears footsteps approaching from the mouth of the alley. He turns away, wipes his tears, hides his secret. He wills it away and the unbloodied wound begins to heal. The gap closes slowly, leaving no trace on his freckled skin.

A final bloom falls and is caught on Izuku’s palm.

“What the hell are you doing back here, Deku?”

Izuku flicks the switch and his body armor encloses him again. He turns to Katsuki; his chest is covered, its secrets tucked away.

Katsuki looks irate but curious.

Beautiful, Izuku thinks, hopeless and captivated, feeling a new blossom grow inside him.

“Here,” Izuku says on a whim. “Hold out your hand.”

Katsuki does and Izuku drops the golden flower on his palm.

“What is it?” Katsuki asks, bringing the flower to his face for closer inspection.

“It’s for you,” he says because it’s true. He grows them for Katsuki.

“You giving me flowers, Deku?” Katsuki says with a smirk.

“Why not. Do you like it?”

Katsuki looks back at the flower.

“It’s alright,” he allows, a staggering compliment coming from him.

Izuku has no words for what he is feeling. The rapture, the sheer joy of seeing Katsuki hold a fragment of his very soul in his hand. It almost overcomes his despair.

“I have a lot of them,” Izuku says, starting to walk out of the alley.

Katsuki walks in step with him, still examining the flower, touching the delicate-looking petals.

“I don’t think I’ve seen this thing before. The petals are — gah!”

Katsuki has cut his finger on the petals, sharp as Izuku’s pain that birthed it. A single drop of blood falls, staining the golden bloom.

“Careful, Kacchan. They cut.”

[thisgirlhastales]

Simon and Baz Carrying On, like Wayward Sons ...

I’m here to write more about Wayward Son because @apostrophe-philosophy got me thinking with the wonderful additions made to my first lengthy post about it :)

Honestly, I’m loving the book more upon reflection, though I still have my same issues with it. I think the initial shock of the cliff-hanger had to die down for me (though, again, still have some things that irked me about said cliff-hanger). I’ve got more ranting to do, so, ah, here we go again, and warnings for spoilers beneath the cut!

Apologies for any repetition but this is mostly a ramble with less organization than my previous semi-essay post, and a little more in-depth on the characters, I think.

Carry On, as @apostrophe-philosophy stated so wonderfully, is a book that shook up all those tropes we know and love (when they’re executed well) of the Chosen One narrative, and I was so very pleased that Wayward Son kept that going — in fact, were Carry On the typical Chosen One type story, we would never have gotten a sequel because all’s well that ends well, right? (See: HP Epilogue).

But Wayward Son didn’t feel like a sequel to me, so much as … letting the cameras roll after the movie is over? (Er, assuming the characters are real people, so forgive my crap analogy.) We see how very broken these people are despite (or because of) their victory. We see that there are years of healing ahead of them, assuming they can even come to terms with all the things they’ve done and seen. It’s very much a life goes on and on story; as in, life doesn’t stop after a narrative goal or milestone are achieved. It just goes. On. Without needing permission. It is relentless.

And it doesn’t care if you can’t keep up.

Which is what I believe is happening to Simon, Baz, and Penny (and Agatha, to an extent, though she really feels like she has her shit together way more than the others do, and who’d a thunk?).

Simon Snow, Former Chosen One, Saviour of Watford and Conqueror (?) of the Insidious Humdrum, Now Retired and Mage-Less

Ooof, let’s start with the guy whom the series is named after, because oh Simon. My dude, your problems are as vast and deep as an ocean, and I feel like you never really learned how to swim properly ‘cause your mentor/father-figure (who was your actual father, and won’t that be an agonizing reveal?) really messed you up by nearly drowning you repeatedly. Metaphorically. Or literally?

Simon Snow was neglected in many ways as an orphan child growing up, moved around and ignored, until he met the Mage. Then he gets a huge destiny shoved upon him, and he’s taught how to fight with a sword and with magic, although, ah, the latter he really sucks at because for all his immense power, he lacks control. Many, many near-death experiences later, and he’s finally hit a point where everything he came to know as his reality crumbles beneath him because the Big Evil he’s fighting is a piece of himself (nice bit of trope subversion), and he has to figure out what the hell to do with it … Oh, right, fill in that hole and give up all his magic, the thing that saved him. And incidentally, the way this happens is that he witnesses the death of one of his closest friends/older mentor figures, and the Mage is the one who did it. Furthermore, the Mage refuses to accept reality, i.e. that Simon needs to give up the power, not give it to someone else (him). Penny and Simon inadvertently kill him … And it hurts me when, after Simon begs Stop hurting me! as a magic spell, that Penny has to tell Simon that the reason the Mage died is because the magic dealt the final judgement — the only way the Mage would be able to stop hurting Simon is if he were dead.

Simon is gonna have to contemplate that crap for a while … But we don’t see too much of it in Wayward Son because Simon is a disaster (but “still so lovely” as Baz says) who won’t think too hard about why he’s such a disaster — he’ll just torment himself over it, and thus break all our hearts (and Baz’s) …

As @apostrophe-philosophy delightfully stated, what seems like a happy ending “can very well feel empty when your mental state is in fucking shambles.” And, yeah. I think Simon’s lost magic and resulting lack of direction in life are part of why he’s so depressed and feeling “worthless” now (although, he is not worthless). The other reasons are all the myriad ways in which his childhood did not prepare him for life, and in fact, damaged him in several ways (thanks for nothing, Mage). It’s all hitting at once. I’m sorry, Simon.

What we do see in Wayward Son is that he still reflects on the Mage somewhat fondly. He can never forget everything he was taught, particularly when he still uses it to keep himself and his friends alive. He switches back into soldier mode so easily (Baz notices, realizes what Simon’s life must have been like while the Mage had him under his thumb). Simon in the United States is a Simon who plunges headfirst into adventure and the unexpected and the good fight, but not into anything that involves speaking to Baz and/or Penny. Good grief, please, Simon.

I was okay with other aspects of his journey being hinted at — curious and excited to see how it all plays out. @apostrophe-philosophy, you mentioned that water spirit recognizing him? So interested to see where that goes! The fact that Simon impacted magic all the way around the world? Does this mean he touched every corner of the globe with his explosions? With the Insidious Humdrum? How many more creatures know of him? Is he kinda part dragon now? He “gave back more” than he took? What? How? What?!

All of that is left for another book, and I’m cool with that. Less cool with other things being left hanging …

Simon is loved so profoundly by Baz and Penny, but that alone cannot fix him — it can keep him afloat at times, but those underlying issues are not going away because he has an awesome boyfriend and best friend. It is so damn gratifying to read a magical adventure tale that actually acknowledges this. I don’t mind my fluff when I can get it, but Carry On wasn’t about that life, and it would’ve felt disingenuous if Wayward Son was … but it wasn’t, so yes.

I agree with you, @apostrophe-philosophy, when you say that Wayward Son feels more mature. It’s not just that these characters are now “growing up” and trying to figure themselves out — it’s that they’re all such huge damn messes (love it), and that they’re mad at themselves (and sometimes each other) for not having their shit together. Mostly they’re angry at themselves and despairing of each other. And if that ain’t adult life, y’all … Geez.

“Yes, Carry On was full of life and magic. Wayward Son is, in the words of the humdrum, what’s left when you are done.” Well said, honey!

Ah, there are so many ways that Simon broke me — when he talks about how easy it is to kiss Baz, but being kissed  “suffocates” him? It felt like he couldn’t stand the loss of control again — it’s allowing something to happen to you, it’s revealing in ways you can’t control, which is the story of his entire life. When he and Baz are kissing in the aftermath of battle, when Simon feels the most like himself, when he doesn’t care and he’s just overjoyed to be awesome and alive and with Baz — he’s all over his boyfriend and loving both sides of that intimacy (that he initiates). But when that isn’t the case, when he’s back in that negative headspace, back to depression and anxiety and all the consequences that the Mage wrought … He needs control, and kissing is easier than being kissed. Easier than allowing yet another thing happen to him, being vulnerable and seen in his vulernability, particularly with Baz, who knows him and can see past his defences.

(The great irony, of course, is that Baz actually can’t see what’s going on with Simon. It’s entirely in Simon’s head, holy crap, boys, fucking talk to each other.)

That part where Penny thinks about Simon: “I don’t really care if you feel crazy—because crazy isn’t dead.” That part where Simon has to compromise his Mage-taught morals to fight with vampires against other vampires and he has to keep rationalizing why being in love with Baz is okay, and the proper ways to rescue people because that’s all he did as a child soldier in the Mage’s army, and as Baz has said about the Mage — may he rest in pain for so thoroughly fucking with Simon’s head when he was a child and in awe of him and just … gah. Fuck you, Davy.

Simon being ready to die, to live to the last second as the saviour because that’s all he thinks he’s good for — taking one more enemy down for his friends, for Baz … Damn it, Simon. I know he sucks at words, he’s admitted as much himself, but wow, any words would do, Simon. Any.

I live for aftermath, and watching Simon (not) deal is giving me all the feels. He really believes he’s less now that his purpose is fulfilled since he has no magic. And since he has/is less, he feels he should “set Baz free” and all that. He only feels like himself when he’s being a sword-fighting badass, rescuing people, being a soldier (again, fuck you, Davy) — and yeah, he is very skilled, even incredible at that, but that’s not why Baz and Penny love him. Simon, oh Simon. If you would just open your mouth and start talking about all of this, the world of good it would do you …

But, hey, you know who else stressed me out?

Tyrannus Basilton “Baz” Grimm Pitch, Fail Vampire (Except When Kicking Ass), Powerful Pitch Sorcerer, General Posh Representative of UK Mages

Baz, my crappy vampire, my brilliant pyro-mage. You need help as badly as your boyfriend does. Baz’s arc kills me in a different way than Simon’s — everything Simon is dealing with is somewhat expected, and I understand it well. I get what his issues are, and the ways he is (but more often, isn’t, so very much is not) coping with them (and definitely not actually healing from them).

Baz? Oooh man. There were the things I expected — being on the outside, watching Simon slowly go to pieces, feeling completely helpless and lost, not knowing what Simon wants or needs, and that includes whether Simon wants or needs him anymore …

And yes, dealing with striking out on his own, in defiance of his family and all other magical society expectations, which puts him on a rather solitary path (apart from the world he knew — at least he has Simon and Penny, Messes Though They Are).

But the other aspects of himself — as in, his vampire nature and how that plays on his mind? He was suicidal in Carry On because he believed that’s what his mother would have wanted, that the vampires in the UK were so low and beneath him, and he was a Pitch, so how could those pathetic creatures like Nicodemus also be him? I was hoping we would get into all of that that here … and man. Oh man.

How devastating was it to find out that Baz is actually physically unhealthy because he doesn’t feed properly? Because he had no one to teach him how to eat without killing or turning someone? How to eat non-blood food without his fangs showing? When Lamb didn’t quite believe that Baz was twenty, like, legit, he’s twenty, he’s a baby vampire … How small is the world of mages back in the UK? Baz wasn’t even allowed access to the Internet. Good grief, this guy is smart as a whip, but he knows almost nothing and it shows, but it wasn’t until he met the American vampires that it felt painful. I just want him to learn all the things. Simon wants that for him (albeit for reasons that amount to you’re better off without me), and it’s just … Give Baz some true vampire knowledge. Let him feed without killing or turning. Please, cut this boy some slack.

My heart broke to see all the ways Baz was just … missing vital parts of himself. It was killing me to watch him hungrily take in everything Lamb was telling him … He needs something or someone to inform him (who isn’t a raging douchebag like Lamb). There must be some half-decent vampire somewhere who can help. I feel like we’re in for a conflict with his Aunt Fiona, since she’s been vampire hunting this entire while … So, you know, more pain on the way.

I’m sure I’m not the first to say this, but I truly believe we have hints that Baz is more than just vampire or mage. The fact that he aged from when he was bitten, the fact that he can use magic (Nicodemus couldn’t, and we have it confirmed that vampires can’t) … Pretty sure there’s something going on there. He’s a hybrid? He’s a new species entirely? He’s something that NewBlood wants so badly, but they can’t get because it can’t be recreated in a lab?

Baz needs his own long, long period of coming to terms, and then doing something about all those things boiling beneath his skin, because, my dude, you are more than you realize, and that’s not just the vampire stuff I’m referring to, Baz. More than his family’s expectations. More than his magical world. More than Simon’s boyfriend.

Penelope Bunce also gave me feels — “I was never invincible. I was just in the vicinity.” Again, @apostrophe-philosophy, you nailed the issues surrounding her so well: “But Penelope A-Plan-And-Backup-For-Everything Bunce? Hitting the literal end of her rope? Letting us see that she’s perhaps the biggest fraud, who doesn’t know how to fake it till she makes it once her belief in her own abilities has started to waver, because she had never known failure before and is now confronted by it on so many fronts?” Much like you, I am totally on board for her coming into her own, learning from her failures and becoming that much capable and hopefully healthier as a result.

And Agatha Wellbelove, oh, Agatha, realizing that she is magic. That she can’t run from herself, but she can learn — I loved every cynical bit of her in this, but she still had the capacity to realize that she could do something, and she did something, and it was awe-inspiring. It was coated in regret, in self-flagellation of the highest order, and every belief that it would all end in flames, but she did it. Bless her for becoming the saviour of that day.

So we Carry On, Wayward Sons, But There’s No Sign of Peace Yet For When You’re Done?

I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again: I still feel like the lack of partial resolution to any of the emotional/psychological arcs drives me up the wall.

That being said, upon re-reading a few of my favourite passages/chapters, and re-reading the last quarter of the book … I will say that there’s a touch more resolution than I realized. Particularly for Simon

“It’s time for me to stop pretending that I’m some sort of superhero. I was that—I really was—but I’m not anymore. I don’t belong in the same world as sorcerers and vampires. That’s not my story … I think I’d rather get a job. Earn something for myself. Pay my own rent. It feels good to think about. It feels like—shit, I’m crying. It feels awful, but it feels clean.”

There’s a mess in that realization as well, but there’s also some clarity. No, Simon is not a superhero — nice, good! Also, he can belong with vampires and sorcerers, maybe, (Shepard is proof), but he doesn’t need to be the be-all-end-all hero/soldier of everyone around him, so there’s that realization at least.

But then it gets cut off shortly after (like, a couple of pages), so … I’m sighing big time here.

Baz gets even more heaped onto his shoulders. But I feel like for all he knows that he’s lacking significant knowledge on half of his identity, i.e. being a vampire, he knows that he doesn’t want to be either like NewBlood or like Lamb’s people. So. There’s that.

Penny gets brought low at the start and is … pretty much still there by the end, though saving Agatha is a plus one in her healing column, maybe? But everything else is just … there. It’s a shorter book — there was room to have one or two conversations? About one or two of these many issues? I’m not even saying those conversations had to go well — but at least informing the characters on a few of the problems that we, as the reader, can so clearly see? The plot was interesting, but sometimes it did feel a bit like a contrivance to keep the emotional arcs in suspension. Because they spent so many days on the road together, nights in motels, they were basically almost never apart for a significant amount of time and not once, until the end, did they try to talk out their shit in a real way.

Again, l love this book. I love so many things. I’m cool with cliff-hangers. But I feel like I needed at least partial resolution on a couple of things — a cliff-hanger after we got Simon acknowledging some parts of his issues and speaking them out loud to Baz? Or vice versa? Because they would be able to see each other’s problems more clearly — the misunderstandings might have continued, but along a different vein? Because, the thing is, acknowledging the problems is a thing, yes, but the healing from them part is the bigger, longer, more painful thing, and I feel like it’s just … so much to cover, and I would’ve liked a better grip on that healing process before the next book?

The third book may endear this second book to me further, but as of right now, it doesn’t quite stand alone for me. It feels a tad unfinished. Again, love so many moments in here, love the characters, including our new disaster friend, Shepard, but the book just feels like it cuts off far too abruptly.

But, to quote again from @apostrophe-philosophy: “I really just want a cast of characters who have actual fucking problems they can’t fix with love and friendship alone and to watch them get what they deserve by claiming it of their own accord. Not because it falls into their hands.”

I want that too, so badly. And I think we’re getting it — we definitely got a piece of that, a solid beginning of that in Wayward Son, and I am so, so hoping we get even more (way, way more) in the next book! (Books?)

Whew. And that is where I am stopping! That might be the end of my meta rope for this novel. Man, I love this book, and if anyone made it through this massive post, you’re amazing. Again, many thanks to @apostrophe-philosophy for adding onto to my previous essay with a beautiful and beautifully worded series of thoughts! *hugs* :)

[wheremytwinwatches]

[Where My Twin Watches]: Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 13

I’m back! Took a little break to watch Rebellion, mostly recovered from that so I can return to watching this light-hearted tale of whimsy and hahaha no. Onwards with Brotherhood!

Episode 13 - “Beasts of Dublith” Izumi’s talking about Ed seeing “it” and surviving. Ooh, do we get info on Truth this episode? [Izumi]: “Regardless, I can’t accept the decision you made. You’re expelled.” What?! Teacher turns away, tells them to get on a train. Ed just bows and thanks her for everything. ...wow, I’d forgotten how hard this show can hit. Huh, same intro? I thought this was the halfway point of the season, don’t animes usually switch things up at this point? ...at the very least, I’d like them to change the into so I don’t have to see Hughes again at the beginning of each episode YES I’M STILL BITTER. Sig’s seeing them off at the station, saying they should drop by if they’re ever in town again. Sorry buddy, but I don’t thin- [Sig]: “You idiots! You’re so busy pouting you can’t see what your expulsion means; You aren’t her students anymore, so now you’re finally free to speak to Izumi as equals!” Oh. Ohhhh. Ok, so that was her way of ‘graduating’ them. I can see it. [Sig]: “Unless, of course, you’re too chicken to try it.” Suddenly Ed facepalms? There’s something you forgot to do? I thought the point of the trip was to visit your old Teacher. [Sig]: “Don’t let her kill you.” ...Gee, thanks for the advice. Ed gets back to the butcher shop GAH good thing Ed’s quick enough to duck knives. Izumi is not happy to see him again. But the Elric Brothers say that they’ve come looking for a way to get their bodies back, and that they are staying. A staredown commences.

Izumi… relents? Huh, I thought she would have kept this up until you stopped calling her Teacher. Time to talk about “the Truth”! Al didn’t see it, doesn’t even really know what it means. Izumi says he lost his memory from the shock… oh! Yeah, if the cost of what Ed saw was his leg, for Al to lose his entire body as the “toll”? Oh good grief you two, stop talking about how “awful” and “horrifying” it was, you’re scaring the kid. Izumi’s got a lead in an acquaintance who might be able to retrieve the memory. But first, dinner! Eavesdropper! We’ve got a Gollum taking a peek in the window, confirming that Ed can transmute human souls. Oh wow that’s a tail, is this guy part-Gecko? Back at Eastern Command, some old guy with bifocals is playing chess with Roy, expositing that he’s transferring in one week. (Subtitles say) General Grumman is giving the standard platitudes of “it won’t be the same without you”, “I got to relax thanks to your hard work”, ect ect. Hmm, noting that his glasses are consistently shiny, not a good sign. Ooh, that was a flinch, and yup, checkmate. Good job Roy! Grumman plays it off as a “going away gift”, Roy presses this charitable mood. Hello there, Master Sergeant Kain Fuery. Gotta be honest here, I’m still holding the loss of Fuhrer Fury against you, here’s hoping you can be a good enough character to overcome that bias. We’ve also got Warrant Officer Vato Falman, Second Lieutenant Heymans Breda, Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc-

No, not that Jean. And First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye as well. Seems that Roy’s added them to his own transfer, they’ll join him in Central. No objections! [Havoc]: “I’ve got a problem, sir. See, I just started dating this girl and I really like her.” [Roy]: “Dump her.” Wow. Remind me not to go to Roy for relationship advice. What is it you see in this guy again, Riza? Cut to some dude working out with a crude dumbbell. Oh hey it’s Scar! How’s it going buddy? Apparently he’s not supposed to be working out, the Ishvalan kid Rick chides him for aggravating his wounds. He opens the tent for someone else, and Scar looks shocked? [Scar]: “Master!” Ooh, a parallel episode! The Elrics and Scar working with their old teachers! I like these! Master’s talking with Scar now, saying he knows that his student’s been targeting State Alchemists. But regardless of their crimes, such vengeance will only cause further violence. Senseless revenge, feeding a fruitless cycle of death? Man this Master pulls no punches. He tells Scar to end this cycle once and for all- Suddenly two non-Ishvalans poke their heads into the tent, identify Scar and start talking about a bounty. Uh oh. Either Scar’s gonna ignore his Master, or we’ll find out why this guy is called Master even in the subtitles. Third guy is hiding behind some rubble, Ishvalan bystanders yell at Yoki for bringing bounty hunters. Man, another whiny Elric antagonist? Oh yeah, I’m sure that you’ll “rise up” and take your revenge. Total faith in you buddy. Off-topic, do you mind telling me when you plan to face them? I want to know when so I can sell tickets I mean show my support. Scar realizes that he’ll only bring more trouble, however irritating, if he stays there. Yyyyeah, you bounty hunters had no idea who you were messing with. One dismembering and face-grab later, Scar doesn’t even bother with Yoki, just dons sunglasses once more.

Master tries one more guilt-trip (“Your brother would be sad”), we get a dramatic zoom at Scar’s tattooed arm. Scar just says it’s too late to turn back now, and walks off.

Al’s sweeping outside the butcher shop when a ball of paper’s thrown at his feet. A note from Gecko-Man, Bido? Oh wow a place called “Devil’s Nest”, I’m sure it’s a quite reputable business. Some guys sniffs and jumps down to join Bido and a lady in the street, to greet Al as he walks up. A meeting? Ooh, did you guys try to blackmail Al? This can only end well. Nose-Man (Dolcetto) tries to get Al to come with them, one “Ooh, I’m just a widdle kid” act later… Uh oh! So while Dolcetto went down like a punk, Tatoo-Lady (Martel) took the advantage to get inside Al’s armor, slow him down for an older guy (Roa) to show up for a turn and wrestle the armor to the ground. [Al]: “You people aren’t human, are you?” No, really? What gave it away, the guy with a giant gecko tail? [Greed]: “Good guess! They’re Chimeras… And they happen to work for me.” Wait, Greed? Aw crap it’s another Goth! The Terminator from the intro, no less! So Al’s in some sort of basement now, Martel still keeping him controlled from inside the armor while Greed is starting some sort of pitch. So wait, how is Greed connected to the rest of the Goths? I can see he has the Uroboros tattoo on his hand like the others, but I’m getting a different vibe from him. Al asks what they really are, they can’t be Chimera’s because the only “talking Chimera” we’ve seen before was something I really don’t want to remember. Greed just says to not believe everything the government says. Martel’s part-snake, Roa was… cow? Ok. Throw in a lizard (still gonna call him gecko), a crocodile, and a dog. Man, Dolcetto’s not having a good time this episode. As for how these Human-Chimeras are possible, Greed says that they were created by the military. But he’s even more uncommon than they are: he’s a Homunculus. Wait, a Homunculus? Are you sure you’re using the right term there? I can understand Chimera, a mix of species, but my understand of Homunculi is that they’re mini-humans, basically familiars. Oh ok, so apparently the definition of a Homunculus in Brotherhood is a more general “artificially created human”. Flashback to Baby!Elrics studying alchemy, raising the point that yeah that’s Human Transmutation isn’t it? Al is really upset by this claim, saying that it’s just an unproven theory. So Greed says he’ll prove it SWEET LETO WHAT THE TRUTH ok Roa just went Thor on Greed’s skull, the corpse falls. But Al barely has time to ask what the heck that was for when the body raises a hand in a “wait a moment” gesture, and red sparks fly as Greed reforms good as new. Huh. So we’ve already know that the Goths are hard to put down (knife to the forehead), but to completely regenerate after your brain is splattered? Yeah, this is gonna be tough. So, back to why they’ve captured Al? Oh, that’s why? Sure Greed’s got a body that can recover from normally fatal injuries, but he still “dies”. Meanwhile, he’s got a moving, talking suit of armor right here! A body that never dies… Now this is really interesting, looking at two concepts of immortality: a regenerating organic form, or an unchanging metal form. Transhumanism, ho! Still, I don’t think that this is a form of “immortality” that you want, Greed. You want the finer things in life? Get yourself stuck in armor like Al, and you lose your sense of touch and taste. And you don’t strike me as the kind of guy who’s willing to give those up. Greed’s pushing to know how Al got his soul in the armor, Al truthfully says that he can’t remember how and that it wasn’t him who did it. So Greed’s gonna have to talk to the original caster. [Ed]: “Now where’d a seven-foot tall suit of armor run off to?” Bido tries to make Ed pay to know where his brother is. Bido gets used to open the basement door. Al tells Ed that Greed’s a Homunculus (“Hey! Way to ruin it.”), and that he might be able to help them with their body problem. But Greed shows off his Uroboros tattoo, which he has to know that Ed recognizes. Greed says that “they don’t talk much anymore.” A falling out? Greed makes his pitch: He’ll teach them how to make a Homunculus (to transfer their souls to?), if they teach him how to transfer a soul. “Classic equivalent exchange.” EEC: 8 Finally, I get to update that count! Given how much the phrase made Tephi snicker I thought I’d be hearing it more often, best I can tell the last time was… ugh, Tucker. Moving on. Well of course you don’t understand why Al would want his body back, Greed. You don’t know the limitations. [Greed]: “You’re joking, right? You don’t need to eat, you don’t need to sleep, you don’t even need to use the toilet! Sounds great to me!” Yup. Ed’s pissed. Greed can only applaud his monologue. There you go Dolcetto, go ahead and get Worfed. But Greed puts up much more of a fight, going into the terminator mode from the intro, blocking all of Ed’s attacks as an Ultimate Shield. So Ed’s basically fighting MGR’s Armstrong, then? “Homunculus, son!” [Greed]: “Oh. You’re one of those guys. You don’t care if someone beats the crap out of you, but if someone lays a hand on a family member you completely freak out. What a waste… you lose your temper like this and you’re gonna lose my information and your brother.” But Ed thinks he still has a chance. Until Greed shows that he was holding back so he didn’t have to cover up his pretty face. Sig’s found the dropped broom, evidence that the boys have gone missing. Because Leto forbid they skip out on their chores and invoke Izumi’s wrath. A passerby says they were seen going into a bar called the Devil’s Nest. In said bar, Ed is [SUFFERING IN PAIN], literally breaking his automail on Greed and getting thrown around. But he has a plan? Oh yeah, Alchemy! He shorts out Greed’s Ultimate Shield to bust up his organic hand, Greed grows it back quickly and remarks that that was bizarre. Another attack, and stalagmites to the chest! Chemistry for the win! Since Greed told Ed that he was human, Ed knew that a third of his body was made of carbon. He figured that Greed was using that to make his shield, just rearranging the atoms. So all Ed had to do was rearrange them right back, graphite instead of diamond. Alright! Big Letodamn Hero entrance by Izumi! Who throws a mook at Ed and yells at him for not putting the broom away. [Greed]: “Oh give me a break. Don’t tell me you’re going to try and start anything, lady. It’s no fun fighting a woman.”

Time for Housewife Beatdown! *credits* ...Damn it! 

[girlbookwrm]

AVENGERS: CIVIL WAR

THE MIGHTY PRE ENDGAME REWATCH

it took us two entire days to watch this, back in whenever we were watching this. I’ve got a Bundle of Papers here in front of me, and the CW Bundle is by far the thickest, and that’s with minimal salt content.

Speaking of Salt: The Roommate and I had to approach this as an Avengers movie. Because otherwise the salt levels in this would be toxic, possibly fatal. Even so, ppl with high cholesterol be warned

LET’S DO THIS

1991!

Winter Soldier: 

what is this

what is this please

dat beef tho

what is this op sec

honestly

NO mask

SHINY FUCKOFF ARM just HANGING OUT

CCTV???

~ooooooo he’s a ghooooooooooooost~

he’s got an extremely dedicated and very harried cleanup crew is what he’s got

OH! OLD LOGO ILU!!!

LAGOS!!

The Roommate: That’s a lot of sugar

i ain’t judging

what, you think her powers run on optimism?

is there an accent? is there not? Shroedinger’s accent.

droney the drone

sam’s lil sky roomba

i love him

guhhhh this scene every line shows character and growth and i just *clenches fist*

did

did falcon just throw steve

just yeeted him at the enemy?

god i love that

also: has steve bulked up since TWS?

that’s also on Sam, yeah?

CUT THE CHEEEEECCCCK

is this fucking NEUROTOXIN? STEVE WHERE’S UR MASK?

Steve, throwing himself into a room full of an unknown poison gas without a mask: I bet i can survive this

Bucky, in Bucharest: *breaks whatever he’s holding without knowing why*

god i love sam

“I don’t work like that no more” Means ?????????????

PARKOUR NAT

is also BRUNCH MOM NAT

“both grunting” is always one of my favorite subtitles

2 white boys fighting in the middle of the street like it’s a video game

god someone took the murder strut to heart wow that is some. that is some something that’s for sure.

give me even one (1) heterosexual explanation for "your pal your buddy your bucky"

there’s no way that bucky ever said this, right? this is just Rumlow fucking with steve, and the screenwriters fucking with us

because IN CASE YOU WERE NOT IN THIS FANDOM IN 2016, WE ALL THOUGHT CAP WOULD DIE IN THIS MOVIE

WE WERE SO SURE

wow i wonder if that will be relevant to anyone’s emotions here in the year of our lordt 2019

anyway, what bucky actually said was:

“please tell rogers... that he’s a big dumb dildo and he should wear a gas mask and also a parachute.”

listen i love this opening scene but also wanda is not at all responsible for this explosion and the fact that they act like she is undermines my ability to suspend my disbelief.

DIGITAL ENYOUTHENMENT ALERT

also, tony the fact that you are using your literal dead mom as an actual therapist is

wow

BARF feels right to me

too real, tony

it’s too real

how ARE you getting around the strings and taxes tho

Also can i say that i actually love that Pepper’s absence is this profoundly important to the story. The hole where pepper should be is a huge part of this story and i like that. i like that a lot.

WOW THAT EXTRA IS LIKE A MASHUP OF NAT AND WANDA. SHE IS THE GENERIC MARVEL WHITE LADY

more a+ visual storytelling with the elevator

I’m just so mad that they blame wanda and play that straight?

all they had to do was outright acknowledge one (1) time that the media is picking on her because she’s a woman/a foreigner

imagine that speech coming from nat instead of steve

though i do love Steve’s pep talk

again. give me one (1) heterosexual explanation

though why not have Steve say “they’re just bullies, you did the right thing” and hearken back to smolsteeb

The Roommate: Remember how i was mad at his Oscars Velvet Blazer? I am also mad at this sweater.... it looks... so soft... i don’t know if i want it on him or off him... just wanna tuch....... and wear..........?”

Vision’s Ascot is. Something else man.

The Roommate: Why is ross secretary of state?

Me: Why is Trump President

Me: I bet Ross is vegan

the roommate, who has vegan-related trauma: UUUUGGGHHHHHHHH

Nat's reaction to vigilantes: Bitch please. she is Unbothered.

you don’t have to show us footage we’ve got the ptsd nightmares

400 pages in 3 days

[tired american sighing]

we honestly can’t even criticize this plot point anymore just

[my longest and most american sigh]

CLEVELAND!!!

hail hydra continues to be the Most Terrible last words

but WHY does ross have the congressional medal of honor

do you know how HARD it is to get one of those????

yeesh

sassy black friends sassing at each other

is definitely a

thing that is happening rn

Vision: Well Actually

no one cares, vis

ok like

a kid is dead but

3.6 is an okay GPA

maybe all my friends are overachievers

maybe it’s just because most of them are women but like

it’s an okay GPA

i’d have 8000% more respect for Tony if he was more upfront like “look this is on me” especially here

are we supposed to be picking all this up as subtext, actually?

because i know that this movie ALSO had a Troubled Youth ala ant man

and i really do appreciate the Russos for relying on a smart audience but there’s a lot going on

and it’s very obvious to me that they had to shift gears 18,000 times in the script writing phase

so like, you’ve got old man vet steve

but it’s painfully obvious that he missed vietnam right?

like

it’s painfully obvious

and he’s v egotistical and self righteous too 

it IS a battle of the egos

and no one is right

except natasha

Steve: i have to go

me: mood

LONDON!!!!

oh god

oh god no

steve god no steve oh god

gfhskfdjjjksjdjjhrrrrhrhhrhfhh [wailing and rending of garments]

Re Peggy’s age:

SURPRISE IT’S ACTUALLY PLAUSIBLE

so the True Hallmark of a Cap Movie is Peggy telling steve what to do.

so weird to have that in an avengers movie

i do love this. GOOD BRO NAT CONTENT

Um. is vision a minor? is wanda?

again, nat is the only Correct one here

stay together guys

it might be

reeeeeeaaaaally important in 

*checks watch*

two years’ time.

~hug~

VIENNA!!!!!

CHAD WICK! CHAD! WICK! CHAD! WICK!

god i love the xhosa in this

There is a level of worldbuilding in this that we p much only get from the russos/markus&mcfeely. i mean -- internal consistency worldbuilding? if that makes sense? we get a lot of visual worldbuilding in black panther, but this is distinctly different and hard to articulate and it has to do with the way they approach things and how they assume audience intelligence

it just works for me

oh no chadwick boseman don’t be cry

Sharon deserves better

than being cockblocked by her own aunt

and also sam wilson (who also deserves better)

cryptid!bucky

Nat did you get that suit from jenny agutter?

LA Brunch Mom Nat

mah girl

she’s just so tired

steve (bless him) is just so exhausting

couples date sam and steve dressed to match

“at the gym”??? really? the arm is... a bit of a giveaway

i do feel bad for zemo in this one specific case

russian IS hard

how. did he get that in there?

Soft Plumboy Bucky

BEEF

Captain’s Log: Buck’s place is a shithole

Sergeant’s Log: Steve’s face is pretty

surprise bitch

“That’s Smart, Good Strategy” is an excellent phrase to use in everyday conversation in order to weed out who Knows and who Doesn’t.

What i have learned from civil war: 

Captain America is a projectile weapon

further query:

did bucky ever hurl small steve at assailants?

Bucky: *punts steve down an alley*

Steve, 90 lbs of rage at 90 mph: GET WRECKED

Bucky’s got big tommy wiseau cryptid energy here

And now there’s a cat

bucky:

I love this vampire running and also bucky’s thighs

Steve Rogers: Excuse me sir I need to commandeer this vehicle. YEET.

Bucky Barnes: Excuse me sir I need to commandeer this vehicle. YOINK.

Bucky and Steve: Wrecking your morning commute since 2014

WAR MACHINE!!!

god vis has the biggest dorkiest crush

so vis are you a child prodigy? or? what?

The Roommate, a cinnamon roll, too good for this world, too pure: vis have you eaten anything between CW and IW?

Me, sinnamon roll, not to be trusted: *dying* *thinking about how Vision’s got schroedinger’s dick. does it exist? does it not exist? who knows.*

Me: Y. Yes. I th. think he has. eaten something. between now and. and IW. something.

The Roommate: *betrayed look*

Me: DEEP FRIED KEBAB MAYBE? I DON’T KNOW.

The Roommate: *is so disappointed*

BERLIN!!!!!!

Bucky is. So tired. Let him rest.

fucking up the morning commute again i see

u like cats??

I love the ratio of overkill:ineffectiveness with this glass box they put him in.

why did tony  bring these fancy pens

the time spent explaining them could’ve been spent doing literally anything else

*i still don’t understand the accords*

GOD STEVE WANTS TO BE AN UNCLE SO BAD

“my fault”

there it is

“truth is i don’t want to stop”

THERE it is

“i thought the accords could split the difference”

THERE IT IS

"no, i don’t.”

THERE IT IS

“IT’S INTERNMENT.”

THERE! IT! IS!

gah.

wanda’s accent et al -- MAKE IT EXPLICIT MARVEL YOU COWARDS

no but really what are the accords

here followed a 20-30 minute convo about the accords

basically the summing up was:

Nat is 100% Right Ross is 100% Wrong Everyone Else is In A Grey Area

look this is actually a really good avengers movie

but

this is a moment when the back catalogue works against them because this conversation is so -- it implies a lot of friendly interactions between these two. they seem to have a relationship

but i keep looking at all the other movies they’ve interacted in like

BITCH WHERE? WHERE IS THE TONYSTEVE FRIENDSHIP? WHERE???

i am anticipating this will cause me A Grief later

The Roommate, looking at Steve in his Grey Shirt and Jacket: Damn, sir. Stop wearing clothes.

“BIRD COSTUME???”

“j a m e s”

big holt talking to rosa vibes there

“I don’t wanna talk about it.”

A VAST AND MIGHTY MOOD

Zemo’s plan is so ridiculous i genuinely don’t have time to get into it i still have two pages of notes to get through holy shit.

this fight scene. does things. for me.

hhhHNNNNHGH BEEFSTEAK

(oh tony left with no suit? growth dot gif)

THIGHS

T H I G H S ! ! ! !

CHADWICK!

Sam out here, serving looks, casually modeling

B I C E P S ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

TOO SEXY! *crashes helicopter*

I need twelve more scenes of steve and bucky faffing about in the water.

A more effective restraint than the custom made bucky bottle

(BRIEF 1991)

haaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAa biceps u stop that

Is Tony having a heart attack???

he has no concept of how to treat children because he never was one oh no i gave myself a sad feeling

QUEENS!!!!!!!

“I’m having a big fight in a parking lot with my superhero friends better go pick up a child as backup.” - tony stark

tony he doesn’t have a passport and if he understood what was happening he would not be on your side

Now That’s What I Call Vigilantism.

Why are you bringing a CHILD to a gun fight

Tony’s face, to me, suggests that he knows EXACTLY what he’s doing

also? it’s painfully obvious to me that these scenes were copypasted in late stage when they finally found out that yes they would have the rights to spiderman lol

for some reason they don’t feel the need to tell is that this is avengers compound in 400 point font

i’m so lost

where are we?

without the 400 point font i can only assume we are on mars

THAT’s a fine way to greet YOUR FATHER, WANDA

hawkeye is in fact the team lynchpin

is it

ugh

is it because they listen to him but he listens to natasha

ugh

i bet it is

UUUUUUGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH

Vision: I have been FALLING! for THIRTY MINUTES!

“i know someone who does”

i’m confused by the cut here, because it seems to imply that Sharon, deliberately or inadvertently, rats them out to natasha?

Birds and raccoons do not get along

steve

steve no

steve

ur timing is shit steve

Scott Lang might be the best thing in this movie

well except for Dat Bone Structure

CUT THE CHEEEEEECK

*costume change in a parking lot to the yakkety sax soundtrack*

Thinking about the coming battle i am forced to concede that Iron Man Has A Point?

“do you really want to punch your way out of this?”

Steve: I ALWAYS wanna punch my way out

god scott’s such a fukkin nerd

tiny quibble but Scott “got punched by hope van dyne” lang would never say that to the black heckin widow

“gimmick”

um

people in falcon houses shouldn’t throw spider stones, samuel

wanda

those cars belong to people

oh god iron man has a point

LET’S GO LESBIANS! COME ON LESBIANS LET’S GO

*catfight sounds*

“then why did you run?”

dude you attacked me in a catsuit

Tony’s true superpower is that he knows steve, that’s how spiderbabby gets the upper hand

althought god

Tony was pre-gaslighting peter

he was pilotlighting peter

*my longest UGH yet*

“Queens?” “Brooklyn”

MAXIMUM NEW YORK ACHIEVED

ant man is the MVP

hmmmmmm “we don’t trade lives” HMMMMMMMMM

why did that truck explode

also *omg iron man has a point*

tony tedward stark how did you not know how old this child was

also peter stop pretending you don’t know what Empire Strikes Back, AT-ATs and Hoth are.

why doesn’t Vis get more flack for this

hey. hey tony. you know what sam is? A MEDIC. maybe let him LOOK AT YER FRIEND THERE instead of SHOOTING HIM IN THE FACE.

zemo’s plan is noooooonseeeeennnnnnsssse

guh these two beautiful men emoting in different directions KILL ME

this doctor is just like “yup there’s a giant purple robot here seems legit”

natasha is the only one who’s 100% right

did... did the russos kill themselves in this movie? did they cast themselves as dead extras? was this a statement of some kind?

HOW did ross get the congressional medal of honor. H O W.

“you read it”

NO ONE READ IT, IT’S 400 PAGES

tony this is Some Nonsense

ffflslkds he’s taking one of Nat’s guns KILL ME

one (1) heterosexual explanation.

rode back in a freezer truck

got pneumonia

already had pneumonia

and you blew three whole dollars on some slut

(seriously. gimme one. i’m waiting.)

srsly tho, whether you ship it or not, these two are old marrieds

the red star looks weird on his beefcake arm. did they forget to scale it up?

KITTY

listen zemo is just really turned on by cam and he didn’t mean to say that and that’s the most relateable thing he’s done so far.

It’s not just that bucky killed his mom. it’s that bucky killed his mom AND STEVE KEPT IT FROM HIM.

life alert a senior citizen has fallen

T'Challa, observing this White Nonsense™: I truly should... check myself. Before! I wreck myself.

agism is what it is

god this bit

steve dropping the shield

look at him

he is Stick A Fork In Him D O N E

Rhodey really deserves better than this? He deserves development showing the evolution of his opinion between here and IW

i wish we could get more of him grappling with this

that said

gosh wouldn’t it fucking suck if Cap and Bucky got relegated to End Credit scenes in their own got damn movie to make room for Iron Man to emote at his buddy his pal his rhodey?

*looks directly into the camera like i’m on the office.*

Anyway.

Steve rogers: getting the last word in every argument since 1918.

“from the bottom of my heart: My Bad.”

[amwritingmeta]

i am living for all this meta talk tbh, it makes me feel less Tragically Optimistic and more regular optimistic. SO, we know that Dean and Cas' respective stories, and the story as a whole, doesn’t necessarily NEED that romantic element to be complete, right? supernatural isn’t a romance story. but, dean's response to the idea of “settling down with someone” is never “i don’t want that,” it’s, “i can’t have that,” essentially. which, in my mind, is just really good, ah, cannon fodder

Hello, sweetling! 

Aw that’s so brilliant to read! And regular optimistic is good! Welcome to the fold. :)

supernatural isn’t a romance story.

Exactly! It truly isn’t. And even if the scenes we get between Dean and Cas from here on out, or at least in S15, begin to illuminate the fact that they’re in love with each other, I will still say that the show won’t be about them and so the narrative axis and its main plot points, if you will, most likely won’t have anything directly to do with their love story.

If that makes sense?

We won’t get a finale centred around Destiel, is what I’m saying. Like, I’d bet my hair. (and I’m quite fond of my hair) (never mind it’s greying around the edges) And, can I be frank? Hope so ‘cause I’m gonna be. I actually don’t want a finale centred around Destiel. Or centred completely on the brothers. I would like it to be about TFW!

Adding to that statement the reason for it, which is that I would love the love story to come into bloom slowly and organically and I know these writers and these actors could make something quietly spectacular out of it so I’m just gonna sit here and cross my fingers and toes, yeah? 

That said, if we get high drama then hell, I’m not gonna say no to that. I just hope we get it, and that we get it indisputably on screen, whatever it may be. I have such high hopes that we won’t just get it strongly hinted at (because the commentary will then be lost on every viewer who actually doesn’t read the subtext) or that we land in it in the very final episode or something like NO! GIVE ME SCENES DAMN IT! GIVE ME IT!! GIVE ME THEM TEXTUALLY FLIRTING DARN IT!! GIVE ME LINGERING BLOODY EYE CONTACT AND BUTTERFLIES IN STOMACH SMILES AND JUST WHATEVER!! ALL THE DAMN ROMANCE!! 

Pretty please. With all the cherries.

This may not be a romance story, but it is a story about love and… love. :)

Look, I believe we will get it, but I don’t know we will, so my faith is entirely based in hope here. I just really want to actually witness those moments when they begin to open up to the goddamn truth of their relationship: they love each other equally and they truly balance each other out beautifully. 

They’re so good for each other. They bicker and argue and push and pull, yes, but they both need that, you know? They both need someone to question their behaviour, and it just so happens that the person questioning them is the one person neither wants to let down. It’s gorgeous! It’s the foundation for opening up to change. Someone you respect questioning your actions while never turning away from you, even when you mess up so badly you grow to hate yourself. 

Aw, it’s so important that they have the other there as quiet support no matter what!

And, back to your actual ask, YES! Dean’s issue has always been that he thinks he doesn’t deserve to have good things and his fear of happiness is entirely based in this deeply rooted belief that Good Things Don’t Last, which is entirely tied to Mary’s untimely death, yeah? And this has been, to my mind, what has informed how he relates himself to this man he’s falling madly in love with who happens to kind of sort of be an angel that dicks off at any given moment without so much as a by your leave, good things don’t last, yeah, very aware.

Cas’ unreliability hasn’t stopped Dean falling in love with him, though, which I think is a part of Dean’s character progression. Instead of him having even the whisper of a codependent relationship with Cas (though their reliance on the other is unhealthy in other ways) and it feeding Dean’s insecurities, it’s the complete opposite and it exposes Dean’s insecurities as false. Because CAS ALWAYS COMES BACK. :P

As for the unhealthy part, I do believe that losing the person you love doesn’t have to stop your life in its tracks. I’m not dismissing the incapacitating weight of depression or grief related depression, but I also believe that there’s help to be had, you know? I’ve gone through horrendous grief in my life. It never goes away, that loss. But you can learn to deal with it, yeah?

Losing Cas has derailed or stopped Dean’s progression twice. Hugely. Majorly so. And however romantic the undertones, the reality of it (the way I see it) is that it’s unhealthy. Instead of Dean unconsciously relying on Cas to be his compass, since Cas represents faith to Dean, Dean should have faith in himself regardless. Same goes for Cas, but I think Cas is a little farther along here, because he’s stepped into the place of humanity himself many times over, especially this season, in how he relates himself to Jack (though Cas still refers to himself not as a human of course not but rather as a thing) (never over it), and in how Jack chose Cas as father figure, which is just all shades of pretty.

Dean and Cas’ relationship will be happy and balanced when both of them are moving into their true identities, chill to be themselves, no more armour to be seen.

Gah! I want it for them so badly. *clutches at heart*

Your ask is pretty much you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed agreeing with the idea of Destiel not having to happen, but that it happening will deepen the overall message of the show, once the narrative truly wraps up and we land in what that message was always (or not) meant to be, yeah? 

I mean, I sincerely think they don’t have to deliver on anything, because, as said, the narrative could be tied up without the love story coming to a conclusion, but I believe the writers want the love story to conclude, because of how intentional the subtext has always been, and because of how important Cas has been, subtextually, to Dean’s progression. That takes thought power. That takes awareness and love and care. Immense love and care for these characters and their needs and wants. And huge respect for the narrative as a whole. The writers have worked with these tools for going on fifteen years and for a reason. I cannot fathom that it’d be for no good reason. The reason for it is right there in the narrative.

But I don’t need to argue for this. We all know this. :P

What I believe in, very firmly, is that the writers also don’t want the love story to conclude ahead of its time. Every time its been building towards an actual conclusion they haven’t changed their mind, they’ve just had to draw it out, because there was more story to tell, more character progression to explore, and I’m stoked that they now have the chance to finish this narrative and finish it the way they’ve envisioned it for the last few seasons. Or that Dabb envisions it now, as they know for certain they’re truly wrapping it up. Whichever it is.

Now, as already agreed, the narrative doesn’t need the love story to conclude to end on a good note, it really doesn’t. But like I said in another ask today: if the love story is left open to interpretation, that openness will leave a hole. Perhaps not for the GA, as it were, but certainly for us, right? It won’t diminish the subtext in any way, but leaving it wholly open to interpretation would, at least to me, be taking away from making a more resounding statement about breaking free of societal norms and fear of judgement, which is what I believe has kept Dean away from being openly queer for such a very long time.

Either way, I’m excited to see how much they give us and how far they’ll go. Truly, truly excited. I’d love to get to watch all three characters level out and grow truly comfortable in their own skin. With a fourteen year build towards the show’s climax, the denouement should hopefully be something we get to witness for more than an episode or the very final scene of the entire series. I hope we get more. But I also know the show we’re watching and it’s possible they’ll keep it excruciatingly subtle right to the very end. 

We shall see!! Whatever happens, I’m sure it shall be spectacular!

[exsequar]

Jaime/Brienne Optimism Post (8x04 and predictions)

GAME OF THRONES SPOILERS AHEAD…

After some initial shock and dismay about Jaime and Brienne in 8x04, I have come around to a much happier interpretation of both the events of and ending of 8x04, and what might come next, so please follow me to my happy land before the show absolutely crushes my hopes!!

First, look at those FACES. GAH.

OKAY. 8x04. I LOVE how they got together. The drinking game, with so much laughter and genuine warmth and joy in each others’ presence, was just *chef’s kiss*. Until Tyrion ruined it, BUT!!! …in Tyrion’s defense, I THINK he was actually trying to turn the conversation to sex to give Brienne and Jaime a little nudge towards the bedroom. AND IT TOTALLY WORKED. So thanks for that buddy! Even if you kinda had to be a dick to get it done! He’s used to that!

AND THEN THEY WERE ALONE IN A WARM QUIET ROOM AND JAIME WAS AN ABSOLUTE FAILBOAT AT FLIRTING. “HUH IT SURE IS HOT IN HERE GUESS I’LL START REMOVING MY CLOTHES……. THIS IS HOW IT WORKS RIGHT” and then because Brienne is ALSO a failboat it TOTALLY WORKS and they are so in love I want to cry, sob sob sob.

Everyone’s already talked about that. BUT!!!!! The NEXT wonderful thing I realized is both what did and did NOT happen. What did NOT happen (and could have!) was that they could have woken up the next morning, freaked out, decided it was a drunken mistake, and avoided each other. OH NO. Instead, apparently, they started sharing a chamber and a bed!!! It is made quite clear that they are now staying together, which says to me that they both decided this is exactly what they want, that it felt so comfortable and right that they fell immediately and beautifully into a sustained dynamic of companionship and love. I CANNOT EMPHASIZE ENOUGH HOW BEAUTIFUL AND IMPORTANT THIS IS!!! They are both deeply damaged people, who have been lonely and alone for so long - Brienne always keeping up her walls, physically and emotionally, while Jaime only had the “love” of his sister which was parasitic and exploitative and never truly romantic. The fact that they both found each other at the same time, that they both felt comfortable enough with it for it to KEEP happening, that neither of them had a perfectly justified freakout, is BEAUTIFUL, and evidence to me that they are a perfect union. I’m so happy I could cry!!

(SIDE NOTE: Now I desperately need fic about this idyllic little reprieve. What was their conversation like in bed during/after the act itself? What did they say in the morning? How did they come to their lasting arrangement? Did they talk about it, or did it just feel so natural that it just kept happening? How did they spend the weeks (it has to be weeks for Dany’s fleet to get to King’s Landing!) of this time they had together? Did Jaime ever gently kiss her nose and call her “Ser”? GIVE ME ALL THE FIC.) 

OKAY. SO. BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP IS BEAUTIFUL.

Now the trickier bit. The end of the episode.

I was originally shocked and hurt. And, because Jaime was trying to make it seem this way, but MORE SO because the fucking asshole writers tried to spin it this way, it appeared he was going back to be WITH Cersei. (Stop watching the after episode interviews, they’re just manipulative bullshit!!) I believed this for a few minutes. Then someone on Twitter was like “Uhh… he was just pushing Brienne away to ‘save’ her, right? He’s actually going to take down Cersei right???” And I smacked my forehead and went DUH, because of COURSE he is.

The greatest evidence (to me) for this came from a friend, who said 'If he wanted to be WITH Cersei, why wouldn’t he have left immediately with everyone else? Why did he wait until she did something horrific? Obviously he’s going to STOP her.“ and that relieved my heart so much. OBVIOUSLY Jaime is going to stop her. But because he’s a dumb man person, he thought he had to push Brienne away to "protect” her and cause her less grief (when IN REALITY, being rejected in the most confusing way by the man you love is much more painful than accepting he just went off to a genuinely heroic death, I AM JUST SAYING JAIME). But more importantly, he was trying to stop Brienne from following him into the battle, thus saving her that way too.

Another thing - did we really think Jaime and Brienne would just hang out in Winterfell, fucking like bunnies and having the very best time, for the last two episodes of the show? (I WISH) Obviously he had to leave! I just wish he had brought her WITH him.

WHICH BRINGS ME TO MY HOPEFUL VISION FOR THE NEXT TWO EPISODES.

My hope is that early in episode 5, Brienne will realize that Jaime was putting up a smokescreen, that he really DOES love her and he thinks he needs to do this honorable suicide run to atone for all the evil he has committed and abetted at Cersei’s side. (Which is fair!) She’ll realize, that dumb man just ran off to fight a war alone! DOESN’T HE KNOW I’M A KNIGHT??? I CAN HELP HIM. IDIOT. She’ll dither, because she has an oath to protect the Stark girls! She’ll take her dilemma to Sansa, explain with anguish that her idiot love just rode to his death, but she doesn’t want to break her oath!! And Sansa will be like omg go save your man!! And then she’ll hop on a horse and ride after him!!! Hurrah!    Then my imagination wandered further down the line… 

Fact 1: Brienne is the only one who knows the true tale of how Jaime killed the Mad King and saved everyone

Fact 2: Jaime just made Brienne a knight, and therefore his “equal”, in literal terms, though they always have been (he would argue she is his better and he would be right) 

Fact 3: Brienne and Jaime share an oath to protect the Stark girls

Fact 4: Brienne and Jaime have two halves of Ned Stark’s sword   FACT 5: BRIENNE AND JAIME ARE GOING TO TEAM UP TO TAKE DOWN CERSEI TOGETHER IN THE MOST POETIC ACT OF JUSTICE I HAVE EVER WITNESSED WITH MINE OWN TWO EYES!!!

Ahem. Hear me out!! Brienne knows how much the first act of Kingslaying has torn at Jaime’s very soul. She knows he is honorable and true, even if his sister has tried always to twist him to her dark ways. She is the only person who can stand by his side as he tries to undertake the monumentally more difficult task of Queenslaying, when that Queen is the woman who has poisoned his heart for all of his life, and whom he will always love, for some value of “love”. (And who is, incidentally, carrying his child….) She is also the only person who can relieve him of that burden, take it on herself, the only person he would even allow to try. And the added factor of revenge for the Stark family would be a lovely gracenote of poetry.

Now this may be a pipe dream. But would you agree this season has placed an unusual emphasis on Jaime and Brienne? Hell, episode 2 was essentially ABOUT them. Episode 3 explicitly showed them fighting side by side and saving each other, more than any other duo. Episode 4 did *waves at whole post above*. What was that for? I think it was to cement and strengthen a dynamic we already loved, but which had been tragically absent from the show for a long time (>:( ), in order to prepare that dynamic to carry the burden of one of the great climaxes of the whole show’s conclusion.

Brienne and Jaime are going to team up to take down Cersei. What form that takes, I don’t know. But I’m ready to find out.

[sophfandoms53]

Number 62 “I want to protect you” with debbigail?

I want to protect you. Dewey/Webby

Okay this is lowkey late BUT THAT’S OKAY BECAUSE THE FINALE AIRED (im dead inside) AND IT HAS GIVEN ME AN IDEA PLEASE ENJOY AND IM SORRY IF ANYONE CRIES. I CRIED WHILE WRITING THIS.

   After the chaos that was the eclipse, the Duck family finally came together and defeated the odds. Although it came with a sacrifice, it was a sacrifice that would not go in vain or be forgotten. That was for sure. The boys and Donald had their bags and boxes packed and were bringing everything back to McDuck Manor. Sure they might’ve been away for three days, but it felt like a lifetime.

Huey, Dewey and Louie were bringing their boxes back into their room sorting everything out, where Huey would obviously go over and check they had everything. As Dewey was bringing his final box to their room, he looked to the other side of the hall and there he saw the door to Webby’s bedroom. He knew the loss of Lena affected Webby greatly. Heck he felt how heartbroken she was when they discovered that not only was Lena Magica’s spy but her shadow as well. All of the joy and happiness Webby always carried disappeared in an instant.

Dewey sighed sadly and continued to bring his box to his and his brothers room. He stopped a few feet in front of the door and looked back over at Webby’s. The thought of checking up on her, ran through Dewey’s head. The only problem was, he wasn’t sure if it was a good idea. Sure Webby was upset and vulnerable, but the last thing Dewey wanted to do was say the wrong thing.

“Dewey? Dewey? Dewford!” Huey called out to his younger brother.

Dewey snapped out of his thoughts and looked over at Huey, “Huh. What is it Huey?”

“You’re still holding the box.” Huey stated taking the box away from Dewey, “You okay Dewey?”

Dewey nodded, “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. It’s just…” Dewey looked over his shoulder, “I’m worried about Webby. She hasn’t come out of her room in a few hours.” He looked back at Huey.

Huey placed the box down, “I’m worried about her too. I’ve never seen her so distraught before.”

Dewey began to awkwardly rub his arm anxiously as he looked back and forth from his brother and Webby’s door. His heart told him to go check on his friend, if there was ever a moment Webby needed someone, it was now. After all, he considered her family. But his head told him it wasn’t worth getting his head knocked in godforbid he ended up upsetting her even more.

Dewey gripped his arm and chewed on his bottom beak. He wasn’t sure what to do. Huey noticed his brothers nervous state and spoke up, “You wanna check on her, don’t you?”

Dewey nodded sheepishly.

“Well what’s stopping you?” Louie popped out from the door, causing both Huey and Dewey to yelp.

After gathering himself together Dewey spoke, “It’s just.. Hypothetically, I go check up on her and she’s worse than we think. What if I end up making her more upset? She’s already gone through enough. With the fear of our family falling apart, and everything with Magica. What if she doesn’t want someone to check up on her? How do I know walking in won’t upset her? She’s Webby! She’s capable of anything and I don’t to-””

“Upset her.” Louie rolled his eyes and interrupted his older brother, “Look Dewey, you’re overthinking this.” He placed a hand on Dewey’s shoulder, “You’re worried about upsetting her by checking up on her. But how do we know that you not checking up on her won’t upset her too?”

Dewey’s eyes widened. He didn’t really think of it that way. He doesn’t know if not showing her he was worried would upset her.

“Just like you said,” Louie continued, “ ‘She’s Webby, she’s capable of anything.’ That includes being understanding and opening up to us. We’re her family Dewford. Trust me if there is anyone Webby’s going to open up to, it’s you.”

“But.. if we’re all family, doesn’t the same apply to you guys?” Dewey asked.

Louie and Huey nodded as Huey responded, “Yes technically but the two of you have built more of a trust throughout the past six months, with both of your adventure attitudes and not telling us about your research on mom.” Huey smirked.

Dewey punched his brothers shoulder playfully, “I told you I was sorry. Man you keep one family secret and get labeled for life.”

The Duck boys chuckled. It was nice to have a positive vibe in the atmosphere. Even if there was a little burn in their hearts. They really missed their mom. They still wondered if she was still out there.

“Alright alright. You go check up on her,” Louie said pushing Dewey forward, “We’ll handle everything over here.”

Dewey nodded and continued on his way to Webby’s room.He got to door and froze. His nerves began to get the best of him. “Maybe I shouldn’t do this.” Dewey whispered to himself, “She needs her space. Right? When a girl is sad, they need time right? Gah! Forget it! I’m just go with my gut!” He turned the knob on the door and walked into the room. The lighting of the room was pretty faint. It was mostly darkness with a small gleam of light towards where Webby’s bed would be.

Taking a deep breath Dewey closed the door and made his way towards Webby’s bed. He got across her room an climbed up the ladder that lead to her. His head peeped over and he saw Webby sitting on her bed. Her back was towards him, he could see her body shaking slightly and her taking deep breaths.

Dewey’s heart tightened and he gulped before speaking out gently, “Webby?”

Webby perked and looked over her shoulder. She saw the blue-cladded brother. He had a clear look of worry on his face. Webby sniffed, “H-hey Dewey.”

“Can I come up?” Dewey asked.

Webby nodded and turned her face away looking down at the friendship bracelet in her hand. Webby felt as if her world crumbled. She lost her best friend. She held Lena near and dear to her heart. And now she was gone, and she wasn’t sure if there was anything to do about it. She felt the weight of Dewey’s body sink down on her bed.

Dewey shakily placed a hand on Webby’s shoulder, “I know this is problem a dumb question but… you feeling okay?”

Webbt looked over at Dewey with a face that read ‘Do I look okay to you?’

Dewey smiled nervously, quickly retracting his hand, “Right right, it was dumb… I’m sorry.. I just.. wanted to check up on you that’s all.”

Webby looked away and clenched her bracelet, “I appreciate your concern Dewey. But.. I’ll be fine.. There’s no need to pity me.”

This caught Dewey completely off guard. This wasn’t the Webby he was use to. This Webby was putting up a front. At this point, Dewey’s goal was to break down that front. There was no need for her to hide her sadness from him. He placed his hand back on Webby’s shoulder, “Webby, you know you can talk to me right?”

Webby felt tears building in her eyes as she heard how desperate Dewey sounded.

“You know you don’t have to hide from me, right?”

Webby lifted her head up as her tears fell down her face.

“Webby please. Just look at me… please.”

Webby finally looked over at him, her tears still falling, but Dewey knew her wall wasn’t broken just yet.

Placing his free hand on her other shoulder, Dewey forced her to look him in the eyes as he spoke, “Webby if there is anyone who knows the kind of grief you’re going through.. It’s me. You saw how I was when the truth came out about my mom. I was beyond devastated. Just like you, I wanted to lock myself away from everyone forever. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. Because you wouldn’t let me.” He gripped her shoulders as he felt tears building up in his own eyes, “I’m not gonna let you hide like this Webby. I know you’re not okay. I know you’re putting up this front. But you don’t have to.”

Dewey sniffed as he held his tears back, as he let his hands travel down from Webby’s shoulders, and he grasped her hands tightly, gently squeezing them, “Webby it’s okay to not be okay.”

That did it. Within a second, the sob Webby had been holding back was released. She hung her head down as her tears fell and her sobs left her beak.”It’s… it’s just so hard! To know… to accept… the one you care about… left you!”

“I know, I know.” Dewey cooed as he lifted her head up, “But you know she’s with you. She will always be with you Webby. Trust me on that.”

With another sob Webby threw herself into Dewey’s arms, sobbing into his chest, and her body shaking. Dewey slowly wrapped his arms around the broken girl as his own tears fell out of his eyes. They were just kids and yet.. They’ve been through so much.

“You will always have me, Webby.” Dewey said as placed his chin on top of Webby’s head, “Me and my brothers. We care a lot about you. You don’t have to hide your feelings like this.”

“I-I don’t?” Webby whimpered as she looked up at Dewey, her tears now stained his shirt but he didn’t really care. All he wanted was to make sure the girl in his arms knew how much she meant to this family. How much she meant to him.

Dewey nodded, “Of course you don’t. Webby, you’re family. As Uncle Donald likes to say, ‘Family always helps family.’” He brushed her hair out her face as he spoke this next part sternly and passionately, “And trust me Webby, I want to protect you.”

Webby smiled up at Dewey and wrapped her arms around his neck, engulfing him a hug, “Thank you Dewey. That means a lot to me.”

Dewey hugged her back, “You’re welcome Webby. I mean every word.”

Just a few days ago the family Webby fell in love with was falling apart. And now they all came together with her now part of it.

And here she sat in the arms of the boy, whom was one of the few in this world that accepted her for who she is and she wouldn’t want it any other way.