#they're a duo and they succeed together

[mortalscience]

Law and Order Criminal Intent - s01e09 - The Good Doctor Eames: You want to rethink that answer, Mr. D'Alacosta? We looked into your pedigree… Couple DUIs, couple dope pops, delinquent on your child support. You drive too fast, drink too much, don't meet your obligations, don't give a damn about anybody. My partner has a fancy word for people like you… Psychopath. I call them screw ups. If you want to join the two million of your fellow psychopaths who’re already in jail, just keep lying to the police.

[mukimokai]

okay no cuz why is every kinich ship valid smh

TW: LONG ASS RAMBLING BUT FUNNY SILLY CUTSIE I PROMISE

kinlani is kinlani. like omg have you seen them: sunshine social butterfly girlfriend and her introverted moon boyfriend that she loves unconditionally. And it's a new concept for her once abused boyfriend who thinks everything comes at a cost: who gets confused when Mualani just loves him without asking for anything in return and he just loves it so much it makes him weak for her; he'd do anything for her without asking for payment like he does with anyone else because she helped him heal and she's his darling little wife who he'd do anything for.

ajawnich (ajaw with the ability to go into human form because seriously. we NEED human ajaw in more ways than one) is your typical doomed mortal x immortal tragedy in which a dragon who is new to human emotions and thinks lowly of humans slowly starts to understand humanity over the years with his infuriating yet kind human companion. Both are emotionally constipated fools; Ajaw pining like a lovesick idiot because he's supposed to hate his companion and want him dead but when that day of death finally comes, Ajaw feels no joy or happiness: just empty as he looks himself in the mirror, touching his face, or, well, Kinich's face.

oronich (idk the ship name, but also it exists lol) is two characters who are seen somewhat as outsiders by their own tribes: Kinich, while loved by most of the children, has a negative reputation for his job while Ororon is seen as a problem child and cast out of society. The two ostracised characters coming together in a doomed "we're kinda similar, aren't we?" Eddie Munson and Chrissy Cunningham style (from stranger things, sorry chat) and forming an unexpected yet wholesome and definitely welcome bond with each other (they'd tend to their garden together).

lynich (a rarepair!! a popular rarepair is a miracle honestly) is two traumatized boys, the flirt and the flustered. One who speaks the truth outright, and one who's every word is a lie. One who thinks everything comes at a price, and one who thinks everything is a trick. When Lyney tells Kinich about his connections with the Fatui, Kinich isn't mad, surprised, but not mad. How could he be? When he knows why Lyney joined? He accepts him with open arms, Weighing the costs, befriending a member of the Fatui would most likely leave him out of their shadier affairs since Lyney would never harm him, right? Right. Even when Lyney succeeds Arlecchino, Even when he becomes a harbinger, even after everything: they're together, despite all the complications there are.

basically yeah. every kinich ship is valid rn. those are the popular ones at least-(ororon and kinich is not popular but it has more content than any others I've seen and ppl actually talked abt it at one point so it's being included)

citlali and kinich is being excluded bcz that's p3d0philia: fanbase, that was your lesson for shipping characters before we even know anything about them/before they're even released smh (/lh lololol)

-

to my unfortunate realization: kinlani is poppy and branch smh (singing killed his father and made his mother run away, okay). They're basically every cliche quiet boy and cliche loud girl duo ever in history and they have that absolutely based opposite aesthetic duo vibe going on and it's wonderful i love them to bits and pieces chat.

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ajawnich is princess and the frog in which ajaw turns into a pixel dragon instead of a frog, or beauty and the beast in which ajaw's seal is the rose curse thingie, or both. or fluttercord, cant forget fluttercord. or billford, cant forget billford either. take your pick with them honestly.

-

oronich is chrissy and eddie, could also see it being christine and raoul from phantom of the opera in which ajaw is the phantom, kinich is christine, and ororon is raoul.

(wait that's genius, im a fucking genius chat. someone make that an AU and credit me right NEEEEOW.)

-

and lynich is kinda just there i dont really know anything else to compare it to but it's giving that one scene in tom and jerry where it's like: "I love you. *smothers in kisses* Why, you set my soul on fire. *smothers in kisses* It is not just a little spark. It is a flame; a big roaring flame. I can feel it now *smothers in kisses*" (the person doing the kissing and talking is lyney in case you couldn't tell LMAOOAO)

-

anyways yeah

basically kinich harem i guess

i love being a multishipper because i can collect ships like a bitch and fawn over so many a time whenever i want >:3

also i love the whiplash between some of these: like kinlani and oronich were so wholesome and then you have AUGHHGHG angst with lynich and ajawnich smh.

sorry for rambling lmao but yeah

[cringefailvox]

what do u think abt the dynamic of the vees? they’re truly a fucked up lil family hehe and i wonder how they work in relation to one another ! also specifically val and vox ! i think it’s interesting how there’s some respect between them considering their different strengths lol ( porn and tech/news)

TY FOR ASKING bc i looove the vees so bad.

vox + valentino: most obvious, they're that messy on/off couple with severe issues that nonetheless do genuinely care about each other at the end of the day. val breaks his phone, vox screams in his face, they giggle and dance together, they have the range. they might rile each other up and throw each other under the bus for petty reasons, but in a life or death situation, they protect each other without hesitation. power vacillates between them like a seesaw. manipulative, toxic beyond belief, unexpectedly wholesome - they're made for each other.

valentino + velvette: i just know these bitches live for the drama. they keep each other updated on the latest gossip, they make fun of vox together, they're that awful best friend duo from high school who look at you like you're a bug under their shoes and then they skip class to go vape in the bathroom. val is very fond of her and she likes the attention, but she also gets easily annoyed with his lack of impulse control and inability to play a long con like her & vox. i think she's also one of the few people in existence that val won't sexualize (both bc she'd kill him and bc he sees her as a real person, not a toy).

velvette + vox: these two are the real power houses of the vees. i think vox was a mentor figure of sorts at the beginning, impressed by her ambition and drive, who gave her the tools to succeed and then stood back and watched as she clawed her way rightfully to the top. he respects her and her take-no-shit attitude. she loves him as much as she sees right through his bullshit, and even though she knows he needs her for his empire to function, she acknowledges that she needs his support too. they're both strong leaders and rule their employees with an iron fist. vel doesn't hesitate to call him for backup and both her and val trust vox to take care of them.

vox + val + vel: most importantly, all of the vees see each other as equals. they're all self-obsessed tyrants who view everyone around them as lessers EXCEPT FOR one another. at any given moment, all of them are thinking "i can't believe i'm the only sane one here." vel rolls her eyes and buries her face in her phone while voxval make out with each other over dinner, vox/vel stop val from doing something crazy and impulsive again, vel/val physically drag vox away from his desk to make him take a break from his work.

you disrespect one of the vees, you disrespect all of them. they're fiercely protective of each other and they still let vox humiliate himself on live television for shits and giggles. they're terrible. they love each other. they're a family in every sense of the word, dysfunction and all. they enable each other's worst tendencies while also keeping each other in check. they are everything they are the moment

[settphel-enthusiast]

Headcanons ―

Ezkayn

#1 Shitters

Absolutely harasses the fuck out of Kayn in a loving way

Ezreal tries to prank the others like Aphelios does, but fails miserably

Encourages Kayn to harass the others and succeeds

They both get in trouble by Yone and get time out

K'sante gives them a good talking to

They make a fantastic singing duo, but one always tries to get in the way of the other to make the other look horrible (i.e. tripping, pushing, shoving, etc.)

Ezreal's jaw dropped after hearing Kayn's verse, he was obsessed. Did he tell Kayn? Hell no. He teased Kayn and called him a 'corpse wannabe'.

Love language is bullying each other

After a hard day of work and teasing each other, you can usually find them napping together; Ezreal's head on Kayn's shoulder and Kayn's head on Ezreal's head, usually holding hands

Aphelios took a photo and often uses it as blackmail to get them to work

They can never be in public together without arguing

Yone has considered putting one of those child bag-leash things on both of them to stop them from running off

At night however, they're usually gaming together, and they have really good synergy when they game; Kayn is an aggressive damage dealer and Ezreal is an engager and likes to pick and poke

They help each other dye their hair

Ezreal is the least intimidated by Rhaast, even though on the daily, Rhaast threatens to take Ezreal's soul -- 'Yeah okay buddy, shut up and sit still' while he's doing Kayn's makeup

During Sett's verse, Kayn wasn't allowed to be on screen because he kept laughing over the fact that Sett got clocked by a robot and Ezreal almost got ran over by a car

Deep down, Kayn really likes Ezreal, he just has a hard time showing it, and when he does? It's usually through harassment

Ezreal knows this, they do it back and send genuine hearts to each other after telling each other to eat shit and die

Ezreal also reminds Kayn to take his meds and eat food with them; often making breakfast for the both of them since they're both up later than the rest (in the most aggressive way possible)

But when they're alone without Sett, K'sante, Yone and Phel? They're sweethearts, and a lot gentler with each other.

While Kayn does graffiti art on the side, Ezreal likes collecting them, turning them to stickers and putting them all over his laptop, desk, etc.

[euryleli]

I am sooo excited to see el and lucas working together in s5!! I don't remember if we actually got confirmation or if it's just speculation, but still my point stands - they're most DEFINITELY gonna be a duo this season

They'll have a special quest to bring their girlfriend back!! And they're going to succeed!!!

[hajihiko]

If you feel up to it, I'd really like to hear more of your thoughts/takes on HinaKoma. I recall you saying that they make the most sense as love interests (aside from Chiaki, R.I.P. class rep) but you also seem to also have very different view about them than what I'm used to seeing. Your opinions and thoughts regarding the cast in general tend to be very interesting and kinda deeper? more detailed? than the people I tend to interact with, and I love reading all of them.

Ok so what I mean is basically;

Reading the narrative as a story, it makes sense that Hajimes primary love interest was Chiaki, as the game sets the two up as an investigation duo from the start, and there's definitely some intent there. The narrative sets Nagito up as this weird friends-to-enemies-to-respect-to-maybelovers, which is interesting, and I think the narrative definitely keeps the idea of Nagito and Hajime as love interests completely open (to the standard of the game in general). They're foils, they're a pro-deuter-antagonist knot, they have an interesting dynamic, a long way to go, and the story generally seems to support that, no matter what, they are Involved with one another, to a degree that really exposes how much interest they have in each other. Like they're a bit a LOT interested and it's like, inevitable, that they'd have a massive influence on each other's lives, even when it's not in the most healthy way. I think they are sort of inevitable together, and they gotta find a way to bridge that crevice and make it work, because its GONNA happen no matter how stubborn they are. And making it work is gonna be HARD, it takes so much effort and reflecting and growing and understanding, lots of heartbreak and breakthroughs, but by the end they're much more realized people and they Get It Now and can make it happen healthily.

(If they fail and get unhealthy with it, they'll be a really toxic and bad relationship that nonetheless cannot seem to fade away, and they keep trying to simultaneously understand and condemn one another to their own detriment.)

If they try and succeed, it was always gonna happen but they made it into a happy happening with a lot of effort and growth, and can have a fully realized relationship that could probably withstand most anything.

That's how I consider them Love Interests, it makes the most story sense and is definitely supported by the narrative (as much as any queer elements ever are, I guess), I just think it would be a LOT of work and almost unwilling effort.

(It's rotten work, he says.

Yeah, I say, it really fuckin is, especially to me, especially when it's you. I mean I'll do it of course, but Christ alive.)

It's just still not what I'm most interested in, even if it's the most narratively satisfying and I consider it an intentional hint at a subplot. I just like to draw what I'm interested in.

[dustteller]

Hmmm. Thinking about Esen/Zhu sun parallels and Ouyang/Baoxiang moon parallels. Throughout the duology Zhu is associated with the sun (duh), but also that assosiation has connotations of creating a new life. Esen also gets associated with the sun, and also tries to create a new life. Zhu does this first by taking their brother's identity, and then by changing the world order so they can live their new life unimpeded. Esen also tries to create a new life, except in his case it's mostly for Ouyang. He speaks of not being able to concience of an Ouyang before meeting him/before his mutilation. He also has this whole plan about how he's going to ask the Khan to give Ouyang a son and he's going to give Ouyang some land and he's going to make sure that Ouyang gets to live a new, "proper" life at his side where they get to grow old together (yknow. Cause they're homies.)

And then Ouyang and Baoxiang inverse paralells where they get associated with the moon/dark/water/night. They do not create a new life. They destroy the life/world around them instead, for pretty much the same reasons Zhu and Esen want to create a new life/world. And it's only bc of their destruction that the narrative suns can create new lives. But also the WBX baby subplot coincides with him abandoning his narrative role willingly, because he realizes he can no longer continue destroying, he wants to create too.

But also also, Zhu manages to create a new life on the destruction wrought by others. She finishes HwdtW by taking over from WBX after he and Ouyang destroy the previous dynasty. They're a military leader, and they probably did raze and destroy a whole ton off screen, but his military victories? Most of the ones we see in the books come from her lack of destruction, from cunning and wit and clever tricks that preserve lives at the same time that they win victories. We see how he convinces the lady of a city to yield to his small force in exchange for her being able to rule it. We see how she brings back Fang Gouzhen's sailors from death to get them past the ghost blockade. And at the end, she plays a crucial role in getting WBX to abandon his role and allow them to step up as Emperor to begin creating that new world.

And there's still things to be said, bc while Zhu and Baoxiang are sorta the "true" sun/moon duo bc they finally achieve their narrative purpose, Esen and Ouyang fail. It's part of their tragedy that cannot fullfill their narrative goals. Esen cannot create a new life for himself and for Ouyang, bc he fails to actually commit to it as fully as Zhu does, or to go as far as would be needed to actually create a new life worth living. Meanwhile Ouyang "succeeds" at destroying Chaghan and Esen and the Great Khan, but only bc Baoxiang was using him, and since his dad is alive his efforts were in vain. He fails at destroying the expectation that the world had of him, or at destroying his own insecurities and complexes. He doesn't even destroy his links to the past, which Esen is sorta counting on to create a new life. They literally work together, but narratively they don't work together at all. Meanwhile Zhu and Baoxiang don't even meet into the very end, but they inadvertently work together narratively and fullfill their roles. Failure and Success.

[robinsnest2111]

I know this is just starry's afterlife au reimagined without the having to die first part and my latest tommymick vision, but what if, independently from each other, Tommy and Vince decide they really miss their old man, that it was mostly Nikki furthering the split, unwilling to compromise, getting all up in arms and so resentful and defensive. That they let themselves be carried away by Nikki's fervour, thought it'd be safer to stay on Nikki's good side.

So they threw Mick under the bus. But now they really regret it. Tommy is the first to cave, sneaking off to reconnect with Mick, utterly apologetic, like a dog with its tail between its legs hoping its master will see past its transgressions and take it back, to hang out with him and pretend nothing happened. Like they're still best buddies in a band. Vince takes a bit longer to realise there's something missing without Mick. That he actually got something positive out of being around that strange grumpy old guy. After a while of contemplating and reasoning with himself, he shows up at Mick's to apologise and work on a better connection with him. It takes some time because they haven't been as close even while in the band together, but eventually they find a routine that works for them.

Funnily enough, both Tommy and Vince urge Mick to keep their respective hangouts secret, so it takes a while before either of them notice that they're not the only one who keeps sneaking off behind Nikki's back to meet up with Mick. Their "Mick Dates" never coincide, they never cross paths. Until one day, when Mick has more than usual on his schedule and Tommy decides to drop by unannounced.

After Tommy and Vince hash out their feelings of betrayal ("Why didn't you tell me?" "What was I supposed to say?" "How could I be sure you wouldn't go tattling to Nikki as soon as I left?") they decide to do some joint hangouts for convenience.

Nikki takes several months to catch onto what's happening behind his back. He was too focused on forgetting Mick and pushing down his sadness and how much he actually misses him by focusing on his budding friendship with John. That way he didn't notice Tommy and Vince taking more time for themselves, running off to do whatever it is they're doing. But once they start taking time off on the same day sometimes, Nikki grows suspicious. He can't help but snoop, find out where they're going, what they're doing. He's getting paranoid about Tommy and Vince planning something sinister.

When he finds out the two have been secretly hanging out with Mick, The Enemy, he sees all his fears realised. What had Mick done to get them on his side, when they were so loyal to Nikki before?

Unsure where to start, Nikki tries confronting Vince about where exactly he slips off to sometimes. When that doesn't yield any satisfactory results, Vince keeping his lips sealed, he tries Tommy. It takes a while but he eventually caves, after all Nikki is his best friend, his band brother, the other half of the duo that makes up the infamous terror twins. Tommy pleads with Nikki, trying to make him see how much it hurt to be apart from Mick. Someone they've spent the better part of the past 40 years with. Someone Tommy literally spent all of his adult years with. How their disagreements regarding the band didn't mean as much as the relationship with their former guitarist.

Nikki still feels utterly betrayed, taking time to stew in that awful feeling, keeping his distance from both Tommy and Vince, letting them feel the cold. John notices the negative shift in the atmosphere whenever they get together to practice. Also notices the way Nikki literally clings to him now, showing Tommy and Vince the cold shoulder. It doesn't seem right to him.

John knows it's not his place to go digging in old things he has absolutely no part in, but he has a feeling it's got something to do with whatever went down between Nikki, Tommy, Vince and Mick. He tries sitting Nikki down and eventually succeeds in gently prying the truth out of the stubborn bassist. Listens to him rant about everything Mick has done wrong according to him, how he thought he could always trust Tommy, but apparently not, how he feels the band is falling apart and there's nothing he can do despite his best efforts to keep it all together, to keep it all under control. While he's in the middle of a particularly vicious tangent, he accidentally lets slip how it might've been a mistake to discredit Mick to this extent, to make him leave the band, spread lies about his deteriorating skills, his failing mind, whatever else he could come up with to make Mick look bad. How Nikki actually misses him, how he cannot fault Tommy and Vince for running back to him, how Nikki should've been more reasonable. How he essentially destroyed everything by trying to deny himself the feelings and emotions he's kept trapped deep down inside for decades... How he's so afraid actually. How he doesn't know where to go from here. How to fix things.

After coming to terms with this revelation, John helps Nikki patch things up with Tommy and Vince, helps stabilise the band just in time for their next gig.

Eventually, after a couple more heart to hearts with Tommy and Vince, they all decide it'd be worth a try for Nikki to go to Mick to apologise. To get everything he'd tried to keep down and hidden away out into the open, for his own peace of mind if nothing else. No guarantee that Mick would accept his apology or forgive him. But with how things are between them right now, there's nothing left to lose, but a sliver of a chance of things heading into a better direction.

Tommy and Vince still regularly visit Mick and try to soften him up to the idea of letting Nikki back into his life. Mick immediately puts his foot down on the topic. No mention of Nikki in his house. That man has put him through hell and he'd rather not think of all the heartbreak when spending time with Tommy and Vince.

One day, Mick receives a letter, no indication on who could've written it. It just appeared on the kitchen counter. He opens it, but can't get past the first line. He'd recognise the writing style and use of words in his sleep. Nikki. How did that bastard manage to sneak a letter into his house? Tommy comes to mind. Mick has been a bit too trusting it seems. Damn those irresistible puppy eyes and pout of his...

It takes him a couple days to work up the courage to read the whole letter. A couple days more to let the words and their meaning sink in, process it all in his mind. Even longer to make a decision.

He finally types up a letter of his own. He could call, but he's not sure he could keep a steady voice or form proper sentences if he heard Nikki down the telephone line now.

After Mick has typed out his response, letting all his feelings flow into the words, he ends with a simple but serious "Please don't make me regret this, Nikki" and shoves the envelope into Tommy's hand the next time he's over for a visit.

Nikki's response is almost immediate. He asks Mick for a meeting, face to face, to talk things through. Mick agrees, nervous and reluctant, but nursing a glimmer of hope that things could turn around for them after all...

The meeting is arranged at Tommy's place, a neutral space away from curious eyes or ears. Just Nikki and Mick, in Tommy's living room, on opposite sides of the coffee table, face to face outside of a courtroom after almost 2 years.

They talk, they listen. Looking the other in the eyes is almost impossible. Voices crack, tears are shed. Eventually Nikki asks, in a tiny, tear rough voice, if he can come over to Mick's side of the room. Mick chokes out an equally small yes, strained with emotion.

Nikki rounds the coffee table, sinks to the carpet infront of where Mick is curled up on the sofa, places a tentative hand near Mick's socked feet. Once Mick's hand covers his, Nikki looks up to Mick's face, into his eyes. They're shiny with a fresh round of yet unshed tears, the same as Nikki's.

"I'm so sorry. Will you forgive me?"

"Yes, you stubborn bastard. But don't make me regret it, you hear?"

With that Nikki presses his face into Mick's shin, covers the hand resting on his with his other hand, running his fingers over the knuckles, finally letting that last round of tears flow, not ashamed to sob into his old man's leg.

Mick is shedding tears of his own, eyes pressed shut, swallowing hard. He lets his other hand find its way to Nikki's head, burying his fingers in the spiky black mess, holding him close.

...

idk how to end this so this is it for now idk??????

just. happy end. Mick comes back to do all the studio recordings with Mötley Crüe, gets his original 25% share again, does smaller local gigs with the guys, John does the big tours, and everyone is happy 🥺🙏💕

[loonatics-b1gf4n]

Damn I'm really active today. Ok, ah. Loonatics relationships to each others PART 1;

1.ACE

-The person he respects the most is Mylene. Of course, because she's the leader and Mylene doesn't hate him. In general, he tries to gain her attention and respect. He often talks and trains with Mylene. Since neither of them have a father (Technically, Mylene has a father, but he is not her real father), they understand each other.

-His relationship with Duck is not good. He knows Duck is jealous of him. But he can't understand why he's jealous of this. Also, Mylene knows that the two of them are not on good terms, so she makes them training partners sometimes. Ace thinks this is a chance and tries to make Duck not hate him. Of course he cannot succeed. He's trying to make sure things are good between them.

-Already cousins ​​with Lexi (In my au). Of course they are on good terms. And of course, there are cousin fights between them. He loves Lexi too. He turns to her for love advice.

-The person he hates the most on the team is Luna. There is always a rivalry between them because Ace is trying to attract Mylene's attention and Luna is trying to attract Mylene's attention because she is in love with Mylene. They're always picking on each other. Ace even calls Luna a "bag of shit" when she's not around. He can't say this, when she's around because no matter how much he hates her, he's still afraid of Luna.

-He's a little protective of Rev. You ask why? In the series (as much as I hated it), ACE WAS ALWAYS LEAVING REV BEHIND? Let's say the reason he left is because he cares about him. He always compares Rev to his father because of his eyes and behavior. However, he doesn't stand very close to him because he is afraid of Tech's deadly gaze. Rev and Ace are also the duo that goes places together the most. They usually go to watch matches or get ice cream. Which isn't much because Ace is a very indecisive person. Rev doesn't like it very much. Also, Rev doesn't like Ace very much either. His dislike is not like the others. He's mostly just angry at him for being left behind. Rev still comes on missions because Mylene picks him so often.

-He's pretty good with Slam. There is only one problem with Slam and that is that he eats too much. He thinks it's not good for him to eat so much. Slam and Mylene are the only people who don't hate Ace. Lexi doesn't count because she's his cousin. Anyway, why would Slam hate Ace anyway, right?

-It wouldn't be a lie if I said his relationship with Tech is the weirdest. So Ace doesn't hate Tech and respects his inventions. But he realizes that Tech is both acting normal towards him and is about to kill him. Why do you think? Of course, Ace is with Rev. That's why Ace tries not to get in the way. He's so scared of Tech he'll shit his pants. I told you his weirdest relationship is with Tech. He also has another problem. Tech Optimatus' favorite, Optimatus dislikes Ace. If he makes the slightest mistake, Ace will find himself in space. Fortunately, something like this won't happen, unless I do it. HAHAHAHAHA (*cough, cough) Sorry.

That's all for now. I will try to post it daily. Next is Duck.

[whoseafraidofliloleme]

𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞: 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬.

Summary: Everyone at Belift Publishing knows Shin YN & Jo Hye Won are platonic soulmates. When Hye Won reveals she has a crush, YN decides she will do everything to give Hye Won her happily Ever After. Park Jay on the other hand likes someone and will do everything he can to make her his girlfriend.

Pairing: Park Jay x F Reader.

Taglist: @uhsakusa @iveleeseo @purenjuniverse @lilactangerine @lonewolfjinji @judeduartewannabe

Permanent Taglist: @honeyhuii @chirokookie @nyxtwixx @clar-iii @centheodd @prdxinvade @hiqhkey @junnniiieee07 @love-4-keum @acciomylove @sproutswonies @youkwim @kpoplover718 @anotherimaginesaccount @ashxxgyu @bubblytaetae @strwberrydinosaur @xiaoderrrr @shinkenprincess-oh

So talking to @shinkenprincess-oh made the point that Second Choice YN is quite mysterious. So here's her backstory. The actual Where Are They Now will be posted on the 1 year anniversary of Second Choice next Sunday. Also this is long one so buckle up y'all.

The Second Choice Masterlist

Let's start with the relationship with YN and Yoongi.

Yoongi knew his dad had remarried, he'd met the woman who was his step mother.

She was nice, apparently she had a daughter. So Yoongi was getting a mother and a younger sister.

Yoongi comes home from school, knowing he's gonna meet his step mother and step sister.

Before Yoongi even has a chance to change into his slippers, this young girl comes running up to him and hugs him.

Babbling 100 miles an hour. Yoongi is very confused until his step mum gets this child off him, telling her to introduce herself...

YN is like "hi Yoongi oppa, Eomma told me I got to have an oppa now isn't this great?! I'll be the best little sister you've ever had too!!"

And that's Yoongi down for the count 😂.

Their parents just watch as in one encounter YN got this teen who was ready to hate her, in love with her.

Timeline wise, YN and Hye Won have met and are thick as thieves. So one day Yoongi goes to pick YN up from school.

YN comes running up to Yoongi excited to introduce one of her favourite people to another one of her favourite people.

Yoongi takes one look at Hye Won, whose a child as well and knows she is not good news. But he also sees how attached YN is.

Hye Wons parents admit her to a fancy private elementary school.

Hye Won not wanting to go alone, convinces YNs parents to apply as well. Knowing they can't pay, Hye Won is convincing her parents to pay for YN to go to the school with her.

In a turn of events, YN get a scholarship to this school and obvs happily takes it.

Now Hye Won is not happy, she wanted to be YNs saviour who YN is indebted to cause she's the one paying for her at school.

Hye Won works triple time to get everyone in their class to not befriend YN.

Which backfires on HW cause everyone in the clas is done with her and would much rather talk to YN 😂.

What HW does succeed in doing is keeping YN as her bff. Hyeyn are known throughout their elementary school as a duo. Can't miss them cause they're always together.

One day YN gets called to the office. Girls worried that the school might be taking her scholarship away. Why she doesn't know but she's an anxious bean.

Turns out they just wanted her to show the new scholarship student Nakamura Kazuha around.

YN happily shows Kazuha around, introduces her to Hye Won. They instantly hate each other.

Yoongi after meeting Kazuha thinks she's insane but will be a good friend to his sister.

Unlike when HW comes over and Yoongi glares at her until HW leaves.

YN can't believe that her grumpy oppa managed to get literal sunshine as his girlfriend 😂.

Now let's get into what YN, HW and Kazuha studied at uni, how YN met Minho and how they all ended up at Belift.

So YN from a young age loved editing videos, she started the trend of sending video messages at her highschool.

She was known in the school as the girl to go to for all video and photo editing needs.

Finding out that SNU offered a editing degree, YN knew it was the degree for her.

HW didn't really care and just wanted the Uni experience chose business.

Kazuha chose a communications degree with a minor in contemporary dance.

Off they go to university. With all three in different courses it's hard to find time to meet up.

HW lives at home while YN & Kazuha are in the uni dorms. When given the chance they both choose to become roommates.

Now YN gets lost abt a month into uni, Kazuha is useless and HW doesn't answer her texts so YN is confusedly trying to find where her lecture is.

In that she bumps into someone.

You've all guessed it, she bumped into Minho. Who isn't in a good mood cause he's just been ditched by his bestie Bang Chan.

So when this little first year bumps into him, Minho is ready to rip into her. That is until he sees that this girl is on the verge of tears.

Knowing he's already late, Minho asks her what's wrong and YN tells him that she's late for this lecture but doesn't know where it is.

Minho leads her there and is surprised how quick this girl went from almost crying to the happiest person ever.

YN insists on taking Minho's number, saying she'll text him abt treating him to food as a thanks for helping her out.

Minho doesn't think she's ever going to contact him again so forgets and goes abt his day.

That is until he's at his senior year internship at Belift Publishing and he sees texts from the girl he helped.

YN had texted him during the lecture because it was boring and after just to see when he'll reply.

When Minho does finally reply, YN tells him that she'll get him food tonight.

Minho skeptical but he's a broke student so isn't going to say no to free food tells her that he's gonna bring his bestie and they can meet in the canteen.

Once there with an annoyed Bang Chan who thinks he's gonna be third wheeling a date. Both of them see YN waiting with Kazuha and HW.

Introductions are made, they all get along and Bang Chan happily gives his number to the girls wanting to be a helpful sunbae to them.

So everyone graduated and are searching for jobs. Ynzuha are struggling to find a job in their respective fields.

So Yoongi offers to help them get a graduate internship at Belift.

Hearing that HW used her connections to get in there too.

Originally Yoongi wanted both girls working in his department but higher ups thought they'd be better in the depart Minho & Chan had just started in.

Both girls got lucky in that they were working under people they already knew. This is how Yoongi's dislike for Minho started 😂.

This specific department has quite a few other interns.

Ynzuha meet Sunoo, Seungmin, Jeongin, Sakura and Soeun.

Sunoo sees YN and knows she's a ball of sunshine who is stuck with a bitch like HW. Yep Sunoo clocked from the first meeting that Hyewon is bad news.

As the internship goes on they all get closer, well all of them but HW who keeps them all at a distance but YN.

Not that any of the other interns are really interested in being HWs friend they only talk to her cause of YN.

Even tho this was just supposed to be a temp job until YN got a job editing videos. YN fell in love with webtoon/novel editing.

So YN knowing that they're not gonna keep all the interns works super hard to be hired for a permanent role.

Kazuha enjoys being able to be a grammar stickler and point out plot holes 😂.

HW knowing she's got the job secured does the bare minimum and most of the time doesn't even do that.

D day comes and it's announced that they've hired YN, Hyewon and Sunoo. But they let the others know they've found other jobs for them and theyll be working in a different department.

Now along with YN another certain someone was hired... Lee Heeseung after finishing another round of interviews gets the job too.

Heeseung and YN start on the same day and YN immediately talks to Heeseung and thats where his crush on YN starts.

[myshredda]

Anyways ~

Sorry about the last ask, whoopsie

But fr, just Yellow seeking some sort of acknowledgement of grief, but Red being so deep in denial he accidentally invalidates Yellow’s feelings

Red does join on his song about memories, but they are BOTH coping badly, and they don’t inform the other about it. They grieve so differently yet the same, denial, unable to accept the facts. And never get past it

Like father like son ayeeeeeee

NO THE DEATH EPISODE IS SO REAL!!! I can't believe it took DON'T HUG ME I'M SCARED (the fucking. internet gorefest puppet show of yesteryear.) for a REALISTIC depiction of the grieving process and how different it looks for different people.

A lot of the time the depiction of grief in tv is very one-dimensional. It's always presented at linear. Like a death happens, a character is sad, the funeral happens, they get the most sad they'll ever get, and then, with the support and love of everyone around them, they move on. Triumphent in their mental stability.

The way that Yellow and Red grieve in death is SO MUCH MORE REAL. Yellow treats it at first like a fun event, (they all do, technically) something they all get to enjoy together. He wants to make the remark, he wants to play his trumpet, and he's disappointed when he is denied these requests. Back home, he's fully in denial, he talks about Duck coming back from "the hole" and is informed by Red that death is permanent actually, and is urged (by a seemingly unaffected Red) to move on as soon as possible. And then, after kicking out the mourners that feel more insulting than supportive, and lashing out over the thought of including someone else in the dynamic so soon after Duck, a third person joins their new duo. And they're annoying, and they say all the wrong things, and they're butting into a space that was only recently vacated and it all too much and all Yellow can do is weep. Weep and bargain with death. And because it's DHMIS Yellow actually succeeds in 'digging the old one back' after the whole awful ordeal. Yellow is stuck firmly in denial, depression, anger and bargaining with ugly fits of uncontrolled rage and sorrow.

Red, on the other hand, behaves in a way I don't think I've ever seen on TV in reference to the death of someone they care about. He's seemingly put-out by the whole funeral, wanting to get it over with as soon as possible. He doesn't want to do the remarks, he doesn't really want to talk at all, he feels awkward, he doesn't want Duck's things, he wants to go home. And when he does get home he shoos the mourners out and immediately set his mind on forgetting the whole ordeal, urging Yellow to do the same. He immediately tries to fill the hole in his life with a new person, not pausing to process or even fully grieve the person he lost (his alleged best friend) and sets out to getting Stain Edwards acclimated to life in the pink house. But something's wrong, and he can't get over the loss with little to no thought, and he's ignoring Yellow, and forcing Stain Edwards not to look at the areas of the house that reminds him of the loss of Duck, and telling them not to upset the balance that was already blow apart by Duck's death; like mentioning how Red doesn't wear clothes, that rule was already understood by Duck, and now the new person is trying to change things around, which is unacceptable to Red. So he forces Stain Edwards to eat Duck's favorite foods, and wear Duck's clothes, and read Duck's newspaper, and to talk like Duck, and look like Duck, and act like Duck. Red reminds me so much of a person that can't stand to be alone after a breakup/death, immediately latching onto the next available person and forcing them into the role that the person who left once played.

Neither Yellow or Red could move on, and neither grieved in a 'traditionally acceptable' way, and it was so fucking refreshing to watch.

[aeroargonic]

*crashes into your ask box* Tell me more about this band au

*cracks knuckles* Alright everyone make sure you're buckled up because this one is a doozy.

Kai and Skylor initially started out as an indie-type duo who make music together as a hobby. They both attend Ninjago City University (Kai for mechanical engineering and Skylor for business) and meet in a history class they're taking as an elective.

NCU is known for being a very prestigious university but unfortunately, also very expensive. Both of them are struggling to make ends meet until they hear the university announce a "Battle of the Bands" competition with scholarships as the grand prize. So Kai and Skylor quickly put together an advertisement looking for other musicians they can team up with. They're joined by Shade and Tox, and start working together to take home the grand prize. In the meantime, they do gigs to put their name out there and raise money, and refuse to deal with the fact that all of them are crushing on each other.

KAI: The lead singer and bassist. As mentioned above, comes from an indie background, but puts all the stereotypes about bassists to shame. He basically acts as the face of the band because homeboy has no fear. He's the first to start crushing on all his bandmates because he just can't help himself. He and Skylor know each other pretty well, Tox scares him a little but he kinda likes that in her, and he and Shade have this funny rivalry going on that the girls think will end in them making out. So he really wants this band to succeed because he likes being close with these guys. In a totally platonic sort of way.

SKYLOR: Theguitarist. Comes from an indie background, but has a little bit of classical music training too. She pretends to stay calm and collected, but is really worried about the band not working out because her family's noodle shop is her lifeline and she doesn't want to lose it. She and Kai have had some weird sexual tension lingering between them from the start but now it's been thrown into overdrive. She and Tox are also pretty close because girl power and Shade's there but she likes him too. Is the first to pick up on her feelings, but buries them because she doesn't want to ruin the band.

TOX: The drummer. Comes from a heavy metal background and it shows. She has a bit of tendency to speed up songs when she gets really excited. Is studying biochemistry. Has a huge temper that can get really explosive when left unchecked, but Shade is pretty good at talking her down when she gets all worked up. She's a bit of a tsundere and keeps insisting no, she doesn't have a crush on any of her bandmates and she and Shade are just good friends! The first to openly reject any feelings, which of course may lead to people pointing out the obvious, which in turn gets her all flustered.

SHADE: The keyboardist. Comes from a classical background but his guilty pleasure is glam rock. Majoring in aeronautics. Childhood friends with Tox. Easily the quietest member of the band but once he's in his element, can turn out to be surprisingly flirty and a little more talkative. He may not show it, but he wants the band to succeed as well because he needs the scholarship, but also because he finally has some new friends and he doesn't want to let them go. Yep, just friends. Totally just friends.

Some other characters might pop up too. I have Cole as Kai's roommate, Nya as Kai's teenage sister who is the band's #1 fan, and Neuro as the poor guy who gets voluntold to manage the band, book their gigs, and deal with all their pent up sexual tension. There might be some rival bands, but I haven't figured out who's in them yet, and if the other ninja will show up. It's all still in the works @_@

[bluektw]

MORE TORY/EDWIN/BIG RED HC'S

(now featuring Kyler) (because the trailer and Reddit ruined my hopes for a decent arc for my girl)

- Tory was the last one to acknowledge Kyler as an actual friend, only after she saw his relationship with his dad first hand she made up her mind about him.

- After Kyler joined the group Edwin was slightly favoring him over Tory and Red, and that made those two get closer than they had ever been

- But Edwin stopped doing that when he realized it was happening and they're still a really close trio

- Tory and Red have a weird need to make Edwin feel included in everything they do, cause the in previous trio (Rickenberger, Big Red and Edwin), Ricken and Red were quite closer to each other than with him. When Tory joined and they became quartet things got even, but after Ricken left both feel the need to make him feel included with them.

- Edwin knows he deserves better than Kyler and he doesn't care, but Tory and Red care and threaten to murder Kyler if he wrongs Edwin pretty much every day

- Tory has a button up she got from Red, a T-shirt she got from Kyler and a hoodie she got from Edwin.

- Whenever she shows up wearing one them, the previous owner gets all smug and cocky. The others just accept that. (And maybe the one she wears the most is Red's and Edwin and Kyler are sick of his bs already but that's not the point ok?)

- Little Red has already joined them in some movie/game nights (against his will, dad forced him), ended up liking it, but hid this from everyone at Miyagi Fang (and the four of them) like he was fearing for his life

- Tory was the first person to notice Kenny's kinda crush on Devon. Edwin noticed Devon's kinda crush on Kenny. And now every time the four see them together Edwin or Kyler start singing "Sweet Home Alabama" (I shipp them and I will not be accepting criticism)

- Red plays with Tory's hair a lot. Edwin likes to braid her hair. Kyler is not allowed to touch her hair.

- Red is a master at hockey. Edwin plays the piano really well. Tory is an amazing skater obv. Kyler is surprisingly good in laser tag.

- That being said, Kyler is really shitty at hockey, Tory couldn't play the piano to save her life, Red is a terrible skater (in rollers) and Edwin hates laser tag.

- Red tried, failed and gave up teaching Kyler to play hockey. Edwin gave up teaching music to Tory. Tory succeed (the only one that did) in teaching Red skate in rollers. Kyler gave up trying to make Edwin enjoy laser tag

- They have duos (T/BR and E/K), but they mix them up sometimes (Ex: Tory and Edwin can cook and know their way in the kitchen, Kyler and Red are great gamers, Tory and Kyler have drinks knowledge, Red and Edwin love murder mystery stuff)

- Tory, Red and Edwin prefer Kreese over Silver (Though Red liked Kim a little). Kyler prefers Silver and they argue because of that (especially him and Tory)

- Edwin is the only one of them who has a good relationship with both of his parents (Red and his mom have issues because his brother is the golden child to her, but him and Little Red are mostly good. Kyler and his dad have a slightly toxic relationship. Tory doesn't "have" her father)

- Edwin's mom is, in fact, a maternal figure to Red, while his dad is one to Kyler, none of them are to Tory cause she had Kreese and her mom, but both really like her a lot

- Big Red, Edwin and Kyler LOVE to go the restaurant Tory works now (I like to think is an Italian restaurant) and the rink. She likes depending on the day they come and likes them better if they don't annoy her during her shifts

- One time Kyler forced them to go to a karaoke bar of some sort. four sang Livin' La Vida Loca (by Ricky Martin) together

- Robby doesn't really like hanging out with the three boys cause he feels they still want to kill him (they do), Tory always asks if he wants to hang out with them, even after realizing he usually denied, and he likes she keeps asking even knowing he'll say no. (The others HATE that she keeps asking)

[g-xix]

Grace my love!! Have you watched the new sidemen Sunday?? I’m an hour in, any thoughts if you have???

Hey Buzzy Bae! (hope I'm okay to call u that :) )

Saw this come in ystrdy but was only about 10 mins in and wanted to give you a good answer so I've let it marinate and watched so that I am now also about 1 hour into the video

Hmmmmmmm very very interesting Sidemen Sunday, this one... I'll list down a bunch of rando thoughts n u evaluate them with me and give your own opinions also

For reference, this is the Sidemen Sunday of the week:

SO! Thoughts:

Simon always hits so well whenever he's host - moresidemen, main channel sidemen, he's honestly really good at filling in all those little gaps in conversation and he's quite quick-witted with his jokes, and I think that might be to do with the fact that he loves Stephen Tries and Beta Squad, British-type humour and he's done really well with emulating that type of humour in a way that fits his vibe

Ah, I love seeing Deji in Sidemen videos! He's such a sweetie, looks and acts like a big teddy bear which I love for him. I feel like he's such boyfriend material, like, he's so cutesy and honestly kinda fine, like, why does nobody else SEE THIS SHIT!!! Would be the best hugger, so funny + positive, absolute listener, so real with you... Ugh, need his energy in my life

ANOTHER VIK + HARRY TEAM DUO! These two together give me LIFE! I feel like Harry just loves tryna bond with Vik because whilst Vik is so so so intellectually smart, Harry is so practically smart and that bright sort of person that balances out Vik so well. Like, Vik studies theory and Harry knows how to do it practically, is their duo's vibes.

Also about Harry + Vik - I am (haven't watched the full vid but currently they're dead last) ROOTING for this team to win. They have chemistry, they have effort, I know damn well Harry's a good cook... Idk, this team j gets me smiling most, I wanna see them succeed

Ethan and Tobi duo is more interesting. Generally I think these team/duo works really well together because Ethan's hilarious and Tobi laughs a lot + they j vibe like that and it's fun to see! This vid though, Ethan's more stresso about the cooking aspect bc obvi he wants to win and he's come across (so far) as a little whiney and complaining... Tbh, Ethan's whining does get on my nerves a touch, but in the end I end up sympathising + feeling worse for Ethan bc i know SDMN fans CANNOT empathise w Ethan's stress or shouting or however he reacts and then they bully him? Like, Sidemen fans see one thing they don't like and they just will not shut up about it. We saw this about the colleague's thing, how ppl started hating on Ethan- calling him insensitive and ungrateful for calling the boys "colleagues", as if the fans weren't practically agreeing with him prior when they made their comments of "Sidemen feels overproduced, we prefer the old videos where it's just banter between the boys", like, Hello??????? Dunno if this point made sense but summary: Ethan's complaining mildly pisses me off but I actually feel bad for him instead of annoyed, because I know fans will have a go at him for complaining + take things wayyyyy too serious.

And oh deary dear, JJ and Deji?? I love love love these boys on their own but in a weird way why are they so jarring on a team together? I feel like Ethan and Deji would've worked rly well, maybe Tobi and JJ on a team instead? JJ always acts so unhappy to be with his brother and it kinda reminded me of 2017-2020 beef between Dej and JJ. Like, JJ was just being mean and telling Deji to fuck off, that he's useless... But they're both at the same competency level?? Like, sure, Deji isn't really competence, but JJ is no better (even though apparently his omlettes are delicious). I feel as though JJ always takes place as Sidemen's greatest wally/idiot asw, and having Deji there means that JJ cannot be the biggest oblivious-one there, but he doesn't know how to fit in other than that... And so he takes on the character or the persona of a bully/just being mean to Deji, but (at least in my opinion) it feels really jarring and sort of uncomfortable to watch. I don't think this is a very popular opinion that I have either- maybe I'm just deeping it, or maybe I'm just projecting my own experience onto others.

Slightly more lighthearted note asw, I thought Kimberly (Special masterchef guest!) looked a lot like Faith which was quite funny lol. Like the American version of Faith :D

Right, very long, very waffle-y...

What are your thoughts? Agree, disagree, think I've read any situations entirely wrong? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or post a letter through the inbox n ill reply sooner or later :)

Thanks for asking, Buzzy, hope you're having a good one! <33

[msmargaretmurry]

hi! for the game, 'blue sun' and any combination of matthew, leon, connor

"blue sun" as a title has very edmonton in winter vibes, doesn't it? or maybe that's just me, but having experienced edmonton in winter i feel qualified to make that call. (also, i do not recommend experiencing edmonton in the winter.) anyway i feel like this is a fic about how connor mcdavid needs a hug.

okay so, i'm not against connor/leon — i totally see the dynamic duo appeal — but i have always had some trouble coming up with a narrative for them that i would find compelling enough to write, so i kind of challenged myself here to come up with a story that feels like something i would want to write for them. as usual, it got long! really long! sorry! i wanted to talk myself all the way through it and there was just a lot happening!

let's set this in the 2019–20 season, because a) peak season for shoehorning some matthew content in there and b) what a grim time to be connor mcdavid. his fifth season in the league and other than that one brief shining season in 2016–17, it doesn't matter how well he plays, the team has been dogshit. the oilers are a joke. they have made the playoffs one (1) time in the past 13 years even with four entire first-overall draft picks at their disposal. they have traded away almost the entire core they thought they would rebuild around in the early 2010s. their poor management has basically run multiple promising prospects out of the organization. and you are the mcjesus who is supposed to be saving them. it's year five; you've collected some trophies; you've gotten used to the prairie winters. it's not that much colder than toronto or erie, really, and you spend most of your time inside anyway. sometimes, the frigid fresh air is refreshing after hours in the artificial cold of the rink, even though it burns your throat and chaps your skin.

besides, this season is going to be different. it already is different. it's still early days, but the team it winning more than it's losing, and connor has decided: this season is different.

i feel like around this time is also when we really saw the transition from young connor to adult connor. he was such a shy, awkward, anxious kid (they named him captain at least a season too early for real) and i think this fic would explore that as well — him becoming more self-assured, or at least better at faking it; becoming more confident in his leadership skills; learning to trust his relationships with his teammates more instead of feeling like he has to do it alone — but at the same time, taking on even more of that pressure to succeed, feeling the patience of the organization and the city and the hockey world at large already starting to wear thin.

so what of the leon of it all? obviously they're good friends now, but i've always felt that the friendship was a little bit manufactured in the beginning — the oilers did not expect leon to be as good as he is, they did not expect to have a two-headed monster, but how serendipitous that they found one. only natural to stick them together as much as possible for marketing purposes. connor, though, is a soft, stubborn heart wrapped in a perfectly bland public persona; he's something of an island, and leon's closest friends on the team in the earlier years are guys he can be way more fucking normal with. so this is also a story about them coming together in private instead of just in public.

connor doesn't want to be an island. he just feels like he has to be. he has, after all, been told constantly and consistently that there is no one else quite like him. he was happier in erie, where he was half of a whole, but that relationship started crumbling as soon as he left for alberta to pursue his destiny. it was an excruciating falling apart over long distance, and the loss left a hole inside him that would still ache if it wasn't so obscured with scar tissue. anyway, he's pretty sure it was his own fault, and it's not really the being in love part he misses — being in love was as much nauseous anxiety as it was joy and comfort — it's the having a teammate so completely on his side that he could let his guard down and just be connor instead of Connor McDavid.

he likes leon. he wishes they were better friends. not that they're not friends, because they are, but connor knows he's everyone's first choice on the ice only. but, again: this season is different. they're winning again. he knows people find him much easier to like when they're winning, so maybe that can be different this season, too. it already feels different, like he and leon are clicking better as people this year, although connor can't tell if that's due to the extra effort he's making or just because they've been stuck together for years now so there's an inherent comfort level there. but it's nice. connor likes it a lot. he's afraid of liking it too much, but the more space leon allows for him, the more of leon's space he takes up. he can't seem to help himself.

(sorry to leon for sticking him in yet another scenario with an anxiety-ridden weirdo who can't seem to see that the people close to him really do just like him. from his side here, i feel like he wasn't really sure what to think of connor or how to get close to him for a while, and is equally quietly pleased about this coming-together. he knows to the rest of the world he'll always be in connor's shadow, but he also knows that every great hockey team in recent memory has had a duo at its emotional core. he thinks they could be that.)

anyway so we've got this slow burn thing happening where connor and leon are getting closer, becoming each other's confidantes, starting to really feel like they are building this thing together, and also at the same time the battle of alberta is at a fever pitch and they keep losing to the fucking flames.

off the ice connor likes matthew tkachuk just fine. they've trained together in the off-season, and he's actually an incredibly nice guy. as an opponent on the ice, though — woof, he really is annoying. leon finds him particularly irksome, and while it gets tedious listening to him go through the same laundry list of complaints every time the guy comes up, connor likes being the person leon complains to. besides, connor thinks leon is secretly having fun — he always comes out of those scrums grinning — although when connor says this, leon rolls his eyes and scoffs.

then comes the all-star game, the "i'd get off the ice" of it all, the silly little media storm around all that. connor can't tell if leon actually meant it in the moment or if he was trying to be funny, but he's selfishly a teeny bit glad it means less attention on him. they're in the same division with matthew but matthew has his own people at the game, so they don't interact much beyond exchanging pleasantries. connor chats with him a bit during the skills comp while leon huffs in the periphery, but later connor catches a glimpse of them across the ice talking for a moment without a chaperone. tkachuk is grinning, and leon is rolling his eyes, so it all seems very normal.

but then they run into him AGAIN out in the city that night, matthew with his friends, them with theirs, everyone varying levels of inebriated. matthew greets connor with a one-armed hug that catches connor off-guard, but with leon, he tugs on the front of his shirt and leans in to say, "remember, i'm gonna sauce you the sickest pass you've ever seen tomorrow, you better be ready."

leon laughs and tells him to fuck off, but as the tkachuk crew melts back into the club, leon watches him go, grinning to himself, and connor says with a sinking stomach, "you like him."

"what? i do not," leon lies.

"yeah, you do," connor says.

"eh, fuck off," leon says, but he scans the crowd again, and connor is so, so jealous. he's so jealous, and he hates that. he tries to be a good sport, but his night is pretty much ruined, and he dips out early, feeling every bit the stick-in-the-mud he got teased for being when he was younger.

the all-star game the next day goes fine. they win, which is nice. matthew does indeed set leon up for a nice goal, which leon pretends he's not grinning about for several minutes. he's not acting bothered at all about what connor said last night, and connor isn't going to bring it up again. he would rather not think about it, except for of course how he thinks about it constantly for the next few days, all the way through their first game back, which is against the flames, and is a huge tkachuk-centric shitshow that they lose in the shootout. connor is in a shitty mood about it, and leon is also in a shitty mood about it, but he tries to say something conciliatory when he drops into his stall next to connor anyway, and connor hisses back something mean and uncharitable about leon's crush, because he wants to throw a temper tantrum so bad, but he's not allowed to, because he's the captain and the savior and, as always, he is in this alone.

leon is not a person who takes kindly to people being a dick to him, so he kinda cold shoulders connor for a couple of days. then they play the fucking flames again, and it is once again a shitshow, but they finally get the win. leon gets four points and snipes at connor when no one else can hear, "you think he'll suck my dick now?"

connor, who is good at nursing his anger but bad at confrontation, totally deflates.

"sorry," he mumbles, and goes about his business. the team was great tonight, and he needs to put on a mood that reflects that. he does an okay job of it, he thinks — the mood in the room helps, and the fact that leon doesn't feel quite so icy next to him helps, but he's still got this awful hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach that he's never going to get what he wants. but he knows that's not true, because he's spent his whole life deciding what he wants and taking it. so maybe he'll decide what he wants and take it.

he and leon walk out to their cars together, and when they get there, he opens the door to his backseat and nods for leon to get in. leon gives him a puzzled look; connor says, "well someone should suck your dick."

so they do that. it doesn't leave connor feeling exactly how he wants to feel, but it's satisfying in its own way.

he goes home and spends the whole night wondering if he just made everything worse or if things are going to be unbearably awkward now, but leon shows up the next morning with coffee and breakfast sandwiches like, we should talk, so they do talk, about a lot of things — about how this season feels different, feels good; about the winning tradition they want to build here, where they've already put in so much work; about what they need to be to each other to make that happen. connor apologizes for kind of jumping leon in the parking lot, and leon laughs and says don't apologize, it was fun. they talk around the question of being together or commitment to each other, couching everything in terms of being in edmonton, commitment to the team, but leon squeezes connor's hand when he says these things, and connor is filled with nauseous anxiety and dangerous hope.

and i feel like that would be like 50k worth of fic. it would end there and everyone would be very mad at me, and then 2–3 business years later i would drop a sequel titled "pink moon" where they actually get together during the 2022–23 season. i'm so sorry about me.

[felassan]

About the Dragon Age: The Missing #3 plot synopsis (under a cut due to spoilers) -

Following their adventure in Vyrantium, Varric, and Harding travel to Arlathan Forest in search of the crucious stone. When the duo finds themselves face-to-face with a pair of Veil Jumpers, they decide to team up. Finding what they seek will have them up against puzzling obstacles, and their success could depend on the allies they can gather.

the "crucious stone" sounds like another macguffin. will it be comic-exclusive, or one that will be of relevance in or that crops up during DA:D? and what is its function, what are its powers? the first thing it reminded me of was the Cruciatus curse (Crucio) from HP, the Torture Curse which inflicts excruciating physical pain on the target. 'crucio' apparently means 'I torture' and 'Cruciatus' apparently takes its name from the Latin for pain or torture. but I don't go here (to languages, word meanings and etymology hh) so those words might not even be related at all x) it also sounds like "crucial", important.. crucious.. in-world it sounds like it could be derived from Tevene stuff? in the comic issue prior they've travelled from Vyrantium after having spoken to who sounds like a Tevinter magister, so maybe the Lady Chrysanthus gave them this lead?

and what's Varric&Harding's (they should open a private detective agency together hh) interest in the stone? do they want to get it to use its powers to help their cause, or do they need to get it to stop those they're trying to act against from acquiring it for their plans? they're on a quest to find Solas in this comic series right, so what's his relation to the stone? is he trying to find it, does he want it? have they been told that he's (or his agents) after it or that they should get it because it could help stop him? I also wonder what it's doing in Arlathan Forest? maybe rather than Tevene its ancient elven? last time we got a look in there, Strife had noticed something had gone wrong in the forest. time and space was stretching and folding weirdly, reality warping, and he and Irelin saw echoes or mirages of themselves running around. mysterious entries had begun appearing in the relic journal of the Morlyn clan describing sacred ruins in there guarding a powerful fabled artifact, a halla figurine that Irelin grabs during that story. when Varric&Harding arrive, will they also be facing this sort of thing (mad sylvans, reality& time/space warping)? is the crucious stone similarly guarded by sacred ruins? could it have something to do with what's gone wrong in the Forest? even when Irelin succeeds in grabbing the figurine, Strife still feels that something has gone wrong in there.

also really excited to see inside Arlathan Forest in general, thistime with lots of images due to it being in comic format. we went in there in a short story in TN, there's an accompanying image to the Strife/Irelin short story, and part of Blue Wraith was set near it, but to see inside proper with many images.. (๑*ᗜ*) last time we heard from Strife and Irelin they were there too, my idle daydream is that we get to meet them in this comic :D

btw from marnas pell to vyrantium to arlathan forest Varric&Harding have been on a eastward track. if issue 4 continues the trend and has them leaving the Forest, maybe in issue 4 they'll hit the White Spire or Brynnlaw?

now, the most interesting part of the plot blurb is of course the Veil Jumpers!!! my immediate thought was that maybe these are the Triangle Guys? they're mysterious and new, they have weapons and gear with floating bits on them (Fadey and obviously Fade - Veil), they're elfy, they've been shown in landscapes with floating rocks (Fadey), their weapons glow Fade-green, they appeared in a DA:D trailer (archer), going by the art piece accompanying the Strife and Irelin short story Strife may be connected to them.. maybe the two Veil Jumpers Varric&Harding meet are Strife and Irelin, and it turns out that's why Strife & Irelin are kinda mysterious and seem to know stuff (got that feeling from them in TN), because they belong to this group. the blurb makes it sound like Varric and Harding decide to team up with the two Veil Jumpers, which means Veil Jumpers are people/people-like beings that have the capacity to make decisions and the like, not just a new kind of mob or something.

this comic series is an official lead-in to DA:D. are the Veil Jumpers a new faction we will meet in DA:D? are they pro-Solasplans or anti-Solasplans? where do they fit into all this? can Solas, the Fade Walker, Veil Jump himself? is "Veil Jumper" the name for the mages of the faction, and are those that can jump all mages, or for the faction as a whole and they can all jump? if they're mages could it be a mage specialization in DA:D? if they can all jump is it innate power they all have or have gained, or tied to something like their triangle floaty gear?

in X-Men, Nightcrawler teleports himself by displacing himself into the Brimstone Dimension, travelling through it, and then returning to his own dimension at a certain distance from his point of departure. "Jumper" implies speed, as opposed to like, slowly opening a portal and entering it like you're walking through a gateway at an airport, or the Inquisitor, holding up the Anchor and pointing it at a rift for a while to close it. so this is what it reminds me of. blinking in and out of (seemingly) existence. maybe it works like this: they effectively jump back and forth across the Veil, to someone in the mundane world appearing to vanish in front of them. they then travel some distance through the Fade (time seems to be of less import there), then jump back across the Veil, materializing somewhere else in the mundane world? maybe they're elves who've gotten control of part of the eluvian network, or have their own similar means of travel, and they travel around Thedas by using the Crossroads? where do they usually live? in Arlathan Forest somewhere or in a pocket dimension? there are enclaves of ancient elves kicking about Thedas ("your people yet linger") somewhere.

Fenris' lyrium tattoos give him the ability to phase through solid objects and this is somehow connected to the Fade. Danarius' work was based on his research on an ancient treatise which described the process. it's theorized that the treatise was ancient elven, it's also theorized that there's some connection to vallaslin. maybe the Veil Jumpers are like Fenris power-wise, but dialled up and aware of how to use the power fully (since it's their own art, not something someone not of them recreated based on a scroll and then imposed on someone else, with neither the imposer or the person he did it to being aware of what it fully/really is), to the extent that they can jump back and forth across the Veil at will? there are also skills like Fade Step ("You let invisible waves of magic carry you forward, blurring ahead a short distance") and Fade Cloak ("You surround yourself with the magic of the Veil itself. You are briefly invulnerable and can pass through enemies unharmed"). it's easy to imagine a new type of person/class/faction based on this sort of thing, especially if it was a group of people who have ancient magic and know more about Fade stuff. or maybe Veil Jumping can only be done in places where the Veil is thin? Arlathan Forest is one such place. that could be a nice way of limiting the power, so that if we had a Veil Jumper squadmate and there's a locked door in an area we're exploring, they wouldn't be able to Jump to the other side to unlock it unless we were specifically in a place where the Veil is thin. and whats their interest in the stone?

this was a brainrot ramble but I'm rly excited to meet the Veil Jumpers, whoever they are :)