#they've really become one of my favourite couples :')

[loveisactivated]

❛Even if I can't comfort you, I will make sure you know that I will be a safe space for you.❜ MONSTER NEXT DOOR (2024)

[valyrfia]

your take on lando is so interesting and by far the most nuanced view of him I’ve seen. I think’s it clear that he needs help managing his emotions bc some of things he says and done are baffling and the latest thing of him liking criticism proves it. he doesn’t have that champion mentality (or just seem to be in a good headspace) and a lot of that can be traced backed to McLaren. He messes up his starts every time and that could be linked with a mental barrier but ig no at McLaren cares enough to look into that???Like that’s your driver and your wdc you’re washing down the drain.

but I can’t be too suprised, bc when ppl talk about lando mh McLaren covers their ears and say Lalala can’t hear you (unless yk it benefits them)

I think I retain an enormous amount of empathy for him because prior to this year he was one of my favourites. I think he started acting strange and immature and there was this initial huge backlash but this weekend has kind of made me see things more clearly, between his actions, his words to media, how McLaren handle him, and his driving. And he really is a victim of his environment.

He IS an incredibly good driver. Before you all boo me: sure he's nowhere near Max who's currently in another league, nor is he really near Charles who would be in this championship instead of Lando if not for Ferrari shitting the bed midseason. Lando is however, on par with George, and currently probably better than Carlos and Oscar. I would happily call him the third best driver on the grid at the moment. He however, does have a problem with starts, that's just a fact. As you said anon, it's more than just experience at this point there is obviously some sort of mental block there–he's clearly going into these starts expecting to lose places. But again, like you said, McLaren obviously don't care enough to look into that. Other things this weekend just made me notice: him snapping at a journalist is not and has never been normal behaviour for him, for example, begging McLaren for that switch in the sprint and immediately catastrophising that they won't do it (pressing the radio button immediately to panic and say "I thought we talked about this") is another example of just, slightly abnormal behaviour. That coupled with his internet lurking (he liked an edit of Max a week back, and is now obviously reading his comments) paints a picture I'm not sure I like. I'm never going to assume anything, but considering he's talked about struggling with mental health in the past, I can't help but be a little uneasy on his behalf.

All of the above becomes especially true if we consider McLaren and the case of Daniel Ricciardo. As much as they love to position themselves as the champions in the sport of mental health, the whole Daniel thing remains a worrying incident they've tried their best to sweep under the rug–he never recovered his mentality in that team and instead of working with him the team were perfectly happy to throw him to one side with little regard to prioritise Lando instead. I can't help but feel with a certain sinking that this is what they plan to do with Lando and Oscar, if Lando doesn't win the championship next year. The problem is, Lando is a lot younger than Daniel was, with a lot more career ahead of him and theoretically, a much higher ceiling to reach–yet McLaren seem perfectly happy to not put any development into Lando to help him reach that ceiling. Just like some drivers need developing in the wet, or the dry, or high downforce, or reaction times, some drivers need developing in their mentality. And it is McLaren's job to recognise this if the driver doesn't recognise it in themselves, and tell them what they need to go work on. This should have been something that was flagged as a development area for Lando way before this season, even as far back as 2021 it was apparent and yet McLaren have done nothing to help him and seem happier to just, leave him out to dry.

McLaren is the true evil here and for all their attempts to appeal to a younger demographic and impassioned defences of their morality and mental health being important–I think they've proven that they would rather take the easy road than the right one, even if the right one could yield more results. Oscar struggles with other things that Lando doesn't struggle with ie. tyre management, quali but I think they will repeat their pattern of rather than developing a driver they want to discard an extremely good one in the fruitless search of a generational talent. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think its impossible that instead of taking responsibility for losing the WDC this year (because make no mistake, this is mostly their fault–from a strategy point of view to how they've managed their drivers to refusing to give Lando the support he needs until its too late) they will just try and shift the blame and indirectly pin the failure of this year on Lando in order to try and match public sentiment. Ultimately, Lando has been failed by his team and his environment more than anything and even though I'm happy this championship has (deservedly) gone to Max, I can't help but feel that Lando was not given a fighting chance by his team.

[paperglader]

about francesca's look after kissing john (and their relationship)

first, about john:

in the book: i really liked the brief little bits with john at the beginning. i think fran, john and michael's dynamic was super interesting and fun, i even wished that it would've lingered in it longer. i liked that their relationship had layers to it and yet still remained loving overall. i really liked the way that he haunts the characters and the narrative after his death. i think that the way that francesca spoke continuously about him and about their bond was super sweet.

in the series: i love him. i love him with francesca. i died of sweetness each time they were on screen. i love that their love is different, and i love how pefect they are for each other. i love how he makes francesca smile and look so at ease. in my opinion they nailed it with them, and ended up being my favorite part of the season (to say that pen and colin very much grew on me would be an understatement- i think they're the cutest- but franchaela and john are my personal favorites). they're soulmates and they are best friends. love them.

the few things that they've already changed from the books: first the fact that we get to see more from john at all and his love with francesca. secondly, though, their bond IS different. in the book i did get the feeling that there was physical attraction and, truly that their love was a regular bridgerton love, if that makes sense? like, francesca did say that it was less passional than with michael but it's not quite the same as what we're getting from the show, is it? the physical stuff could perfectly develop over time, but it does seem to be absent from where we left it off. i do believe that francesca loves him. truly. it's just not necessarily super physical. Which doesn’t make it any less valid or any less of a true love! personally, i find any love stories that don’t really “stick to the norm” to be super interesting, which is one of the reasons why they were my favourite couple.

Now, about the kiss: i don’t think that the look necessarily means that she’s a lesbian. i truly think that it was mostly disappointment of not immediately feeling those fireworks that everyone raves about, or even just discomfort with having to display her affection for the very first time in front of a crowd.

she could be a lesbian, or she could be an eighteen-year-old woman who’s still figuring out who she is, still figuring out how love looks like to her, and that more than anything wants to find a companion in someone that uplifts her as a person rather than drown her voice in their own sound. and she did! for some people love just doesn’t play out as easily as it may for everyone else, and that’s fine.

what she has with michaela is different, but she loved john first and she chose him, and they will be happy together. her and Michaela will have a long way to go before they can even begin to explore their relationship anyways. it is simply not their time yet.

Francesca did feel immediate attraction for Michaela, but depending on how they choose to navigate the period typical prejudice and such, she might not even have the language to understand that sort of attraction for another woman, and it won’t be the time to figure any of that out until six years later because she does love John throughout their marriage and afterwards she will mourn him. It’s not until after all of it that Michaela will become available as an option.

ultimately: maybe she doesn’t feel attraction towards men (that’s great! welcome to the club!) or maybe she just finds the navigation of romantic relationships to be a little trickier than most, and maybe we get to explore that through her storyline.

[shortpplfedup]

What's your favourite kbls?

Look at me getting to my asks months later like a real Tumblr BNF🤣. Thank you Nonny, for the question, and hopefully you're still interested in the answer! Here's my tops, in no specific order:

Anything by Hwang Da Seul (Where Your Eyes Linger, Blueming, To My Star/To My Star 2, Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo): This woman owns my entire soul. She nearly broke me with To My Star 2 and then finished the job with Taekwondo. I will watch anything she makes, and cry about it.

Long Time No See: They're assassins, they're lovers, they've tried to kill each other before. Amazing.

Just Friends?: Pre-stardom Lee Je Hoon and Yeon Woo Jin in a delightful little indie film about a man hoping to get some when he visits his military boyfriend and how his boyfriend's mom cockblocks him...on the surface. Underneath, so much of the pain of the closet, the joy of loving despite it, and the reality of the outside world piercing your bubble.

Semantic Error: An ACTUAL enemies-to-lovers romance set off by an amazing pair of performances. Sharply written and very fun.

You Make Me Dance: Full disclosure: the actual dancing is terrible, but the romance between a down-on-his-luck dancer and his loan shark was surprisingly compelling.

Roommates of Poongduck 302: Quite enjoyed this exploration of power dynamics shifting between work and home, where a man becomes his boss' landlord and they fall in love.

Sing My Crush: If I think too much about Han Baram and Im Hantae I might chew through my fist. The absolute sweetest slowburn story of a young singer/songwriter and the boy who insists on becoming his manager.

Choco Milk Shake: A beautiful meditation on loneliness, grief and deep abiding love, with a twist. I won't spoil it. Just watch it.

Unintentional Love Story/The Time of Fever: ULS is the main story, TOF is a prequel starring the side couple. The most kdrama of the KBLs IMO.

Love Tractor: Fun little show about a burnt out law student running away to the country, running into a brolic farm boy and triggering the farm boy's gay awakening.

Love Match: I really did not expect to like this one but it did some really interesting things. A bitter Betty disappointed by love decides he's only going to date, not have sex or commit. A sunshine boy at his work says 'fuck that'. Delight ensues.

Love Class 2: Skip the first one IMO and head straight for the sequel. 3-couple BL around a bunch of dudes in college together.

Our Dating Sim: Second chance romance of the century. Trust me.

A Shoulder to Cry On: It ends so absolutely weirdly but up until then I was invested. Interesting take on the bully romance, if you're into that.

The Eighth Sense: Korean/German bildungsroman-style drama about a country twink who moves to the big city for college and rather boldly pursues the Big Man On Campus who is sorta-kinda-but-maybe-not-entirely closeted. That's really Cliff notes, but there is so much here about the sour side of coming of age in modern Korean society and the pressures and expectations heaped on.

The New Employee: Age gap romance between a late-thirties-ish dude who is tired of being in these skreets and just wants to settle down, and the fresh-faced postgrad who is getting a later career start than usual.

[spaceorphan18]

Imma be boring at first and just ask you the same question back: What are you five favourite things about Colin and Pen’s relationship?

Lol, and yet I don't find this a boring question!! :D

They are friends who became lovers.

Look, I just love and adore this trope. I love that it wasn't a thunderbolt from the sky. I love that it was a bit slow burn and had time to build and grow. I love that there was a connection there long before romance simmered. I love begin their relationship already knowing each other -- and romance is an added element. It's delicious in the most beautiful way.

2. They liked each other before they were cool.

Yes, sure, they both are seriously hot in Season 3. But that element is more for us (and their own confidence) than it is for each other. As I said in an earlier post, Penelope does not give two shits about Colin's new Parisian styles or his new charming demeanor. She fell in love with one incredibly dorky guy and when she looks into his eyes, that weirdo is still there. Likewise, Penelope's glow up doesn't suddenly make Colin's feelings change. It's her confidence and vulnerability and the fact that when he finally kisses her -- all of those feelings he's always had come rushing forward.

3. They're both writers who support each other's dreams.

It's not just that they have similar interests (they do! it's part of the friendship thing), it's that the have a deep confidence in one another. They both very much care for the other one as an individual and (after sorting through the LW mess) are both deeply supportive of what the other one wants and needs. And having the same hobbies (as well as career goals - for lack of a better term) only brings them closer together.

(And let's be real - as a writer myself, I adore stories that feature writers at the center.)

4. They're both fucking old school romantics.

Ngl, this one really does me in. Penelope longs to be swept off her feet. Colin wants to be the dashing hero. For better or worse, they both love love and are happier being allowed to be in love. The fact that even while they were having issues, even when Colin was /angry/ at her -- they still got married. Because at the end of the day, being in love surpasses any other issue. They'll continue to have shit to work through. They'll have hard times and their own issues that will trip them up. But by god, their love is deep and that's exactly how they prefer it.

5. Their conflicts are not a result of miscommunication or repressed angst.

In a world where couples are either shouting at each other due to repression of their feelings or just plain not talking things out, neither Pen or Colin are able to hide their true selves very well, and neither do they want to. Colin might be a little slow to understand his feelings, but once he does, he's a man of action through and through. And even as he sorts out his own issues of LW and pulls away from Pen - she's still well aware of what is going on, and let's him have his space. Meanwhile, Pen's withholding of things (such as her feelings and of LW) come from self preservation, not lack of self realization.

Personally, I just find it refreshing that you have a couple who starts out genuinely caring for each other and sincerely understanding each other's feelings and the conflicts stem more so from external factors rather than issues arising because they are unsure of how they feel about each other.

(This is not shade on the other couples of the show -- this is me acknowledging that I have a personal preference for one type of story over another.)

Bonus 1 - The way they laugh together.

Whether it being just giggling over an inside joke at a ball or finding the humor in even things like sex, the two of them always find a way to make each other laugh, and it's so sweet and adorable and they both become so alive. They've cultivated their own little world and are amused by it and it just warms my heart every time they laugh with each other.

Bonus 2 - The Carriage Scene

This. This is a thing that actually happened on my tv screen, and my jaw is still a little on the floor. Because god damn that was hot and I am only human. Ooff.

[badass-queer-couples-battle]

Gay wrongs tournament, round 2 of the minor bracket

Propaganda:

For Lord Hater and Commander Peepers :

Lord Hater is the self-proclaimed "universe's awesomest evil-doer", an immature, attention-seeking manchild with electric powers and a short temper. He rules the Hater Empire with Commander Peepers as his second-in-command (technically third, after his beloved pet spider-xenomorph, but who's counting), however it soon becomes *very* clear that the cunning, remorseless, hardworking Peepers is the *real* brains behind the empire. Peepers might be frustrated at Hater's incompetence at times and isn't above manipulating him to reach an end goal, but he'd never dream of usurping him because, well, he's really gay and in love with him (as much as he can be in an early-10s Disney cartoon, anyways). Hater might take Peepers for granted a lot of times, but as his oldest friend and closest confidante he's the one who Hater is closest to. Whether it's invading other planets or kicking puppies for fun, these two are *delightfully* terrible jerks and the epitome of gay wrongs. 

Commander Peepers is both Lord Hater's right hand man in villainy AND his jilted stay-at-home-wife-guy (Also in villainy. Hater is really good at getting distracted from productive and efficient villaining.) Lord Hater was the greatest villain in the galaxy thanks to how well he and Commander Peepers worked as an evil team to run the Hater Empire!

Lord Hater conquers planets and is such an edgy bastard. Peepers is the actual brains behind the operation. Peepers is often pushed aside by Hater, they are besties and yet Peepers is always pining for this guy who will never notice. Peepers is so horribly gay for him if you watch the show he wants his stupid boss so bad. Peepers is so scared of him season 1 but then starts yelling BACK in season 2 and has to deal with him like a babysitter or something and yet STILL idolizes him and that’s just such a fun dynamic. His password is H8RNP33PRS43VR (Hater and Peepers forever). They are so evil and everyone fears them and they are villains and they are gay and the side of the fandom that draws them as a married couple that needs counseling is absolutely correct. The fanart of Hater openly liking him back is wonderful but I swear you don’t even need that. They are so gay and villain you have to love them they are

Villains that conquer planets and do evil stuff, my favourite characters, not really canon but they are the best :)

For El Mariana x Slimecicle:

They are married and on their first day together they accidentally killed their neighbor's kid.  When Slimecicle was trying to murder people and failed it because he didn't have Mariana by his side to back him up.

Well Slimecicle's canonically murdered a child/egg in order to give his and Mariana's daughter a gun. He also accidentally murdered his niece but that wasn't really his fault. Mariana has killed their daughter twice - the first time they were able to bring her back via a court trial and Slimecicle planted tnt under the court in case he lost. Mostly it's Slimecicle committing astrocities (like when he tried to kill more kids after his daughter died the first time, or when he constantly breaks windows in order to get into people's houses, or when he disguised himself as a child/egg in order to burgle his neighbours and proceeded to run for president as this child) but Mariana doesn't exactly have a clear conscience. Also they both love and hate each other. They're simultaneously married and divorced. They've had live minecraft sex at least twice.

[sunbloomdew]

Love Confessions in the Baxter DLC

Because i am very unwell, thank you. Part 1/3

After over 70 hours of playing the Baxter DLC – and despairing over that one monochrome guy, you know who – I wanted to take a moment to talk about all the possible love confessions in Baxter's version of Step 4. I find them all lovely and each of them made me squeal and smile like crazy, and i just gotta express my appreciation for them somewhere.

In Step 4 there are three love confessions. Two of them can be initiated by the MC, and the third one will be proclaimed by Baxter, if the MC doesn’t confess first. I tried all of them a couple of times, and they are all very cute (although my personal favourite is the confession the morning after the wedding)!

Before we begin i want to warn y’all that i wasn’t sure about the approach i wanted to take when talking about these moments, and as a result this post might not be a "put together careful game analysis" thingy. It's mostly just my ramblings and feelings that hopefully are a-okay to read haha. Without further delay, let’s begin!

Spoilers for specific moments in Baxter's version of Step 4!

All of the confessions take place after the wedding ceremony, so if you hadn't gotten there and don't wanna spoil those great moments for yourself i don't recommend reading further. I will go quite in depth about each option.

In chronological order, the first feelings declaration is the confession immediately after the wedding has ended.

Or as i've been referring to it in my head, The Wedding Confession!

Everybody is busy cleaning up, and MC hasn’t had a chance to have a one-on-one moment with Baxter since they split off in the morning. Naturally, they want to talk with him after the event is over. There is this underlying fear, that Baxter will leave again and they can't let that happen.

The two talk and Baxter apologises for his actions towards MC, five years ago in Sunset Bird and now, after they met again. I need to add that this apology is very well written and it definitively pulled on my heartstrings. Here the player can choose to confess on their own, accept his friendship hoping for a different type of relationship later on or just become friends.

Since i’m yet to play Baxter’s version of Step 4 with platonic feelings, i don’t know if this option appears if you have him at Fond. If anyone of you has done it, i would love to hear what it looks like! For example, does the player get to confess either way, in case they changed their mind (just how here you can choose to be friends)?

Moving further, if we choose to confess right away we get to pick how we want to do that - with words or by kissing him. Each choice will be preceded with an internal monologue from MC about their and Baxter’s relationship and what he means to them. I really like the way it's written. They go through all of the stages they've been around each other. If you met him at the Cypress in Step 2 Soiree Moment they mention how he was a boy in their memories, becoming real when they meet again by chance during summer of 2016. How he made this summer into everything and more and how he left. The years apart and finally the summer they reunited. I can't explain my feelings well, but i find this monologue very sweet but also full of longing - it makes me smile and it makes my heart ache at the same time.

Depending on when the MC confesses, Baxter has a different reaction to their silence. Since now he is waiting for them to accept him into their life again, he gets nervous the longer MC is lost in their thoughts, which is reflected in the expressions of his character model. It’s described as cracks of anxiety appearing on his face and him slipping back into his professional pleasantness. He chose to be vulnerable, and how MC replies will affect him.

After the character’s musings end the player gets one last chance to reaffirm the decision to confess.

Personally, I really like that we have the option to do so. Not only is it useful in case the player suddenly changed their mind, but also helps create the response you want from your MC.

If you back out then you no longer can confess in that moment. The story progresses the same as in the case of choosing not to confess. You can confess later in the game, or not confess at all and have Baxter do that.

If you pick the option to check if he means it, Baxter will reassure MC about wanting to stay by their side. It’s really adorable - especially since in response to MC he says “I do” (ya know, the famous wedding catchphrase) which he immediately follows up with: “You’ll have to excuse me for using that answer at someone else’s wedding, but I am entirely serious.” What a dork. After picking this option only two of the three are left - you can go further or back out.

And finally, you can confess. MC makes note of how now that the wedding was over, there would be no complications for the newlyweds (although they thought Miranda proposing to Terry at their wedding would be a great idea, so they really wouldn't mind lol). They think that since Baxter asked them out first, five years ago, it’s only fair that they do it now. It's one line, but for some reason i like this sentiment a lot. Like hell yeah, go MC! Ask him out now, make him speechless!

When it comes to spoken confessions, there is an abundance of choices to pick from. But my absolute favourite option is to echo Baxter’s own words from Step 3 Sightseeing Moment back at him: "Could I consider all the time we've spent together a date?". Chef’s kiss, it’s all coming together like a beautiful piece of tapestry. Simply iconic of them.

Confessing with a gesture has less options to choose from, but all are equally cute! If you choose to confess in this way, MC will have a short revelation about how different kissing Baxter now feels to kissing him five years ago. Baxter reacts a bit differently to this type of confession, since MC enters his personal space. My favourite is confessing by kissing Baxter on the forehead. It's absolutely precious.

The way Baxter reacts to MC confessing to him is… very interesting to say the least. He was ready to be friends them again or accept their rejection (there is no option like that in the game, but realistically, you just know he would prep himself up for this possibility) but he was not ready for a love confession. Baxter gives MC a moment to move past this and pretend that nothing happened, but it’s not going to work. I find that a curious thing to do. Baxter isn't hoping that MC doesn't have feelings for him and he himself does for them, but there is still that feeling of insecurity in him, that prevents him from accepting the confession right away.

We have the option to have MC sweep Baxter into a dance, or keep talking without that. I love the former choice and i always pick it for my character haha. It’s especially cute how Baxter stumbles and is so out of his depth. Both because of the unexpected movement and the sudden confession.

You can pick an option to tell him, that MC wanted to be with him even five years ago. His reaction to it is just. He is stunned and he doesn't believe it. But he knows MC isn't lying as well. I can feel the conflicted emotions he must have been experiencing upon hearing that just in one line of dialogue. And i think that's pretty powerful writing.

But then he fires back. He is full of disbelief and he doesn’t understand what could he have possibly done to deserve MC's affections. He doesn’t want to call MC a liar but he can’t accept that outcome either. Baxter’s old ways of dealing with relationships are resurfacing, because he can’t believe that he has the right to form such a deep connection with someone. It’s pretty heartbreaking to witness.

It's... so sad. "What did i do to make you like me?" he asks, because there must be something, because simply being himself is not enough, when Baxter inherently believes that he doesn't contribute anything. And if he doesn't contribute anything to somebody's life, he has no place in it.

MC decides to change tactics. Instead of trying to make Baxter accept their feelings, they ask what they mean to him. Whether they end up together is secondary - their goal is to help him overcome his mindset. I find that a really powerful act of love - helping the person you care about understand that they deserve to be loved without extravagant outings and carefully constructed barriers.

I really love Baxter’s response in this confession because it is very true to his character arc. His hesitance, how he withdraws and tries to appear unaffected. He reciprocates MC’s feelings, but he is too ashamed of himself and afraid. His view on himself makes him think that he can't be in a relationship with someone or friends with them, and that is something i find deeply sad. Still, he answers MC’s questions, with a few prefaces. He cites his inability to do things in the morning, less financial income and his past relationship management as reasons for why MC wouldn’t want to be with him. It’s him giving MC the chance to resign, to take back the love confession while they can. It reminds me of declining a meeting with your friends, because you believe that they will have more fun without you. It's self-preservation of your own feelings and diminishment of your impact on others, which comes from some form of dissatisfaction with the way we are.

But MC doesn't take their feelings back. They assure him that they want to be with him.

And once that is done, they ask him:

(I usually can comment on writing/art, but when i can't that's how you know it's the shit. i sat with my mouth open and my hands flapping around just cause this confession got me that excited <3)

This is the dialogue you get when you have Baxter on Crush. If you pick Love, instead of "I want to be with you" he will say "I'm in love with you".

Just like that, he accepts. I was totally shocked when that happened, but well, it does make sense. It was never a question, and Baxter admits so himself. He never stopped wanting to be with MC. He further expresses that he wasn't happy pushing them away five years ago and when they met again. It's quite sad to hear him admit that he didn't think staying together (in more than a romantic way) was an option until moments ago. But he got there ultimately and that's worth celebrating. Growth isn't linear, and sometimes we fall back to our old habits.

I really adore how openly Baxter expresses his affection for the MC, in the confession and later. Compared to Step 3 it feels more mature (no shit, sherlock) but also self-assured. Because he is finally starting to believe, that this - a relationship with a person who really knows him and chooses to stay - is something he can have.

These two lines of dialogue? Murdered me in my sleep with love and care. Sir, how dare you do that to me.

After that the two sillies finish their dance. Their story has a happy ending, they have been reunited. I adore how warm and happy this situation feels, and the descriptions make it feel so light and cheerful, like the moment with MC failing to catch their breath because they are laughing gleefully or Baxter holding them in a gentle embrace.

I really like this confession. Like i said before, it’s very true to Baxter’s character, and it also shows, that despite having good intentions and doing everything you can to change, people can still slip back into their old habits. But there will be people around you that believe you can learn and do better, and will stay with you and help you through it.

I also adore the overall silliness (after the angst is over, but i do love my fair share of angst as well) and the emotional beats. The characters banter, joke around.

And express how much they care about each other.

Also the fact that Miranda, Terry and Cove just gawked at the pair while they were having this huge emotional event is just hilarious. They are very nosy friends and i love them for that lol. Of course, Baxter is completely unaffected. GB Patch knew that if they made this man blush more than he already does in the game, they would actually kill us.

I'm not kidding, i die every time he blushes and get revived when he snorts. That's just the circle of life.

So yeah, that was one out of the three confessions! It's amazing and i hope i was able to convey what i love about it! Prior to playing the Baxter DLC i had around 50 hours on Steam, and after i got it It turned into 120 hours so... Yeah, Baxter Ward.

I'm splitting my confession ramblings into three posts for convenience. Parts 2 and 3 will be finished soon... Hopefully. Once they are i will place links to all the parts in each post (if i learn how to,,,,). Also wow, this post took me way too long to write, holy shit.

Peace out <3

Part 2!

[elvenbeard]

Maybe the biggest gift is the friends we made along the way 🎂

Happy Birthday, V!

Was staying up way too late and getting way too emotional over these fictional gonks last night, but yes... I've wanted to do a bigger scene like this for so long, and what better occasion than male V's canon birthday today!

These aren't all my favourites from the game (the sofa wouldn't be big enough for it xD), but the people Vince would like to invite over for the occasion for sure, let it be a year or two down the line when they all actually are in the same area at the right time and come together like this (and uuuhhh... obvious problems with one certain ex-bodyguard set aside and solved because I said so!). It would really be a special thing to have everyone there that's been with him during one of the worst times of his life. Thanks to them (amongst many others) he even gets the chance to celebrate another birthday.

Some more ramblings about some of the interactions I'm picturing here and why I placed everyone the way I did under the cut xD And some more pics to come in a separate post later :3

Front and center obviously Vince and Kerry and Judy, my faves, my loves <3 I think this would probably be one of only a handful of times Kerry ever meets Judy in person. He only ever hears her over the holo and knows her from what V told him, because she left Night City before they got a chance to meet prior to the game's endings. I think they would go along so well though, and besides Kerry, Judy is the person Vince feels closest to out of the group pictured here, and he'd be so excited to know Kerry and her get along as well.

Then Judy and Panam... I lowkey ship it so hard, and I mean, they would make one power couple, but at the very least I think they'd become good friends, maybe Judy even travels with the Aldecaldos for a while or joins them, like in the Star ending when she's romanced.

I put River in the back and center cause he's the biggest of the bunch and I think he'd love being there, watching over everyone in a way (and keeping an eye on Takemura, cause he doesn't trust him xD). I'd like to think him and Viktor get talking about boxing, workouts, maybe make plans for a friendly sparring match. Maybe they've even met before on some occasion, only just realizing it now. Viktor is btw out of the whole bunch the person Vince has know the longest, almost as long as he knew Jackie in my background story for him.

Goro keeps himself in the back because he definitely is the odd one out of the bunch (probably didn't wanna come in the first place), but maybe he's starting to realize this moment that a life without Arasaka is not the end of the world after all. That there's always room for new beginnings, no matter how unlikely it seems (but he's still gonna give V shit, and V is gonna give him shit, obviously XD they're bickering like an old couple probably, much to Judy's and Panam's amusement who previously were rather wary of Goro).

Then a pair I only really got thinking about when I set this up were Misty and Kerry because... It does kinda make sense, and I think they'd get along really well? Like, Vince and Misty have known each other for a few years, and he likes her a lot, but he's not as close to her as he was to Jackie for example. She was definitely a positive guidance throughout the whole mess in 2077, and he really appreciates her for always seeing the good in everything. And I think Kerry would be a bit confused about her in the beginning, but since he also has spiritual leanings I think they'd find a lot of common ground. I also think Misty would just treat him as Vince's partner, some guy, not be all in awe about him being famous - aware of it, but ignoring it, because it does not matter in the grand scheme of things how rich and famous you are but whether or not you're a decent human being.

And Nibbles is there because she lives there, obviously, this is her penthouse, her sofa xD Needs to make sure everyone behaves!

I had been thinking about including Rogue in the scene, but then I also thought... she probably wouldn't come xD Be like "nah kid, thanks, but you do you", and she's not that close with Vince on a personal level. Same goes for Claire, I love her so much, and while I think she and Vince get along very well, they're not as close (or maybe she just didn't have time).

I was pondering also if I wanted to include Jackie and Johnny in some way, because they can't be there physically for known reasons (and even though Vince wouldn't have invited Johnny just to annoy him, Johny would have come anyway to annoy him back, so there's that XD). Decided against it in the end because the ideas I had would have meant more editing than what I was ready to do just now, but I have some more ideas with Vince and Jackie and Johnny that work better in a different setting anyway.

if you've read this far, here's a piece of birthday cake 🍰

[afsalovescats]

Ofc I can give more plot to it! Okay so yan!Toman!Mikey & reader have known each other for a couple years (like 2-3 years) and they've become good friends but Mikey ends up falling for reader who's a little tomboyish, and reader kind of likes him back, but reader likes someone else even more and Mikey gets a little jealous or something along those lines, and maybe he & the other person start fighting over reader? Is this enough information that you could use, and thank you!

i...ILL START WRITTING RIGHT AWAY -

Manjiro Sano had always liked you. Maybe it was the way people thought you were weird but the second you had a single conversation with them you'd be left with his favourite grin. Maybe it was the fact you approached him first. Or the fact that he slowly discovered that you both were a teeny bit misunderstood. Or maybe the fact that after a few years your still by his side.

He loves that. He loves you. He loves you so much, he even let's you call him by his real name m-

"-Manjiro! Are you even listenting?" You exclaim shaking your hands infront of his face to get his attention.

his attention is now on you. Why wouldn't it be?

"Like I was saying earlier! Guess what! I got asked out on a date by (insert name)! the guy I was talking about!" You explain excitingly as you even use your hands to show the emphasis.

His gaze immediately darkens, he was totally expecting you to talk about anything interesting like a new episode of that new action manga, or even a new rematch on your favourite sports team, but this?

You await his response and the only thing you get is a small hum of acknowledgement and a small 'oh really?'

You state at him confused, you didn't expect him to be over the top but this was a little too...it just slightly weirded you out..

You nod vigorously as you say " yeah he actually asked me out on a date- I'm happy, that one of the guys I have a crush on asked me-"

"One of the guys? There's more?" He interrupts you as he meets your gaze. And you notice his eyes are empty just a pitch blackness.

" Mhm! There's two, he's one of them...but the other- ah! But it doesn't matter! " you say as you feel a light blush as you talk about the other crush and dismiss it...

see you've never told manjiro about the other crush because- it's him! It's manjiro sano! He doesn't like you...plus your options are open!

Manjiro mouth opens then shuts; as if on time your phone goes off-perfect! Now you don't have to explain yourself!

You check the icon and it's (insert name)! You instantly smile as you don't look up from your phone but say

"oops! I gotta go, manjiro! It's my mom! Love you! byeee! ♡ " You say happily as you get off from the steps of the stairs you and him were sitting on hanging out as you wave a goodbye to him then turn back around and call (insert name)! This was the best!

What you don't see is manjiro looking at the back of your body as your figure gets smaller, and smaller, and smaller...

Fuck it, that kids going to be lucky if he even has a face left. He thinks as his knuckles are now all pale, something you didn't notice from the second you started talking about that kid...yeah your dates tomorow huh? Guess he needs to tell ken-chin to cancel the toman meeting tonight. He needs you, now.

"-and then he leaves me like that! He fucking ghosted me! " you say pissed as you lay on Manjiros lap sideways with your gaze looking at the wall rather that him, not that he minded since he kept in gently playing with your hair, getting out knots gently.

"That's so rude of him, sounds like an asshole...you should stay away from him." He says; you have to double check as you now pay on your back in with your head still on his lap but looking up at him with a slight confusion

"Ah! I mean he left you like that, right (name)! So he could do that again..I'm a guy I know what other guys are thinking. So stay away, kay? ♡ " he says with a sickeningly sweet smile as he looks down at you and plays with you're hair.

He then cups your face then slightly squezes it making your lips go plump then he just observes with a now blank look then toys with your bottom lip then smiles again as his hands are now resting on your hands instead.

"...manjiro your so weird." You mumble out slightly blushing at the contact.

"Your weirder then." He remarks with a small smile

" course I am. " you reply as you close your eyes, relaxing them. Not bothering to even to even care about the fact that your in his lap

Your met with silence and shuffling and you feel your head being lifted for a second and you flutter open your eyes as your met with his eyes. But your also met with a sudden softness on your lips as you open your eyes.

You realize something; he's kissing you so you then shut your eyes and kiss him back as you lay back into his lap relaxing yourself as you hold one of his hands, meanwhile the other is on his cheek as you slightly feel him adjusting himself so he can kiss you deeper.

After lips shuffling against each other you have no idea how but now manjiros pinning you on his bed as he starts kissing you deeper, and deeper, and deeper. He can't get enough of you ♡ !!

Eventually as you both pull back panting you soon your eyes and see a string of saliva connecting you two and you blush as you watch him wipe it away with his sleeve then kisses you again- this one being more short due to the fact you two haven't recovered yet from the make our session.

"You know." He interrupts as he gives you a peck on your lips . "You're" a peck on your nose "all" another kiss on your cheek "mine" another kiss on the other cheek.

"you always have been and will be, you don't have a choice. " he says as he pulls back slightly and then immediately kisses you enjoying every second of it as he puts both hands on your cheek meanwhile your kissing him back with arms around his neck.

Maybe your feeling a little heartbroken about your date, he ghosted you. Maybe this is all because you feel upset...who knows? Manjiros right, he was probably playing with your feelings.

You quickly dismiss those thoughts as you kiss him then you move your head to the side and try and catch your breath and you stare up at manjiro; his lips are red, his cheeks are all red too, yours are too.

"Don't worry about that other guy, he's taken care of, kay ♡ ? Your mine now. All mine. So don't worry your pretty head about him at all. He's gone. I'm sure. " He says suddenly as his gaze darkens and he becomes scary, every thing about him screams danger

Your about to question him again as he kissed you again- a bit more roughly as if he wants to own you this time you notice.

when you keep on trying to question him he shuts you up with a kiss.

He said he's taken care of that asshole, don't worry about it. You only need him right? I mean you kissed him back so- so of course you do! He needs you so bad. so so so so so so so bad- fuck at this point he can't wait til he's going to claim all of you- he's dead serious. the things you make him do...he loves you! ♡

[charmac]

curious - do you think rcg may have had any notion that they may seriously explore the possibility of mac being gay in s6 era? s5 functionally lays the majority of groundwork for the subtext that they evolved into canonical text and s6 opens with mac fights gay marriage and imo mac is pretty heavily gay coded throughout that season. however, s7 totally makes me believe they hadn’t really considered it, because mac’s gay subtext is almost completely nonexistent, bar the flashback from s6 in 7x10. he is overtly “straight” that season. clearly by s8 it’s fully canon and one of the most logical next steps they could’ve taken with his character in retrospect, but i have always wondered if many of the choices in s6 wrt mac’s sexuality becoming increasingly more ambiguous were deliberate and i’m curious about your perspective.

I do 100%! I've definitely spoken about this before... I'm not sure if it was here or a Discord or maybe even an in-person conversation, but I've always thought it was so insane how they tell you Mac and Dennis Break Up is romantic in some sense. They are realising that their codependency is more than some "bromance" and it spooks them (obviously, really more-so Dennis).

I think acknowledging it on TASP isn't a surprise, but the fact that it's stated in the DVD commentary, before they even filmed S6, makes it clear that this was intentional foundation they intended to work off of. When Dee shatters the glass closet by stating Dennis' codependency with Mac is viewed as an "old married couple" situation, it fucks Dennis up way more than Mac, because Mac is unable to recognise the queerness of their relationship while Dennis can.

Once they make up, they've established something in the writers room going forward for Mac & Dennis that they clearly want to keep a part of their dynamic (again, as reaffirmed on the MADBU TASP episode): they are gay for each other. But they're not going to (mutually) recognise or accept it, because that ruins the joke.

So, in my opinion, they go into Season 6 really digging into that dynamic and playing on the joke by pushing against it: Dennis recognises the issue of being into Mac internally so he needs a wife; Mac recognises the issue of being gay externally so he needs to fight the gays. No doubt in my mind that throughout S6 they were writing and acting with this idea - though probably with no firm idea of where they wanted it to end up.

So we get to Season 7, and your point is the reason why Season 7 is one of my least favourite Seasons as a coherent part of Sunny (keeping in mind the flashbacks in How Mac Got Fat are just a scrapped S6 episode, reworked) - it seems to ignore a lot of the build up in order to make funny stand-alone episodes of the show. Was it because of Fat Mac? (Only one identity at a time for Mac, pls!) Is it because they had a chunk of guest writers? Is it because they thought there was a large chance it was the final season of the show? (They've talked about how when they shot the final scene for S7 (HS Reunion) it was under the idea that they might not get renewed)

Probably only RCG truly know (and maybe they don't even remember). As for me, while I don't think it was necessarily deliberate, like they sat down and said "actually lets roll back the gay [Mac] stuff here..." my idea is that going into S7 they hadn't yet figured out (or couldn't agree) if/how they wanted to make Mac's homosexuality crystal clear.

Maybe they dropped it for a season before deciding... or maybe this downtime served a purpose, because the reveals on Sunny serve one main goal: Subvert expectations.

Going from S5/6 to 8 is very obvious. That is a closeted gay guy. BUT when you have S7 cut in there in the middle, this working-season where they kind of play hard into Mac's aggressive temper and his stupidity and the fact that he's a voyeur, it's a little less-so. You're hit with Season 8 and that attempted kiss kind of comes out of nowhere and then every episode following has some kind of Mac is GAY moment and it's just extremely funny... Like, oh holy shit he's gay and he can't even recognise it.

But that gap does kinda throw you off like, was this a decision once they got renewed going forward that they needed one of them to be obviously gay based on their history? I really don’t think so, the foundation seems too intentional and the evidence we have that RCG acknowledged the character’s queerness (of all them) back then is enough to have me firmly believe the S6 stuff was just further groundwork for Mac’s character and his and Dennis’ opposing relationship

[nemmet]

What are some of your favorite Fred and Daphne moments? Romantic or platonic

AAAH thank you for giving me the opportunity to ramble about them!! always so so appreciated. and for specifying romantic or platonic too!! while a lot of their significant moments together from the 90s onwards have been somewhat romantically charged, i love them even when they're just a goofy pair of friends with no immediate romantic implications.

because (mini fraphne history side tangent), they weren't always intended as love interests! the "fred chooses to search for clues with daphne because he fancies her" reading of the original show technically isn't true — they were just paired off because the writers found them boring and wanted an excuse to get them out of the picture for a few scenes. which makes the fact that they've since grown to become an iconic duo in their own right all the more inspiring!

so without further ado, here are some of my favourite moments of theirs!! 💙💜

(begins under the cut!)

the best birthday present ever — zombie island

if i could count their general existence in this movie as a single moment i would. i am so weak to the fact that even after the gang splits ways, fred and daphne stick together, and fred plays such a crucial supporting role in daphne's dreams/career/life. and their relationship hasn't descended into being just boring coworkers — daphne has been so busy with work that she forgot her own birthday, but fred is sure to make it special by doing no less than getting the whole gang back together. the way he teases her before revealing them, too!!! and the hug she gives him when he explains. i get such cosy, "known each other since forever" vibes from them in this movie, like they're just so comfortable and silly with each other and (sobs into my hands)

my hero — scooby doo and krypto too

the way this movie has already given us so many fraphne moments for the books. the Literal Kiss aside, this scene just made me smile from ear to ear. i'm not always so hot on the jealousy subplots these two often get, but i appreciated how this film had a more light-hearted take on it, and how fred was simply confused rather than upset. additionally, his attempts to impress daph are just so funny and sweet, you get the sense that he's just hamming it up to make her laugh and doesn't care if that's all he ends up doing. of course then he gets so into it that he doesn't register the monster right behind him, and jumps into daphne's arms just like the rest of the gang always do with him. the way he clings to her!! and how she says "oh come on". they are disasters and they need each other in this essay i will.

you're never going to lose me, fred — mystery incorporated

following their relationship in this show sure is a journey... and not always the best one. while i understand that they're teenagers going through a lot, it's sad to so often see their inherent chemistry as a duo lost in miscommunication and arguments. which makes the moments where they connect and come out stronger as a couple all the more rewarding!! this is hands down my favourite scene of theirs — while the conflict that leads up to it is uncomfortable (fred tightly scheduling their activities together), i like how daphne addresses it quickly rather than keeping her feelings hidden and simply expecting fred to pick up on them. by now she understands that fred needs direct communication (autism!!!), and that's ok!! meanwhile, fred has grown too; he actively opens up to daphne about his fears of losing his loved ones, something i don't think he could or would have done at the start of the show. he's come to understand his own emotions and the importance of expressing them. both of them learn from each other, and are able to move forward because of that. it's a wonderful little moment that really showcases the best of them!!

i love you — stage fright

THE fraphne scene. god. where do i begin. the fact that daphne wrote lyrics about her feelings for fred to the music he composed, and was terrified of ever showing them to him. but then she decides to break the condition she established to velma (only confessing to him after the contest), throws caution to the wind, and just,,,,, confesses her love to him live on stage in front of thousands of people!!!! and how fred looks so happy and content playing along to these lyrics that i'm sure he knows are about him, and when it comes to daphne singing "i love you", he says i love you back with ZERO HESITATION!!! like he was waiting to say it too!! because they're mutually pining dumbasses who will cry if they make eye contact in a remotely romantic context!!! god!!!!!!! also the nose boop before daph goes in for the kiss. adorable.

the engine / the driver — curse of the 13th ghost

this scene is another that has a lot to say about their relationship in a general sense, and it's so special to me!! i'm not crazy about this movie as a whole, but i love the running theme of fred and daphne's differing leadership qualities, and how they balance each other out. fred just wants to keep things the same as they've always been (autism!!!), but that often leads him to coming off as controlling or dismissive when he's in Planning Mode. he doesn't mean it, because he genuinely believes the best in the gang and their individual skills, so it's no wonder that he grows insecure when his place is questioned. but by the end of the film he accepts that daphne is the engine, the glue that fundamentally holds the gang together and keeps them running as a unit — they would be nowhere without her constant energy and willingness to take action. however, daphne reassures him that he'll always have his place as the driver, the man with the plan, the one to put things in motion and support everyone with all his heart along the way. and the tender way they look at each other to cap it all off!!!!!!!

knight in shining armour — sword and the scoob

i saved the (probably) best for last. less serious analysis here and more just me gushing because i spin this moment around my microwave brain on a daily basis. continuing the theme of "fred embraces his role as team cheerleader", he's not even upset when daphne has to fight in his place — he planned this and is wholeheartedly supporting her, to the point where it makes her flustered (she’s HIS knight in shining armour)!! and him giving her his ascot as a good luck charm!!!! nem found dead on the floor. not to mention "sir daphne/sir fred" and how they continue to call each other that. i swoon every time. they are so romantic in their own very silly and very teenager-y way and i love moments where they're just so unapologetic about that!!

i really hope you enjoyed and that this was what you were looking for!! fellow fred & daph fans, please feel free to comment and/or reblog with some of your own favourite moments!! i always love to see them. :D

[zahri-melitor]

For the ask game, 4 and 24 for Barbara Gordon

4. How many people I ship them with

Well there's Dick/Babs. Dick and Barbara are probably my favourite canon couple in DC, for the way they balance and complement each other. And as much as they push at each other at times, they both enjoy being challenged by the other, and they've grown further together over time. It's how Dick always looks for Babs' hand at the end of the world. It's I don't like to be pushed and if you jump I'm there to catch you. (It's the fear of being pushed and the fear of missing the catch). It's the way neither of them are ever willing to name what's between them because they're both too afraid of if they're accidentally hurt by the other. It's the way Dick centres and calms himself by talking to Babs and he looks at her like she's a sunrise. It's how Dick can be a brake on Babs' obsessions and get her to relax. It's how lost they both become when the other is hurt or gone. It's how they can lounge around in a honeymoon suite discussing what they'd want in a marriage and kids without calling it a relationship. I adore them.

There's Dinah/Babs, because if there is one person Babs wants to have at the other end of a commline, following her orders? It's Dinah. And from experience at this point she trusts that when Dinah goes off script it's for a reason (even as it drives her wild). It's the way Babs orders Dinah around and Dinah enjoys it. It's the way they're so emotionally wrapped up in each other. It's Babs' tantrum over Dinah getting married and moving; it's the way she welcomed her back after Dinah broke up with Ollie. It's how Dinah was ready to fight Amazons and gods to save Barbara and hide what she was doing from Babs if it would save her life. It's the fact that working for Babs talked Dinah down from running into dangerous situations without backup when Ollie died. I love them so much and I delight in every time they're on page together, being thick as thieves.

There's Ted/Babs, which largely amuses me because they're both so very into the other's mind and programming/engineering skills, while also immediately concluding they're better off friends. They have a crush on each other's brain and I think that's incredibly cute.

And there's Babs/Jason Bard, which I am quietly fond of because it started out as a default relationship in pre-Crisis, turned them into interesting exes in preboot, flipped their relationship into something horrifically unnecessary in n52, and tried to repair it to a point where they could mend fences in Rebirth. I don't think Babs and Jason make a particularly good couple. I do love them as exes however, and it was actually my favourite stage when they were both physically disabled investigators ignoring people telling them they couldn't do their jobs.

24. What do you think is a secret they have that they never told anyone?

Amy Beddoes trying to shoot Clifford Carmichael, come on down.

I am certain Babs has never mentioned this moment to anyone else. The only person aware of what she got up to in that moment was Amanda Waller, and the Wall has never held it over her head.

Otherwise: Barbara has indeed run a DNA test on herself to establish what her biological parentage is. She's too much of a control freak to not have. She's seen the results, swore to herself that she would not let them affect her relationship with Jim, and continues to treat Jim like the father he's been to her since the day she came home with him. (She's still quietly cut up that she had to check) (No I don't know what the results said. I don't think it really matters)

[illumiera]

Hello there! For the firsts ask: 4, 15, W, Z, 🌍 and ‼️

oh, thank you so much for the ask, Senu!! 💖

✨ ask game! ✨

4. first time experiencing grief

Elentari's from a small family—no uncles, no aunts, and as I headcanon that Bretons live a good while thanks to their mer blood, her grandparents had already passed on by the time her parents got around to having her (or did so when she was very young). that means her first time experiencing grief was, unfortunately, when her mother, father, and little sister were killed by the Dark Brotherhood, and while Mara could save her thanks to the divine in her (in other words: that dragon soul!), her family's mortal bodies could never have withstood the touch of a god. she misses them so, so very much. (and blames herself for their deaths, too.) 🥲

15. first thing they remember feeling proud of

for Elentari, this must have been something magic-related! though it was considered "improper" for highborn girls in Daggerfall's restrictive noble circles to learn the arcane arts, her mother insisted upon teaching her and her father encouraged her. I think it was a very proud day for a young Ellie, the moment she tried and tried and finally cast a spell and did it well, and after that, she began dreaming of becoming a great mage or a travelling healer.

W. first time they realised their relationship is endgame... or isn't

I can't help but think that Elentari and Miraak have always had the sense that their fates are intertwined, whether it's to be with one another or to be the death of one another. how much they (well, Ellie, really, considering she's the one so deep in denial they could find evidence of her in Ancient Egypt) are prepared to acknowledge that, though, is another question entirely! destiny aside, they'll realise that their relationship is endgame through the little things: how they can feel safe with one another and seen with one another, how they can laugh and cry and learn together, through late-night cuddles as they talk each other out of nightmares, and through winged flights with the wind in their hair. for two Dragonborn who have always felt like strangers walking on Nirn, at home with neither mortals nor dragons, this is one of the most precious things of all.

Z. first time they said "I love you"

while they're both very loving when it comes to words and actions, both Ellie and Miraak are usually the sort of people who let their I love yous go implied and so unspoken it's downright obvious in all the things they do and say. that said, should there come a moment where they're both ready to become a couple, and to accept that through time and destiny and life and death, they've chosen one another again and again? that's where we'll find them saying "I love you." 🤲 (oh, and perhaps their fic's title counts as an I love you, too? because I'm a sucker for when stories find a way to include their titles in prose or dialogue, and so i fear no fate (for you are my fate) will most certainly be spoken aloud At Some Point!) 😼

🌍. first attempt at worldbuilding, or a notable piece of worldbuilding you're proud of

ah, I love worldbuilding, and it almost certainly shows at least a little in my writing! probably one of my favourite pieces of worldbuilding (and some of the first I came up with, now that I think about it) is the lore I have for the dragon cult and Atmora. canon doesn't tell us much about it, which more or less gives me free rein to invent personalities for the dragon priests, make up some rules Miraak would have lived under, and think of what life would have been like back then... which Ellie gets to see, too, both through Miraak's recollections and through dreams that take her through time!

‼️free space! tell us about a notable "first" in your writing journey!

here's a first! I'm a shy sort of creature, so while TES isn't the first fandom I've written for, it is the first fandom in which I've worked up the courage to involve myself as anything more than a lurky lurker from Planet Lurk. it's been so fun, getting to know/scream with/ramble with talented friends and mutuals and bouncing braincells/ideas/jokes back and forth, rather than just... "I have finished a chapter. lo, it has been released into the wild. the proverbial crickets are chirping a lovely song tonight, aren't they?"

[autumn-foxfire]

KID episode! The one where Heiji almost kisses Kaito. Also, in the episode Shinichi looks very unimpressed with Kaito that he did. I wonder why.

Heiji is giving credit to the wrong person though. Shinichi didn't do anything, that was Ran. And she did so because she can't actually voice her feelings for Shinichi (I wonder why <.<).

Shinichi's husband <3

I don't like how Gosho writes Kazuha and Heiji most of the time but I do appreciate Heiji being written as a normal teenage boy who shows normal attraction to others but still chooses Kazuha. It's not really as contrived as the main couple of this series.

Urgh. Please bring back the old OP with Shinichi dancing. It's better than this one. I always watch the OPs at least once to see if they have any good moments but this one was not a good one.

Hi, Komei. Welcome but I don't really care about you, I care about our favourite phantom thief.

I will remind people that Jirokichi has suggested this idea before and it was dismissed so Komei isn't special for suggesting it, in fact I'm pretty mad that they forgot he has suggested this before just to fluff up Komei.

Ran, the history nerd.

KAITO. My precious baby boy.

BABY BOY. Kaito is adorable, he heard the woman had been cheated and immediately changed his plans in order to return what belonged to her.

I love how Heiji is too busy thinking about Kazuha to care about Kaito while Shinichi only cares about his husband and is confused why his best friend isn't interested like he is (suprise surprise, Heiji actually likes his love interest).

Ran: if he saw that...

Me: What a flattering way to talk about you "returning" Shinichi's "feelings"

Ran is still more invested in the relationships around her than she has ever been in her own.

What I do appreciate about heists, as infrequent as they've become in the canon, is that they're showing Kaito's more human side, the one where he does make errors and does make plans at last second instead of being always ten steps ahead.

Heiji immediately regretting upsetting Kazuha and going back on his previous words is nice though and refreshing. You don't see this too often.

But of course they have to make into a competition with Shinichi. But Shinichi won't let you arrest his husband, Heiji.

Of course Kaito buys himself good dresses to wear. He wants to look pretty, thank you very much.

You know Shinichi noticed immediately that he switched with Kazuha and didn't say a word because he acts like he wants to arrest Kaito but he never actually tries properly to do so.

Kaito is incredibly, thank you for pointing it out.

Kaito is really using Heiji's attraction to Kazuha against him XD But he can't fool Shinichi when he's dressed as Ran (Shinichi did show his attraction to KID when he was though, I remember when he tried to look at his thighs).

Kaito is having too much fun.

Shinichi has definitely known that Kaito is Kazuha since his arrival and did absolutely nothing to inform anyone about it. In fact, him trying to drop a hint to Heiji just comes across as him being jealous over Kaito clinging to him. Yes I'm delusional.

Look at this unimpressed face.

I forgot Komei is related to Scotch.

He's so annoyed.

I love taking screenshots of Kaito.

Awww, poor Shinichi thinks Heiji knows. You've underestimated how attracted Heiji is to Kazuha and how he wants to start a relationship with her that he's overlooking things because all he thinks about is confessing to her.

Kaito: THIS ISN'T THE DETECTIVE I WANT TO KISS.

And Shinichi still looks unimpressed. Jealous boy.

Shinichi: So you noticed the broker was suspicious, but not that your girlfriend was suspicious.

Shinichi knows his husband well and that we went to return it to the real owner. And he still looks incredibly annoyed about this whole heist. Probably because his husband was about to be kissed by a person who was not him.

Shinichi: he's doing a good thing but he almost kissed another man and I am not impressed.

We know baby.

[the-red-thread-that-strangles]

Some more bonus thoughts for the sweater weather AU, Akai family edition™ (somewhat disjointed because I've been busy)

The Akai siblings all have one of the OG cream sweaters, it's a matching set (this is conjecture, but the Akais seem like an old family line to me, and so they have a family crest, which is sneakily integrated into the knitting pattern - this makes the sweaters distinguishable to those in the know). The sweater thing was all brought on by Mary deliberately misunderstanding Shukichi's polite nudges about her being cold to her children.

This fact makes Amuro's meeting with Masumi even more awkward than in canon! :) Because she's sure she's seen this guy before, and he's wearing the family sweater, which leaves two main possibilities: either a) Amuro killed Akai and took his sweater or b) Amuro was Akai's friend/lover and was either gifted the sweater or inherited it after Akai's death (because she knows Shukichi and herself still have theirs). The whiskey trio seemed friendly when she met them, but her big brother was an agent and possibly undercover, so it's a toss-up and she's gonna be real suspicious of Rei going forward. Throughout this whole exchange Rei is hugging the sweater to himself as if it could protect him from this feral teen. It's not helping :)

Sweater exchanges become significantly more difficult due to Masumi's stalking ["Do something, FBI dog. She can't keep following me, eventually she'll get wrapped up in something she can't handle. And she's annoying. Also, tell her to get a different hat, fedoras are so cliché." - "Furuya-kun, she believes I'm dead." - "Well, maybe you should fix that, actually." (Rei has strong opinions on not telling people you faked your death, he's still miffed about Scotch)]. As a side effect, this also drags Okiya's already shaky credibility as his own definitely real person in the mud, and Mary ends up figuring her son out.

We all remember that scene at the end of the Scarlet Bullet movie where Mary waits in Okiya's car with a gun and threatens him, right? Well, that happens, but it's "I don't blame you for not telling us you faked your death. But you really could've called and told me about your partner." To which Akai is like "??? - Mother, my ex has been dead for half a year now, and we hadn't been dating for three years before that?" Mary is tempted to just shoot her stupid son, she's seen the security footage of the blonde guy coming over and staying for hours on a semi-regular basis. Masumi has told her how long they've known each other. She's seen them fight.

(Though for what it's worth, Akai's telling the truth - he might be teasing Furuya but the agent is, at this point, barely tolerating to have a couple of drinks with Shuichi after a particularly bad day. Since becoming Okiya he's been bored a lot, so he's mostly humoring Furuya and enjoying company where he doesn't have to hide his true self. He figures Furuya might need the same).

Nobody bothered to ask Shukichi, who knew the whole time Akai was still around, whoops (when they eventually decide to tell him, he pretends to be pleasantly surprised). He meets Amuro in his favourite sweater, smiles cheerfully, comments on the need for such cosy clothing (to which Amuro agrees pleasantly), and files the information away for later use with a sly glint in his eyes.

.

Sweater weather AU masterpost

[badass-queer-couples-battle]

Gay wrongs tournament, finals of the minor bracket

Propaganda:

For Root and Shaw:

Canon queers. They start out as enemies (Root even threatens Shaw with a hot iron during their meet cute), they even both kidnap each other at some points, but they end up ready to sacrifice everything for the other. Shaw is a self diagnosed sociopath, who is only on the side of ""good"" because she's bored and they've got a cute dog. She has no qualms about killing or even torturing people. Root is kind of unhinged, torturing and killing people in order to find and then protect a Machine that she thinks is a god. Eventually the Machine teaches her the value of friendship and life (kinda), but she's still a psycho at heart. They work so well together, even if they're like a four alarm fire.

For Lord Hater and Commander Peepers :

Lord Hater is the self-proclaimed "universe's awesomest evil-doer", an immature, attention-seeking manchild with electric powers and a short temper. He rules the Hater Empire with Commander Peepers as his second-in-command (technically third, after his beloved pet spider-xenomorph, but who's counting), however it soon becomes *very* clear that the cunning, remorseless, hardworking Peepers is the *real* brains behind the empire. Peepers might be frustrated at Hater's incompetence at times and isn't above manipulating him to reach an end goal, but he'd never dream of usurping him because, well, he's really gay and in love with him (as much as he can be in an early-10s Disney cartoon, anyways). Hater might take Peepers for granted a lot of times, but as his oldest friend and closest confidante he's the one who Hater is closest to. Whether it's invading other planets or kicking puppies for fun, these two are *delightfully* terrible jerks and the epitome of gay wrongs. 

Commander Peepers is both Lord Hater's right hand man in villainy AND his jilted stay-at-home-wife-guy (Also in villainy. Hater is really good at getting distracted from productive and efficient villaining.) Lord Hater was the greatest villain in the galaxy thanks to how well he and Commander Peepers worked as an evil team to run the Hater Empire!

Lord Hater conquers planets and is such an edgy bastard. Peepers is the actual brains behind the operation. Peepers is often pushed aside by Hater, they are besties and yet Peepers is always pining for this guy who will never notice. Peepers is so horribly gay for him if you watch the show he wants his stupid boss so bad. Peepers is so scared of him season 1 but then starts yelling BACK in season 2 and has to deal with him like a babysitter or something and yet STILL idolizes him and that’s just such a fun dynamic. His password is H8RNP33PRS43VR (Hater and Peepers forever). They are so evil and everyone fears them and they are villains and they are gay and the side of the fandom that draws them as a married couple that needs counseling is absolutely correct. The fanart of Hater openly liking him back is wonderful but I swear you don’t even need that. They are so gay and villain you have to love them they are

Villains that conquer planets and do evil stuff, my favourite characters, not really canon but they are the best :)