#this publicity all has to MEAN something i struggle to believe it's just for this concert broadcast

[loonyloopylupin96]

Remus Lupin Doesn't Shout

Theme: Hospital Wing | @wolfstarmicrofic | Words: 814 | CW: Contains mild homophobic language (x1)

Remus Lupin is one of those quiet sort of boys, the ones who you can tell try to fade into the background but keep involved at the same time. There's an art to that sort of thing, Sirius believes. He expects his parents would have been much happier with him if he had that sort of skill.

He doesn't.

When he has a thought, he shares it without hesitancy. When something drives him mad, he makes it known.

Remus isn't like that.

In fact, Sirius can't think of a single time he's ever heard Remus shout.

There was one time in their second year, where James had hexed all the shampoo in their room to cause the next user to lose their hair for twelve hours. He'd meant it to get Sirius, but Sirius had slept in that morning. James, also fast asleep, was awoken hours later by a hat-wearing Remus standing over his bed looking displeased, but grinning.

"I hope this isn't permanent," he'd laughed, as James put his glasses on.

"Oh bugger, I'd meant to get-"

"You'll have to do better than that!" Sirius bellowed from beyond the bathroom door.

His hair had indeed returned within twelve hours, and Remus hadn't shouted at them for their carelessness.

He also hadn't shouted when they were all in the great hall together, happily enjoying breakfast when suddenly an owl appeared above them.

The bird swooped down, dropping a bright red envelope in front of Sirius' bowl.

"Is that a-"

"SIRIUS ORION BLACK-" the Howler yelled before Peter could finish asking his question, "I REGRET THAT YOU WERE EVER BORN. HOW MANY TIMES MUST WE HEAR OF THE SHAME YOU'VE BROUGHT UPON US? YOU'RE AN EMBARRASSMENT. A COCKROACH. A WASTE OF SPACE. ASSOCIATING WITH-"

Whatever else the howler said, they would never know. Just then, McGonagall appeared and vanished it with a flick of her wrist.

Almost as soon as she had appeared, the Professor was gone again.

"She's right!" shouted a voice from the Slytherin table.

Sirius, face blanched and trembling, was frozen in his seat. Remus' cheeks were puffed and flushed, he looked like he was going to tell them exactly how wrong they were.

But instead, he quietly put a hand on Sirius' arm and the four friends left the hall together.

None of them shouted that day.

Remus also hadn't shouted when, some months later on a school visit to Hogsmeade, Sirius had kissed him squarely on the lips before they'd entered the Three Broomsticks together.

"Padfoot, what are you-"

"I'm letting people know you're mine," he'd grinned.

"But we're in public!" Remus disputed, flustered and looking around in a panic.

Sirius had shrugged, and set off ahead to find them a table.

Remus, following, was knocked off track as someone pushed roughly passed him. "Fucking queers," the dark-haired figure grumbled, leaving the pub.

When Remus arrived at the table, Sirius was beaming. "If we sit here, we might get to see-" he caught sight of his boyfriend's face and stopped. "Are you okay?"

Remus explained what had happened in a quiet voice. Sirius was rightfully furious.

Still, Remus didn't shout.

After almost exactly a year, Sirius found himself visiting Remus in the hospital wing.

He'd done it plenty of times before, but this one was different. This time, Remus didn't try to smile when he saw him.

"Do you know what you've done?" Remus asked before Sirius had time to say anything.

Sirius didn't answer immediately. He looked at Remus; he looked at the cast on his arm, the deep gash across his cheek which magic struggled to heal, the heartbreak in his expression. He hadn't looked this bad since the four of them had begun to spend the full moons together.

And it was all his fault.

"I didn't think I-"

"You didn't think?" Remus' voice was low and emotionless, but it broke on the last word.

"I'm so sorry. Snape really pissed me off, I just said it without thinking. I swear I didn't mean to use you like that."

"I guess if you didn't mean it, it's okay." There was a hollow resignation in his voice, and Sirius felt his stomach plummet.

"Moony, I swear I didn't. I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I'm a fucking idiot, you don't deserve-"

"You're not an idiot, Sirius," he said in that same, empty voice. "Don't say that."

"Stop being so fucking reasonable! Tell me you hate me! Tell me how I let you down. Tell me how I betrayed you and how you never want to see me again-"

Tears fell down both boys' cheeks. The side of Remus' mouth lifted into a sad, gentle smile.

"It's fine, Padfoot. It doesn't matter."

"Moony, please. Please just shout at me. Throw something at me. Scream at me…"

Sometimes, Sirius wanted Remus to shout.

But of course, he didn't.

Remus doesn't shout.

[thebreakfastgenie]

Jump-scared by ya boy

At least they used this picture of him and not the Piano Man album cover.

[vorfreudevortex]

apologies

✧.* gojo, geto, nanami, toji, choso, sukuna, yuji, megumi, noritoshi, ino, inumaki, yuta

notes: a somewhat happier resolution and part two of arguments! thank you for reading <3

✧.* check out the fun facts after the attachments for background info about their fights and a look inside my brain hehe!

my masterlist

© vorfreudevortex | all rights reserved. do not copy, translate, repost, or otherwise share my work.

satoru cried in his office when he realized that he blamed you for something that wasn't your fault.

suguru's coworker sat on his lap as part of a weird inside joke everyone else at the school has between the two. he has no idea why he was so defensive to you and he truly wasn't cheating. he was so angry that you would believe he cheated that he started calling you out for the first thing he could think of, wearing revealing tops in public. satoru had to call you 8 times before you picked up and let him explain it to you. he's forcing her to transfer to kyoto so she never has the chance to hurt your relationship again (remember that suguru never left and became a teacher alongside satoru in my aus). the pictures sent to the reader leave out how suguru uncomfortably asked her to get off of him shortly after, since they were around other sorcerers and teachers (as politely as he could).

kento came home with so many flowers for you and he still feels awful.

toji's dumbass freaked tf out when you took home your clothes from his place. he was out drinking and gambling and didn't want to tell you. your relationship is rocky for a while but he hasn't gambled since.

choso is still learning communication skills and cried when he realized that he was being mean to you over nothing.

sukuna is a terrible texter and does NOT communicate his feelings well. this is him being vulnerable af with you because he really does love you and has no idea why he was grabbing another girl's ass at the bar. he tried to chase you down after you threw a drink on him, slapped and yelled at him, and ran out.

yuji completely panicked when a curse attacked him out of nowhere when he was out with you. you can't see them and you were so confused and scared that you couldn't move. he just cares about you so much and couldn't stand the fact that you could've died. he made megumi listen to him cry about how mean he was to you for like 3 straight hours.

megumi has no idea how to deal with his emotions and has never been in a relationship before so he literally thought you guys were broken up LMAO. he's trying really hard for you.

in my au toge can speak, just not direct commands, so he still rarely talks unless necessary. i thought it would be nice to have the reader understand that all of his communication skills are terrible and help him work on them.

noritoshi has a terrible outlook on love and relationships from his upbringing so it took him a minute to understand how awful his words were. he truly does love you and wants to marry you. he lowkey constantly thinks about cutting off the kamo clan so they can't control his life anymore.

ino literally cried to nanami after your argument. he's so used to putting jujutsu responsibilities before his own life and feelings, and struggles with having to take care of something that can't be fixed with his power or strength. nanami also called you and apologized for meddling in your relationship, he realized it was inappropriate but he just really cares about you and ino and wants the best for both of you.

yuta literally didn't even realize how insane and controlling he was being until you called him out. after he took you home, he latched onto you with his head crammed in your lap because he was so upset thinking that you might leave him. he swears to himself that he will kill himself before he treats you like that again, and he never does it again.

i don't like when big argument smaus end with "no biggie i forgive you! <3" so i tried to make sure that the reader either made sure they know they fucked up big time, apologized and talked to them face-to-face, they'd never do it again, or you wouldn't forgive them so easily, etc.

sorry this was so long! but i love knowing the background info and author's thoughts for smaus since they can be kind of limiting in content! i think i'll add background info and fun facts after all my future smaus for those who are interested. as always thank you so much for reading ♡

[lenaswritingandstuff]

Dating the Slytherin boys (+ Harry) ▪ HEADCANONS

Requested: No

Characters: Mattheo Riddle, Tom Riddle, Theodore Nott, Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Regulus Black, Harry Potter (+ y/n)

Warnings: NSFW mentions, English is not my first language

A/N: I'm not sure I like this but here we go. However I have to say I like Regulus' one so I might turn his version into a one shot one day (when uni won't be killing me slowly). This will include also the pre-dating/flirting stage as well. SORRY FOR THE TYPOS. Comments and feedback are always appreciated. Enjoy! ^^

Tag list: @helendeath @im-jesus

Tag list for this story: @anawritez-posts @pumpkinchee @alwayslatetothefandoms

Mattheo Riddle:

His feelings for you probably confused him at first 

If he falls first, he either won’t let you know or will do everything to get your attention (‘Hey, y/n, come sit here, the seat is free!”, “y/n, do you mind helping me with homework for Snape? I can’t bloody do it”, “How about we go to Hogsmeade, just you and me?”, “you look beautiful, y/n”)

Your love for him always calms him when he gets anxious or when he’s upset, especially after his father comes back

Will tell you things he never told anyone

Would rather spend time with you than with his friends

Is terrified something will happen to you because of his father 

VERY jealous, but trusts you

Despite easily getting angry, he can’t get mad at you. Even during arguments 

LOVES sleeping in your arms or when you just hold him

He's crazy about your body

Loves showering with you, and we both know how it often ends

HOT, passionate sex

Will randomly eat you out without expecting anything in return (doesn't mind if you return the favor, though)

100% calls you "baby" or "love" all the time

Doesn’t care about what anyone thinks of him as long as you love him

Your love makes him feel lighter and stronger

You're his whole world

Feels bad when he hears someone criticize you for dating him 

Always makes sure you don’t overwork yourself, and makes sure you get enough sleep, water and food, and comforts you when you're anxious

Holds your hands when he's anxious or stressed

Will listen to anything you have to say 

Crazy about your perfume

Theodore Nott:

Struggles to express his love or feelings in general, at least in the beginning 

Has never done serious relationships before, and it may cause some trouble in your relationship, as you end up believing he doesn’t care about you

It causes many fights, and the last one will be the first time he says ‘I love you’

Always goes to you for comfort 

Loves sleeping with you in his arms/on his laps, or cuddling, and with time he can’t sleep without you

Loves watching you sleep 

Loves having you on his lap

Always gets you great gifts (even randomly)

“Well, it thought it was pretty, and…it reminded me of you.”

Will fight any guy who is rude to you or acts like a creep 

Very jealous (trusts you, doesn’t trust others)

Doesn’t mind PDA at all, will gladly hold your hand or kiss you in public

Always has a hand on your waist or around your shoulders 

Very supportive in everything you do, even when he doesn’t understand it/isn’t really interested in it

Isn’t very good with comforting people (mostly because he's not used to it), but will hold you and listen to you as long as you need, can even give you advice/reassurance 

Every compliment/'I love you' you say melts his heart and means much more to him than he shows, same goes for anything you do for him

Loves doing fun things, even if it’s just throwing snowballs at each other during winter (which ends in loving kisses, just savouring the joy of being together)  

Love getting in a pool with you and playing "childish" games during summer

Any form of intimacy means A LOT to him 

He's used to hooks up and "fucking" but it takes him a bit of time to have sex with you (despite being crazy about you and your body) because you mean everything to him and with you it's really making love instead of just "fucking"

The first time is loving and slow yet passionnate (eye contact at all times, hands holding, desperate kisses from him), and it gets a bit rougher and passionate the next times (but aftercare, which he isn't used to, is always on point and keeps getting better)

Is secretly very insecure, and is terrified you will leave him (especially for another “better” guy) 

Craves your touch and your love but won’t admit it

His boggart is probably you being dead alongside his mother

Will tell you sweets things in Italian

Very clingy in private - and also in public with time

With you he learns to be happier and discovers a happier side of himself he didn't know he had

Loves you much more than he actually shows at first 

Will often say you're all he has (and means it)

But with time, you have no reason to doubt his love and he’s the perfect boyfriend

Blaise Zabini:

Probably will court you like the gentleman he is

He doesn’t trust people easily and might be a little distant (while always polite and kind) in the early stages of your relationship 

But with time he becomes very warm and smiles a lot

Always kisses the top of your hand or your forehead 

Doesn’t do much PDA except for holding hands and kisses on your forehead

However in private he’ll 100% cuddle you and hold you

Dates in parks or restaurants  

Get you flowers at least once a month

Will always defend you against others 

One of his love languages is acts of service

Lorenzo Berkshire:

You either were friends before dating or he fell in love with you at first sight, there is no in between

Takes you on fun dates (arcade, funfair, theme parks) 

Can be shy at the beginning, which will make it a bit hard for him to talk about how he feels about you

Movie nights where you two eats lots of snacks and sweets while cuddling 

Always smiles when you enter a room

So supportive 

Loves when you're on his lap

He has no problem with PDA

Quickly willing to meet your family if you agree

He’s a great listener and mostly gives good advices 

Loves taking naps with you 

Always makes you sure you get enough sleep, water and food

Won’t let you get yourself into dangerous situations

Loves to go anywhere with you, no matter the activity and even if he just follows you around 

Many pet names

If you're Muggleborn or grew up among Muggles, he will totally ask you questions about the muggle world

Passionnate sex, will get rough if he hasn't seen you in a long time or if it's angry sex after he got jealous

His aftercare is the best, and he's always thankful you trust him enough to have that form of intimacy with him

Draco Malfoy:

Won’t flirt at first with you but keeps wanting your attention

Tries to seduce you with expensive gifts, and is a bit taken aback when you say he doesn’t work

Continues to get you gifts, but will make sure they match your interests/tastes, and keeps expensive gifts for your birthdays and Christmas (even though he’d like to get them all year for you) 

At first he doesn't show any weakness in your presence

With you he’ll learn patience and to focus of more positive things, and also to stand up to his father

Takes you on dates every chance he gets

Will ditch his friends to spend time with you

Probably makes Crabbe and Goyle carry your bags or do things for you

So proud to be dating you, it might even make him more arrogant

Gets grumpy when jealous but after a kiss on the cheek he’s back to his normal self 

Will invite you to his home and write you nearly everyday during holidays

Hates it when Harry or any Gryffindor boy tries to talk to you

Surprisingly has no problem with PDA

Loves when you come to see him play during Quidditch matches

Tom Riddle:

Oh boy

It started with him admiring/watching you from afar, for a reason he can’t understand

SUPER confused by what he feels for you and why

Will probably try to get closer to you through homework or through books if he sees you read one

Will know everything about you, and will secretly follow you, saving you if you’re in danger with you never knowing who saved you

Crazy about your perfume, so much so that it makes him steal one of your clothes just to be able to smell it anytime he wants

After a while, he’ll spend most of his time with you without ever admitting he likes it

Will probably let you know his feelings for you after he cast a spell on a guy for being a creep with you 

Won’t let another man touch you

Will ask Mattheo for advice to be better or to make you fall in love with him

Will do your homework without hesitation, even if he pretends that he hates it, and will leave explanations so you understand his answers/his work

No PDA except for holding hands or your hand under his arm, but will make sure to stay close to you at all times 

Is a surprisingly good listener 

VERY jealous, but surprisingly isn’t mad or suspicious at you

“Did you enjoy having his attention? Do you wish for me to show you how my attention is better?” 

He doesn't stress over homework or stuff like that, so he finds it ridiculous when you do (learns with time to be more understanding)

Will let flowers in your room with a note on it

Pretends to not care about the gifts you get him for his birthday or Christmas but it actually means so much to him as no one ever got him any gifts before 

Nothing the others say about him gets to him, but he gets angry when he hears someone say that you deserve better than him

Is secretly insecure about his background and the fact that he’s poor, and thinks you deserve better 

As Voldemort: Might be torn between continuing his goals for power or spending a simple life with you; is aware you’ll leave him if he gets on a darker path 

As Voldemort’s son: would do everything to protect you from his father, and if he’s forced to get the Dark Mark, he will makes sure you don’t know 

Possessive kisses 

Would hurt anyone who does you wrong

Borrows money from Draco to take you on dates or to get you gifts, as he feels like you deserve the nicest things, even though you keep telling him his mere presence is enough

May feel a little bit guilty that he can’t properly show you his love like “normal” boyfriends do 

Won’t admit it but considers you the only good thing in his life, and if he ever lost you he’d get on a dark path

Won’t cuddle at first, but if you wake up first you’ll find him sleeping close to you, with at least one of his hands touching you

Always notices when you don’t eat, sleep or drink enough

You’re the first (and only) person he will feel romantic love for

He has a bit of sexual experience before, but with you it's completely different - once you guys have sex for the first time, he becomes obsessed with your body and how it makes him feel

Loves fingering you

"You like it, dove?"

Even if you guys don’t work out, he won’t ever be with somebody else 

Would ask your parents for you hand in marriage, but honestly it's just out of politeness, the only answer that matters to him is yours

Regulus Black:

Like Blaise, he was raised the old fashioned way

Acts coldly towards everyone except you, his tone and eyes gets warmer and kinder when talking/looking at you, and you’re the only person he’ll smile at

You were his best (and only) friend and he has been in love with you for years

He hides his feelings very well, but one day you start dating someone else (thinking Regulus doesn’t share your feelings) but he can’t bear it and confesses his feelings

Always defends you

He’ll take you on restaurants or picnics dates, always bringing flowers

Mostly fine with PDA (holding hands, hands on your waist)

Thinks he’s very lucky to have you

Probably already starts thinking of marrying you during your last year at Hogwarts 

A bit jealous, but can’t stand it when Sirius tries to talk to you

Will gladly do your homework with/for you

Loves it when you sleep in each other’s arms, loves feeling you close

Loves it when you call him “Reggie” (only you is allowed to)

Will literally do everything you ask him to

You’re everything to him

Can’t stay away from you for long

Will get worried if you’re five minutes late

Always calls you “sweetheart” or “love”/”my love” 

Slow, romantic sex most of the time but sometimes he needs to be rougher

Thanks to you he’ll feel lighter and he will become kinder

You’ll even make him change his views on blood purity and stand up to his parents, and with time he gets closer to Sirius thanks to that (and you) 

If that doesn’t change and he still joins Voldemort, he’ll leave you a letter before going to the cavern, saying how much he loves you and how much you mean to him

Harry Potter:

Don’t expect any pet names from him, but he might create a nickname with your name (like he calls Ginny ‘Gin’ in the Cursed Child) 

His love languages are fierce protectiveness, loyalty and a patience he didn’t knew he had

Has no problem with PDA because he doesn’t care about what other people think  

Loves cuddles

Rarely gets mad at you, and feels guilty when he does

Mostly gets mad at you when you hurt yourself (for example during Quidditch) but it's also because he was scared for you

Hot kisses in private

Will be jealous if he sees you with another guy 

He’s passionate in a lot of things he does, and it includes you and everything you do

Will fiercely defend you again anyone, can even throw hands

Gets FURIOUS when Umbridge hurts you during detention, and will cuddle you for hours and do everything he can to make the pain disappear

Knows people are mean to you during fifth year because you're dating him and he hates it

During that year the only peace he feels is when he's holding you or when you sleep in his arms (it's also the only time he doesn't get nightmares)

Very supportive 

Loves getting you gifts 

You make him feel SO happy, he’ll just keep smiling for no reason 

Gets more and more clingy with time

Always write to you during the holidays (you always invite him to come to your house)

I'm not sure about sex while you guys are at Hogwarts but he 100% feels lust for you, there will definitely be hot making sessions when you guys are alone in a dark corner of the castle and it often ends up with you against the wall with your legs around his waist while he kisses your neck and caresses your legs

However sometimes he just can't stop himself and will eat you out (even maybe finger you at the same time), and will be proud when you come

Any act of service you do for him means a lot

You're always worried about him when he's at the Dursleys but he reassures you that he's fine

Comes to you in the middle of the night if he has a nightmare and generally comes to you for comfort or to rant 

Needs you more than ever after Voldemort comes back and after Sirius’ death 

Misses you like crazy during his quest for Horcruxes, and he can’t bear the thought of something happening to you 

Might struggle to show it, but he knows and is thankful of how patient and comprehensive you are with him, and that makes him want to be the best boyfriend he can be

Terrified Voldemort might hurt/kill you

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[covid-safer-hotties]

To My Unmasked Friend in the Fifth Year of COVID - By: Anna Holmes - Published Aug 17, 2024

I’m going to be honest with you, because I love you, and you deserve nothing but honesty. I’m going to try really hard not to be angry while I do it, but it’s probably going to slip out every now and again. But I need you to hear me out, all right?

By now, we’ve talked about my reality. My personal struggle with long COVID, the isolation I live in, why I am so angry all the time.

But let’s talk about you. You just went to a big convention overseas. You got on a plane, got a little gussied up, talked shop with some insiders, geeked out over awards and merch, ate, drank, were merry, left with your social cup and your heart full.

You’re a good person. We wouldn’t be friends otherwise! You’d never dream of tripping a person with a red and white cane, using the r-word, excluding a disabled person from an event because of something they can’t help.

You might even acknowledge that the COVID response from governments and organizations has been ableist and inadequate.

But you didn’t wear a mask.

For whatever reason — you wanted to show off your makeup, it makes you itchy, you believed the messaging that COVID is endemic (what does that actually mean?), you just don’t think about it anymore — you made a choice that actively excludes people like me from participating not only in an event like a convention, but society at large. And yes, it is a choice. Every time you step out into the world without a mask on your face, you have made a decision that your very good reason, whatever it is, supersedes the right of disabled and at-risk people to exist safely in your orbit.

Well, hold on, you say. It’s not any one individual’s fault, it’s the inadequate public health messaging. Isn’t that what you’ve been saying?

And I have. In the past, I have talked about how it is unconscionable that health authorities have thrown their hands up and rescinded guidance that would have saved hundreds of thousands of lives and prolonged a pandemic that, to hear them tell it, has been bested. It hasn’t. Worst of all, the financial motivation that we all know is driving this premature victory lap isn’t even being fulfilled. Long COVID and other post-COVID complications are costing the global economy one trillion a year. Meanwhile, article after article handwrings about nobody wanting to work anymore, about the sagging college application scene, about declines in military enlistment, and the strain on our healthcare systems.

All of this is very much the fault of our leaders, who have decided the political ramifications of “normalcy” are more important than the health and lives of the 400 million people living with long COVID across the globe, the immunocompromised folks who are increasingly being shut out of every conceivable public space, and the disabled community which has been screaming into the wind about our marginalization since before the virus even hit US soil.

But I want to be very clear. You are helping them do this.

The reality is that we have been living in this deeply flawed landscape of “personal choice”, and you’ve made yours. You’ve opted not to look into how densely clustered cases are. You’ve stopped listening to your friends who have informed themselves. You’ve given yourself permission to put COVID on the back burner. You’ve earned it, right? Four and a half years of trauma?

COVID doesn’t care if you’re tired of being scared or careful or considerate. COVID is not something you can personally overcome by being smart or virtuous or brave. It is a virus which only seeks to infect and replicate, and it is getting very good at those things. While you’ve looked away, my community has been scrambling to avoid variants that skirt immunity and don’t show up on rapid tests until day five-seven. The constant battle has changed since you were last in it. It’s not sufficient anymore to get your shots and test before a big event. You could well be asymptomatic and infectious, or have symptoms and convinced yourself it can’t be COVID because that second line hasn’t popped up.

You have come to the conclusion sometime between 2022 and now that you just have to decide what level of risk you’re comfortable with and live with it. The problem with that is scale. It’s you and everybody else doing that, and a lot of people have decided they are comfortable with a high level of risk. Despite what you’ve been told, you’re not just making that decision for yourself. You are making it for every person you come in contact with.

Think back to the early tense days of 2020. We were told to select a “bubble.” Those people would be our social lifelines, and through those, we could control our exposure.

My bubble is quite small. It includes my husband, my sister, and two friends I see relatively frequently.

My husband goes to work via the bus, and to the grocery store. Every person he comes in contact with there has the potential to infect him, and then he has the potential to pass it along to me. He mitigates this by wearing a well-fitted respirator at all times.

My sister goes to work at a busy public place. She masks when public facing and takes it off in the back office. She goes to restaurants, bars, concerts, hangs out with friends and her own partner unmasked. About 75% of her interactions have the heightened potential to infect her, which she might then bring into my house when she visits me.

My friends do not mask anywhere except my house when asked. They attend concerts, shows, cons, bars.

Obviously, I am in control of whether I wear a mask around these people. And as we approach one million new cases a day, I will be around everyone but my husband. But science is clear: reciprocal masking is more effective at infection control than a single person masking — especially when that single person is trying to protect themselves, not others.

This is settled science. We’ve known this since 2020. It says clearly that the choice you make is not personal- it has implications for everyone you come in contact with.

And being clear — if I could, I’d make everyone wear a mask for their own health. I don’t want people suffering with what I have. But you’ve been told this lie that you can take your risks for yourself, so you feel comfortable going out without a mask. You’ve been told this lie that it’s possible to completely recover from a COVID infection, so you assume that even if you do catch it, that’s what’ll happen to you, despite evidence showing that every body is indelibly changed by an infection, and that risk only grows with each subsequent infection.

And the greatest lie of all — that only the sick or elderly have anything to fear from COVID — has given you unfounded confidence in your own “good” genes or immune system or fitness. You can get long COVID even if you’re in peak form — in fact, may even be more likely to be hit hard.

So you have decided, individually and collectively, that only the sick or elderly should have to take precautions, and you freewheel through life, only to get surprised and dismayed when you bump into COVID in the wild. It’s back, people declare every summer or winter, as though it ever left.

But I want you to really think about the implications of your choice. Besides yourself. Because let’s be honest here, that’s who you’ve been thinking about, right? Your risk. Your comfort. Never mind your bubble, never mind the bubble of everyone you come into contact with, never mind the people like me who are literally hiding from people like you.

You’re not masking at the doctor’s office. You’re not masking at the airport. You’re not masking at the giant superspreader you just attended, and you’re not masking in the bars and restaurants where we know the virus flourishes. And then you’re bringing that exposure back to your family and friends. Back to the grocery store, where you run across people like my husband, shopping for someone who is unsafe to leave the house, or your elderly neighbors, or an immunocompromised employee.

You’re a good person, or you like to think of yourself that way. That’s why when you’re asked to mask, you dismiss it out of hand — because that changed behavior implies that you’ve been doing something wrong.

And my friend, I’m telling this because I love you: you have been. You might have been doing that on faulty information, but be honest with yourself and with me — you’ve heard me begging people to take this seriously. You’ve seen the information I’ve been sharing. You have had the opportunity to seek out the correct information all along, and you have chosen not to.

It isn’t too late to change your view of the risk you’re imposing on the people around you. It’s not too late to push public health to become more effective. It’s not too late to act in solidarity and be the inclusive person you think you are. It’s not too late to take care of yourself.

Ultimately, that’s what I have been screaming myself hoarse about. I don’t want you to end up with what I have. I don’t want you to inadvertently impose that on someone else. And yes, I’ve been angry, because you’ve been advertising your absolute lack of concern with group shots of your naked faces on social media. It doesn’t seem to bother you that I am stuck at home like it’s 2020, except for doctors’ appointments that I literally have to risk my life to go to. You’ve told yourself that it’s not your problem, because only the sick and elderly have to take precautions.

You know better. You can do better. For your community, yourself, and me, do better.

Please. I love you.

Anna

PS. If you’re feeling upset and embarrassed right now, the best thing you can do is take action. Get yourself good masks (the surgicals and cloth ones don’t cut it anymore), donate to mask blocs so others can access good masks, write to your representatives and the President, comment on upcoming CDC guidance, schedule yourself a booster, and talk to your loved ones about doing better, too. The only way we get out of this is with community care. So care.

[inkskinned]

no, but really, we need to talk about the casual objectification that has become the fallback discourse of the internet: if you're pretty and dressed nicely, you're a slut. and if you're even vaguely outside of their body standard, you're fucking disgusting.

too-frequently, people position sex workers as being "the problem". they sneer you're addicted to pornography, you don't know what a real woman looks like. but real women are in pornography. the real bodies on display are not the issue here: the issue is that other people feel extremely confident when commenting on someone's physique.

2000's super-thin is slowly worming its way back into the public ideal. recently i saw someone get told to "go for a run", despite the fact she was on the thinner side of average. not that it would ever be appropriate to say that: but it's kind of like sticker shock when you see it. people think that is fat? holy shit. do they just have no idea about things?

but what are you going to do about it? that's the problem, right. because chances are - you're a normal person. we can say normalize carrying fat on your body, but we are not the billion-dollar diet industry. we are not the billion-dollar fashion industry. we are just, like. people. who are trying to make content on the internet, without being treated shittily.

as someone who has been on both sides of things: you are treated better when you are thin and pretty. this is statistically correct. i am not saying that you cannot be bullied for being thin; i'm saying there are objective institutional biases against certain bodytypes. there are videos of men and women who lost weight all saying: i now know for a fact exactly how much worse you're treated. in the comments, some asshole inevitably says something akin to you deserved to be dehumanized when you were fat.

which means that ... the easiest thing to do is be pretty and thin. it is the path of least resistance, because of course it is, because any time you post a picture of yourself without a thigh gap, someone immediately comments something like you need to try a diet.

the other half is also dehumanizing though, huh, just in a different way. when i put on makeup and nice clothes, i am told i slept my way to the top as a professional. do you know how many women in STEM have told me they purposefully dress to "unimpress" because they already struggle to be taken seriously and if they're ever considered pretty - it for some reason takes away from their authority.

so they make it seem like it's your fault. you, existing in a body - it's your fault! if you didn't want shitty comments, don't have a body. they position us against each other like chess pieces; vying for male attention we don't even need.

and i can be an authority on this unless you think i'm fat and unattractive. when i am pretty and thin, i'm an activist. when i am just a normal person who makes a good point: i am immediately dismissed. nobody fucking believes you if you're not seen as attractive. you literally lose value. you cease to exist.

but the whole time, it feels like - is anyone actually grounded the fuck in reality? the line of "pretty and thin" keeps shifting. nobody seems to understand what "a normal weight" even looks like, because it's not something that exists - you cannot tell a person's health by looking at their body. even if you think you could tell that, even if you're sure a person is dangerously overweight - people are not your dolls. they do not need to be dressed up or displayed properly to soothe your aesthetics. you aren't concerned for them, you're stealing their agency. you don't get to say if they're "allowed" to take pictures and post them on the internet - you don't get to tell them how to exist.

people hide behind "the obesity epidemic" without any actual qualifications. they crow things about "normalizing unhealthiness".

but it's bullshit. i have visible abs. there is a pair of parallel lines on my body, even when i'm relaxed; where my obliques meet my abdominal wall. i am proud of this because it means i'm strong, because i overcame an eating disorder only to be ripped as fuck. it is genetic and physical luck that i even get any definition, i'm pleased as punch.

but it does mean that my abdominal wall sticks out a little bit. the other day i posted a video of myself dancing, and, for a moment, my shirt slipped. you could see a little bit of my stomach. i was cartwheeling to the floor. moments before this, i'd had my foot over my head.

a guy slid into my DMs. a row of vomiting emojis prefaced: you should really lose some weight before you think about dancing.

i stared at it for a long time. there was a time when i would have been triggered by this, where it would have encouraged me to starve myself. i would have ignored the fact i'm flexible, agile, good at jumping: i would have lost the weight for a stranger's passing comment. i would have found myself and my body fucking disgusting.

and for what? to please what? because why? so that he can exist in this world without an unchallenged eyeball? what would my self-hatred even accomplish? usually i write paragraphs. obviously. on this particular occasion, in this body i've been at war with for ages: i just felt exhausted.

it shouldn't be even worth saying. it shouldn't be hard to explain. all of this emotional turmoil when he cannot even comprehend the most basic truth: i am not an object on display for him.

[lordprettyflackotara]

Jeff the killer SFW & NSFW headcannon’s:

SFW:

-ahh yes our lil emo boy who played with fire

-100% does not believe in haircuts. you will have to be the one to force him

-if you let him he will live off of beef jerky and dr pepper

-only finds showering necessary when he's soaked in blood, which just so happens to be almost every night. so TECHNICALLY jeff is clean but not because of regular hygiene ideals

-certified yapper. finds himself having the most in common with ben, but has a tendency to hangout with EJ, its more along the line of opposites attract kinda thing

-loves rock/alternative/'emo' music. room is covered in band posters and everything is black

-his cheeks remain raw and uncut, they never heal/scar. he constantly has to use eye drops and uses a wet washcloth to cover his eyes when he sleeps

-speaking of sleep, is lowkey an insomniac. hes got loads of unaddressed trauma, he has lots of night terrors and prefers to stay awake if possible

-slept with jane once when they were teenagers, its how he lost his v card. (she thinks he was absolutely terrible in bed, thus why he will never admit this to anyone and claims he was drunk)

-LIVES in hoodies. you will never find this man in another form of clothing. skinny jeans and basketball shorts are his go to

-liu stays at the Trenderman mansion, so he never sees him. he never has to address his guilt or remorse, and he prefers it that way.

-tries to be a great big brother to sally, since he was a shitty one to liu

NSFW:

-knife kink, obviously

-however I dont think Jeff has a blood kink. despite public belief, jeff IS a horndog, but only has the confidence to actually hook up with someone he cares about. he'd love to see you hurt but in other ways <3

-choking, spitting, bruises, slapping, and hair pulling are on the roster

-with his knife he likes to tease you with it. watching goosebumps raise across your skin and the hair on the back of your neck stand up is erotic as fuck for him.

-'Shh, don't move. Might nip ya'

-I think its fairly obvious Jeff's a rough dom, his egotistical attitude not faltering in the bedroom. there is nothing soft about jeff and his love making skills

-however that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to fuck you senseless

-‘your whimpers are so cute doll’

-likes to manhandle you. fucking you against walls, the floor. hes like a rabid dog

-jeff has a high sex drive. he could go without nutting for a day but that’s about it

-likes to nibble at your earlobe. the way your body melts under his is intoxicating

-prefers to receive rather than give. something about face fucking you and abusing your tiny little throat sends him into a feral frenzy

-‘fuckin take it slut. swallow it all’

-prefers pounding you into the mattress, your face buried in the sheets. he likes to grip your hair while you struggle to breathe against the sheets as he fucks you raw

-refuses to wear a condom but steals you lots of birth control and plan b. he refuses to procreate‼️

[myseungsunglove]

First Pitch | Ksm

Pairing: Kim Seungmin x reader 

Warnings: angsty, wrapped in fluff

Word Count:  1.2k

𖠫Summary: Seungmin struggles to understand why his fiance can’t be by his side on one of the most important days of his life. 

✎A/N✎: This has just been floating around in my head since Seungmin threw his first pitch. It’s nothing special, but I’m kind of in love with it. Hope someone out there likes it, if any of you remember that I actually write since it’s been over a month. hides in shame 

◠ ◡ ◠᭚ιαᵕ̈

「©  April 11, 2024 by myseungsunglove」

You sit in the car on the drive to the stadium and the mood is somber. Seungmin is nervous about throwing the first pitch of the game between the All Korea team and the LA Dodgers, a team that he has always admired. 

Couple that with the fact that you aren't allowed to be there with him during one of the biggest moments of his life and you could cut the tension in the car with a knife. Seungmin had wanted you by his side for the first pitch and the company had given the both of you a resounding no. You understood why, and at the end of the day, you believe that Seungmin did too, but it didn’t mean that he was happy about it. 

“Explain it to me one more time,” he mutters, interlacing his long fingers with yours as he glares at the back of the manager's head. “Like I’m five.” You know the anger isn’t necessarily directed at your manager, but when Seungmin has his mind set on something that seems logical to him, he just can’t let it go. He is stubborn that way.

The manager sighs audibly from the front seat, his shoulders rising and falling visibly as he turns to face the two of you. 

“Seungmin, we’ve gone over this many times,” he responds patiently, avoiding the discussion altogether. 

“So go over it again,” Seungmin snaps. 

“Seung,” you whisper beside him, squeezing his hand gently. He doesn’t look at you. 

“Please,” he adds for your benefit. 

The manager blinks slowly at him, empathy coupled with patience etched on his face. 

“Y/n would be the only member of SKZ that is here with you when everyone else’s schedules are too busy,” your manager starts. "Frankly, her schedule is too busy to even be here as long as she is."

“Y/n is the only member of SKZ that I’m engaged to, so it makes sense that she’s here,” Seungmin retorts. “I fail to see the issue.” 

The manager sighs heavily. 

“You are well aware that the public doesn’t know that. They don’t even know you’re together. If she is the only one to show up at your first pitch, people will talk. Everyone will speculate. They already do and this will just add fuel to the fire.”

“Let them talk,” Seungmin says with a shrug, his brow set. He’s nothing if not determined. 

“Minnie,” you whisper beside him. His attention is pulled away from the manager, his frustrated puppy eyes turning on you like a weapon. “If I’m the only one here, if people start to talk, this event, this huge opportunity for you becomes about us and what we are. It’s no longer about this awesome opportunity that you are getting,” you tell him. "If even one of the guys could have come too, maybe it would be different, but you know we're preparing for the fanmeeting and a comeback. There is no time." You squeeze his hand gently. "But I made time."

He scowls at you, but it’s soft, as he considers your argument.

“I know,” he relents, looking down at your clasped hands, rubbing over the top of your hand gently. His cheeks puff out in frustration and he blows all the air from them before he speaks again. “But I need you there,” he whines. 

It isn't often that Seungmin admits that he needs anyone. His confession makes your heart clench in your chest. You’ve never seen him this nervous before. Not even when he proposed to you. 

With your free hand, you gently place your palm against his cheek and lift his face so that you are eye to eye. 

“I love you more than the air I breathe, Kim Seungmin,” you tell him. 

He leans in and kisses you. It’s soft and slow, his hands parting from yours so that he can grab your waist and pull you into his arms. When he pulls away a little breathless, you speak again. 

“And I will be there,” you assure him. Your manager turns around to look at you, a slightly concerned look on his face. You scowl back at him, a look that tells him you’ve got this under control and to chill out. “I won’t be right beside you, but I've got a seat right behind the catcher. I’ll have the best seat in the house. I’ll be able to see your pretty face and the best opening pitch anyone has ever seen,” you tell him. 

His forehead falls against yours with a sigh. 

“You’ll arrange for me to meet y/n before the game starts to say goodbye before she heads back to the company? After I’ve thrown the pitch?” he asks. The question directed at your manager. 

“We already have,” he says. 

Seungmin’s big brown boba eyes meet yours and they have softened from the start of the conversation. 

“Okay,” he says, resigned, his hands dancing along your thighs nervously like he still has more to say. “Can I have a minute with my fiancé?” he asks. It's not really a question. You realize that the car has parked in a garage at the stadium. You're in a corner away from prying eyes. With tinted windows, no one would know there was anyone in the car. “Alone,” he emphasizes with a small possessive growl. You can’t help the smirk that slips onto your face. 

Without any pushback, the manager and the driver get out of the car and walk a respectable distance away. 

Seungmin wastes no time pulling you onto his lap so that you are straddling him. You sigh longingly as his hands gently caress your face and pull your lips to his. This kiss is hungry, needy. His soft mouth is insistent as his tongue slips past your lips to taste you. His hands have wandered down your body and up under the back of your shirt, the pads of his fingers dancing along your back as he kisses you breathless. 

“Want to tell them,” he mumbles against your mouth, his breath heavy against your lips. “No more secrets,” he adds, kissing you hard again. 

You can’t help the moan that escapes your throat and the thrill that runs through your body at his words. Seungmin doesn’t want your relationship to be behind closed doors anymore. 

“You want everyone to know?” you ask when you're forced to pull away again, your breath coming in short, quick gasps. 

“Yes,” he answers simply, gazing into your eyes. “I can’t have another big moment like this where you can’t be right there with me,” he confesses. “You’re my everything, Y/N,” he looks at you with glassy boba eyes, the emotions he is feeling threatening to overflow. “I need you.” 

You hold his face in yours and stare into his eyes. 

“We’ll talk to Chan and our manager tonight about how to move forward,” you agree. “Surely they knew this was coming sooner rather than later. We’ve been engaged for nearly six months,” you chuckle softly. 

He smiles brightly at you then and you can’t help but return the gesture. He kisses you quick as you move to get off his lap. 

“Alright, my baseball player Kim Seungmin. You’ve got to get out of here and go show them how kick ass you are,” you tell him, kissing him on the cheek. 

He chuckles shyly, your favorite sound only second to his beautiful voice, as he moves to open the door, his shoulders shaking out his shirt like he does when he gets a little nervous. You love that you can still make him flustered even with a simple compliment.

He holds his hand out for you to grab, pulling you from the car and into his waiting arms where he kisses you once more. 

“One for good luck,” he smiles against your lips. 

“Not that you’ll need it,” you tell him, kissing him slowly. 

“Love you,” he whispers against your lips. 

“You better,” you smile up at him. “Cause I’m not going anywhere, Kim Seungmin.”

[biblomaniac]

Supercorp headcanon:

The realization is almost startling. Kara hasn’t called her by her name in what seems to be a long time. They’ve seen each other nearly every day in the months following Alex and Kelly’s wedding, and yet Kara had said her given name only a handful of times, and only out in public.

Once Lena recognizes this curious phenomenon, she decides, as a scientist, that she needs empirical evidence to prove she hasn’t deluded herself into believing a fantasy. Over a two week period, Lena record dates, times, events, situations, and surrounding bystanders, and how each correlates to a different pet names from Kara.

By the end of the fortnite, the brunette has amassed a relatively large amount of data. Lena found that Kara called her:

Baby- 27 times

Babe- 15 times

Sweetheart- 10 times

Honey- 4 times

Lena is astounded to realize that:

1. She and Kara spend A LOT of time together; and

2. Kara has only called her by her name three times (two at The Foundation during a press conference, and one at CatCo when Lena dropped by to bring her favorite new Editor in Chief lunch.

Armed with proof, Lena plans to confront Kara when they meet tonight before game night. Unsurprisingly, Kara has already begun setting up snacks and games when Lena unlocks the door to what has become her shared apartment with Kara. Surprisingly, Lena didn’t have to find any sort of awkward segue to begin the conversation.

“Baby, what last game do you think we should set out for tonight? We played clue last week, but the last time we played monopoly it kind of got out of hand.”

“I wouldn’t say, ‘out of hand,’ Kara.”

“Babe, you bankrupted everyone and refused to end the game until Alex admitted you were the queen of monopoly. We do not need to have a repeat performance of that now that Esme will be coming.”

“Fine, let’s just play Candyland. Esme will enjoy it and she won’t have to struggle to keep up with the adults for this one.”

“Perfect idea, honey. Thanks for helping me pick,” Kara says as she finishes setting up and turns back around to face Lena.

Knowing there is no better opportunity than now, Lena asks if they can talk. If Kara swallows after she agrees, no one has to know. Lena leads Kara to the couch; they sit close enough to grasp hands if necessary but far enough to move their arms or legs without brushing against one another.

“Kara, why have you been calling me all these nicknames?”

“What do you mean? I’ve just been calling you by your name.”

It seems Lena didn’t factor in the possibility that Kara herself hadn’t realized she amassed such a large repertoire of pet names for Lena. A pink tinge crawls slowly up pale cheeks.

“Kar, you haven’t addressed me by my name outside of our jobs in months.”

“Okay, but we see each other every day. What have a been calling you?”

It seems Lena will have to shove her embarrassment in a little box so she can admit her findings to Kara.

“Well, you’ve… you’ve been calling me various terms of endearment.”

Kara chuckles at Lena’s overly formal response.

“Lee, just tell me what I’ve been calling you. It can’t be offensive, or you’d have brought this up ages ago.”

“You’ve been calling me ‘baby,’ and… and ‘babe,’ and ‘sweetheart,’ and—”

“Oh. Okay, did it bother you?”

“Well, no. I just—“

“Because if it has, I can totally stop. I’d hate to cross any boundaries.”

Boundaries. Since what Nia dubbed the “Friendship Breakup of the Century,” boundaries have been blurrier than ever. Even before Lex revealed Kara as Supergirl, boundaries between them were murky, tiptoeing back and forth over the line of friendship and something more. Lena has managed to keep her feelings stuffed into neat little boxes. She has never been certain if Kara felt what she did, never wanted to rock the boat of their relationship by calling to attention just how…intimate some aspects of their relationship are.

“What boundaries are there really left to cross, Kara?”

“What do you mean?”

It seems Lena will have to buck up and spell it out.

“We sleep in the same bed, for gods sake!”

Kara tilts her head, looking a bit like a confused puppy.

“What’s wrong with that? I thought you liked it!”

“I—I do!” Lena runs a hand through her wavy locks, growing increasingly frustrated by Kara’s inability to understand how odd their friendship is.

“So what’s the problem?!”

Lena jumps up, pacing back and forth in the space between the coffee table and the couch. She taps her fingers rhythmically against her crossed arms, trying to calm herself down.

“Friends don’t do this! The nicknames, sharing beds, and lunch dates, and movies nights cuddled up on the couch. Don’t you see how, how romantic this all is?!”

Kara jumps up, standing in Lena’s way, gently grabbing Lena’s shoulders. The blonde slowly uncrossed Lena’s arms, trailing her hands down until she is grasping Lena’s trembling hands. In the most soothing voice she can muster, Kara says,

“I mean, I guess. But we’ve never had a typical friendship, Lee. We’ve always been so much more, it doesn’t seem right to not do any of that. If you aren’t uncomfortable, and you don’t want me to stop, maybe…maybe all we have to do is stop being friends, and start being girlfriends.”

Girlfriends. Girlfriends? Lena can barely believe her ears.

“What did you just say?”

“I said, baby, be my girlfriend.” Kara gives Lena a beaming smile, watching as the brunette flounders to give her an answer.

“Girlfriends, like romantically, or…” Kara chuckles at Lena’s disbelieving tone.

“Yes, romantically! Like you said, there aren’t any boundaries left to cross but this one,” Kara moves her arms to Lena’s waist, leaning down slowly, giving the former CEO time to decline if she wants. Lena stares up at Kara, kryptonite green eyes roving between her lips and crystal blue eyes. With barely centimeters left between their lips, Lena surges forward onto her tiptoes, arms winding around Kara’s neck to pull her downward.

Seconds, minutes, even hours could have gone by before Kara breaks the kiss.

“So, is that a yes?”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Lena happily says, moving to hug Kara tightly.

“FINALLY!” A voice exclaims.

Kara looks up, having not noticed her sister peaking her head around the now open apartment door. Lena burrows her head into the crook of Kara’s neck, unwilling to part.

“You owe me $50, Nal!”

“Ugh. You guys couldn’t wait one more week? You just cost me big time,” Nia grumbles, fishing through her purse for Alex’s winnings as the Superfriends pile into the apartment for game night.

Lena finally pulls back from Kara’s neck, moving to welcome their friends, but isn’t able to stray far when the reporter wraps both arms around her waist, pulling the brunettes back flush to her chest.

“Kara!” Lena squeals, a pretty red blush blossoming up her neck and onto her cheeks.

“What, you just agreed to be my girlfriend, I’m never letting you go again,” Kara tells her as she leans down to press a kiss to her cheek.

“Later, when they leave, we can test out all our new boundaries,” Kara whispers quietly, placing a final kiss to the shell of her girlfriends ear before dragging Lena to the couch.

“Let’s play!”

*************

If Lena makes a point to win every game as quickly as possible, nearly shoving their family out the door at the end of the night, it’s no ones business but her own.

[wriothesleybear]

A True Angel Amongst Us

~warnings: Some angst but ends with fluff, insecure Sunday, slight story spoilers, fem!reader, 1.9k words.

~a/n: I've been wanting to write for Sunday for a while now and the first thing I write has angst ;-; I've been having trouble coming up with ideas for him, but after the 2.1 patch, I've wanted to write fluff for him and about his insecure side because I feel like he sort of has one deep down. Angel just needs some love.

Sunday has been tenser than usual lately. The stress from the loss of his dear sister, the struggle of finding her murderer, and the stress from the possibility of a traitor being amongst The Family and the pressure from his master being the main cause of his tension. He puts on a mask and pretends that everything is fine to ensure that The Family's image isn't tarnished, but behind closed doors is different. When he's alone, he just stares off into space, lost deep in the sea of his endless thoughts. Even with you, his dear wife, he puts on a mask sometimes. He doesn't want to worry you and show you the strong leader that he is, who is capable of overcoming any obstacles and who will deliver righteousness when the day comes.

But no matter how much he tries to hide his weaknesses, you can see beyond his mask. You notice in the way his shoulders are always tense, his hands in fists, the frown that lingers on his face when he thinks you aren't looking, and the way he's less talkative during your limited time together. You hate seeing your husband this way, knowing he's bottling everything up inside. It's only a matter of time until it all bubbles up and he eventually snaps.

You decide to visit him in his dreamscape mansion office. You hadn't seen him all day due to him being busy with work. You weren't even able to see him off this morning as his side of the bed was already empty and made up. Knocking on his door, he tells you to come in. "What brings you here my dear?" He says with his masked emotions. Your eyes survey his office, noticing how it's a bit messier than usual even for Sunday's standards. He usually has everything in perfect shape given his ocd. Nothing was ever out of place for him unless something was wrong, further proving your suspicions. He notices how your eyes survey his office, the look of concern on your face is apparent. "I wanted to check in on you, my love. I wanted to make sure you were doing okay." You offer him a gentle, kind smile. "Of course I'm doing well. Why wouldn't I be? As head of The Family, it is my duty to be competent to fulfill my role." He gives you a smile, but it's not a real one. It's one of those fake smiles he puts on for show when out in the public eye.

"Sunday. I know something's bothering you. Please, just talk to me." His smile falters, his fake smile fading as he contemplates your words. You had been worried about him ever since the death of his sister. As the caring wife you are, you've been by his side, making sure that he was doing alright. Bless your soul, but with all the questions and pity stares, he couldn't help but get disgruntled. He knows you meant well, but his insecurity couldn't help but get the better of him. He thought you saw him as weak. I mean, he couldn't protect his dear sister for god's sake. It's his duty to protect those he cares about and he failed. He surveys your face while lost in his thoughts. His train of thought is broken by your calls of his name. He plasters on his fake smile.

"Dear, there's no need to worry about me. Or do you truly believe I'm just that weak?" You're taken aback from his accusation. You gather your courage and try to shut down his allegation. "Of course I don't. You're the strongest person I know, Sunday. It's just.. I can tell you're undergoing a lot of stress lately given the loss of your sister and work. I want to help you." By now his fake smile has fallen completely, replaced with a emotionless look. Turning away from you, his back faces you, making you unable to see the pain on his facial features. "I'm fine. You should leave, dear.." You could hear the coldness in his tone. The emptiness in his words sending slight shivers down your spine. You try to protest and get him to open up to you, but he cuts you off. "Don't let me tell you twice." He says in a strict voice, void of emotion. You hesitate but respect his wishes. You turn to leave without another word said. He doesn't even notice the breath he was holding until the door shut behind you.

~

Later that night, you lay wide awake in bed. Thoughts of your earlier event with Sunday replay in your head. After you left Sunday's office, you thought everything would be okay by dinnertime, but he never showed. You tried not to take it to heart too much, taking in consideration what he's going through right now, but when it got to midnight and he still hadn't arrived home, you began to feel worse. You've known Sunday for years. You knew how he was raised to become the perfect leader to represent The Family. He was a strong leader who believed in righteousness, in helping those in need, and caring for the people of Penacony. You know he's the kindest and most compassionate person with many strengths, but you also knew that he had many insecurities. He was scared that others would see him as weak and he was worried that everything he worked so hard for would be taken from him. Getting tired of wallowing in your thoughts, you finally decide to find him and try to get him to talk to you one way or another.

Arriving to his office once again, you knock on the door and patiently wait for an answer. "Sunday? It's me. Can I come in?" No answer. Maybe he was shunning you, but you weren't one to back down and walk away. You weren't going to give up on your husband. "Sunday. I'm coming in." Grabbing the door knob, you push the door open and are welcomed to a dark office. The only faint light coming from the windows in his office. Even with the limited lighting, you were able to see that Sunday's office was a bigger mess than earlier. Papers and books were thrown about the floor, the miniature display of Penacony in ruins. Worried, you continue to scan the room until your eyes land on the man slumped over his desk. Walking over to him, you observe his appearance. His clothes are in disarray, coat thrown recklessly on the chair, his wings and hair disheveled. "Sunday.." You hesitate for a second before resting a hand on his head. He tenses from your touch, causing you to withdrawal your hand. "Darling? What happened?" You ask in the most gentlest voice you could muster while trying not to push him too hard to talk. He doesn't reply to you. He keeps his head down on his desk, not willing to move an inch.

You quietly sigh. "Sunday. I understand if you don't like me pestering you with worries and questions. I'm your wife and I care about you. I'm only trying to be there to support you. I am here to support you. For anything. I'm here." Silence. You didn't expect him to reply but you wanted him to hear you out. "I'll give you your space, but just know, I'm here for you with open arms when and if you need to talk." You turn to walk away but suddenly, you're stopped in your tracks by a hand grabbing your wrist. Turning your head back, you see that Sunday is finally looking at you. You can see the pain in his eyes and by how his hand slightly shakes. Without saying anything, you turn your body to fully face him and open your arms wide, silently welcoming him into your arms.

He doesn't waste another second and wraps his arms around your waist, burying his head into your chest. Wrapping your arms around him, you feel his body slightly shaking as you hold him close. "It's okay Sunday. You don't need to hide from me. I won't judge you. Please, don't push me away. I'm here for you." You gently whisper as you stroke his hair. He doesn't speak, all that's heard is his deep, shaky breaths as he tries to control his emotions. It's taking all his willpower to not breakdown crying right there.

"Can you look at me darling?" He's hesitant, but eventually pulls his head away from your body without releasing his hold around your waist. He looks up at you. You notice the painful expression that graces his beautiful features. His golden eyes water as he tries to prevent the tears from falling. He hates showing weakness let alone looking weak in front of you. You cup his cheeks as you search his eyes, giving him a gentle smile. "It's okay to show weakness sometimes, my love. You're the strongest person I know and nothing will change the way I feel about you. I will always see you as the strongest, most caring leader and husband."

Without realizing, tears have begun to fall from Sunday's eyes as he listens to your reassuring words. Your thumbs move to wipe his tears. "I'm...I'm sorry...for pushing you away." He quietly says, his voice slightly cracking. "There's no reason to apologize, Sunday. I know you didn't mean to. I don't blame you." He feels guilty and embarrassed as he tries to move away so you don't see him cry, but you stop him. "It's okay to cry my love. Let it out if it'll help you feel better." He can feel the love through your words and the look you give him, causing more tears to fall. All you do is give him a comforting smile and continue to rub his wet cheeks as he lets his emotions out. You lean down and press a kiss to his left cheek. He gasps, surprised by your sudden action. You switch to his other cheek and continue to kiss his tears away. You leave one final kiss on his forehead and pull his face into your chest. "We can stay like this for as long as you want my angel." He buries his head further into you, wrapping his arms around your waist as you comfort him.

You can feel his body relaxing as he continues to bask in your comforting hold. "Thank you, my love. You are the true angel amongst us." You giggle and continue to hold him close for as long as he needs, occasionally giving him words of comfort and gently stroking his hair and back. You'll wait as long as it takes until he's ready to talk to you, but he understands now that he has you to catch him when he falls and he'll never push you away again.

[brights-place]

Miles Morales Dating Headcannons

Pairings: Miles X Reader

Warnings: Fluff

A/N: Miles dating headcannons since my friend and I re-watched the ITSPV and ATSV together - When he had a crush on you! it was WILDDD! - he would act like a stupid nervous lovesick fool around you and it would be so cute !! - He would definitely stutter a bit when talking to you cause you're just so pretty! and handsome and gorgeous and... He could honestly go on forever about how you made him feel - Miles is the type of person who likes psychical touch and also like doing stuff for his partner

- In public Miles will hold your hand, but in private he's more touchy and likes to hold you in his arms as much as you would allow him to if your comfy!

- He loves cuddles! He especially likes to cuddle with you while watching movies, shows etc. _ He is also kinda into holding you while you play video games. When you play on your bed and just casually sit, he won't be able to help himself and hold you from behind with his head on your shoulder 

- Miles is the one to give you random compliments, they would be really cute and he would tell then only only, because of the fact that he things that stuff and wants to make you feel good about yourself 

- But another reason is the fact he just want to see you all flustered and red

- If you're a civilian, he won't let you get near battles at ALL! He doesn't want you get hurt and fear of losing you makes him overprotective more than usual at times he is spiderman and his job is to protect you

- Even though he doesn't want you to get near battles, he's aware that sometimes something might happen and he won't be able to be with you all the time to help you or protect you - Miles would try to teach you self defense to make sure you would be able to handle yourself when needed

- If you're a Spiderman like him from a alternate universe he is happy cause you know his struggles but when your paired on missions besides focusing on it he will also look after you

- this boy does not play with his girl and mom so you better believe that he was so happy that his mom loved you so much.

- at first he was worried that his mom wouldn’t accept you or get along with you because in that case he would’ve panicked abit yeah he is worried about his fathers opinion but not as much as his mothers!

- kiss him and he'll immediatley melt like putty telling you how much he loves you

- I KID YOU NOT! 1000%! homeboy would probably have a spotify playlist that has songs that remind him of you

- you guys would also maybe have a shared one of your fav songs

- His idea of a date is probably you guys in his bedroom or yours, you either laying on him or cuddling with him, maybe while he doodles or you guys watch a movie

- he doesnt do extravagant dates and gifts, but its the little things that count

- Love language is Acts of service & Quality time

- He likes to call you nicknames, but in Spanish, Especially when flirting with you when he's bold enough!

- I love miles so much I will act up! by act up I mean I would hug him and cry at how adorable he is

reblogs + comments are appreciated ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

©brights-place 2023 — do not repost on another platform, copy, translate or edit my works! if you fit my DNI list please don't interact

[artsekey]

I'd been seeing videos on Tiktok and Youtube about how younger Gen Z & Gen Alpha were demonstrating low computer literacy & below benchmark reading & writing skills, but-- like with many things on the internet-- I assumed most of what I read and watched was exaggerated. Hell, even if things were as bad as people were saying, it would be at least ~5 years before I started seeing the problem in higher education.

I was very wrong.

Of the many applications I've read this application season, only %6 percent demonstrated would I would consider a college-level mastery of language & grammar. The students writing these applications have been enrolled in university for at least two years, and have taken all fundamental courses. This means they've had classes dedicated to reading, writing, and literature analysis, and yet!

There are sentences I have to read over and over again to discern intent. Circular arguments that offer no actual substance. Errors in spelling and capitalization that spellcheck should've flagged.

At a glance, it's easy to trace this issue back to two things:

The state of education in the United States is abhorrent. Instructors are not paid enough, so schools-- particularly public schools-- take whatever instructors they can find.

COVID. The two year long gap in education, especially in high school, left many students struggling to keep up.

But I think there's a third culprit-- something I mentioned earlier in this post. A lack of computer literacy.

This subject has been covered extensively by multiple news outlets like the Washington Post and Raconteur, but as someone seeing it firsthand I wanted to add my voice to the rising chorus of concerned educators begging you to pay attention.

As the interface we use to engage with technology becomes more user friendly, the knowledge we need to access our files, photos, programs, & data becomes less and less important. Why do I need to know about directories if I can search my files in Windows (are you searching in Windows? Are you sure? Do you know what that bar you're typing into is part of? Where it's looking)? Maybe you don't have any files on your computer at all-- maybe they're on the cloud through OneDrive, or backed up through Google. Some of you reading this may know exactly where and how your files are stored. Many of you probably don't, and that's okay. For most people, being able to access a file in as short a time as possible is what they prioritize.

The problem is, when you as a consumer are only using a tool, you are intrinsically limited by the functions that tool is advertised to have. Worse yet, when the tool fails or is insufficient for what you need, you have no way of working outside of that tool. You'll need to consult an expert, which is usually expensive.

When you as a consumer understand a tool, your options are limitless. You can break it apart and put it back together in just the way you like, or you can identify what parts of the tool you need and search for more accessible or affordable options that focus more on your specific use-case.

The problem-- and to be clear, I do not blame Gen Z & Gen Alpha for what I'm about to outline-- is that this user-friendly interface has fostered a culture that no longer troubleshoots. If something on the computer doesn't work well, it's the computer's fault. It's UI should be more intuitive, and it it's not operating as expected, it's broken. What I'm seeing more and more of is that if something's broken, students stop there. They believe there's nothing they can do. They don't actively seek out solutions, they don't take to Google, they don't hop on Reddit to ask around; they just... stop. The gap in knowledge between where they stand and where they need to be to begin troubleshooting seems to wide and inaccessible (because the fundamental structure of files/directories is unknown to many) that they don't begin.

This isn't demonstrative of a lack of critical thinking, but without the drive to troubleshoot the number of opportunities to develop those critical thinking skills are greatly diminished. How do you communicate an issue to someone online? How do look for specific information? How do you determine whether that information is specifically helpful to you? If it isn't, what part of it is? This process fosters so many skills that I believe are at least partially linked to the ability to read and write effectively, and for so many of my students it feels like a complete non-starter.

We need basic computer classes back in schools. We need typing classes, we need digital media classes, we need classes that talk about computers outside of learning to code. Students need every opportunity to develop critical thinking skills and the ability to self-reflect & self correct, and in an age of misinformation & portable technology, it's more important now than ever.

[kkayyerr]

S1!Rafe Cameron caregiver headcanons.

– The first time you would tell Rafe about your age regression he would be so confused. He definitely never had heard about that before, but to your surprise he won’t judge you and even would try to educate himself on that topic.

– It would take time, but he’ll get there.

– Doesn’t mean that he would be a classic caregiver, though.

– He will give you cigarettes if you ask nicely, but only to make his point about you being too little to actually smoke.

– „What’s wrong, baby? Your cuffing, I guess smoking isn’t for the little girls after all, right?”

– He would mock you a lot. Like A LOT.

– „What happened, little one? Need daddy to hold you? Where is my sweet Mrs. independent?"

– Topper and Kelce would also mock and tease you a lot, which would only make you hide your pretty face in the Rafe’s neck, hugging him tighter.

– Overprotective.

– Especially when he sees you around Pogues.

– „I warn you, if you even think about leaving my side tonight I’ll get you a leash, baby.”

– He won’t actually called it age regression out loud, so you won’t get embarrassed.

– „Baby, you know I want you near me when you….well in that state.”

– He’s not very touchy person, but he loves hugging you and make you feel comfortable. He won’t admit it, though.

– Hold your hand when both of you are in public. All. The. Time.

– Won’t let Sarah babysit you because of the „bad influence” which would make you so confused.

– „Sarah are a bad girl, baby. You wanna be my good little girl, right?”

– Probably won’t let anyone near you when you’re in the littlespace.

– Won’t let you near his deals with Barry.

– „My baby, you’re mine.”

– It’s hard for him to believe that you actually love him unconditionally. But he’ll try.

– Loves to give you rides on his bike, because of how tightly you’ll hold him from behind.

– „Baby, you’re gonna squeeze me to death”

– Kisses on the cheeks and head pats when you’re behaving.

– Warning gazes when you don’t.

– Loves to see you struggle to ask for something or just speak directly to him.

– „C’mon, use your big girl words."

– Buy you stuffies and other cute things (when all his money not invested in drugs.)

– „So you named that teddy bear after me? Well, I think I’m starting to get jealous.”

– At the end of the day, Rafe Cameron might not be a cliché caregiver, but that doesn’t mean that his little girl isn’t the most precious thing that he has in his life.

[lila-lou]

✨His true fate - Part 4/?✨

Summary: Jensen hasn't been happy for years. But it seems almost impossible for him to escape. After another nasty argument between him and his wife, he decides to visit his ´former´ best friend for his birthday. Back in Austin, an encounter awaits him that will turn his life completely upside down.

Pairing: Jensen x Reader

Warnings: Language, age gap, "cheating"

Word Count: 5492

A/N: English isn’t my first language, so please be lenient. 💙✨

You sat down beside Jensen, feeling the weight of the evening’s intensity still hanging between you. There was a few moments of silence, both of you unsure of how to proceed. You nervously looked towards your intertwined hands resting on your knees, trying to gather your thoughts.

Jensen followed your gaze, his own eyes softening as he observed your uncertainty. He gently nudged your knee with his own. “You okay?”, he asked softly, his voice filled with genuine concern.

You glanced up at him, meeting his gaze with a mixture of gratitude and vulnerability. “I… I think so”, you replied honestly, a faint smile tugging at the corners of your lips. “It’s just… everything feels a bit overwhelming, you know?”.

Jensen nodded in understanding. “I know”, he murmured. “Tonight has been… unexpected”.

You chuckled softly, feeling some of the tension begin to ease. “That’s one way to put it”, you agreed.

He smiled warmly, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

“I didn’t mean to come on too strong”, Jensen murmured, his voice tinged with a hint of uncertainty. “But I just…”. He trailed off, his expression searching for the right words.

You gently shook your head, meeting his gaze with understanding. “It’s not that I didn’t like it”, you whispered softly, a fond chuckle escaping your lips. “Because I did”. You looked down at your intertwined hands for a moment, feeling a rush of warmth at the memory. “I’ve never been kissed that damn good before, but…”, you trailed off, biting your lip nervously.

Jensen’s eyes softened as he watched you, sensing your hesitation. He reached out, gently lifting your chin with his finger to meet his gaze again. “But what?”, he asked gently, his voice encouraging yet filled with a hint of concern.

You took a deep breath, gathering your thoughts. “But I’m not for meaningless hook ups”, you admitted quietly, searching his eyes for understanding. “I want more than just a moment. I want…”. You paused, unsure of how to articulate the yearning in your heart.

Jensen’s thumb brushed lightly over your cheek, his touch gentle and reassuring. “You want something real”, he finished for you, his voice soft but resolute. “I understand”.

Jensen let his hand fall from your face, the warmth of his touch lingering even as he withdrew. He hadn’t intended for things to escalate so quickly, nor had he planned on a casual fling. But hearing you express your desire for something more, complicated things. The reality of his situation—his public image, his family—made it clear that an affair was the only thing feasible, even though it wasn’t what he wanted.

You sighed deeply, your eyes reflecting the inner turmoil you felt. “There’s so much more to the story”, you mumbled, a note of frustration in your voice. “But right now, I don’t want to talk through all of this”. You glanced back at him, your expression softening. “You’re a nice guy, Jensen. Incredibly funny, outrageously good looking, and… just so lovable, but…”.

The realization hit you harder as you struggled to articulate your thoughts. You bit your lip, feeling a pang of sadness. “You’re too old for me, Jensen. Too old to be something more than a hookup. And since I’m not down for hookups anyway, there’s not much more left for us".

Jensen’s expression tightened slightly, the weight of your words sinking in. He nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving yours. “I get it”, he said quietly, his voice tinged with a mix of regret and understanding. “I didn’t plan for any of this, believe me”.

There was a moment of silence between you, the air thick with unspoken emotions.

There was another moment of silence between you, the air thick with unspoken emotions. You took a deep breath, gathering your courage to continue. “I’m incredibly drawn to you, Jensen”, you admitted, your voice trembling slightly. “I’ve never felt such a strong connection to someone, especially someone I just met recently. It’s… overwhelming”.

You bit your lip, hating yourself for speaking the truth when all you wanted to do was straddle his lap and feel those plump lips of his one more time. To smell his intoxicating scent, to feel his huge rough hands on your skin. This man was trouble, and you knew it the moment your eyes fell upon him.

“I’ve already got enough fights left to fight”, you continued, your voice barely above a whisper. “A hookup with this amount of intense connection… it might lead to a situation I don’t want to be in”.

Unknown to you, Jensen felt the exact same way. The moment he laid eyes on you, he knew you were different. Special. The connection between you was undeniable, and it scared him as much as it excited him.

He reached out, his fingers brushing lightly against your cheek. “I’m sorry”, he murmured, his voice filled with a mix of longing and regret. “I wish things were different".

You closed your eyes, leaning into his touch for a brief moment before pulling away. “Me too”, you whispered, the ache in your chest intensifying. “But we can’t change what is”.

Jensen’s hand dropped to his side, a resigned sigh escaping his lips. “No, we can’t”, he agreed softly.

You smiled, but it was a strained, bittersweet smile. “But I’m up for a friendship if you want to”, you said quietly, laying your hand gently on his forearm. The simple touch sent a shiver down both your spines, the electricity between you undeniable even in this moment of trying to establish boundaries.

Jensen looked down at your hand on his arm, feeling the warmth and the connection that still lingered between you. He took a deep breath, lifting his eyes to meet yours. “A friendship”, he repeated softly, as if testing the word, trying to see if it could contain the depth of what he felt.

“Yeah”, you nodded, your thumb unconsciously brushing against his skin. “I don’t want to lose whatever this is, even if it can’t be what we might want it to be”.

Jensen’s eyes softened, and he covered your hand with his own, giving it a gentle squeeze. “okay”, he said, his voice steady but tinged with a hint of sadness.

“So”, Jensen continued, trying to lighten the mood, “what do friends do in a situation like this?”.

You chuckled softly, appreciating his attempt to ease the tension. “Well, friends usually talk, hang out, and support each other”, you said, a genuine smile spreading across your face. “And maybe share a drink or two?”.

Jensen grinned, the warmth returning to his eyes. “I can definitely do that”, he replied, standing up and extending his hand to you. “Let’s go grab something to drink and start this friendship right”.

You took his hand, feeling the familiar spark, and stood up beside him. “Sounds like a plan”, you agreed.

As you walked together towards the kitchen, you couldn’t help but feel that despite the complications, you had found something special in each other—a connection that, while it might not fit neatly into the roles you originally envisioned, was still incredibly valuable and worth nurturing.

It took quite a while for the thick air to lighten up, but eventually, the tension began to fade as you and Jensen started talking about lighter topics. You found yourself sitting on the kitchen island, swinging your legs slightly, while Jensen leaned against the countertop across from you, his arms crossed and a relaxed smile on his face.

The conversation had drifted to past experiences, and you were telling him about the first time you had a hookup. It was a story that was both mortifying and hilarious in hindsight, and you couldn’t help but laugh along with him as you recounted the details.

“So, there I was, thinking everything was fine”, you said, shaking your head with a chuckle. “We’d had a great night, and I woke up the next morning to find that all my panties were gone”.

Jensen burst into laughter, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he tried to catch his breath. “Wait, for real? He stole all your panties?”, he asked, still chuckling.

You nodded, taking another sip of your drink. “Yep, every single one of them. I was mortified! I had to call my best friend to bring me something to wear. Ever since that terrible, crazy night, I don’t do hookups anymore”.

Jensen laughed even harder, shaking his head in disbelief. “That’s insane! I’ve heard some crazy stories, but that one takes the cake”.

You grinned. “Yeah, it was a nightmare at the time, but now it’s just a funny story to tell. Lesson learned, I guess”.

Jensen’s laughter gradually subsided, and he looked at you with a twinkle in his eye. “Well, I can’t say I’ve ever had anything quite that wild happen to me, but I definitely understand why you’re cautious about hookups now”.

You nodded, appreciating his understanding. “Yeah, it’s just not worth the hassle. I’d much rather have meaningful connections".

Jensen’s smile softened, and he nodded in agreement. “I get that. Meaningful connections are definitely worth more”. He took a sip of his own drink, his eyes still sparkling with amusement from your story.

"So, come on", you teased with a mischievous grin, "an old man like you must have some legendary hookup stories. I bet you've seen it all".

Jensen chuckled, shaking his head as he leaned back against the countertop. "There's the old man thing again", he teased back. "I'm starting to think you enjoy reminding me of my age".

You laughed, raising your hands in mock surrender. "I plead the fifth", you replied, feigning innocence. "But seriously, spill the tea. I want to hear about young Jensen's wild adventures".

Jensen smirked, pretending to ponder for a moment before leaning in closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Alright, but you didn't hear it from me", he said with mock seriousness, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Let's just say, my younger days were full of unexpected twists and turns".

You leaned in, genuinely intrigued. "Oh, come on now, you can't leave me hanging like that", you urged, your curiosity piqued.

He chuckled again, running a hand through his hair. "Okay, okay", he relented, a smile playing on his lips. "But I have to warn you, some of these stories might make you rethink your impression of me".

You grinned, ready to hear whatever scandalous tales he was willing to share.

Eventually, the two of you found yourselves drunk again, which obviously wasn’t the smartest thing to do. The night had taken a playful turn, and now you were straddling his thighs while he lay on the carpet in front of the couch. This had happened after he insisted you show him some self-defense tricks, clearly underestimating your technique.

Jensen chuckled, his hands resting lightly on your hips as he looked up at you. "I didn’t think you’d actually flip me", he admitted, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Guess you underestimated me", you replied with a grin, trying to ignore the fluttering in your stomach at the closeness between you two.

His grip on your hips tightened slightly as he laughed, the sound sending a warm shiver down your spine. "You’re full of surprises", he said, his tone softer now, more serious.

You felt a rush of warmth, a mixture of the alcohol and the undeniable chemistry between you. "You don’t know the half of it", you teased, but there was a note of honesty in your voice. The moment hung between you, charged with the potential for so much more.

You couldn't help but notice his hardness, visible again under his sweatpants, but you didn’t say or do anything. Even if you told him earlier that there wasn’t much more happening except for a friendship, the feeling of being drawn to him didn’t lessen. Still, even though you were drunk, you held onto your morals. At least being close to him, you couldn’t deny yourself that much.

Gently, you rolled off him and lay beside him on the carpet. You yawned tiredly, feeling the alcohol's effects intensify, making everything spin slightly after your little self-defense action. You simply didn’t move, staying beside him on the carpet.

Jensen turned his head to look at you, a soft smile on his lips. "You okay?", he asked quietly.

You nodded, turning to face him. "Yeah, just… tired and tipsy", you admitted with a small chuckle.

He reached out, brushing a strand of hair away from your face. "We should probably get up, but this carpet isn’t too bad", he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

You laughed softly, closing your eyes for a moment. "I think I might just stay here", you murmured, feeling a sense of peace despite the swirling emotions and alcohol in your system.

Jensen shifted slightly. "If you’re comfortable, then so am I", he said softly.

His head was spinning too, clearly too much alcohol in his system. The quiet grew between you, a comfortable stillness that felt almost natural after the whirlwind of emotions and events.

As you lay side by side, the warmth of his presence became a soothing balm against the dizzying effects of the alcohol. The carpet was surprisingly comfortable, and the closeness of Jensen was reassuring.

Without even noticing, you both began to drift off. The exhaustion from the night's emotional rollercoaster and the alcohol in your veins took over. The world outside faded into the background, and the gentle rise and fall of your breaths synchronized in the dimly lit room.

The peaceful silence enveloped you both, and before long, sleep claimed you. The night's intensity and uncertainty melted away.

It wasn't until around ten in the morning that Jensen finally woke up. As he slowly opened his eyes, he found you curled in like a fetus next to him, facing him while still sleeping. There were just inches between the two of you. Even in his groggy and tired state, he carefully lifted his hand, brushing a strand of hair out of your beautiful and peaceful face.

His heart ached. "Fuck", he muttered under his breath, the words barely audible. What was wrong with him that he felt so damn connected and drawn to you? If he didn't know better, he might think he had fallen in love with you.

As he lay there, watching you sleep, the weight of the situation pressed down on him. He knew how complicated things were, knew the risks involved. But in that quiet moment, none of that seemed to matter. All he could focus on was the way your presence made him feel, the way you seemed to fit perfectly into a space in his life he hadn't even realized was empty.

Jensen's hand lingered near your face for a moment longer before he gently withdrew it, not wanting to wake you. He lay back, staring at the ceiling, trying to make sense of the whirlwind of emotions swirling within him. The night had been a blur of laughter, connection, and unspoken desires, but now the reality of the morning brought everything into sharper focus.

He knew he had to be careful, had to tread lightly. But as he glanced back at you, still peacefully asleep beside him, he couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, there was a way to navigate the complexities and find something real with you. The thought both thrilled and terrified him, but he knew one thing for certain—he couldn't ignore what he was feeling.

The morning light filtered softly through the windows, casting a warm glow over the room. Jensen took a deep breath, feeling a sense of calm wash over him.

You slowly stirred from your sleep, instinctively nestling closer to Jensen. Your face pressed softly against his chest, and he couldn't help but chuckle at the unexpected intimacy.

The sound of his laughter made you groan, still caught between the remnants of sleep and waking up. "Morning", Jensen teased softly, his voice filled with warmth. "Comfortable, are we?".

You groggily mumbled something unintelligible, trying to hide your face in his chest. Jensen’s chuckle deepened. "You know, if you wanted to use me as a pillow, you could've just asked".

Your eyes fluttered open, and you realized your position, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. You quickly sat up, trying to compose yourself. "I—uh, sorry", you stammered, looking anywhere but at him. "I didn't mean to—".

Jensen sat up too, his smile gentle and reassuring. "Hey, it's fine", he said, his tone playful but sincere. "I've been called worse things than a pillow".

You couldn't help but laugh at that, the tension easing a bit. "You're ridiculous", you said, shaking your head, but a smile tugged at your lips.

Jensen's eyes twinkled with amusement. "And yet, you´re still hanging out with me. What does that say about you?".

You blushed deeper, finally meeting his gaze. "I guess I like ridiculous people", you admitted with a shy smile.

You slowly sat up completely, clutching your head and groaning again as the hangover hit you hard. Jensen sat up beside you, hissing a strained “fuck” as he held his back, a series of cracks echoing through the room. His discomfort made you chuckle, despite the pulsing in your head.

“Getting too old for this, huh?”, you teased, trying to suppress a wince from your own hangover.

Jensen gave you a playful glare, still rubbing his back. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. You won’t be so smug when you hit my age and can’t even sleep on the floor without falling apart”.

You chuckled, though it was cut short by a twinge of pain in your head. “Well, for an old man, you sure kept up pretty well last night”.

He raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Kept up? I think I won that little self-defense match, thank you very much”.

You shook your head, smiling despite yourself. “If by ‘won’ you mean got flipped and ended up on the floor, then sure, you won”.

Jensen laughed, a deep, genuine sound that made your heart flutter. “Alright, alright, I’ll give you that one. But only because I’m feeling generous today”.

You rolled your eyes, but couldn’t help the smile that spread across your face.

“You sure you’re okay?”, he asked, his voice quieter now, filled with genuine concern.

You nodded, meeting his gaze. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Just need some water and maybe a nap. Or two”.

Jensen looked around, realizing there was no food or water left in the house. He rubbed his temples, contemplating the options. With no car and neither of you in any shape for a walk, he knew he had to figure something out.

“Give me two minutes”, he mumbled, getting up to his feet and searching for his phone.

You watched him move around the room, wincing slightly as he bent down to pick up his phone. He scrolled through his contacts, muttering under his breath. After a few moments, he sighed in relief, tapping on a name and holding the phone to his ear.

“Padalecki”, he said when the call connected.

Meanwhile, at Jared’s house, Genevieve walked towards her husband, handing him some painkillers for his own hangover. Jared took them gratefully, swallowing them with a gulp of water.

“Where’s Jensen, anyway?”, Genevieve asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice. “I didn’t see him when I got up”.

Jared shrugged, just as his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and saw Jensen’s name. “Speak of the devil”, he muttered, answering the call. “Hey, man. Rough night, huh? Where are you hiding?”.

Jensen hesitated for a moment, glancing over at you before replying, “I’m at my place. Could you swing by with some water and painkillers?”.

There was a pause on Jared’s end, then he burst out laughing. “Ah, I see how it is. You’ve got company, huh?”.

Jensen sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, something like that”.

Genevieve, who had been listening in, felt a pang in her chest. Her face paled slightly, but she kept quiet, not wanting to interrupt their conversation.

Jared continued teasing, his voice lighthearted. “Alright, man, I’ll bring the essentials. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to grab enough for your guest too”.

Jensen rolled his eyes good-naturedly, knowing Jared wouldn’t let him live this down anytime soon. “Thanks, Jared. See you soon”.

As Jared hung up and began gathering supplies, Genevieve turned away, her mind racing. She knew Jensen’s marriage had been struggling, but hearing him with someone else confirmed her suspicions.

Jared, oblivious to Genevieve’s distress, started packing a bag with water bottles, some snacks, and a couple of aspirin packets. “Alright, I’m gonna head over to Jensen’s place. You okay here?”.

Genevieve forced a smile and nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. Go help him out”.

Jared kissed her on the cheek and headed out the door, bag slung over his shoulder. As he drove to Jensen’s place, he couldn’t help but chuckle to himself, thinking about how his friend had probably ended up in this situation.

Back at Jensen’s house, you were sitting on the couch, trying to make sense of the previous night. Jensen hung up the phone and turned to you, a small, reassuring smile on his face. “Jared’s on his way".

You chuckled softly, shaking your head. “Wow, you even have ‘room service’. Impressive”.

Jensen let himself plop down on the couch beside you, groaning as his back cracked again. “Yeah, well, I guess it’s one of the perks of having friends who don’t judge too much”.

You smiled, feeling the tension ease a little. “You really should take better care of that back of yours, old man”.

He shot you a playful glare. “Keep it up with the old man jokes, and I might just make you walk back to Jared’s to get your car”.

You laughed, the sound echoing in the quiet room. “I’d probably end up more lost than anything. Plus, my head is killing me”.

Jensen nodded sympathetically. “Yeah, mine too. But don’t worry, Jared will be here soon. He’s always good in a crisis”.

You leaned back against the couch, closing your eyes for a moment. “I’ll take your word for it. Right now, I just need to survive this hangover”.

Jensen leaned back, his head hanging slightly over the couch, his eyes closed. His back cracked again, eliciting a small groan from him. Just as you were about to tease him once more, he reached out and gently grabbed you by the hair, pressing your face against his stomach to muffle your words. He did this without opening his eyes or moving his head, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

“Hey!”, you mumbled against his shirt, your voice muffled but playful.

“Shh”, he murmured, a hint of amusement in his tone. “Let an old man rest in peace”.

You wriggled free and sat up, smirking at him. “You know, there are easier ways to avoid my jokes”.

Jensen opened one eye, peering at you with a playful glint. “But where’s the fun in that?”. He let go of your hair and settled back into the couch.

You shook your head, unable to suppress a smile. “You really are something else”.

Before Jensen could respond, the sound of a car pulling up outside caught your attention. You both turned to look out the window just as Jared’s familiar truck came into view.

“Looks like room service has arrived”, Jensen remarked with a grin, slowly getting to his feet.

You stood up, still feeling the effects of the hangover but grateful for the reprieve. Together, you walked to the front door, opening it just as Jared was about to knock.

Jared stepped inside, glancing between the two of you. His eyes landed on your outfit, which consisted of one of Jensen’s shirts and a pair of his boxers. Jared raised an eyebrow, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

“Well”, Jared said, his tone teasing. “Did you two hook up or what?”.

Your face flushed a deep red as you stammered, “N-no, we didn’t…”.

Jensen, shaking his head, elbowed Jared in the ribs. “Knock it off, man. You know it’s not like that”.

Jared chuckled, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Hey, just asking. You two look awfully cozy”.

Jensen sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Actually, we accidentally fell into the pool last night. That’s why we’re in these clothes”.

Jared raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. “Fell into the pool, huh? That’s a new one”.

You nodded, trying to back up Jensen’s story. “Yeah, it was pretty late, and we were messing around. Things got a little out of hand”.

Jared crossed his arms, a smirk still playing on his lips. “So, you’re telling me you two just happened to end up in the pool and now you’re here in Jensen´s clothes. Sounds a bit too convenient, don’t you think?”.

Jensen rolled his eyes, giving Jared another nudge. “Believe what you want, man. That’s the truth”.

Jared laughed, clearly enjoying the teasing. “Alright, alright. I’ll let it go. For now”.

Jensen shook his head with a chuckle. “You’re impossible, you know that?”.

Jared grinned, taking a step back towards the door. “Just doing my job as a friend. Make sure to drink that water and take those painkillers. And try to stay out of the pool, okay?”.

You couldn’t help but laugh at Jared’s relentless teasing. “We’ll do our best”.

You went back to the couch while Jensen was ready to close the door, but Jared held it open.

Jared whispered, "Seriously, man, did nothing really happen?".

Jensen rolled his eyes, leaning in slightly. "I’ll tell you later", he said, a small smile crossing his lips before disappearing quickly.

Jared nodded, giving him a knowing look. "Alright, take care, and call me if you need anything".

Jensen closed the door, turning back to you with a sigh. “He’s relentless”.

You chuckled, shaking your head. “He’s just looking out for you in his own way”.

Jensen nodded, sitting down beside you on the couch. “Yeah, I know. But sometimes it feels like having a big kid around”.

You smiled, reaching for a bottle of water from the bag Jared brought. “Well, at least he brought supplies. Let’s try to recover from this hangover”.

After eating something and taking the painkillers, you both felt somewhat revived. You changed into the now dry clothes from the previous night, preparing to head back to Jared’s house. As you walked side by side down the quiet street, the morning’s conversation weighed on your mind.

You glanced at Jensen, hesitating for a moment before speaking. “Hey, about what I said this morning… about you being too old for me. I’m sorry if that came off harsh. I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful or dismissive”.

Jensen looked at you, his expression softening. “Don’t worry about it”, he said, trying to downplay his own discomfort. “You were just being honest. I get it”.

You sighed, feeling a pang of guilt. “It’s just… you’re really great, Jensen. And I didn’t want to make it seem like your age was some sort of dealbreaker. It’s just, well, complicated”.

He nodded, giving you a reassuring smile. “I know. It’s complicated for me too. Believe me, I didn’t expect to feel this way either”. He chuckled softly, shaking his head. “But we both know that life doesn’t always follow the rules we set for it”.

You returned his smile, feeling a bit lighter. “Yeah, that’s for sure. I guess I just wanted you to know that I don’t see you as just ‘some old guy’. You’re someone I genuinely enjoy being around”.

Jensen tried to smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I really appreciate that. But can I ask you something?”.

You nodded, curious and a bit apprehensive. “Sure, what is it?”.

“Why is a woman like you even single?”, he asked, his tone genuinely puzzled.

You sucked in a breath, the question hitting a sensitive spot. You hesitated, gathering your thoughts before answering. “I’m not technically single”, you admitted slowly. “But… I kinda am”.

Jensen looked at you, eyebrows raised in confusion. “What do you mean?”.

You sighed, feeling the weight of the confession. “My boyfriend and I have been on a sort of break since I moved away. Our relationship has been pretty bad for over a year now, and honestly… I don’t know how to feel anymore. I don’t love him anymore”.

Jensen’s expression softened with understanding. “That sounds really tough. I’m sorry you’re going through that”.

You shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant even though it hurt. “It is what it is. I guess sometimes things just don’t work out the way we hope”.

He nodded, his gaze thoughtful. “Yeah, I know that feeling all too well. But for what it’s worth, I think you deserve someone who makes you happy".

You smiled softly, touched by Jensen’s sincerity. “Thanks".

He nodded, his expression serious. “Have you talked to your boyfriend about how you feel?”.

You sighed, the question weighing heavily on your mind. “Of course I have. But he refuses to end the relationship. He keeps saying there will come better days, that things will get better. But I don’t know if I believe that anymore”.

Jensen looked at you, his eyes filled with empathy. “It’s hard to move on when someone’s holding on like that”.

You nodded, feeling the truth of his words. “Yeah, it is. I just wish he could see that it’s not fair to either of us to keep pretending”.

Jensen sighed, a hint of frustration in his eyes. “It’s not. Sometimes the hardest part is accepting that things need to change, even if it hurts”.

You glanced at him, seeing a flicker of pain in his expression. “You sound like you’re speaking from experience”.

He chuckled softly, though there was little humor in it. “Yeah, you could say that. It’s easier to give advice than to follow it, I suppose”.

You looked at him, your curiosity piqued. “Do you want to talk about it?”, you asked gently.

He waved off the question, shaking his head. “Better not. Let’s just say I’ve had my fair share of complicated relationships”.

You nodded, accepting his reluctance to delve into his own issues. “I understand. Just, please, don’t think too poorly of me. I’ve never kissed another guy while in a relationship before”.

Jensen’s expression softened, and he held up his hand, showing his wedding ring. “Believe me, I won’t judge you. Besides, you and your boyfriend are at least on a break”.

Your breath hitched at the sight of his ring. “Oh… shit…I-I didn’t see the ring”, you mumbled, feeling a wave of guilt wash over you. “I feel even worse now”.

Jensen lowered his hand. “Hey, don’t beat yourself up. My marriage is… complicated".

You nodded slowly, still feeling a pang of guilt. “I just don’t want to be that person, you know?”.

“I know”, Jensen said softly. “And you’re not. Sometimes life throws us into situations we never imagined. It doesn’t make us bad people; it just makes us human”.

Jensen mumbled, almost to himself, “And believe me, there’s nothing left to destroy”.

You sighed, feeling a mix of sympathy and curiosity. You wanted to know more about his marriage, about what had gone wrong, but since he didn’t want to talk about it, you didn’t push. Instead, you walked in silence for a few moments, the tension between you easing into a comfortable quiet.

Finally, you broke the silence. “I guess we’re both navigating through some pretty rough waters, huh?”.

Jensen nodded, his gaze distant. “Yeah, seems like it”.

———————————

A/N: Please let me know what you think.🥰

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Part 5

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Taglist: @cheynovak @chriszgirl92 @jenniferr0323 @angelbabyyy99 @cevansbaby-dove @muhahaha303 @jackles010378 @suckitands33 @n-o-p-e-never @mayafatimakhan @ladysparkles78 @viviandarkbloom06 @jassackles @evasmlp @acklesaddict67 @mostlymarvelgirl @emma1998sblog @mishaesque @headinthemoon87 @hobby27 @winchesterwild78 @impala67rollingthroughtown @manicjk @kr804573 @zaratahir

[rainbow-crane]

In-Depth Character Analysis On All The DR Characters Because What, Are You Gonna Try And Stop Me? Who Are You, My Mom? Yeah, I Didn't Think So- Part 1: Kiyotaka Ishimaru

Yes, I'm aware the title is ungodly long, it's called comedy. Behold, a series inspired by my overwhelming hubris! Despite my better judgement, I love this series and (almost) every single one of its characters, so I decided to do this little series of posts on the side, just cuz!

So part 1 of like, 88 I think?, going through the characters from THH, DR 0, SDR2, UDG, DR3, and DRV3 with as much objectivity as possible, analyzing their character using only canon material from the games/anime/novel/canon adaptation they're present in. So sit back and enjoy while I go feral! Or just scroll, if you aren't interested. Whatever works for you.

Part 1- Character Design

Kiyotaka Ishimaru is depicted as a very aggressive honors student, and is shown as such through his very expressive facial features and his choice of clothing. He has large eyebrows and big eyes, and is given a uniform meant to make him look more like a soldier, reflecting his rigid dedication to the rules and his ethics. This uniform also includes an armband meant to signify his authority within the class as Hall Monitor and as the unofficial class rep. His sprites are very animated, with big gestures using his arm(s) and his mouth often wide open, whether in a wide smile or while yelling. This makes him one of the more expressive characters in THH specifically, as most of those characters are pretty restrained on a day-to-day basis and only become more exaggerated when put under high levels of stress.

Something interesting about Taka is that his talent changes from the original Japanese to the English translation. His official talent is the SHSL Public Morals Committee Member, meaning his original talent was that of discipline and social order. This was translated to Ultimate Moral Compass in English, as most western schools don't have a Public Morals Committee. This change in translation unintentionally shifted the perception of his talent from discipline to morality. This change in distinction has had a bit of a negative impact on the Western perception of his character, as rather than appearing to impose order on the other students, it instead appears at the beginning as though we, the audience, are supposed to view him as a beacon of morality. We're not.

Part 2- Character Introduction

Taka is one of the first characters to actually speak to Makoto directly, berating him for being late on the first day of school, despite the fact that he and everyone else had experienced a strange warping of memory. He also goes on to interrupt your first conversation with Sayaka, stating that their time is being wasted by 'ridiculous back-and-forth'. Despite this, when it's his turn to introduce himself to Makoto, he goes off on a tangent about how cool Makoto's name is. He's described by Makoto as a 'flawless honors student' and is most publicly known for his work on his local Public Morals Committee. He believes in putting 'every ounce of effort' into living, and imposes this belief on those he interacts with, something Makoto finds irritating(This guy is... kind annoying.").

So in short, Taka's first impression on the player is that he's a mildly obsessive honors kid, and a bit of a hypocrite that isn't fully aware of his own presence or the effect it has on the rest of the cast. The game goes on to use this lack of social awareness as a source of comedy, as he takes Monokuma's initial greeting as Headmaster fully at face value. He struggles to grasp the concept of the killing game at first, opening the discussion upon Monokuma's departure from the welcome ceremony with dialogue that sounds like it was pulled from a customer feedback survey("So guys, how would you define what we just experienced?"). He's not a malicious or hateful figure; he wants to work with the class but isn't quite sure how to.

Part 3- Early-Game Events

The game spends the early-game establishing Taka's more negative traits. He's shown to be inobservant and wrapped up in his own ideals and need to command authority to even notice Kyoko is missing and, upon being informed of her disappearance, cares more about her punctuality than her safety. "Not only is she late, she didn't tell anyone she would be late! A most unbecoming personality trait..."

He's also established as hypocritical once again, and a bit egotistical, as he has trouble fathoming the others' lack of discoveries but overinflates the importance of his own.

He then goes on to agree to Celeste's suggested nighttime rule for all the boys in the class, without letting them speak for themselves. While ultimately, no one has a problem with the rule, this is the first real instance of him doing something that, on paper, is beneficial to the group, but without considering how the others actually feel about it.

Taka doesn't show up in-story again until the day of the motive, when he goes around to the entire class demanding that they will now all have breakfast together every morning after the morning announcement. Although this is a good idea, allowing for everyone to bond and creating a morning headcount, he makes this decision for the entirety of the group. Leon and Makoto both complain about this if you speak to Leon outside the cafeteria, but ultimately go along with it because they don't want Taka to continue bugging them about it. So we can see that his efforts are perceived negatively by his classmates and go unappreciated.

Already we've seen Taka act overbearing and commanding over and over, inadvertently separating himself from the majority of his peers. He's direct and to the point, forming the breakfast meetings expressly to 'become friends and build trust' with the rest of the class. So we can see in no uncertain terms that he wants to befriend his classmates, but that his lack of social skills leads him to fail at every turn. He doesn't ask the class to join him for breakfast, he tells them. The strategy he employs doesn't leave room for choice, and ends up building resentment from his classmates.

It's not until the first body is discovered and the rules of the class trial are revealed that reality fully seems to set in for Taka. He, along with everyone else, are given the rules of a game they don't really want to play- that should they fail in the trial, all of them will be killed. And it sends Taka to a breakthrough- that some regulations can be harmful to those they're imposed upon.

There's now a shift in his actions- he's still trying to push for the class to follow the rules he's set, yes, but there's a newfound urgency to them. When Byakuya disappears in chapter 2, his concern has shifted from punctuality to his classmate's safety. He's the one to lead the search for Byakuya when he doesn't answer. Despite all his harshness, we can see that his strictness now comes from a place of genuine concern for the people around him, a direct parallel to earlier in the game when Kyoko went missing- "I'd like to think so. But I'm worried something might have happened to him."

This growth of character, though not focused on, is undoubtedly present. The dedication he has to his discipline and his ego are still fully intact, but now that dedication has moved beyond just order. It's an act of protection, for him and everyone else. The invisible threat of death has become all too visible with Sayaka's absence from their last breakfast meeting. If he can keep track of everyone, then he'll know they're still alive. He can prevent another murder. It imposes upon him the responsibility of the leadership he craves.

Part 4- Relationship(s)

Unincluding if the player actively seeks him out through FTEs, Taka only ever develops a real relationship with one character of the other fourteen in-game, though he does have some important dynamics with others. We'll continue moving in chronological order.

4.1- Ishimondo (these bitches gay?)

Throughout the game, whenever Taka is saying or doing something stupid, Mondo is typically the one to call him out on it or shut him down. While this doesn't start to take real shape until chapter 2, it is visible here and there in the early game.

But their connection doesn't really start to take focus until chapter 2, as Taka's failings as leader and Mondo's constant correcting him puts them at odds. Mondo's attitude is the antithesis of Taka's, living a life of complete risk and impulsiveness, yet has a matching level of energy, and despite being more intimidating on a surface level, he's able to actually befriend characters like Chihiro, Hina, and Sakura, while Taka's left on the out. One of the best examples of this is found not in the game, but in the stageplay adaptation, where both characters attempt to help Chihiro feel better about her weakness in the daily life segment.

When Byakuya starts mocking Chihiro for her fear, Mondo threatens him, and insists that Chihiro's weakness doesn't matter because she's a woman. But when this makes her upset and Sakuraoi call him out on it, he offers to help Chihiro train as an apology, acknowledging that his behavior was irrational. But when Taka tries to give her advice by telling her not to be weak anymore and is told to be reasonable, he can only insist that Mondo's words don't matter anyway.

In the game itself, Taka's barely present for this exchange, as it chooses instead to focus on Chimondo's relationship. Regardless, the animosity between Mondo and Taka is still made very clear in-game.

Mondo and Taka are both demonstrating the desire to protect their classmates here, but in different ways. Taka is the more logical of the two, focusing on keeping track of resources and devising a system of check for everyone to keep watch over each other in the breakfast promise. Mondo, meanwhile, wants to push the importance of actually getting everyone the fuck out of there. While their endgoal is the same, they disagree on how to go about it, and both their stubbornness drives them to butt heads as time continues to pass, leading to the sauna scene.

After being slowly built up in the background, Ishimondo's mutual anger finally comes to a head, with both not understanding the position that the other is in. Taka still believes Mondo's value to be what he provides to society, and as a biker gang leader, that's not much to a man that lives by lawful discipline. Meanwhile, Mondo can only see Taka as an egomaniac with a stick up his ass and doesn't know the background to why(and neither does the player without actively seeking out his FTEs). They each follow a different code of ethics, and view themself as the protector of the class, leading them to see each other as rivals. Yet, despite that, both of them still share their core value of total dedication, and so when finding a way to prove themself the better man, they end up with an endurance competition. For Taka, this reflects his belief that men connect by baring their souls, and do so by baring their bodies(something only learned in-game by approaching him for FTEs).

(This also leads to the implication that, while Mondo insisted on entering the sauna with all his clothes on, at some point, he was, in fact, naked while with Taka that night.)

The information as to what happened in that sauna is intentionally left unanswered, remaining fully private between both men in-game. The only thing either of them will say is that a brotherhood was formed between them, and that who won their initial contest no longer matters. Finally, Taka has found someone. Someone he can confide in and lean on, someone who'll support him and that he can support in turn("And if you can't do it alone, just find someone to support you, and you can support them back! That's how you can overcome any storm!" -Taka ch 1).

And then Chihiro's case happens.

At first, when the motives are introduced, Taka is one of the few to vocally insist no murder will take place. He has newfound confidence in the willpower of his classmates, and puts faith into everyone else for the first and only time. Even when presented with his own unknown secret, he finds it ridiculous that anyone would kill over the embarrassing memories and secrets. It's here that we truly see the highest high of this character- when he comes up with the idea to share secrets. When he presents this idea, he moves forward as usual, preparing to be the first one to reveal their secret and take the pressure off. But when his classmates insist they can't (Toko & Celeste) he doesn't keep chugging along, and he doesn't completely shut down, either. He looks around at his classmates, and he asks Chihiro. He actually steps back and asks for someone else's opinion.

And when she isn't yet comfortable, he backs off. He respect her wishes, and he stands with the class, ready to help them face their secrets the following day. Finding a friend in Mondo has softened his rigid exterior a little bit, enough to actually consider the opinions of the others. He's gotten comfortable. All that comes crashing down with the discovery of Chihiro's body the next morning. After finally taking a step back and letting his classmates- his friends- make their own choices, it directly leads to the murder of one of them("Dammit! I'm sorry, Chihiro... It's all because I wasn't strong enough!").

Taka fully blames himself for allowing Chihiro to be murdered, and as the guilt of failure starts to set in on him, he looks to his ethics and order to solve it. Chihiro may be dead, but the murderer will be condemned through the class trial("Justice always prevails! Right, bro!?"). A solution, a path forward, still exists for him. He still has Mondo by his side, and he and the rest of the class can surely prevent this from happening again, right?

The trial only validates him at first, revealing the existence of a serial killer among the group, someone so clearly immoral for her killing obsession. But it's not her. Why isn't it her? "Could such a heinous villain really be innocent!?" But his confusion is quickly stamped out- of course, it's Byakuya, the guy that's been threatening everyone and refusing to cooperate, the guy that has no regard for the rest of their classmates. "He kept calling this a game, right? So he'd totally be willing to do whatever it takes to 'win'!" But no, wrong again- he didn't know that the murder was in the boys' locker room, and was taken aback by Chihiro being AMAB. It should be him, someone so clearly antagonistic, that's how it's supposed to go, right?? But no, it's wrong! Why? And, who could kill someone like Chihiro at their most vulnerable?

He's failed. Taka's failed in every way conceivable. Mondo, the first person he's ever truly felt connected to, a murderer? Chihiro's murderer? That can't be it. Even long after Mondo's stopped arguing, Taka continues to push back against Makoto and Kyoko's accusations. It's a coincidence, that's not actually proof, anything to get them to stop, to save his brother, to save himself from the reality he's about to have to face. When sent into the BTB, it's Taka we fight in his despair, not Mondo. Until the very end, Taka won't acknowledge it. He can't. He can't bring himself to vote his Mondo a murderer, a killer. How could the man who gave him the chance no one else would, ever be so cruel? "I- I refuse to believe it... There's no way... no way he would kill someone! Why!? Why why why why why!? WHYYY!? Why did you do it!?"

He learns the truth of Mondo's story alongside the rest of the class, unable to process it all. It makes no sense. They were friends who trusted each other, who helped each other. And what about the man's promise? Doesn't that count for anything!? This doesn't sound right. This isn't Mondo, not his Mondo, not the man from the sauna. How could he have been so wrong about him?! It just can't be, but it is; the truth is but a slap to the face.

He was wrong. He stood by Chihiro's killer and defended him. He let his brother become the monster he saw himself as. He didn't stop it when he could have. He was blinded by his own beliefs, and as he watches Mondo's death, his spirit dies with him, the game cutting out all music as Taka screams, filling a deafening silence. "As Taka's sad screams invaded our skulls, we were each forced to realize once again..."

4.2- Kiyondo Ishida

Taka enters chapter 3 as a hollowed out shell of himself. He's gone near comatose, staring at nothing and saying nothing. He won't eat, won't speak, won't sleep, and although there are a couple weak attempts to get him back in action from Hiro("It's times like this where the committee chairman needs to get things going with a BANG!"), he's mostly left to grieve by himself, as the rest of cast is more concerned with the expanded school than the bossy guy they didn't like that much.

Monokuma even goes out of his way to torture Taka, to punish him for his grief, lying about the existence of a time machine just to fuck with his head and give him false hope, sending him further into despair- "Hmm... You sound disappointed. But actually, I was lying about the whole thing anyway. There's no such thing as time machines!" He's forced to become Monokuma's most successful project from the class, completely and utterly destroyed.

When he learns of Alter Ego, something in his head clicks. He can still talk to Chihiro. He can repent. He can apologize directly to him. So, with Makoto's help, he's brought to the laptop. His guilt finishes totally consuming him as he asks: "Do you... hate Mondo? And since I couldn't stop him... do you hate me?" His own self-hatred stemming from his failure is projected onto Alter Ego in one last attempt to come to terms with what's happened. The response he receives, unfortunately, is the culmination of all the toxic and unhealthy ideas of manhood the other boys carried with them via an attempted simulation of Mondo.

"You're not letting yourself get crushed under the weight of that responsibility, are you!? A man's only worth as much as the load he can carry! You get it, right bro!? Hell, what am I saying? Of course ya do!"

"So you're just gonna stand there, huh? Just wait for things to get better? Just take your time and get all depressed... Take the time to indulge your regrets... You might even start walking again without realizing it. Sure, that kind of mediocre thing might work for some people."

This speech, while attempting to inspire Taka to keep living for Chihiro's and Mondo's sakes, encapsulates the desperate need to be perceived as strong and untouchable that Mondo himself carried, and that Chihiro admired so much. It sinks its way into Taka, convincing him that the way to respond to his guilt is simple- pretend it isn't there! Mondo has clearly returned to him, and he's never letting him go ever again. He fully deludes himself, and he's fused with this idealized version of his bro. He permanently ties himself to Mondo's memory, and goes from the SHSL Public Morals Committee Member to something else entirely- Kiyondo Ishida, the unholy mixture of both men.

This revelation also leads him to an obsession with Alter Ego, viewing it as the vessel in which his bro was returned to him. He views it as another chance to protect his bro from ever being hurt again, as some divine second-chance he's been granted. All desire to be around the rest of his class is gone, replaced with this obsession. He's put at odds with Hifumi, who's also connected with the AI, and separates himself from the group that much more. When Alter Ego disappears, he can't handle it. He panics. He won't let his bro die, not again. And so he dooms himself, refusing to let go of the shadows of the past enough to see his own death looming before him, and he's killed in the early hours of the morning, led by desperation to his demise. And even so, the class can only worry about the semantics of when he died, barely mourning him.

5- Isolation (What's the point of this guy, anyway?)

Rather than learning from the mistakes both Chihiro and Mondo made by subscribing to the societal expectations of what makes a man, Taka ends up doubling down, burning away the optimism and more reasonable logic Taka used to have. Taka's story is that of a doomed fate to become the symbol of manhood and its self-destructing nature, leeching off of his first and only friend's unhealthy behaviors and sending him spiraling. And it's allowed to happen because of his social isolation.

From the very beginning of the game, Taka is singled out as annoying to be around. He's put in a negative light and viewed as unpleasant to spend time with. Every attempt to befriend or connect with a classmate is written off as a nuisance, a hindrance. Taka doesn't know how to make friends. He doesn't know how to do anything besides follow the rules and regulations he's been taught. He sticks to his regimen, because it's comfortable, and doesn't understand why others can't conform in the way that he does. He's very thoroughly isolated mentally and emotionally from his classmates at every turn, to the point where even in the very first trial he's standing with no one but the dead by his side(as Sayaka and "Junko" were positioned on either side of his podium).

All this is done with the deliberate intention to showcase his solitude, and more importantly, the loneliness that comes from it. It's to the point that when he finally does make a friend, he thoroughly idealizes him in his subconscious, coming to view him as some perfect person who'd even support him. It's inherently contradictory from his established beliefs going into the game, that a delinquent could be kind, but he accepts it wholeheartedly. He gets to know Mondo on some deeper level while in that sauna, and it's enough to rapidly develop a massive codependency on him. So when Mondo self-destructs and dies, so too does Taka.

Taka's purpose as a character is to suffer. He wraps himself in his moral beliefs, remaining steadfast in what he views as right and wrong, making judgement calls he's 100% sure of, and when they're challenged/disproven, he's thrown wholly out of whack. He exists to serve a purpose- what would've happened if Makoto didn't accept the truth about Sayaka? What happens when you let your idealism blind you to the truth? What happens when you blind yourself to the reality of the people around you, of the darkness in the people you care about? You self-destruct. He's tossed aside, killed as an accessory to the plot of someone who does nothing but manipulate the truth. He dies, and that's just it. His story is cut short; he doesn't get to heal or grow or come to terms with the truth. Such is the fate of the failed.

6- Afterword

...I didn't even touch his FTEs for this. Holy shit.

I'm gonna be honest, as much as I love Taka, I never expected this post would become as long as it did, or that I'd uncover such a dark fucking reason for why he gets as totally fucked over as he does. Don't get me wrong, I still really wish he'd lived and gotten to grow after this, but maybe his death was more well-written than I used to think. Good god.

[batboyblog]

https://x.com/magi_jay/status/1812914966560973238?s=46&t=9ilK5pqP73XDblTtTbb4Qg

This post motivated me to try something different: namely, name a good quality about the Democratic Party and its candidate.

Biden’s most admirable qualities are his general wisdom and steadfastness in the face of great challenges. While I might not always agree with EVERY choice he’s made for a number of reasons, I do think he’s shown that he’s much smarter than people give him credit for.

Furthermore, he’s very firm without being either too standoffish or trying too hard. One of the things I hated about his predecessor (I refuse to name him) was just how anxiety inducing and chaotic he was, something that sucks for me since I’m a very skittish person even if I try not to be.

Biden is steadfast and (media aside trying to make a conflict on him) has never made me feel like I’m on unstable ground. He’s like a rock in the storm:

Stand by him, and we’ll weather through the chaos.

I mean in part thats why I do my weekly lists of what Biden et al are up to, because every week, EVERY single week its something huge and transformative, for the first time in my lifetime people can write "The Case for Climate Optimism" we have a government pledged to ending hunger in this country reduce homelessness by 1/4th by next year we are doing big things in this country

a few political speeches are the pole stars of my politics, the center of what I believe in.

Harvey Milk's Hope speech "I know you cannot live on Hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living" tells me and teaches me to always be for something not just again stuff, and to always be the happy warrior, gotta give 'em hope.

Ted Kennedy's 1980 DNC speech "the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die." to always get back up and get into the ring, its not never over till you give up, the Dream Shall Never Die how ever dark it gets if you hang into it with both hands

but most importantly is Ann Richards 1988 DNC Speech, if you've never heard it, you should:

I’m a grandmother now. And I have one nearly perfect granddaughter named Lily. And when I hold that grandbaby, I feel the continuity of life that unites us, that binds generation to generation, that ties us with each other. And sometimes I spread that Baptist pallet out on the floor, and Lily and I roll a ball back and forth. And I think of all the families like mine, like the one in Lorena, Texas, like the ones that nurture children all across America. And as I look at Lily, I know that it is within families that we learn both the need to respect individual human dignity and to work together for our common good.  Within our families, within our nation, it is the same. And as I sit there, I wonder if she’ll ever grasp the changes I’ve seen in my life -- if she’ll ever believe that there was a time when blacks could not drink from public water fountains, when Hispanic children were punished for speaking Spanish in the public schools, and women couldn’t vote. I think of all the political fights I’ve fought, and all the compromises I’ve had to accept as part payment. And I think of all the small victories that have added up to national triumphs and all the things that would never have happened and all the people who would’ve been left behind if we had not reasoned and fought and won those battles together. And I will tell Lily that those triumphs were Democratic Party triumphs.

It is always worth it to fight, however hard it is, however bitter it may feel in the moment to take half a loaf or a part payment, it is always always always ALWAYS! better to take a half step forward than not to move at all, because its not chess, its not a game, its people's very lives

as to what I like about Joe Biden? I could say a lot of things, he's a guy the world has knocked down a lot of times, a lot of struggles and personal tragedies that in someone else could make them hard hearted and cold, but I see a guy who always takes the time to listen

thats who is, always to see Joe on a rope line talking to people is to understand their cares are truly his, he truly and I promise you this wants what's best for people.

and just for a second remember who he's running against, who that guy is on the most basic level, saying he couldn't have raped that woman she's too ugly

so do you want a President who stops everything to tell a kid its gonna be okay, that that kids can do anything, and gives him his phone number and calls him to help, or you want the guy who tells your kids "when you're famous they let you do it, grab 'em by the pussy" up to you.