#you can read it both as platonic or romantic

[tiamathh]

2025: A Brief Look (love n career) ☆

Hi angels! Happy new year may all of you be blessed and prosper and get everything you want and more <33 This PAC has Love and Career the other 2025 PAC will include social life and personal growth! Love you take care 🤭 here's to posting more this year and being consistent which is my new years resolution LMAO LIKES N' REBLOGS APPRECIATED

Masterlist || Paid Readings + FB || Tip Jar

Love [1 -> 3]

Career [A -> C]

Pile 1 ♡

Hey loves! So your love life is going to be really fulfilling this year, starting off there is this deep focus that you will feel when it comes to your social (romantic and platonic) connections and these may be what you will be caring about more in this year. Whether you’re single or in a relationship, this year brings choices that align with your desires and what you may have wanted for a long while.

Dam pile 1 I am getting that you may have to make some really tough decisions this year, because there will be too many good choices, and it could make you a little confused, this im getting may be between a past love and a new one, one which you have been craving (past) and one which you may have wanted for along time (new) this is going to be tough for sure because the person from your past may come into your life this year when you are going through a time where you are on a nostalgia trip. This energy is sos trong that I just envisioned the 2oC, which talks about this year bringing a lot of harmony and balance in your romantic connections. This is the kind of love where you see eye to eye with the other person, and you guys have this almost atomic connection between the both of you, and is a pairing that feels equal and deeply cherished. If you’ve been waiting for someone special, this could signify a soulmate-like meeting. For the ones who are already with someone this year will deepen your bond, inviting more emotional intimacy and a lot of plans for the future, you guys will be taking things to the next level. However, as I already said with the tough decisions part, there may be moments of hesitation or misalignment in the way you express what you want and your emotions which can lead to miscommuncication that could have been avoided. You may feel overly idealistic, which could lead to disappointments if reality doesn’t meet your expectations entirely, you may also (due to your hesitance) hold back romantic gestures because of the fear of uncertainty.

Oof this year is definitely filled with a lot of healing, growing from your wounds and finding closure in simple things when it comes to love, if you’ve been carrying heartaches from previous relationships or struggles with self-love, 2025 will give you a chance to heal and almost get a restart. Romantically, the worst is a 100% behind you, as you are letting go of old pain and stepping into an environment which can foster a lot of love. Okay very very specific message, some of you may be welcoming or starting a new family this year, this can be with regard to fertility or marriage so have fun y'all and stay safe out there lol

x◉

Pile 2 ♡

Hey pile 2, love in 2025 this feels like it is mostly for the people who may experinece romantic love or relationships for the first tie this year, I sense the energy of the AoC with new relationships and the energy here is very very fresh, and this year may be the beinning of that long romantic journey and dating life that you may have wanted for a long while. There are going to be a lot of celebrations this year and you may meet someone at one of these celebrations, I am getting the celebrations and joy will revolve around family stuff, like engagements, marriages, birthdays, a party related to your family fs though. This is also a message that things may be getting serious this year for the people who have selected the pile and are in relationships, theres a message that there will be huge milestones that will be achieved in love this year like moving with your partner, and for the singles one out there like me, this could also apply to you guys because your relationships may be getting serious this year.

This pile is the longterm pile for sure, whatever the case may be single or taken, you will find someone who will be there with you for quite a few years. However, theres a lot of confusion here, may be some of you feel like you do not deserve the kind of love that is coming your way or feel like the love is "too good" for you or that there are some terms and conditions applied that you did not know of. This fear due to a lack of self love is going to be the biggest obstacle when it comes to your love life, here you are your own worst enemy. You need to be more reflective and loving to you and you are being encouraged to reflect on your approach towards love both for others and for you. If there are opportunities but your heart is closed, then it will be impossible for love to blossom no matter how strong it is and how badly it wants to come into your life. Unprompted advice here, don't get caught up in the fantasy of a relationship or what it should look like, your relationship can be just as loving and deep as someone elses even if the ways of expressing things are different. Now I am also getting that you could be someone who may be used to rationalising things very often. You need to go with your ut this year when it comes to love, listen to your intuition do not make a pros and cons list (even though thats what i do) just let your gut guide you and you will have the best love year you have ever had muah <3.

x◉

Pile 3 ♡

Hi my pile 3 <33 this is an amazing pile because I instantly SAW cards as soon as I started, okay so starting with the 2 main cards that I saw here those being QoC and the 6oP rx. With the first card here you will be coming into a space where you will completely embrace your empathetic and nurturing side, not being too worried about looking tough anymore.

This card shows that you are embodying the traits of the QoC, which will lead to your cup being filled by someone else as well, maybe someone older than you (romantically) here, they will help guide you and in return love just being in your presence because of this warmth you will be exuding this year. You will be connecting with people on a deep emotional (heart) level, feeling seen and supported in ways you’ve always craved and this is a year where emotional connection is key, and you’ll notice that you will attract a lot of people who may need healing. However, even though thes epeople will be lovely, and you will help thema lot, remember it is not your job to "fix" anyone, and that not everyone will be as giving and ready to reciprocate all the effort and love you put in. Now with the 6oP rx, the same thing I just said is being reiterated that there may be moments where the give-and-take in relationships feels off-balance. You could find yourself giving more than you receive which could almost make you feel like you are obligated to give without getting anything back.

But 2025 has a lot of "victorious" energy, like its fast paced and there will be a LOT of suitors coming to you this year with minimal obstacles, you will be actively partaking and taking steps to look for people, maybe even being the one who approaches people ooo sexy bold energy coming from you here in the dating sphere dam. Although this year is very positive for you in love, and filled with potential you are being tested, how long are you going to stay when you feel like you aren't getting much? How much are you willing to give? It's going to test your perseverance and see if you can stand strong in these situations or maybe make the best of them. Just because you have been hurt before, you will be cautious but don't let these past wounds hold you back, you can always grow.

Ok I just saw the KoC, this is PERFECT OMGG okay okay so I love that we have gotten court cards for the same suit, this shows me that someone who embodies this energy is going to be coming into your life, to balance things out, and give you what you deserve, but you will have to go through quite a bit of rocky talking stages to find them, that is if you are able to identify what you want and from whom in a relationship.

Pile 1 ✈︎

Pile 1 hiiii, your career in 2025 is all about stepping into your power and taking control of your career, you will be very structured and disciplined this year, you have a plan in mind and it will help you improve your leadership skills and be in the spotlight, I am getting star student/employee, someone others will aspire to be like. This year will help you improve your work ethic and create a solid foundation for your work in the future and embrace being in a position where you are in authority, you will also get way better at setting boundaries that means not doing more than you need to, and not being overly generous with the people who wokr alongside you.

You are going to be ON THE GRINDDD this year, working hard and being insanely focused, you will be putting in effort to also refine your communications skills mainly so that you can network more, maybe joining certification courses or mastering your craft but you will definitely be upskilling and trying to make the most of your time. I love this pile omg, you are going to be breaking free from unhealthy patterns or limiting thoughts you may have that could have held you back in the past, like stepping away from toxic work environments, not engaging in petty gossip, MAINTAINING WORK-LIFE BALANCE so you do not burnout and gaining more confidence in yourself. If there is someone with prominent fire energy in your life who may be causing some trouble, they will be toning things down, as you start becoming more self assured.

Although you will be making big big strides in your career and establishing yourself well, you may still find yourself in moments where you feel like you aren't financially stable or where family obligations can lead you to making choices you would not have otherwise, please keep in mind your family is important but you are allowed to make your own decisions removed from your family, not everything has to be done as a unit especially if it is very important to you.

x◉

Pile 2 ✈︎

Hi pile 2, 2025 is going to be a mix bag for you lot like although you’ll experience some significant new opportunities, it will have a lot of challenges. For some of you, there could have been like some strain and dificulty when it comes to financial stability or you could be feeling a lack of support from your family, you guys are my dreamers, you have passion and you want to pursue it, so the trade off for doing something you love is that things may be harder sometimes. You financial strain or lack of support you’ve been feeling might persist longer than you expect. There will be progress, but it may be slower than you’d like, and there might be times when you feel like things are still a bit unstable or just like stagnant, because it can be harder to see your own success and progress at times but trust me you will be progressing, but don’t lose hope babes because you will continue to rebuild, and the find financial abundance around the last quarter of the year.

Teamwork is a big thing here, you’ll need to focus on collaboration more than ever it's like when musicians colab with each other, very artistic vibes coming through here. Although you will have moments where you want to take charge or stand out, your growth will depend on your ability to work with others, being a lone wolf will only take you so far, you cannot and don't need to do everything on your own. I know it can be hard to put your ideas to words sometimes and articulate well, but just remember different opinions and ideas are not an attack on your opinions and ideas, they are simply just different and that's it. There will be a lot of breakthroughs and achievements, but most will require you to step outside your comfort zone and won’t always be smooth, and you may question whether your efforts are paying off or if its even worth it sometimes, wanting to take a more traditional route rather than making your own path.

x◉

Pile 3 ✈︎

PILE 3 MY LOVES this year you are going to get all the praise and recognition you DESERVE for all the work you put in. This will feel validating, and you’ll have moments to truly appreciate what you’ve achieved, but with this will comes the pressure to maintain that level of success, and you might find yourself feeling overwhelmed at times. Despite the recognition, you may find yourself holding onto things because of fears around scarcity or losing control and its natural to want to protect what you’ve worked hard for, but 2025 will require you to take risks. Invest in yourself, whether through further education, expanding your network, or making a different career move, trying to go for something new, will be crucial for growth.

While it might feel uncomfortable at times to loosen your grip, doing so will open the door to new opportunities that could lead to even greater success. The hard work you’ve been putting in will start paying off in a big way, and you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment as you complete major goals. This is a time of fulfillment, where everything you’ve worked toward begins to come together. However, within all this like fast paced stuff you may start to feel signs of burning out and may start having less and less time for your friends and family, it wil. be like you will have tunnel vision for olny work because you want to succeed so bad which is valud but if you don't take care of yourself, the challenges will just keep being added to.

Success doesn’t happen overnight, and sometimes it takes patience and steady effort rather than burning too bright and overworking yourself and then just not being able to keep up. This is your year to nurture what you’ve started and ensure that you’re building a solid foundation for the future, so don’t rush into the next big thing just for the sake of it. Now last message coming through is that there will be opportunities to resolve any conflicts or lingering negativity in your career. If you’ve been dealing with tensions at work or internal struggles about your career path, this is the year to let go of what’s been holding you back, where you will focus on releasing grudges, ego battles, or any negative energy that’s draining you and you will learn how to compromise better too.

All Rights Reserved tiamathh©® DO NOT PLAGIARISE, REWORD, STEAL!

[dean-winchester-is-a-warrior]

Dean Again

Summary: Can Dean and Y/N ever go back to normal after Demon!Dean paid a visit?

Pairing: Dean x Reader, Demon!Dean x Reader (kind of) Could be seen as a romantic or platonic relationship.

Warnings: Angst. Lots. Brief show level violence.

Word Count: 1, 986

A/N: So, this is a request from @kayyay1219:

So I was thinking Demon!dean x teen!reader where Dean has the mark of Cain and he does and comes back as a demon and he kidnaps her and Sam saves her and Sam gets the demon out of Dean. Then the reader is scared of Dean because all the trauma she went through. So Sam talks to her one night and she ends up going to Dean’s room and talking to him. He makes it up to her and they both have a movie night and cuddle.❤️

I made some changes to the request hon, hope they're okay. I didn't specify that it was a teen!reader, but it certainly could be. I tried to leave the reader as open as possible. Their affection can be read as romantic in nature or platonic. I also didn't include as much Sam in it as you requested, and kept the story a little simpler. It's just the way it came out, and I hope it still works for you.

Hope you all enjoy and please let me know what you thought - your feedback means everything! ❤️

Dean One Shots || Dean Master List || Main Master List || Tag Lists

Dean felt as though there were razors under his skin, cutting him slowly, leaving him to bleed out; the pain was too visceral. Images rushed through his mind in a constant merry-go-round of horror; Y/N, her face terrified, her words dripping desperation as she begged and pleaded for him to stop.

“I know you’re in there, Dean, please, please don’t do this.”

The crack and rattle of her bones as he laughed away her tears and the blood-curdling scream of fear from deep in her throat pierced his ear drum until his mind was black with it all. 

He lifted the full bottle of Jack Daniels to his lips and downed almost half of it before slamming it onto the table and gasping from the fire that burned his esophagus.

Sam came into the dimly lit library; Dean hadn’t bothered with many lights. The darkness was where he belonged. He cut off his little brother before he could offer him the solace and excuses that were just waiting there in his warm, hazel, puppy dog eyes.

“Don’t Sam. I absolutely don’t wanna hear it.”

Sam snapped his jaw shut and clenched it tight as he sat across from him. He let the quiet reign for a little while before speaking softly. 

“Cas healed her, and I gave her a mild sleeping pill, should help her…” He cleared his throat. “Should keep her from dreaming too much.”

Dean nodded, hoping that was all his brother was going to say on the subject. But of course he should’ve known better. 

“Dean. No, just listen.” He interjected when Dean started to interrupt him again. “What happened was awful, and it’s probably going to take Y/N some time to get over it, but she will.” Sam sighed deeply. “She loves you, Dean. She knows it wasn’t really you.”

Dean just closed his eyes as the mark on his arm warmed slightly to remind him that the demon may be gone for now, but the darkness that had turned him into a knight of hell was still there, still coursing through his veins like poison. How was it not him? It was his hands, his cruelty, his evil that had hurt one of the people he loved most in the world.

How were he and Y/N ever supposed to get past that and just carry on like before? He had no answers, so he picked up the bottle of Jack to see if there were any waiting at the bottom.

The red lights flashed throughout the bunker and the alarm blared; the color of blood and the sound of mechanical screaming kept Y/N running aimlessly through the halls, desperate to try and outrun the demon who snarled out his laughter.

She saw him appear at the end of one long hallway, so she darted down another, even though she knew his long, determined stride would eventually catch up to her. She ran into the kitchen and grabbed a butcher’s knife just as he hopped jauntily down the steps after her. She spun around with the knife raised as he stood smiling at the foot of the stairs.

He shook his head. “Oh, Y/N, silly girl. What do you think that’s going to do to me? I always thought you were smarter than that.”

He stalked towards her and she started to circle around the island. He followed, a soft, sardonic smile never leaving his face. She loved that smile, usually. But now, she didn’t see it reflected in his eyes as they blinked oil slick black. 

“Please.” She said breathlessly as she half-heartedly waved the knife towards him. “I know you’re in there, Dean. Please, please don’t do this.”

His smile widened and suddenly he lunged at her, grabbing her by the neck and shaking her like a ragdoll, so hard that the knife clattered pointlessly from her numb fingertips. He slammed her back against the stone wall and a blinding pain erupted through her head as her skull cracked against it. 

She felt nauseous as the pain rippled through her. He pulled her close to him, sneering into her face as she scratched at his hand to try and loosen his grip. She knew it was pointless, but he was letting in very little air as she flailed in his hand. 

“I told you and Sammy to leave me alone. All you had to do was listen, all you had to do was stop being a nagging pain in the ass. All the two of you had to do, for once, was stop being my biggest fucking burden, stop trying to keep me down. I just wanted to fucking party, howl at the moon, like Crowley promised me. I just wanted the two fucking weights around my neck to drop off the face of the earth, and give me some goddamn peace and quiet.”

He slammed her back against the stone wall again, making every bone in her body ache. “But of course not. Of course Saint Sammy and Little Orphan Annie had to come try and save me. Well, if you won’t leave me alone, then I’ll just have to take you both out of the fuckin’ equation.”

Dean’s fist tightened around Y/N’s throat until black spots sprung up in front of her eyes. She believed beyond a doubt that this demon was about to end her. She tried to scream, but had no breath. The world went dark and she woke up finally able to scream out her terror.

Her bedroom was dark, and she fumbled with her bedside lamp to try and illuminate it. Just as she got it on, her bedroom door opened and light from the hallway spilled in. 

Dean stood in her doorway, filling it up with his broadness. His face was slightly flushed and his gaze was a little frantic as he looked at her. The fear and worry that clouded his gaze was so very “Dean” that it brought new tears to her eyes. God, how much she’d missed him. 

And yet, as he strode towards her, her body moved instinctively, scrambling to sit up against her pillows and headboard, pulling herself as far away from him as possible.

Dean stopped dead and didn't move for a moment. Finally he took a step back.

“Sorry, sweetheart. I heard you scream and I just…” He shook his head and took another step back towards her door. “But that was really stupid.”

He thumbed at the door behind him. “Okay, I'll uh, I'll send Sam in to check on you.”

“No, don't.” Y/N said quietly. 

Dean looked her in the eye and nodded, seemingly confused. “Oh, okay. Then just…get some more sleep, I guess.”

He left the room quickly, quietly clicking the door behind him.

Y/N felt awful. She meant she didn't want Sam to come because she wanted him there. But when it came down to it, the words asking him to stay wouldn't come. 

Dean was the person who'd always made her feel safest in the world. She'd always known she could count on him, that he would wade through hell to save her. She knew too that what the mark turned him into wasn't truly him. But the sneer on his beautiful face sat burned into her memory. She was having a hard time separating it from Dean's warm and occasionally goofy grin.

As she laid wide awake in her bed a frustrating dilemma played out in her mind. She was shaking from head to toe, internal shivers making her insides quake. 

Ordinarily, when she was this scared and hurting, she'd run to Dean and cuddle up with him under his covers. She'd ask him to hold her close, tuck her head under his chin and envelop her in his muscular arms where she'd finally feel as though nothing could ever hurt her. 

But she didn't think that would work this time. Running to him when he was also the thing she was running from just didn't make logical sense.

But as she laid there feeling alone and terrified, logic started to matter less and less. She considered  going to Sam with her fears; she knew he'd reassure her and comfort her. But it was never going to be the same. She needed Dean.

She slid her feet into her warm slippers to guard against the freezing concrete floors and padded down the hallways to room number 11.

She stood outside for far too long, contemplating turning around. But finally she knocked, her knuckles barely a whisper against the wood.

“Yeah.” Dean's voice was slightly gruff and muffled on the other side of the door. The harshness almost sent her running back to her room, but instead she turned the knob and threw the door wide open before she could completely lose her nerve.

Dean was laying on his bed, stretched out on his back with his head pillowed on his hands, but he sat up quickly, surprise filling his expression.

“Y/N?” His voice was incredulous.

Y/N thought of everything she wanted to say, and it all came out in a slightly gushing ramble.

“I need a hug. I need a hug from you to make me feel better and safe. But also, you nearly killed me less than twenty-four hours ago, and it terrified me. But I think I'm even more terrified of losing you as my best friend and protector because of it. I want you to be those things again. I want you to tell me that the things you said weren't true. That I'm more than just a burden to you, that you don't secretly long to get me out of your life. I need you to swear you'll do absolutely everything in your power, no matter what, to get rid of the mark, so that you never become that thing again.”

She paused and breathed deeply as her tears ran freely. “I need you to promise me that you're actually my Dean.”

Dean rose slowly from the bed and came to stand in front of her. He reached out, moving ever so slowly, to wipe away her tears, and his voice was adamant as he spoke.

“Sweetheart, you're the best thing that's ever come into my life, you fill it up with meaning and purpose. You and Sam are the two most important people in the world to me. The demon was a fucking liar.” 

He cupped her cheeks and then tucked her hair behind her ear. “I swear to you that I will not rest until this thing is off my arm and gone from our lives.”

He very slowly dropped his forehead to hers, making sure she could escape him if she wanted. “Baby, I can never fully describe how much it hurts to think of what I did and said. ‘I'm sorry’ isn't enough words, not by a longshot, to explain how much it kills me to think about.”

They stayed like that for a little while, their foreheads just touching and their souls reaching out to one another, testing the sore spots and seeking to ease the ache.

Finally Y/N stepped fully into Dean's arms and he sighed and wrapped them tightly around her. Her head fit just below his chin as it always did, and she felt her internal shaking slow and then stop as the cold in her bones was warmed again by Dean's embrace.

They stood in that position for a long time, drawing strength from one another. Finally, Dean pulled back slightly and kissed her temple. 

“Wanna kick back in the Dean cave with some truly cheesy rom-coms? I'm talkin’ Hallmark level or better.”

Y/N's laugh was a little watery, but still genuine. “Don't you mean Hallmark level or worse?”

“Tom-ay-to. Tom-ah-to.” Dean said with a teasing grin.

And all at once, he was just Dean again.

@lyarr24 @lacilou @deans-spinster-witch @globetrotter28 @suckitands33

@alwaystiredandconfused @jzackles @jackles010378 @impala67rollingthroughtown @krazykelly

@candy-coated-misery0731 @envyaurora95 @spnwoman @deans-baby-momma @luvr4miya

@arcannaa @viviwatchestv @winharry @ladysparkles78 @kr804573

@whimsyfinny @roonthelittlespoon920 @slamminmine @zepskies @safiyas-world

@aylacavebear @kazsrm67 @slut-for-evans-stan @sexyvixen7 @nancymcl

@hobby27 @waywardcheshire @livya99 @k-slla @leigh70

@eevvvaa @kickingitwithkirk @foxyjwls007 @roseblue373 @mishkatelwarriorgoddess

@avanatural @mrsjenniferwinchester @all-alone-he-turns-to-stone @deangirl96 @stoneyggirl2

@fanfic-n-tabulous @traiitorjoe @lastcallatrockysbar @b3autyfuld1sast3r

[harocat]

Candy 💖 Exchange

Hello Cdrama fans! The signups for the Candy Hearts Exchange close in about a week (1/7/2025), and there are a ton of Cdrama fandoms nominated. I'd LOVE to see some Cdrama fans on board (and not just because almost all my nominations are that).

Candy Hearts is a multifandom gift exchange with a low minimum and a focus on relationships, both platonic and romantic/sexual.

Please read this FAQ and the Rules before deciding whether to participate.

This exchange accepts fanfic, fanart, and podfic.

You can see the schedule, tagset, and the app that shows submitted signups and letters here.

Note that since nominations are closed, you can ONLY request pairings and relationships that are in the tag set. All Cdramas will be under 'tv shows'.

Nominated Dramas:

HIStory3 - 圈套 | HIStory3: Trapped (TV)

S.C.I.谜案集 | S.C.I. Mystery (TV)

一念关山 | A Journey to Love (TV)

不良執念清除師 | Oh No! Here Comes Trouble (TV)

与凤行 | The Legend of Shen Li (TV)

��州缥缈录 | Novoland: Eagle Flag

云之羽 | My Journey to You (TV)

侠探简不知 | Ancient Detective (TV)

冰雨火 | Being a Hero (TV)

冰雪谣 | Snowfall (TV 2024)

双夭记 | The Silent Criminal (TV)

四方馆 | Go East (TV)

四海重明 | Love's Rebellion (TV)

墨雨云间 | The Double (TV 2024)

大唐女法医 | Miss Truth (TV)

大梦归离 | Fangs of Fortune (TV)

天盛长歌 | The Rise of Phoenixes (TV)

如懿传 | Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace (TV)

宁安如梦 | Story of Kunning Palace (TV)

少女大人 | Maiden Holmes (TV)

少年歌行 | The Blood of Youth (Live Action TV)

少年白马醉春风 | Dashing Youth (Live Action TV)

山河令 | Word of Honor (TV 2021)

度华年 | The Princess Royal (TV)

想見你 | Someday or One Day (TV)

无眠之境 | Desire Catcher (TV)

时光代理人 | Link Click (Live Action TV)

星汉灿烂 | Love Like the Galaxy (TV)

有翡 | Legend of Fei (TV)

梦华录 | A Dream of Splendor (TV)

棋魂 | Hikaru no Go (Live Action TV)

永夜星河 | Love Game in Eastern Fantasy (TV)

沙海 | Tomb of the Sea (TV)

流水迢迢 | Love of Nirvana (TV)

猎罪图鉴 | Under the Skin (TV 2022)

玉骨遥 | Yù Gǔ Yáo (TV)

琅琊榜 | Nirvana in Fire (TV)

盗墓笔记2之怒海潜沙&秦岭神树 | The Lost Tomb 2: Explore with the Note (TV 2019)

看見愛 | See Your Love (TV)

绅探 | Detective L (TV)

绝世千金 | Unique Lady (TV)

老九门 | Old Nine Gates (TV)

致命游戏 | The Spirealm (TV)

花开有时颓靡无声 | Meet You at the Blossom (TV)

苍兰诀 | Love Between Fairy and Devil (TV)

莲花楼 | Mysterious Lotus Casebook (TV)

西出玉门 | Parallel World | West Out of Yumen (TV)

许你浮生若梦 | Xǔ Nǐ Fú Shēng Ruò Mèng | Granting You a Dreamlike Life (TV)

镇魂 | Guardian (TV 2018)

长月烬明 | Till the End of the Moon (TV)

长相思 | Lost You Forever (TV)

關於未知的我們 | Unknown (TV 2024)

陈情令 | The Untamed (TV)

风起洛阳 | Fēng Qǐ Luò Yáng (TV)

我们 | Wild - Xiao Zhan (Music Video)

我的师兄惹不起 | Fall in Love with My Bad Boy (2020 TV)

社內相親 | A Business Proposal (Hong Kong TV 2023)

九重紫 | Blossom (TV)

[harbo-urr]

Alhaitham's and Kaveh's relationship in the Sumeru arhon quest: new perspective (for me, maybe for you too!).

Oh it will be long...

It started with my short thoughts about their first on-screen dialog and how it feels different now compared to a year ago, but then spiralled into me re-watching the entire Sumeru archon quest to properly analyse Alhaitham's hidden struggles during it and Kaveh's (not big but) actual plot relevance.

Disclaimer: I'm aware that English VAs were way more emotional then Chinese, especially in 3.2, but, for the sake of having the information to analyse, lets believe that at least the official eng text of their interactions is more or less correct... (I'm sorry I only know English and other languages most likely have translation errors as well anyway).

I'm also assuming that you've read their character stories and know their more deep personalities, not just "cold smart guy and artsy broke guy".

Anyway, I hope someone will find the analyses below as entertaining as I do.

1. Kaveh and Alhaitham: what we see during their first on-screen interaction.

Now, let's all time travel into the day when the last part of Sumeru's quest dropped. These sweet days... Version 3.2, two versions before we got Alhaitham as a playable character and four versions before Kaveh. By this point we've already known a little information about Alhaitham, mostly from the archon quest itself, and next to nothing about Kaveh.

Well, we knew some info, but it was mostly leaks and speculations, nothing more than "a genius architect who lives with Alhaitham because he is broke".

Now, if you didn't read the leaks and just carefully played the quest, you could actually catch some phrases here and there that implied that Alhaitham lives with someone before it was openly confirmed, but again, it's not specific at all. That is why our first meeting with a brand new sexy blond boy was so extreme in all ways. It was beautiful, emotional, entertaining and... extremely toxic. Both Alhaitham and Kaveh behaved surprisingly aggressive (calmer in Chinese but still more negative then what we usually see now). It was fun to watch, and made a lot of people including me really interested in those two from the get go.

But re-watching this dialog now after almost a year felt... Weird. Yes sure, they bicker, it's their thing, but if you compare any other scene with them later it's not nearly as intense... especially on Alhaitham's side (yes, even if you don't listen to va and just read the lines).

So it got me thinking. Why did Alhaitham behave like that? Was it a random writing decision for the drama effect? Or was there something more going on that I didn't understand?

After going through everything from start to finish I believe that yes, there was. But I'll need go through a lot of content recap to fully explain what I mean.

2. First aka "the first on-screen" aka "Where were you when Sumeru needed you most!?" dialog

It is essentially our first glimpse of Kaveh, which we catch in the library on the search for Alhaitham.

Kaveh has just returned to the city so he has no idea what is going on. The shown interaction starts with Kaveh demanding Alhaitham to put his book away and explain what is happening at the Academia. The fact that Kaveh is already pretty irritated when we first see him tricks us into thinking that he's a short-tempered overly dramatic guy, which is...

Well, partly true, but having already experienced how sweet Kaveh actually is we can see through that and realize that Alhaitham most likely was ignoring Kaveh's questions for some time now, and that's why our Kaveh was already on edge when we started. Already weird and we're just at the first line.

After that they bicker a little, Kaveh again asks about the Academia, on which Alhaitham answers: "Oh? I thought you would already knew the inside story."

Then they bicker again (2) and Alhaitham goes hard on Kaveh here. He even agrees with Kaveh that he doesn't say anything nice about him, because "anyone who knows you as well as I do would do the same". DAMN, Alhaitham, that's brutal even for you, why are you so mad, is something bothering you? Oh well..

Then they bicker again (3) and Alhaitham proposes Kaveh to move out of his house, but Kaveh ignores it and tries asking about the Academia again. Alhaitham ignores it as well and says "Forget what's going on with the Academia, haven't you been busy with your construction project?".

Kaveh doesn't want to answer this question and says that he's "getting angry just thinking about it" (worth noting). Kaveh then wants to change the subject again, but Alhaitham doesn't give up and asks about Kaveh's project again ("Where were you when Sumeru needed you most?").

Then they bicker again (4) and Kaveh leaves to ask around.

Huh, that was heated...

Lets do a little bit of unpacking.

So, Kaveh wanted to know more about the Academia and Alhaitham was constantly changing the subject. It can be read as Alhaitham mocking Kaveh just for the sake of it, but if we pay a little more attention to what Alhaitham is saying every time he interrupts Kaveh, it becomes more interesting.

1) "Oh? I thought you would already knew the inside story."

2) "Forget what's going on with the Academia, haven't you been busy with your construction project?"

3) "Where were you when Sumeru needed you most?"

Each time Alhaitham changes the subject, he talks about Kaveh being away for the time of the quest. Let's remember the golden rule of miscommunication conflicts: to understand what actually bothers your opponent you need to spot a repetitive theme in their words. And Alhaitham has a pretty clear pattern. Interesting.

But let's move on to the next dialog.

3. Second aka "second on-screen" aka "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?" dialog

Kaveh returns after asking around and confronts Alhaitham about it ("WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?") (just a funny line). After some bickering (5) Alhaitham agrees to finally tell him what happened. He mentions that Kshahrewar sage was a part of conspiracy as well on which Kaveh reacts surprised and says "...could this be why they sent me out on a project?". However Alhaitham replies that it's just a coincidence and proceeds to suddenly go hard on Kaveh again, saying "whatever you were doing won't have any significant impact now or in times to come" (auch, Alhaitham, auch). Then they bicker again (6) and the dialog ends.

This interaction is more relevant to the "Kaveh plot relevance" section, but the important things for now are:

Kaveh: "...could this be why they sent me out on a project?"

Alhaitham: "I think its just a coincidence ... whatever you were doing won't have any significant impact now or in times to come."

And why is it important?

I find the flow of this whole conversation to be very weird, since it goes "confrontation - agreement - information share - speculation - confrontation". In other words, first Alhaitham doesn't want to talk, but Kaveh persuades him, learns about the sage, brings up his mission in the desert, and Alhaitham returns to the confrontation mode again.

It can be interpreted as Alhaitham just using every opportunity to disagree with Kaveh just cause, but at the same time his words sours exactly after Kaveh talks about him being missing from the quest. Coincidence? I don't think so.

All these little things got me thinking. Why is Kaveh's absence so triggering for Alhaitham? Sure they're close or whatever, but they both value their freedom very highly and it's probably not too rare for them to disappear for a day or two for work. Why is it such a big deal now?

But then I also remembered that Kaveh, basically the only family Alhaitham has (yes I call people you willingly live with a family, its my life experience), went missing from home exactly when the fishy stuff at the Academia started resurfacing. And he was gone for a long time, at least for the duration of the quest, which is about two in game weeks.

Even if Alhaitham is not a very emotional person, he still values family, home, routine and comfort very highly. So, in theory, the sudden empty house should have affected him in some way, right? That's how I decided to check Alhaitham's behaviour during the archon quest and it was.. interesting.

4. Alhaitham's side of the Sumeru quest, with me fillng in the gaps.

Let's think about all these quest days from his perspective.

You're simple logical guy who already for quite some time lives with an annoying but kind of endearing roommate, who you drink coffee with in the morning and often discuss intellectual or not really stuff. Sometimes you argue but he's perspective on life fascinates you as a scholar, so you don't mind it too much. Ultimately you're just used to him in your life.

Then one day you go to your work, which brings you just enough money to feel completely comfortable, but you start feeling that something fishy is going on behind the scenes. Some sages disappear, your archon is treated like a power source and there are weird rumours about the divine knowledge capsules. Then you get a sudden assignment - investigate a blond traveller with a talking fairy. And sages propose to pay you with the divine knowledge capsule.

Suspicious. If it's such a big deal, why would they promise you it as a present for a simple spy work?

You decide to get to the bottom of this and for this you need to buy the capsule yourself. You're sure that the infamous merchant Dori has some, but you're definitely in the black list as the Academia's scribe... Ah, how lucky is it. Your roommate just so happen to have a strong connection to Dori. If you give him money and an excuse why he needs the capsule so much she would definitely sell it to him. It settled then.

You come home. But you're roommate isn't there. You wait. He doesn't come back. You're confused and decide to check using you're connections at the Academia, and... he suddenly was requested to the desert? And just left? Why would he leave exactly when everything was going to get weird? Did he know something? Did Academia want to temporarily move him out of the picture? Maybe they did something worse than that? Was it all a coincidence?

You don't know and you have no time. You need to spy on Traveller. You need to buy a capsule. It seems that you're alone in it.

Dori didn't sell you a capsule. That wasn't unexpected but still worth the try. You decide to make the mysterious traveller to buy it for you. It went great. You find out more about capsules, you steal one yourself. You realise that the divine knowledge offered by the sages was a trap to dispose of you. Your roommate still didn't come back. It's been what, almost a week? Whatever. It's nice and quiet at your home.

You meet Traveller again on your way to the desert to investigate the source of the capsules. You run into Cyno and a bunch of other people and you seem to finally get the lead to answers that you wanted. You find out that the capsules were extracted from the brains of scholars who were send to the desert by the Academia and then abducted. You're roommate was also sent to the desert by the Academia. Uh. He's fine. You have your problems to deal with.

You and your unexpected but quite pleasant team find out that sages want to create a God. It seems it's time to rescue your archon. You came up with a pretty good plan. Noe you need to return to the city after these couple of days in the desert. When you come home, your roommate still isn't there.

The next day your team is preparing for the plan and Cyno says that you all need to go home and have a good rest.

"...Thankfully I had my place to myself recently. It's been nice and quiet."

"...Huh?"

Dehya stares at you confused.

You didn't realise that you said it out loud and you're not sure how other people deal with situations when they say something without thinking.

"Oh, nothing"

You went home and slept alright.

The plan worked, Nahida was saved, sages punished, akasha destroyed, your comfortable routine is safe again. It's still nice and quite at home, so you go to the library to read some books.

"Alhaitham, what happened in the Academia?!"

You hear a familiar voice. After all this time he returns like nothing happened.

5. And this was a recap of Alhaitham's side of the archon quest!

Interpretations can vary of course, but the way I see it, Alhaitham was very bothered by Kaveh's sudden disappearance. He clearly expresses that he wishes Kaveh was in the team during the quest ("Where were you when Sumeru needed you most?"). From this we can guess that Kaveh really left without any warning and had Alhaitham known about it, he would most likely stopped him.

I think Alhaitham quickly found out where Kaveh was (connections) but he had no means of contacting him quickly and maybe didn't even know the exact location. At first it was a minor inconvenience because of the Dori situation, but he probably wasn't bothered to much by it. But after he found out that sages actively tried to dispose of him by making him insane, he probably realised that the situation was way worse that he initially thought. And Kaveh still was somewhere in the desert with no means to contact him.

So what Alhaitham does next? He goes to the desert. Yes, it was for the plot reasons, but let's agree, he at least considered a possibility that he could run into Kaveh there. But he never did. And what's more, he found out that the Academia was abducting scholars and sucking their brains out. Let's be real, the theory that Kaveh was send to the desert for the reasons connected to knowledge capsules, most likely was on Alhaitham's mind, and in a bad universe it could've been correct.

Well, Kaveh did return home after all. But by that point Alhaitham's supressed stress about this whole situation was so great, that it resulted in him being genuinely salty at Kaveh during their first on-screen dialog and even saying "Well, maybe then you should move out of my house" - which, at least from my point of view, is way worse then his usual teasing about Kaveh being broke and homeless or whatever.

6. About Kaveh's role in the archon quest besides making Alhaitham sad

Ag, that's a very fun topic. I don't know how I totally missed it the first time, maybe it was the lack of respect for Kaveh, idk, but he was 100% purposefully sent away for the time of the quest.

Sages wanted to move him out of the picture just like they wanted to do with Alhaitham using knowledge capsule. Except they knew that Kaveh would not be too interested in the capsules. So they needed something else to remove him... Like a sudden very urgent request to build a children's hospital somewhere very deep in the desert for people who are literally dying without it! Huh, well, I just made it up, but I believe that sages came up with something very similar.

Kaveh is the type of person to jump straight into any charity he sees and ask next to none questions about it, so it would be the easiest way to send him away for good. Plus I believe that it could've been the reason why he didn't talk with Alhaitham about it and disappeared so sudden. Children are dying! No time for talking! But then he arrived to the said place in the desert and it was just a mess. Maybe a fake project, maybe literally nothing, maybe a trap. In other words - not the project he was told he is needed for.

It's something that we don't get spelled out for us (Alhaitham even denies it cause he's angry at that moment), but timings are just too perfect to be a coincidence. And that's not the only proof - Kaveh himself heavily implies that there was something very fishy about this mission.

He straight up avoids answering Alhaitham's questions about it, and says "Thinking about it makes me angry". Why would he say this about the Academia project? It's not like he had a specific annoying client. Kaveh was sent as a representative from the Academia to be the head of some "construction project" after all, he presumably was the boss there. So it can only mean that there was something wrong with the project itself.

Plus immediately after he finds out that his sage was a part of the conspiracy, he says "So that's why they sent me there", which further implies that whatever was happening on that mission in desert – it was either absurd (if the sages just wanted to keep Kaveh away for some time) or very dangerous (if they wanted him dead). Unfortunately Kaveh's the last person who would tell us about the danger to his life, so we can forget about learning what the hell was that mysterious mission.

Ah, and about why would sages want Kaveh away. Sure it can be because of his connections to Alhaitham, but…

I think anyone who knows Kaveh more then 10 minutes would know that if he found out what sages are planning to do with a literal child and what they do to other scholars, he would die but not let them continue all of it. And he is quite popular among students and citizens alike, so he could've been a potential threat for the sages.

Makes me wonder how many other potential dangers did sages eliminate in some way for their plan. Probably not too many, but still interesting behind the scenes of their actions.

AND NOW, AFTER ALL THIS THINKING, I FINNALY, FINALLY, WAS ABLE TO UNDERSTAND ALHAITHAM'S FINAL LINES IN THE ARCHON QUEST.

Let's return to the end of the act 5. After we had a feast at the Grand Bazar, we were able to one last time talk to each member of our Sumeru-rescue team.

Alhaitham said this:

Which was always bothering me, because:

One: He suddenly becomes quite sentimental and talks about happiness, which is cool to see, but at the same time... He very rarely talks about subjective emotions. And what's more, he seems genuinely enjoying the thought of it. He isn't really the kind of person who gets his sense of satisfaction out of someone else's happiness (it's one of the things he parallels Kaveh in), so what's this all about?

Two: He extremely abruptly switches the topic to point out that he "seems to have taken both keys when he left the house" (tbh I thought that I accidentally clicked on him the second time and it's the new dialog, but no, it is all specifically a one long dialog).

Well well well. What do we have here.

When I first read these lines I decided that's it's just a weird writing without normal conversation flow. First Alhaitham is satisfied that he's plan worked and his daily life is safe, but says it through pointing out that other people are happy rather then explicitly stating that he's happy. Then he yaoi baiting us with "haha, harassing Kaveh is so much fun" and that's all there is to it.

But.

Now that we know more about Alhaitham's daily life during the archon quest, let's think about the keys some more.

He was able to take both keys because Kaveh was at home and his keys were there either. On his way out to meet us, Alhaitham saw Kaveh's keys on their usual place and took them as well, ultimately making Kaveh unable to leave the house. Which also means...

Kaveh will definitely be at home when Alhaitham returns after the feast.

So if we flip everything based on this logic, Alhaitham tells us: "This is a great evening. This gathering is special. People are finally happy. They feel happiness from the bottom of their hearts. And when I return home there will be someone waiting for".

Which is. So. PRECIOUS!.. Something clicked in my brain when I first realized this meaning and these lines are finally making a lot of sense!

It's the perfect final words for his little character journey in this quest. He protected the life he had and loved, everything and everyone were back to normal again and for him it is a true happiness felt from the bottom of his heart. Just precious.

Final words

Anyway, yes, that's why I believe that during the archon quest Alhaitham was actually constantly worrying about Kaveh at the back of his mind and maybe even feeling lonely, which resulted in his great boom of toxicity during their first on-screen dialog, but after some time he cooled down and slipped into his usual happy comfortable and not "nice and quiet" life again.

And fuck the sages for sending away our boy Kaveh (who actually knows a lot about desert since he works there often) and making our rescue-Nahida-group one competent person shorter.

Thanks for your time and tears, you, the person who read this!

[feroluce]

I have finally finished 2.4 and oh my GOD watching Dan Heng be so protective of his friends nearly killed me, MY HEART.

And yes, the cutscene where he pushes the trailblazer out of the way and even cushions their fall with his own body, but I mean even before that! When he was already trying to protect them and March 7th from Feixiao and Lingsha!!

Because if you watch the dango trio throughout the main quest, you'll notice that they often position themselves in the same way, which is a detail that makes me super happy that Hoyo thought to include- when the three of them aren't evenly spaced, March 7th and the trailblazer tend to gravitate towards each other and stand very close together, frequently side-by-side. And by comparison, Dan Heng usually stands slightly away, and often even slightly behind them, where he can pull on their leashes to wrangle them keep an eye on them.

This is probably a habit learned through experience, since March 7th said during Belobog she is the "queen of unannounced disappearances" fjdksajfkldjsak

And of course at least a little bit of it is just done for like, aesthetic purposes. It's a video game. Things have to look nice for the player. The trailblazer and Dan Heng are the same height, March 7th is a bit shorter, and Yanqing is even smaller. It makes sense to have the trailblazer and Dan Heng stand on the ends, with March 7th and Yanqing in the middle, it just looks nicer and more balanced that way. But still! Even when they're accommodating for Yanqing in this quest, they still all arrange themselves the same way, almost every time!

But this changes after Dan Heng and Yanqing become suspicious of the visitors from the Yaoqing.

The dango trio still stand around relaxed and in their usual manner when they go to the artisanship delve and meet Skott,

but Dan Heng takes notice of Lingsha when she arrives, and he and Yanqing mentioned her specifically when discussing their worries.

Yanqing worrying so much about Jing Yuan got me right in the heart, he's such a good boy WEH

And when the four of them go out to the alchemy delve to meet Lingsha for tea, the pattern breaks. Suddenly Dan Heng is standing right up front, and even walks in and enters the scene before March 7th and the trailblazer to get to Lingsha before them. He stays a step in front of them the whole time, too.

And then when Dan Heng and the trailblazer have to go be interrogated by Feixiao! The same deal! Dan Heng walks in ahead of them and stays in front of them! Noticeably so! Enough that even Feixiao takes note and voices it!

Dan Heng is so so fiercely protective of his companions, and I love it, I adore hyper vigilance in the wake of trauma like this, I'm so excited to see what else he does in 2.5, I hope we either get to see him get fucked up or the trailblazer gets fucked up in his place, I wanna see them run through the meat grinder!!!

[bluespiritshonour]

Edit: Part 1 | Part 2

Allow me to let y'all know how embarassed I am. I planned to post the entire thing i.n one go when it was done—but I had never made anything comic like save for the Azula-Zuko thing and I didn't realise how hard it was going to be.

So... I fucked up my back over this the past weekend—(then went to a botanical garden wearing heels because I didn't have any other option and now my feet are wrecked too—honestly, why are heels even a thing. First and last time I'd wear them I swear. I'd rather walk barefoot)—and this has triggered a sort of... art burnout for me, eh?

So I thought I'll just go ahead and post it. I initially thought it'd be six pages—boy did I underestimate it!

And don't worry, I'll complete it.

I've already poured so much sweat and blood into it—the only way to go is to complete it now. Plus, I already have several uncoloured pages, yknow, lineart and all done. (Let's pretend I don't go from sketch to colour and actually skip the lineart).

It'd take a while though.

So...uh...to be continued?

P.S.: because I'm evil: [rubs hands excitedly] we'd wait together until it's finished.

P.P.S.: no, seriously though. Posting it here so that I'll hold myself accountable.

[janetcage]

I’m titling this, Syzoth and Ashrah go to Walmart. Now accept the shenaniganary.

[arthur-lesters-nipples]

How much do you think Arthur is seen walking to whatever new horrorTM they’re about to witness, his hands clasped together in front of him. How often do you think he gently takes Johns hand and rubs his thumb against Johns, or lightly fiddles with the wooden pinky. How it at first started off as a nervous tick. In those quiet moments where there is no imminent danger, he still can’t help but be alert. Constantly moving, ready to bolt the second John sees danger. How yes, at first the hand fidgeting was because of anxiety, but now he does it because John started fidgeting back. How John will now reach for Arthur’s hand and lace their fingers together in those rare peaceful moments, grounding not only Arthur but himself. A reassurance that it’s safe right now, they’re safe.

[scuba-divers]

little kinito x y/n doodle to satisfy the hoard

[withapurplestripe]

wayne never trusted the suburbanites of hawkins. he’d been fine with them before, but once eddie started living with him, and he heard the way their kids spoke to his, he quickly turned his back.

when eddie came home crying because some girl called him a freak, or hid his bruised wrist behind his back and insisted he’d fallen over, he would say, some kids just follow their fathers, ed, there ain’t nothing you can do or not do about it. just count your lucky stars you’re smarter than them. it was a small comfort but the best he could do without his voice cracking.

so when nancy wheeler, robin buckley, steve harrington started showing up, packed into a beemer the boy had been bought at sixteen as a ‘starter car’, he had been nervous. buckley was okay, she wasn’t so prim and proper, and he’d heard enough stories about wheeler’s gun storage from eddie to see through any facade of manners. but harrington.

harrington was different. he stared at eddie whenever he laughed loud, or changed his voice, or gesticulated wildly. he smirked softly to himself when eddie referenced dnd.

he was the embodiment of hawkins.

when the four of them tumbled through the door together, laughing and nudging each other in a scramble for the sofa, wayne stood from his chair and left. he couldn’t bear to see his boy mocked all night by someone pretending to be a friend.

(what he didn’t notice was the way steve soaked up the sounds of eddie’s laugh, trying to work out how to be the one to cause it; or how proud he felt when dustin’s reluctant tutoring paid off and he could understand a nerdy comment.

steve harrington was in fact the antithesis of hawkins.

because he loved eddie munson.)

[heavenlyascent]

I can hate on Rebirth for its flaws any day of the week but I can never truly hate it because it unequivocally gave us on screen proof that not only are Tifa and Aerith best friends but also that they undoubtably love each other.

Like there's no playing around with this like people do with the OG. It's not in subtext or in silent background moments where you see them together. Tifa and Aerith are friends, they care so much for each other that on the brink of death one of the people Tifa imagined calling and reaching out for her was Aerith.

They say, to Cloud and the audience's faces, that they are friends. Aerith was ready to punch that one girl in the face for trying to be catty with Tifa.

I don't EVER wanna hear from this fandom again that Aerith and Tifa do not care about each other or that they would let Cloud of all people get in between them. They were close in the OG and they're close in the Remake. FIGHT ME.

[whohasthecards]

Idea

After the mission, Jake apologizes to Mav and Bradley about bringing up the Goose incident, and explains that he was just trying to get Bradley to fly faster and better in a fucked up way. They both forgive him, and Bradley thinks maybe now they can both be good wingmen to each other.

However, that's not the case. Although Jake still hangs around the Dagger Squad and gets closer to them, he's hesitant around Bradley. Not enough for most people to notice, he's still a sarcastic asshole, but he's wary around Bradley and Bradley doesn't know why.

Jake is actually still hurt about the time at the Hard Deck when Bradley told him, "Hangman, the only place you'll lead anyone is an empty grave." Bradshaw brought up one of his greatest losses when he was just joking around. It hurt. He knew that the proper thing to do is talk about it, but instead he just keeps Bradshaw at a distance and watches him to make sure that the other man won't randomly lose his temper. He's only accepted in the Dagger Squad because he saved Rooster and Mav's lives, he won't fuck that up by accusing Rooster of being an ass about something that happened months ago. Rooster probably didn't even remember.

He was right, Rooster didn’t remember. Just that they were making jabs at each other.

Rooster is talking to Mav and Ice about Hangman being distant and Mav just tells him to give Hangman time to get used to having a team.

Ice starts hanging around the Top Gun base more, and eventually starts building rapport with the Dagger Squad. Especially Lieutenant Jake "Hangman" Seresin who seems to really look up at him. However, unlike others who do, Seresin can actually hold a conversation and doesn't just hang on his every word and treat him like some kind of god. Ice likes the kid.

(Ice thinks the Dagger Squad knows about his marriage with Mav and how he raised Bradley. Dagger Squad does not know.)

Eventually, Ice asks about his relationship with Rooster and Jake spills the whole thing about what Bradley said, and the lost of his former wingman. Ice is livid. He confronts Rooster about it, and tells Bradley to apologize and to better watch his temper.

When Bradley does, Jake asks how he knows about that stuff. Bradley said Ice did and how his uncle is always trying to make sure wingmen stick together.

Instead of being comforted about this, Jake feels betrayed. Betrayed that sometimes he told Ice in confidence was just out and about now and becomes upset about it and walks away. He feels stupid for not realizing that IceMav was a thing and that Bradley was their pseudo-son, and thinks that Ice just wanted to get close to him, so that Dagger Squad would stay together.

Jake starts distancing himself from Ice and starts withdrawing from the team.

Everything eventually gets straightened out with some intervention from Mav, Javy, and the rest of the Dagger Squad. Mav by telling Jake that Ice just likes to fix things, and accidentally oversteps. Javy by threatening Bradley to never ever say shit like that to Jake again. Ice then apologizes to Jake and tells him he just found Bradley's behavior unacceptable and didn't mean to overstep. Jake accepts the apology and they both start bonding again.

Bradley and Jake start becoming true wingmen not only in the air, but also on the ground.

Happy ending, Dagger Squad + IceMav all vibing together.

[liquid-sunshines]

Qi-ge's wish (short comic strip)

Based on an online prompt: "pleasant conversation"

[luminescentchimera]

every time someone uses a normal ship name in mcyt fandoms a grian loses it's wings

[jpeg-dot-jpeg]

build a fic request!

dialogue 10 "i can't sleep either. mind if i join you?"

emotion S exhaustion

setting Turtle the corner bed in a hospital ward

🥰🥰🥰

"You look like shit."

Tim rolled his head from one side to the other so he could look at his bully, hearing several concerning clicking noises in his neck. Pale and dressed in a threadbare hospital gown, Dick looked about how Tim felt.

He sat up straighter in the cheap chair stationed at the foot of the hospital bed. He watched goose bumps spring up down the length of Dick's arm. "At least I don't have swiss cheese for lungs," Tim said, his voice low and raspy from disuse.

Dick smacked his gums, looking around the dreary hospital room, but he didn't ask for water and Tim was too drained to get up unprompted. "How long have I been out?"

"Few hours."

"And the idiot that shot me?"

"Probably in the waiting room praying you pull through so he doesn't lose his pension."

"God I hate undercover cop work."

Tim hummed. "Your partner managed to hit two pedestrians and a gyro truck too. You were the worst off though." His eyes fell to the lump under Dick's thin cotton gown - the bandages over his incision sight. The bullet proof vest had prevented an actual entry, but the already broken ribs he'd gone to work with had splintered under the pressure and punctured his right lung. Idiots. All of them.

Their eyes met and it felt a little like they were the same person, just in two different bodies. "And you're my babysitter?"

"The others would be here, but it's a busy night. You picked a really inconvenient time to get shot."

"My bad. I'll make sure to clear it with you in advance next time."

"I would appreciate at least forty-eight hours notice."

It was familiar banter. They were joking with each other, but too tired to laugh or even smile.

"I've been trying to help out remotely," Tim continued, "But my brain is still just-" he pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes, "-mush."

"The flu has barely left your body. Would it make a difference if I told you that you should rest?"

"Would it make a difference if I told you to rest?" Tim shot back, though there was no heat in it. Tim's emotional reservoir was a dried up crater.

Dick gave the barest shake of his head. "Hurts too much. And it's too exposed here."

Tim nodded, staring at the ground. "I get that." He didn't bother asking if Dick wanted more meds. "We'll get you moved soon as possible. A Bludhaven county hospital would not have been my choice, but you had to go and get hurt on the job."

Dick grunted. His eyes fell shut, but only for a moment. He looked truly miserable, exhausted in the most bone deep way.

"Well," Tim braced his hands on his thighs, "I can't sleep either. Mind if I join you?" He nodded to the bed that was one step above a straw mattress.

Dick didn't answer, but he didn't protest when Tim stood and walked around the side of the bed. He even wiggled over to free up a bit of space on the side that an IV wasn't coming out of.

With all the care his frayed body could manage, Tim kicked off his shoes and climbed onto the bed, his front pressed to Dick's side. He unzipped his hoodie and stretched it over as much of Dick as he could to share his body heat.

It felt like they'd used up all the words they were capable of. The quiet was nice, though. He rested his head on Dick's shoulder, eyes on the door. It wouldn't make much of a difference, but he hoped it made Dick feel better anyway.