#you don't have to believe me but trying to start some kind of debate over it is a little ridiculous

[ngage2003]

Alright. So, here is a fun question.

What the fuck is up with Brian's/"Hoody's" continuous use of religious-coded phrasing?

⟦Note: I am Jewish and not that familiar with a ton of Catholicism, and am mostly just going crazy here. Don't take my theory too seriously unless you agree with me in which case do.⟧

⟦Also, content warning: graphic verbiage towards the end, also heavy religious discussion, duh. (Also maybe sacrilege?)⟧

What I mean specifically is his use of the term "Deluge" in one of his videos, the association between himself and the word "Advocate," and most importantly, him calling the face connected to the Operator "The Ark."

Footnote: Face as in the center of the Ark is the "mouth" of the Operator, (in other words, how it eats) and the Ark as a whole is the closest thing we see to a representation of what it is, an unfathomable monster, like a face can be seen as a representation of a person/personhood.

These names are on first read are just seemingly randomly chosen, but I think there is some small sense here, if a bit abstractly. Based on comic 3.5 of Marble Hornets, ToTheArk, we know Brian is stuck talking in codes, so lets try to unravel this one.

Lets start with the simplest.

】 Advocate

Brian calls himself "Advocate" in relation to an old video of himself where he is talking to Alex, but due to the glitchiness on the video I believe you could kind of take this as a general statement about himself. Regardless, what the hell does that mean?

When we use the term "advocate" in plain speech, it means a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy, but there are specific ties with it under Catholicism. There is variation depending on what translation you use of course, but one example of religious use is in one title of Christ as "our Advocate with the Father" (I John 2:1). Another is how the word advocate is used in relation to the Holy Spirit, (John 14:16,) as another advocate to more or less "help [humanity] and be with [them] forever".

"Ok, cool I guess," you say, "but uh what does that have to do with Marble Hornets?"

Well! While Jesus is off having a Phoenix Wright case with God/being god's messenger pigeon for humanity, Brian is helping someone himself! Specifically, he is helping Jay, the person all the ToTheArk videos are for, for the most part. He is quite literally guiding him around, what for we could debate, but he clearly has his own abstract chess game going on and leading Jay by a metaphorical carrot on a stick is part of it.

I believe this is why Brian calls himself the Advocate. He is with not only Jay but also Jessica, while also being on the former's side, (he doesn't want him dead like the Operator does at least,) and also helping and/or guiding him. I mean, he gets him out of his house before Alex burns it down, as example, and he gives Jay the name of the Operator, along with hints that Alex is dangerous/doesn't exactly have his best intentions. Hell! In Entry 78, if you're comfortable jumping that far ahead, he even gives Jay a knife to free himself with, and his camera back. This of course accidentally leads to Jay's death, but I don't think Brian wanted that to be honest, not with how he hates Alex and the Operator. Brian is just unfortunately human rather than actual divinity, and probably couldn't plan for that.

Let's move on.

2.】 The Deluge

This one is in my opinion the least clear, which is why I stuck it in the middle, but I am still going to give it a shot.

The "Deluge" video is a ToTheArk video where we see a flashing light, weird audio, and then the words, "watching you," along with the description being "///". Purportedly, if you speed up and reverse the audio, it is saying "Alex" over and over again. Combining it with the ending words, we get "Alex [is] Watching You."

What is the Deluge in Catholicism though? Well, simply put its the Great Flood, specifically that really swag one (/sarcastic tone) that God summons for 40 days and nights to drown everyone for being too sinful or whatever, except for his favorite boy, Noah, and his family, who are inside a big boat. Awesome. Cool. Makes sense.

We could get up in the semantics about the "ark" of Noah and "ToTheArk" but A) I have a whole chapter on ToTheArk and The Ark, and B) I personally believe the Ark is named for the Ark of the Covenant so lets just scrap that idea.

Instead, I believe that in this part, Brian is making a comparison between Alex and the Deluge. After all, Alex did kill the cast of Marble Hornets in kind of rapid fire succession like a quickly rising Deluge would, all except for Jay who he had emotional ties to. (And Tim but Tim's survival is complicated and isn't purposeful.)

"Wait!" You cry, "how do you know that Alex killed everyone in rapid fire succession??"

Well, technically I don't, but I do know he tried to kill like 3 of his friends in literally the same 24 hours, which would make sense as if the extremely close cast of Marble Hornets noticed other people were missing and they were last seen with Alex, that would get suspicious, but I digress. All of these killings take place in the hospital in my opinion, where the Operator seemingly has some power, or at least is able to appear more regularly like other places in Rosswood and Alex's house.

First of these was the least successful, Tim, who Alex led to the hospital in Entry 56 and then beat into unconsciousness with a stick that is canonically a pipe based on cast commentary. We see him (or in my opinion, Masky,) scrambling around at night then, using the camera to find his way in the dark, before hiding against a wall. It is very likely to me that he stayed here over night. There are some strange parts of the tape though, like Alex being randomly in the hospital at night, as if he was looking for Tim for some reason.

Regardless, there is then Brian in Entry 51, who is led to the hospital before the Operator snatches Alex away for a moment. (In my opinion probably to Operatorture him a bit because he was hesitant to kill Brian because he actually knows him as a friend (Entry 84) but whatever, coughs.) Brian then wanders around the hospital with Alex's camera before finding Tim huddled up against a wall, much to his confusion, before the Operator shows up and some weirdness happens and Brian dies while Tim/Masky disappears.

Now, we have seen Masky go to the Hospital after Operator encounters seemingly to cope, so maybe this was coincidence, but there is some dialogue in Entry 51 that makes me believe this isn't, especially based on Entry 22, where we see Alex seemingly leading Seth either to his death by the Operator in a strange dilapidated building at night. (Hey, that sounds a bit familiar?) That dialogue is :

Brian: Where’s Seth at? Alex: Uh, we came out here yesterday and he wasn��t feeling too good so he just stayed home today.

Hey that is convenient. You brought him here yesterday and now he just magically isn't feeling good.

In my opinion it is kind of obvious here that Alex probably killed Seth and Brian along with trying to kill Tim after merely finding a convenient place to do so. This was all in the span of 24 hours or less, kind of much like a certain flood might.

This moment is definitely a subversion though, (as use of christian imagery often is in Marble Hornets) as rather than the Flood being a tool of God to destroy the wickedness of men or whatever, Alex is becoming a tool of the Operator to feed it.

And finally, 3.】 The Ark

Wooo Boy. The Ark. Ok. okOkOKOK.

Now, we all know what Brian named the face/mouth of the Operator "The Ark," but what IS the Ark in Catholicism? Maybe you're raising your hand right now and saying "ah that thing Noah went on" and you are technically correct but also wrong. There is a far more important Ark in Catholicism than that one.

Lets talk about the Ark of the Covenant real quick, specifically what it represents rather than solely that fun little golden box, as much as I would love to talk about it and the arks of synagogues.

Ok so I am probably going to mangle some theology but stick with me. There are two Arks of the Covenant in Catholicism, the one of the Old Testament, (the first book of Christian canon which more or less covers backstory,) and the New Testament, which is more or less Jesus's teachings.

Sidenote: The Old Testament is NOT the same as the Tanakh/Hebrew Bible. The former is one scripture while the latter is technically three, and even if it shares some similarities with the Torah, (the first part of the Tanakh,) the two are pretty different and both have their own wildly differently translations and cultures around them.

The Old Testament's covenant is of similar design to that of Judaism's, being a symbol of the covenant between God and his followers, built by the holiest of man's hands but carrying divinity in the form of the commandments within it.

The Ark of the Covenant of the New Testament though is a bit different, as it is Mary.

She literally carries the covenant between God and man, the connection between him and his followers. She builds it inside her, acting as both carrier and partial creator to this firm bridge.

I believe, Brian gave the Ark its name, because in a sense, it is its own sort of womb.

The Ark is a close off yet impossibly living environment, one that bridges between our reality and the true center of whatever it and the Operator are. It feeds by leeching off of the world outside it, reaching through Rosswood and growing and gorging. Much like the natural parasitic nature of an embryo or fetus to its mother, it is tied to our world, dependent on it, dependent on us even as it warps and robs people of themselves.

Whatever is beyond the Ark, it is something as unfathomably monstrous as divinity, a holy tapeworm that siphons off nutrients from our world, warps it to fit its needs, literally shifting around the land to get closer to satiating its hunger, apathetic to the rules and limits of our world.

-

Even as we get to this answer though, we still technically haven't answered our original question.

Why is Brian of all people using this continuous religious-coded phrasing?

Well, this I believe in part has to do with how the Ark feeds. It is as much stomach as it is womb, digesting you slowly, acidity peeling back your layers until it eventually gets to your core, your most fundamental beliefs and self.

Alex's core was Jay in a sense, which is why he refused to kill him, at least until the Ark and Operator fully broke him down at the end of season 2, at which point he fell apart completely as a person in season 3. (I.E. he stopped shaving, he didn't get new glasses when Brian knocked off and presumably broke his in Entry 67, he started constantly corrupting film.)

Brian's core is still in tact though, even with how ruined he is by the Ark and Operator, left only able to speak in codes.

I think Brian was raised with a strong sense of wrong and right. It is also why he becomes so obsessed with Alex dying, with Jay surviving, with taking on this great burden of playing this complicated chess game against this paranatural entity and stopping all this. Right and wrong were simply taught to him at a very young age, ingrained into him, and his compassion and empathy, (the things that led to him goading Tim into helping because Alex needed actors and inviting Alex to dinner because he was lonely,) were torn away by the Ark.

I think his moral compass could in part be so strong be due to, or at least in conjunction with, the fact he was raised religiously. I think he probably strayed a bit from his religion in College as most people do, but it is still something integral to him, something at his core that he knows even when nothing else is making sense.

This is not to say I think Brian is still religious now, (I doubt you could look into the center of the Ark and still be religious honestly,) but it is why he clings to religious metaphor in the middle of all his strange codes.

That is my headcanon.

Thank you for reading.

[cuteselle]

⊱ 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐱.

𝓢 — enha maknae line saying you remind them of their ex in an argument

maknae line 𖹭 fem reader , angst , cussing , breakup in riki , u don't let it slide w jungwon , not proofread — 991 wc

ac 𖧷 .. when fluff comes yk i gotta double it w angst! this isn't that good because i haven't written it in months.. enjoy!

YANG JUNGWON ᰋ you and jungwon had been bickering all evening, and the tension in the room was thick. it felt like every little thing was setting the other off, and you were both getting more and more frustrated by the minute. as the argument escalated, jungwon's frustration finally boiled over. "you've been ditching our dates for two weeks, this is the first time i've seen you!" you yelled, not minding the fact that everyone else was only upstairs.

“oh my god yn, you're acting like my ex can you calm down?” he snapped, his words cutting deep. your eyes widened in disbelief at his words, and you felt a rush of anger and hurt. "i can't believe you just said that," you shot back, your voice shaking with emotion. "i'm not going to stand here and take that kind of disrespect."

jungwon looked taken aback by your reaction, but he didn't back down. "well, maybe if you weren't acting like her, i wouldn't have said it," he retorted, his voice defensive. you felt your anger rising, and you knew you needed to get some space before things got even worse. that's when jake had stepped down, listening to the argument and debating when to step in.

"i need you to leave," you said firmly, trying to keep your voice steady. jungwon looked at you in surprise, but he didn't argue. he grabbed his jacket and headed for the door, but before he left, he turned back to you. "yeah okay," he said, his voice softening slightly. "we can talk about this when we've both had a chance to cool off."

you didn't respond as he walked out the door, and you heard the click of the lock as he left and slammed the door. you fell to your knees, feeling exhausted and drained from the argument. everyone quickly rushing downstairs to your side, “aish, don't cry yn.. i'm sure he'll come around, yeah?”

KIM SUNOO ᰋ “really, sunoo? it's not even that big of a deal, he's my friend.” you continued, running your hands through your hair. you've known gyuvin longer than sunoo, so why would be be so mad that you want to hang with your friend every now and then?

“do you not see the way he looks at you? it pisses me off,” he started, you and sunoo had been arguing for at least an hour, and you could feel the tension building between you. you were both getting more and more frustrated, and it felt like every word was just adding fuel to the fire. "you're acting like giselle, she always said he was just a friend." he snapped, his voice filled with frustration.

your heart sank at his words, and you felt a wave of hurt wash over you. giselle was sunoo's ex, and he had always spoken of her in negative terms. to hear him compare you to her was like a knife to the heart. “how could you say that?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper. "you know how much it hurts me to be compared to her.”

sunoo looked away, his jaw clenched. "i'm sorry, my love" he muttered. "i didn't mean it, i swear." but the damage had already been done. you could feel yourself starting to overthink, wondering if sunoo still had feelings for giselle, or if he thought you were just as bad as she was. you knew you needed some space to clear your head.

"i think i need some time alone," you said, your voice still shaking with emotion. "i'm going to go for a walk." you grabbed your jacket and walked out the door, not looking back as you headed down the street. you didn't know how long you would be gone, but you knew you needed to sort through your thoughts before you could face sunoo again.

NISHIMURA RIKI ᰋ you and ni-ki had been arguing for what felt like hours. it had started out as a small disagreement about household chores, but it had quickly spiraled out of control. you were both tired from a long day at work, and your tempers were short. you felt like you were doing more than your fair share of the chores, while ni-ki felt like you were nitpicking and being overly critical.

the more you tried to explain your perspective, the more defensive ni-ki became, and before long, you were both shouting at each other. you knew that this wasn't productive, but you couldn't seem to stop yourself from engaging in the argument. “ni-ki it isn't that hard to just clean up around the house, i get you're busy but sometimes you're doing nothing!”

"you're acting just like my ex, can you quit it?" he spat, his words cutting deep. “i clean around, i tell you i'll do things later.” he continued on this rant, but you were still stuck on one thing. you? acting like his ex? he must have just hated you then cause he hated his ex with his heart. your heart sank at his words, and you felt like you had been punched in the gut. you knew how much ni-ki had been hurt by his past relationship, and to hear him compare you to his ex was the ultimate blow.

"if i'm such a terrible girlfriend, then maybe we should just break up," you cut him off, your voice trembling with emotion. "if that's how you feel, then there's no point in continuing this relationship.” you turned around to get your bag, ni-ki's eyes widened in surprise, and he immediately tried to backtrack.

"baby, i didn't mean it like that," he stammered, trying to apologize. "i was just upset, i didn't mean to hurt you.” you scoffed, opening the door to what was your shared apartment. “well you did, i won't be a burden to you anymore.” you took off the promise ring he gave you, and his eyes swelled with tears. “bye riki.”

© copyrighted by cuteselle. do not repost, ask to translate. comments and reblogs appreciated !

[more-than-fluff]

Unexpected Desires

Jungkook x Y/N

Genre - College Romance/Smut

Summary - You and Jungkook have been college roommates for the past year. You have been spending a lot of time with your boyfriend lately even if you had finals around the corner. Tonight was one of the nights, however it didn't go the way you had planned.

Notes - Please be kind! I wanted to write something to get me into the swing of writing again! If you have any requests please let me know.

You and Jungkook have been college roommates for the past year. You have been spending a lot of time with your boyfriend lately even if you had finals around the corner. Tonight was one of the nights, however it didn't go the way you had planned.

"You're back early." Jungkook says, looking up at you from the couch. You close the door behind you and step into the room. You try to hide your sobs as you say.

"...he...he cheated on me."

Jungkook turned to you instantly, his eyes widening. He took one look on your face and stood, stepping closer to you unsure how to handle this scenario.

"He what?" He asks, his voice tense, "He cheated on you?" His voice remains gentle, but a hint of anger comes through. All you can do is nod as you burst into tears.

Jungkook takes a deep breath, trying to reign in his anger. No matter how much anger he feels against the man who hurt you, right now, you are all that matters.

"Come here" He kneels down to your level and gently wraps his arms around you to hold you close, rubbing your back and pulling you into his chest. "It's going to be okay." He says softly, trying to soothe you.

"I broke up with him, I had no choice." You say into his chest as he holds you close, you can't stop the tears from falling.

"Shhhh." He says, running his fingers through your hair, "I know, it's okay, just let it out. It's going to be okay."

He hugs you tightly and continues to hold you, rubbing your back and running his fingers through your hair. It's clear that he's trying to remain strong for you, because he knows how much you're hurting right now.

When the tears finally stop, Jungkook is still holding you, not wanting to let you go just yet. He rubs your back and sighs, finally releasing the breath he didn't know he was holding.

"I know... I know it hurts now, but I promise it's going to be okay," He says softly, "You did the right thing." He's not just saying it because it's what you want to hear either, he genuinely means it.

"I just don't understand, why did he do it? I thought we were fine."

"I know... I know." Jungkook says with a small sigh, his voice soothing you, "But some guys just don't know how good they have it until it's gone."

He gently rubs your back, moving a few stray hairs away from your face. He wants to wipe the tears from your eyes, but he refrains, because he doesn't want to add to the uncomfortable feeling of having just cried on him. "You're an amazing women, and he was lucky to have you."

You look up to him, "...not good enough." Tears start to fall again.

Jungkook can't hide the hurt in his eyes as he hears your response. He hates seeing you blame yourself for something that has nothing to do with you.

"No, no." He says firmly, "That's not true at all." This time, he does reach up to wipe the tears away. He looks down into your eyes, trying to make sure that you believe what he's saying. "You're not to blame for what happened."

A sob escapes you, "Then why did he do it? There must be something wrong with me.."

"Shhhh." He murmurs, gently rubbing your back again. "The problem was with him, not you. He cheated because he's a jerk."

Jungkook wants to shout, to tell you just how wrong you are. But he doesn't want to overwhelm you right now, and he certainly doesn't want to get into a debate over it. "Just know that you're the perfect women, and he's an idiot for not realizing it."

Another sob escapes, "I hate him Jungkook."

"I know, sweetheart." He says softly, rubbing your back, "I hate him too."

He wants to say more, but he knows it's too soon. "Shhh. Just take a deep breath. Everything's going to be alright. I promise."

You try to calm yourself but the tears won't stop. "I'm sorry."

"Shhhhh. It's okay. Really, it is…" he continues to rub your back gently.

"You don't have to apologize. But you have to promise me something."

You look up to him, waiting for him to speak.

"Promise me that you won't let him make you doubt yourself. That you're not going to take any of the blame for what happened. It's all on him. Do you understand?"

You look down, processing the question. "But..."

"No buts." He says firmly, his voice is gentle, but he's not backing down. He wants you to understand just how much of the blame falls on your ex, and he wants you to stop shouldering any of it yourself. He places a finger under your chin and lifts it gently so that you are looking at him, "Understand?"

You nod and let your head fall back into his chest.

"Good." Jungkook says, his voice soft again as he hugs you tightly. He doesn't move, continuing to hold you, still gently rubbing your back and soothing you.

"I'll be right here with you. You're going to be okay." he continues to whisper, hoping that he's getting through to you.

You hold him close for a few minutes. The sound of your phone snaps you out and you pick it up. You see your ex's name light up and look to Jungkook

"Hm?" Jungkook looks down at your phone, taking note of your exes name on the screen. He glances back up to your eyes, a frown on his face.

"Is he texting you right now?" He asks quietly, a slight edge of anger in his voice.

"...yeah." You open your phone and read the text. It's not a positive one. He's calling you all sorts for breaking up with him.

Jungkook watches you open the text, a wave of anger hits him. He can't believe the nerve of your ex, calling you names and acting so entitled when he's the one in the wrong. If he'd had any respect for you or the relationship, he would have never cheated.

"He's… really doing this. Now?" He asks quietly, barely containing the rage rising inside him.

You stay silent, a single tear runs down your cheek. Making you feel like you're the one to blame for this once again

"Hey." He gently brushes the tear away with his thumb. "Don't cry."

No matter how much he wants to call your ex every name in the book right now, he forces himself to be gentle and soothing with you. Because right now, you're hurting, and you need kindness and not the harshness of his anger.

You whisper "He says it's my fault that he had to go to another woman. I wasn't doing enough for him."

"That's bullshit." He breathes, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment.

Jungkook wants to take your phone and message your ex himself. He wants an even chance to be able to tell him just how much of an ass he is. But he resists the urge and focuses on soothing you again.

"Hey, listen to me." He says softly, "It is not your fault at all." His tone is firm, but gentle.

"What if he's right. I've been so busy with my finals that I haven't been giving him all of my attention."

Jungkook doesn't hesitate before answering your question. "No, he's not right at all."

He shifts his hands so that he's cupping your face, gently forcing you to focus on him instead of his phone.

"Your school work is important. In fact, if I remember correctly, I'm pretty sure you got a 100 on the last exam we took. That deserves praise and recognition. It isn't your fault that he couldn't be patient and support you."

You look up to him, feeling his hands cup your face and smile a little. "I worked hard for that 100."

He feels some relief when you smile, it means you're slowly getting past your ex and his manipulation.

"You did. And I'm really proud of you for it." He smiles back at you, wanting to encourage this happy and optimistic mood. He doesn't want your ex's words to take over. It took all his self-control not to snap at your ex, but he refuses to let him hurt you any further.

Your phone dings once more and before you can look. Jungkook grabs ahold of it

He catches your phone before you can read the message from your ex, not wanting you to see it and feel any more hurt.

He doesn't say a word though, he just takes the phone out of your hand and sets it to the side, not even bothering to look at what was sent. He doesn't care what your ex has to say, or how he's trying to justify his actions and shift the blame on to you. He knows it's wrong and that's all that matters.

"Don't worry about him." He says, still gentle and calm.

You look at him once more. "What do I do?"

"Ignore him." He says, as if it's the most obvious answer. "He's an idiot, and you've made it perfectly clear that you don't want to talk to him right now."

He shifts himself to move a little closer, closing the distance between them. "And I'm here for you." As he's talking, he holds onto your wrists, gently rubbing your knuckles with his thumbs.

You watch him rub our hand. "Okay."

"Promise me something?" He asks softly, "Don't let him get in your head. He's just a manipulative prick who can't even handle the consequences of his own actions." He doesn't know how else to describe him, so he just resorts to insulting him.

You nod at him. "I promise."

"Good." He says with a small smile.

He seems relieved that you're starting to realize the situation for what it is, and that you aren't going to fall for your ex's manipulation and blame yourself.

"Now," He continues, shifting himself to a more comfortable position. "Did you eat dinner yet?"

You shake your head. "No."

"I thought not." He says simply.

"I'm going to go make something. If you want, you can join me and we can eat dinner together." He offers up the option, figuring that it might distract you from how much an ass your ex is.

"...okay" You smile a little at how kind he's being right now.

He smiles back, genuinely happy to see the smile on your face again, even if it is faint and hesitant. He seems a little bit relieved that you're feeling better as he stands up from the couch.

"I'll just go and get started. Do you want something specific?" He asks, moving over to the kitchen.

"Everything you make is good."

"Okay." He says with a soft smile, turning away from you and moving his way around the kitchen. Jungkook is good at cooking, both because he was taught well and also because he's genuinely interested in cooking.

He gets to work, his back to you. After a while, you hear him humming a tune under his breath as he cooks. You sit at the counter and watch him work his magic.

As he cooks, he seems to be getting more relaxed and comfortable, enjoying working with the food. He feels like he can let his mind relax a little bit since you're there with him.

He keeps humming to himself, not really looking at you. But every so often, he glances back at your direction, taking small glances and smiling when your eyes meet.

The humming eventually turns into singing as he cooks. His voice isn't bad, but it's also not professional. He doesn't seem to care though, he keeps singing. You smile as you hear his voice. It almost soothes you after everything that happened today

He keeps singing as he cooks and eventually gets done with the cooking process.

Jungkook then puts a plate together, grabbing a fork and knife and setting them down. He turns around to put the plate in front of you. "Here you go."

You look at the plate set in front of you and it looks delicious. "Thank you."

"Mhm." He says simply, standing there watching you eat. He just wants to make sure that you get some food in your system.

Jungkook feels relief wash over him as you start eating. Sure, you're still heartbroken over your ex, but at least you're having something to eat.

"Feeling a little better now?" He asks softly, hoping that you've managed to process enough to start to feel a little bit better.

You nod. "A little, thank you."

"Good." He smiles at you, his hands moving into his pockets as he watches you.

Jungkook remains quiet for a bit, trying to process everything you just went through with your ex. After a moment, he speaks again.

"Do you feel like you may be able to get some sleep soon?" He asks. It's getting late, and your finals are fast approaching.

You take a deep breath, "I guess, I don't think I can do the exam. I haven't studied."

Jungkook shakes his head. "No no, you have to do the exam. You will do fine." He reassures, his voice firm but still gentle.

He's not going to let you flunk out of your exam based on some stupid, cheating ex. "You studied hard enough for the last exam and got a 100. There's no reason you shouldn't be just as capable this time around."

"My head is just scrambled I guess."

"It's understandable. Your head is probably still hurting after the breakup." He admits.

Jungkook sits down next to you. "But I don't want you to fail your exam because of some prick. You need to take the exam and pass it."

He pauses, looking at you for a moment. "And tomorrow, once the exam is behind you, we can do whatever you want. Deal?"

You look at him. "Okay, deal."

"Good." Jungkook smiles at you. The relief of seeing you start to agree with him is enough to make him happy. He's not going to let you flunk out of a perfectly valid exam just because of a breakup. "Now, get some sleep. You'll feel better in the morning…"

"Okay." You stand and go to wash your dishes.

"Oh, you-… You don't have to wash the dishes." Jungkook offers up, standing up as well.

"I'll clean them up. Please go relax," He asks, his hands moving to take the plate from you.

"It's okay, I don't mind." You take the plate and start to wash it, "It's my way of saying thank you."

"No no, seriously," He argues.

"I don't mind doing them. You should go relax." He continues, trying to ease the plate out of your hands.

"Jungkook please, I can do them." You say, a little irritated.

"Fine, fine." He finally gives in.

Jungkook lets you keep the plate, and he watches you wash it. He's curious though how much is because you want to do it and how much of it is because you actually did want to wash the dishes. "Really, you don't need to do this… I'll do them."

You continue to wash the dishes, not answering him. You scrub hard, too hard. Your emotions getting the better of you He notices you scrubbing harder than should be necessary. He pauses, and watches you in a concerned and soft way. He reaches his hand out to stop you from scrubbing so hard, putting one hand on your wrist. He doesn't say anything yet, just watching you.

You try to fight him but he's much stronger than you, "I can do them!"

He continues to grip your wrist, stopping you from scrubbing.

"I know you can." He says. "But I think you're being a little too hard on the dishes and yourself."

You start to sob, "...I can do them."

Jungkook's gaze softens as he sees your emotions getting the better of you and the start of a sob.

"Hey, hey…" He speaks up, his voice soft and gentle. "Slow down."

Jungkook takes you into a hug now, hugging you close.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You're tired, mentally and emotionally drained."

You sob quietly in his arms again, "…why… why did he do this..?"

"Because he's an idiot." He says, his voice sharp with disdain. "Someone selfish and childish who can't take responsibility for his own shitty actions."

He can feel you shaking in his arms. He wants to help ease your pain as much as he can.

You stay in his arms as you ask, "Can I sleep in your bed tonight? I don't want to be alone."

His eyes widen when you ask to share his bed. His mind races to thoughts he's been suppressing for a while, but he tries his best to not express them.

Jungkook nods, still keeping you in his arms.

"Of course." He says, almost in a whisper.

You hold onto him, "Thank you."

He smiles faintly.

Jungkook's mind is buzzing with thoughts now though. Does she want to sleep in the same bed because she's scared? Or because she wants to spend more time with him?

He knows he's probably reading to much into the situation. But he can't help but wonder. Once you calm down you start getting ready to sleep. You feel so tired after today that the bed has never sounded better.

He watches as you get ready, letting his eyes wander freely over your frame. You probably aren't aware of it, but he's been staring at your figure, taking in every single detail. The smooth skin of your shoulders, the curves of your back.

But he snaps out of it, reminding himself that he needs to be respectful. He's not going to act the way your ex did and take advantage of you when you're at your most vulnerable.

You stand near the sofa where he's sat, "I'm gonna head to bed, are you sure I can sleep in yours? I can use mine if you don't want me to."

"No you can share my bed." He says simply, not wanting to push you away in a situation like this.

"Okay, thanks."

"Mhm." He mumbles back, opening the door for you.

Jungkook waits for you to step inside the bed room before finally closing the door, making sure you're safe inside.

He sighs and starts to undress. He knows he probably shouldn't be sharing a bed with you, but he just doesn't have it in him to tell you no right now.

You climb into his bed and it feels so much better than yours.

Jungkook finishes changing and then gets into bed, the two of you laying under the same covers. He's laying on his side, his body pointing away from you so that he doesn't invade your personal space.

But being in the same bed is enough for him. Even that is better than being completely separate right now.

You get comfortable almost instantly and feel yourself falling asleep.

Jungkook's eyes are closed, as he tries to fall asleep. He's doing his best to ignore the closeness between the two of you, even if you're both on different sides of the bed.

It feels weird being this close to you like this, the warmth from your body next to his. He feels so much tension build back up in his stomach and his heart rate quicken.

Jungkook shifts to a more comfortable position and shuts his eyes again, trying to focus on breathing and forcing himself to sleep.

___________________________________

The light fills the room and it wakes you. You look at the time and prepare yourself for your finals exam. Jungkook is woken up just as you are from the bright rays of the sun. He looks over at the clock and sighs. He wasn't able to get much sleep last night, having been too agitated and filled with tension because of your intimate proximity.

He moves to sitting up. His shoulders are tense, and his stomach hurts. He runs his hands through his hair, trying to make it more presentable before standing up.

You shower and mentally prepare yourself for the day. Hoping that it goes a lot better than yesterday.

Jungkook does the same, his thoughts a bit of a mess. He's anxious about the exam, but his nervous thoughts keep drifting back to the fact that he spent the night sharing a bed with you.

He finishes getting ready, his hair damp and his body feeling like its being pulled in a million different directions at once.

You grab your bag and look at Jungkook. "Ready?"

"Mhm." he mumbles.

Jungkook's face has this neutral look on it, but his mind is racing with thoughts and emotions towards you. He keeps his feelings buried inside him, trying to get back to his neutral self.

"Let's go." He adds.

Once outside, he follows you to the exam hall. His mind is racing with thoughts though. He has an exam to pass, and he doesn't even have his head in the game. Everything he's thinking about is in regards to you.

He keeps his eyes forward, trying to suppress the distracting thoughts. He doesn't want to give himself away until after the exam, but even that will be difficult.

He continues to stay close to you as you walk towards the hall. Once outside the entrance you turn and look at Jungkook. "Ready to ace this?"

"I am." He nods, trying to keep his emotions out of his voice.

"Let's do this." He smiles half-heartedly, his mind still wandering to thoughts of you.

He continues to stay close to you, his heartbeat starting to quicken again.

You smile at himYou take the exam with ease. Jungkook was right about you not needing to worry. You finish with a few minutes to spare. You look around and see Jungkook, his face covered in concentration and you can't help but smile at him and walk inside, taking your named seat and wait for the exam to start.

Jungkook follows you in, finding his own seat with his name on it. He leans back on his seat and settles his hands in his lap. He's anxious and nervous, but he reminds himself that the next few hours are all about performing at his best for the exam. Nothing else matters.

The exam begins, and you both start to write in your answers. You're both focused on it, even though a part of you just wants it to end to go back to the comfort of each other's company. You take the exam with ease. Jungkook was right about you not needing to worry. You finish with a few minutes to spare. You look around and see Jungkook, his face covered in concentration and you can't help but smile at him

Jungkook is also near the end of his exam. When he sees you smile at him, he feels a moment of weakness when he should be focused on the exam. But he can't help but smile back and give you a quick wave.

He looks back at the exam, trying to stay focused as he finishes filling in his last minute answers. He glances at you every once in a while, but he tries not to let his eyes wander too often as to distract himself further.

"Okay times up." You turn to the professor as he starts to collect the papers.

You both finally hand in your papers, and make your way out of the exam hall. You're both so relieved and tired, both mentally and physically drained.

Jungkook walks next to you, his arm casually brushing against yours. He takes deep breaths, his nerves and anxiety slowly subsiding now that the exam is over.

"How did it go for you?" You ask looking up at him.

"I think I did alright." He shrugs his shoulders. "I don't feel terribly confident, but I did finish all the questions."

He looks at you and nods approvingly. "How about you? How do you feel about the exam?"

You smile. "Easy as always."

He gives you a light smile back.

"Good to hear that you found it easy." He says softly.

"I take it you finished in time too, then?" He asks, his tone playful as he teases you a little.

You chuckle, "Had a few minutes to spare."

"Oh, I'm impressed." He plays along with the joke, giving you a light and teasing smirk.

"So what's next for the day?" He asks, his tone still light as he shifts the topic.

"I don't know, maybe a celebratory drink? We did just finish our final exam of the semester"

"I'll take any excuse to celebrate, as long as I have good company." He smiles lightly, his flirtatious tone returning as he plays into the playful energy you're giving him.

"So drink it is? I don't know about you, but I could use a beer right now."

You nod and take hold of his arm. "Me too."

Jungkook chuckles slightly as you take hold of his arm, and he can feel himself being pulled along by you.

He likes the physical contact, even if it isn't much. The slight touching of your arm is enough to get his heart beating faster. He doesn't want to show it too much though, even if he can't help but smile back at you.

"Lead the way then." He says, his voice still playful with a teasing tone.

You walk together to your favourite bar, it's full of other students celebrating. Jungkook follows you, walking beside you and taking in the festivities around you both. It's clear that all the students who just finished the exam were feeling pretty celebratory.

"They're really trying to get wasted, huh?" He says with a chuckle, watching some guys down shots together.

You laugh. "I think we have some catching up to do."

"Yeah, I think we do." He adds playfully, starting to slow down slightly as you approach the bar area.

He follows you over to the bar, watching people pour themselves drinks. Everyone has their drinks, it seems, and many are trying to make their shot's last longer, using chasers and such.

"What do you want to get?" He asks you, letting his hand brush your lower back momentarily when he speaks to you.

"You choose." You say, leaning on the bar.

He thinks for a minute, looking over the different drinks on display.

"Beer or something stronger?" He asks, his finger absently tracing patterns on the bar counter as he contemplates the choice between the two.

"I think we deserve something stronger."

"I like that logic." He whispers softly.

He looks at the stronger drinks lined up on the counter. His eyes immediately land on the tequila, and his mouth waters slightly at the thought of it.

"Can I get a shot of tequila, please?" he says to the bartender.

The bartend starts to pour the shot, and Jungkook grabs a couple of glasses for water, which the bartender delivers to him along with the shot of tequila.

You pick up the shot and hold it in the air, "To finishing exams and shitty relationships!"

He raises his shot in the air as well, a slight grin on his face.

"Cheers to that!" He grins, the playful energy between the two of you making each glass clink sound more energetic than it should.

He downs his shot of tequila. The liquor is strong and burns his throat, but he does his best to hide his reaction.

You laugh at his reaction and ask the bartender for one more

He watches you as you order another round of shots. A light smile crosses his face when he sees you laugh at his reaction to the tequila.

Jungkook takes his glass of water. He doesn't want to get plastered off his one shot of liquor, so he opts for water.

He watches you down the shot of tequila, admiring you a little in silence.

You take the shot and enjoy the burn it gives you, "Too strong for you? Shall we have a beer instead?"

"Yeah, yeah." He says playfully, not wanting to admit that he isn't quite used to the burning sensation of tequila.

"Beer is definitely more my speed." He says back playfully as he orders a round of beer.

"You wanna stick to tequila though…" He adds teasingly, "or were you thinking of switching to beer too?"

"Well another shot is tempting… but I'll take the beer."

"Wise choice." Jungkook replies back playfully, giving your arm a small pat as he picks up his glass of beer.

"You still want to do shots don't you?" He asks slightly playfully, his arms resting on the counter as he continues to watch you and wait for your response.

You smile. "Of course!" You chuckle.

"Then let's do it." He smiles back, his playful tone matching hers.

He orders another round of shots. The tequila burns just as much as the first time, but he does a better job at hiding his reaction.

He takes his shot of tequila, this time taking a second glass of water afterwards as well.

"Shall we do one more?" He asks playfully, still holding your arm, his thumb casually tracing a circle on you wrist as the alcohol starts to get to him.

You nod, "I need ten more!" You joke to him.

"Oh you think you can handle ten shots of tequila huh?" He chuckles back, matching your playful energy.

He can feel the alcohol start to loosen him up slightly. He has less inhibitions about the playful flirting, but he tries to stay in control.

His thumb continues its gentle circling around your wrist as he teases you.

"I can, can you?" You ask, poking his shoulder playfully.

"Hey now…" he grins playfully, trying to keep up with your playful banter.

"I'm sure I can." He says confidently. "I could probably beat you in a drinking contest." He chuckles.

"Let's prove it." He says playfully, taking another shot of tequila.

"Fine, game on!" You take another shot and love the burn it gives.

Jungkook downs his next shot of tequila as well, the alcohol definitely getting to him at this point.

His expression is less serious now, almost becoming a smirk, he still has his playful side though.

"You feeling the effects yet?" He asks playfully, grabbing another glass of water after finishing his shot.

"Maybe a little." You definitely do, you feel good. The best you've felt in the past 24 hours.

"You look like you're definitely feeling it…" he chuckles playfully, noticing the effect that the alcohol is starting to have on you.

"But you said you can handle more shots… so let's see it."

Jungkook downs his next shot of tequila. The alcohol has his brain processing a bit slower than normal, but he doesn't feel too much to stop him drinking more either.

"Fine," You hold the shot and down it in one. "I am going to beat you." You sing to him.

"Oh… oh really?" He asks playfully, but it's clear that he's definitely starting to feel loose from the alcohol.

"I doubt that." He adds on, laughing as he grabs his next glass of water. "But we'll see… we'll see."

Jungkook takes his next shot of tequila, his eyes widening slightly at the burn it gives. But he takes it like a champ, his grin only getting wider on his face.

You follow and take another shot. Your favourite song starts playing and your eyes widen, "Jungkook, we have to dance!"

"Dance?" Jungkook asks, a little surprised by your sudden suggestion.

He laughs and tilts his head playfully. "Why do we have to dance now? Can't we just relax and chill?" He chuckles, a slightly goofy smile on his face as the alcohol takes even more effect.

You grab hold of his hand and try to pull him off his seat, "Come on, it's my favourite song!"

"Alright, alright." He chuckles a bit as you pull him to his feet. "Let's go."

Jungkook takes your hand and lets himself be led away. The alcohol has his mind a bit foggy, and he's no longer thinking as rationally as he normally would.

He's more likely to just go with the flow, especially when there's music and dancing involved. You lead him to the dance floor which is already crowded but you find a spot and move to your song.

He follows you to the dance floor without hesitation, making sure to stay close to you so he doesn't lose you in the crowd.

He listens to the music for a moment before starting to move. The beat is getting to him, though. He feels more relaxed and carefree when he's dancing, even if his mind is slowly being impaired by the alcohol.

Jungkook is pretty good at dancing and makes sure to blend into the crowd of everyone else who's dancing along.

With the alcohol, combined with the music and the joy from watching you dance, Jungkook feels even more carefree than usual.

He moves along with the music, his body flowing with it. He doesn't even think about his movements anymore. He's simply responding to the song that's playing.

The alcohol continues to make it's affect known throughout his body, and he starts to become more and more loose. He's not stumbling or anything, but he's definitely starting to lose some of his inhibitions.

He moves with you, the two of you dancing together.

He's getting a little bold with the alcohol flowing through his body though. He's starting to lean in closer to you as you dance, his hand on your hip pulling you slightly closer to him as you both move to the music.

The alcohol is definitely making him lean closer than normal right now. Normally he wouldn't even try to get this close, but right now, he doesn't seem to care how bold he's being.

The touch feels nice between the two of them and he doesn't seem to want to stop. He leans slightly closer, and continues to dance to the music with his arm around your waist. He's still holding your hand, not letting go for a moment.

He can't help but notice the feeling of you pressing into him as you dance.

He's so focused on the music right now that he barely notices your movements, or how close your bodies are.

He's slowly relaxing as you press into him, his own hands tightening on you as he pulls you slightly closer.

The beat of the music is starting to make his muscles move subtly and he's not realizing how bold he's getting with his hands.

You look up to him to find he is already looking at you. You don't stop moving, you have never seen him look at you this way. It's different. Not like a friend but something more.

Jungkook is just as caught up in the moment as you are, so when your eyes finally meet his, it takes him by surprise.

There's a slight tension and chemistry between the two of you that has been building up for a while, and the moment you lock eyes, it feels like a jolt of electricity going through both of your bodies.

Jungkook's eyes have never met yours in such a way, there's a clear shift in his expression that shows just how caught up he is in not only the night, but you…

It feels like time has slowed down as he closes the distance between you two.

Jungkook's eyes are locked on yours, his gaze full of energy and the smallest hint of lust. He's been wanting to do this for a while now, and the alcohol is only increasing the desire to take this further.

He's moving so slowly, but in those few seconds before he's pressed his lips to yours, the tension is almost unbearable.

The first touch of your lips is enough to send shivers down his spine. The kiss itself feels like a rush.

Jungkook takes you in, holding your body close against his as he kisses you. The music is still playing all around them, but it feels like nobody else exists except for the two of you.

Jungkook can't get enough of your touch right now, his desire for you growing with each soft brush of your lips.

Jungkook's heart was racing now; he could feel his breath quickening. As the kiss continues, he pulls you even closer to him, wanting nothing more in the world than to taste your lips.

Jungkook's hands start to run up and down the sides of your body, tracing the smooth skin of your thighs as you continue moving to the beat of the music. He doesn't want this moment to end, and doesn't want to think about anything outside of the moment here and now.

You pull back and look up to him. You feel a little confusion but it also just feels right.

Jungkook's mind has completely blanked due to the rush of the alcohol and the kiss.

He looks at you, a little confused as to why you pulled away. His eyes scan you, his mouth slightly open. It's like he's trying to process what just happened.

"We should head back." You say, looking into his eyes trying not to let them slip to his lips. All he does is nod before taking your hand and walking you both out of the bar.

The walk back is silent, you don't know what to do. The tension between the two of you has never been so high, you just want to get back.

________________________________

Walking into your apartment, your mind starts racing with all kinds of thoughts. Has he always felt like this toward you? Have you?

You run your hands through your hair and look at him, he's just stood there. His gaze is fixated on you.

"Listen I-"

Before you could finish your sentence he strides to you and takes you into a kiss once more. This time it's not gentle, he takes you. His mouth claiming yours, you don't hold back and let him in. His tongue dancing with yours, you can't help but moan at this sensation. He puls back and looks at you.

"I should've done this a long time ago Y/N."

You look him up and down, unable to reply.

His eyes scan your face, unsure what to do next. You help, you cup his face and whisper. "I wish you did." You bring him toward you and kiss him. He sees this as the perfect opportunity and lifts you up. You wrap your legs around his waist and walks straight into his bedroom.

He gently lowers you onto his bed, stands up and removes his shirt. You have never looked at him this way before and you stare in awe at his physique. His tattoo, his hair disheveled makes him look even more hot.

He comes back down and kisses you over, his mouth moves to your neck and you lift your head to grant him access. His hands start roaming your body, your arms, your chest sliding down to the hem of your dress. He looks to you for your consent and your heart warms a little as you give a little nod. In one swift move your dress is off and laying on the floor. He stands and looks down on you, you should feel embarrassed but with him staring at you like that, it just makes you feel hotter.

"Beautifull Y/N, that man is a fool to lose you." He comes down to you, his face so close to yours but he speaks once more. "But i'm happy he did, because now you're mine." He kisses you, hard. Claiming you as his. You love it, your hips buckle under him and you feel the hardness of him against you. Your hands move to his jeans and move to undo them. He helps you, undoing his belt and taking his jeans off. You stare and move to take off his boxers but he pauses, placing his hand on yours.

You look up, worried you were tushing him too much but the stare he gives you turns you into a puddle there and then.

"Wouldn't be fair without you taking yours off sweetheart."

You blush instantly, he lowers himself down and leaves a trail of kisses, starting at your lips and moving lower and lower until he reaches to strap of your underwear. His fingers curl around them, teasing you.

"You want these off?"

All you can do is nod, your body is practically begging him. You hear him chuckle as he slowly slides them down your legs, the cold leaving a slight chill to your exposed body but you welcome it as the heat you feel right now is overwhelming. He follows suit and removes his, you almost gawp at his length but you try to hide it. Not very well as you see him smirk, giving himself a few pumps before grabbing a condom from his drawer.

He climbs the bed until he is hovering above you.

"You sure?" You look to him, his eyes holding a little concern as this was your last chance to pull out of this, he needs this consent before moving forward. You wrap your hands around his neck and answer. "Please Jungkook, make me forget about him."

His head dips at your words. "Oh Sweetheart, you'll never think of him again. I promise."

He lines himself up to you before pushing in, you both gasp in unison at the sensation of each other. He picks up speed slowly, your moans fill the room. It feels so good you don't want this to end.

"Jungkook" You moan his name and almost growls in return.

"God I love it when you say my name." He picks up speed and thrusts even harder into you. "Say it again Sweetheart."

"Jungkook please." You whimper as you just want more, you want all of him and nothing else.

He takes you even harder, his head falls beside you as he picks up his speed. "So good Sweetheart, you feel so good."

He keeps going, not slowing down. You feel the butterflies building inside of you. "Jungkook I'm gonna..."

He lifts his head and kisses you while taking you hard.

"Please Sweetheart, come with me. While I take you, yes Sweetheart."

Your moans grow in volume as you feel it build more and more until you see stars. Your back arches as you explode below him, you scream his name a final time before coming back down.

You feel his movement get sloppy as he slows down, he finished with you.

He comes to a stop and lays next to you, he takes you in his arms. Brushing your hair with his fingers. You lay on his chest and feel every rise and fall.

He holds you close, not wanting to let go.

You raise your head and look to him, he cocks his head as he listens to you.

"How long have you waited for this moment?" You can't help but ask him, he feels as if he has longed for this moment for a while so you had to ask.

He smiles while looking at you, still combing your hair.

"Sweetheart, I have wanted you ever since I laid my eyes on you. But you weren't mine to have then."

Your eyes widen as he spoke, you had no idea. You were so oblivious to his feelings.

"Until now." He leans down and kisses you, slowly.

"And I will never break your heart, you're mine now Sweetheart. No-one will be coming between us ever again."

You don't have to say anything else, you lay your head on his chest once more. You feel safe, and you know he will never do as others have done to you.

He's yours and finally you're his, and God don't you know it.

[thankskenpenders]

Amy's fortune cards

The Sonic fandom has long been the kind of fandom that takes minor details very seriously, for better or worse. On the one hand, this means fans will really dig for the diamonds in the rough, latching onto fun character interactions, animations, bits of background worldbuilding, and more in pieces of Sonic media that many would write off as "the bad ones." But it also feels like every week another needlessly hostile debate over Sonic minutia erupts on Twitter, whether it's over individual lines of dialogue, fanart that makes Tails' shoes blue, or the ideal length and volume for Sonic's quills.

So it was probably inevitable that a fandom-wide debate would erupt upon seeing Amy's new gameplay style in the DLC for Sonic Frontiers, which takes the once-obscure fact that she enjoys reading tarot and shines a spotlight on it like never before.

I mean:

The thing is, while I basically always try to tune out Sonic fandom bickering... for once, I kind of sympathize with the detractors? Don't get me wrong, I like Amy's tarot stuff, and people on all sides of the discussion are being overly nasty about their opinions, as usual. (Sonic Twitter remains my personal hell.) But when I set aside the hyperbole and zoom out, I do think I understand why some fans are put off by the sudden shift in focus for the character, even if I think it's cool.

It's complicated. Let me attempt to present the cases for and against Amy's fortune cards

For years, I was always one of those fans who thought it could be fun if they played with Amy's tarot reading, or even leaned into some kind of magic with her. Part of that is my own biases showing, but there's just something that makes sense there, especially when you look at Sonic, Tails, and Amy as a trio. (I would argue that's the real "Team Sonic" these days, especially in the comics where Knuckles is more likely to be stuck on Angel Island or otherwise doing his own thing.)

You could argue that Tails is all about logic, relying on science and technology and deductive reasoning to solve problems. But Amy is all about emotion. She wears her heart on her sleeve, is extremely empathetic, and is very prone to magical thinking - both figuratively and sometimes literally. Her origin story has always been that her tarot cards told her it was her destiny to meet Sonic on Little Planet. She's claimed to be able to "sense" peoples' presences - particularly Sonic's. She's the type to believe that The Power of Love is a literal magical force. So, on some level, it makes sense to mirror Tails's science by having Sonic's other best friend believe in magic. And then Sonic is somewhere in the middle, primarily following his own gut instincts but taking advice from both of them as needed. This isn't totally accurate to how their dynamics actually function in canon stories, but I think it's a mode that could work for them.

Going off of that, it's fun to lean all the way into Amy being a magical girl, or even a witch, using her fortune telling as a foundation. Take, for example, this version of Amy from Diana Skelly's old Sonic cast redesigns from before she freelanced for Archie and IDW. This is one of MANY such redesigns for Amy.

Fast forward to the 2020s, and Amy's tarot cards are, in fact, finally getting brought up again in canon. Which is fun! I like seeing that. I like all of the individual stories involving Amy's fortune cards. This is a fun character trait for Amy, a fun nod to old lore, AND a fun storytelling device, all in one. It's really cool that the Sonic universe has its own thematically appropriate arcana, and that the cards are getting made as physical merch. And sure enough, the official card backs and borders were designed by none other than Diana Skelly, in yet another cool example of an ascendant fan leaving their mark on the series.

BUT... when you step back and look at the big picture, I get why some fans find this shift in focus jarring. At the moment, it's starting to feel like every new story about Amy involves her fortune cards to some degree.

The most recent mainline comic arc to feature Amy as the lead character, 2021's Trial by Fire arc, prominently features a sequence where she reads fortunes while camping with the girls. The Origins version of Sonic CD now bookends the game with scenes of Amy and her tarot cards. Sonic randomly mentioned it in a scene in Frontiers. And now, just this week, we got the (very cute, gorgeously illustrated) Amy's 30th Anniversary comic with a story revolving around Amy's tarot cards, followed the very next day by the Frontiers DLC in which she gets a brand new tarot-based moveset. Even her base melee attack now has her throwing tarot cards instead of swinging her hammer. Again, I like all of these individual things, but after years of it almost never coming up at all, it's VERY noticeable that Amy's tarot cards are suddenly everywhere.

To be fair, I'm looking at this from the perspective of a superfan who's actively following ALL Sonic media. Casual fans - especially kids - aren't necessarily going to be reading the comics every month, buying the thousandth rerelease of the Genesis games, or playing the ultra-hard new alternate ending DLC for a game that came out last year. Each of these stories is going to be someone's introduction to the idea that Amy can read tarot, and that's probably part of the idea behind this unified push.

But to play devil's advocate, for my fellow superfans, I understand why it feels like a very minor footnote of Amy's character is suddenly becoming the entire focus of her personality. While Amy has always been said to enjoy fortune telling, that wasn't really a character trait in and of itself, but rather an example of her being a typical girl who hopes she'll be able to find true love one day. It's less that Amy can literally predict the future and more like her using a cootie catcher or going "he loves me, he loves me not" while picking the petals off of a flower. So I get not vibing with this stuff, or feeling like it's being pushed very hard out of nowhere.

What I don't agree with are comparisons like "it's like if they made Knuckles' moveset revolve around him liking grapes." Like, I get it. Ian Flynn loves shoehorning in his little winking references for us nerds, and mentions of Amy's tarot cards were previously on the same level as other random bullet points from old Japanese manuals. But a multifaceted hobby like fortune telling that opens up so many narrative and aesthetic possibilities is obviously very different from having a favorite food. It's ALWAYS been a part of her story, not just a random fact, and there's no reason why the fortune telling can't be elevated to something more.

And, hell, even if it wasn't an established character trait, there's nothing inherently wrong with injecting new ideas into a character. One of the best Amy stories in recent years, the Free Comic Book Day special "Amy's New Hobby" written by Gale Galligan, came up with the idea that Amy's secretly been drawing little comics about her and her friends. Is this based on Lore? No. But it's cute, and helps tell the story of a younger Amy who's still coming out of her shell as both a hero and a friend.

Certain fans are also looking at Amy's Frontiers moveset and using it as evidence that once again the Vile American Contributors like Ian are CORRUPTING Sonic Team's perfect vision of Sonic with their misinterpretations. And like. Come on. Ian does not control the gameplay. He's a freelance writer. The tarot stuff is clearly something that Sonic Team likes if they made it the basis of Amy's new moveset - and, you know, if they keep approving comics and animations about Amy's fortune telling. None of this gets made without their blessing, and lord knows how much they can micromanage shit and shoot down ideas over the most minor of details.

Like, yeah, Amy's fortune telling was probably conceived less as a sign that she Knows Magic and more as a pretty mundane hobby for a lovesick young Japanese girl to have. But you're gonna sit there and tell me that using Amy's tarot cards for more than that could only be the result of a cultural misunderstanding? That nobody in Japan uses tarot card theming and aesthetics (or the general idea of magical cards) for the cool factor? Stardust Crusaders? Persona? The Astrologian class in FFXIV? Cardcaptor Sakura?? Hello??? Do you think Capcom put Gambit in Marvel vs. Capcom ironically because they thought using magic to throw cards at people was stupid? There's tons of precedent for this! It's nothing like Knuckles throwing grapes at people, be for real.

Giving Amy a very magical girl-esque moveset also just makes a lot of sense. For decades her hammer attacks have literally made sparkly heart shapes appear around her. Leaning into both that and her tarot cards in her new moveset makes a lot of sense to me.

But, admittedly... I do think it's very odd that her hammer is treated as a secondary element here, rather than having her primarily use her hammer and adding the cards for extra flair. If hitting the attack button made her swing her hammer instead of throwing cards, I'm not sure we'd even be having this discussion right now.

But the tarot-cycle and Amy riding her hammer like a witch's broom are fucking SICK and I will not concede on this point

The thing is, this whole fortune card discourse is but a small piece of a bigger problem. Amy's been a character who needed some work for ages, but there's basically nothing you can do with her without pissing SOMEONE off.

Years of stories where Amy's crush was her primary motivator and Sonic went "Ew, cooties!" have lead many casual fans to believe that being Sonic's obsessive fangirl is Amy's entire personality. At best people might call her Sonic's Minnie Mouse. This isn't just a matter of Amy having haters within the fandom - venture outside of that bubble and you'll realize that this is how MOST video game playing people seem to see her to this day. I don't feel like this is a fair assessment of the character, but this idea didn't come from nowhere. No matter how much good deeply entrenched Sonic fans may see in their old dynamic where Amy perpetually chases Sonic, this is a very real problem that Sonic Team has to contend with for their leading girl. Of course all those games where the way-past-cool protagonist thought Amy was annoyingly clingy and tried to get away from her made people think less of her.

If new stories were to go back to emphasizing Amy's crush on Sonic a little more, they'd probably be taken as confirmation that Amy's just the girl with a crush on Sonic and that this is her entire personality. Conversely, when the crush is played down, you piss off the hardcore SonAmy fans who don't seem to understand that they're Charlie Brown and Sega is Lucy holding the football. You can't win.

And so here we are. In the absence of what was once her defining trait, now reduced to an occasional blush or wink in Sonic's direction, new stories are trying to mine Amy's past for additional material to work with. Having been a thing fans wanted to see for years, right now we're getting a lot of tarot, but we're also getting reminders of her compassionate nature and her desire to go out of her way to help the little guy. This is an ongoing process. I continue to hope that her bubbly, exuberant demeanor can shine more in future stories. Now, I also hope that the tarot stuff gets balanced out a little better with other traits of hers. But I don't want it to go away. I think it's fun.

This course correcting is far from exclusive to Amy. Knuckles is getting stories that remind us that he's a competent fighter, an experienced treasure hunter, and even a self-taught archaeologist after years of him being perceived as either the dumb one or just the guy who stands in front of the Master Emerald all day. And Tails has been getting some stories reminding folks that he's a capable hero in his own right and not just Sonic's timid kid sidekick.

But no supporting character will ever compete with the sheer number of new ideas Sega has tried with Sonic himself. Like Amy, his Frontiers moveset has also given him half a dozen new superpowers that he never had before, from the Cyloop to air-slicing projectile attacks to his own take on Shadow Clone Jutsu and beyond. He's also been a hoverboarder, a swordsman, a time traveler, an Olympic athlete, a racecar driver, cursed with a Flame of Judgment, imbued with alien power, a fucking Werehog with stretchy powers, and on and on and on.

If Sonic can do all that, Amy can try out using a tarot-cycle.

Anyway TL;DR the REAL problem with Amy's current characterization... is where the FUCK is Amy's bestie, Honey the Cat???????

[brucewaynehater101]

Hello, I am the person from a few days ago that mentioned House MD. .y idea for it is very simple and very funny. Tim ends up in House's hospital with House as his doctor. He was found unconscious on the side of the road with 3 stab wounds, two broken ribs, and a broken leg.

Tim is Knocked Out and in Civilian Clothes with No Wallet. Which means No ID. They call him John Doe for now and move on to stitching him up and doing an xray of his chest so they can fix up his ribs and check for internal bleeding from the stabs. They are having some kind of debate about how the kid has clearly had his ribs shattered many, many times and how they healed when House suddenly stands up and says, "all of you are missing the forest for the tree. Ignore the ribs for a second before the kid dies." He then leaves the room to the confusion of all the assistants. It takes almost ten seconds for one of them to yell, "WHERES HIS SPLEEN"

Within an hour Tim has been put in one if their Anti Germ Bubbles for the Immuno Compromised. Oh the bright side he 100% has a room all to himself! Tim wakes up in the bubble, very confused with House looming over him. Tim is Baffled and says, "who send you? What info are you after?" And House just says, "im your doctor. What's your name so we can stop calling you John Doe The Spleenless Wonder."

Tim and House verbally joust almost constantly for Tim's entire stay and honestly? Most relaxed he's been in *years*. However it takes *days* for them to pry him name out of him and it's not even *from* him. Someone saw his face on a magazine in the grocery store check out and went "that's out John Doe!!" And when Tim tells them that he is Tim Drake he simply says, "I didn't tell you for a very simple reason. If word got out it was The Tim Drake in your hospital, which is outside Gothem, could you imagine the Paparazzi? And what would happen? I can garentee you at least one person would show up trying to kill me. Why do you think I was outside gothem beat up? Assassins, obviously." House's boss is terrified this guy is gunna sue them into the ground for how House has been jabbing at him constantly.

House simply asks why his bones look like Swiss Cheese and Tim simply raises an eyebrow at him and says, "I live in Gothem."

Later on after Tim gets released, he buys the entire hospital, becomes its new boss, goes to House's boss who actually runs the hospital and says, "I do not care about running this hospital. It's all up to you, I want No Power here. I am simply here to triple your budget, no quadruple it. And you remain completely in power on one condition. I want House to be my Primary Doctor. He's fun."

Oh and if you want some Angst, House asking if Tim wants to call someone to pick him up and Tim says, "oh, I have a tracker on me. Someone will show up to check me out once they notice I'm missing." House squinting at him and says, "you've been here two weeks. So I don't believe you." But Tim is telling the truth. His tracker has said he's been at an out of city hospital for weeks and no one really noticed he was even gone.

Fuck yeah. I've seen some clips of House and, despite the large amounts of medical malpractice they should be sued for, Tim would absolutely enjoy House's banter.

Also, I'd so live for House and Tim trying to trick each other. Tim realizes quickly that House doesn't believe a word about what Tim says about how he got his injuries. House keeps trying to pull one over on Tim so that Tim actually receives medical treatment (especially because Tim keeps going back out on field with injuries). It becomes a somewhat friendly game

Fair warning, I'm probably about to butcher House's character. Idk enough about him, but here's what I think. Tim would prefer House as his main doctor for two reasons:

How House cares

House isn't Batman/Bat affiliated

For the first point, House does care but not in the way most others do. I think Tim will eventually start telling House the truth about how he gets his injuries because of how House reacts. House isn't going to be overly sympathetic, pity Tim, or try to mother hen him. Tim will stroll up, say he's been held without food for a week and has 3 broken bones, and House will just banter with Tim.

If Tim's being an idiot (like not resting), House won't try to tell him off. He won't yell or undermine Tim. He'll just point blank tell Tim he deserves whatever injury he got for being an idiot while helping the vigilante treat it.

Tim will never admit to being a cape, but he eventually trusts House enough not to hide it.

Then there's House not being a Bat doctor. Leslie may or may not inform Bruce of any injuries Tim gets that Leslie deems is important for Bruce to know about. Alfred for sure won't hide that shit. Either way, whether founded or not, Tim can't trust those doctors to give away his information "for his own good."

House probably wouldn't go out of his way to inform Bruce (especially if we add on your angst angle).

Probably fucked up House's characterization, but let me know what ya think! Feel free to send another ask or reblog or whatever with changes ya think I need to add

[volturiprincess]

Hiii I saw that your requests are open! If it’s okay, can I please request a Demetri x fem!human!reader where the mate pull between them is so strong (even though they haven’t met) that she has been having dreams about him and unconsciously finds her way in Volterra (like she honestly doesn’t remember how she got to Italy in the first place, it was like a mind out of body experience for her) and goes up to Heidi (who is out looking for tourists to join the “tour”) and Y/n’s like, “Do you know where I can find Demetri Volturi?” And Heidi is like “???” Because this little human somehow knows who a Volturi guard is asking for him and desperately wants to see him?? If Dem had the ability to cry, he would be sobbing when Heidi brings his sweet mate to him🥹Awww and as soon as she sees him she knows exactly who he is and calls out to him 🥹

Also I feel like Marcus would be absolutely fascinated about how strong their bond is, and Aro would be fascinated by Y/n herself because she has to be gifted in some way with how she unconsciously found her way to Demetri with the dreams she had been having

Never Be The Same

Demetri Volturi x human fem reader Warnings: None A/N: I apologize for the very long wait, I hope this makes up for it though. Weirdly I manage to write this in 2.5 days, which is kind of fast even for me, i mostly wrote it late at night because thats when the real inspiration came through. My first finished request of the year also. But.... Enjoy�� Word Count: 2323 (that is so satisfying)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“It can be you and I forever….what do you say?”

I wanted to scream out yes but he started to dissolve, he was fading away. No please come back…

I woke up from the dream with a thin layer of sweat, grabbing my bottle of water, I drowned it down. Fuck I cant believe it was a dream. It seemed so real. He’s been in my dreams for the past couple of months now, is he even a real person? He seems too perfect to exist, but everything that has happened in the dreams are so specific, and I have the same dream every night too where I see him and we just hang out and talk. It's almost like an out of body experience. 

We talk to each other just like I would in the waking world, full of conversations, it's come to a  point where I feel like I know everything there is to know about him. I get out of my bed and walk out to my little balcony in the little place I rented for the month. Volterra Italy…I don't even remember how I got here but here I am. Demetri mentioned he lives here, wondering where he is?

I let a cold breeze hit my face as I grip the beautifully crafted railing, as I thought over where to start my search for him. Such a small town and no sighting of him yet. I have only been here for a week so far but I'm already growing a bit impatient. What if he is not here?

I get ready for the day and head out for my search for him. I remember in one of my dreams that Demetri mentioned he is a tracker, he did not specify what he tracked but he said he was the best in the world. Wish I could track. I ended up wandering around the town when I found a big fountain, it's so entrancing the way the water sprouts out. I sit by it as I debate what to do next, there's not much I can do unless…

I see the most gorgeous woman to ever grace this earth at a distance, I must be in heaven because she is an angel. I get this feeling that I need to approach her, like she is the one who will give me all the answers to my questions. Maybe she will know where I can find Demetri. I walk over to her as she turns to face me, she gives me a breathtaking smile as she quickly skims me.

“Posso aiutarla?”

I take a minute to try to understand what she said but my Italian is so rusty, those years of learning Italian in High School went out the window immediately.

“Sorry my Italian is super rusty, do you speak English?”

She gave me a sheepish smile but nodded.

“Well of course, I am well educated in multiple languages, I am Heidi, how may I help you?”

Just with the way she talks is leaving me in a trance, I'm forgetting my whole purpose of why I needed to talk to her. Wait, why do I have to talk to her? Think, think, think. Oh right, Demetri!

“Do you know where I can find Demetri Volturi”

Her smile dropped and it contoured to a look of pure confusion, her head tilted slightly with her gaze turning to one of puzzled in a matter of milliseconds. Have I said something wrong? I don't like how she's looking at me now, I feel myself squirm under her gaze. 

“How do you know of him?”

“Wait, he's actually real?”

Her eyebrows furrowed now as she kept staring at me.

“He is…but your didn't answer my question cara”

“I well…would you believe me if I said I been dreaming of him?”

“Humans sure are strange beings, have you ever actually met him in person?”

“No”

“Who told you he would be here?”

“He did”

“How?”

“He told me he lives in Volterra, Italy”

“I cannot phantom how this is even possible, so you're telling me, Demetri told you where he is via dream and you never meet him but you know who he is?”

I nod, I know this sounds crazy now that she says it out loud but it is the truth, I would have to be mental to come up with such a story, maybe I am. I don't even remember how I got here to start off with.

“Is he here?”

“...Yes but he is busy currently”

“When will he be free?”

“I'm not sure, when he trains it is never known how long he will take”

“I don't mean to be rude or anything but is there a way you could get him to come here, I would like to meet him”

She still had a confused look on her beautiful face.

“I still cannot wrap my mind how a human like you knows a volturi guard and knows where we live too, what are the odds it would be Demetri?”

“What do you mean by that? Is he a bad person or something because I can tell you in my dreams he was an absolutely sweetheart, I have never meet such a sweet man in my whole life”

“Yes he is a sweetheart, I didn't mean to imply he is a bad person he's the opposite I just meant what are the odds the only guard who does not have a mate might have found them in a strange way”

“Mate?”

“You will be told about them once we figure out if you are his mate”

“And if I'm not?”

“Well lets just say you came at a bad time for the Volturi, our feeding time is soon”

I shivered slightly at the remark, feeding time? Why would that be a bad thing? Is it not just dinner or I guess it would be lunch since it is early afternoon. Or unless they are very private about their dinner time that they don't have guests? There's something off but I hope I can meet Demetri soon. I wonder how he will react. Will he know who I am? Does he have the same dreams as I? Or have our dreams been like walking dreams where he comes into mine? 

My curiosity is interrupted when Heidi mentions something that peaks my interest

“I will see if he can spare a minute or two but I will guarantee you that the possibility of that happening is low, please just wait by the fountain”

I nod as she walks away, even her walk is so entrancing, does she even have any flaws? I take my previous spot by the fountain as I wait for them. I hope the odds are in my favor and I do get to meet him. Will he be exactly like in my dreams, the way he acts and talks. I felt that sudden anxiety rise in me, what if I disappoint him in a way. He's literally the handsomest man to ever walk upon this earth, he does not belong in this world with the beauty he carries.

I felt my heart beat a bit faster the longer I waited for them to return, I have never felt so nervous before. I wanted to throw up but I tried my best to stay calm. Deep breaths…in…out…in…out. Okay that's working, I feel less stressed but my thoughts are still running wild. Seconds felt like minutes, minutes turned to hours, hours then felt like weeks. What if he is refusing to meet me or he is really busy. 

I hate how my mind suddenly thinks of all the worst case scenarios to ever exist when nothing bad has happened. Yet at that moment, my breath was hitched, the world stopped moving, nothing could be heard but footsteps who I can already assume who they belonged to. I felt an invisible force tilt my head to the side to be met with a dark clothed figure standing at the entrance of a doorway that could only be described as an entrance to a museum. He would be the statue that millions of people would travel all around the world to gaze at. It would be a blessing of a masterpiece.

Am I in one of my dreams with him in it? It certainly feels like it but my raw emotions I have right now feels true and physical. He walked over to me and I swear I saw flowers sprout at each step he took, his eyes maintained contact with mine. His eyes held so much expression that I could read each emotion he was feeling. When he stood in front of me his arm extended to pull me up and into his chest. His arms wrapped around me loosely as the desire to breathe again was nowhere, my hand went up to rest on his cheek to make sure he was physically here. 

He is here, this is no dream because if it were the minute I touched him he would have dissolved into my delusions. 

“Your real”

His smile could have brightened a whole room alone without needing actual light. 

“I certainly hope I am, I can't believe I have finally found you”

“You've been waiting for me?”

“For centuries now”

I ran the same hand that was on his cheek through his blonde locks as his eyes closed. We felt like we were in our own little bubble of paradise, everything was still and quiet which at this moment felt right. I saw his skin give a little sparkle which was strange but it made him seem more ethereal, it was made clear he is not human but to me that does not matter to me because all I want is him. 

When his eyes opened they seemed darker as they were shimmering slightly with unshed tears. He looked so precious that I had the strong desire to engulf him in a deep hug that would hide him from the world. He gave me a weak smile as he guided me to where he came from, he held me as if I were a porcelain doll. 

“I will introduce you to my masters, they would like to meet you since a certain person decided to let the whole castle know I found my mate”

“So I am your mate?”

He stopped walking to look straight into my eyes, into my soul.

“Do you not feel how we are gravitating toward one another? You are my moon as I am the ocean. I have never felt this feeling in the centuries I have been around, I finally feel complete with you here” 

Breathless he leaves me. His words are better than any love song I have ever heard, no artist can come close to being more romantic than him. Even after every dream I had of him, I would wake up with the same reaction. We eventually arrived at a room where three figures sitting in thrones were at. These must be the masters that Demetri mentioned, next to me and Demetri was a mountain of a man. I had to crane my neck at an angle to look up at him, and even then I almost couldn't see his face because his shoulder was blocking the side view of his face. 

“So she found you? This little human found you?”

“She did Master”

“And she’s truly human?”

“Yes she is, can you not see the color in her cheeks”

I kind of just stood there awkwardly as they spoke of me as if I weren't there but Demetri made me feel comfortable with the way he still had me in his arms. 

“But how did she come to find you?”

Everyone turned to look at me the same way Heidi did when I asked about Demetri, which resulted in me to squirm. The blonde one spoke up which made me almost jump out of my skin.

“Speak human”

Demetri got a bit tense but spoke up for me. What a gentleman…

“Master please, don't you see your frightening her, please don't raise your voice to my mate”

Oh my, so polite and protective. The way his voice got soft as he spoke made my heart melt. I gained confidence from how he defended me that I finally spoke up.

“I'm not sure how I ended up in Italy or how I got here but all I can say is I would have dreams about Demetri which then lead me here somehow, its difficult to explain but I just knew I had to find him even if I was not sure if he was real or not���

The third master who has not spoken in the whole time we've been here finally stood up and walked over to me and Demetri. He moved so slowly that I felt as if he walked faster he would turn to dust and vanish.

“You confound me dear one but I have never seen such a strong bond between mates. I hope with time we can figure out how this was able to happen because I am fascinated by this”

I nodded but suddenly relaxed a bit in Demetris arms. The one who seemed to be the main guy to run this whole place clapped loudly with a laugh to follow it. I wanted to cringe slightly but I felt that would be disrespectful to do so, so I bit my tongue.

“I think she might be gifted, oh the joy this brings me, our own Demetri has found his mate and she is gifted, a joyous day it is indeed”

The smile that Demetri gave me was like a sudden beam of sunlight illuminating the darkest corners of the room. I never knew he was the sunshine I needed in life, I think I'm going to love spending forever with him. 

[shxllraizxr]

To get things going let's start off with a good prompt ♡

How would a Poly Relationship work between the Turtles and Y/N ?

[Gender Neutral Portrayal is my thing btw lmao]

[ also I loooove Poly Turtles. Its so rare now of days tbh ]

Warnings : Hints of Nsfw. Implied Sex & Sexual Romance ♡

This is mostly fluff tho !

Y/N has been crushing on the Turtles for a while now as has finally broken thier silence about their feelings. They figured a few ideas on how to possibly give all of them the same and equal treatment of love they deserve. A polyamorous relationship! Hopefully things can workout... hopefully.

Leo

Welllll- at first he wasn't really sure how this would go at first.

Lowkey didn't like the idea when first presented. He basically felt like it was showing that no commitment could be made if y/n was also having feelings for his brothers.

Don't get me wrong. He loves you but, this idea made him give you a bit of a scolding talk to after a few minutes of debating.

Luckily you are able to explain to him what this would all entail and you reassure him you will love him just the same as everyone .

Happy but definitely would have a tinge of jealousy thinking he can't have himself to you most of the time.

Fast forward to a few months of this relationship and lets just say he's easily the one who gets first dibs on kisses and stuff.

Constant argues with Raph about how he is being "too touchy with you" but he's a hypocrite.

Leo ALWAYS has his hands on you in private. Its the foreplay mood he likes to build up

Leader in battle and leader in the relationship

Warms up to the idea of having others in your heart and you have told him and made sure he knows you have a big piece of him in yours.

He's content with that and feels like he definitely won't lose you to anyone else.

Raph

Oh boy Raph asserted himself as the top dog over the others.

Against it right off the bat. Mainly cause he didn't like the idea of his bothers falling for someone he liked way before amy othe his brothers did.

Yes. He believes he caught feelings for you first (lowkey he did tho so he ain't wrong) and he will die on that hill.

Down BAD for you from the get go. And plans on letting his bros know he's got the hots for you.

Mainly the instigator in arguments about who loves you more. Mainly towards Leo since he know how he gets around you.

Handsy is an understatement.. HE IS ALL OVER YOU NO MATTER WHAT.

easy to provoke sexual intentionally and unintentionally. Man loves the idea of a tease. And he will reciprocate that

Down the line he gets less reserved and more okay with sharing you but he still has that jealousy and mindset of being your top lover.

You kind of have to learn to sometimes give into his subtle and "not so" subtle cues about affection and intimacy

Him and Leo kind of bond over talking about how beautiful / handsome you are. They are infatuated with you.

Raph is probably the most if not tied with Leo on how protective he is worh you. But he of course is a huge softie underneath all that plastron and muscle.

Donnie

Donnie actually kind of agreed to it easily.

Being a scientist as well as some trying to figure stuff out he kind of wanted to learn some things about it.

The only kind of negative thing about it at first was he kind of treated this type of thing as a lab study or research.

Not in a bad way but he focused alot on the scientific stuff more than romance but after expressing how you don't want him thinking of it as a experiment he chills put. And actually starts enjoying it.

Suprising very chill and calm.ablut when his bros get jealous. He kind of teases when he gets his turn to have you for the night or day.

Very light levels of jealously if any. He is content and knows you love him so he's very confident in himself.

Never would be the one to start any type of argument about who you love more.

The type to skip going on a training day to sneak a cuddle in with you. He would easily lie and say he has to do some routine diagnostics on the shellraiser or something

Humbling and can come.back with snarky remarks if people step put of line tho. Tho he is more reserved then them all.

Relies on advice from mikey - (yeah I know that's insane but its true) - when it comes to ideas on how to swoon you over.

Can and will make sure "if your okay with it" to set a schedule on checking in to make sure your okay if your not at the lair for long periods of time. He just wants to know you are safe.

Mikey

Chill AF like in a weird way. Still confuses you to this day how okay he was with this.

Never once showed any aggressiveness towards the others when they are around you. But will definitely tease raph to pass him off.

This mf literally will not stop having contact with you. He loves it when your around and will show it through physical affection

His form of jealousy is literally just puppy eyes and pouting. AND YOU FALL FOR IT EVERY SINGLE TIME !

Always offers and left over pizza to you first. He is a considerate gentleman after all.

Game nights you get the best controller. He doesn't care if the other fuss about stick drift or anything you get the best one. End. Of. Discussion.

Can go overboard with his ideas of a datenight. And will steal you away from.the others to get an extra hour or few minutes with you.

Kind of the glue of this relationship. He is the comical relief and weirdly would give the most out of pocket wisdom tips to everyone. Literally. It wields leo the fuck out at times how smart he can be.

Would be okay with having a joined cuddle with one of his bros and you. He use to be babied when he was younger so he likes to be the middle spoon in a cuddle honestly.

Flirty as hell along with Raph. He will give lewd remarks following after or before Raph. He will find a way to make you blush.

Made it his mission to please and make sure everyone is okay. He can be a little shit at times but he will always try his best to comply and follow the rules.

God I haven't written is sooooo loonggg! Hope this was alright haha !

Anyways I will try and be more active so be prepared for more posts ♡

[pseudophan]

Hi! I am very very new to the Dan and Phil world. A friend of a friend had a spare ticket to their Oslo show and I went along. This was my very first Dan and Phil experience. I had heard their names, but went in completely blind after all who doesn't love a theatre trip to a foreign country. I had a wonderful time, even if I didn't really understand a lot of the backstory it was so much fun, and i thought i sort of had it worked out. I have come home and binged their content now, but the more I watch, the more confused I am. I watched the Anthony Padilla Dan interview tonight and that was the point where I thought I need help. I was advised head here, pick someone nice and avoid twitter so here I am. When I was watching the show in Oslo, it seemed to me that it was the most married unmarried couple ever, having fun together on stage, poking fun at all the crazy that they had faced together over the years, however the more I indulge in their content the more I am confused as to what is real or not. Is the whole stage couple thing just an act? Were they together but now not? Have I misunderstood the whole show? That Anthony interview Dan seemed to be saying he was very single and ready to find a man, so I am very very lost. Google was no help. I don't want to over step but after watching them perform on stage, they seemed completely infatuated and in love with each other and in recent videos i watched. It is all very confusing. Whatever they are, they know how to put on a show. They have a new fan in me, albeit a slightly confused one. Hope you don't think I am overstepping.

first of all, that's an insane introduction to dan and phil and i love it. i was also at the oslo show! it was a good one

as for your question, well you see the thing is dan howell is chronically full of shit. that time period was a bit weird and he was a bit annoying and he had this "single and ready to mingle" bit going, god knows why cause it wasn't very believable, but.. idk, i think perhaps it was a mix of just that fitting his brand of "comedian" better and him desperately wanting to get away from the Dan And Phil label, but because he couldn't ever fully commit to it it just fell flat imo. like you can't be on youtube and on stage claiming you're single and wanna fuck around while also appearing in your boyfriend's videos acting married as fuck, it just doesn't work. and please no one start up that godforsaken open relationship debate again cause it's just not relevant, he wasn't selling open relationship he was selling single lol, at least in that anthony interview

but like all that said i don't really think he was trying to sell it to the phannies or any of his most hardcore fans, and i think that's exactly why he was willing to appear in phil's videos still showing a completely different, much more real, side of himself. the whole Single Dan On The Prowl thing was for himself and for random people who happened to be watching, more casual members of the audience

there's a looot more to be said about dan and the way he wants to be viewed, he talks about it himself a bit in the new show but you probably don't remember it that well if you saw it as an outsider like it's hardly the most memorable part of.. all of that haha, but basically to answer your question: dan's just kinda like that sometimes. you get used to it. or maybe you won't have to since he seems ready to finally maybe potentially possibly drop some of the pretence and just.... be. or he'll change his mind again and be back to bullshitting in a few months you honestly never know with that guy

but yeah dan in that era... grain of salt is all. it's just a persona and a desperate plea to be viewed as something, anything other than Dan From Dan And Phil. it's just kind of hard to get away from that when the other half of your double act is also your life partner, you know?

[starberry-cupcake]

GUESS WHO'S BACK IN THE HOUSE???

I don't know how frequent these will be but I'm gonna try to pick this back up now that, at the very least, I am done with having to read stuff for mandatory academic reasons.

But before I go back and start over with chapter 33, I'm going to do a little recap of where I think everyone was when I left them, as far as my own notes and my memory allow. I'm probably going to make less sense than before now that I had a 5 month hiatus and I'll probably guess even less of what's going on, but such is life.

This character recap should be read with this song in your head because that's the energy I picture.

she's going through it

doesn't remember shit

thinks ortus was her cavalier

is constantly targeted by alleged gideon aka ortus the first

who actually also told her how to defend herself from him (them? he said "us") (use blood, not bones, of course)

is seen as "lyctor lite" because her cavalier slurping thing "didn't work"

(we think this might be good because of gideon reasons)

improved her necro abilities to "make up" for it

can't really hold the sword

everyone expects her to die

I think she's stronger than they think and that's their mistake

sent letters to herself that she hasn't yet fully read

like I made these recaps that now I'm re-reading, life parallels

gave yandere twin her arm back with necro sex or something

is dealing with an inner chad who is as difficult in death as in life

misses her sister who she thinks is still alive

I also think she's alive

got a new arm through necro sex or something

is kinky as well as yandere

thinks too highly of augustine

wants to be a good lyctor

has issues with her self-perception because she was always the ignored twin, even if she had the necro abilities

sleeps in a room with a lot of nudes

wanted to kiss harrow but was rejected (the second time, the first time was some harrow conspiracy theory thing)

I hate this guy

is very bad at his job

or very good, if his job is to be awful

supposedly he's gonna be killed, but so far no results on that front

had a thing with ice cube barbie aka AL aka annabel lee, allegedly

undetermined what kind of "thing" that was

gets into orgies with his lyctors, apparently

is always reading stuff

has created a system to destroy planets and their energy

this has brought them issues

who would have thought

there are now energy things that are wanting to destroy them

they killed some but have, I believe, 3 still trailing them

claims that what they did was a good thing

doesn't take responsibility for things that are clearly his fault

isn't disturbed by harrow's origin story of baby blending in a necro magic bullet to make her

probably because he has committed genocide himself

is also being hated on by a bunch of rebels whose leader disappeared about 20 years prior

my running theory is that gideon's mom might be related to that

aka Senior Chad

don't like this guy

he's training yandere twin, if we can call it that

dislikes mercygirl a lot but isn't above getting dirty with her and the emperor

you can't convince me there weren't other ways they could have distracted him, but he went for that, so

wanted to help kill alleged gideon aka ortus the first

thinks too highly of himself

explains things in a convoluted way

is treated very poorly

can help people with wounds

thinks harrowcita is very smol and always claims her to be younger than the last time

was involved in the plan of getting emperor reverend doctor john Distracted with Capital D to get alleged gideon aka ortus the first killed

idk how much she knew of the plan before getting into it tbh there wasn't a lot of discussion prior

insists she's not moving not!dulcinea

argues with people all the time

his name is up for debate at this point but I'm sure it's actually gideon

may or may not be involved in things beyond the planet situation

seems to be sort of possessed or something because, in a moment of maybe lucidity or not wanted to protect harrowcita from "us"

maybe he's not the kind one, maybe it's his cavalier, but idk

is probably who the note in book 1 was referring to

wants to kill harrow to protect the emperor, apparently

was about to be killed by not!dulcinea (who doesn't get a section but is STILL wreaking havoc because nobody listens to me)

harrowcita saved his life like in toy story 3 with the incinerator

was seen doing Stuff with not!dulcinea prior to this

emperor john alluded that he may be aroace though

we stan him for that

doesn't get along with the rest

also we stan him for that

has been trying to kill harrowcita the whole time

we don't stan him for that

aka AL aka annabel lee, I think

it wasn't stated but that's what I'm going for

is the body that was in the locked tomb that harrowcita saw

but now is haunting harrow and going around with her but only she can see and hear her

her eyes though are like gideon's maybe

harrow claims to love her

she's also present in the gideon-less past we keep seeing as well

we don't know much about her but if the emperor imprisoned her, we're on her side

canaan house but with a lot of events differently set

starting with gideon not existing and ortus being harrow's cav

ortus is also in a polycule with the fifth

dulcinea is the real one in this one and protozoa is alive

regina george twin was pushed to her "death???" by mayonneise uncle, before he also threw himself

palmolive and camilla are dead in this one

the second house has 1 alive and 1 dead

abigail seems to know a lot of stuff

maybe hadn't she died immediately, book 1 would have been shorter

everyone keeps saying "is this how it happened?"

IT'S NOT

harrow reads a note only she can see that keeps getting longer about someone ranting to some guy and there's a potential triangle situation going on and also eggs

I'm thinking it might be a fertility thing but idk

there's a waker/sleeper that behaves like a slasher villain

it's hidden in a coffin nobody can open and kills with a rifle

it also has a gideon-like sword?

not sure how this connects with what's going on in the emperor's bolthole because not!dulcinea doesn't exist in this one, apparently

even though camilla is very much alive and slaying and palmolive is currently a skull in a bag, I'll leave that for the next recap once I've caught up with the entire chapter

[dancinglikebutterflywings]

500 Followers + 500 Words: S. Coups

-> Pairing: Choi Seungcheol x Ex-GF!Reader

-> Requested by: Anon

-> Prompt: 38 - Y/N has no one else to call, she calls her ex-boyfriend who still has her back no matter what.

-> Warnings: talks of a clean break up. mentions a sick parent. There's no hate between Coups and Reader. Right person, wrong time vibes.

-> Word Count: 502

-> Request: Closed.

500 followers = 500 words Masterlist | Main Masterlist

©️ 2024 dancinglikebutterflywings - do not copy/modify/repost anywhere. reblog instead

Y/N couldn’t believe it. She felt so embarrassed as she sits in the passenger’s seat of her ex-boyfriend's car.  

An hour ago, the guy she's been seeing for the last month left her stranded on the side of the road. This came after he told her that he come to the realisation that he doesn’t want to be in a committed relationship just yet. That he wanted to keep things casual and open to seeing other people all because he met another woman couldn’t decide right now who he wanted to be with. Instead of letting her anger get the better of her, she ended things, telling him that’s not what she wanted. After his failed attempts at trying to convince her to change her mind, he kicked her out of his car, leaving her standing in the rain. 

As she stood there, drenched and shivering, Y/N scrolled through her phone for someone to call but quickly realized she had no-one. She didn’t have enough money for an uber, her best friend was away on her honeymoon, her mum was taking care of her sick dad, her brother’s away for military training and she didn’t have any co-workers willing to drive the distance to pick her up this late at night. A majority of them had children to take care of.  

When she landed on her ex’s name, she debated whether she should call him or not. They were still sort of friendly. Their relationship didn’t end badly. They both became busy with their jobs and finding time for each other became difficult, so they just kind of drifted apart.  

After a good five minutes, she called him and he didn’t hesitate to come and pick her up.  

“Thank you for coming all this way to get me,” she thanks him, breaking the silence that had fallen over them, after he started the drive back to her apartment. “And on your birthday of all days. I’m sorry if I interrupted any plans you had.”  

"Don't worry about," he assures her that it's okay. "When Seungkwan, Mingyu and Hoshi found out it was you calling, they insisted I come and get you and bring you back. I told them you might not want to." 

"I want to," she tells him, wanting to celebrate his birthday with him and his chosen brothers. A part of her also wanted to see them all again. Feeling a little guilty for not having kept in contact with any of them since her and Seungcheol’s break up, she missed them like crazy.  

"Are you sure?" he asks, "You've had a rough night. It's okay if you don't want to come and socialise with all of us." 

"I'm sure, Seungcheol," she assures him. Even though they’ve been broken up for a while now, she still cares about him. "It's your birthday. I would love to be there to celebrate it with you." 

Seungcheol, smiles and changes from driving to her apartment to where his birthday celebration was being held.  

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[sysmedsaresexist]

To the anon asking about my username...

There's a bit of confusion here, I'm going to answer many of your questions but I may not post the ask itself, hopefully it'll make sense :)

When I started my blog I was heavily anti endo and I specifically posted bad pro/endo takes, debunking or just laughing. To this day, most of it is still pretty hilarious. I wasn't focused on cringe, but totally crazy, out there claims that made zero sense and were flat out wrong. Check out my tags #shit endos say, #shit singlets say, and my newest tag, #shit anti endos say, I hope you have a laugh at a couple of them.

In my pinned post, you'll see the thing that started it all. A pro endo saying that sysmeds are sexist.

I would also like to know how they came to that conclusion. I'm right there with you. Also like you, I still have many issues with the pro/endo community. I believe CDDs are trauma based disorders. I post research pretty much weekly about it (check out #debunk and #research). I think endogenic plurality and CDDs are completely different things.

And you know what, my pro endo friends support me. We're all learning. I'm kind with my opinion, I'm open to talking about it, we debate, we share resources, we change our views and adjust based on new info.

This blog corrects misinformation from both sides, now. Some of it is worse than others. Antis can and do spread just as much misinformation as pro/endos.

What I would encourage you to do is start with the multiple selves theory. It actually developed right alongside Freud's theories on hysteria (which included early versions of CDDs at the time), and if Freud hadn't been such a perv, it might actually be much more well-known. It's a nonpathological theory on consciousness and philosophy. People have been describing this phenomenon for a very long time, "endogenic" is just the newest term for it. Here's a couple examples.

2015 - at any given moment in time, one or another of our subselves is in control and determines how we think and act.

1987

2012 - this one has so many links to other people talking about this theory

2023 - These results suggest that the normative principles by which agents have adapted to complex changing environments may also explain why humans have long been described as consisting of “multiple selves.”

2020

2010

Like I said, though, you can find this stuff as far back as the 50s with ease, anything older might take a bit more digging, but it's not a small or new theory.

I think an overlap in language has created a lot of confusion, but it's really not out of the realm of possibility for people to be more in tune with these parts of themselves. It's been documented for over a century outside of psychology, in other areas of research-- anthropology, philosophy.

I'm going to be honest, I don't think a single one of the headmate sale blogs are real. I think they're antis trying to start shit. Like maybe one out of every ten is actually someone misguided behind the screen.

Even CDD systems still incorrectly believe in core theory, endogenics picked it up from us and don't know any better. System resets aren't real, but there are real experiences that can FEEL like a reset-- try being patient and educating people. Ignore the others, because some people just can't be helped, and you're better off spending your time spreading good, accurate posts than arguing with people who don't want to learn anything.

I forget what I was saying.

Anyways, I'm a pro endo sysmed.

I hope you'll stick around and see what's going on.

[gaiathemexicanbeauty]

it only takes a taste | mike schmidt x reader

word count: 1.6k

warnings: none! this is just pure fluff and maybe kind of slowburnish lol

this was loosely based off of it only takes a taste from the waitress musical! :3

idk i just really like the idea of late nights with mike even if he's too tired to even think straight lmao

also don't ask what time period this takes place in, i was born in 2004 and know like 2 things about the 70s-90s or whenever the movie takes place bc its never explicitly mentioned

i also do not regularly bake or cook so do not be afraid to go to my comment section and tell me if something sounds off

i love this man ok, i have said it 1000 times already but i've been in love with him ever since i first saw him when i was like 12 or 13 and was even more so obsessed with rebornica's mike design for YEARS. 12 year old me would have an aneurism if she knew about the fnaf movie

you let out a long yawn, one hand reaching up cover your mouth so as not to potentially ruin the mood of any customers around; granted, there was only two and they were graveyard shifters from somewhere outside of town but customers are customers. you'd been working at sparky's for a couple of months now, figuring it was an easy way to make some cash and keep food on the table. of course, you hadn't accounted for the very long hours that passed where you half debated trying to sneak away since no was around from 2-4:00 am: your boss would kill you, though, and you wanted to stay employed.

soft oldies music plays in the background as you glance over at the clock ticking away on the wall. just as you move to grab a rag to clean the counters for the 5th time during your shift, you hear the bell above the entrance jingle and don't even have to look up to know who it is.

mike wasn't a regular at first, just someone who popped in at random and very quietly asked for a coffee. after a while of starting a new job, he started coming in at almost 11:00 pm everyday and always asking for the same thing: just a plain, black coffee. "seriously?" you had said with a smirk the first time he said his order to you, your eyes widening at the attitude you had just given a customer. fortunately, mike was quick to respond with a tired but good natured laugh, his hands folded in front of him. "i'm all ears if you have other recommendations." he mumbled with a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, giving you instant relief.

now, it was just clockwork. "hey." mike sighs with a soft sigh, rubbing a hand over his eyes as he takes a seat at a chair by the counter you were standing behind. "coffee machine is kind of acting up tonight, you're gonna have to give it a minute. want anything else while you wait?" you say as you approach the counter, giving him a quick smile. mike is about to decline your offer, his lips parting to say something before his eyes land on something on the farther end of the counter. "what about that? still good?" "you're just in time. i was going to take the rest of it home." you say with a smile, walking over to the cake stand holding an apple pie with only 3 slices left of it. you take the lid off to plate it, handing it over to mike with a hum before bringing him utensils. you don't even get the chance to bring up to him that the slices have been sitting there for a couple of hours, blinking in shock at the way he's quick to start eating.

you turn your back to start taking down the chalkboard advertising the special from the day before, giving mike his one moment of quiet you were sure he needed. you start to think about what your day will consist of once you're done with your shift, dreading having to clean your room before you can actually sleep. "did you make this?" "yeah. why, is it bad?" you say with a chuckle, turning to look at mike again; your eyes widen a bit at the way mike is looking at you, his own eyes looking at you like he can't believe what he just put it in his mouth. "no, no, it's..it's really good, like. really good." your cheeks redden a bit at the sudden compliment, pushing a piece of hair behind your ear as you occasionally glance at him enjoying the pie you'd made; you wouldn't say you were amazing at cooking but you definitely knew enough to make a meal that would do more than just feed you.

it also didn't help that you'd been harboring a crush on mike for the past month. that you were aware of, he didn't have a partner of any kind but that might have been more to do with the fact he didn't have time for one than anything else. you at first brushed it off as just not having contact with anyone your age that late at night, just enjoying his company when nights got lonely. but you couldn't deny the way you would style your hair a bit differently or try a new perfume in the hopes of getting a compliment from mike; to your absolute pleasure, he almost always pointed it out. now to hear this sudden praise for your cooking took you out of your element.

"thanks, really, but i make it all the time. i can make thousands like it and they'll all be the same." you say with a light chuckle, crossing your arms against your chest as you look over at the cake stand sheepishly. "then maybe you should consider getting a day job making these instead." mike says between bites, giving you a playful smile. you can't help but scoff despite the smile on your face, looking over at mike again. "well, if it's that easy, maybe YOU should quit your job and come and join me. keep me company." the two of you have a quiet laugh, your cheeks reddening at the indirect compliment you had paid him. once his plate is empty, you take it away from him just to have an excuse to do something with your hands (also to get away from the almost fond look that mike was giving you right now, definitely not on par for him). there's a tense silence between the two of you before mike speaks up, clearing his throat when he speaks. "uh, i tried making that at home. the pie, i mean. i don't remember what kind it was right now, but it definitely didn't end as well as that." he says with a nervous laugh, hands folded in front of him again as you hear the coffee machine start to pour out his drink.

"well, what exactly did you do wrong?" with surprisingly no hesitance, mike goes on to tell the story of how sure he was about this recipe he'd seen in a catalogue, going above and beyond to make sure this "stupid thing" (his words) came out right. little did he know leaving his creation unattended for even a second would result in smoke pouring out of the oven and having to throw out a charred-black pastry; "and then abby went and acted like we could just go and do it all over again and.." mike starts, hands waving around uncharacteristically as he finished off his story. he caught the way you were trying to hold back a laugh, fingers pressed to your lips that were etched into a small smile. "it's ok, you can laugh all you want. i never tried doing it again." you can't help the laugh that leaves you once he gives you his full permission, still trying to keep your voice down. "i-i'm sorry, really.." you giggle once you've calmed down, rubbing your hands over your face before you start to walk around the counter to where mike is sitting. "but that's not how making a pie works. you can't just leave it like that or give up on the process that easily."

mike makes a face that says 'i'm listening', shrugging his shoulders when you sit on the stool next to him. "making a pie is like.." you start with a sigh, hands propping up your chin in thought as you look up at the clock. "you just know when some things feel right. if something is too much or too little, whether you need to start again or not. lord knows i've had to redo entire pies because the crust wasn't flaky enough or the filling didn't taste like apples enough." you say, chuckling a bit as you remember all the times you'd slaved away for almost entire days trying to nail down the perfect home recipe. you take a minute to think again, sitting back a bit as you smooth down your apron tied around your waist. "and it also doesn't help if you make something just to make something. when you bake or just cook a plain old steak, you have to make it like you're crafting a story or making a song. all of my best meals were made with someone or something in mind."

your cheeks go red again when you realize the very unprompted ramble you went on, a nervous laugh leaving you as you look down at your lap. "sorry, you totally don't have to-" "no, no, i-" the two of you jump a bit at the way you both try to speak first, sheepish smiles tugging at your lips before you go quiet again. the bell above the door jingles and you don't have to look up to know the two of you are alone now. "i like hearing about that sort of stuff. i really only hear about it when i'm here with you and it's..nice. different." your heart soars and you can only hope that mike can't somehow feel or hear it, trying to give him a warm smile without saying something you'll regret. you get up from your seat with a when he checks his watch, knowing that's code for 'i need to go' even before he stands. you're almost sure he'll leave without saying anything which you are simultaneously grateful for and hoped he wouldn't do, already busying yourself with some other menial task. "hey."

you look up almost as soon as he speaks, seeing the smile tugging at his lips and not able to contain your own. "save those leftovers for me. i hope it still tastes like you were trying to make it for me when i get back." he says, a smug look in his eyes as your lips part a bit in shock. you try to call out to him before he jogs out to his car, taking off accordingly.

-> ta da its done! :D <-

this was honestly less romantic than i wanted it to be but i promise that my brain is racked with thoughts of him literally EVERY DAY so mayhaps i can write something else that's more up to par one of these days

but thank yall for reading! :D i haven't been able to pump out a oneshot like this for a while and it felt good to write something longer than a couple of paragraphs, i have missed this account sm 🐺💗 love yall and i hope that you all are having a fantastic day!

[bellaciaao3]

After the trio finish off Devin, Michael decides to give Trevor a ride to the deceased's mansion so he can get his truck back and return home.

During the trip, a fight ends in the least expected way for Michael.

//////

Michael watched Trevor standing at the edge of the cliff they had just thrown the car with Devin in it, debating what to say and do. Franklin's motorcycle had stopped sounding less than a minute ago, indicating that they were completely alone in the middle of nowhere. Michael deduced that Trevor had left his truck at the Weston mansion and, knowing his friend, the deceased's surveillance would be sitting on the ground until it was reported and the authorities came to check what the hell happened.

Michael found himself in a quandary inside his car. Leaving again sounded like...proving he was still the same.

Deep down, he felt they should talk and tell each other what they should. Trevor had just said he hated it, but when he had the chance to let a bullet go through his skull, he didn't pull the trigger. Trevor was unpredictable, but that insanity wasn't to the point where he could murder him.

Sighing and telling himself he would regret it later, Michael honked the horn a couple of times, getting Trevor's attention. He walked over to the car and leaned out the passenger window.

“Need a ride?”, offered Michael.

Trevor arched his eyebrows and looked around, as if desperately searching for something.

“Is this another kind of deal? I'll get in your car and a bullet goes through the glass? Should I jump off a cliff?”.

Michael sketched a sympathetic smile and shook his head.

“You left your truck at the mansion, didn't you? Hop in, I'll take you there”.

Trevor eyed him suspiciously, which Michael couldn't question for obviating reasons. Still, Trevor opened the door and got into the car. Michael set off.

For the first few minutes of the drive, they said nothing to each other. Michael hadn't even thought to turn on his car radio, sensing that any movement could trigger a fight with Trevor. He glanced sideways at his traveling companion and noticed that he was staring out the window, pensive. Apparently, that last mission had sapped some of his energy.

For Michael, having been for that brief moment they stood together at the edge of the cliff before Franklin arrived, it was like the old days, when they were two young men waiting for their accomplices and wasting time just the two of them, joking, pointing out details or just enjoying each other's company, not talking. Back then, being silent was not awkward, but comforting; a constant reminder of the kind of relationship they shared. Inside the car, however, the first part of the ride was almost suffocating. Neither knew what to say to each other. Michael didn't want to start a fight having managed to do a job together with a spectacular finish and, as far as he was concerned, Trevor was in no mood to argue. He could be wrong, for sure.

“Well, T...”, he began, tapping a finger on the steering wheel.

“Mike...”, Trevor uttered, as if giving him room to continue.

“We made it, huh?”, Michael chuckled under his breath, unsure.

“Yeah...”, Trevor replied, serious. “I can't believe I was finally able to put a bullet in Steven fucking Haines' head”.

“Being patient paid off in the end”.

“I doubt the next time I meet a fucker like him I'll hold back”, Trevor warned.

“I don't doubt it...”.

The conversation died as quickly as it came. Michael felt like he was drowning and Trevor went back to staring out the window, impassive. How hard it was to try to come up with something in common being two people who could barely agree with each other.

“Are you going to talk or do you expect me to jump out of the car at some point?”, snapped Trevor, turning to him.

Michael tightened his grip on the steering wheel, tense. Trevor always got his right by guessing his thoughts. Further proof that, for Trevor, Michael was still gnawing at his mind, not letting go, even if it wasn't what Michael wanted, for any of them.

“Do you want to tell me something?”, ventured Michael to ask. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Trevor's expression struggle to contain the anger he must have been feeling at that very moment.

“Will my words have value or will you step on them again like you did so long ago?”, questioned Trevor. “Like you stepped on me even when I made it clear you were everything to me”.

Michael shuddered at the brutal sincerity that characterized Trevor. He should have expected nothing less from the man with whom he'd shared years of experiences in the world of crime and beyond.

“Tell me whatever you want. We've got a good ride ahead of us”, Michael allowed, trying to be the one to stay focused inside the vehicle.

Trevor clicked his tongue and leaned against the back of the seat.

“You know, Michael”, he began, his voice low. “After everything that happened between us, the first thing I'd like to do now is push you out of the way and take your damn car and let you walk back in”.

This time, Michael didn't react to Trevor's threat, knowing they were empty words. However, he remained silent.

“Or I'd like to be able to torment you day and night, since I'll be the only one doing it without these idiots behind us”, Trevor continued, looking at him strangely. “There are a thousand things I'd like to do with you”.

“And what's stopping you?”, questioned Michael, jaded.

Trevor bit his tongue and his eyes widened at the question. It was the one he could never answer Michael. It was the same when he threatened to cut his chest open and Michael dared him to do it if he wanted to; Trevor couldn't find what to say to him, since it was, as always, an empty threat.

“Can't you tell me?”, demanded Michael.

“Why don't you start and tell me what you got for acting like a good person? Why would you risk having me inside your car?”, questioned Trevor.

Michael exhaled through his nose and kept his eyes straight ahead. He hoped he hadn't made a mistake.

“Maybe...I just wanted to help you”, Michael admitted.

Trevor let out a sarcastic laugh.

“Sure... Right off the bat...”.

“I'm serious”, Michael insisted, cracking a polite smile.

“Well, thank you. I was wondering when you'd show you cared about me”.

“I told you before that I care about you”, Michael said.

“Yeah, before you hounded me not to find out the truth about Brad... A truth that should have been different”, Trevor exclaimed, grudgingly.

“T, it's... It's not that simple”.

Trevor growled dangerously. Perhaps they hadn't been the best words.

“It's not simple to assume that you made a deal that cost one life and could have ended two?”, continued Trevor, feeling anger bubbling up inside him. “Michael, at this point, I feel like it's not even that fucking deal that hurt me the most anymore. You let me believe for ten years that I'd lost you! Can you have the nerve to say you care about me?”.

“That's no lie! Didn't I come looking for you at the factory when I thought you'd been hurt?”.

“It was the least you could do, don't you think?!”.

Michael was about to veer out of his lane. He maneuvered to stay on the right side again and they both fell silent as the oncoming car honked insistently by way of complaint about the near-accident.

“You want me to get out here?”, mumbled Trevor, lowering his gaze. “We're not far...”.

“No, I just... I wish we could talk normally, like...”.

“Like before?”, questioned Trevor. He shook his head. “I'm sorry, Mikey, but in case you haven't noticed, things will be far from the same. Do you really think an apology, come sooner or later, will be able to change the way I feel?”.

“I know I didn't”, Michael sighed. “I know my decisions were shitty and have been to this day. I don't expect you to forgive me now or ten years from now. Only, I want you to know that... I'm not proud of what I did”.

“It's a big step to accept that, M”, Trevor mumbled. “I wish you had done it sooner”.

Michael glanced sideways at him again and decided to take a chance with another question:

“So, if you hate me so much, why are you here? And don't tell me it's because you didn't want to walk. You could have killed me after the Big Hit, inside the factory or at this very moment you could have pulled out a gun and blown my head off. Come on, T, be honest the way you brag and tell me why you're still with me”.

Trevor's expression twitched again, although this time, it wasn't out of anger, but bewilderment. Michael knew perfectly the ways to break Trevor's barriers in one blow, leaving him vulnerable and unable to use his sharp tongue to deliver a brutal response. Instead, Trevor gazed around different parts of the car, mumbling unintelligible words.

“All right, you wanna know, sugar?”, replied Trevor, clenching his right fist. “From the day I found you I felt like doing two things: murdering you or finding a way to drag you with me and keep you there until the end of our days”, he admitted, unabashedly. “And ever since I found out about your deal with the FBI, part of me wanted to choose the option of killing you and if I didn't it was because...”.

Trevor breathed harshly, perhaps not knowing how to continue. Michael realized it wouldn't be that long before they arrived, so he slowed down.

“Why?”, pressed Michael. He needed to know.

Trevor was silent and Michael decided not to press again. He didn't want to risk a more violent fight breaking out.

“Thanks for the ride”, Trevor said forcibly.

“You're welcome”, Michael sighed again. “You won't tell me?”.

Trevor pressed the lever to open the door and bit his lower lip, fighting the urge to say what he wanted.

“Will you keep your word to kill me in the end?”, sneered Michael, assuming Trevor would give him a death glare, an insult, and whip the door down before going to his truck.

What Michael didn't expect was that Trevor would turn to him with a serious look that wasn't enough to cover the sadness he clearly felt.

“No”.

“...Why, you don't feel capable anymore?”.

“Because I thought you died before and I lost too much. If you died now, this time for real..., I would lose everything”.

Michael was too shocked by the sincerity in Trevor's words to say anything. Trevor stood waiting a moment for him to respond and when nothing came out of his mouth, he exhaled, annoyed, and opened the door.

Michael was quick to grab him by the wrist, preventing him from leaving.

“...I don't want you to walk away”, Michael muttered, not looking at him.

“I still have to take my truck”, Trevor said, mockingly.

“You know what I'm talking about!”, exclaimed Michael, without letting go.

“Yes, I do”.

Trevor remained too silent for Michael's liking. He wasn't normal. Michael would have preferred him to insult him again, to yell at him and berate him for anything, as long as he wasn't silent. When he felt overwhelmed, he turned to Trevor, but he couldn't bring himself to speak to him. Trevor grabbed Michael by the back of the neck with his free hand and pulled him to him to kiss him rather roughly. 

Trevor didn't loosen his grip and Michael didn't try to pull away or push him away.

Of course, Michael wasn't the only one who knew how to break down people's mental barriers. It wasn't the reaction he expected, but he couldn't say he was going to complain or punch Trevor for surprisingly kissing him. He didn't want to do either of those two actions.

They broke apart and Trevor held a cocky grin, enjoying the short circuit Michael's mind was dealing with.

“Does it mean you don't hate me that much?”, asked Michael, trying to regain his composure.

“It means what it means, Mikey-boy”, Trevor replied. “Are we going out later in the week?”.

“If that's the way you want it...”, Michael agreed and was surprised at how shy his voice sounded.

Trevor winked cheekily at him, got out and went to his truck. Michael waited for him to get out before driving off himself as well.

As he drove, trying not to let his mind make him crash at the thought of the kiss and the feeling afterwards, he got a message that he managed to see at the next stoplight.

The words he read made him laugh.

Tell me the truth, do I kiss better than Mandy?

[gtgbabie0]

{James comforts you when your social battery runs low}

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You have been quiet all day, barely speaking no more than three words today and you just seem so distracted, miles away, you didn’t even answer the phone when Marlene called and now James was starting to worry.

“Baby?” He opens the bedroom door softly, noticing you curled up on the bed knees tucked towards your chest, you look over at him with a small smile, trying your best to muster up any kind of energy you have.

James walks over to the bed and takes a seat next to you on the bed, his hand goes to brush your hair away from your forehead, “What’s up hmm?” He asks softly, and you close your eyes when the back of his hand brushes against your warm cheek.

In all honesty, you don’t quite know exactly what’s wrong, you just feel so… bland and can’t find the energy to really do anything, talking to anyone just seems like such a chore, and it doesn’t help that there��s this voice that tirelessly shouts at you, telling you you’re being an awful friend by ignoring everyone, telling you that you’re being a horrible partner by sitting in the bedroom all day.

“I just feel so— meh,” you say, taking his hand from your face and holding it, it’s a silent plea for him to stay here with you, “I’m sorry lovely” you whisper bringing his hand to your mouth to press a gentle kiss against his knuckles.

He looks down at you with a small smile, “You don’t have to apologize lovely, you’ve done nothing wrong” he tells you, but James can tell from the unsure look in your eyes that you don’t believe him, and he knows exactly what you’re thinking.

"No, I do, I've been ignoring you all day, and Marlene" you whisper, tears building up in your eyes, "I don't even know why I feel like this, I'm just being ridiculous James, I'm sorry" you wipe your teary eyes.

His heart aches at the sight, “I don't mind lovely, I understand that you need some time alone, I promise” he says leaning down to press a kiss to your forehead, “And Marlene won’t be upset just because you had an off day” he wipes away the stray tears that fall from your eyes, his heart squeezing in his chest at the sadness that fills your eyes.

“Thank you” you whisper, a sudden guilt creeps up on you and you hate the fact he has to deal with this, with you, feeling like he has to carry your burden with him, the only thing you can do is apologize.

“Sweetheart, you’ve got nothing to apologize for” he promises you and you wonder what you’ve done to deserve such a lovely person in your life, “I’m here and I always will be, okay?” He tells you, kissing the tip of your nose, you let out a small breathy giggle, and you know you won’t win this argument, not with James’ stubbornness.

“Are you hungry?” He asks hand threading through your hair gently and you nod with a small smile.

“Yeah” you close your eyes once more basking in his loving warmth.

“Do you want to make lunch with me or should we order something? Your choice sweetheart” he says and you hum debating the options in your head.

“Let’s go cook something” you decided, sitting up and he happily nods taking your hand as you both walk into the kitchen, you already feel a little more replenished.

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[jeonscatalyst]

I keep thinking about the billboard eyes debate about who's eyes it could be & the theories, if it could be him really revealing his future partner like Taeyang did, who he seems to have taken a lot of inspiration from on Muse. The more I think about it, I'm leaning toward the eyes being someone "WE" the fans are familiar with, that he has some kind of public relationship with already, because putting some random girl or guys eyes he's dating behind the scenes, that we aren't familiar with, never seen him with, wouldn't make sense to reveal it this way, like I'm with this person you have never seen with me, here are their eyeballs, so you can stop shipping me with so and so, when all it does is add more confusion. You know what I mean. I don't think he would go through that trouble to publicly announce on a billboard in a video seen by millions to introduce his real "stranger" partner that way, UNLESS there was already some familiarity there already that he knew fans would pick up on and recognize. It would be basically introducing a complete stranger to the world as your partner in a very cryptic way since its just their eyeballs. You would probably just go the natural way first before doing something big like that, like start going out with them publicly or publicly linking yourself to them, to ease people in like the way Tae did and was dropping hints about him and jennie even before the hacker exposed him. Like testing waters Following jennie and then going out with her in public to Jeju and being spotted with her even before the leaks happened and then after the leaks both wearing the same clothes and couple jewelry from the picture, before eventually going public together in paris. This is why I think if jimin was trying to announce who his heart belongs too this way, then most likely it makes sense for it to be someone people are already familiar with. Someone he knows people are familiar with, someone he had been dropping hints with beforehand. And well I can name someone who fits that role right now, because we seen it for years, but esp this past year. Does this make sense to anyone else, cause I don't see Jimin waking up and saying "my GF or BF" no one has ever seen with me, I think I'm just gonna add their eyes on a billboard, they won't be confused at all. Probably not the best plan since the majority of people think its Jk's eyes, even non believers. And def not the brightest plan, esp going from billboard eyes dropping, straight into AYS cause that only convinced people more its Jk's eyes with all that flirting and tension we saw. And if those ain't JK's eyes. Well you gotta feel sorry for that person after AYS, cause that ain't your man. Sorry. Just saying.

Hey anon,

I think we are putting a lot of thought into those billboards eyes to be honest. Is it possible that those eyes meant something? Sure but it is also possible that they were just some random person’s eyes…..or maybe even someone we do know but that doesn’t necessarily mean there is more to it.

Just like you, I too had obsessed over those eyes especially when I found out that Taeyang had his wife’s face on a billboard in one of his songs and Jimin has always admired Taeyang and wanted to somewhat follow his footsteps so the math is mathing and it isn’t exactly delusional to think that he might do something like that since it’s not impossible but I also realized that sometimes, somethings really don’t mean anything more.

I would admit that sometimes those eyes look a lot like Jk’s that I get shook and start to think there is no way those aren’t Jk’s eyes but other times I tell myself that maybe they are not and we are just seeing what we want to see or what we wish is the truth lol. I am at a point where that is a Jikook maybe to me. I am completely 50/50 on the possibility that it is or not.

As for whether Jimin would choose to put a complet stranger, I don’t see why not. I mean before Taeyang put his wife on that billboard I don’t think people knew about her no? So it is possible that it might be someone who we don’t know and haven’t seen around Jimin……but as I said, the eyes on the billboard might just be for effect and not mean anything more.

For now, I keep my thoughts on it at 50/50 and if someday we get to confirm that it was indeed someone we know and suspect, then……..

[comicaurora]

I watched Castlevania: Nocturne the otger day and liked it a lot less than you seemed to, so I want to hear a more detailed opinion if you have one. Am I in the wrong to think it was more shounen and less "deep" in some way?

I'd say it's definitely more shounen. Introducing the "Richter can't do magic because unresolved trauma" thing right from the jump meant a Believing In Yourself powerup was pretty much inevitable, but I liked the execution of that scene enough that I didn't mind much.

It doesn't quite have the backbone of the original Castlevania, which was grounded so strongly in Dracula's apocalyptic grief - a motivation the audience is directed to find deeply understandable from minute one - that it gave the characters a solid thematic core to play off of. This let the writing stay pretty tight by letting Trevor serve as a foiling mirror for Dracula in their mutual disgust with the failures of human kindness, Sypha for Lisa in their altruistic use of their knowledge and their vilification for "witchcraft", and Alucard in the middle torn between worlds.

Nocturne is more loose and character-driven, but it still has a core theme - the argument over "the natural order" and how that plays into a fear of change from those currently on top. However, Richter doesn't really have a horse in that race, since his motivation starts and ends at Kill Vampires while everyone around him is more complex, trying to overthrow the aristocracy and free the enslaved and such. I think this makes Richter feel a little less important than Trevor was, narratively, because he sort of stands apart from the core philosophical debate at play. It took me a few episodes to get what his deal was and start caring about his self-actualization, and I think he's definitely got further to go. Possibly Alucard's presence in season 2 will give him more to play off of.

I think Nocturne has several independently interesting villains instead of one really good villain, which is a complaint I also saw about Castlevania season 4 - I liked Death just fine, but he really didn't work for everyone, and the secondary villains like Saint Germaine were much more interesting and complex. Nocturne does, however, pull off something Castlevania didn't as much, which is most of the characters acting on their own internal consistent motivation without cleanly falling into the "good guy" or "bad guy" box, causing them to slide into and out of conflicts and alliances depending on the circumstances.

I feel like Bathory is kind of a weak core villain with almost no human-level motivations or ideas beyond General Villainy, and the extent of her development being a darkest hour shonen villain powerup/frieza transformation doesn't help much, which is why I'm kind of holding out hope that they just bite the bullet and bring back Dracula. He's the nemesis from the Castlevania games, and while they gave him and Lisa a happy ending in Castlevania season 4, I don't think they need to keep him on the bench forever. It's been 300 years, Lisa is almost certainly long dead again and Dracula doesn't need to be full Mad With Vengeance Burn Down The World to still be a credible problem in need of a little Belmonting.

I had fun with season 1 of Nocturne with the understanding that the first four-episode "season" of Castlevania wasn't representative of the final shape of the story either. Sypha's character, for instance, was very flat before she and the gang went on their season 2 bonding adventure, not much more than some banter and infodumps. I think Nocturne did solid setup of the cast and the theme they'll be unpacking, and it has lots of room to explore these characters in interesting ways once they energy-ball-tennis Bathory out of the way first.