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#i enjoy some drama but not too much as to possibly affect real people
ohmygraves · 3 months
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it started off as a prank.
soap and gaz were fooling around, really. nothing too serious, not expecting much from it. hell, the account was in soap's phone. ghost didn't even know anything about it.
the two created a tinder account for the lieutenant, just to see what kind of people would be so inclined to message a masked man like him.
photos were taken candidly, most of it from soap's own stash (don't ask). something more serious was cropped from group pictures, from either the bar or during a mission. gaz thought of the introduction, with little embellishments to make it more ridiculous. the goal was to see how many would swipe right to the scary, masked lieutenant.
of course, the sergeants were surprised to see so many match notifications, to the point that soap's phone would just erupt with notification sounds, even during briefings. safe to say, the poor scot got in trouble, and ended up turning off the notification for the app.
most of the matches seems to be coming from a place of lust, a lot of requests of one night stands or fuck buddies (what is it with people who liked masked men, the two thought). many seemed very forward and to the point with what they wanted. it was ridiculous trying to scroll through the first messages and reading them one by one.
but then there's you.
you: hello, i feel like i've seen you before. are you staying at the base near (location)?
soap and gaz thought your first message was interesting. it could be that you knew the lieutenant somewhere, or had seen him at least once. you seem to be a real person too, judging from your profile. photos of you indicated as such.
gaz wanted to call it quits, ghosts you just like every other match that they received, but soap wanted to take it a step further, even if gaz was completely against the idea. bickering for a while, soap ended up sending a text, and that's how you started talking to "ghost".
ghost: yeah. do i know you from somewhere?
soap had expected it to be a flirting attempt, though he was surprised to see an actual answer.
you: oh, i think i've seen you a few times outside of the base.
you: i frequent the café nearby ^^
oh, you're so cute and innocent, soap kinda felt bad for lying now.
ghost: i see
ghost: perhaps i'll see you sometime too? ;)
soap got addicted to posing as ghost. the two of you texted back and forth during his break, sometimes even at night. soap stayed up and missed some sleep just for some elaborate joke that kept going and going, and gaz was just tuning into the drama too.
everything was fun at first, not everyday the scot got to roleplay as the lieutenant, especially since the man was such a dry texter. it was funny trying to come up with an awkward reply or even just flat messages when talking to you. you were just so nice and oblivious to it though.
soap nearly lost his marbles when you asked to meet up in the cafe near the base, and asked when it was possible. you knew that soldiers frequently are given a leave, so perhaps "ghost" would love to meet you when he had the time. the scot was sure that he went too far this time, earning "i told you so" look from gaz even when he's clearly also enjoying the shenanigans.
they decided that it's finally time to come clean to the man in question.
ghost, of course, was furious. not only that this was a violation of privacy, soap and gaz had wasted a random person's time because of some elaborate joke that went too far. now they even want to meet with him too.
soap thought that the only way to fix this was just to inform you as well. it was only fair as you're also affected by this. hell, he didn't even know that his "casual" flirting (which was a loose term considering ghost's texting habits that soap adapted for this roleplay) would be enjoyed by someone, even getting the lieutenant a date too. the scot insisted that you two still meet anyway, and that he would be there too to apologize.
ghost, of course, was definitely against it. he had been dragged into this against his will, and it's not like he had the time too. why would he entertain the two sergeants who got him into this mess—
but perhaps just a cup of tea with a beautiful person like you would be nice... perhaps...
reluctantly, ghost agreed to the date, letting soap talk to you to set up a time and place. while looking at your pictures and the past conversations, he didn't seem to mind that he's now on some sort of a blind date...
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vorthosjay · 1 month
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Hi Jay. Not wanting to sound mean, but I really think it must be commented and that there's no softer way of doing that: the company's statement of Thunder Junction being an inhabitated plane prior to MoM is not a honest way of capitalizing on a sellable trope without touching its uncomfortable issues. It's even disrespectful. They have done it in a less flagrant way with Kaladesh and both Ixalan iterations, but now they've gotten too far with Thunder Junction. Colonialism is too big an issue to simply being put under the carpet as it never existed and we could just enjoy the sunny part of the history. I really hope Hasbro as a company acknowledges this and changes its way of dealing with the theme. Thanks for letting me pointing this.
Look, you caught me on a bad day, so I'm going to be as polite as possible but let's start with the foundation that this is not a complaint to direct at me. I have no control over any of this. Mark Rosewater exists and takes feedback on Tumblr.
But, let's talk about it, because I've seen some folks take this to extremes.
First off, I've seen a lot of well meaning folks speaking up on behalf of hypothetical indigenous americans, but I'd love to get takes from folks this actually impacts. I'd love for Wizards to post something about their work with cultural consultants, for sure. But the only actual thing I've seen so far is a great story from Magic's first indigenous american author. And when you're speaking on someone else's behalf, you tend to miss things. Like, Kaladesh is not the great representation of south asian culture that you might think when you jumped to it, and it's okay if you didn't know that, but it sort of proves the point that it's very difficult to actually protest on someone else's behalf. And I just haven't heard from anyone who has also mentioned they speak from authority or are impacted by this. That doesn't mean you're wrong, necessarily.
But here's the thing. Thunder Junction isn't history. It takes cues from the American West, sure, but it's a fake world. And sometimes it's okay for a fake world to ignore the bad things that happens in real life and create something more aspirational. Magic does this all the time. Magic doesn't have homophobia, but that isn't really realistic or representative of the real world, is it?
No one, and I mean literally no one, came to me and said that people of color needed to be ostracized and not allowed to work alongside the white people in the demon mob families of New Capenna. That racism was real, it was systemic, and it was violent. But did it need to be tackled in a fantasy crime drama based on america in the 20s? Should it have been? I don't think anyone would have enjoyed it as much. Sometimes it's just fun to play gangster.
Similarly, the colonization and manifest destiny that was the reality of the American West was tragic, but does that need to be our only depiction of indigenous peoples - being colonized? If they were erased completely from the narrative, that would be awful, but can't they just have fun being cool thunder slingers? The Atiin were developed with a consultant, and if you want answers ask Wizards to talk about it.
There's a reason the Oltec were depicted as being sealed off from the Immortal Sun drama that had happened on the surface. To have an aspirational mesoamerican culture that wasn't affected by the Dusk Legion and Azor and all that.
To put it in another perspective, does every period piece featuring black americans need to feature systemic racism to be respectful? Is Bridgerton disrespectful (I mean probably but not for that reason)?
The reason I've framed a lot of this as questions is because I don't necessarily think I know the right answer, especially not for a fantasy card game. I've worked with tribal governments in my emergency management career and spent a week on the Navajo Nation, and talked a lot about perspective on things, and I would not presume to know what the right answer to all of this is.
Edit: to be clear, Could it have been handled better? Probably. I will never deny that. But also it’s a complicated and fraught topic and I’d love to hear from the people wizards contracted who actually know what they’re talking about.
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dryemiddi · 1 year
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I know you've probably gotten this a couple times. But as you're probably aware, the original creator of Vantablack was diagnosed with DID, where Vanta was present as a fictive alter. Vanta, alongside other alters, were the ones grooming and sexually abusing minors and adults alike. I won't say the host, or the original creator you knew, was innocent, but most of the problems arose from his alters.
Being that Vanta was a major abuser, and possibly a lot of his victims are becoming aware of this revival of project, is it possible that you could make and design your OWN Ink/Nightmare fusion, to spare them from triggering content? It would be in theirs, and your, best interests to consider doing so. Don't subject people to a sore reminder of their traumas. You've already removed most of the other characters created by the original creator, so why not the one who was centred in the drama surrounding the grooming and abuse thanks to a fictive of him? Please. As a friend to a few who were victims, I just want to ask if you hear me.
I do hear you. And I recognize the victims that we're affected by J's actions. But I also recognize the grey complexity of this current situation, at least in how it pertains to myself and my decisions here. I see Vanta (the character) and Vanta (the fictive) as very separate in nature; one of them is a real person who is responsible for their own actions. I've never properly met the fictive and I know very little about him besides the news of what he did (and honestly I'm very grateful for that). Perhaps the closest I've ever gotten to interacting with him was when J had a hostile meltdown in front of me after announcing my pull of my work from the old project (I was later told that it was Vanta who had that meltdown, but I'm unable to confirm it). I was never groomed. But that does not mean that I don't hold a large share of trauma that stemmed from my interactions with J. My memory of my time with him is foggy, perhaps repressed, but it's clear to me that he's left a sizeable negative imprint on my psyche-- if my innate fear towards him (even before hearing the news of what happened) is anything to go off of.
I do know that, at least for a while, I considered him to be my only friend. And knowing what I know now -and the fact that I am the same age as one of the victims- that scares me in ways I cannot even begin to describe. Does that make me a victim in some sense? I'm unsure. There is no simple or straight answer here, as there is with a lot of what I am and will be talking about. I don't want to force a simple conclusion out of all of this. I don't want to make this situation black and white: because it simply isn't. That would ultimately be a disservice to me fully processing the events that did occur. (Ironically enough, J wasn't the one out of the admins to leave me with the most trauma, but that's its own complicated story that I will save for another day.) Now Vanta, as a character, I still hold dear to my heart. I was responsible for designing him (both his initial and updated designs), as well as co-writing and coming up with major parts of his character. I see Vanta no different to any character I created entirely on my own, seeing as I was the second largest contributor to his character. It sort of just made sense to me to take him under my wing after what happened. For better or for worse, I can't bring myself to replace him. Perhaps I'm just stubborn or too sentimental for my own good. I love Vanta, in spite of everything J has done. And I want to give people the chance to enjoy Vanta without all that horrific baggage-- and that includes myself. I am willing to make an accommodation or two, however. As a compromise, I am willing to give Vanta a redesign (no drastic changes, unfortunately) as to further dissociate him with his past iterations. I also will aim to give my own spin to Vanta's personality to some extent. It isn't much, but it is something I am willing to do if it helps. If people are still uncomfortable with Vanta (especially victims), I certainly don't blame them. That being said, it is their job to curate their online experience to best suit their individual needs, whether that's ignoring posts, blocking tags, or even unfollowing me entirely. I'll respect that decision, as I ask that they respect my decision in turn, whether they agree with it or not. . I am thankful that you were able to approach me about this in a respectful manner. I applaud you for that. It's nice to be able to have a civil discussion about tricky topics such as this, as many are quick to be reactionary towards things they don't agree with. If you have more to say/ask and would like to, anon, my DMs are open.
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yanderecandystore · 2 years
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Could we get some more Male Beldam plz, a crumb of spider boi affection 🥺💖
Hello dearest! Sorry for the long wait, I was having an awful time trying to make this last chapter work. Also btw:
I messed up the story and now this isn't the last final chapter of the series 🤡 I told y'all I get too invested and too complicated with this shit-
So YEAH we're having ANOTHER ONE later on- That will be the true final chapter (depending on how this one goes, I ain't too confident-).
I made some HEAVY DECISIONS LOL-
This is going to be a lot different from my usual work (I think?) And a disclaimer:
I don't believe that the actions of the characters in my writing are valid or even morally correct, I write for yanderes because I'm extremely weird (I'm trying to accept that) but I don't support these actions in real life, I just like them in the media. BTW this is not an accurate representation of trauma/mental illness/or even anyone in general!
(Chp. 1) (Chp. 2) (Chp. 3)
TW/Tags: Following up from (Chp.2) // also if y'all want, there is this headcanon→ (🧵⚫🕷️) // manipulation // heavy angst // mentions of vomit // cursing // kinda edgy // characters death (I'm so sorry-) // mentions of death/gore (won't really detail it cause I'm horrible at it) // identity theft/pretending to be someone else // mental breakdown/guilty mindset
6,471 words!
Stitched Together (Chp.3) [Yandere!M!Beldam OC(?) x F!Reader - Fanfiction]:
A house filled with disfuncional people. Were they always like this, or did they become "this" when they first came here? Who knows.
People have their own struggles, we're always dealing with some kind of problem- Even the smaller ones. We all have different ways of dealing with them, of course. It's life, it's natural. Yet it's still pretty surprising how all these people got to know each other and form some kind of bond.
It's a weird friendship, but it's not necessarily a bad one, or -more accurately- it didn't used to be one.
Your roommates had a lot of issues, some of which you didn't even know off. It is very entertaining seeing how much they struggle with the most ridiculous problems with the easiest solutions.
Communication seems to be the heart of all their problems, and even he, a cold arachnid monster who eats the "love" of naive people, could see right through their flaws- And he hasn't talked with anyone in ages!
Other Dominick, or just "Dominick" now, has been enjoying this disfuncional group antics way too much, to the point he has actually developed some kind of- Feelings, towards you and your roommates. You're almost as pitiful as you are loveable, it's no secret why that other man couldn't stop obsessing over you for twelve long years, if only he could be a bit more honest though- Maybe he would have won your heart back, maybe you wouldn't be sleeping in a fabricated dimension with a hungry monster.
Cause that's all he is! A monster, that's all he'll ever be, he knows that now.
Still, this whole "he is my ex best friend" drama sure strikes a nerve, the truth is so obvious that it's honestly infuriating to hear you talk about that guy as a "friend". "Dominick" can't blame you though- Maybe you are just not accustomed to differentiating friends from lovers, especially considering how lonely you were.
The mice have told him so many juicy details about you and your roommates lives that he can basically read every single one of you like the palm of his hand. And seeing you four have such a hard time understanding each other was like a never ending soap opera drama.
Vivian was a nerdy girl "trying to break free" by acting like a complete airhead and believing that having fun is something only possible by partying and ignoring her anxious mind.
Richard is extremely dependent on Vivian, being his only friend for so long has made him believe he has more romantic than friendly feelings for her.
Dominick used to be a frail, easily sick boy who grew up without his "best friend" by his side to be able to protect his clingy self, and seeing how you never even talked to him in twelve years- he has fully believed he has done something wrong to make you despise him. He became a physically strong man, but his weak spot has always been you.
And you, oh, dearest you! You're so anxious and worried about building and maintaining relationships that you started to overthink their actions to the point it has led you to Other Dominick's arms! Dearest, it's true your friends have been neglecting you, but if only you knew how it wasn't their intention at all.
Even so, "Dominick" couldn't deny the fact he did fall for you in these last couple of weeks, this "feeling" has been growing on him like a parasite ever since you started wanting to be here more often, to see him more often and to top it all off: You asked him to let you sleep in his web, you asked him to not bring you back home.
What is normally a silent cold void of pure nothingness there was now the low sound of breathing and occasionally snoring. There was now warm, there was now something else aside from him and that little rodent he genuinely loves. It still takes him by surprise how you just invited yourself to this realm and doesn't seem to want to go back, it still surprises him that you left all those people in the Pink Palace just for him.
How absurd, right? You were so willing to escape your reality that you were now sleeping and cuddling with a monster. Granted that you don't seem to know how bad he truly is…. The other people he had preyed on were a lot more careful than you, yet they all still failed to survive in the end. You could say ignorance is a blessing if you have managed to survive so far by being naive.
You have stayed for the night in the Other World, having a wonderful sleep holding the person you seem to have fallen in love with. However, "Dominick" hasn't anticipated the amount of time you two would have spent sleeping together, due to the amount of energy he lost trying to create the perfect fantasy for you he has completely blacked out for what feels to be days.
He isn't sure what day it is, or what time it is, but he was sure both of you had slept for quite a while, maybe it had something to do with the nature of this realm that made you "hibernate" for as long as he did.
There was only one option if he wanted to make you live with him forever, to be able to indulge himself in this love for as long as you live- Yet he wasn't sure if you would agree with his terms for staying, that being never leaving, of course- And possibly having to see him carnage the body of others so he can feast on it.
And speaking of food, of course you would be starving after such a long sleep. He wasn't sure what time it was, breakfast? Dinner? Time almost doesn't matter when you're essentially immortal.
There isn't anything to eat here really, not while he is this exhausted, he can't make anything for you at the moment even if he really wanted to.
"- I hope you had a decent sleep, I bet that sleeping in a place like this may not be- The most comfortable of beds." He commented while looking around the web he called home. He doesn't even remember when was the last time he was able to sleep in a proper bed without feeling out of place. This web is just a lot more comforting to him.
"- … Well I think it was worth it. Though I'm not accustomed to sleeping in webs, or with someone else for that matter." Joking tiredly you responded to his almost self deprecating comment.
You have almost forgotten you slept holding him, and you almost have forgotten how his looks are still a little frightening- Waking up and looking at him sure is a fun way to get enough energy for the rest of the day, thankfully due to his own exhaustion he hasn't noticed your small expression of fear and surprise.
"- You're hungry." Was all he said. While you were still sleeping he could hear noises coming from your stomach, he isn't sure how he can fix this yet.
"- A bit- I assume you also haven't eaten yet? Sorry if it sounds harsh, but you look like you haven't eaten all night." Putting it bluntly like that could harm anyone's ego, but it was true that he hasn't eaten anything in years, waiting people to move in to the Pink Palace is both tedious and a almost unfruitful process, and as you can see he is too pathetic to kill every single one of his preys, despite how easy it would be to just do so right now.
But maybe, it doesn't have to be this way, maybe he could still work something out, you don't have to die to sustain him-
"- Can I help you this time? You have done so much during this time I've been here, I would like to do something for you for once." You were so sincere, and it was true that people have been cooking for you a lot these past days, mostly Other Dominick and…. Well, Dominick, once.
Just remembering yesterday makes you feel odd, as if you have left something behind- Wait, didn't you have plans to hangout with him and the others today?
"- Well- You can help me with something…" What would normally be a very easy thought process, was now taking him ages to complete- He hasn't completely finished his plan mentally, yet it was the only option left. In this state he is too soft, too dependent, he can't feed you or take care of you without first satisfying his own needs.
"- We don't have a kitchen anymore, I'm sorry if this is a selfish request- But could you please get us some food from your house?" He just needed an excuse, any excuse.
"- Hmm, sure! But- But why can't you just build a new one?" You questioned him, still not sure how his "powers" work or not work.
"- I can't, I can't right now- I'm starving." He wasn't lying really, but he did exaggerate it a bit to see if you could go faster.
"- I'm so sorry! I'll be back okay? Just hang in there." And being naive as you were, you made sure to crawl your way back to the little door you've come from, taking just another look at his bottom eyes and sending him a tender smile one last time.
You'll be back soon, he is sure you will.
You won't have to die, you won't have to die, you won't have to die, you won't have to die, you won't have to die, you won't have to die, you won't have to die, you won't have to die, you won't have to die, you won't have to die-
- But they will.
While crawling through the tunnel you realized how tight it felt, you knew you didn't fit exactly well here but this time it feels almost suffocatingly small. You don't know if this has anything to do with "Dominick" or not, but it was as if the whole tunnel was trying to squeeze you back to where you came from.
You're not sure what you should do in this scenario since he said there was no more kitchen back there, should you prepare something in your own kitchen and then bring it back? Or maybe you should just bring a snack to make him feel slightly more filled?
Whatever your plan was, you knew you would be able to fix something quick for him- And probably for yourself since you do feel awfully empty right now, and honestly your body hurts from sleeping in one position the whole entire time, especially on top of someone else.
You hope he was okay, it would be really embarrassing if he was also having body aches because of you, if you could give him something it would be a proper bed- Screw spiderwebs.
For some reason, you felt as if you took longer to crawl back to the Pink Palace than what you normally take- Maybe it was just your imagination, after all you did get to reach the end eventually. While still feeling your whole body weak and aching you got up from the tunnel feeling a bit dizzy, still your mind was focused on two things: Food and roommates.
It would be more appropriate for you to say "hi" or "good morning" right? It feels wrong cooking and then leaving them again without saying anything, maybe- No, no you couldn't, if you did…
Could you… Perhaps- Be able to tell them about the Other Pink Palace??
The idea sounds absolutely ridiculous, especially when you consider that they would probably not believe in you in the first place. Why did you even consider that option? What would you even tell them- "Hey I met like- A spider version of Dominick and a fake version of all of you and I hmmm kinda slept there over the night??" God, they would either think you're trying to prank them or that you went crazy!
Speaking of them- Where are they? It's still 6 am when you look at the clock in the living room. Normally Vivian and Richard would be awake by now, Dominick especially since he likes to exercise during the morning. Damn, you're the only one that wakes up late, huh?
Oh… Yeah… They're probably hanging out with one of their actual friends, how could you even forget that, right?
" They probably didn't even remember to warn me or something, not that it would matter since… I wasn't here in the first place." You thought, feeling a bit sad at the lack of your roommate's presence around the house. Maybe you should try talking with them whenever they come back, you can't keep leaving them and then expect them to call you to go out with them, right?
Maybe it's the loneliness creeping in, but you start to think that maybe you should apologize for your lack of presence around the house, and try to be open about how you really feel about them- Otherwise none of you would be able to survive at least an year together.
Yeah, you'll talk to them soon enough- You'll make something for "Dominick" and then tell him you'll be back soon, you'll send them a message saying you need to talk and then you'll open up to them and hopefully they'll still want to watch some movies together. Sounds like a good plan.
There is of course, only one problem:
"- W- What?! Why is everything spoiled already?? Who would even buy so many perishables and leave them on the counter? Goddamnit-" The smell of rotten food had invaded your nostrils like a punch to the face when you came back to the kitchen, after not finding anyone around the house.
They left the groceries on the counter and just- Ditched?? Who would do such a thing?? Why did no one put anything in the fridge and why was it all spoiled already?? Great, you have to buy more food now, unbelievable.
You would tell Other Dominick about this, but you're worried that if you take too long he'll keep starving- And besides, you're too disappointed with your roommates to think straight about this. You got ready, picked up your purse and stormed out of the house hoping you could buy something to make for "Dominick".
On the other side of this whole fiasco was Dominick, the real one, that is. He has been staying inside Sam's house with Vivian and Richard since you left, it's been the most long fourteen days of their lives.
Hmm? Why do you ask? Well- Maybe it's the fact you suddenly disappeared out of thin air like you were never there to begin with?! After that morning when he made you breakfast, he decided to have his own talk with the other two to see if they could all reach an agreement- They agreed with having the movie night like you suggested and they were willing to talk about the past few weeks when they neglected not only you and Dominick about also their own studies and responsibilities inside the Pink Palace.
You told him you wouldn't be there that day, which was fine, he was actually kinda glad to know you would be able to take some fresh air and not be stuck with only them for company, he thought it was just natural for you to want to do your own thing and didn't even question you where you were going. He thought you would come back later that day or maybe on the next day.
Oh but he was so wrong, so very wrong.
You didn't show up for two weeks straight. You didn't answer any calls or messages for two weeks straight. No one has seen you around, in two weeks straight. For some reason rats have been tearing up the house more frequently for two weeks straight.
At night time they could hear sounds coming from the living room and the kitchen. Every time someone would check it out, they would see nothing there except the small door on the wall being open. There was nothing behind it, only a brick unfinished wall. Someone would try to lock it up, but they couldn't find the key so they would just block it until they could find it.
For fourteen nights, that door would be back open again- Somehow the objects that were positioned to close it, would find themselves back in place.
And still, you weren't anywhere near them. No one has seen you around town, none of your neighbors could say they saw you when you left and which way you went and your family hasn't heard of you since then. They were starting to lose their minds.
Vivian, Richard and Dominick started to feel unsafe inside the Pink Palace after the tenth day. Richard was extremely superstitious, and the presence of the rats and that little creepy door were really obvious signs that something was wrong with that place, and in his mind, that something was related to you somehow.
Vivian, however, was now a nervous wreck, not only was she worried sick about you she also felt guilty in your disappearance. The confident girl has returned to her old anxious self, worrying that maybe the worst could have happened to you because of her neglect.
Dominick couldn't stand seeing them like this, so he suggested they spent the night somewhere else. One night became four, and still no sight of you, they told some town's folk to call them whenever they see you, and to warn you that they miss you dearly. Everyone misses you, especially him.
All options left for why you have suddenly disappeared ranged from bad to awful- From "maybe you got lost somewhere outside town" to "maybe you just didn't want to come back at all".
Or worse….
Maybe you were dead, and were now hunting the last place you've been through.
No! No, he couldn't think that way! None of them could… You were coming home soon, he knew that! He was sure of it…
He- He just couldn't bear the thought of you gone, of you actually really gone!
Both Richard and Vivian couldn't muster enough courage to be able to go back to the Pink Palace but Dominick knew he had to go back to see if maybe you have come back, if maybe there would be some hint to where you were, and how you were…
"- I'll be back soon, until then tell Sam I went to the Pink Palace to see if she comes back, okay? Stay safe you two." He told them goodbye before going out, after all both of them were still not accustomed with this sort of thing.
When he got home he saw that the door was open.
"- [Y/n]? [Y/N]!? ARE YOU THERE?" He came inside screaming his lungs out without considering the various possibilities as to why the door was open. I mean- Yes, the door could be open because of you.
"- [Y/N], IT'S ME, DOMINICK!" But what if it was a burglar that had entered inside to steal something...
"- PLEASE ANSWER ME!!" Or maybe they didn't lock the doors on their way out, maybe due to some animal or a strong wind, the door was now open…
"- [Y/n]..?" Or maybe… It was a trap.
"- How… How did-" He was speechless, not only because of the amount of screaming and running he did throughout the house, but also due to the scenery in front of him-
That little, pesky tiny door was open again. No surprises so far, but what really got him was the creepy, spider web filled, dark tunnel behind it.
" Since when was this here??" He thought, as he started to investigate the tiny door and the eerie air coming from the other side. Richard wasn't kidding when he said this place had some creepy shit going on, did- Did you have anything to do with this??
"- Do I… Fit in?" He wondered, the crazy man. No one would ever think about entering such an awfully tight place, with some more than suspicious vibes to it, when your friend has literally gone missing and was probably involved with some sort of occult-ish phenomenon.
But if this could actually help him find you, he was ready to do anything to be able to reach the truth, and he was desperate enough to go inside this hellhole if it meant this nightmare could end.
Again- He didn't consider the dangers of his uncalculated actions, despite the glaring red signs everywhere, he crawled down the creepy yet- Oddly magical tunnel, seeing light on the end of the darkness. Unfortunately, he probably couldn't have predicted what type of monster would be waiting for him.
"- Dominick?" Someone calls him from the other side, something about their voice is both familiar yet eerily different.
"- Are you there?" Was it you?? Was it really you calling for him on the other side?? It- It looked like you, despite how dark this place is and how far away you were.
"- What the Hell are you doing here??! I'm- I'm coming okay? Stay there-" Dominick was bewildered by the circumstances of actually seeing you at the end of the tunnel- This is almost so unreal that he wonders for a second if he is even fully awake. As wonderful as this moment is, he still feels like something isn't right, he still feels like something is missing out of this puzzle, he continues to crawl but now he is cautious of getting close to you.
Keeping you alive really did benefit him in the end, intentionally or not, these circumstances seem to be the most favorable. After a good rest, he found that maybe he had at least some amount of energy left, at least barely enough to keep one last charade.
" Perdón, love, but I must use your beautiful image, just this once." This is not exactly how he planned it, if anything, trying to look like you just to trick that guy seems a bit evasive- For the first time he isn't sure if he should really use someone else's appearance to trap another person.
He can transform himself to look like whoever he wants, but because of the current situation his appearance feels more like a mockery of your figure rather than an actual adaptation, like he did with Dominick.
However, now that he was here, Other Dominick would be able to eat from someone's "love", although- Ugh, this "love" sure doesn't sound appetizing, your Dominick's love is going to be the worst thing he ate in a long while, isn't it?
It's not as pure and sweet as yours, it is drenched in doubts and unresolved issues. Self loathe mixed with regret, he did yell at you recently, hasn't he? He sure smells like a coward, not to mention how awkward this situation is.
Think of it from his perspective: He is going to eat the love that is not directed towards him- Like all his other victims- But rather, love that is directed towards you. Other Dominick is planning on eating the heart of the one who wants your heart! It's a bit gross for him.
"- Dominick! Please help, I'm over here!" This is… Probably the first time he felt like vomiting while acting, but his stomach is empty so at least there won't be a mess anywhere.
Having to interpret you like this, especially without your knowledge feels so disgusting but he hopes you'll understand he did this out of necessity. He needs this man's heart, soul and mind, anything except hurting you, he is already too attached to you to see life fade away from your body. At least you won't be here to see him do it, that would be unpleasant.
"- [Y/n]! Why- What- What's going on?? Where were you?? What the Hell is this place-" Dominick was obviously holding a lot of questions in his mind, after all the fuck is he looking at? An empty void with only "you" here, you've been gone for so long yet somehow you were inside the house all this time??
Or more like "the empty hell-looking dimension inside the house".
It didn't take long to get to end of the tunnel, finally he got close enough-
"- I- I was so scared, Dominick-" Other Dominick tried securing Dominick on a deadly last embrace so he could do this whole process faster, but for a second, Dominick could catch the difference in voice tone, and pushed himself out of his grip.
"- W-Who- What are you? WHERE 'S [Y/N]?!" He trembled when he noticed it's eyes- The monster, whatever that thing was, the person trying to imitate you had button eyes. On closer inspection, it looked- Nothing like you, nothing at all like you! It was as if your face had been stretched out and redrawn by a horror cartoonist, whatever color your skin once had was too pale to resemble something living- And your hair- How could he forget how your hair looked??
Sure, it was the same hairstyle (barely-) but the texture, the color- Even if you did share similar traits, it just looks off! There was no other way to say it, this wasn't you at all!
"- ANSWER ME! WHERE IS SHE?!" Dominick shouted his lungs out despite his voice coming out a bit horse and mild if not completely pathetic due to his previous shouting inside the Pink Palace, this creature was threatening to come closer and he couldn't let his guard down-
He wasn't prepared at all, but he couldn't let this THING know that.
"- Oh. Well, I don't see the point in continuing this- Thank you for making it easier for me." Transforming and keeping a form is not only physically stressful, it takes a lot of mental power to not constantly have an identity crisis over these little "acting sessions".
Still, even if he could be himself, who would that be? Are they still inside of him or have they long been dead?
Whoever was left now was tall, moody, monstrous and skinnier than a toothpick. He's seen better days… maybe..?
"- Please refrain from screaming, that is absolutely the worst part and I have a headache." Headaches are the absolute worst, even to someone like him- Especially someone like him!
"- OH! REALLY?! I'm sorry, your HIGHNESS! I didn't know- u-GH!" Dominick tried to taunt the monster but all it did was earn him a slap from the creature's sharp claw hands and to be tripped over effortlessly.
"- You did that on purpose, I'm almost surprised." The man sat himself on top of the pathetic man on the ground, using his back as a support, completely humiliating the human who once thought he was now storing enough to handle this sort of confrontation.
Despite Other Dominick's appearance, his REAL appearance, that is, his way of dealing with rude "quests" was firm and elegant in a way, slapping the young man in an old fashioned way.
"- Fuck off me- You didn't even answer me-" Dominick tried to sound as tough as he could, and tried to struggled out of this position- But found his attempts to be fruitless.
"- I mean, why would I? You enter my house, you yell at me, you threaten me, I think I'm not in the wrong to do this." This was the way he would normally deal with- "Rude quests", try to mess with them. Poke, poke, and poke until they manage to fall off.
"- … You're kidding me? You LURED ME IN! You tricked me by looking like my friend, which by the way- WHERE IS SHE?!" Oh, how heroic of him! His heart beats faster whenever your name is mentioned, pumping determination down his veins, how cliche.
How… Annoying.
"- I gave you one condition and you choose to not listen, no wonder she left you- What made you think I would give you that answer?" He was being serious by the way, Other Dominick hates yelling.
"- L- What are you- What did you do to her?" Dominick whispered as if he was speaking with himself and wondering what could have happened to you in this- Fiend's hands!
"- … Hmm- Not treat her unfairly? Not pretend that me being weak was entirely her fault, not blaming twelve years of loneliness on her and only her and not taking a SMIDGEN of responsibility for my lack of social skills? Not tell her she is an awful friend because of something that happened so long ago-" Other Dominick kept teased, proud of how easily he could list off the things he DIDN'T do wrong with you, he would never have treated you this way.
"- How do you know all of this-" Dominick was shut down immediately- The monster was having fun poking him until he would fall and break.
"- Shhh, wait I got more- Be there for her when she needed, gave her comfort and care while you three were having a lot of fun without her- Leaving her to wonder to a trap like a naive little butterfly-"
"- YOU were the one to set the trap in the first place! I know what I did was unfair, I know I shouldn't treat her like that for something that happened when we were kids, but I didn't mean to hurt her- YOU DID! You tried to hurt her from the very beginning, didn't you?!" Ouch. The human managed to touch the monster's ego, a subtle yet extremely painful stab in the heart.
He was taken back by this, he stayed silent thinking about his moral ground on this petty competition.
"- You DID! You stalked us and preyed on our insecurities, you're the reason she is missing! Tell me where she is or I swear to God." The wounds didn't stop coming, Dominick was now the one pushing his buttons.
"- … Can you blame a spider for setting it's web? Longing for a prey to stick it's pretty little wings on its strings? I'm only doing what my nature tells me to do." Despite it being true, Other Dominick didn't feel proud of this notion, nor did he feel like he won this battle at all.
He tried to poke him, but ended up being the one left broken over their own guilty mind.
"- Y- You couldn't- You…" At least he still believed he would be capable of hurting you, and even if that was a lie…
"- Eat her?" It would still benefit in the end, right?
"- …" No words, only a shocked expression turning from fear and disgust to pure hatred. He expected him to say a bunch of things, horrible things, anything except that!
How could someone eat another person? Unless that someone was twisted or not human at all… In Dominick's mind, that guy was both.
Ya know, hate is not really the opposite of love, it affects us in almost the same ways love affects us- Love and hate are easy to get mixed up in this horrible world we live in, so even if he couldn't take Dominick's heart by love, he could still take it by hate.
Hatred towards him. A hateful heart would be a first for his taste, but hopefully it isn't as nasty as it sounds.
To the last breath, he fought, he did the best he could, blinded by rage, hate and love, your old childhood friend was now gone. He didn't go down without hurting his opponent, no, quite the contrary-
Dominick had made sure to rip his buttons out, making Other Dominick blind while also getting rid of the buttons so he wouldn't be able to find them later. Unfortunately, he died believing that somehow, he would see you again soon, as he didn't know you were actually alive and were just on your way back home- As a bunch of townsfolk managed to recognize you and warn you about not only the time you've spent missing, but how worried sick your roommates were.
In the end, the lonely spider did get to fill their stomach and still protect the one thing it cared about, but to what end? He was right, he was a monster, eating on the flesh of someone who you care a lot about, you would never be happy here knowing how dangerous he is for you, and for others around you.
Your silence seems to confirm his suspicion.
"- I know you're there. I heard you coming through the door, and I felt you standing there for a while now."
"- !…"
"- I can… Feel your hesitation. I didn't get enough time to get rid of the mess, I-I can't actually see now, thanks to your "friend", so I can only imagine how awful it must look to you."
"- …"
"- I'm sorry for making you see this, especially it being him… I tried- I tried to…. It looks awful doesn't it? His face is probably really messed up, I thought that maybe you wouldn't recognize him."
"- But you know it's him, don't you? Who else would- Come here and try to be your savior? Your knight in shining armor…"
"- …"
"- That makes me a villain, doesn't it?"
"- A-actually you don't need to… Answer that. I always knew I was one, I just liked to pretend I wasn't… I don't remember since when I've been doing this, but I've been doing it enough to forget who I used to be."
"- …?"
"- The truth is nothing makes me feel satisfied except- Well, this. This- Horrible thing, that I probably shouldn't be- showing it to you-"
"- …-"
"- Please don't- Feel pity for me, I wouldn't accept that. You knew something was wrong with me from the start but I kept lying to you pretending this wouldn't be… This wouldn't be your end."
"- I have told myself that this wouldn't be you"
"- !!"
"- W-WAIT! I-I know you're going away- Just- I-"
…..
"- ….. She is gone…. That's… That was a great decision."
You decided to run away, you stayed still watching that awfully brutal scene for way too long, you were frozen in place before he said something along the lines of "this could have been you"- And that was all the motivation you needed to get out of there.
However, your mind couldn't stop coming back to the body of your old friend, the body that was-
You- You can't stop thinking about it! You want to scream but you just can't- You locked his door while crawling back to the Pink Palace, the tunnel seemed a lot more tight and nauseatingly longer than last time- You could feel the walls moving but you considered that maybe that was just your terrified mind.
Your body told you to escape as fast as you could, but your mind told you to go back and- And see your dead friend again, to try to get him back despite the fact that would not be possible.
The moment you got that, all you saw was red, Dominick and that monster with him- Even without the buttons you could tell he didn't have the guts to look you in the eyes.
How did this happen? Why didn't you see it coming sooner??
What- Why did you trust him?? A complete stranger from a POCKET DIMENSION INSIDE YOUR HOUSE??
WHY-
If-
" This is my fault, this is my fault, this is my fault-"
You kept replaying that scene inside your head, over and over and over again- Feeling guilty for everything you've done wrong in these past few weeks.
You trusted a monster, and now your friend is dead. You trusted a monster and now your roommates are worries as fuck about you and you can't even explain what the Hell happened to you in all of this time.
You fell for a monster that was planning on taking you out as well as Dominick.
You couldn't handle this- You can't handle this!!
You sat on the front porch crying your eyes out, not having enough strength to pull yourself out of this twisted place. A part of you was hoping that the heavy knocking from the inside meant that he was coming- And that it meant you would be gone along with your crimes.
The other part was terrified to the very soul of that possibility even happening, so when you saw the police car come by with your roommates wondering what happened and why was Dominick gone for so long- You were both relieved and worried as fuck as to how the Hell would you explain what just happened.
" The man on the other side of the door ate him?? " Was absolutely ridiculous and in no way in Hell would anyone believe you-
"- It's my fault! Pl- Please!! I did it!! TAKE ME AWAY PLEASE-" You pleaded to be taken away while crying your eyes out, despite no one's understanding of the situation you've sat there hoping they would take you far away from here.
The banging inside the house only got louder, and for once in all of these days you were worried if you actually did lock the door or not.
The policemen heard the loud banging and decided to investigate. You were being comforted by your roommates who were happy to see you but extremely worried about what happened to you and why you were mumbling nonsense. One of the policemen was trying to ask you questions but it was clear your mind wasn't in the right place at the moment, the other was investigating the sound.
All he found was blood coming from underneath a tiny door, and the key you left behind in a hurry. He thought it would be a good idea to unlock it.
There was nothing there. Just blood.
But hopefully it would be good enough for the investigation.
The local police department was already aware of the weird disappearances that happened every year in this very house, so they already had a suspicion that this wouldn't be the fault of some random young adults that decided to move here. Sure, it was scummy for them to use your group as bait, but they needed something to be able to resolve the mystery involving this house.
And you survived whatever happened here, and you clearly knew things they would love to know about- Of course, on a better time than this.
It's clear you're fragile at the moment and that you'll need sometime to recover, and besides-
There is this weird feeling of someone watching them as they take samples of the blood.
🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭
🦉Owl Tag Delivery to🧺:
// @radbarbariancupcake //
I want to personally apologize to everyone who has been enjoying these series because of spider boy softness, I made him a monster and I'm sorry, but that doesn't mean I can't make him soft on future Headcanons! I would very much appreciate it cause I made myself sad doing this 😭🤡
🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭
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chemicalpink · 3 years
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If it’s alright with you could you do an astrology post about how bts would flirt with a person they were attracted to?
So.. god I really hate disclaimers because I like to believe that we are all reasoning people, plus there’s a general disclaimer on my page BUT I know for a fact that people don’t read that (those same people won’t read this one anyway).
Disclaimer: This analysis/reading is based on my experience and knowledge of astrology, it is not meant to be the absolute truth, as BTS are real people, and astrology can only capture so much about multidimensional humans that have had past experiences and cultural approaches amongst other things, it does not have to resonate with you since this is in no way related to anyone reading it (unless you are a member of BTS in which case, get out of here lol ) This is just for entertainment purposes.
OKAY NOW THAT THAT’S OVER by default, Venus and Mars could give us an insight into their love styles, but I’ve already got reading about those here, here, and here 
We are going to use those BUT I’ll focus on their EROS (if you want me to do actual research and post a full love life analysis for each member, let me know in my ask)
SO BASICALLY THIS IS BTS’  FLIRTING STYLE ACCORDING TO THEIR VENUS, MARS, AND EROS. 
Kim Seokjin ʕっ˘ڡ˘ςʔ
I feel like a dad joke to tune into the other person’s humor is his way to go.
His Eros in Scorpio points to someone blunt in his approach, so something along the lines of overly flirting pick-up lines.
His Cancer Mars points to his overall romantic self so if Kim Seokjin is flirting with you prepare to live a drama scene where you feel like the only person in the world.
His Capricorn Venus reinforces the fact that this man is straightforward when flirting, and is very VERY selective as to who they approach.
So all in all, these three placements tell me that Kim Seokjin is a man that loves the fact that people are so multidimensional and he is here for it! he wants to know everything about the person he decided to approach because this man’s standards are over the top and he knows it. 
There's a lot of talking involved while getting to know each other, although he drops facts about himself here and there along with some funny storytimes, he will make it all about you.
A gentleman at his finest, drop you by your house, make sure you’re not cold, that you’re enjoying your food, that you’re comfortable.
This man’s way into your heart is ultimately his actions + his humor.
Min Yoongi  /ᐠ。ꞈ。ᐟ\
He’s... silent. Kinda shy, okay very shy, unless you gave off a great vibe, you’re not getting past awkward introductions and anxious small talk.
If you make it past introductions(because let’s be real, this man’s standards? impossible to fulfill), you’re in for a ride.
His Eros in Capricorn makes him crave to connect in a physical sense, even if it’s just hand-holding during dates, funny enough, this placement is the hardest one to make him open up so.. he’s not talking much about himself.
EVEN FUNNIER his Aries Venus points to someone bold and confident, which I can totally see him doing, the first move if he sees someone that plays into his idea of perfection.
Idk why it just strikes me as he knows what he wants from people, he’s not afraid of a challenge and chase, and his boldness as well as need for physical touch, makes him a great candidate for a fun short term, especially since his Eros signals that he pretty much values work more than love life.
Yoongi is... very much handled by his ego self, so he might be aloof at times, it has to do with his terrible high standards, a somewhat fear of intimacy and love for his work that keeps him from any type of social life (because he values work too much), but this man is also very romantic, and a great listener, as it is told by his Cancer Mars.
It’s all a matter of getting through his hard skin to get to the mushy Yoongi he doesn’t let many people experience.
Jung Hoseok ʕ♡˙ᴥ˙♡ʔ
This man loves a challenge, the thrill of the chase, not very healthy if you ask me but hey, you do you.
Playing hard to get will most certainly interest him. As well as letting him help you so he can “save the day”. This is all according to his Aries Eros. 
True to his Eros, his Aquarius Mars makes him be the biggest fan of flirting, and he obviously succeeds, thanks to his huge charisma and wittiness. 
LISTEN- THIS MAN as oblivious to affection as he is, can flirt with a whole group of people at once.
Free-spirited and quick-witted people are his cup of tea since it makes it easier for him to keep the flirting flow going.
I know I’ve said it many times before in this post, ISN’T IT FUNNY his Pisces Venus points to him being shy and awkward but cute, which I think pretty much describes Hobi, minus the shy.
So all in all, Hoseok flirting magnet, he is all smiles and will fill your heart with cute stuff and funny things, also, KING of not giving off mixed signals, he doesn’t even have to say a word, he flirts with his whole body.
KIM NAMJOON “φʕ•ᴥ•oʔ
THIS MAN BEING AN EROS IN LIBRA MAKES SO MUCH SENSE. He has a more traditional sophisticated way of flirting, kinda like courting.
It also makes him very giving, up until the relationship is off-balanced, then things end, so yeah, he likes to give, but he also likes to receive just as much. 
Also, very much into intelligent refined people. 
Just like Yoongi and Jin, he has a Cancer Mars, which only heightens his leaning towards traditional love and courting.
He will be devoted even when flirting, wanting to know everything about the other person, even on the first date, just- very very soft Joonie.
Lowkey, as poised as he is, his Scorpio Venus will give everyone a run for their money on terms of flirting. This man knows whats he's doing and how much he affects the person he is flirting with.
He’s just- so used to flirting and connecting with people that he doesn’t have an outcome in mind, just finds flirting fun and exciting.
Basically, Namjoon is a man that knows what he wants and how to get it, but flirting stages are just so common to him, he does it out of boredness, not that he doesn’t want to connect with people, quite the contrary, he finds people so amazing, it’s just- flirting doesn’t have an endgame for him.
Might I dare to go as far as to say, Kim Namjoon might end up in a relationship by accident just because he didn’t know when to end his constant flirting. 
PARK JIMIN  •᷄ɞ•᷅ 
His Eros in Pisces makes him one of the more emotionally passionate of the bunch, to an unhealthy state, in which he may manipulate himself in order to satisfy the other person. 
There’s a lot of thought going into dates, small gifts “because they reminded me of you” and a lot of cute stuff. Very Very passionate.
He has a Scorpio Mars, so as much as he is passion-driven and very much into cute stuff, and believing that he should 100% merge with the other person, he knows what he’s doing when he flirts.
Different from Namjoon, Jimin doesn’t just flirt for funsies, he entertains the idea of love when flirting, future plans, meeting the parents, he can just see it all.
AND he also has a Scorpio Venus so he is definitely aware of all his flirting and how he affects the other person, especially since there’s a lot of sex appeal going into it.
Not so much a mystery himself, but he tries to be the perfect fit for all. Which might ultimately hide behind this perfect partner facade. 
This man doesn’t just end up in a relationship by accident, this man falls in love on accident.
KIM TAEHYUNG ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ
We’ve got another one in love with the thrill of the chase.
Tae also has Eros in Aries, so there’s a lot of playfulness involved in flirting, from banter to playfully shoving the other person aside.
Might also be into dates where he can compete with you, like arcade, or something that he disguises as competition but he knows beforehand he’ll win.
Someone tell him it’s not healthy to crave impossible relationships, anyway, he’d love to be the shinning armor in his love story.
He has Capricorn Mars, which makes him have an honest, practical, and straightforward style of flirting.
The vibe check is real, so unless you pass it with flying colors, do not expect to be flirted with.
Although, his whole aura screams social and flirty due to his Aquarius Venus, which involves a lot of charisma and a great sense of humor. 
Just like Hobi, Tae can flirt with a bunch of people at once without even trying.
JEON JUNGKOOK  ₍ᐢ ̥ ̞ ̥ᐢ₎ ♥
Flirting for Jungkook is more of a mental game than an emotional one, according to his Eros in Gemini. 
Now listen, the nerdier, the better. But you would have to approach him first, as much as he enjoys the idea of talking to people, he doesn’t really do it that well.
Just like Jimin, he has Scorpio Mars, so in line with flirting being a mental game, he knows his game plan, his moves, he knows how people will react to them, he knows what he wants, and more importantly, how to get it.
He very obviously knows about his sex appeal and uses it as an advantage, even though at first he’s kinda awkward about it.
Much like Namjoon, he enjoys flirting so much that he doesn’t even need to have an endgame in mind. He likes to hear people talking about their passions and loves it even more if he learns a thing or to about it in the way, but his awkwardness comes through when he doesn’t really measure that most of the time when you flirt its because you’re interested in pursuing a romantic relationship.
His Libra Venus also plays the part, since it signals him being flirty and witty without even trying, just a man, his beauty, his charm, and his charisma. 
He’ll do anything possible to make you feel like you matter, even going as far as daring to hold your hand just because (which is a great pointer t know if he is really interested or just flirting bc he can)
Ultimately, his flirtation serves as a means to cheer themselves and other people up.
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nevertheless-moving · 3 years
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oh. my. GOD.
HOW DID I NOT THINK OF THIS IT’S PERFECT
It would take a while to get there- Mace is really quite discreet and Anakin is working so hard to be discreet too as step one of his 312 step plan to make big, romantic Jedi weddings a thing. He’s motivated, okay? 
Anakin very gradually starts carpooling with Mace more and more often. They don’t tell anyone exactly where the bakery is and everyone’s so relieved that Master Windu finally found a way to get through to Skywalker that they don’t want to mess with a good thing thing by asking too many questions.
(Anakin is SO much more chill about a lot of things cause he’s not completely hopeless about the future and the possibility of being forced to choose between the people he loves. He’s also a lot less afraid for Padme’s safety while off world now that he know Master Windu is in the same building often. Whether or not his understanding of Windu’s relationship is completely accurate is questionable, but the effect it has on his mental health is real.)
(Anakin also starts over-sharing a little about his relationship with Padme to Mace, much to Master Windu’s consternation. VERY occasionally Mace will say something like “...Jar-Jar ended a pointless 3 hour senate commitee meeting by spilling something on Mas Amedda” and then they’ll rag on how phony ALMOST everyone in politics is.)
Obi-wan is going insane. Them bonding is...great. No one said Anakin couldn’t have other friends! Even if now they seem to have inside jokes that Obi-Wan doesn’t understand! He’s perfectly fine with that! He’s happy that Master Windu is taking some time to teach Anakin vaapad! Anakin’s clearly thriving, and Obi-Wan’s definitely not thinking that Anakin would have been so much better off if Mace had been his master instead! Obi-Wan's happy about all this!
But the fact that sometimes they’re disappearing together at midnight and coming back the next day in the same robes as the day before is driving him MAD. It takes him a really...really long to even consider the idea because OBVIOUSLY Anakin is infatuated with Padme but...he could have sworn Master Windu made a reference to Anakin’s tendency to toss around in his sleep (yay oversharing!) and WHY would Mace know that. Anakin is wincing to sit down and Obi-Wan just sort of assumed in the past that Padme was a little too rough (none of his business, he’d rather not speculate, and at least they can’t get pregnant that way) but now Mace Windu is smirking and in a good mood and looks exhausted.
Obi-Wan would get so protective. Eventually it all just becomes too much and he corners Mace after a council meeting:
“You’re a council Member! He’s barely even knighted! It’s an outrage! An abuse of power!” 
“...Master Kenobi, what are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about your little affair with my barely-legal padawan!”
Mace’s soul briefly leaves his body but look he didn’t stay a council member this long or become master of the order in the first place without an innate tendency to thrive on drama. You can not succeed on ANY council if you don’t enjoy gossip and shit stirring just a little. And he’s also tired by this war and needs to take his joys where he can. And right now he’s finding joy in Obi-Wan’s misplaced but actually quite noble indignation. 
“He’s not your padawan anymore, he’s a knight perfectly capable of making his own choices.” And Mace sweeps out, leaving Obi-Wan fuming. 
“HE’S JUST A BOY!” Master Kenobi shouts down the hall desperately, but Windu just keeps power walking. He’s got shit to do, okay? Maybe this will make Anakin talk to Obi-Wan about Padme instead of blathering on about her hair to me.
Obi-Wan, freaking the fuck out, starts asking Anakin leading questions, window open on his datapad for ‘signs of child grooming.’ 
"Was there an adult who you felt gave you special attention when you were feeling isolated or neglected? Someone who maybe made a point to find out what you liked and made sure to get it for you? Who maybe you felt indebted to because of this? Maybe who gave you gifts, or money, or flattery? Or just more attention and affection? Perhaps after that they told you that ‘they were the only one truly understand you’? Who made a point to spend time with you alone, without other adults or kids?”
Anakin (defensive): “Why are you asking me all these weird questions about the Chancellor? Palpatine is a great man and a loyal friend!” *storms off*
Obi-Wan has a heart attack and dies, thus bringing this au to an abrupt and tragic end.
No I’m kidding, obviously this is a fix it. Obi-Wan does have several consecutive panic attacks and briefly kidnaps Anakin.
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keerishima · 3 years
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HELLO! I saw you were a new blog that needed requests and I was wondering if you could write head-canons for todoroki, bakugou, and kiri (separately) with a s/o that has a witchcraft quirk? TY
well hi! thank you for the request, it was so cool to write! now i’m assuming you mean like a quirk that works like potions and herbs/crystals and spirit summoning and spells which is the road i’m taking i hope that’s okay?
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now this boy is
excited
when he first saw the mist swirling around your fingers as you fought the robots in the UA exam, a shock went through his body
what was that? 
okay he didn’t mean to stare- considering he was in the middle of an exam- but the way you moved and the glints of a crystals around your body was just so cool
time passed and he got closer to you, during the dorm competition your room was the only room he wanted to see and boy did he love it
the green ivy and plants in your room, the pots and white smoke curling from diffusers and shelves full of powder and inks organised in a neat row
your room felt like a whole new world- like magic
literally after everyone had left he was still in your room looking around like a meerkat assessing it’s surroundings
fast forward; you guys are dating and he was VERY curious as to how your quirk worked, and you explained how your spells and energy came from the crystals and jewels
each crystal gave you a different energy, which converted to your power!
kirishima literally watched in awe as you pointed at all the different coloured gems and jewels and the symbols on your walls
he even asked to touch some of them and asked where you got them
he also asked to see them in battle, and asked if you had any similar to his own quirk!
the both of you engaged in LOTS of different mock battles, which almost always ended up in a play fight rather than real training- just because he ends up enjoying watching you use your quirk too much to actually focus
once you two had engaged in a long, breathless make out session against one of the walls- what can I say? you wanted to see what it felt like to kiss kirishima in his red riot form and have him melt back to normal under your touch
yeahh...it was a bad idea to do that in the school gym, where half of class 1-B caught you two mushed together against a wall
back to the hc!
he asks SO many questions
sometimes just sits on your bed for ages and asks one after the other after the other, to the point where aizawa has to come and send him back to his side of the dorm
let me tell you now: if you are 1) planning to get anything or 2) NEED anything, don’t let him find out
you once let it slip that you were considering getting pouches to carry these crystals, and the sweet, sweet boy went out and bought BUCKETS of bags
yes buckets because he didn’t know if your crystals would be affected by material or size of the bag or- god forbid what if it did and he ruined your quirk in battle?! 
he’d never forgive himself.
ever.
like literally he’d be on his knees ready for punishment of how you saw fit because of his mistake
what can i say? the boys dramatic
but its endearing :,)
it ended up being the cutest date of you cuddled up on his bed wrapped in his blankets like you were drowning in them,
whilst he sat on the floor, presenting each little bag and pouch to you, all teleshopping style.
‘and THIS 🤩 gorgeous article comes with not just 1😱! not just 2 😱! but THREE 🤯🥵🥳🥳 buttons to clip close to ensure a tight, secure hold of your 😏 special package’
yeah he made a sleazy face
yeah you threw a plushy at him
all of them were bought with your costume in mind and how could you not keep some of the bags? with kirishima watching you with the biggest eyes and slightly-pouting-lips-but-he-would-never-admit-it there was no way you didn’t keep the most useful ones
you asked him to return the extra bags so he wouldn’t have wasted his money, whilst you repaid his kindness with lots and lots of kisses and cuddles
;) or more depending on how you want it
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todoroki is uhh...
emotionally constipated
but thats not his fault
#fuckendeavour
sometimes it comes off that he’s not interested in your quirk in a general sense, but it’s only because he doesn’t know how to ask without seeming pushy
he gets shy (but doesn’t show it) but with time that decreases to a sort of dry affection
i’m not saying he’s a dry boyfriend but he definitely isn't as spritely as someone like Denki might be
the way you’d see that he wanted to know more was if he asked you to come and fight with him, train with him and study
this is where he asked about your quirk
he didn’t ask to the extent of kirishima, who said everything that came to mind, he asked precise questions that gave him all the information he was desperate to know because you are so cool it makes his heart burn needed
and he also knew you would add more information as you explained, which he loved because he loved hearing you talk so passionately
this time your quirk allowed you to control people to an extent, depending on different plants and herbs you used
the plants each had a special line, muttered as you dropped the herbs anywhere on your opponent for it to activate
best believe todoroki asked for one to knock endeavour out, literally out of nowhere💀
once, one night you had been laying on your bed, and todoroki had popped over to see you. it was still quite early on in your relationship so you weren’t expecting him to cuddle up beside you and tuck into your smaller body, chin hooked onto your shoulder whilst his eyes bore into yours from below todoroki loves eye contact
‘Do your plants have meanings?’
that’s it, that’s all he softly whispered in your ear
‘What do you mean?’ You whispered back
‘Like...like roses mean love...do your herbs have a meaning linked to what they do?’
okay now he was blushing, very gently because he didn’t want to annoy you, or ask you a question you’d never thought of and make you feel silly or insecure about his quirk
YOU on the other hand were smothering a dopey grin. you knew your boyfriend and his boundaries, and you knew that him asking you in such an intimate setting meant he was trying hard for you
you also knew that he’d just given you free reign to ramble however you saw fit
so you explained, how each herb did this, how if you mixed them they did that, if you made a liquid infused with them it helped with your application in battle and so much more
todoroki listened silently, but his eyes were gleaming
literally glowing in the darkness- I mean was that even possible? it had to have been considering how todoroki looked at you that night
after you were done, he replied with a similar thing about his own quirk, and both of you had a long long chat that went from quirks, to schooling, to life, to aliens and more
todoroki had the weirdest humour, he never knew he was being funny until your quiet giggles morphed into full blown laughter- and caused a knock from the next room over because you were being too loud
he would let out his own little chuckles and smirks, seeing you enjoy his company so much
it was a while after that day when something new happened
you’d sent him a message, whilst he was sitting right next to you, and your contact name flashed on his screen suddenly, catching your eye
‘my calendula’
you looked at todoroki
todoroki looked at you
you both blinked
‘calendula?’ you asked
‘yes’ todoroki replied
‘why calendula?’
‘because,’ todoroki blushed deeply, eyes flickering away from yours
‘because you said calendula means joy...you’re my joy. arent you?’
and god help anyone who tries to say you aren’t todoroki’s joy
because you would literally throw them to the ground
your heart soared at how todoroki loved you and your quirk so much
even though it wasn’t blatantly obvious, it was the little things he did for you 😍
he originally going to call you his basil until Bakugou came round behind him asking him if he was writing the dorms grocery list. safe to say that plan was aborted immediately :D
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oho
sorry I just
*pfft*
bakugo amuses me, he really does he’s so entertaining
okay sorry back to the headcanon
I headcanon you’re REALLY strong
like STUPID strong
Remember bakugos reactions to all the students quirks and he was like ‘shit I cant beat them 😨’
And his reaction to todoroki? yeah he’d literally see you use your quirk and just
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no I’m joking
but I feel like as your s/o he’d be super obsessed with your quirk
he’d always want to train with you, he’d see it as an amazing part of you that he wants to help hone so you can be the best of the best
not better than him obviously but the best anyway
not that he’d SHOW all of this awe and pride to you, it’s normally delivered in a bunch of bakugo sentences:
‘oi your form is shit. do this instead.’
that means he’s realised a new way you can throw this punch, with much more force
‘tch, go train. you need the training.’
he wants to train with you. again.
‘....finally. took you long enough to learn that.’
you’ve just done something successfully and he’s trying so hard not to blush at how well you did it.
here your power is more destructive
you can create sigils using a your finger in the air and they create attack power
this with bakugos quirk makes a formidable duo, and if he doesn’t get partnered with you he will most likely throw a fit
but not a long fit more of a like ‘oi why is she over there we work better together’
but he realises as heroes you need to work well with anyone you meet, so he’s not too fussy
because of the fact that you draw the sigils, you have a habit of tracing out patterns and new symbols and any sort of designs subconsciously
this is done normally on any part of your skin, with a pen
bakugo being old man bakugo 🙄 got mad at you
he told you off for almost giving yourself ink poisoning and ruining your hand and making it all dirty drama queen
but throughout all of this bakugo had been clutching your hand, and best believe he wasn’t letting go
he used the hand he was holding to pull you along and sit comfortably, dropping his own palm into your lap and mumbling something that kind of, sort of, might have been along the lines of ‘use my arm dumbass’
now you had bakugos arm to scribble on to your hearts content.
you used this when you were stressed, worried that your nerves were causing you to forget things or simply because you wanted to hold bakugo close
in fact, bakugo himself had adopted this habit, and you’ll notice I said arm instead of hand
bakugo got nervous around you, and therefore sweaty, which therefore lead to tiny little explosions in his palms when you were near
but this habit had started to make him feel comfortable with his hands around you, it made him trust himself more
he knew his power was strong and he didn’t want to hurt you, your quirk was something that helped him with that
and he wouldn’t tell you that but he was grateful. VERY grateful
he once asked why you used pen, and not your finger on your skin considering the pen ink is toxic
you answered very quickly, by pulling out a sheet of people and sliding your finger across the surface in a sigil shape
promptly the paper burnt into a cinder :)
and bakugo never asked again
and that is the end! I hope you liked it and I did the idea of Witchcraft justice 😅 please do send some more requests!
god I loved this so much they’re all so cute :,) thank you for this request!!
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itoldsunset · 3 years
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ipytm episode 3 thoughts (very very long), take it or leave it. i have a lot of asks in my inbox and honestly i'm overwhelmed (there are a lot of feelings about this episode that i'm not prepared to hold because i am processing my own) so i don't think i'll get to them, but here are my reactions after thinking about it for a bit.
i kind of wonder what my reaction to episode 3 would have been had i stayed off of social media all day yesterday. my mindset going into ipytm was, "i don't want a cheating plot, but if there is one, i trust nadao to handle it well" because they're responsible for some of the best writing i've ever seen in thai television. i still believe that. i wish they hadn't chosen the cheating plot because there are other relationship conflicts to explore that don't involve cheating, but for me it's not a dealbreaker.
i disagree with critiques saying they did it for ratings or sensationalism. if anything, they lost viewers from this. people are not okay with cheating plots, and the team most likely knew this when they wrote it. yet they took that gamble anyway, which makes me want to believe they have something they want to say, and i'm waiting until the series ends to give my final judgment on whether they succeeded in that message.
i watched the episode live and saw thai fans' live reactions on twitter, then i spent the morning checking everyone's reactions here on tumblr. as of right now, thai twitter has not stopped insulting the director, the writers, and the company. the backlash is harsher than anything i've seen from international fans (i'm leaving it at that so please don't ask me). pretty much everyone hated what happened this episode, which i understand. but i don't think it means that it was lazy writing or that teh was out of character. i definitely think there's a problem, though, if the majority of viewers are feeling alienated from the show, because it means something went wrong along the way with the storytelling.
it is totally possible and in character for teh to cheat on oh-aew, because you can love someone with your whole heart and still hurt them and betray them (to be clear, it's still not okay). and it is totally possible for teh to have done something as shitty as this and still grow up to be a decent person in the end. this is where the time jumps become an issue for me. we left episode two with teh crying because he was afraid of losing oh-aew, and then we land in his third year where he's seemingly indifferent to oh-aew. but we weren't part of that journey, and the storytelling didn't lead us there emotionally. all we see is oh-aew being a super dedicated partner who is trying to salvage their relationship, while teh is completely distant and seems to have given up altogether.
i get it, he's insecure about his career and the possibility that he might end up like khim, and jai is the last thing he has to latch on to his now-more-elusive dream of becoming an actor. he's barely thinking about oh-aew and he's incapable of being a good partner right now, especially since oh-aew's success and happiness in advertising probably makes teh doubt himself even more. he's so in his head he's not even himself anymore. he has completely lost who he is, which is why he seems so foreign to us here. the objective facts are all there, but the emotional connection to make me empathize with him isn't, which is why all the shitty things he did this episode--juxtaposed against all the wonderful things oh-aew did--make him come across as such an exceptionally terrible person. and the thing is i know he still loves oh-aew. in the sex scene, he still clearly loves oh-aew. sure it was initiated by a desire to improve his acting for jai, but during the sex and the morning after, the love and affection for oh-aew are still there. teh just doesn't recognize it because all he sees is oh-aew having left him for better (a new career track he's happy with and doing well in, a group of friends who understand and support him) while teh remains stuck in the same loop holding on to jai as his last hope, which is why he's giving jai his everything. none of that makes any of it okay, but it makes it make sense.
i wish they had spent more time developing this internal conflict so that we could see it better, because it was only after rewatching it a couple of times, sitting on it, and reading people's reactions that i could begin to understand where teh is at in this episode. and i know we like that itsay gave us a lot to analyze, but i think ipytm has tried to jam too much into too few episodes that it ends up leaving the audience with blanks to fill in, which is a bit more work than i want to do when i'm enjoying a series. i think teh and jai got too much screen time, and teh and oh-aew not enough. i think there's a lot of insider stuff about drama/comm arts that's taking up space, which might resonate with folks who come from that field but not the majority of the audience who don't speak that language. i think if they had given more time to exploring teh and oh-aew's relationship, we wouldn't be seeing as much of this backlash.
a cheating plot doesn't make it cheap drama. i would happily watch a series that tackles infidelity in relationships because it is a super real topic with lots to explore: how does a couple navigate the aftermath of infidelity? can they rebuild trust, and how? what are the consequences to the relationship? all of these are important things to address, but the topic deserves a lot more space than a five-episode series can deliver, especially when it's combined with teh and oh-aew's other conflicts related to career, ambition, and other coming of age struggles. so for me it's not the cheating plot that's the problem but more so the fact that i don't think there's enough time for them to do it justice.
all that said, i think there's a tension here between a creator's creative vision and audience expectations, and i think this is an example of the showmakers maybe going too far in their vision to the point of alienating the audience. itsay is a comfort show and teh is a comfort character for a lot of us, and it's justifiable that folks are upset at the turn he's taken in ipytm. i'm also disappointed that it seems like teh remains the main character in ipytm while oh-aew's role has been reduced, because i can tell pp's acting has really improved and i would have loved to see more of him on the screen. the cheating storyline also makes it a lot harder to root for teh and oh-aew, and that honestly hurts the audience and affects our relationship to the show, and is another consequence of the writers choosing to go in that direction.
for me personally, itsay was full of angst but it gave me joy to watch because i loved watching teh and oh-aew fall in love with each other and i was rooting for them to overcome their obstacles to be together. ipytm has proven a lot more stressful to watch, where it doesn't spark that same joy but a lot more anxiety about "what's next," which was definitely a choice in setting the mood of the sequel. the material just doesn't work with the audience's emotions in the same way, it almost works against us. there's not the same sense of comfort and nostalgia and romance, but a darker realism of coming of age, and i wouldn't blame people for dropping off for that because it's a legitimate shift and doesn't match everyone's tastes in terms of the media they want to consume. i think we can hate the choices that were made here because they don't speak to our demands as an audience, but i wouldn't say they did it for the drama or for the ratings.
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twistedmusings · 3 years
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What Are You Writing?
A/N: JOKES ON YOU GUYS, I'M AN OBEY ME WRITERS BLOG NOW. Nah not really, I mean maybe I might start thinking about making one in the future but I see all these awesome writers in that fandom and I get i n t i m i d a t e d. Nevertheless, I did want to pull a harmless prank on my readers so...enjoy a labor of love and possible regret as I now have to work on other requests ó uò
How would the brothers act with a Writer MC?
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-He almost jumps when you walk into the room, practically shouting his name as you go to stand next to his desk and take a peek at what he is working on.
“Can I help you? “You certainly can.”
-You place a notebook next to his stack of paperwork and take a pen out, opening it up to a blank page before staring at him and building up your courage to ask the next question.
“What would you do if I suddenly asked you to be my fake boyfriend for a day?”
-You certainly were keeping up with your role in being the one human he isn’t able to pin down, huh?
-He asks what in the world you are talking about and you squat near him so that you can explain what you were doing. RAD proved to be a lot more stressful than you thought and you didn’t need to remind him that you were playing therapist to seven demons so you needed some sort of break.
-You tell him that in the human world you had a habit of writing ideas, snippets and even random bits of dialogue when you got stressed so you had asked Satan to lend you a notebook and a pen so you could unwind but you had gotten stuck in one scene.
-The character you were writing was loosely based on Lucifer so you decided why not ask him what he would do in order to get some inspiration!
“So here I am! I don’t need an entire synopsis I just want to know because maybe that will spark something inside of me.”
-Pen to paper, you look up at Lucifer ready to write anything down and even though you were looking him straight in the eye you were not paying attention to just how hard Lucifer was staring at you.
-You really had no idea how he felt about you, did you?
-Even with the pact making, the Hellfire Newt Syrup incident, the countless of times he had tried to flirt with you to the point that anyone without eyes could tell how he felt about you, your human brain did not seem to accept the fact that the eldest of the seven demon lords had fallen for you.
-Was this just another way of torturing him? Who would have thought that you would be such a cruel master?
-If only he wasn’t bound to you by the pact. Not that he regretted it but without the pact the ‘need’ to submit to you wasn’t as strong, all he would have to do is grab your chin, turn your face towards his so that he could tell you explicitly what was going through his head every time he saw you--
“...I would walk you to class, first and foremost. We would leave the House of Lamentation together and arrive together as well. Maybe some impromptu dates. Free tutoring as well.” “That’s tempting~ Would you let me hang around in your study?” “You are already welcome to do that.” “Aw, when did you get so soft?”
-Get the hint already!
-Your hand is scribbling down every idea he says, making quips here and there as you both talk extensively about your fake dates would play out. The idea of having you all to himself without his brothers around was already so tempting yet here you were talking about it like it was just a passing thought.
-That wouldn’t do.
-He grabs the top of your pen and smiles when you look up at him in confusion.
“At end of the day, I want to make you feel like the most important person in my world. I don’t want there to be a single doubt in your mind that you belong with me. Pact or no pact, you changed me in ways I couldn’t even fathom, MC, and I am doing everything in my power so that you will see just how important you are to me.”
-Your eyes are staring up at him, wide and with surprise as he dares to cup your cheek.
-He did it. He had gotten through to you! All he had to do was lean in and--!
“Can you repeat that one more time?! Oh my god Luci that was so good! I’m showing this to Satan when I’m done! Thank you so much!”
-Lucifer’s hand drops to his lap as he watches you pick yourself up and run out of his study, his fist clenching in his hand as he thought of just how blind you could be for not seeing what he had tried to convey with those cliched words! Of all the humans--!
-He stops as he hears your giggles outside of the hallway, unclenching his fist and sighing as he tries to look at the positives.
-There had been a flush on your cheeks, of that he was sure. Which meant that in some way...his words had made an impact. He hoped it would take just a few more cheesy lines for you to fall for him.
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”Mammon!!!!”
-From the top of his head to the tip of his toes, Mammon could feel himself shiver as you called out his name. Ever since he made that pact the way you would call out his name would send a pleasant shiver down his spine as he turned to greet you.
-Levi told him that you had been looking for him and he had practiced his greeting at least five times to make him look as cool as possible.
“Yo MC! I heard you were looking for the Great Mammon!”
-See? Wasn’t he cool?
-The brothers watched as you didn’t even greet Mammon, you just grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the living room telling everybody that you needed to talk to him privately.
-Privately? As in you two alone? Together?
-Well of course you wanted to talk to him alone! His awesome ways had probably finally gotten through to you and you were about to confess to him. Suck on THAT Lucifer!
-You push him into your room before closing the door and turning to look at him.
“I have something I need to ask you. Do you think you can help?”
-The words escape him before he even thinks them.
“Anything.”
“I want to go out with you. Tonight. Almost like a pretend date.”
-Fireworks go off inside his head as he feels tears prickle at the corners of his eyes. This was real, you were asking him out! You had picked him out of all his brothers despite how many messes he got you in and how much trouble tended to follow him--
-Wait, pretend?
-You proceed to show off your little book of writings, explaining to him that you had gotten stuck in trying to describe a hidden date between the protagonist and the love interest.
“They are trying to hide the fact they are dating from everybody so that they won’t get in trouble. I figured that a human and a demon going on a date is already somewhat of stigma as it is so I just want to see how it feels so I can describe it better.”
-He can’t really describe the sadness that he feels when you tell him it would all be pretend. Too much for dropping Grimm on wishing wells. He was going to go back and fish them all out tomorrow. What a letdown!
-Here he was, the GREAT Mammon letting a human toy with his heart like this!
“You won’t get in too much trouble if we do this...right?”
-The worry in your voice is what makes him look into your eyes. Your hand was on his as you looked for any signs of discomfort from the Avatar of Greed. Your eyes were entirely on him.
-Mammon’s subconscious: More of that please.
-You looked so worried for his well-being. Mammon had no idea who had told you that humans and demons were not allowed to date but they had clearly lied to you. There was no stigma whatsoever. And in retrospect he should reveal that to you now so that there would be no misinformation on how much he wanted to take you on a not pretend date.
-But all your attention was on him. Your body was facing his way, your hands on his as you licked your lips nervously. More, more, more, more he needed for you to look at him more--!
“Tch. Making such a complicated request. You could really get me in trouble for this, MC!” “You’re right, I shouldn’t push it--” “But I guess if you are asking me, I could spare a couple hours...for you.”
-You both share a smile as you hug him close, his arms wrapping around you tight as he tries to keep his smile from breaking out into full blown giggles.
-This worked out for him as well! He was going to give you the best date of your human life so you would have no choice but to fall for him! You better get ready!
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-You wrote some fiction, he wrote TSL fanfiction, Levi was probably already aware of your talent once he asked to beta one of his other works and you came back not just with some beta but with some actual USEFUL feedback unlike Satan going on about his spelling mistakes. -So you are already in his room when you ask for his help, grinning as you hold up the small ideas that you had written for your proper introduction into the TSL fandom.
“I want to write an AU about Henry and the Lord of Shadows in an arranged marriage!”
-The premise was simple. You wanted to write about the Lord of Shadows and his Henry having to marry each other in order to bring peace to both of their kingdoms. The marriage proposition was sudden and each of the seven brothers was against it but you wanted to show just how much Henry was willing to sacrifice to help the people who he cared about the most.
-And you loved drama like this.
-You hold up your book as you keep ranting to Levi, the other caught up in your plot as he closed his eyes in order to better imagine it.
“And I want a moment where the Lord of Shadows tells Henry that he doesn’t have to do this. That he wants him to be happy and doesn’t want him to be stuck with a reclusive Lord for all his life.”
-Of course, of course. The Lord of Shadows had always hoped for Henry’s happiness and he had also sacrificed a great many of his previous ways in order to gain his best friend’s praise! Levi was proud, you understood these characters so well! So he pipes in with his own thoughts.
“I bet Henry turns to him and asks why he is so against the idea! It would push the Lord of Shadows to confess that he has secretly longed for Henry’s affection and attention all this time!”
-You both grin before you stand up, putting on a fake sad face as you take Levi’s hand in yours before pressing them to your chest.
“Am I not worthy to be your spouse? Do you hate the idea of marrying me that much?”
-Levi is caught up in the moment that he doesn’t even notice how close you two are, instead moving even closer as he cupped your cheek.
“You? Not worthy? It is I who is not worthy of you. After all you have done...can I be selfish enough to call you mine?”
-Oh this was practically writing itself! You really hoped that Levi remembered some of these lines. You pull away from his touch dramatically before sighing as you decide that this scene would be a good catalyst moment for a confession.
“Have you ever thought of me that way? More than what we have now? I’m embarrassed to admit it but...I have on many occasions longed for something more.”
-Levi’s expression softens in a way you haven’t seen before, keeping a hold on your hands as he follows up with you seamlessly.
“If I told you about my fantasies...about the deep need I feel to keep you away from prying eyes and hoping that yours would remain on me despite the others who so badly wish for your hand. Would you still see me in such high regard?”
-Shit he was good. The prying eyes bit was perfect! Now to end it with a bang! You feel Levi pull you by your waist so you are pressed against his chest, eyes looking down at you as if begging for your reply. So you do what you have read in many other books and take his face in your hands.
“Keep me. Forever.”
-You both stay that way for a few seconds before you pull away and let out a giddy squeal, rushing over to your book and writing down the lines that you could remember, gushing about how Levi had just given you the best ending ever.
-What you didn’t see was the poor demon standing there, arms still pretending to hold someone as the spell broke for him slowly. He needed to process just what the hell just happened.
-He had held your hands, touched you, had you close enough that he could feel you against him and you hadn’t even moved away! Levi could still see how warm your hands were on his cheeks and the words that you had said to him were now slowly coming back to him as he remembered his embarrassing replies!
-You jump and turn when you hear a clatter behind you, turning around to see that Levi had fainted and was now slumped against one of his many manga bookshelves, face all red and a dopey smile on his lips as he repeated your words over and over.
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-If you had a writing buddy in Levi, then you got a plot bunny buddy with Satan.
-With the amount of books that he has read and the number of genres he is into, you are surprised that he finds your ideas mildly interesting. They were all just cliches and purely for your enjoyment so when he asked you if he could read some of what you had written you were too shocked to notice that he had already taken the book from your backpack.
“A love story...interesting.”
-You two were in the library, looking for a certain book about black magic casting as well as some examples of ritual circles that you needed to complete for your next assignment. Or rather you were looking for the books, he was just following close behind you as he read your latest entry.
“How are you stuck in this scene?” “Huh?” “How the main character meets the second love interest. It’s pretty obvious.”
-Well excuse you for having writer’s block. You know that he was trying to be helpful but his help always came with some sort of sarcastic twinge that, while endearing during some situations, was incredibly annoying when he was criticizing your writings. You turn back to look at him as you stop at the spot the book was supposed to be in.
“I haven’t necessarily fallen in love with anyone lately, you know! It’s too specific a feeling!”
-Satan’s eyes take in the way you tip-toe to try and reach the book, cursing under your breath as you struggled to get it from the highest shelf. Devildom libraries were notoriously famous for having ridiculously large bookshelves and only a ghost attendant would be able to help you. He looks down at your book and then back at the small scene before smiling as he snaps the book shut.
-Surely a bit of inspiration is all you needed, correct?
-You feel a hand on your lower back, another brushing the hand reaching out for the book and grabbing it for you. Satan smiles as he holds out the book to you.
“Black magic casting...and you needed something about ritual circles, right? It seems the perfect book is right next to you.”
-He ‘accidentally’ brushes your cheek when reaching out for the book behind you, humming for a moment before he puts it back and looks down at you without moving his arm out of the way. Satan had just effectively trapped you in a rather flawlessly executed Kabedon.
“...Satan...the book…” “It wasn’t the right one. Or maybe I just wanted an excuse to get you in this position.”
-Your eyes were shining, the book was pressed right against your chest, he could even see the small blush adorning your face as the situation became quite clear to you. Now he wouldn’t tell you that he had practiced this sort of scenario by himself in his room just in case you ever asked him for help finding a book, better for you to believe that this had all been just a ‘happy’ accident.
“You are looking at me so seriously, MC.” “I know what you are doing.”
-He dares to move closer, his shadow casting over you as if to hide you from prying eyes. If you made the first move, there would be no one stopping him.
“Yeah?” “This would be perfect! A library setting! Gives me a chance to make the character like a cool librarian type!”
-Satan stays silent as you grab the books you need and snatch your notebook from his hand, stating that you were going to check these out immediately and then head home. He turns back to look at the place you were just standing at, the place where you had been completely at his mercy.
-Dammit, he should have blocked the other side too.
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-Asmo was ecstatic when you asked him for his book collection.
-It annoyed him to no end when people thought that the only way he consumed his erotica was through personal experience and porn. In his opinion, after personal experience, the best way to enjoy his usual favourite activity was reading erotica. The descriptions, to get into the thoughts of the inner characters and seeing how they essentially lose their minds to the pleasure. It was thrilling.
-So when you come knocking at his door one night and ask for one of the books you usually catch him reading, he is both excited and curious.
“Which one do you want darling? I have the first volume of ‘Eternal Dom Love’, ‘Baring My Soul to a Demon’, ‘Captive Human’--” “You have anything like...with dirty talk?
-Oh now he is really excited and curious.
-He looks around his small library and pulls out the book he thinks is best for what you desired, holding it out for you to take but pulling it back quickly with a grin. Asmo wasn’t going to just let you walk away after telling him something so interesting~
“I’m a bit possessive about my books, MC~ What are you going to use it for? Recreational reasons?”
-You blush and cover your face with your hands, not really embarrassed for asking but instead embarrassed that you were about to tell him what you were going to do with it. But you steel yourself, you had heard Asmo flirt in the club before and from how quickly his dates had insisted on taking it to a more ‘private’ area, you knew he had the thing that you desperately needed.
“I…” “Yes?” “I’m-trying-to-write-the-prelude-to-a-sex-scene-in-one-of-my-stories-but-I-have-no-idea where-to-start-so-I-need-material!”
-Asmo blinks before grinning as he got in your face, pushing the book into your hands as he asked you what the story was about, who were the characters, had you based them off of anybody and just what kind of sex scene where you planning?
-He had no idea you had that kind of talent, where had you been hiding that all this time?
-You slowly explain the plot to him, getting a bit more into it as you see how much attention Asmo is paying to your every word. Out of all of the brothers you didn’t expect him to be so interested in one of your stories! The scene you have in mind is somewhat clear to you so you try to explain to him just what you think is missing.
“It is a demon and a human. They are clearly not supposed to be doing this. Yet that is--” “What makes it all the more appealing.”
-Asmo had played this out perfectly given the little time he had to work with. The more you talked, the closer he got to you. The closer he got, the more you moved away subconsciously. Your body instinctively wanted to make room for him and give him his space but you let out a small ‘meep’ when the back of your knees hit the side of his hanging chair and you find yourself sitting down as he kneels in front of you.
“They both know that if they take such a intimate step with one another they might not be able to go back to how they used to be before. Everything will change.”
-You nod as Asmo touches your leg, hand moving towards your thigh as he rests his chin on your knees.
“But what is so wrong with change? You said the demon is a charmer so they would want to charm them throughout the whole thing. It would start out slow, teasing even, probably testing out the waters as they see what their human likes and doesn’t like."
-He scoots closer and traces your fingers, the digits wrapped tightly around his book as he continues..
“They would eventually lose control, wouldn’t they? The passion would be too much for them to handle and they both would lose themselves to their lust. Although it wouldn’t be just lust…”
-Asmo looks up to meet your eyes, straightening out as he leans in closer to the point that you are shutting your eyes and leaning in as well--it’s not that you haven’t had experience with kisses but surely the demon of lust’s kiss would spark something inside your head--!
-You open your eyes when you feel the book leaving your hands.
“I changed my mind. I think this would be a much better title for what you are looking for, Sweetie.”
-He holds out your hand for you to stand up and you almost want to ask Solomon to cast some sort of spell that would make you forget everything that happened in these moments. You closed your eyes like some highschooler waiting for their first kiss--you were better than that!
-You thank him and make your way out of his room, running back to yours as fast as you can without noticing Asmo’s mischievous smile as he waved goodbye. It was always good to play the long game~
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-You two had stopped at Madame’s Scream because Beel had complained about being hungry yet again. Besides you both had done rather well on an examination so--why not celebrate?
-You only had a small fizzy drink while Beel had ordered himself something called ‘The Herculean Parfait’, something about it holding 25 scoops of ice cream plus whip cream, nuts and some waffle cones at the bottom. Now the waiter had brought out two spoons but it was clear that Beel would only be needing one.
-This was rather normal for you two, Beel eating his fill while you stared at the blank page of your small notebook. You were trying to write a cute scene with a couple sharing a dessert at a coffee shop where they first met but you were struggling to think of a fluffy scenario.
-Was feeding your partner considered cheesy nowadays? You tap your page twice before looking at Beel. The second spoon remained untouched, some ice cream specks stuck to the shiny, concave surface as the Demon of Gluttony continued his ice cream carnage. You grab the spoon and take some from the side that had yet to be eaten.
“Hey Beel”
-The demon stops eating and looks at you as you hold out the spoon to him, his hunger suddenly stopping as he looks at the sugary contents stacked high on the spoon you were holding out for him.
“Say aah!”
-Beel blinks but doesn’t think twice the moment you give him the command, opening his mouth and eating the sugary confection off the spoon, his smile growing as you let out a small giggle.
“Did it taste good?" “Mmm~!" “I’m glad.”
-He abandoned his own spoon as you scooped up some more, opening his mouth as you kept on feeding him. Beel had no idea what had brought this on or why you were suddenly feeding him. It wasn’t like he was complaining, however. Yes your pace was slow and such a giant parfait would surely melt with how slow you were going but he didn’t care, instead opening his mouth wide as you kept on feeding him.
“So Beel…” “Mmm?" “Does it feel any different when I feed you?”
-Beel frowns when the spoon stops but decides to answer your question so that he could go back to eating. Why would it feel any different? Well, it somewhat did? He didn’t know how to describe it but he does feel a lot fuller than before. He is actually tasting the food as you take your time scooping up some more. He had picked out so many different flavors and he could taste almost every single one.
“I wouldn’t say different...but food certainly tastes better when you give it to me.”
-You immediately stop and put the spoon down, smiling as you start to writing down what Beel had just said. You could essentially build an entire scene around that! What a good idea coming here--
“MC?”
-Your pen stops as you look at Beel, your pen falling from your hands as you see the puppy dog look he was giving you. He looks at your hand and then at the spoon.
“Why did you stop?”
-Beel smiles happily as you go right back to what you were doing, the notebook forgotten as you continue to spoil your demon. You had a feeling that this wouldn’t be the last time you were doing this.
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-Belphie yawned as he cuddled you closer, your hands moving so they would be wrapped around his neck but still holding onto your phone. He closes his eyes and tries to drift off but frowns when he hears your fingers tapping on your screen. He could probably sleep through the sound but he didn’t want to.
“Turn around.” “Huh?” “Just turn around.”
-You do as he says, now pressed against his chest as you continue to type. Belphegor was close to falling asleep, pressing his nose against your shoulder as he breathes you in---
Tap tap tap tap
“Fuck this.”
-He grabs your phone and drops it off the bed, your protests being muffled as he wraps his arms around your neck to pull you close. You tap his arms twice before wiggling out of his hold, sitting up on the bed and looking at him while he glared back at you.
-What did you think you were doing typing away on your phone? Belphegor never really asked you for much but when it was cuddle time it was cuddle time. You weren’t supposed to do anything *but* cuddle during cuddle time so you clearly needed to stop being distracted.
“What do you think you are doing?” “Taking care of your distraction.”
-You both stare at each other as he sits up as well, clearly letting you know that if you were to go and dig for your phone he wasn’t going to let you. At this point, it really was useless to argue with Belphegor. As the youngest, he was used to getting what he wanted with little setback. So you lay back down, ignoring the triumphant smile Belphegor gave you as he went right back to cuddling you.
“I was writing something.” “It can wait till later…”
-Belphegor yawns and wraps his leg around you, ignoring the little ‘hmphs’ you were giving him as well as the words you were muttering to yourself. But what good would it be if you weren’t cuddling up to him as well so he decided to give in as well.
“What were you writing about?”
-Oh this was new. You turn to face him, talking about the scene you were working on. This couple had just had an exhausting day and they were eager to lay in bed together but their work or other responsibilities were keeping them from cuddling at night. You explained how you wanted to describe the exhaustion one was feeling from not having their partner with them.
-The demon of Sloth hummed when you mentioned how tired the character was and speaking up about how he knew how they felt. You chuckle and mention that it seemed that everything made Belphegor exhausted nowadays. He shakes his head, opening his eyes so he could look at you.
“No. I mean that everything gets heavier when you’re not with me.”
-You try to cut it in and ask him what he is talking about but he beats you to it.
“I get more energy when you are around. I actually want to do things aside from sleeping. “Are you saying you like hanging out with me more than sleeping?” “Don’t push it, MC.”
-Both of you laugh, your body cuddling closer to the demon as you yawn. A part of you was still annoyed that Belphegor had shoved your phone to the floor because now would have been a prime time to write that he had just said but as your eyes grew heavier you just hoped that you would remember it by the time you woke up.
-Belphegor opens his eyes once he feels your breathing evening out, smiling as he leans in close and presses a kiss to your forehead.
“You weren’t far off...I do like you more than sleeping...sometimes…”
-He yawns and wraps an arm around your waist. What a good idea it was to lock the door so none of his brothers would bother you two. Your nights were his, after all.
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obeiii-mee · 3 years
Note
Hey! Sorry to bother you with a second ask but i thought this one would be cool. Fluffy headcanons of the demon brothers watching scary movies with MC??? Somewhere MC gets scared, and some where they don't? Thanks again!! :)
It’s no bother!! I love getting requests from you guys! The more, the merrier. I sort of hc that the brothers and MC do have movie night every week or so and with them being demons, they tend to levitate towards the horror genre. Thank you for sending this, this is really cute :)))
Without further ado—-
————————————
The Brothers watching Scary movies with MC:
Lucifer:
-Haha mf already knows how this is going to end
-He warned you, he really did
-The horror movies DevilDom has to offer are nothing, and I mean nothing, like the ones from the human world
-I’m not going to go into detail but imagine Two Girls One Cup, in a less kinky and more gorey way (then times that by 10)
-But you were adamant into giving it a go and he literally could not deny you in that moment
-Because you were giving him the puppy eyes
-That’s like, the finishing blow you use every time to get your way with him and as far as you know it’s the only one that works so-
-He expected your reaction to the last second
-You were traumatised for lack of a better word and you were basically watching the whole film through the cracks between your fingers
-Seeing you in that state was like a punch in the gut but he couldn’t stop himself from throwing in a subtle ‘I told you so’
-“I told you watching something like this before bed is a bad idea, MC.”
-He might be a bit condescending and judgemental at first, but he’s probably going to baby you a bit for the rest of the night
-Because he feels bad he allowed you to watch it in the first place
-HAHAHAHA SOFT LUCIFER HAS BEEN SUMMONED, USE HIM WISELY
-He will start muttering words of comfort to you later because he’s certain you’re going to have trouble sleeping
-Because of that one time, he’s very hesitant to let you watch another horror film anytime soon
-But he will relent eventually (especially if you want to watch a human horror film as those are technically less extreme)
-If it makes you happy, he will go through with it, even if he has to let you cling onto him for the rest of the day
-Besides, the way you cuddle into him while you’re watching a horror film is very cute and endearing to him
Mammon:
-Ah yes, the most effective method of waking up the entire House of Lamentation at 3:00 am
-Mammon screaming his own vocal cords out in his room as he tries to get through his human’s favourite horror movie without dying of a heart attack
-It was his idea because he’s definitely the type to go: “Yeah let’s do this, it will be fun. Don’t get too scared alright MC? The Great Mammon will be here to protect ya.”
-And then ten minutes in, he’s basically in your lap
-Half an hour in, he turned himself into a demon burrito with his blankets
-You were enjoying the movie, laughing at the stupid sound effects and poor quality while Mammon next to you has wrapped himself in like two dozen blankets and pillows
-“Mammon you’re going to overheat.”
-“Don’t be silly human, I’m a demon who lives in hell. I can take high temperatures the same way I can take this damn movie!”
-He doesn’t take either of them well
-Mammon and the horror genre don’t mix well together to begin with
-So even if you might enjoy horror, he doesn’t react well to it at all
-And he’ll be low-key relieved if you tell him you guys don’t have to watch any sort of horror film for your date night
-“Well I guess if you don’t want to, then we don’t have to. Can’t make my human do something they’re uncomfortable with eh?”
-But if you do watch a scary movie with him, be sure to show any sort of physical affection to him as often as possible
-You don’t have to say anything, just hold his hand or let him put his head in your lap or something
-It might stop him from screeching like a female sloth in heat
-The last time that happened, his brothers weren’t too pleased with him
-They about to recreate the horror film scenes onto him, bring the popcorn have fun
Levi:
-For some reason, I feel like he doesn’t get scared easily while watching stuff
-I mean, after decades of obsessively watching animes with brutal character deaths (like Attack on Titan style) and grotesque horror games that are pretty nasty even to demons, let alone humans;
-A horror film, from the human world or even DevilDom, doesn’t do much for him
-It will have to have very good psychological horror in it if you want the hairs on his arms to stand up in anticipation
-Tension is a big deal for him and he will immediately shut off the TV if there are any cheap jump scares
-But, if you manage to find just the right thing for him?
-You’ll both be hiding under the bed in no time under the bathtub more like
-Hell, if the film you’re watching is that good, he might even be holding onto you for dear life without realising it and getting flustered about it
-For weeks afterwards, any sound that is remotely similar to one from that movie will probably send both of you into panic
-You came to his room one night because you’ve had a nightmare about the stupid film and legitimately thought there was a fucking demon serial killer in your room
-So you wanted to stay in his
-“But what if there is a serial killer in your room and now you just led it to me MC????”
-It’s all jokes, there’s no question he would lock both of you in his room and then stay there with you wide awake until dawn
-You’re his best friend after all, he would have to be completely heartless to leave you on your own! (Besides Levi is terrifying when he wants to be)
-One time you were sleeping over and the sound of fumbling woke you tf up
-And Levi immediately turned into his demon form, like he was ready to throw hands with this fictional murderer that supposedly sneaked into his room
-“DON’T WORRY MC, I’LL PROTECT YOU!”
-“Ah never mind, it’s just Mammon breaking into your room again to steal your Ruri-Cham figurines and sell them on Akuzon.”
-“Oh OK.”
-“.....”
-“WAIT MAMMON WTF YOU FUCKING SCUMBAG, GET OUT OF MY ROOM-“
-I’m playing Minecraft
Satan:
-Believe it or not, Satan doesn’t care much about horror movies
-Don’t get me wrong, he loves watching his brothers shit their pants out of fear in the middle of one while he silently smirks to himself because watching other people suffer brings him euphoria
-Especially if someone actually manages to find a film that is excellent enough to spook Lucifer, because then he will be cackLING
-But, overall, he watches a lot of shows revolved around drama and crime
-That’s his thing
-However, he won’t turn you down if you’re up to watching a scary movie with him
-Any time spent with you is valuable time seeing as it won’t be long before his brothers start hogging you again like the cockblockers they are
-He is honestly surprised to find out you seem to be rather amused by those sort of movies
-So, even if it’s not inherently something he does on the regular, he would definitely watch a scary film with you if you enjoy them that much
-But in exchange, he makes you promise to read with him until bedtime rolls around (imagine Lucifer having a fucking curfew for his brothers and you lmao)
-So for the rest of night you guys just read together, ya know, like sappy romantics
-Tbh, this man will do almost anything with you as long as both of you are having fun
-He knows it’s not likely, but he insists on sleeping in the same room that night just in case you have nightmares and he needs to comfort you
- :)
-Satan is a gentleman. Idk how many people that don’t play OM expected to hear this
Asmo:
-Why would you want to watch a movie when you could be watching him???
-I mean, you would rather watch all that gory stuff on the TV than his beautiful face?
-He may get salty over a fucking movie tbh
-Horror films aren’t something he generally looks for while trying to pick a movie to watch
-He can definitely handle them better than Mammon but it’s not something he takes great pleasure in watching
-But the first time he ever sits down with you to watch one, he’s very intrigued to see your reactions
-You started feeling the sensation of absolute dread creep in at the very beginning and you were trying your best to act like you weren’t getting affected by what you saw on the screen
-But you were
-You went from “I’m grown ass adult, I can watch a fucking horror movie, no problem.”
-To “Welp, not enough of a grown ass adult for this-“
-And Asmo thought the way you tried to hide your nervousness was very mesmerising in a way
-He was planning on flirting with you during the movie anyway, but now that you were pressing himself against him?
-Oh boy, Oh boy
-“Darling if you wanted to touch me, you could’ve just said so. Making the excuse of watching a movie is unnecessary.”
-Nightmares? What nightmares? You won’t have time to have nightmares ;)
-haHAHA funny inappropriate joke
-It’s Asmo, it’s mandatory to have at least one of those added in here
Beel:
-Beel will show up if there’s food and that’s that
-He doesn’t care what type of movie is playing on the TV as long as he has a bucket of popcorn next to him at all times
-Horror films aren’t something he can’t handle, he’s a demon like the rest of his brothers and he is used to...violent deaths and such
-He doesn’t get scared but there are times where he gets attached to the characters
-Especially movies with actual good and not cringeworthy dialogue
-Therefore, when they die, he gets sad even if they’re just fictional and their death had no real impact
-He also thinks that the way you can watch these things without flinching is impressive
-I mean, he can watch it and so can his brothers because they are demons
-They’ve done worse things than the things you see in horror films
-But you’re a human! So it’s weird to see you watch a person get repeatedly slammed against a wall until their neck snaps without batting an eyelid
-Overall, he does not have an opinion on scary movies
-He gets a bit emotional when a character he really liked dies
-But other than that, he’s just focused on eating
-And occasionally patting your head affectionately
Belphie:
-He doesn’t really like horror films because there’s a lot of screaming and tense music and he’s just trying to nap in your lap (rhyme)
-He doesn’t really need sound effects like that in the background while he’s trying to sleep
-But one day he was like “Hey, what if I show my favourite human this particular scary film?”
-And he did
-And he’s internally dying and feeling guilty and yet so flustered because of you
-It’s like you suddenly turn into this very fidgety and anxious mess and he thinks you just look....cute
-At some point you were getting overwhelmed and sprung up on your feet to turn the lights on
-And he just grabbbed your wrists, pulled you down next to him and let you press your head against his chest
-As mentioned, he’s a little shit and will tease you for being such a scaredy cat
-“That was the most predictable jumpscare and you still flinched, wth is wrong with you lmao.”
-But at the same time....
-“Relax. It’s just a horror movie. You’ll be fine. Besides, I’m here. Like I would let something bad happen to you.”
-That’s sweet, even if the tone of voice may not imply it because he’s such a brat-
-He actually really likes holding you for once, because usually he’s the little spoon
-He’s still a bit of a sadist so I imagine him sitting there and watching this while giggling to himself
-Isn’t he the cutest, laughing at other people’s misery and their never ending suffering?🥺🥺🥺 UwU
-Ah well, at least he has the decency to spoil with affection afterwards and make sure you have no nightmares that night
-You know, as payback for the horrific shit he made you watch with no warning
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OK, I think I made a decent job of this even though it took longer than it actually was meant to. Thank you for reading though. I’ve got so many requests to go through and I’ve been feeling motivated lately so yeah!
See you soon
Al~
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ectonurites · 3 years
Note
hey! how knowledgeable are you on stephanie brown? because i got in a bit of an argument with a dc fan on reddit who claims she's all these awful things, but im still relatively new to steph and i want to see what was true and what wasn't. link to screenie right here: https://ibb.co/vh6CYCJ
these may be matters of opinion, but even then, i'd like to know your take. i haven't read her firsthand often enough and i trust your judgement over this random redditor who seems to have some sort of blonde-woman related trauma left untapped.
I'm not necessarily the most knowledgable on her in the world, but I do know a decent amount because she's one of my absolute faves and I love her
But ohhhh boy that screenshot is a lot.
I will say that several of the things this person brings up are based in canon but are taken in the worst faith and framed in the way that makes her look as bad as possible, if that makes sense? It’s ripping things away from any context, because there's a very clear bias against her here.
I'll go through it point by point under the cut
First of all though before digging into this, I want to make it clear she was a 15 year old for the majority of the things this person is talking about. Like just pause for a second and remember she’s a 15 year old victim of abuse. That is something that I think factors into a lot of her behavior! Anyways, I kinda while doing this got into a ranty 'talking at you' format in response to the person who wrote all that, so don't take any of this as me yelling at you who asked the question/you anyone reading this.
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"She always acted entitled" - Saying Steph is entitled is absolutely ridiculous to me. Stephanie grew up with a very unstable childhood due to her dad frequently being in prison and her mom dealing with a drug addiction, living in a lower class part of the city. Tim is entitled. I don’t mean that as like a bad thing about him, but he is based on his living situation, she is not. She has wanted life to be better for herself and her mom, and is determined about that, but she is not and does not act entitled.
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(Secret Origins 80 Page Giant)
"and stubborn" - I will give you stubborn though, that one is true. She’s stubborn as hell! I don’t really see that as a bad thing though, pretty much every bat is stubborn?
"demanding that Batman and Robin accept her untrained ass" - Steph may have been untrained in fighting but she's shown to have exceptional gymnastics skills from the start, and at one point Bruce even says that with the right training she could be as good if not better than Tim (in Robin #88)! So like... her realizing she enjoys trying to be a hero after she tried it out to deal with her personal business, so she looks to the local experts… and is determined about it… how is that a bad thing? It’s also not like she walked up to them and said ‘im perfect as i am let me in’ what she wanted was a chance to be a hero. But she also wasn't even really looking for approval, either, not having Batman's blessing was never going to stop her. ("So excuse me if I don't jump when you bark, Batman." in Robin #16) Later when Bruce does bring her in to train (and she also gets to train with the BoP) she's excited! She’s stubborn about wanting to be in the hero business, but it’s not like she’s unwilling to work for it.
"advocating leaving criminals to die because they 'deserve it'" - She’s a 15 year old who grew up knowing firsthand how dangerous Gotham criminals can be because of her dad, of course off the bat when they’re in a dangerous situation where any of them could die (because that’s the context here, this is in Robin #35 where they’re trapped in some super dangerous snow) she thinks they shouldn’t go back for another criminal who just tried to kill them and should instead save themselves. But she also literally WITHIN THAT SAME ISSUE then says she realized she learned something after listening to Tim and trying to save the guy! In the same issue! Characters in a story aren’t supposed to be perfect from the start… they learn things along the way???
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(Robin #35)
"trying to steal from the shops they just stopped from being burglarized" - She’s 15 and doesn’t have a ton of money. She was gonna take two sodas, and when Tim said not to do it she paid with very little fuss. They stopped people who were robbing the place at gunpoint for prescription drugs. If you can’t understand the difference in severity between those things like… I do not even know where to start. (this situation is in Robin #56 btw)
"forcing physical affection onto Tim despite his visible discomfort and repeated objections (not even stopping when he told her he had a girlfriend)" - This one I will give you because she did cross boundaries with all that! But I do also want to clarify that she didn't start coming onto him until after Tim kissed her first (in Robin #5) while not telling her he had a girlfriend. That doesn’t excuse her later actions but for the first issue that she’s coming onto him from her perspective he expressed interest and she was just returning it! She even specifically says 'Maybe I should pay you back for saving my life the same way you paid me' (in Robin #16) before kissing him. That first time she kissed him unprompted was under essentially the same circumstances he kissed her unprompted, and she literally did not know about Ariana until after the fact. From that point once she knew about Ari she definitely should have backed off and she didn’t, that’s a very fair thing to criticize about her as a character. But Tim lead her on first, and I feel a lot of people like to casually forget that when talking about this situation. The way this is phrased of ‘not even stopping when he told her-‘ implies she was repeatedly doing the bad behavior before he told her, which is not the case. She still did bad things here but don’t misrepresent the situation.
"And lashing out at Tim, her mother, and her classmates in violent fits of anger" - Every comic book character lashes out at other people for the sake of drama like, I dare you to come up with a well-known superhero character who hasn’t done shit like that to a partner/family/friends in a moment of high tension/stress?
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"She treated the girls around her like they were stupid bitches" - frankly this ones a little too vague like, I'm not sure off the top of my head exactly what they're talking about? in that era right around her pregnancy and stuff I really don't recall her being mean with other girls? I could be forgetting something I guess but the closest I can think of is a bit after this period of time when she has the confrontation with Greta in Young Justice but that was Greta attacking her first, not the other way around.
"got insanely jealous if Tim so much as expressed concern about another girl" - Steph getting jealous and thinking Tim was cheating isn’t that crazy when STEPHANIE BASICALLY WAS THE OTHER GIRL DURING TIM’S LAST RELATIONSHIP? Tim has cheated a little bit before! Tim cheated on Ari with both Jubilee from Marvel (during a crossover thing where he even mentions Ari specifically so it’s not like this was out of continuity/a setting she wasn't an issue or something) and also with Steph. While most of the kissing between them was Steph coming onto Tim which I wouldn’t count as cheating on his end, he did still kiss her which I would count. Not to mention that the jealousy thing (I imagine they’re talking about the instance with Star, the girl who taught Tim to skateboard, this arc of stuff starts in Robin #80 and continues for a few issues) is happening during the time she’s dating him while she still doesn’t even know his real name. He literally has a whole other life she doesn’t know about, and is someone who has initiated romantic moments with other girls while in a relationship multiple times before! With that in mind I don’t think a 16 (she's def 16 by this point) year old girl being kinda paranoid about how he interacts with girls he might know in his civilian life is that unreasonable? The later big instance with jealousy is the Darla situation- where Steph sees Darla kiss him and gets mad about it (and doesn’t talk to him about it) and thats what prompts her to become Robin. The important thing to remember about Steph in this time frame is that DC decided she had to die and they wanted to make her Robin first to drum up more attention for that death. They were doing ooc things with her to set those pieces in motion, and that needs to be taken into account. I think her getting upset about seeing something like that isn’t even ooc, but her using it as motivation to become Robin and not even saying anything to him about it is. In the earlier instance where she’s upset/jealous about Star, she does communicate to him what’s going on at least a little bit on the rooftop after they’d saved her. She makes it clear the thing she was upset about is that she feels like she can’t trust him because she doesn’t really know him while he knows everything about her, and that’s why she thinks he’s cheating. Her reaction to the Darla thing is not in line with how earlier in canon Steph would have handled the same situation, because they wanted her to die and needed a way to explain her becoming Robin.
"and expressed that jealousy by accusing him of cheating and throwing things at him" - I just addressed the cheating stuff but the throwing things was fucking slapstick oh my god this is a comic book for kids/teens like. ah yes this is horrible abuse in this little funny montage of how Steph wants him to leave her alone because she’s mad at him and he refuses to give her space
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(Robin #82)
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I don’t think anyone at DC or even in fandom would/should try to argue she’s perfect, because she’s not! And I don’t want her to be because perfect characters are boring. Steph is flawed, Steph has been compared in canon to Robin-era Jason by Cass & Bruce
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(Detective Comics #790)
And I think these highlight some of her very real flaws that are an interesting part of her character. These plus her stubbornness and determination are part of what makes her her.
And for fuck's sake the world was mean to her, and to act like it wasn’t is just blatantly ignoring a lot. A criminal father who made her life really difficult (‘when my dad was mad at me he’d lock me in the closet!’), that time she got kidnapped for two weeks and her mom had left her (a 15 year old) alone at home so long she didn't even find out it happened (in text Steph says Crystal was visiting friends, a lot of people interpret that as her mom possibly being in rehab for her addictions again), that whole thing about how one of her dad’s friends tried to sexually assault her as a child, also just how due to her dad's work sometimes criminals would be living in their house (Literally the fucking Riddler at one point!), the fact that we as an audience watched her get tortured for several days because a plan she tried to enact to prove herself backfired since Batman didn’t trust her with important information (something Selina even calls him out on in her internal narration), like… sorry but in what way is all that not the world being mean to her?
She was Robin, she dated Robin, she likes Eggplant (because purple would've looked stupid), and makes jokes. She’s also impulsive, headstrong and determined, and wants to prove to herself and others that she can be more than just the daughter of a shitty criminal, that she can actually be a force to do good in the world.
She’s a complex character, and nobody is required to like her, but to act like she doesn’t have a single redeeming trait is ridiculous. You could write a paragraph like that with the worst moments of basically any character and make them look like shit if that's what you were setting out to do.
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life-rewritten · 3 years
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WE BEST LOVE  (Fighting Mr 2nd) DEYI and The Theme of Control and Power
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You know that show that you know you can talk about forever and be obsessed with, although it seems pretty simple and not really that complicated to analyse and break down? Well, We Best Love (WBL) is precisely that in the most amazing way. I'm not shocked because I've always been a fan of the History Series, especially with this writer and how she creates her projects; it's not surprising that WBL happens to be the most comfortable show to lean into. It feels like entering a cheesy, cute, romantic novel. Yet, it still is the most angsty, passionate, drama-filled plot enough to make you want to run into the screen and comfort these comfort characters, scream at them when they're not making sense, and keep watching despite the pain when you feel like they've gone too far. And I kept quiet and watched season 1 of WBL. I was entranced and in love because it was so simple, but it felt perfect for me; it was a distraction, it made me smile, and it also made my heart quiver. I adored all the actors, and I also enjoyed how the storyline was told. It doesn't have to be so deep and full of clues, but there were facets to the characters, clear set rules in understanding their character roles, and small hints building in the last episode that all was not well and a lot was coming for our couple in the future. It broke my heart because season 1 was focused on the immaturity and naiveness of how we feel when we enter university for the first time; the excitement, but still innocence of hopefully finding someone to mesh with, and yet the dumbness/naivety that can distract us or slow us down before knowing who that person is. Season 1 was light, funny, and sweet because that's how our doe-eyed souls feel when we first enter college and get to discover who we are. Season 2, on the other hand, is focusing on maturity, actually dealing with our flaws, coping with the responsibilities and hardships of life, duty and obligation vs wants and need; the characters are older now, affected by the world's cruelties/situations and now have walls up higher than before. 
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And in order to help us get that vibe, even more, our couple's relationship is put through the wringer, hearts torn, misunderstandings prolonged unfairly, and everyone broken just staying in a state of pining, longing and anger, anger, at what was lost to them; the innocence/fun of falling in love, the guise of being in control, and the joy of being free and dumb in love. It isn't a surprise to see our main character, Shide and Shu Yi, see their flaws fleshed out more in the open and actually increased and exposed for us, the audience, to watch and dislike. Shu Yi's short temper becomes even more exposed as he struggles to have control over his past and feelings for Shide once they reunite, and Shide's withdrawal of emotions also becomes even more strained and put on focus as he also realises what he has lost. Both of them enter this sick twisted, and tense need for control and power that their relationship becomes intense and full of passion hidden behind the anger and resentment. So I'm going to break down the idea of Control and Power with these twos relationship, a certain theme that has been there since season 1, and why now it's something both rivals are struggling to obtain to win, especially Shuyi, who is determined this time to not be Mr 2nd when it comes to Shide again. Hence the title Fighting Mr 2nd.
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Misunderstandings and Miscommunications
Let's first focus on the miscommunication/ separation at hand. This exposed so much already about how these two felt about the power they hold over the other. Let's first look at what season 1 exposed; for Shide, Shuyi has always had control over him since the moment his young self told him that he would be a companion to him whenever he was lonely. Shide has desperately loved Shuyi and did everything possible to ensure he kept Shuyi's focus on him no matter what. The way he decided to do this was to put himself in a place more powerful than Shuyi; he put himself always ahead of Shuyi, ensuring he was always number one no matter what. This was how he controlled the situation; for him, as long as Shuyi noticed him, he was happy to continue hoping for a change and also making him react. In Shide's mind, he never wanted to force/ make Shuyi fall for him because he didn't think it was possible. He just wanted to be by his side (as a 'friend') until graduation was over.This shows me already some stuff about their relationship. How Shide perceives Shuyi; one, he didn't trust in Shuyi's love as being as strong as he was. He even says it to Shuyi on the bridge when they confessed to each other. For him, Shuyi was always the 'lucky' one; the one in control, the real winner because he had him in his palm of his hand. Shuyi was the one who made him whipped, the one he chased after secretly for 8 years or more. Shuyi has always been the one with the hold over him. Immediately they got together, Shide also tells Shouyi his confusion but the happiness that Shuyi is also feeling the same towards him.
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Shide can't believe the switch in Shuyi's personality and actions for him; Shuyi still tried to play of Shide's grand confessions of love in the last episode, and Shide was okay as long as Shuyi kept paying attention to him. But in my head, it showed that Shide didn't think Shuyi's love was as unconditional, as strong, as uncontrollable as his. He didn't know he had any hold over Shuyi. He thought it was his constant love and chase that won Shuyi in the end, so what happens when he thinks he pushed Shuyi away? In Shide's perspective, he's the one who slacked behind and pushed Shuyi away by disappearing for 5 years, which fair enough makes sense; Shuyi has every right to be angry at being ghosted. But Shide blames himself and thinks it's because his show of love was weakened and slowed down that it caused Shuyi to retreat and walk away easily. Because he wasn't fighting anymore for their love, he lost Shuyi's attention. Again this suggests how fickle he believes Shuyi's feelings are and how still in his head he believes he's the one with the long-lasting love/feelings.
Shide's personality is someone who likes to be in control (like Shuyi but for different ways and reasons); he's kind of had to always be; ever since his dad died, he's had to try and make it his goal to become stronger and better to take care of his mum, and to ensure they live well. This is connected to the theme of Duty and Obligation in the show.  Even in Season 1, the reason he has to leave for America for a bit is to ensure his mum settles in nicely. Even after that, he's again the one responsible for ensuring whoever was sick in America was taken care of. It's because of his need to be responsible and be in control that Shuyi always feels distanced from him (mocked, misunderstood, and hurt). Shide is someone who likes to keep a calm demeanour. He likes to take things on by himself; he likes to not show when he's hurting or alone (apart from that one time as a kid where he broke down on Shuyi). In fact, it might be because Shuyi is the only one who did see him in his vulnerable state and gave him an aim to become stronger that made him cling on to his love for him and devote himself to his love for him. But in looking so in control of his emotions, Shuyi always saw Shide as someone who loved winning and making him feel like a fool. In season 1, he thought Shide did it on purpose to see him lose control and be a mess, and in season 2, he's resorted back to that thinking. Let's look at why?
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No 1 for You (Shide’s pov)  vs Fighting Mr 2nd (Shuyi’s pov)
Shuyi did not also understand the proper depth of Shide's feelings. I guess we should have seen it coming that he didn't fully understand how deep they were, he had heard ideas from Shide's mother, he had heard grand declarations from Shide (after he was the one to pry it out of him), but he didn't actually trust it fully. I think because he didn't fully trust both their sexualities and identities when it came to their feelings. Like I said, we should have seen it coming when he admits he doesn't want to fall for a guy, but also it's because it's Shide he's okay with being in love. However, people complained about this because in BL, we're tired of the I love you, not boys trajectory always chosen. However, it was more than that. I think because of what's embedded in people's minds at a young age (due to society),  there might have also been, as a result of that,  hints of internalised homophobia (IH) with Shuyi. And that's why it made sense for him to wither and assume that Shide truly would be with someone else and be married and have kids. Because of IH, Shuyi may have automatically thought it made sense that Shide would move on, get married and have kids in America (hence as he said in episode 1,  he was disqualified by choice) because, in his head, he didn't understand Shide's love and devotion for him.
It also points to insecurity and fear that he might not be enough/the better option for Shide. One of his pet peeves was that he was always coming second to Shide, he was always being seen by himself as second best, and he probably also thought he had become the second-best option to Shide living a great 'fulfilled' life according to 'society' where he is married to a wife and has kids. This is why in the special episode, he also gives up easily and wishes him the best refusing to actually question why Shide would do this to him after all the stupid and grand promises he made a year ago before he left. Promises of marriage, promises of devotion, of being his family etc. Of course, this felt like Shuyi was thoroughly mocked and lowered because he had lost again to Shide by letting his heart trust him and wait for him. Now, in season 2, he's determined to not do that too. To not lose control of his heart ever again. To not fail to Shide in any way, shape or form ever again.
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Shuyi; The Guise of Control
Shide is always acting on the surface like he's in control, causing Shuyi to always think he's more vulnerable and a fool, and it makes season 2 make more sense. Even if Shide says, he'll make Shuyi look at him again, how on earth is he meant to ever let that happen? He literally manipulated the situation in season 1 and got Shuyi's walls down only for him just to cheat on him, so how can Shuyi trust just his actions on the surface?
No matter how devoted Shide is looking, even at the end finally showing a hint of losing control under Shuyi's hold which Shuyi was not expecting because he thought Shide will always want to again be 'proper'.  And in the past, it was Shuyi who always pushed for skinship once they started dating; Shide always again acted like he hadn't been affected; this was discussed actually in that final episode. Even if on the surface Shide looked affected, Shuyi wouldn't trust that. Because Shide is always holding back whilst Shuyi always feels like a fool, never being able to control himself around him, never being able to control his emotions or have a poker face around him. From the first episode in season 1, Shuyi has always been uncontrollable when it came to Shide, whilst Shide always came out looking cool.
Shuyi always ended up in the most vulnerable shameful state (forgetfully hurting himself in reaction to Shide's presence, being the one distracted and bothered by skinship in the last episode whilst Shide studied, or even being exposed and screaming down a bridge, his love for Shide to make Shide come out and say how he feels). Shuyi always ended up being weakened and frustrated because Shide seemed like he had everything in order. Shuyi is now adamant he's lying or that Shuyi is still the one who's more in love with him (his biggest fear). For example, the slap he gives to Shide (exposed his lack of control of emotions around Shide) and yet Shide immediately tried to control the situation, making Shuyi again look like the irrational one and the most affected one. Also, as mentioned it Shuyi (in Shuyi's head), who proceeded to force/get Shide to confess. Because Shide was too focused on controlling his environment, avoiding the situation, holding back his feelings, whilst Shuyi's emotions always get the best of him and caused him to still lose in front of Shide. Basically letting Shide get his way all the time. And by doing that, it was Shuyi who ended up waiting for a year and then being 'cheated' on, being ghosted with his heart shattered.
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The Fear of Weakness and Vulnerability
Other examples are Shide going to Shuyi's house and ignoring him in his own home (again, Shuyi can't even control his environment when it comes to Shide, everything he owns feels little because Shide seems to have a hold over him in everything), and proceeding to make him the fried rice. Even as the vice president who's meant to be in control and be in charge of letting go of people (which his father is pressuring him to do, he has no choice in the matter), Shide is the CEO (a higher position)  of the company and is adamant on convincing Shuyi to do no such thing. It's a big fear to Shuyi, which is why he's determined to ensure he does fire these people because if he doesn't, It means he's again coinciding underneath Shide's hold over him, over everything he has, including his heart.
The act of making fried rice in Shuyi's house as if nothing is going on, Shide ignoring his tantrums and outbursts does again what Shuyi hates, makes him feel stupid, weak and vulnerable. It makes him feel like he's losing again to Shide. This is why I think he really has no other option in his mind to win but to use emotions and feelings (what he can't control) as a weapon to capture Shide. By making Shide fall for him emotionally and then being the one to break his heart, that's how Shuyi thinks he'll finally be able to break down Shide's calm, façade that he's always in control, that's how he stops being Mr Second. Obviously, it's a stupid idea because Shuyi literally becomes weakened just by being in Shide's presence. To be anywhere intimate with him, he will only resort to his own emotions being, even more, harder to handle even if he tries to play it off as just attraction.
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And for both of them, control is even harder physically with emotions because they've been 'starved' of each other's presence for 5 years, of each other's touch and connection. As shown in episode 1 of FMS, they're both in a state of pining, longing and waiting for one of them to give in. For 5 years, Shuyi was secretly fighting against the truth that he had been waiting for Shide to return even when he tried to focus all his energy and heart into hate and bitterness (to distract him from the pain of waiting). Shuyi never wanted to give up on hope, never wanted to let go of Shide, because it's out of his control to forget or move on. He couldn't do that even if he tried. This is why he also tries again to use a power play with a fake girlfriend that he couldn't remember the name for.  Every single sentence he said was how he compared himself to the girl he thought Shide cheated on him with. He was saying it to hurt Shide, but in the end, he was still exposing his own hurt and insecurity about why he thought Shide left him.
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Shide; Control Vs Sacrifice
Meanwhile, the audience all know that, on the other hand, Shide is the one who has no control over the matter. No matter what he seems like on the surface/ in front of Shuyi, Shide is completely tired, weak and frustrated once he sees Shuyi again. It's frustrating because the only time he shows his emotions is once Shuyi isn't looking; he cries only after Shuyi has left, always holding his feelings and only letting it out when he's by himself. Although to Shuyi, it seems he's in control, being the CEO, being the one who disappeared for 5 years, being the one who is successful and influential, Shuyi couldn't be more opposite in his thoughts. Shide has no control over the CEO position; it's not a job he chose for himself, it's not what he wanted to do, he did it because of again his responsibility to his mother and family. Shide isn't the one who chose to disappear for 5 years in America; he again had no control over the situation because someone else was ill, and he had to be the one to help his family again become stable. And lastly, Shide isn't successful and as influential as he's sold his company to Shuyi's father, so he actually isn't in control of his position, of his life essentially. What Shuyi sees as control is unfortunate because it's actually Shide's sacrifice; he's had to lose what he actually wants to be in that position. All he's ever wanted is Shuyi. Ironic no?
Even in Season 1, when he seemed to be the one controlling the situation, he wasn't; he always did everything to get Shuyi, and for 8 years him being 'in control/winner' as Shuyi puts it wasn't him winning because he always didn't get Shuyi's heart before he confessed. And that's what's so heartbreaking about Shuyi's misunderstanding of Shide; when he first sees Shide in the past in his memories, he doesn't know the moment Shide fell for him; he just sees Shide winning over him, he doesn't even notice the first person who had control over the other was him, because he already took Shide's heart, trust and devotion. This is why Shide told him he was the lucky one; he was the one who was winning, who was always in control. Not Shide.
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Love and It’s Hold and Power
And again, although Shide is the one he thinks he's second-best to. Shuyi has a lot of power over everyone else since he was young. He's been a spoilt, rich boy who's had control over his friends (in a positive way like they felt they had to watch him and babysit him), he's had control due to his father's power, and he's had control now over Shide just due to again his father's job and his heritage. And I think that's why he can't stand the fact that no matter what he does when he's with Shide, he loses all of that power; he's reduced to wanting to do something for someone, like in season 1, washing the dishes, being humble, exposing his feelings to Shide so loudly and vulnerably. Shide is the only person who makes him want to do all that, and he hates it. It's why when the employees in episode 1 call him again Shide's girlfriend (even though literally Shide bending down to tie his laces is an act of losing control and him being in control of him), it bothers him because it makes him look weak. He's the one flustered by the actions; his heart is shaken by the movement. What he sees about Shide vs what's genuinely being shown/exposed is so opposite, so of course, they're more prone to misunderstandings because they've always both seen the situation very differently.
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So WBL has always been using this theme of Control vs Power with Shide and Shuyi. And how, because of love, both of them feel this lack of control over each other. Mostly from season 1, when Shide gets closer to Shuyi using the idea of rivalry to see who can win over each other, even though he gives in always to Shuyi on purpose. Shuyi's misunderstanding has always been an issue since episode 1, since even when Shide kissed him in the pool. This time around in season 2, we get to deal with the actual seriousness/reciprocation of what that misunderstanding and fear of lack of control can do to them. And how others can manipulate that (Shuyi's father probably). Either way, these twos relationship has become angst central because Shuyi really is fighting Mr second, he's determined this time not to lose to Shide no matter what and he's finally using like the last way he can possibly gain control over Shide. His body. The most vulnerable part of a person is exposed when they sleep with someone else; by getting Shide to even want to give in to him as he requested, he can expose everything about Shide, his weakness, his heart, his truths. Hence, it makes sense the relationship is using attraction and chemistry as a powerful tool for the storyline. Shuyi isn't going to be able to even go through with anything because he's just as vulnerable and weak with Shide as Shide is with him.
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I love angst, and I love power plays and fight for control in rivals to lovers stories. I love misunderstandings and requited, but they don't know the trope. I just really enjoy WBL, and I'm so excited to see what happens next. Looks like Shide is finally going to lose that façade he has on the surface once he breaks down under the influence of alcohol; probably, poor boy has been suffering so much. And I think both of them will soon need to gain control over their situation together so they can defeat the obstacles that come in the form of Shuyi's father, society, company issues etc. So yeh, I'm loving this, and it's such a breath of fresh air. Friday is too far away, sigh.
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multiplefandomsblog · 3 years
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Kazuichi, Byakuya, Gundham, Rantaro, Gonta, Leon, and Toko with an ultimate Broadway actress s/o
Desc; headcanons of kazuichi, byakuya, gundham, rantaro, gonta, leon, toko with an ultimate broadway actress s/o
Warnings; i tried to make this spoiler free, fem!reader, reader uses female pronouns, i guess this takes place at hope’s peak academy? pre-tragedy?? i dont really know about the v3 boys, haven’t finished the game lmao-
Gundham:
◊ He already knows a bunch about Musicals; especially the darker ones.
◊ He thinks your Ultimate is amazing, he loves all your plays.
◊ Neither of you know which between the two of you is more dramatic.
◊ Your dramatic personalities often intertwined, merging the two of you and making you both into one huge drama queen.
◊ It gives everyone a headache as you both scream, “My toe hurts!-” “My king’s toe hurts! Someone bring an ambulance, stat!”
◊ “Someone get the fucking chlorofoam-” “Hiyoko no-”
◊ This is a bad example, but you get my point-
◊ He enjoys Shakespeare and dark love story plays/musicals.
◊ So he would definitely enjoy acting one with you on stage, if you let him.
◊ He’ll somehow incorporate his Dark Devas into the play just for an excuse to bring them with him on-stage.
◊ Once he was playing Romeo and abandoned Juliet to save Cham-P after he ran offstage to eat a sunflower seed someone dropped on the floor.
◊ Fuck Juliet, mans knows his priorities.
◊ He’s kind of a musical theatre nerd, he enjoys discussing the message behind musicals you’ve played.
◊ Throwing in some compliments about how well you perceived the character, and how pretty you looked.
◊ He is always extremely proud and amazed at your ability to sing, dance and act so well all at the same time.
◊ He believes you don’t get enough credit for doing what you do, so he makes sure you know how proud he is of you.
◊ He sometimes quotes Shakespeare or some other dark musical while you two hung out, it was kinda cute seeing him geek out like that.
◊ “As said in ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’, Better three hours too soon than a minute too late." Gundham quoted, pride laced in his words as he was proud of remembering that. “Gundham... it’s literally 5 am in the morning, the party starts at 12 pm. Go back to sleep.” Gundham blinks and nearly falls asleep where he stood. “Mmkay.”
◊ If he saw you dress up as the witch in Wicked, he would be whipped.
◊ His evil queen? In an evil costume? A dream come true!
◊ He thinks you look absolutely fabulous and praises you a bunch after the show, telling you how pretty you looked while you acted.
Kazuichi
◊ He wouldn’t know much about musical theatre, since he’s more into machines.
◊ But when you told him to come to a play you were going to star in, he jumped at the offer.
◊ 90 minutes of you? He must be the luckiest guy in the world!(Nagito would be proud)
◊ After watching his first play, he decides he is obsessed with musical theatre now, going to all your shows.
◊ He loves all the romance based musicals, he’s a sucker for romance what can he say?
◊ He’d obsess over all your plays, going into a lot of detail about his favourtite parts.
◊ He’s kinda like, your #1 fan.
◊ He has posters of musicals you’ve starred posted around his dorm room, just a bunch of merch of you and all the musicals you starred in.
◊ When you tell him he has a backstage pass because he’s your boyfriend, he is overjoyed. 
◊ He actually trained a bit to be one of the backstage crew members.
◊ He learned how to fix your make up during intermissions, fix a loose stitch on your costume, all that good stuff.
◊ Though every time he sees your face up close for make up, he goes speechless.
◊ He wonders every time, how the hell did he get someone like you?
◊ Though his hands are shaking from how nervous he was, he still managed to make you look absolutely amazing.
◊ He’d blast a bunch of musical soundtracks while he works on his machines, screwing on and unscrewing things with a bop.
◊ I can imagine Kazuichi jamming with you in the car. The car moving violently as you two bounced to the rhythm like mad men.
◊ I think he’d get pretty insecure if he saw you with a love interest, he would think that when you two shared a staged kiss or scene, that it was actually full of love and not fake
◊ But when you cheer him up and tell him how much you love him, he realizes he was being silly over nothing.
◊ After watching many many romance musicals, you notice he gets more romantic; most likely mimicking the love interests.
◊ He is still a bit insecure, but if he does more romantic things, you’ll love him right?
◊ You enjoy the silly grand gestures of love, but you try and assure him constantly that you don’t need any of it.
◊ You only need him <3
Rantaro:
◊ w o a h
◊ He’d love the fact that you’re an actress
◊ He thinks it’s so cool like-
◊ constant fanboying after shows
◊ He’s always bringing you flowers once you’re off the stage, showering you with praises and affections
◊ He’s literally so proud of you wtf??
◊ i think he’d be the type to show you off a lot
◊ “Hey you!” He points at a naked passerby(this is an inside joke, i am so sorry), “Guess what? My girlfriend’s a Broadway actress!” “Rantaro stop, people are staring-” “Are they? hEY YOU! YEAH, YOU STARING!! MY GIR-”
◊ if you ever started spitting out hamilton raps, he’d be the one beatboxing in the back ground for you.
◊  “Pshh, packow, psshh psshh, packow!” “How does a bastard, orphan, son of a-” 
◊ you two would jam out to musical soundtracks in your dorm, dancing dramatically as you did.
◊ you two kinda become like a duo of musical theatre kids.
◊ if you stood on a table and started belting lyrics, he would hop on and join you
◊ unless it was a solo, he would never steal your thunder.
◊ if you ever felt a bit nervous before a big show, he would assure you that’d you’d do great and tell you how much he believed in you until you felt better.
◊ he’s your charger before and after a big show.
◊ if you felt exhausted from acting and dancing around the stage, he’s always there to give you what you need most.
◊ whether it’s water, food, flowers, or just him and his cuddles, he always has it ready for you.
◊ the most recent musical soundtrack that you’ve played will be stuck in his head.
◊ For example, if you recently played in Hairspray, ‘Mama, I’m a big girl now!’ will be stuck in his head until the next play he watches.
◊ you’d catch him humming it during everything he does, 
◊ and it’s actually so fricking adorable.
◊ if you heard him sing a familiar tune, you would hum along with him.
◊ “Hmm, mmwhen I was, just a kid ♪” 
◊ Your ears perked up at the familiar tune, slowly you turned around to face him.
◊ “♪....You never let me do just what the older kids did…♪” You joined in quietly, Rantaro whipped his head towards you, a rising smile on his face.
◊ “♪ But lose that laundry list of what you won't allow ♪,” His voice rose slowly in excitement, pointing at you with a big grin across his face.
◊ And at the same time, you both sang obnoxiously loud, as if it was rehearsed, “♪ 'Cause mama, I'm a big girl now! ♪” Running to each other with excitement, 
◊ You let out a fit of giggles as Rantaro picked you up, “MY WIFE, PLEASE BE MY WIFE!” 
◊ This is how you two met and you can’t tell me otherwise-
Gonta:
◊ Gonta wouldn’t know much about Broadway musicals- which to you, a broadway actress, was unacceptable!
◊ so you made it your mission to get him to watch as many musicals as he possibly can.
◊ You’d tell him to come to all your plays, him excitedly agreeing despite not knowing what a play is.
◊ You’d do extra good knowing that Gonta was in the crowd watching you, wanting to give him the best first experience with musicals.
◊ He’d applaud at the end of every scene, trying to show his support the best he can.
◊ for his first play he watches, he ends up clapping a bit too early.
◊ he cheered and applauded super loud when he saw you on stage, but stopped when he realized everyone was staring at him.
◊ Though it was a bit embarrassing for both you and him, you felt your heart flutter at how his first instinct was to clap for you when you walked in stage.
◊ You’d introduce him to various musicals, beauty and the beast being his favourite.
◊ He definitely starts to obsess over the more ‘gentlemanly’ characters.
◊ his first impressions of the beast were bad; Denying that old lady shelter? How ungentlemanly!!
◊ so when the dude got cursed, he cheered lmao
◊ but as he kept watching, he could see the beast wasn’t too bad. 
◊ The beast had some flaws, but he obviously cared for belle, he thought.
◊ Oh but he hated Gaston, he really really hated him.
◊ If you acted with someone who played Gaston(and you as belle), he would have to hold back and not rip his face off every time Gaston said something idiotic or sexist.
◊ He had to keep reminding himself that, that Gaston wasn’t real(and thank god for that, real gaston would’ve been torn to shreds.)
◊ the dancing scene was his favourite part for sure.
◊ He’s sad he doesn’t get to play beast with you, but he still enjoys the scene nonetheless.
◊ something cute I can imagine him doing is surprising you by dressing up in a prince costume from the musical and asking you for a dance. 
◊ It’s the cutest thing ever oml-
◊ It’s such a beautiful moment, you two just dancing together in a random room with no care in the world.
◊ Your arms wrapped his extravagant costume and his arms wrapped around your pj’s.
◊ He’s a bit shy to be so close to you, but he tries his best to be confident and as princely as he could so he pushes his anxiety aside.
◊ As his stomach fills with butterflies, he becomes slightly confused and concerned, ‘Did Gonta eat butterflies??’ He slightly panics-
◊ ‘Those poor butterflies!!’
◊ He’d watch a lot of videos on how to ballroom dance in advance for this moment.
◊ He’s actually not that bad!
◊ Well- as long as you dance with your feet on his, so he doesn’t crush your toes.
◊ If you ever did some beauty and the beast scenes for him, he would be so happy. 
◊ He’d be even happier if you let him play the beast with you.
◊ He’d be smiling the entire time during a fight/sad/serious practice scene.
◊ *almost gets stabbed* “Haha oh no!” 
◊ When you sing during one of the scenes, he kinda just-
◊ becomes a puddle of a gentleman.
◊ his heart melts and disintegrates(haha what) of love for you. 
◊ he absolutely loves your voice, and would beg for you to sing him one of the soundtracks from beauty and the beast before bed.
◊ He’s really proud of all your plays, and is extremely happy that you–of all people–are his girlfriend.
Byakuya Togami
◊ In all honesty, he thinks your ultimate isn’t all that great.
◊ But as he watches one of your plays, his mind ultimately(see what i did there?) changes.
◊ He becomes impressed and dazzled from how passionate you look when you act, not noticing how you had him sitting on the edge of his seat.
◊ After watching you act, he literally cannot watch another play unless you are in it, finding it unworthy of his time and money.
◊^^this is before you two got together,
◊ you two got together after you found him in your crowd, applauding like the rest of them with the same bewildered expression on his face.
◊ You confronted him and he attempted to compliment your acting, but he accidentally let his feelings for you slip out instead, “I find you truly captivating- Wait no, I-I meant your plays. Your plays, they are truly captivating.” You watched in amusement as he stumbled with his words, eventually interrupting him with an, “Are you available right now?”
◊ So yeah, eventually you two get together, and good for Togami! Because now he doesn’t have to secretly applaud you as a fan, he can applaud you whenever and as your lover.
◊ After shows, he’d give you a single rose as a congrats or applause (so romantic!)
◊ If you ever decided to be chaotic and start belting out lyrics, he would just sigh and let you finish.
◊ Very rarely, you would catch him humming a small tune of a musical song you sang.
◊ But very very rarely. If you ever catch him and confront him about it, he will deny it completely.
◊ I think he’d probably like the more serious plays, he enjoys the meanings and emotions of them more than the sillier and playful ones.
◊ If he ever watched Mean Girls, he would start to slightly mimic Regina George.
◊ “Byakuya wha-” “Get in peasant, we’re going shopping.” 
◊ It’d be lowkey hot when you hear him sass you like Regina George tho-
◊ He’d have more big dick energy after watching Mean Girls, emitting his dominance to everyone.
◊ Makoto during a class trial: “So we know that she was at the scene of the crime, right?” “Shut up.” Byakuya flipped his imaginary long hair as Makoto stares at him in confusion, silence filling the room. “Shut up!” “I didn’t even say anything-”
◊ “The new motive is going to be-!” “Whatever, I’m getting cheese fries a book.” Byakuya sighed, turning on his heels and catwalking away.
◊ ...
◊ “IT’S PUNISHMENT TIME-!” “MONOKUMA WAIT NO-”
Leon
◊ Would go to every one of your shows.
◊ Would act like an absolute mom in the crowd.
◊*holding a video camera* You’re doing great sweetie!.
◊”That’s my girl!”
◊ You’d get embarrassed every time he does that.
◊ Hypes you up when you get nervous before going on stage.
◊ In back stage, he’d praise you and give you a bouquet of flowers.
◊ Where did they come from? When did he have time to get flowers when he was yelling in the crowed??
◊ Helps you rehearse lines even if he has no idea what they’re about.
◊ Will fight anyone that makes mean comments towards you.
◊ Even if it’s just constructive criticism, he will take it as an insult.
◊ “Hey s/o! You did great! Maybe next time you could-”
◊ Leon: “WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY PUNK!? DO YOU KNOW WHO SHE IS?! I HAVE FRICKING ARMS OF STEEL, I WILL-”
◊ Will take every chance to pick you up and call you a queen.
◊ When you guys watch other plays together, he always says how you’d play a better role or that you’d do so much better.
◊ He is pretty jealous of your talent, he has always wanted to be a singer instead of a baseball star, but his ultimate wouldn’t allow that.
◊ So if you let him sing some musical song duets with you, his heart will be so full.
◊ You make him so happy, he almost breaks into cries.
◊ You two of weekly karoake nights, always singing some Heather’s duet together.
◊ One time, you, Sayaka and Leon sang the Candy Store song, Leon being Heather Chandler, Sayaka as Heather Duke, and you as Heather McNamara.
◊ It was... amazing.
◊ Everyone was cheering, clapping and it praising all of you.
◊ You made Leon feel alive, and he really, really loves you for that.
Toko
◊ She loves your ultimate, and fangirls over you a bunch.
◊ She’s amazed at your confidence to go up in stage, knowing she could never do that.
◊ She thinks your confidence is kinda hot, and decides she is in love.
◊ Likes to add a character in her books that are a lot like you, maybe making them a broadway actress-
◊ She thinks about you a lot, sometimes accidentally blurting out how pretty you were in your last performance in front of everybody.
◊ You confronted her for it, and she almost passed out.
◊ “W-w-why d-do you think t-t-that? D-d-do you th-think you’re b-better than m-me or so-something?” 
◊ You already know her and her inferiority complex, so you don’t take offence to what she said, simply replying with, “I think you’re really cute.”
◊ Toko goes silent, except for a few “!??!??” noises that came out of her.
◊ “... U-uh, a-are you j-joking, be-because that isn’t f-funny!” She flushes, denying that you complimented her.
◊ “I’m not joking, here’s my number! Call me, kay?” You grinned before turning on your heel.
◊ She’s kinda dumbfounded, did her crush just ask her out??
◊ She denies it hard at first, not believing that you asked her out.
◊ Thus, not calling you.
◊ Well, I mean, she kinda did.
◊ She dialed your number one day, feeling a bit lonely.
◊ But as she heard your morning voice, she squeaked and hung up quickly.
◊ She felt her face turn into a fireball, her thoughts going into overdrive from how attractive your voice sounded.
◊ Your voice, she was attracted to your voice.
◊ The next day, when you ask her about what that call was about, she denies it and calls you stupid.
◊ Sprinting away while she screamed, “I-i-idiot!!”
◊ Acts like an absolute tsundere around you.
◊ You constantly flirt with her, trying to get her to accept a date with you.
◊ Being the dramatic hoe you are, you try and give her a declaration of your love.
◊ Knowing she is the Ultimate Writer, and into poems, you write one for her.
◊ You declared your love during one of your plays, knowing she sat in the crowd somewhere.
◊ You interrupted a scene and jumped off stage, “Toko Fukawa!”
◊ Her head perked up in surprise, eyes widening as she saw you on one knee for her.
◊ “W-what are you d-doing!?” She yelped, moving her legs away from you. 
◊ “I am in love with you. Completely and utterly in love with you, everyday when I see you so immersed in writing a book, I believe I am looking at an angel.”
◊ The crowd stared at the both of you, gasps and aws filling the air.
◊ Toko flushed, you watched her while she wrote?
◊ “For every time you’ve told me I was a fool, an idiot, you weren’t wrong. Because I am a fool, a fool in love with you.” You had one had on your chest, looking into her eyes sincerely.
◊ Her eyes glossed over so slightly you couldn’t see, looking around at the crowd before uttering out, “Y-y-you r-really love m-me, h-huh?” Her face contorting into a lopsided smirk, watching as you giggled.
◊ You laughed out, “Absolutely.” 
◊ WHY DID THIS TURN INTO A ONESHOT WHAT WHY WHAT WHYYY
note; thank you so much for reading and sorry for the wait!! we tried our best to finish these together, thank you so much for your patience.
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Arsenal Military Academy (2019) Full Review
My first impressions of episodes 1-13 can be found here. I think I was a little dubious at first, but now that I’ve finished the drama, I have to say that I really enjoyed it. This is going to be a short(ish) review because I just don’t have much to complain about. [SPOILERS AHEAD]
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The Leads
Xu Kai shines as Gu Yanzhen. Much more than he did as Mo Qing in The Legends. Gu Yanzhen is just such a fun character. While yes, he is an overgrown and spoiled rich kid, he has a great character arc. He learns how to be responsible, caring, devoted, and considerate. Whether it’s love or serving his country, once he’s devoted to something, he’ll put his whole heart into it, which makes him a great friend and leader. And despite his maturation and all that he’s been through, he still stays cheeky and playful until the end. 
That’s what I really like about this drama. It’s consistent. Both in terms of plot and character. And for cdramas, consistency is something that’s often butchered. This drama is 48 episodes long, which was perfect for developing all the plot points in the story. At first I was worried about the length. But the plot is so well-paced. There was no filler, and if there was, then I didn’t even noticed because I enjoyed all of the scenes and interactions between the characters. 
Bai Lu was great at switching between cross-dressing as her brother, and being her “true” self. She carried off being both masculine and feminine, and I enjoyed seeing these two sides of her character. What I also appreciated about this drama is how even when she is revealed to be a girl, nothing really changes in terms of how she acts or how she’s treated by others. Her classmates still call her by her brother’s name. She wears the same clothes, talks the same, walks the same. Of course, by that point, most people have already found out, but for the characters who haven’t found out yet, they don’t dwell on this revelation. They don’t say sexist things about her appearance or mannerisms. They treat her the same as they always have. At first, I was worried that the drama would have a dramatic plot shift after her identity is officially revealed, but there wasn’t a shift. Her reveal was actually not that big of a plot point. (Yes, she was put in prison and accused of killing the chief, but this was resolved in like 2-3 episodes). It blended in seamless with the rest of the plot, and there were bigger issues in the story to address. 
In my First Impressions review, I complained that Xie Xiang was a bit of a flat character. I still think she’s a little underwhelming in comparison to some of the other characters in the drama, but she was watchable and relatable, and she definitely grew on me more as the drama went on. I also applaud her for recognizing her feelings for Gu Yanzhen (I was worried that the drama would make her be conflicted between them), but she did frustrate me a little with how she couldn’t be upfront with Shen Junshan and just strung him along. 
Again, I liked seeing the different sides of her character. Xie Xiang was never a tomboy growing up. She likes theatre and the arts. She likes acting, dancing, and singing. She likes dressing up and accessorizing (when appropriate). Her best friend, Tan Xiao Jun, acts as a foil and shows us what Xie Xiang is really like (or used to be before joining the academy). But her brother was a huge influence and inspiration for her. She learned how to fight from him. She learned what is means to be righteous and fight for justice from him. But she doesn’t want to become him; she just wants to fulfill his dreams. In the academy, she isn’t the best student, nor does she want to be. She doesn’t want to compete with the others, but she just wants to best the best cadet that she can be. It’s all about challenging herself and pushing her own limits, not comparing herself to everyone else in the class.  
Supporting Characters
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All of the secondary characters are great. Side characters and villains all served a unique purpose. Villains, such as Jin Xin Rong and the bully in the academy, were sympathetic characters. They all had their own backstories and development arcs, but they didn’t detract from the focus on the leads. In fact, the drama never strayed from the leads, unlike some cdramas were sometimes the focus would move away from the protagonists as the drama dragged on. Importantly, all the subplots were interwoven, and each mission that they completed progressed the plot and developed character relationships. I had a lot of praise for Qu Manting in my First Impressions review, so I won’t go into it again here, but she was a great second female lead (even though I did wish that she had less scenes with Gu Yanzhen). I was also surprised that she’s my age (and also Xu Kai’s age). She’s such a mature and steady actor. 
Edit: Just found out that Toby Lee who played Shen Junshan was the guy in Soulmate?? Didn’t recognize him at all. 
Plot
I loved the humour in this drama. It was quick, witty, and smart. But the drama did take a serious turn in the last arc where there were deaths of 3 prominent supporting characters, which was really surprising. I thought the drama would be a light-hearted comedy all the way through. So when I saw that it was possible for a prominent supporting character to die, I realized that there could be some real and serious consequences for characters in the drama. 
Speaking of deaths, I was also surprised by the amount of violence and liberal killing in the drama. The cadets at the academy never hesitated to kill, and murdering people never affected them. The writers justified the deaths by dismissing the victims as being traitors to the country, whether they were just a driver or security guard for the Japanese or a Japanese nurse or doctor. If they were affiliated with the Japanese and got in the way of a mission, then the leads would kill them. At times it felt like a video game because the cadets would use so much gunpowder to just plow through anyone who was an inconvenience to the mission. The drama also really advocates revenge, which was also really shocking. Revenge can be engaging to watch when it’s fictional, but I don’t morally agree with revenge, so I was surprised that a drama with so much killing and a revenge fetish was allowed to get past censorship. 
Overall, the plot was really good. The drama rarely ever dragged, except for maybe episodes 22-26 where it felt like Gu Yanzhen didn’t really have anything to do with the main plot, but the drama recovers quickly after that. Episodes 16 and 31 are probably my favourite in terms of interactions between the ML and FL. 17-22 are when they’re separated and bond with the supporting leads instead. That was clearly a purposeful move by the writers. They gave us peak sweetness between the leads and then separated them immediately afterwards. Those episodes made me worry that they would be angst, but there wasn’t. Those episodes showed that even when the leads were separated and went through hardships with someone else, they still thought about each other. Again, another example of how every mission progresses the plot and develops character. 
In terms of the romantic plot, I would say that about three quarters of the drama is about characters liking people who don’t like them back, and what you get is a convoluted love rectangle that expands to a pentagon. What I like about Gu Yanzhen is that while he can be childish and obnoxious, he gives Xie Xiang a lot of space. There were some scenes when either Huang Song or Shen Junshan was trying to pursue her and I was like, why isn’t Gu Yanzhen here to intervene? But then I realize that it’s actually good that he isn’t constantly stalking her. Gu Yanzhen may seem possessive at the academy, but he doesn’t prevent her from doing things either on or off campus. On the other hand, when Shen Junshan figures out Xie Xiang’s true identity, he acts entitled to her to the point where it feels manipulative. He would tell Xie Liang Chen that he’s meeting Xie Xiang for lunch, knowing that this would prompt Xie Xiang to dress up and rush off campus to meet him. He changed her room without asking her first, saying it was for her own good. I might have to rewatch the earlier episodes, but I don’t think Gu Yanzhen ever used her secret to underhandedly leverage power against her like that. I don’t think he ever tried to “test” her. It was only after she found out that he knew when he started to teasingly blackmail her with her secret in order to get her to wash his clothes or be nice to him, but this was done upfront to her face, so she knows what she’s dealing with. And also despite being constantly annoyed by him, Xie Xiang feels very comfortable with him. She trusts him. She knows that no matter what, he would never share her secret, so she was able to be herself with him from the beginning. In contrast, there was always a distance and formality between Xie Xiang and Shen Junshan, even though they went through a lot together.
The bigger question is why Gu Yanzhen fell for Xie Xiang instead of Qu Manting. I think it has to do with how Gu Yanzhen likes who he is whenever he’s with Xie Xiang. Manting is too much like his playboy self, so it always feels like he’s putting on an act or playing a game when he’s with her. They clash too much and both have huge egos, even though Manting has done so much for him and has seen him at his most vulnerable. But Xie Xiang is someone whom he wants to unconditionally protect and support. He teases and flirts with her, knowing that he’ll get a scolding and a beating. He wants to expend energy with Xie Xiang, but is fatigued with Manting. Xie Xiang is simple, down-to-earth, and has a purpose. She’s everything he isn’t. She anchors him, while he gets her to open and loosen up in what is otherwise a threatening and uptight environment. A classic example of how opposites attract. 
The Ending
The main character of this drama is the academy. Go figure since that’s the drama’s name. So it made sense that the final shot would be of the academy. Gu Yanzhen and Xie Xiang are shown walking off into the sunset just before that. And while I was really curious to see what their life would be like beyond the academy (I mean, what skills do they even have besides military prowess? What are they even going to do in terms of careers?), it made sense that the last shot we see of them is them leaving the academy. Their future is left to the imagination, almost like a fairy tale. That’s because their story is only one of many that comes out the academy. Their future is uncertain, but the future of the academy is certain. The academy is like a beacon, and it will continue to be here even long after the leads are gone. 
The deaths of Huang Song and Instructor Guo were just tragic. Huang Song never got to find out Xie Xiang’s true identity despite being her closest friend, and he had such a bright future and so many goals. Instructor Guo, who spent the last 2 decades in depression, never got to have his happily ever after. Li Wen Zhong finally redeemed himself, and yet the writers had him sacrifice himself. I thought their deaths were needless, but I did see how their deaths had narrative purpose. It still really, really sucks though.
I think I’ll give this drama an 8.5/10 if not a 9/10. It’s been a while since I last watched a drama with consistent pacing. Wish I could watch this drama for the first time again. 
Going to end the review with some pictures. 
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The worldbuilding was really immersive thanks to the costumes, colour grading, OST, and set designs. 
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Look at the power stances of this ensemble cast. They’re unstoppable. 
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I can’t get over these two. Such a different dynamic from The Legends, but still so much chemistry. 
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And deleted scenes though!! I don’t remember this sit-up scene in the drama. 
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What could have been...
//Saw that the site I use to make mood boards has a CD Cover option and thought it would be fun to do Sunset Curve’s Demo and Unreleased Songs (+Home Is Where My Horse Is) as they would look as singles!!! I may make CD Covers for the other 13 songs in the show...if people end up really liking these ones and if inspiration strikes!
**Gave an idea of what I think the other 7 songs would be about/why they were written (said what we know Unsaid Emily, Now or Never, and Home Is Where My Horse Is are about already of course too)!!
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1. Unsaid Emily: Is of course about Luke’s rough relationship with his mom, which was never resolved before his death. It touches on how he knew he should have turned around and come back home but his pride stopped him. All the conversations he had created in his head about what they would say to each other when he finally saw her again stayed that way, thoughts in his head. Wondering if he had been able to say the right things to his mom or made up with her before dying, would time not have erased the memory of him?  
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2. Get Lost: I believe it is about the feeling of restlessness and wanting to just take off on an adventure somewhere new or unique. Similar to how Luke finds sleeves (zleeves) restricting, this song is about how life can feel suffocating sometimes and all you want to do is grab a bag of essentials and walk in the mist/ride off into the night to a freer life. 
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3. Long Weekend: Is about the band’s friendship/brotherhood/sense of found family and how over many weekends they find themselves going through a lot of struggles and heartache together. These are the weekends that feel the longest because there is so much the four boys help each other through and many times they find they don’t want the weekend to end so they can spend more non-band time together to just be four stupid teen boys navigating all the twists and turns of life. 
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4. Crooked Teeth: My thoughts are that it could have been written when he had braces/a retainer in the 90s & was self-conscious of it, so it was written to cheer Reggie up about his braces/retainer & pretty much say "hey, Reggie...people's smiles vary & they're all unique & beautiful"...instead of mocking him, like the show seems to tell us it was written to do.
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5. My Name Is Luke: Is a darker, more introspective song about Luke’s struggle with an identity crisis where he feels he’s being pulled in different directions. One side is the Luke who loves his parents and wants to make them happy and have them be proud of him. The other side is the Luke. who is passionate about writing and playing music, who thrives off the feelings and energies of the crowd as they connect with him and his lyrics. Luke finds he can’t be one version of Luke without ultimately giving up the other and trying to do both is exhausting and soul crushing at times. The title is his way of saying ‘Hey, this is my name, it’s who I am, and I can be a loving son my parents can be proud of while also doing what I love and making a difference in the lives of people who listen to my music’. He just wishes his parents could come to understand that he loves music and he’s really good at it, so why can’t he continue doing it and make them proud at the same time.  
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6. Now or Never: Is, as we know, about Sunset Curve’s rise to fame and how they can dream as though they’ll never die but they’re going to live their life as though today could be their last day alive. They aren’t looking to the future, because all they need are each other and the energy that is coursing through their bodies in the present. They hear a voice in their heads saying you only have this one life, so make the most of it so when you die you’ll have had no regrets about the things you did or didn’t do. This is their time to shine and even when their lives were bleak or lacking, their days were still the best of their lives because they were making music and gradually making a name for themselves doing so. 
Weaved in are of course lyrics that seem to foreshadow their 3 deaths with the mention of shock to their hearts (the defibrillators used to try to keep them alive in the alley or ambulance), clocks moving forward but they don’t get older (how for 25 yrs they were in limbo and didn’t age and are now 17-year-old ghosts in 2020), how they kept on climbing 'til their stars collided (floated up out of the ambulance to the dark place until crashing into Julie’s life (she’s a star as Luke says)), and how all that they left in the past was just the just the key to paradise (all the things they left behind once they died were just ‘stepping stones’ to the ‘paradise’ of heaven for most people or in the boy’s case the path to Julie and playing music again).
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7. Late Last Night: Is about the late nights the four boys spent out at clubs/venues leading up to the Orpheum, gigs that helped them gain a decent following, and all the crazy things they saw and did. 17-year-olds out late partying, possibly drinking, on school nights. A higher energy song, similar to Now or Never to match the antics of a bunch of teens practically let loose on the music/club scene during the band’s rise in the Hollywood/LA music scene in ‘93/’94/’95. It evokes the feelings of being wild and reckless as a teen, while also somehow capturing the energy of the nighttime as you move from the crowded main strip into residential areas and how quick and jarring the change can be.     
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8. Lakeside Reflection: This is a tough one, but I think it would be about the individual experiences most or all of the boys have from going to lakes during summer with their families. There’s of course all the fun time spent with family, but in the reflection on the lake of those moments the boys only see the truth of their family dynamics, what was hidden behind a pleasant façade. 
For Luke, it was the strained relationship and fights with his mom over the band and his dreams. 
For Alex, it was the looks and offhanded comments made by his parents and the looks of sympathy from his sister, ever since he told them he was gay. 
For Reggie, it was the nights spent keeping his brother and sister distracted as the walls practically shook from the volume and intensity of his parents’ almost daily fights. 
And for Bobby, it was the truth that he kept up a façade even with the boys so they wouldn’t know that his family, that the others always believed to be perfect, wasn’t perfect at all. When rarely he saw his parents and they weren’t off on business trips or working late into the night, Bobby found them to be disinterested in his life and any affection or love was relegated to a pat on the back or a quick hand held before they rushed out the door once more. 
The happy summer vibes at the lake could never truly make any of the boys forget their truths, but at least they could let loose for the extent of their trips and finally feel like a carefree teen again.               
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9. In Your Starlight: This would seem to be a certain kind of love song at first glance and for some people that’s what it may be, but to me it is a very specific kind of love song. This love song is about relationships each of the boys had, the very few of them, that didn’t turn out well for some reason or another. A passion for music overshadowing the passion to keep a relationship going. The fear of long-term commitment and a short-lived bliss, before the fighting starts, ending the relationship before it ever grew deeper. The smothering of a fire in the soul so outsiders can’t see one trace of its flicker, hidden behind a lie, in case they find out the truth and react with disgust or hatred. Or the overly flirtatious and, at times, clingy antics used to get a person interested in starting a relationship. To keep them invested in the relationship, in an effort to make sure they won’t leave out of boredom or for someone better. This song is from the perspective of those other people, how they saw the relationship, no matter the length, and what they see as the thing that ended it or kept it from growing stronger. How they all in some way felt like they were pulled in by light of each of the boys (the stars) and things were good at first, before the cracks started to appear and reality truly set in.    
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10. Home Is Where My Horse Is: It’s an expression of where and whom Reggie calls home. The horse had never really stood for an actual horse, but rather it represented Luke, Alex, and Bobby. The people Reggie considered his family, his home, more than he ever would the house he had grown up in. Horses symbolize freedom without restraint, because riding a horse makes people feel they can free themselves from their own bindings. There is no constraining a horse when it runs with the wind, but they also enjoy the company of family and friends. Reggie wants freedom from the stuff with his parents and his own personal demons that keep him held back. He finds with the band, his real family, he can run free and be himself...enjoying being around the boys and not having to worry about fighting and drama. His home is where he (the horse) is... able to be its true self and go where the wind takes it.     
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Soft Eddie thought: the first time he mentions Buck in passing as 'my husband' and then all of a sudden it hits him for the first time that, holy shit, he has a *husband*! And either tears up a little or can't stop smiling.
Hey Nonny, I hope you see this, I know it’s been awhile. 
Subconsciously Drawn Together
911/Buddie
Eddie would never call what he feels a crush – after all, he’s a grown adult who hasn’t had a crush on anyone since Jenny Rodriguez broke his heart in eighth grade by picking Eugene as her lab partner instead of him. (Coincidentally, they are both married to someone named Makayla and neither of them lived outside of Texas for more than a few months).
He always thought that would be him. Not, married to Jenny or Eugene (or either Makayla for that matter), but there was a part of him that knew he was destined to live a quiet life. Marriage, children, maybe a dog and a white picket fence if they wanted to be really cliched. And he was okay with that – he really was. For Eddie, there was no other life than the one laid out for him.
Going to war didn’t change that. A poor country boy joining the military to provide for his pregnant wife back home? Even pulp fiction novelists thought it was too obvious. But, again, he never minded living an uninteresting life. Not everyone was destined for adventure and drama. Most people were made to get through the day.
Even when the nightmares came and he struggled to keep his family together, it just seemed like the next chapter in his boring novelization of a life. Everyone had marital troubles after coming home, everyone had bad dreams and phantom pains. Everyone worried where the money would come from to support their family. Everyone snuck into their son’s room to watch him sleep because they were afraid to admit that they’d forgotten what he looked like while he was away. Everyone felt guilt and shame and fear and regret. It was a part of life.
And then his wife left and his parents offered to take Christopher and for one moment, the thought crossed his mind. Could he let his son go (be with people who could stay at home and give him the care he needed)? Could he forget about Shannon and move somewhere else? Could he start over (relive his 20s in the carefree manner he’d seen others struggling to find)? Could he run away again and make it stick this time?
By the end of the week, he and Christopher were packed into his truck and headed to Los Angeles.
It didn’t feel like running away when he was mumbling his way through the Frozen soundtrack or listening to his son talk about his old school’s pet turtle that he’ll miss (and wonder what kind of pets the kids in Los Angeles got to have). It didn’t feel like running away then. It felt like they were running towards something.
Running towards a new life, of sorts, as it turned out. Sure, he still dealt with his parents’ criticism, and Shannon came back into their lives and for a moment, it felt like she’d never left him. But in LA, he had a purpose, he had freedom. For the first time in a long time, Eddie looked forward to opening his door in the mornings; for the first time in a long time, he never knew exactly what to expect, and LA was full of surprises.
The biggest surprise of all was named Evan Buckley.
Buck was a lot of things: a friend, a skilled firefighter, endearingly enthusiastic, subtle as a brick, and the first person outside of his real family that he called ‘family’ and truly meant it. He loved the men and women he served with in Afghanistan, but the moment they departed at the airport, he lost that connection. Joining the 118 had been a way to get that back and it had worked out fantastically. He had sports fanatics to cheer with, parents of blended families to vent with, people who knew his past and loved him despite it all.
Eddie never told anyone (except his therapist who never commented on it, but made a face that said they’d circle back to it at a later date), but he felt as though he’d known Buck for years. Once the man opened up to him, the trust he felt was strong, and the way he took an instant affection to Christopher made it easy to let this man into his life.
Within less than a year of joining the LA Fire Department however, his world imploded.
Or exploded, actually. First Shannon died, then Buck was injured, then his son was nearly taken by a natural disaster and he didn’t even know it. He spent so much time after that trying to put the pieces back together. For all the things he’d assumed his life would be – a wife and kid and a white picket fence – the only thing he had left was a son now dealing with immense trauma for such a young child to handle. And he had Buck (who was so bright and eager to please that one might describe him as a puppy at times). Nothing of his life had turned out the way it was meant to.
Suddenly, a year had passed since Shannon’s death and his life was still an unrecognizable sort of decagon shape instead of the standard cookie cutter circle. But none of that mattered because he was staring into bright brown eyes and a luminescent smile that was telling him that he was doing a wonderful job of raising Christopher on his own.
Others had been trying to tell him that for years (never the ones whose opinion meant to world to him, but he was learning to let that go) but that beautiful face was so sincere that he forgot himself. He forgot that he was a widow with a grieving son. He forgot the fear and regret that went along with the phantom pains when the weather turned cold. He forgot that he had failed in his ambition to live an entirely ordinary life. For a moment he thought: ‘when she smiles at me, I feel happy’.
He wanted to feel that way again.
There were several reasons that things just wouldn’t work out with Ana. For one: she was Christopher’s teacher, and even if it wasn’t against the rules, it still felt wrong. Two: he’d seen the moment she thought differently about him after he yelled at her at school. She was too professional and kind to say anything but even if it was possible, she was definitely no longer interested. The third reason was that he was a firefighter who worked insane hours and when he wasn’t at work, he was home with his son. There wasn’t exactly a lot of time for dating. Fourth: she wasn’t Buck.
That thought had been the one that kept him up at night. It had come to him while he stood in the shower, recounting his day, wondering how long he had until it would be time to pick up Christopher from school. He wasn’t feeling overly ambitious so he figured spaghetti and meatballs would be perfect for supper. He wondered what it would be like to cook for someone who wasn’t ten years old. Someone he could cook beside without having to keep a constant eye. There were times (in the early days with Shannon) where the two of them would cook together, do laundry, clean, do all the domestic things side by side. She had been insistent that they both learn to care for the house that they shared and he was happy to stand beside her in all things.
Remember to throw Buck’s gym clothes in the laundry next time he comes over. He keeps forgetting to throw them in his basket.
A simple little thought, really. He’d thought it before. His friend would leave his gym bag by the door for work and forget to empty it out when he went to do laundry. It was unlikely that anyone other than Eddie noticed the state of Buck’s clothes, but he’d been paying closer attention to him lately. Like how after the train derailment, his smile seemed easier; his shoulders relaxed more often – especially when he was with the 118 or Christopher. Buck seemed happy now that he’d gotten his closure from Abby.
He deserves to be happy. He makes me feel happy.
Buck did make him feel happy. The way he interacted with Christopher, the way he entrusted his son to this man without a second thought. But even when Christopher wasn’t around, Eddie enjoyed Buck’s company. Going to baseball games (dragging him, more like), sitting together when the crew went out for drinks after work. With Buck, he felt…
Safe.
Which wasn’t surprising, really. Buck was a kind man. Sweet and thoughtful. He put other’s first – just like Eddie does, he could hear Frank’s voice in his mind – and cared deeply about the people in his life. Not to mention, he was physically a very strong figure. In some other life, he and Buck met on the wrestling circuit but never fought. Him: with his MMA, and Buck: with his Greco-Roman Wrestling. With those broad shoulders and firm arms, he wouldn’t mind being pulled into a stronghold once or twice.
He knew Buck was conventionally attractive from the day they met. There was no hiding the sharp blue eyes or curly blond hair and rounded jaw.
Nothing like Ana.
Another correct statement that still seemed ominous in context. Why was he comparing Buck to Ana – or Shannon, for that matter? It wasn’t fair to compare friends to lovers. Although, Buck did fit into several categories on both sides.
Buck was a loyal friend, caring and trustworthy. He made Eddie and Christopher feel safe and loved. He wanted to do Buck’s laundry. He thought he was attractive. Slowly, one side of the column began to build in size.
Perhaps Buck was a bigger part of Eddie’s life than he realized. He hadn’t thought seriously about dating anyone until Ana and that never felt right but Buck…
Buck always felt right. Like he belonged with them. Like he’d known them all his life.
Could it be that Eddie wanted something other than friendship? Had he been climbing the wrong ladder all this time only to find himself at the top with no way across? After all: Buck had never given any indication that he was romantically interested in Eddie.
Though, to be fair, Eddie had given no indication either.
But that was because he’d just figured it out. Surely Buck had some idea that best friends didn’t act the way they did. Or maybe he didn’t. Maybe he wasn’t interested, in any way, with Eddie. Could he forget it and go back to the way things were? Now that his fingers seemed to tingle with the new realization, could he take it back? Could he put those feelings in a box until someone else came along?
Would there be anyone else?
What did he want to happen with Buck?
Kissing him, for starters, might be interesting. Those plump, pink lips exploring his entire body. Having someone in his bed every night would be nice – and not just anyone, but someone who understood his work and the stressors of the day. If anyone was going to stand by his side while he freaked out about Christopher going on his first date, it should be Buck. Next to Eddie, that man was the most protective when it came to that little boy. He’d only seen it once or twice but Eddie knew that Buck looked good in a suit. Would he look even better in a tux? Years from now, when he retired from the LAFD, it would be nice to feel the weight of a ring on his finger, knowing he had someone he loved waiting at home.
Oh.
Oh damn.
Eddie’s shower ran a little bit longer than expected that day.
That simple thought had sent him on a spiral two weeks ago and every night that he struggled to fall asleep, he found himself rolling to the empty side of the bed, wondering what it would be like to wake up next to his best friend.
The conclusion he inevitably came to: it would be wonderful.
If the worlds aligned, of course. He hadn’t spoken to anyone about his sudden, escalating realization (not even Frank). There was no way to know if Buck reciprocated his feelings in any way. Though he knew with uncanny certainty that he would be safe to confess his feelings without fear of losing his relationship entirely, it still seemed safer to gather more information before making any sort of move.
I’m safe with Buck no matter what.
So, no. Eddie would not describe what he felt for Buck as a simple ‘crush’.
It was everything.
------------------------------
The accident scene was a mess. It always was. They so rarely rolled up on an event that was neatly organized – not that it would make him any less stressed or worried for the safety of his patients. It was his job to worry, to be surrounded by chaos. Perhaps that was his new normal now, and his idea of an ordinary life had shifted to one that involved heavier boots.
There was still a sense of satisfaction and ease, knowing that he got to go home to his son every night, that he was helping people, and there were people in his life who loved and supported him. Unlike his old army mates (as strong as those relationships were), he also knew that if he woke up and decided to be a baker instead of a firefighter, the 118 would still treat him as one of their own.
Perhaps ‘baker’ wasn’t the best example, baking had never been one of his favourite activities. A florist, or a construction worker, maybe. Firefighting meant a lot to him but it wasn’t his calling – the way it was for his… for Buck. How would the man react if one day, Eddie told him that they would no longer be partners in work? There was no doubt in his mind that Buck would still be over on Thursday nights with pizza and video games. And perhaps if Eddie was working more regular hours, he could go over to Buck’s on occasion and make dinner for the three of them. That would be a nice surprise. Buck would smile that impossibly bright smile and open his arms to Christopher, swinging the boy around gently because he was overly cautious about roughhousing with him – something that only made Eddie’s heart beat faster. Then, Buck would make his way over to Eddie and kiss him with a sort of reverence; like he can’t quite believe that Eddie’s real. He could rest assured that the feeling was mutual.
What a ridiculously outdated fantasy. He’d clearly grown up watching too much ‘I Love Lucy’.
The firefighter shook his head as he hopped out of the truck, turning his thoughts towards the work at hand.
That was something he’d always been good at: focus and calm under pressure. It was what had made becoming a firefighter so appealing. Sure, being a combat medic meant he was more than qualified for field rescues, but all that stoic strength he possessed was better used at work rather than at home. At home, he could be Christopher’s dad. At work, he was Firefighter Diaz.
There was no room for fantasies in Firefighter Diaz’s mind.
The chaos of the accident mostly consisted of cries of pain from passengers trapped in their vehicles as they tried in vain to free themselves before the qualified company could arrive. It wasn’t uncommon to come across a major pile up in the middle of the day, when Angelenos weren’t kept at a complete standstill, and impatient drivers were a staple of life in the LAFD.
Eddie took his orders from Bobby, clearing a path of bystanders for the heavy equipment, and assisting those who were stuck somewhere between freeing themselves and receiving a particularly crude hemicorporectomy. For all the noise, it was a relatively calm affair. Sure, some were screaming and crying – and one woman definitely threw a fit when told to climb out the passenger-side window of her shattered vehicle. But those in need of help received the assistance they required, and the worst injury they encountered was a broken rib and neck bruise from a young man who remained conscious throughout his entire extraction.
It was messy, it was chaotic, it was loud, but it was all right. There were still a few people with minor concussions and bloody wounds that could hopefully be tended to at the scene (most of them unwilling to take the ambulance ride if it wasn’t strictly necessary). He was admittedly a little hyper-focused today, his mind fighting the urge to wander away from its regular duties. Eddie chided himself for feeling so lovesick at work. He’d gone all this time loving Buck, he could handle a few more hours. It was that hyper focus which would be his undoing.
“All right, I think you’re going to be just fine. Head on over to my husband over there and he’ll get you some gauze for your arm.”
An innocent enough sentence – one that didn’t register in his mind through the haze of moving from one patient to the next – but one that only fed into that dangerous fantasy of his.
“What did you call Buck?”
And one that Chimney had apparently heard loud and clear.
Eddie blinked, as he kept his eyes trained on the man before him (some poor bystander who’d bumped his head when he’d stumbled backwards to avoid the oncoming collisions), determined to remain professional in the face of his own idiocy.
Clicking his penlight on with a little too much enthusiasm, he shook the device over his patient’s face. “Can you look up, sir?” Eddie felt his coworker’s eyes trained on him but he kept his focus on his work. As he continued his examination, Chimney crept closer, eyebrows furrowed in confusion and amusement but still, the ex-soldier remained stoic as ever. Some part of Eddie knew that ignoring his friend now would only lead to a confrontation later but right now, he had work to do. And dividing his attention between his duty and his teasing friends was not how he wanted to spend his afternoon. So, he stayed focused. After a few moments, he saw Chimney shake his head and move away, letting Eddie take a much-needed breath of relief.
He was safe from his own stupid brain. For now.
Eddie knew it was coming when Chimney let him be during the rest of their scene cleanup. It was inevitable; but knowing and experiencing were two entirely separate matters.
“So.” Chimney wore what could only be described as a ‘shit-eating grin’ as he began his sentence, pulling all eyes in the back of the truck to him. “Is there something that Buck and Eddie would like to tell us?”
Buck, innocent as ever, turned to Eddie for guidance. “No…?” Eddie could only stare out the window, sorely tempted to remove his headphones if only to prolong the inevitable conversation. Was he blushing or was his face simply burning from the inside out?
“Are you sure?” The man was unrelenting, his voice growing higher with his escalating amusement. As if giving them a chance to confess would be easier than Chimney spilling the truth.
Not that there was any truth to confess. There was just one, very, very, idiotic man who got one simple crush and couldn’t keep it in his pants.
“Chim, what’s going on?”
There were two options Eddie faced in this moment where his head filled with warning sirens (not dissimilar to the ones that normally filled the truck). He could come clean and confess his sins to the team, facing the consequences with what meager amount of dignity he had left. Or, he could lie and pretend Chimney had misheard him, and they could all go about their day. That seemed the safer option. Of course, he hated lying to his team – to his friends – but what was the alternative?
“I called Buck my husband at the scene.”
Apparently, the alternative was exclaiming his idiocy in front of his teammates and denying the flash of a smile on his partner’s face. It was a simple upturn twitch of his lip, hardly noticeable, but the only opinion that mattered to Eddie as he gave his confession was from the man sitting across from him – and he was decidedly attuned to Buck’s ever-changing expressions. On a normal day, he enjoyed the way their knees bumped as the truck bounced through the streets of Los Angeles; it was just another reminder of how connected they were. Now, it made the space between them feel too close – yet still not close enough.
Buck’s face, upon hearing the news that Eddie had tied them together in the mind of some random stranger, flickered once before falling to something neutral and curious (almost amused). As if he was studying something.
“Oh, I don’t mind.” His partner shrugged and Eddie’s heart stopped. “Were they hitting on you?”
Again, Eddie appeared at a crossroads. “No.” And chose the more embarrassingly honest answer.
“Were they hitting on me?”
“No.” So many forks in his path but he continued to veer in one direction, as Buck furrowed his brows in confusion.
“Then why did you”
“I don’t know.” Eddie tried to sound casual as he grumblingly cut him off before he could continue his innocent interrogation. Through the headset, he could hear Chimney snort in disbelief but his eyes remained solely locked on his partner.
He knew why Chimney might scoff at his dismissal – those type of slipups didn’t ‘just happen’, after all – but it was as close to the truth as he could muster. He didn’t know why he’d said what he said. His mind was still frazzled from long hours contemplating what he wanted and what he felt.
Apparently, his subconscious had taken over and now he had his answer.
An answer which was decidedly too large to attempt to unpack while he was still on duty.
He wanted Buck to be his husband. He was ready to get married again – and to his best friend, no less. All wonderful information to process at another time.
The rest of the trip back to the station was filled with noise: the roar of the engine, the shout of the horn when someone inevitably cut them off, the clank of metal against metal. Eddie’s head was silent. He stared out the window at the passing world, feeling the eyes of his partner drilling into his cheek for a time, and then return to his phone. No one spoke, but the absence of voice was deafening. Teasing or pestering would have been better than the juxtaposing silence that told him everyone knew what he’d meant.
Buck had given him every out for his little mistake and, instead, Eddie had barreled straight into his own demise. There was no other explanation as to why he’d said what he said: he’d meant it. Or wanted to mean it, rather. Sure, his dirty little secret had been outed, but Buck had yet to make a comment one way or the other.
I don’t mind.
One friend helping out another: that was what it meant to Buck. And he loved that. But there was no mistaking now what Eddie felt in his heart.
He wanted it to mean something else.
Climbing out of the truck at the end of their journey was harder than usual. The silent stares wouldn’t stop because they were back at the station, it would only be worsened by the fact that there was nothing else to focus on. Eddie never prayed for a call – and he still wouldn’t now – but if there was any mercy in the world, he could avoid all of his friends and co-workers for the rest of their shift.
Simple enough.
“Hey.” Eddie cursed at the familiar voice following him towards the cubbies. Naturally, they were alone, naturally, there was no real excuse to leave – and apparently, he’d decided to suppress his ability to tell white lies for the sake of his pride today – naturally, his heart pounded behind his eyelids as Buck stopped jogging in front of him.
“I just want to say…” and here came the inevitable turndown Eddie dreaded and secretly hoped would never come. “It’s okay, I get it.” Buck’s smile was small but sincere. That man couldn’t be anything less than sincere.
It’s one of the reasons why I lo-
“It was just a slip of the tongue,” Eddie cut off his own thoughts before they betrayed him the way his subconscious had. He needed at least some of his faculties to survive the day. “Don’t worry about it.”
He stepped to the side, intending to escape his own personal hell – was it always this hot in the station? Did they always stand so close to one another? How had he never realized his feelings before now? – but Buck blocked his path.
“No, really, it’s fine.” Was Buck blushing now? “I kind of think of you as my work-husband, too.”
Another perfect opportunity for an out. He could flounder excuses about being tired and meaning it in a work-related setting the way Buck implied.
“Right.” His words sounded weak to his own ears. Who knew what they sounded like to Buck, as the man finally let him pass. Freedom secured, Eddie quickened his pace so as to escape the curious eyes of his fellow crewmates as quickly as possible.
Or at least, that was the plan, until Buck called out: “But you know, I’m free tonight if you wanted to talk about it.”
It felt as though the world stopped spinning – but the distant sound of clanking cutlery from the loft reminded him that it had not. His stomach dropped into his shoes, and his skin burst into flames from the buzzing in his ears. Eddie pivoted on his heel slowly to face his partner, uncertain he’d even heard the words he’d said. But there was Buck, blushing as brightly as he felt, but smiling a much more lopsided grin.
“Talk about what?” He cautiously asked.
Buck moved first, filling the minimal space Eddie had put between them with his broad chest and bright, eager eyes. He smelled of smoke and pine (despite interacting with neither today) and a thin sheen of sweat made him appear more disheveled than perhaps he was. Had he always been so intoxicating? What were they talking about?
“About being husbands… outside of work.”
“What?” Now Eddie was certain that he’d misheard his friend.
Buck simply smirked in response to his question, eyes moving slowly over Eddie’s face. He was always examining, questioning, confident. He had been doomed from the start.
“Christopher’s in bed at eight, right?”
“We’re pushing it to eight-thirty.” His mouth moved on autopilot, too stunned to comprehend the sudden shift in subject.
Again, Buck’s blue eyes circled his face slowly, absorbing all Eddie’s focus as he felt himself physically affected from the mere sight of his partner with his knowing grin and wandering eye. So entranced was he, that he didn’t notice how closely the other man had leaned into his space until he felt his hot breath against his skin. Eddie swallowed the lump in his throat.
He was absolutely doomed.
When Buck spoke, his tongue danced along his teeth, an enticing show of some unfulfilled fantasy that had never occurred to Eddie in the first place.
“Then I’ll be there at eight-thirty-one.”
Buck’s flirtatious demeanor melted into a giddy smile that snapped through the tension he’d pulled between them. “I was a little- a lot worried you didn’t feel the same.” He confessed, still filling Eddie’s space with his infectious energy. One word from him, and Eddie melted.
“You…were…” No more words filled his mind beyond a string of victorious swears and the sound of panicked cheering, but Buck seemed to understand him nonetheless. Buck had always understood him.
“I’ll see you tonight.”
If he hadn’t been so preoccupied with using the truck to keep his legs underneath him, he would have turned to see Buck walk away, pumping his fist in excitement. As it was, several crewmembers looked on from the balcony, shaking their heads at the pair of idiots acting like lovesick teenagers over a single date.
Chimney shooed them all away before taking the opportunity to shout: “Buck, tell your husband that lunch is ready.” Which earned him more than a few chuckles from the firefighters upstairs, and two overexaggerated groans from the men below.
They were definitely not going to be living this down for a while.
For once, Eddie didn’t mind – and if the grin plastered on Buck’s face for the rest of the shift was any indication, neither did he.
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