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#they’re not mutually exclusive either. i don’t know what the hell goes on in the mind of a straight person
greelin · 2 years
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“gay sex should be more tender” gay people can and should fuck nasty
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unreliablewitness34 · 9 months
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15 questions for 15 mutuals
Thank you @sewerkingcharlie and @movepastit for tagging me in this! I’ve never been tagged in anything before so this is really exciting!!
Were you named after anybody?
No, my parents just pucked out a name they thought sounded nice!
do you have kids?
Nope, I’m still way too young for that
do you use sarcasm a lot?
Sometimes, but I wouldn’t say A Lot
what's the first thing you notice about people?
Hell if I know, I never really paid attention to that. But I think the first thing I intentionally look at is their eyes. Like what colour they are and if I think they look nice
what's your eye color?
Blue :)
scary movies or happy endings?
There tumblr goes again, pitting two bad bitches against each other :(
They’re not even mutually exclusive! But I think if I had to choose, gun to my head, I’d go with happy endings, maybe?
any special talents?
Haha, I don’t think so. Maybe getting customer service people to like me? Does that count?
what are your hobbies?
Playing the piano, reading, watching tv shows and movies and playing video games. Also talking to myself, I do that an excessive amount and I enjoy doing it, so I’m counting it!
have any pets?
I used to, but not anymore :(
what sports do you play/have you played?
I used to do ballet (as a kid) and ballroom dancing (as a teenager)
how tall are you?
168 cm
favorite subject in school?
Maths, German (first language) and English! I also liked Biology a lot
dream job?
I wish I knew…
I tag @lambsmain @ellecove @incelghetsis @fembutchboygirl @vergi1ius @bhirodt @emeraldeyes23 @cock-holliday @butchfaith and @formerdino! I haven’t talked to like half of you but I follow you and you follow me so… love you and have fun!!
(I know this isn’t 15 but, besides the two that tagged me, they’re all I have, but then again, it isn’t 15 question either so I think I’m in the clear)
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hockeywhhores · 3 years
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it’s a love hate kind of thing- Q. Hughes
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Quinn Hughes x f!Reader
warning~ angsty as hell, swearing, miscommunications 
summary~ You have to quarantine with the Hughes family, and you finally get to know why Quinn started to hate you. 
genre~ enemies to lovers, angsty to fluff
word count~ 2.9K 
Valentine’s masterlist
main masterlist
You don’t even remember how you became friends with Jack and Luke Hughes. Though, it was how most people became friends. You met Jack in highschool where you had a couple of classes, and mutual friends. From there you grew closer to the middle brother and soon met his brothers. Quinn was what you considered being your friend, but only for six months. Until he just stopped talking to you entirely. Luke had always been a genuine friend. When Quinn just stopped being your friend, it threw you through a loop. Was it something you did? What did you even do? Jack and Luke were there to say that he was just their older brother being an asshat, but you were still wary. You had the biggest crush on him from the moment you met him, and it really hurt when he stopped talking to you without an explanation.
You had no time to dwell on the past, as you were now in college. Jack had made it to the big leagues, and Luke was projected to follow suit. If anyone asked Ellen, she would say that you were at their house more than you were at your own dorm. Ellen didn’t even mind the company. You were teaching Luke how to cook proper meals, so he could be more self-efficient than his brothers. But then coronavirus hit. Hockey was canceled, they sent home the players, and colleges closed their doors. Ellen gladly let you stay at the Hughes’ household, while you waited for the dorms to reopen. The worst part of this deal was that Quinn was also coming home. You decided to just stay out of his way, but that was going to be hard with how close the brothers were.
“Y/n you want to go roller skate with us?” Jack was yelling at you from the living room, while you were making yourself some iced tea in the kitchen. Before you could respond, you heard Quinn. You weren’t sure if he didn’t want you to hear it or if he did.
“Dude, why did you invite her?”
Ouch.
“No thanks, Jack. I think I’m going to help your mom reorganize the cleaning closet.” you semi-lied. You had wanted to go play street hockey with them, but you really weren’t in the mood to listen to Quinn insult you.
“Come on! Please y/n!” Luke was now trying to convince you. The guys now moved in the kitchen where you were still making your drink.
“I think your mom is going to need some help to clean the closets.” you tried to push the looks they were giving you out of your head. Quinn looked disgusted. Jack and Luke were trying to give you puppy eyes.
“Oh, y/n you don’t have to help me. Go play with the guys.” It shocked you when you heard Ellen’s voice coming into the kitchen. Now you really didn’t have an excuse to not go. Jack and Luke high fives and started cheering.
“Thank you mom!” you heard Jack cheer out. You didn’t dare look at Quinn. You knew he had to have a look of disappointment. “Well, come on!” Jack grabbed your arm and dragged you outside.
Rollerblading was not your forte. You were so much better at ice skating, and Quinn never let you forget that as you tried to stop by turning your foot. Quinn also bumped into you hard, but you said nothing. You didn’t want to give me another thing to critic you about. Jack was on your team, and Luke was on Quinn’s team. Jack voiced out that it wasn’t fair, because you haven’t been playing hockey your whole life.
“You wanted me to come play with you guys.” you shrugged out and heard Quinn’s scoff.
“I told you guys not to invite her.” Quinn never missed a beat with the insults. You rolled your eyes, and started passing that puck to Luke, who was across from you.
“Lets just play.” Luke became the voice of reason, between Jack and Quinn’s argument, about being nicer to you.
Everyone knew the Hughes brothers were competitive, so you tried to stay out of the way of their sticks. You were just staying towards the designated spot for the goal until you heard your phone go off. You knew they wouldn’t care about you going to pick it up. Skating over to the garage where you left it, you noticed it was your friend Will that was calling you.
“Hey Will!” you cheered into your phone. Getting the attention of the guys. You just waved them off as you sat down on the floor.
“Hey y/n! I was wondering if you could give me some tips for online dating.” Will asked you squeamishly.
“I haven’t dated in years. I don’t know if I’m going to be any help.” you admitted.
“I know, but you are great at starting conversations. I just want some tips on how to be more outgoing, I guess.”  
“Just start by asking about their interests, and then just fine common ground. Your set after that.” you explained. “Don’t be afraid they’re just another human being.”
“I don’t want to text first, but I don’t think she wants to either,” he confessed. “Before I go, how is the Hughes family treating you? Quinn still being a dick?”
“Yeah, but nothing I’m not used to from him. Aside from that, everything is going great. We were just playing street hockey, before you called.”
“Well, this was just going to be a quick call, but we should talk more later.”
“Yeah, totally! Bye! Remember, she is just another human being.” you explain one last time.
“I will! Bye!” You clicked off the phone and were met with three eyes watching you. You got up from the ground and skated back to them.
“What?” you asked, curious why they were just staring at you.
“Who were you talking to?” Luke jokingly poked you, with his eyebrows going up and down.
“Not that it’s any of you guys' business, but I was talking to my friend Will.”
“Who’s Will?” Jack asked, genuinely curious.
“Probably just some else she’s fucked.” Quinn mumbled under his breath.
“Actually, no, he isn’t. He’s a friend that goes to my college, and he wanted some advice on how to talk to a girl he has been going after.” you were beyond pissed at Quinn now. Usually he just stuck to the insults about how terrible you were at hockey, or how he doesn’t want you around, but calling you a slut was crossing the line. “I’m done playing. See you inside.” was the last thing you said before you quickly took off the rollerblades, and went inside, without looking back at the guys.
“What the hell, Quinn” Jack yelled at his brother. “That was so not cool.”
“Yeah. Why the hell did you think you could say something like that to y/n. She has been nothing, but nice to you and you are being a total asshole to her.” Quinn just shook his head. He didn’t even know why he said that, but he would not be scolded by his younger brothers. Without giving them an explanation, he went back inside as well. As Quinn walked past your ‘room’ he could hear you crying. What he said was harsh, but not as harsh as you when you supposedly hooked up with his teammate, while you were talking to him.
Quinn was getting into the talking stage with you, and things were going good. You would send him good luck text before his games, and he would text you/hang out with you whenever he could. Until he had heard his teammate, James, talking about how good you were in bed. Quinn even came to your rescue saying how they shouldn’t talk about you like that, but when James told him when you had hooked up with him, he couldn't stand being around you. He was heartbroken. Quinn thought he did everything right. You were close with his entire family, and he tried to give you as much as he could, but you chose James. After that he wanted nothing to do with you and thought if he just insulted you enough you would leave him and his brother’s alone. But Jack and Luke liked you too much to let you stop being their friend. Quinn never told his brothers what made him hate you, because it wasn’t his business who you slept with. That still doesn't mean that he was going to continue giving his whole heart to you, while you slept with other people.
Dinner was awkward. No one really knew what to say. You had left your room in an enormous pair of sweatpants, a shirt that was a bit too big, and puffy, red eyes. Your hair was in a bun, and you weren’t really into talking. Quinn felt as if he should apologize, but didn’t really know what to say. He knew he hurt you, but you also hurt him. After you finished your plate, you thanked Ellen and went back to your room. Jack and Luke were quick to follow you, leaving Quinn and his mom together.
“What happened between you two? I thought you two were going to finally get into a relationship, but here you are. You are making her cry, and she can’t even look at you anymore. Doesn’t that make you sad?” Ellen questioned her oldest son.
“I thought we were going to become exclusive as well, but then she went behind my back, and slept with James Fisher. It does make me sad. I was so sure that we had mutual feelings, but I was just someone for her to play with.” This was the first time Quinn has ever told anyone why he disliked you so much.
“Have you talked to her about it? I trusted nothing that came out of that kid's mouth.” Ellen quizzed her son. “You both deserve answers.” with that she cleared her plate and started cleaning the kitchen. Quinn knew she was right, but he doubted that you even wanted to talk to him. Yet, He went to find you.
Quinn found you in your room with his brothers. He heard the laughs and the chirps before he even was close to the door. He lightly tapped on the door, making it swing open more and revealed him.
“What do you want, Quinn?” you demanded, voice as cold as ice. Jack and Luke were just looking at him.
“I wanted to talk to you. I owe you an apology.” he explained. It surprised you; Quinn never apologized for his insults. “Can I talk to you? Alone.” After you nodded, his brothers jumped up from sitting on the floor and left.
“Are you going to come in?” you asked him, pointing at the chair in the far corner. He just nodded and closed the door. He sat in the chair and just started talking.
“I wanted to say sorry for the comment I said earlier.”
“Why did you even think to say something like that?” you challenged him.
“Because that was what happened with James.” Quinn said seriously. “I thought we had something going on, and then you go and sleep around with my teammate. I don’t care what you do with your body, but you had to do it while we were talking. I was putting everything into getting our relationship started and you really thought sleeping with James was better. I was just a game to you. God dammit y/n, I loved you.” Quinn just confessed everything. He couldn’t keep it in anymore.
“I never slept with James.” you mumbled. “He made that all up just because I wouldn’t sleep with him. You weren’t just a game. I fell in love with you too. I still am, but if you just asked me, you would’ve known that I did not sleep with James. James is an egotistical asshole who lied to everyone.” you explained in a claim voice. You had tears in your eyes, and you saw some in his as well. Lightly patting the spot on the bed next to you; Quinn promptly moved next to you. Right when he sat down next to you; you pushed yourself into his arms, pulling him into a tight hug.
“I’m so sorry that you thought I was just playing you.” You cried into his shoulder.
“No. No. No. This is all my fault I should’ve just asked you. I’m so sorry y/n. I truly am a dick.” Quinn was playing with your hair while you hugged, and you just sank deeper into his arms.
That night was different for everyone. When a movie was put on, you and Quinn weren’t insulting each other. You guys were actually sitting next to each other, holding hands, and even sharing a blanket. Things weren’t great between you too, but things were better. The night was peaceful.
The next day, the sun was shining, and you needed to get outside and experience it. You put on your tanning swimsuit and laid out on the lawn, while the guys were playing street hockey. They really couldn’t get enough hockey. You giggle every time, one brother chirped the other.
“You want to play y/n?” Quinn asked you, when you started coughing after laughing so hard at something Jack called Quinn
“Oh, I don’t think so.” you barely got out. Turning around so you could your back under the sun. You felt Quinn’s eyes on your body, and you looked over at him and gave him a wink and a genuine smile. You were happy. You felt as if you belonged.
“Come on, babe, come help me show these dorks up.” Quinn pleaded with you. The pet name rolled off his tongue without him even knowing he said it.
“I mean, you asked so nicely.” You joked with him as you got up and grabbed your rollerblades.
“Yay! I call y/n!” Quinn cheered out so loudly that you were sure the entire block heard him. You laughed and grabbed that shortest stick you could find. Skating over to the boys while they were standing around waiting for you to get closer, you got close enough and stole it from where Luke had it steady. You shot it towards the mini net they had, and surprisingly it went in!
“Oh my god! Y/n just did that!” Jack shouted out in disbelief
“Hell yeah, she did!” Quinn countered and pulled you into his arms. The swim suit you were wearing was supportive enough for you to play, but still showed enough skin to tan in. Feeling his hand on your bare waist took your breath away. You turned and smiled at him.
“Aren’t you glad you picked me.” you chirped at him.
“I’m never not going to pick you.” Quinn declared, looking straight into your eyes. You made the first move and pulled him into a kiss. The kiss was one of love and pining. The kiss was making up for all the ones that were missed.
“Hey lovebirds! Get a room!” you heard Jack yell out from behind you.
“Dude, shut up.” Luke told Jack for you and Quinn. You were the one that broke up the kiss due to you smiling too hard. Resting your forehead against his with your arms still on him, trying not to roll away, and his touch still burning your skin.
“Do you want to try this again?” Quinn asked you nervously.
“I would love to try this again.” you professed. He pecked your lips and then briskly pulled away.
“She said yes! Y/n is going to be my girlfriend!” Quinn shouted so loudly that you were now sure that the entire block heard him.
“Finally!” you heard Jack and Luke applauded.
Quinn and you slept well that night, tangled up in each other's arms. Everything was going to be fine. You woke to Quinn drawing feather-light shapes on the back of your upper arms, and the smell of pancakes filling the house.
“I’ve always dreamed about what it would be like to wake up with you in my arms.” he admitted.
“So have I, but now we don’t have to dream anymore.” you grinned at him.
“Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?”
“Probably, but you could always say it again.” you playfully countered him.
“You are the most gorgeous woman. I have ever met.” Quinn proclaimed. You leaned up and kissed him. Letting everything out. Crawling on top of him, with your knees on both of his sides. You passionately kissed him. Quinn kissed you back with the same amount of passion and then started pulling up your shirt.
“EWW! My eyes!!” Luke’s voice rang out through the entire house. You promptly pulled down your shirt and jumped off of Quinn. “Mom! You’re going to have to watch these sinners.” Luke continued to run around the whole yelling.
“Be quiet, Luke, I’ve been waiting too long for those two to get together.” Ellen’s voice rang out after Lukes. Quinn blushed, and you did as well.
“Well, then.” Quinn said into the awkward air. You then just bursted out laughing, and soon he was joining in.
“What would we do without your brothers?” you chirped.
“We would probably get some peace.” Quinn countered, and you nodded your head in agreement.
“Let’s go get some pancakes! We can finish what we started when they all find something to do far, far away.” you wiggled your eyebrows at him.
“I can’t wait to take you back to Vancouver with me.” he confessed. You only smiled at him, but he knew that was what you wanted as well.
finished 
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clarste · 3 years
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Since it's been a few weeks, what's your opinion on Chapter 8 of Arknights? Reading about your opinion on other pieces of Arknights has been very nice so far.
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I find this enemy description inordinately amusing so I will start with this before going to spoilers below the break.
1) First of all I am a sucker for flashbacks following the villain, so the basic structure of Chapter 8 was right up my alley. Even if Talulah's arc was more or less predictable—who among us did not expect Alina to die? I think some people might feel that it was a little too long, but honestly I think it said everything it needed to say and frankly there is nothing more important the chapter could have said. If anything, the parts that weren't about Talulah would be first on my chopping list if I were editing this story down. In particular, the whole bit with Kal'tsit and the sarcophagus and all that had almost nothing to do with the themes of this chapter or the Reunion arc, so they seemed especially superfluous. Even if that story might have been interesting told on its own.
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2) Talulah. The main character of this chapter, obviously. I think there are two different angles to approach her from that seem almost mutually exclusive, which are that A) she is a tragic figure who started with noble ideals but was pushed to her limits until she became a ruthless shell of her former self and B) she is literally possessed by Kaschey, ie: the Deathless Black Snake, who is the immortal spirit of Imperialism manipulating the country of Ursus into a constant state of war. From what I've seen of people’s reactions, I think most people focus more on angle B, which makes sense because that is literally true in the story, but what I took from it is that it's a lot more ambiguous than that.
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What I mean is that the story is constantly emphasizing that the Deathless Black Snake can only take action as long as Talulah agrees with it. It's more insidious than just an external ghost taking control of her (and thereby freeing her of responsibility for her actions), it's a philosophy that was planted in her by her mentor, a way of thinking, an idea. A living meme. So when I say that it's the immortal spirit of imperialism, I don't mean that as a joke, it is the embodiment of imperialism itself, of imperialist ideals and goals, manifested in this particular person the moment she starts seeing her enemies as obstacles to be eliminated instead of people with their own motivations. I certainly don't think that the trigger for the transformation was set arbitrarily, that's just Who She Needed To Be in order to buy into the ideas that Kaschey and the Snake had taught her from a young age. It’s also an ancient god taking physical control over her, but hey, it's fantasy.
Ultimately, we didn't defeat the Deathless Black Snake in battle, we just gave Talulah second thoughts. And she will live with what she's done for the rest of her life.
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3) Amiya. In this chapter, more than anywhere else, it's clear that Amiya is the main character of Arknights. Sure, we have whatever Kal'tsit is plotting, and whatever the hell the Doctor is, but that doesn't actually matter. In fact, they spent this entire chapter walking around in the basement and never once interacting with Talulah. The Doctor shows up at the end with no idea what's going on or what happened, which is quite comical when you think about it.
By contrast, Amiya sees the big picture. Of the three people on top of the tower during the climax, only Amiya knows what both Talulah and Chen have been through, or indeed what she’s been though. What brought them all to that point. She is watching all these flashbacks right alongside us through her empathy powers. Which, as I've mentioned before, is really the best superpower in this setting: the power to see the world through someone else's eyes, and to feel the pain that drives them. And we, the players, feel what she feels. In a certain sense, she's even more of a player avatar here than even the Doctor, which I mean in the best possible way.
And of course her empathy gives her cool shounen superpowers that are suspiciously similar to Emiya Shirou, but I will allow it.
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4) Chen. Chen is honestly kind of the weak link here, imo. While of course we've been following her character arc since chapter 3 and I don't mind where they've taken her, it ironically kind of felt to me like she had no personal stakes in the final battle. Which is odd since the story seemed to be hammering that it's all personal for her, what with Talulah being her long-lost sister and all that. The problem (imo) is that her close relationship with Talulah is all Told-Not-Shown, and also that Talulah is being possessed by the Deathless Black Snake, so it kind of feels like she's being left out of the loop, both in terms of knowing the facts and also emotionally.
I'm not saying she doesn't get any good lines, or that her banter with Amiya isn't cool or funny, I'm just saying that what should have been a big emotional moment at the climax of the story just sort of fell flat for me, and I was left wondering "wait, why is Chen here again?"
That said, I did enjoy her bit afterward where she's like "you need to stand fair trial for your crimes, Talulah, but in this world that discriminates against the Infected, there’s nowhere worthy of giving you one." I feel that sums up the game's stance on these things quite succinctly.
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5) Rosmontis. Rosmontis had sort of an interesting arc here because it separated her from Amiya and I almost want to say that was a good thing? While I thought her relationship to Amiya was one of the most interesting things about her in the previous chapter, it almost feels like it was preventing her from forming bonds with other people and becoming a more well-rounded person? I guess what I want to say that is that Rosmontis was being coddled, sheltered, treated as a child. While some would call her a monster, Amiya was always around to say "no no no, don't listen to them, you're cute!" And while that was certainly nice of Amiya, it feels like what truly made her accept herself was almost the opposite: being accepted as a monster (or rather, a person with monstrous powers) by people used to fighting alongside monsters. Being told that she's allowed to hate the people who hurt her, and to be ruthless to her enemies. That her own emotions, both good or bad, are valid. For the first time, she felt human.
What you'll note, of course, is that these aren't exactly heroic virtues, and in fact they're kind of similar to what Amiya rejects and what got Talulah into so much trouble? Honestly I don't know if I would say Rosmontis is a good person right now, but what she is doing is thinking on her own for the first time, and deciding what's right and wrong for herself. It sounds almost malicious to put it this way, but it's like Amiya and Rhodes Island were trying to mold her into someone she's not. In some ways the opposite of what Kaschey did to Talulah.
I don't think her story is over yet, of course, but I found it an interesting direction to take. Rosmontis is on the path to find her own justice, which may or may not align with Rhodes Island's.
Also, kitty:
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6) W. Back when I was doing a write-up for chapter 7, I said that maybe she would have been better off being recruitable in chapter 8 instead of 7, because it seemed a little early in her arc for that. I was wrong. She wouldn't fit in for chapter 8 either. Honestly she probably shouldn't be recruitable at all right now, not that I'm complaining as someone who uses her. Just, you know, narratively she is not at a place where she would consider joining RI, and in fact she ends the chapter pretty much going "later losers, I hope we never meet again." Which implies that the W in my squad right now is like a totally different person who is either from an alternate dimension or the future, after a lot of character development. That's not like the worst thing ever, it just seems a little weird to have her right now. W's story isn't about Reunion and never was. It's about Theresa and Babel, which as of now we are still only getting little hints of. I'd be glad to see that story when it happens, but until then W's just kind of there.
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7) Themes. For some reason, this one line in this chapter really hit me. While it's not literally true, especially if you count all the former child slaves or feral children and whatnot, it does feel broadly true that most of the characters come from middle-class backgrounds. Like, your Krooses and Orchids of the world. Kal'tsit goes on to explain that this is because RI can only really recruit in cities, and that rural Infected tend to get thrown into the wilderness on their own and have no idea that RI exists.
Interestingly, this idea also sort of comes up in Talalah's side, when it's revealed that Talulah is the daughter of a duke, making her followers hesitate for a moment. While I don't recall it being explicitly spelled out, the implication was obviously that she's not "one of them" and this might be a cause for distrust. But what are "they' exactly? Clearly she is in fact Infected, she made sure of that herself. But she wasn't abandoned in the same way her followers were. She had a choice, and chose to side with the Infected. Which is honorable of her and all, but it also indicates a fundamental disconnect between them because they never had a choice. She could've used her influence to hide her oripathy and be treated like a normal person (as we saw happened with both Chen and Patriot), or used her wealth to get sent to a fancy private hospital like Rhodes Island, with the latest medical technology and treatments.
So while the story focuses on the discrimination of the Infected, it's clear here that that's not really the only thing going on. Being Infected means little to those in power, while for those without power it's just an an excuse to intrude on their lives and make sure they aren't "harboring any Infected" or whatever. Basically the story starts discussing intersectionality, which I found interesting.
8) This is a good line:
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I know other people have said it in better words but I really don’t understand how that finale was good. Ok bear with me. Yes I’m a destiel shipper but Cas not being in the episode and the confession not being acknowledged in any way aren’t even in my top 5 reasons for what I hate about the finale. I don’t even know if they’d make it into my top 10.
We had a bunch of episodes before the extended break due to Covid happened where Sam kept having dreams of Chuck’s ideas for how Sam and Dean die, usually by one killing the other, in other universes. And then in the episode with Becky, she talks about how sad and hopeless the ending Chuck writes is and there is this positive light put on how in her own fanfics, Sam and Dean are often just at the bunker doing regular things like bonding while folding laundry. And in the end, Dean dies and Sam lives the rest of his life with this deep sense of unhappiness without any of the other hunters and friends he’s made in the last few years that could help him and provide him some kind of emotional support. He’s just kind of going through the motions before he dies it seems like. And Dean just dies and goes to heaven and basically waits for Sam to die and show up. And as someone who, while I’ve never attempted suicide, became very depressed from around middle school because of constantly being in a space where I was told my sexuality meant I was going to Hell and wondered if maybe the only way I could escape that deep unhappiness and loneliness I was feeling was in death? The idea that death is the only release and the only time where you can achieve true happiness is horrifying.
Dean has always had scenes, even episodes built around him wanting to live some kind of apple-pie life and believing it’s something he can never have. Dean has always tried to provide for Sam and make sure Sam has what he never could, including Sam having an apple pie life. Dean always believed he was going to die young and while on some level some of that had to do with him being a hunter, it also had to do with his own issues of self worth. Why couldn’t Dean realize and accept that after all the horror and bullshit he’s dealt with, he does want to grow old and live an apple pie life and be happy and be better? Why couldn’t Dean have some version of an apple pie life? Not even with Cas, just some version? I don’t think anyone would’ve like Dean having a blurry wife, but Dean just owning a bar that becomes the Roadhouse 2.0 where he gets to see the Wayward Sisters and AU Bobby and AU Charlie every few weeks? Why couldn’t Dean examine why he’s become an increasingly worse person and realize he needs help? That would’ve been nice.
Sam seems to want it at first only because he wants to be normal and then realizes that not only is he really good at hunting, but he actually enjoys it, maybe even more than Dean, and he steps into this leadership position later. He still wants a relationship (I will never forget you Eileen. You are an awesome character and its horrible that when very little deaf and hard of hearing representation exists and you were shown as not only a serious love interest but an amazing independent hunter who realizes her revenge won’t bring her happiness and continues to find her happiness after revenge only to be brushed aside and ignored). However, it seems like if he did it would’ve been way more integrated into his hunting life. Because having a family and hunting aren’t mutually exclusive. Bobby and Karen would’ve had children but couldn’t. Jo lived a happy loving childhood with Ellen and her father until John used her father as bait, and Ellen continued to love Jo and tried to get her to leave hunting for her safety. Jody takes care of 3 teenage girls who are either active hunters or want to be involved in some way. Why couldn’t Sam be a leader and in a relationship? Why couldn’t Sam have a wife and child like he wanted, except him having a family is not because he’s chasing a sense of normalcy but because he actually wants one?
These were things the two of them wanted but doubted they could have. In a world where a god is no longer controlling you, a conventionally attractive middle aged white man with access to large amounts of money and many issues they want to work through but haven’t been able to because of multiple apocalypses, what else do you have stopping you from pursuing the things you want other than yourself?
Now I know there are a lot of fans who didn’t like that the show centered less on Sam and Dean’s relationship. Yes, the show, at least in the first 5 seasons, was exclusively centered around Sam and Dean. The last 5 haven’t been though. Yes, the show went through many different directors in the 10 seasons after it was originally supposed to end and that is why. The last 5 seasons still have Sam and Dean’s family slowly extending, even when they seem to become shittier people. I’m not saying the last episode shouldn’t have focused on Sam and Dean’s relationship because that was the original centerpiece of the show and remained one of the key features. But why did it seem like they could only be happy when they were dead in heaven even when the two of them still have things they need to work out.
Even if the last episode wanted to exclusively focus on the two of them, why couldn’t we see them actually have a time where they’re alive and doing this? Supernatural starts as a show with two fucked up brothers and ends with those same brothers killing the god they realize has orchestrated almost every aspect of their and are now trying to learn what a life free of control means. Why couldn’t the last episode have them actually sit down and reflect on the people they’ve lost throughout their 15 years together? Why not have them discuss how horrible they’ve been to each other over those years, keeping secrets, gaslighting each other, intentionally doing things to harm each other, and deciding to end the cycle of trauma from both sides of their family by seeking help or maybe indefinitely separating themselves, realizing that they have the ability to bring out the best and worst in each other?
I would prefer much happier endings, but if we were continuing with the idea of kind of a return to the beginning, of bringing Supernatural back to its grassroots as a show about two brothers, why not have the show that started by their reunion end with their separation? It still pulls at the heartstrings, it still hits the notes it needs to, it’s hopeful, it focuses on Sam and Dean, and it ends with them recognizing that as much as they love each other, they have an unstable unhealthy relationship and without a god pulling the strings it is now up to them to decide if they want to leave this relationship to grow mentally and emotionally and seek out the help the other can’t provide. The last season was all about them trying to take control over their lives back, so show what happens when they actually have full control and deny the audience access to what they then do with the rest of their lives because they refuse to be seen as entertainment.
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coldtomyflash · 4 years
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I feel like the most obvious path to Coldwestallen has been to have Barry and Iris get together first, although I've seen a couple fics where Len and Iris do, but I don't think I've ever seen a Coldflash turn into Coldwestallen. Do you think there's a scenario where that could happen ?
 Oh that’s true isn’t it. Probably because it’s easiest, since westallen is established, or since Iris/Len is a bit easier to add Barry to in a natural way. I’ll be honest and say that all the coldwestallen story conceits I have are either westallen that adds cold, or coldwest that adds barry, or westallen and coldwest that gets messy (there’s a double amnesia AU I may still one day write).
That being said - of course there’s a scenario where it could happen.
There’s always a scenario where something could happen :D
I guess you’d have to start with - how did Barry and Len get together and why weren’t Barry and Iris together to start?
I’d honestly say it works best if you go with mid to late S2 for establishing coldflash. That was you don’t have established WA in canon yet to write your way around, and you can ignore Legends and Len leaving town in S2. Just branch from 2x09 where Len warns Barry about the Trickster and Weather Wizard and go from there.
Starting from that - I would say it makes sense to establish coldflash in whatever manner makes sense to you, whether it starts as a frenemies with benefits, blowing off steam kind of thing (my preference), or whether it is them working a case and getting closer until sparks fly (also fun) or something else. But establish coldflash and their dynamic - but don’t yet make it into a super serious and super committed thing.
Len isn’t foolish and he is perceptive - he knows Barry is and always has been holding a candle for Iris. This doesn’t bother him because he doesn’t expect this thing with Barry to get ‘real’. It is what it is, it’s fun, there’s mutual respect and everyone is having a good time, with a bit of spice and danger. If he finds himself a little over-invested, well, that’s on him, and he’ll deal with it when it needs dealing with.
Enter Iris, tentatively opening herself to Barry, finally - feeling ready for something with him (post Eddie’s death, sometime in S2, much like canon). Barry, then, is inexplicably torn - surprising himself, Len, and Iris. This is Unforeseen. Barry’s been in love with Iris for half his life, he’s not supposed to experience any conflict about finally having the opportunity to be with her now that she’s in a place where she’s emotionally open to that.
But, well, he is. Conflicted, that is. Because yeah, he feels for Iris, that hasn’t gone away. But now he’s guilty because, he’s kind of with Len? And really, to his own surprise a bit, really likes being with Len. He’s funny and charming and strong and sometimes mean and okay Barry actually kind of likes that mean-streak if he’s being fully honest, it’s refreshing and makes him feel more safe to be himself, more humble and down to earth, not like he has to constantly be the perfect golden boy on a pedestal but is allowed to be human.
Being with Len is good for him, and Barry doesn’t want to give that up. Which is a startling revelation to him when Iris kisses him and he kisses her back then immediately goes into a weird spiral because - are he and Len even exclusive? They never talked about it. What is he even doing? He can’t build a life with Len - can he? Holy crap he wants to build a life with Len. But Iris - what about Iris? He still wants to build a life with her. He and Len have never talked about Iris, not really, except skirting the topic, and Barry knows he’s never been subtle about his feelings for her but -
Iris is. Confused. Barry never fully confided what’s going on with Len to her. He hinted at some scandalous liasons, maybe, but she had no clue Barry was in any sort of situation that she might be interrupting. Barry is terrible at divulging his secrets or telling his friends and family anything, we know this. 
Barry is an idiot (love him to death) and decides that Len is somehow the right person to confide in with his struggles. Len is. Shaking his head. Barry wtf. Go be with Iris. You love her, I’m not an idiot, I knew this would end. Barry like - screw you, aren’t you supposed to be a greedy thief and demand to keep me? Len like - wait you want me to... steal you? Like a brick of gold? Barry throwing his arms in the air like I don’t know I just don’t want to lose you!
Len suddenly confronted by the fact that Barry has real, grown-up feelings for him and not just a bit of puppy love, that he’s actually considering staying with Len and losing out on his chance to be with Iris. Which is a bit arresting because - that’s a lot of love and depth, and it’s suddenly there on display with all the despair etched into Barry’s face at the prospect of giving up Len and since when did Barry fall in love with him holy shit holy shit holy shit -
And like - Len is a greedy thief, okay. And he’s mean. He wants to keep Barry. He gets to keep Barry? He’s going to keep Barry. He doesn’t expect it to last because it’s Barry and Barry is Good and Right and Deserves to Be with Iris. But Len is Mean and Greedy and Fights Dirty. (len’s perception, obvy). So he tells Barry he won’t make him choose, but also gets all sexy-possessive (it’s one of my favourite things, okay, just allow it) and makes sure to remind Barry of all the enjoyment he gets from being with Len.
But being the instigating little shit that he is, he also encourages Barry to talk to Iris, to even take her on a date, to see if he can get from her what he gets from him. why? why play with fire? because len plays to win and he’s not going to be satisfied if barry regrets his choice and leaves him in a year over iris. he wants all of barry now that he’s got the option, dammit.
So a very conflicted Barry takes Iris out. Kisses her. Gets all heart-beating confused and delighted and everything. Things get a bit hot and heavy and then he stops and has to talk because this is great but he feels guilty as hell and part of that guilt is because yes okay Len said this is fine but is it really and what does Barry want and okay Iris totally has a right to know where his head is at.
So Barry opens up to Iris about the situation and she’s like “relationship? huh? but - he’s a thief, I don’t - you’re the flash - how does - huh?” quite understandably I would say, because last time she met Len, he was threatening to blow her up in her own livingroom. It wasn’t a great first impression. sure barry hinted at some ~liasons~ with someone and maybe she suspected it was cold but this is so much beyond that.
So she takes it on herself to at least make sure this guy has good intentions for Barry because whatever the situation, she still loves and cares for Barry and if he’s in over his head with this antagonist and is being taken advantage of, it’s her duty as his friend to help make sure he’s okay. (And also - Barry wants to be with her. he said as much. he isn’t shy about being in love with her. so why the hell is he still hung up on this guy?)
And Len is... weird. Okay. He’s weird. She goes to talk to him and he’s speaking in riddles and double-speak and innuendo. So much innuendo. Why? Puns all the way up, all the way down. And they argue and it’s... electric. Like shockingly electric. It gets to like them standing chest to chest breathing heavy and hissing invective at one another before they realize - oh. Oh this is tension, this is chemistry. This is dangerous.
Nothing happens. They back off as one. Recalibrate. Try to sort their heads around ‘what the hell was that’. Len tells Barry that Iris visited him. Barry confronts Iris. Iris tells him she was legit worried, and Barry decides they all need to sit down together so he can more legitimately smooth over Iris’s actually-quite-reasonable fears and maybe like... sort out what he wants.
but obviously what he wants is to have his cake and eat it too. because he’s always been in love with her but now he’s also in love with him, and either way he wins and he loses and that is a very painful and difficult situation to be in and maybe len never should have encouraged him to pursue this because what a goddamn mess his heart is now.
and from there, naturally the next thing to do is to conclude the narrative in a satisfying way and get the three of them together. both len and iris comforting a distraught barry on instinct, looking at each other and pausing, then continuing because “this is my job” “no it’s mine”. like a game of chicken comforting him and challenging each other, raised eyebrows and “your move” looks until they’re kind of very tenderly seducing barry and it’s delightfully overwhelming to him. it’s soft (softer than how i’d usually write smut tbh) because the focus is on these very intense and overpowering emotions and this deep (healthy!) possessiveness born out of love from all three of them. 
and because i’m a sucker for it there’s got to be this pivotal moment where len and iris kiss. like len and iris are peppering barry with kisses, stealing his lips, taking turns doing that as they undress him (they work so well in tandem, gee what a surprise), and then he leans back a bit as they move to trade his mouth off again and his eyes are half-lidded but the desire is plain as day so iris and len have a moment of silent negotiation and then they kiss and -
oh. oh, that is more than just electric. it’s something special. deep, powerful, undeniable.
so of course really fantastic sex is had by all, because this is fanfiction and sex is never awkward and no one accidentally falls off the bed (except that would be super funny and i’d probably write it that way just because). and barry is delighted and blissed out af. and iris and len’s fingers intertwine over barry’s stomach as they lay on either side of him, and it’s beautiful and offers a promise of what’s to come.
i’d keep that end short rather than do the whole relationship negotiation but honestly knowing me, i’d actually end up incidentally dragging it out more and adding in more of that relationship negotiation dynamic before they got to the end because i can’t help it.
But uhm. To answer your question: Yes. Yes I do think the scenario is possible.
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king-finnigan · 4 years
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Please do 2 and 49 for the geraskier prompts!
2: Royal AU + 49: Fake Married
Sorry it took me a while, anon! School’s been eating me alive.
***
Geralt’s always loved horses. He loves their elegance, loves their strength, loves their personalities and the way they press their noses against his pockets, looking for treats. 
He’s always loved being around them, he’s always loved brushing them and spoiling them after a hard day of ploughing the fields that surround the farm. 
Today is Wednesday, though, and his dad always forces him to take the day off on Wednesday - he’s not sure why Wednesday, specifically. Vesemir never dignified him with an answer, when he asked.
So, he gets up early in the morning, like he does every day - he’s never been one for sleeping in, anyways - and goes to the stable. He should brush Roach and Beetle, before maybe taking one of them on a ride through the hills - probably Roach, since Beetle is getting a bit older, and she’s never really been the adventurous type. He doesn’t blame her of course, after all the hard work she does day in day out, she deserves to stand around and do nothing all day if she wants to.
He walks out of the cottage, the late spring mist swirling around his feet as he walks through the orchard. He stops by one of the trees, reaching up to pick three slightly-too-ripe apples that would never make it to the market, before he continues walking to the stables. 
“Mornin’,” he greets Beetle, feeding her one of the apples. She munches on it happily, her big, brown eyes looking at him intently. He frowns a bit. She never looks at him like that. He shrugs it off, walking to the next stable, where Roach is. “And good morning to you,” he mutters, giving her the second apple, putting the third one in his pocket for later. 
Roach eats it, but butts him with her nose immediately after, shaking her head when he looks at her curiously. He walks back to the door, taking a brush off one of the hooks on the wall as he talks: “Something the matter, girls? You two seem a bit agitated.”
The horses, of course, don’t reply. He’s always loved them for that.
“Alright,” he mutters, a she turns back around. “Who first?” Roach neighs, shaking her head again. “Alright, alright. Impatient today, aren’t we?” he says, chuckling a bit as he opens the door to her box, stepping inside.
He stops dead in his tracks when he sees someone huddled in the corner.
“What the hell?” He’s only aware of the fact that he’s dropped the brush when he hears it clatter on the floor.
Blue eyes shine up at him, red-rimmed, half-covered in a mess of brown curls. He steps forward, towards the young man curled up in the corner, hands balling by his side. He doesn’t care if he gets attacked, he can defend himself, he only cares about the horses. The stranger is so close to Roach’s hind leg, and if he were to break it, Geralt would have to put Roach down - and he definitely does not want to lose his best friend.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?”
The young man sniffles, wiping his face on his dirty sleeve. His clothes look fancy enough, like they cost a lot of money, but they’re all torn and bloodied, seemingly from a gash in the man’s forehead, and the scratches on his cheeks and hands. 
“Sorry,” the stranger whispers, “it was cold last night, and I had nowhere else to go.”
“Why not?”
“What?”
Geralt sighs, crossing his arms in front of him. This is his only fucking day off in the week, he doesn’t have time to question the stranger that’s broken into his stable. “Why’d you have nowhere else to go?”
The stranger rubs his reddened eyes again, before clasping his hands around his stomach - Geralt can hear it growling from here. “Ran away.”
Geralt sighs again, sitting down on the ground. “Why?”
“It was...” the young man clears his throat “it was... a prison.”
Geralt clenches his fists. “You escaped from prison?” He plants his hands on the ground, ready to get up and get on Roach to find the nearest palace guard - if this man is a criminal, then Geralt does not want to be caught red-handed harbouring him, even if he didn’t really consent to it.
“Nonono!” The young man reaches forward, trying to stop Geralt. “Not literally. I mean- I uh...” He rubs the back of his neck, frowning. “Shit. I’m so sorry, I thought I would be able to leave before you found me, I didn’t know you’d be getting up so early.” He waits for an answer, but Geralt merely purses his lips, jaw clenched.
The young man rubs the back of his neck again. “My dad, he uh... he’s a bit... very... incredibly overbearing. He wants to control my life, and I don’t want that. So I ran away.”
The young man’s stomach growls again, and the delicate features scrunch up in pain. Geralt sighs, and takes the last apple out of his pocket, the one he intended on eating himself, and rolls it towards the other man. 
Wide, blue eyes look at him in wonder and gratitude, as nimble fingers reach for the fruit. “Thank you, uh...”
“Geralt.”
“Thank you, Geralt.” He’s about to take a bite, when he stops himself. “I’m uh... Jaskier, by the way.” He bites into the fruit, face relaxing as he sighs deeply, a soft hum at the back of his throat.
“You’re welcome, Uh-Jaskier.”
Jaskier rolls his eyes and smiles at him, cheeks stuffed with apple. Geralt can’t help but smile back. Jaskier may be strange, and kind of off-putting, familiar in a way that Geralt feels like he should know the man, but not in a personal way, and he may look like a bit of a poncy prick, with his fancy clothes and neatly cut hair, but Geralt can also see the relief in those blue eyes, see the weight of the world lift off those thin shoulders.
And maybe he feels a little bad, sure. And maybe he decides not to chase Jaskier away the first chance he gets. But he’s definitely chasing the young man away the second chance he gets.
“So, Geralt,” Jaskier says, muffled through the bits of apple, “do you always talk to horses?”
Geralt frowns, shrugging. “I suppose so. Do you always run through the woods like a madman?”
Jaskier frowns, indignant look on those delicate features. “What makes you think I was running like a madman?”
Geralt looks him up and down, in a way that’s clearly saying: Did you even look at yourself? “You’re covered in scratches and bruises and your clothes are ripped. Either you were behaving like an idiot, or you got beaten up.” It’s silent for half a beat. “Though those two aren’t mutually exclusive.”
Jaskier gasps at him, nimble fingers on his chest, mouth agape. “How dare you. I’ll let you know I’m-” He cuts himself up, his finger hanging in the air between them.
Geralt pulls his eyebrows up. “You’re what?”
The young man shakes his head. “Nothing,” he mumbles.
Geralt shrugs again, turning around when he hears the thunder of hooves on the dirt, outside. A distant shout: “Julian! Julian Alfred Pankratz!”
Geralt frowns, shaking his head lightly, as he turns back to Jaskier, who’s blushing from his slender neck to his messy hair. “Wait,” he mutters, “are you Julian? Are they calling out for you?”
Jaskier looks at him, wide, blue eyes guilty and sad, so incredibly sad. 
“What’s this noise all about?” He hears Vesemir shout in the distance, probably standing in the doorway to the cottage.
Julian Alfred Pankratz. He’s heard that name before. 
He squints his eyes, raking through his memory. Oh no. It makes sense now. The clumsiness in the woods, the fancy clothing, the familiar-but-not-that-familiar face. Julian Alfred Pankratz. The crown prince of Kaedwen.
He stands up abruptly, heading for the door. He’s not going to get himself and his dad arrested for harboring a runaway prince, for the love of the gods.
“Wait!” Jaskier calls behind him, still on the floor, and for some reason, Geralt does stop. He doesn’t turn back, though, and simply waits for Jaskier’s explanation.
“He was gonna marry me off. My dad. To some noble lady from Nazair. I don’t wanna marry a noble lady from Nazair.”
Geralt sighs, rolling his eyes. “I completely understand. Your life must be so hard.”
He can hear Jaskier sniffle behind him, probably crying again. “I know you don’t understand. I wouldn’t, either. I mean, she’s pretty and she’s nice and she’s a noble lady from Nazair. But-” it’s quiet for a second or two, as the palace guards keep shouting the prince’s name, outside, “but my dad doesn’t understand that I don’t wanna marry a lady.”
Geralt looks over his shoulder. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t wanna marry a lady,” Jaskier whispers again, tears in his eyes, blush creeping up his neck, hands trembling in front of him as he stares at the floor. “He doesn’t approve.”
“Oh.” Geralt thinks for a second, lets Roach bump his shoulder with her nose, lets her snort against his frown. “And if you go back now, you have to marry her?”
Jaskier nods, a single tear rolling down his cheek. 
“And if you were already married? He can’t break the sanctity of marriage, once it’s completed.”
Jaskier looks up at that, frowning at him. “I guess, but I don’t know anyone who’s willing to marry me right here and now.”
Geralt sighs, and looks at Roach, who looks right back at him. He can’t believe he’s gonna do this. 
He turns around, kneeling in the straw, as the footsteps of the guards approach the stable. It’s only minutes until they find Jaskier. 
Geralt takes a piece of straw, taking Jaskier’s left hand, tying the straw around his finger. He holds his hand out. “You do the same.” Jaskier does as he’s told, eyes confused but realization slowly dawning, hands trembling.
“But- the ritual of getting married takes longer, this isn’t marrying, we’re not-”
“Yes, I know that,” Geralt hisses impatiently, then beckons to the door with his head, “but they don’t know that. We just have to keep pretending.”
He doesn’t know why he’s doing this, doesn’t know why he’s basically about to throw his whole life at the farm away for a life at the court, but he feels bad for Jaskier, feels the same anger and frustration and sadness mirrored in himself about not being understood, not being accepted for who you love.
He remembers a summer love, long ago. He remembers Vesemir chasing him away.
“This is just temporary, okay? Just until you find someone you actually love, and then you can marry him and reveal that this was all fake, alright?”
Jaskier’s finally finished tying the straw around his fingers, but his hands clasp Geralt’s before he can move away. “Thank you,” he whispers, and Geralt loses a little piece of himself in those ocean eyes.
He shakes the sudden dizziness away, and pulls Jaskier up, taking his hand, leading him outside.
Immediately, they’re surrounded by guards, their swords aimed at Geralt’s chest. He swallows thickly. “Let the prince go!” One of the guards says, the point of his blade pushing into the fabric of Geralt’s shirt.
“No!” Jaskier shouts, standing between them, clasping Geralt’s hand in his. “Don’t, McKinley. He’s-” his voice catches in his throat “he’s my husband?” he whispers.
McKinley takes a step back. “What?”
Jaskier smiles hesitantly, holding up his hand with the piece of straw around his finger, then holds Geralt’s hand up, showing the matching makeshift ring. “I got married?”
McKinley pales. “Oh, gods, Julian, I don’t want to be the one to tell your father about this.”
Jaskier shrugs. “It’s okay, I’ll explain, don’t worry about it.”
Geralt’s eyes are drawn by Vesemir, standing outside the semi-circle of guards, looking just as confused as they are. “Married?” he mouths at Geralt.
“Explain later.” Geralt mouths back.
Oh, gods, he thinks to himself, as the guards bow to him and Jaskier, one by one, muttering ‘our royal highnesses’. What have I gotten myself into?
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thecleverdame · 4 years
Text
Control and Release - 27
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Series Masterlist
TEDTalk!Sam x Reader
Summary: After the rest of the staff is caught in a snowstorm, you find yourself acting as a personal assistant to the notorious Sam Winchester. As the arrangement becomes more defined, you and Sam begin a sexual adventure with dangerous consequences.  
Warnings: Dom/Sub, humiliation, embarrassment, sexual objectification, mutual masturbation, spanking, cum play, fingering, anal play, orgasm control, nipple clamps, dub-con, breath play.
Beta: @ilikaicalie
Words: 5.7k
Parts 28-31 are currently available on Patreon for a monthly pledge of $2.50. This includes early access to all my stories, including the ABO series Gods of Twilight and Patreon exclusive content.  >> CLICK HERE <<
-
Two Months Later
Two of W & S's private planes are sitting side by side on the tarmac as you walk toward the stairs and board the jet. In the front section are the larger, roomier seats reserved for the more important members of the staff.
You spot Sam the moment you board, he’s seated with a laptop open in front of him. Next to him is the welcome sight of Pepper, pointing to something on the screen and rattling on. He seems to sense your presence, glancing up and locking in while you shuffle down the aisle. A small, amused smirk pulls at his mouth, throat bobbing as he watches you.
He really did a number on you this morning; set the alarm and everything to ensure the two of you had plenty of quality time together before departure. He had you in handcuffs, moaning his name before you were even truly awake. And now your ass is throbbing. He was in the mood to really give it to you good and then you begged for it even harder. This morning’s spanking will definitely make for an uncomfortable flight, but that’s the point. A constant reminder of his hands on your ass, enough to keep you wet in anticipation of what’s to come over the next few weeks together in a new place.
This trip to London is scheduled to last four weeks if everything goes well, but likely closer to six. Six weeks in a city you’ve only dreamed of visiting. The new office means training a hundred employees at W & S’s flagship UK office. You’ll each train your counterpart, helping to guide them through the internal processes.
“Hi Pepper,” you grin as you walk by them. “Welcome back.”
While you never imagined those words would be true, hell hath frozen over. Having a second rate replacement who didn’t understand your working or personal relationship with Sam proved to be incredibly challenging. Now that Pepper knows your secret, you hope this part of things will become easier. She’ll give you all the unfettered access you want with no questions asked.
“Hello.” She manages a grim, sickly smile.
Sam glances around, ensuring there’s no one else in the front cabin before speaking up.
“How are you this morning, Y/N?” he smirks, mouth barely containing a shit-eating grin.
Pepper sighs, shifting uncomfortably between you, with a roll of her eyes. She was at his house this morning to help him prepare. She watched you eat Corn Flakes in his kitchen with her trademark look of irritated judgment.
“Good, how are you, Mr. Winchester?” you counter, looking back as Millie boards the plane, walking up behind you. “Better keep moving.”
You enter the back section with a dozen smaller seats that are still a luxury compared to a commercial flight. Cole glances up from his book and smiles wide and warm, gesturing to the empty seat beside him.
Sam is sure it was him who turned you in to human resources, but you’re not convinced. He hasn’t acted any different towards you. He’s just as easy to work with as he was before the incident. It’s been almost two months now and there’s been nothing, no whispers or sideways looks. Someone saw or heard something, but whoever it is is playing their cards close to the vest.
For the first couple of hours, you chat about work, then he tells you about his mother and how hard the death of his father was on the whole family. You offer up little anecdotes about your parents and growing up in New Mexico. Even show him a couple of family photos.
Eventually, he makes a move to his iPad and you open your book. It’s hard to concentrate. You can feel him sneaking glances at you, once, twice and then every couple minutes.
You shut the book, turning to him.
“Is there something on your mind?”
He’s silent, settling his headphones around his neck. You see the wheels turning; whatever he’s about to say, he’s wrestling with it.
“I just...I thought I knew you.”
Your heart sinks into your stomach.
“What does that mean?” you hiss. Swiveling in the seat you glance behind you at Millie asleep with her mouth hanging open and Adam from IT watching a movie with giant headphones over his ears.
“I’m not trying to make you feel bad.” Cole leans closer, eyes closing for a moment as if this conversation is equally as painful for him as it is for you. “I know you’re trapped in what seems like an impossible situation and you don’t know how to get out, but-”
“It was you.” You’re taken aback, staring at him as he blinks innocently at you. “You’re the one who went to HR.”
“Of course I did!” he nods curtly. “And I’d do it again.”
“That was none of your business.” You thrust a finger toward him.
“Of course it was, what he’s doing to you is wrong.” Cole reaches for your hand and you pull back like he’s burned you. “Look, I underestimated the level of power he wields. I thought HR would open an investigation and then you’d have an opportunity to tell someone what he’s been doing to you.”
“This is unbelievable.” You sink back against the seat.
“I agree. They know and they didn’t do anything. I thought Winchester was a straight shooter, but I should have known someone with his reputation would have a nasty skeleton in the closet.”
“Whatever you think you heard, you’re wrong.” You’re worried now. He’s so genuine in his explanation, he honestly believes Sam forced himself on you, coerced you into sex.
“I know what I heard,” Cole insists, grabbing for your hand. This time he catches your wrist and pulls you closer. “You don’t have to put up with that kind of treatment. You’re a strong woman, I can help you.”
“You have no idea what you’re walking about,” you whisper, swallowing hard. “You didn’t understand what you heard. You think it’s something that it’s not.”
He stares at you, sighing and sitting back.
“Alright,” he nods. “But if he’s doing this to you, he’s doing it to someone else, too.”
“Cole,” you turn toward him. “You have to let this go.”
“The Winchesters are bad guys. All of them,” he comments dryly, flipping open his computer. “Sam may have had more success than his brother but he just hasn’t gotten caught for his dirty deeds yets, but they’re both rotten.”
You shake your head in disbelief, trying to determine why he’s invoking Dean. He must have done his research.
“You have to trust me when I say that you have it wrong.” You might as well stop, all this pleading in vain. Cole has an idea in his head about who and what Sam is and he’s never going to let it go.
“We don’t have to talk about it anymore.” He gives you a tight smile. “I just needed you to know that I know. If you ever need to talk, I’m here.”
Eight Hours Later
“I’m not normally one to say I told you so, but…” Sam leans out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his hips and a toothbrush hanging from the corner of his mouth.
“You were right,” you concede, holding up both hands. “I just hate that he thinks you’re this evil guy.”
“Half the world thinks I’m an asshole,” comes his voice from the bathroom. “That’s nothing new to me. Does it bother you?”
”Of course it does. I don’t like the idea of Cole believing you’re some monster.”
“Well, Cole can’t love both of us at the same time.” He chuckles to himself and you hear him spit into the sink.
Sam’s room is ten times the size of yours, with a parlor, living room, massive bedroom and a bathroom large enough for a shower and soaker tub. To top it all off there’s a balcony just off his bedroom overlooking the city. You’ve been allocated a small box of a room on the second floor at a hotel down the street but luckily Sam handed you a key card to his room as soon as you stepped inside. He and Pepper are the only staff staying at this hotel, which makes slipping in and out a hell of a lot easier.
“Do you like the room?” Sam asks, wandering toward the bed in his underwear. “They have an even larger suite on the top floor but no terrace. I thought you would enjoy being able to sit outside.”
“I do,” you smile, watching him thoughtfully. “Thank you for thinking of me.”
“I never stop,” he responds, smiling when you blush. “Are you tired?”
“Depends on why you’re asking.” You offer up a tired pout. “I’m pretty exhausted but I could be talked into any number of things.”
-
The London offices may be smaller but are no less impressive than the Boston office you work out of. You stand silently beside Cole as the elevator rises up the top floor.
“How are you?” he asks, adjusting his tie.
“Good,” you answer, staring forward.
You’re not sure what to say. After the world’s most awkward flight you checked into your official hotel room and went to join Sam, happy to be far away from everyone else. You haven’t spoken to Cole since you got off the plane.
Now that you’ve had time to process what he said, there are several things that don’t sit well. It seems as if he’s disappointed in you, let down that you were either unwilling or unable to turn on Sam and admit to harassment. If Cole truly believes Sam demanded sexual acts from you, it’s pretty shitty to say he expected more.
“I like your outfit.” He clears his throat looking ahead. “I’ve never seen it before.”
“Thank you. It’s new.” You look down at your tweed suit, a gift from Sam that morning. It’s Chanel, something you’d never be able to afford on your own. You were apprehensive over such an expensive gift at first but once you tried it on you figured it was a drop in the bucket for him.
“Looks expensive.” He gives you a once over.
“It is.”
The first meeting of the day is with Lady Toni Bevell and a dark-haired man named Mick who shakes your hand with such vigor you barely have feeling left when he lets go.
Cole introduces himself, explains his position and how long he’s been with the company. Then Toni chimes in, folding her hands on the table in front of her.  
“Well, obviously, I just started in this position. I was a practicing lawyer up until a few years ago. But I’ve known Sam for a long time.”
“You know Winchester?” This seems to perk Cole’s attention and your ears go hot.
“We went to law school together,” Toni explains. “Old friends.”
“And I’m Mick.” Mick smiles big and wide. “I managed a barrister’s office, but they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. So now I’m here.”
He seems like a nice guy and you’re looking forward to making new friends. Knowing someone in London can’t be a bad thing.
“And you are?” Toni’s tone is unmistakable, she’s dripping with annoyance and you haven’t even opened your mouth yet.
“Y/N,” you smile at her. “I’m a department liaison.”
“Ah, yes,” Toni tilts her head, examining you. “Sam told me all about you.”
You nearly fall out of your seat and Cole shifts beside you.
“Y/N has been invaluable to me.” Cole inserts himself. “Showed me the ropes when I first started.”
“She must be quite impressive given that we don’t even have her position in this office but yet, she’s here.”
There’s something bubbling under the surface, a hostility she’s either barely able to hide or not attempting to. Frankly, you're surprised she hasn’t lunged across the table yet.
“I’m sure we can find something for you to do.” Toni sighs.
“I’ll need her, we have several projects in the works.” Cole’s words are a clear declaration. He’s a calm and collected guy but he doesn’t like anyone bossing his people around.
“Of course,” she nods, strumming her fingers on the table, eyes narrowing as she looks you over. “I look forward to working with you both.”
The minute the two of you are alone, Cole turns to you and whistles. “What did you do to piss her off?”
“Nothing!” you sputter. “I’ve never met her before.”
“Maybe it’s the suit,” he jokes.
-
“You didn’t tell me you and Lady Toni go way back.” You get up from your perch on his bed, slinking toward him.
“I didn’t think about it.” Sam shrugs, writing in his notebook without looking up.
“She’s sort of...hostile.”
“That’s what makes her good,” he responds, turning a page. “She’s a pit bull.”
“Well, she definitely hates me. I’m not sure what you told her, but it must have been some real shit, because I could feel her death rays from across the room.”
“Did she say something to you?” He puts his pen down, glancing up.
“It’s less what she said and more how she said it.”
“If it becomes a problem you should let me know.”
“Okay.” You watch him, his jaw shifting while he thinks. You know this look well. He’s trying to decide if he’s going to tell you something.
“I want to be upfront with you.” He takes off his glasses, setting them on the table.
“I want that too,” you agree.
“I’m not so sure you do.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Toni used to…” He stops to regroup. “We were together for a period of time.”
“Together as in...fucking or dating?”
“Both,” he explains.
“Oh.” You have to admit, you’re taken aback and instantly jealous. Of course he’s had sexual partners before you, but you prefer not to think about that.
“It wasn’t anything like what we have. She’s a cold person. There was no emotional component, it was strictly physical. We’ve remained in contact over the years. She’s a trusted colleague and friend.”
You’re quiet, contemplating exactly what that means. There’s an immediate embarrassment that starts in your heart and flushes out until your cheeks are burning. The party at Nick Luster’s place was different, but the idea of the people you work with knowing about your dynamic, specifically you as a submissive, is a fact that you would prefer to stay between you and Sam.
There’s a complex push and pull. During sex, Sam will use the idea of public humiliation as a turn on, and it is. But only as a fantasy. The thought of Toni Bevell with that kind of intimate knowledge is too much.
“Did you two...were you like us?” You’re struggling to find the right thing to ask. “Did she enjoy the same things I do?”
“No,” he answers quickly, making no move to get up from his seat. “I got bored quickly, but she was easy and available.”
“I see,” you look away from him, unsure how you’re supposed to react to this information.
“Are you upset with me?”
“For what? You didn’t do anything wrong.” You sit on the couch next to him.
“You look like you’re upset.”
“I’m jealous,” you admit, looking him in the eyes, those eyes that draw you in and hold you there. “Thinking about you with someone else is uncomfortable, but I’m glad you told me. Did you tell her about me? About us?”
“Yes.” He slides a hand over your knee. “She asked me about my life, and I told her I was seeing you. I trust her discretion.”
“Does she know about our...dynamic?”
Sam’s forehead wrinkles, displeased with your question.
“Of course not. I wouldn’t do that to you. I don’t talk about my sex life, especially with someone I’ve slept with.”
“Right.” You relax back against the couch. “Of course you wouldn’t.”
Sam looks tired. He’s been working sixteen-hour days and not getting enough sleep. It’s starting to take a toll.
“Is there anything else you’d like to know?” he offers. He’s hovering somewhere between annoyed with the implication and trying to remain open and honest.
“I don’t think so. I’m glad you told me,” you answer. The two of you look at each other in silence before you lean forward and kiss him on the lips. He’s tense, mouth in a tight purse as he returns the gesture. You pull back, examining him. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing to do with you,” he sighs, giving your arm a squeeze.
“Do you want me to go so you can get some work done?” You point at his computer.
“No, I want you to stay.”
He looks...sad, maybe defeated or perhaps it’s something else. There’s been something going on for a while now. He’s been a freight train barrelling forward with a power and speed that’s unstoppable. It doesn’t seem to matter if he’s focused you, the house or his career, whatever has his attention he’s pushing further and faster as if he’s racing toward the finish line under some elusive threat.
“How’s your ass?” he asks, snapping you back to attention.
“Tender,” you grin, eyes fluttering away from his stare.
“I bet,” he rubs his thumb over his index finger, lost in thought before sitting back and tapping a hand on his leg. “Show me.”
“Now?” you look around at his open documents strewn over the table.
“Yes,” he shifts the tone of the interaction. “Now.”
There’s that familiar tingle, the excitement beginning to build. You rise to your knees, pulling the skirt up over your hips and crawl to him, laying carefully over his lap.
“Jesus,” he gasps. A big, warm hand softly smoothes over a butt cheek. “This had to hurt.”
He’s never seen marks like this on you before. You got a good look this morning at the black and blue welts across most of your backside. You’ve been encouraging him, and in turn yourself, for more each time. A little harder, a few more strokes. Not only does it build the pleasure for you but you love the ache it leaves for days afterward.
“I like it.” You wiggle in his lap.
“Stay still.” This command is accompanied by a small, stinging smack to your left side that makes you yelp in surprise.
He slips into this mode so easily and it’s clearly where he’s most comfortable. When the two of you are occupying this space, there are clearly defined roles, dominant and submissive, and he doesn’t have to think. This part of Sam operates on autopilot. He’s still learning to navigate the waters of being in a relationship, and truth be told, so are you. You’ve only dated a few guys and even that doesn’t compare. Sam is in a league of his own and there are times when you feel the same pressure of doing everything the right way.
When the two of you are like this, everything is suddenly effortless. The way he speaks, touches, fucks, it’s all unadulterated instincts. You and Sam have a natural rhythm, unlike any connection you’ve experienced before.
-
Sam’s uncomfortable with the entire conversation.
His “relationship” with Toni ended a decade ago and even then it was nothing more than an easy way to get laid. They were both busy, focused on nurturing fledgling careers. Neither with time to meet or date someone new. So they fucked.
Toni was far too much of a control freak to ever let him be the dominant one. She had trouble letting go, giving in, and in the end Sam realized that was what he needed, more so than blowing his load a couple of times a week. It was only satisfying for those few seconds of his release and then the satisfaction melted away like water down a drain. By the time he got out of bed, he was itching for something more.
He broke it off, told her they were done and walked out of her apartment when she started to argue. It was years before he heard from her again. And when she walked back into his life he was different, their dynamic was different. It was all business and she’s damn good at what she does. So when she was in the market and looking to make a change, he made her an offer, and a salary, she couldn’t refuse.
He could see the levity drain from your face the moment he said the words. We were together for a period of time.
He wasn’t sure if he should say anything but he’d made a promise to be upfront, and he’d want to know if you had screwed some guy he was working with. But then that look washed over your face and his stomach dropped.
It’s not that you’re skittish, in fact, you’ve proven to be quite the opposite. But he’s already put you through more than any rational person should put up with and he’d prefer to keep you from more unpleasant details.
Then you asked if she knew about the details. Red-cheeked and embarrassed you found the wherewithal to ask despite your apprehension. Instant offense rose into his throat, but he held back. He does that with you, only with you, holds back the harsher responses he lets fly on everyone else.
All he wanted was to redirect the conversation and shifting the entire scenario was the best way he knew how.
Now you’re laid out over his lap, bare ass still black and blue as you try desperately not to wiggle. God, your ass. He loves this ass, in fact, he loves every inch of your body. Someday Sam intends to take you on a vacation somewhere tropical, secluded, and keep you naked for a whole week so he can look at you whenever he wants.
But this will do for now.
“Sam,” you whine, both legs flexing.
Your voice snaps him back into the moment. Who knows how long he was lost in his own thoughts, but the waiting is part of what turns you on, so it works to his advantage.
“Shhh.” He smacks one cheek with an open palm, lighter than he normally would. You’re sporting some serious bruises. “Are you wet?”
“Yes,” you answer immediately, cheek pressed into the couch cushion.
Of course, you are. If he believed in fate he’d have to think you were made for each other. Sam needs control, now more than ever and you’re always willing to give it.
“I’m going to make you cum,” he explains, running a palm over your ass. “And that will be your last orgasm for a week. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Mr. Winchester,” you whisper.
Jesus Christ. His cock throbs in his pants. Those words get him every fucking time.
“What do you want right now?” he asks. Moving his hand between your legs he strokes the tip of his thumb through your folds. He can feel the heat between your thighs before he even touches you. And then that wet slick inviting him inside.
“I want you to fuck me.” Your voice is fractured, a broken wheeze as you suck in a breath, vibrating at his touch.
He’d love to fuck you, but he won’t. Maybe later tonight, but not yet. He likes to make himself wait, the build up makes it even sweeter. Being inside, feeling your warm little body writhe and wriggle underneath him is a reward he only allows himself in moderation.
“You want me here?” He presses his thumb at the opening of your cunt and you moan, your entire body twisting across his lap.
“Yes, please!”
The best part about you is that there is no act. You don’t put on a show for him, you’re just as desperate as you sound.
“Not today,” he explains casually, swatting your ass.
“Fuck,” you groan, turning your head to rest on the other cheek. He can see your face, eyes squinched shut, mouth open as you struggle to stay in place.
“Control yourself,” he commands and you instantly stop squirming.
Sam grins, adjusting his hips underneath your weight. His erection is painful but this isn’t about him. This moment is about you and the ways he can make your body respond.
Dipping his thumb back into your slick, he rubs up and down between the lips of your pussy, the tip brushing your clit. You gasp and rock forward, mouth opening and closing. Once his thumb is coated in your own arousal he moves back up to your ass, pulling your cheeks apart and pressing his thumb at the tight ring of muscle.
He watches your face as he presses his thumb inside. Your body fights it at first but he just keeps the pressure until you open up and he pops inside. He normally uses more lubrication but you like the pain.
You groan, face twisting in pleasure and discomfort as he forces himself inside.
His reach is long enough that his other fingers can easily get to your clit and he begins to stroke up your dripping cunt and tapping your clit as his thumb moves in rhythm, in and out of your ass.
It’s an easy slide back and forth over your bud and your hips begin to move with his hand. He could tell you to stop, but he likes to watch you like this. Desperate to take more of whatever he’s got to give. Fuck. If this isn’t over soon he might cum in his pants.
“Sam,” you moan, eyes opening and closing, but seeing nothing. You’ve got that signature glassy-eyed stare you always get when you’re getting closer. “May I cum?”
“Yes,” he nearly chokes on his words. Shoving his thumb as deep as he can, he works your clit faster and harder. It’s not even thirty seconds before your orgasm takes over.
You let out a long, low moan as your ass tightens around his thumb and your empty cunt clutches around nothing. He loves watching you orgasm, he can see your body consumed in pleasure as you pulse and release again and again until you’re boneless, laying across his lap.
There’s no better feeling in the world than watching you like this.
Sam’s felt like this about one other person, but that was a long time ago. And he and Jess were kids. It didn’t feel like it at the time, but it’s true. That relationship and this thing with you are uncomparable.
He wants you all the time, he thinks about you obsessively and wonders when the universe is going to take it all away. You moan again and he slips back into the moment.
You’re soaked, glistening wet over your pussy and on his fingers. He pulls his hand away, fighting against the swelling lust.
Sam is finding less and less restraint when it comes to you.
“Fuck it,” he murmurs, sliding out from underneath you. Making a muffled sound you look back at him as he gets on his knees between your thighs. Sam watches, licking his lips as you raise your hips up and back toward him as an invitation. He unbuckles his belt and unzips his pants in record time, yanking his dick from his underwear.
Fisting his cock, he takes another moment to admire you like this, belly down and presenting yourself like you want it as bad as he does. He’s so fucking hard he can barely stand it as he lines himself up and catches the head of his cock in your pussy. He slides forward in one quick thrust as your body opens up, stretching wide to take all of him inside.
His eyes roll back in his head as his balls rock forward. You’re hot taffy squeezing around his cock, sopping, practically on fire from your orgasm and gripping every inch of his shaft as he pulls outs, only to push back in. You whine and pant, twisting on his cock, shoving your body against him begging for more. Sam wants more too, he wants all of your body and mind and anything else you’re willing to give to him. He wants you warm and wet like this. He wants you calm and quiet when you’re lying next to him at night.
He knows he’s got a big dick but the way your cunt grips him, the sight of your stretched out pussy sliding up and down his length makes him feel twice as big.
“Sam,” you moan his name, lifting yourself up onto your forearms, thrusting backward into the shove of his hips. He grabs a fist full of your hair, admiring the way your back arches and the angle changes.  “Fuck, Sam, right there!”
“You like that?” he asks, jaw clenched tight as he thrusts fast. “Want me to cum inside you?”
“Yes! Please!”
You’re close to another orgasm, he knows your body well enough to recognize the wind up. Your ass is making a familiar skin-on-skin smacking sound as it meets his hips, accompanied by the wet, squelch of your cunt taking his cock again and again and again.
“Don’t cum,” he instructs, feeling his balls go tight. He smacks your right butt cheek twice, two quick whaps that send you reeling. He doesn’t really give a shit if you cum, in fact he hopes you do. There’s nothing better than you trying to fight it off and end up cumming on his cock when you can’t hold it back anymore.
“I can’t,” you sputter, twisting your neck to try and look at him. “Oh god, please. I’m gonna-”
And then you cum for the second time that evening, sucking and squeezing around him. Your tight little cunt flutters around his dick and he pushes as far inside as he can get as he cums.
It always starts as warmth in his stomach and a tingling in his balls. It builds and builds and then explodes, pulsing through his veins while he empties inside you. He huffs, mouth sealed shut, deep breath in and out through his nose as he comes back down from the high.
You’re lying still underneath him, back rising and falling while you wait for him to join you. With both hands on your hips he pulls his cock back, nice and slow so he feels the crown drag along your walls one final time. The head pops free and he waits, watches, feeling overwhelming satisfaction when his cum trickles back out, creamy white dripping over your clit.
“Sorry,” you try to look back at him, face bright red. You want so badly to please him, to obey. “I couldn’t help it.”
Sam smiles, sitting up and tapping your side as an indication to roll over.
“Bad girl,” he grins, settling back between your thighs, leaning down for a kiss. Your hot breath and eager lips as you press upward, always wanting more of this more intimate connection. “You need to learn discipline,” he mumbles over your lips, the tip of his nose pressing into your cheek.
“Good thing I have a dedicated teacher,” you laugh, thighs squeezing his waist and mouth finding his. You’re pressing up into his weight, wet pussy sliding over the skin just above the base of his cock. Everything about you is designed to distract him from the rest of the world. He wants to stay in this moment, to carry you to bed and get lost in the sweet smell of your hair and the warm, soft slide of your skin. But that’s not reality.
 “I have a meeting.”
“Seriously?” You’re displeased, staring up at him.
“Drinks with senior staff.”
“With Toni?” you ask casually.
There is it. That hitch in your voice, left eye twitching, pupils contracting. You have a thousand tells despite the fact you consider yourself to have a solid poker face.
“Yes, she’ll be there,” he confirms, dipping down for one last kiss before peeling himself away, leaving you spread wide on his couch. He doesn’t want to look at you, can’t stand the line that forms in the center your forehead when you’re hurt and trying to conceal it. “I’m going to spend time with her while we’re here. It's unavoidable. And you’re going to work with her.”
“I know,” you sit up, that lazy wash of happiness draining away. “I just...I’m still processing the information that you two were lovers.”
“No,” Sam snorts, pulling his shirt over his head, and turning to face you. “Not lovers.”
“Fuck buddies,” you shrug, cheeks flushing a fresh shade of crimson.
“Is this a problem?” he asks, turning away and heading to the closet to find a fresh suit.
“No, it’s just, I don’t like it. I don’t have to like it. But I’m an adult and I’ll deal with it.” You’re mad at him, but it’s a valiant attempt at not letting it show.
If he weren’t so gun shy about being outed, he’d bring you with him. But you’ve made it clear you’re not ready for that yet and he understands. Being with him, publically, will change the entire trajectory of your life.
“I'll be back in a couple of hours.” He watches your back as you walk to the bathroom.
“Okay,” you raise a hand in acknowledgment without turning to look at him. “I hope you have a good time.”
220 notes · View notes
goldenkamuyhunting · 4 years
Note
I know you have talked about Ogata's and Sugimoto's relationship before. But I have been wondering if Ogata actually likes Sugimoto. Since I don't ship these characters, this is not for shipping sake. But there are quite a few small things that were pointed out to me in a post, this post being 'Sugimoto and Ogatas rivalmance'. I would like to know your take on this complicated, and possible love-hate relationship.
It’s a difficult question...
...because, as of now, as I said many times, only one thing is clear: they currently want each other dead.
I’ve kind of digged in their relation many time so many know already my point of view but I’ll try to sum it up again, if that’s okay with you.
The story starts with their first meeting in which, as soon as they make clear to each other they aren’t going to let go of the skin, they’ll have to kill each other to have it because neither is going to give up and their goals are mutually exclusive.
At the start is just that.
The irony is that they starte it likely each of them assuming the other was/could be a convict.
We see Sugimoto thinks the one shooting at them was someone with the convict they captured.
Ogata, might not have assumed this at first, as otherwise the smartest thing to do was to kill Sugimoto, however he realizes Sugimoto is shooting with a type 26 (an army officier gun pretty expensive) and thinks he’d got it by stealing from a dead soldier (actually the gun belonged to the prisoner and he’s likely the one who stole it from one of the soldiers who were killed when they escaped).
When they faced each other they realize they’re both from the army.
Sugimoto knows he can’t get to an agreement that he’ll allow him to keep the skin because, even if he were to win and let him go, Ogata would call his companions and they would kill him. If he were to keep him trapped Ogata’s companions would come to search for him (which they did) and Sugimoto’s position would be even more complicate. His best option is to kill him and hope no one will connect him to Ogata’s disappearance.
Ogata at first have no idea the one facing is Sugimoto the immortal but likely grasped he’s good at fighting, which he isn’t. As Sugimoto makes clear he won’t give up on the skin (he’s not doing it for money so it’s not like they can bribe him) his only option to get out of there alive and keep the skin is to kill Sugimoto so he attacks immediately trying to catch the other on surprise.
We know how it ends.
Sugimoto tries to kill Ogata, Asirpa stops him, Ogata escapes and in an attempt to stop this Sugimoto causes him to fall in the river and then persuade Asirpa it’s better this way.
Did they apprecciate each other in this exchange in which they had no better option that to kill each other?
No idea.
Ogata, apart from thinking Sugimoto got the gun from a dead soldier, keep for himself his thoughts.
Sugimoto thinks he’s from the dregs of the unit so he doesn’t really have a flattering opinion either.
You can still speculate because since nothing is said, everything can be assumed.
The next time they meet Ogata decides they’ve to ally due to Tsurumi potentially having gotten his hands on the tattooed skins. The key problem was probably that Ogata and Kiro were already in an alliance so he had to find a discreet way to inform Kiro of this. Same as he’ll do with Ariko, Hijikata was probably keeping an eye on him and Sugimoto was probably keeping an eye on Kiro (remember at the start Sugi didn’t trust Kiro much).
Sugimoto, seated at a table with Hijikata, who in his younth, in the night went and assassinated his fellow Shinsengumi member Serizawa, his mistress Oume, and one of his followers Hirayama Goro (Sugi should know about this but he surely doesn’t know Hijikata also killed allies in Barato) and a cannibal doctor who tried to eat Asirpa’s eyes, feels the need to accuse Ogata of being an untrustworthy traitor because he left a bunch of soldiers who were betraying his own country.
Sugimoto is sympathetic to Tsurumi’s cause so, of course, he excuses them for being traitors... but I think there’s something deeper in this because Tanigaki too dumped them but he never complained against him.
Anyway Sugimoto and Ogata are in an alliance together and, searching for Hijikata, Sugimoto ends up on saving Ogata, a favour that Ogata will return in the fake Ainu village, although Sugimoto makes clear he didn’t do it because he trusts Ogata.
We’ve then a long list of Sugimoto doing some minor, petty things in Ogata’s direction.
Some theorized Sugimoto realized Ogata would later shoot him.
With the long list of people who betrayed or tried to kill Sugimoto without him ever suspecting about them I’ll call it at best a lucky guess.
In a very old post of mine, among other things, I theorized such behavior might be not about Ogata but about the circumstances in which their first meeting took place.
In a more recent meta I wondered it could be due to something that happened with Toraji, the other feline in the story (Toraji is called by Umeko Tora-chan where “tora” means tiger) and Sugimoto is merely projecting on Ogata what had happened with his best friend.
The truth is we don’t know. Again each interpretation is a valid guess until GK provides us with a canon answer.
As for Ogata at first he’s just occasionally annoyed with Sugimoto’s taunts but doesn’t answer to them.
Then something interesting happens.
Ogata learns it wasn’t Tanigaki who was responsible of the death of Tamai and Co.
Why is this even relevant?
Now we know that, when Ogata met up with Tanigaki the first time, he was already aware Tsurumi knew he had betrayed them. He and Nikaidou are basically two wanted man. They end up believing Tanigaki killed Tamai and Co... and decide to waste their time hunting him down in retaliation.
The action is useless, Tanigaki can’t reveal to Tsurumi anything Tsurumi doesn’t already know, Tsurumi could track them down, which he’ll do, yet they decide to hunt Tanigaki. Or better, Ogata decides. Nikaido by then was already obsessed with killing Sugimoto and didn’t really care much.
So apparently Ogata was really interest in avenging them.
But, as I said, Sugimoto said they weren’t killed by Tanigaki but by a bear and he was there and was watching. And it’s more likely Ogata connected the dots and figured that if they were killed by that bear Sugimoto might have had a hand in this. And this might have caused the relation to shift.
In chap 99 is implied Ogata and Sugimoto exchanged rifles, as it was Sugimoto who stole the type 38, but Ogata has it before the end of the chapter and Sugimoto might not have missed the fact as he should be capable to recognize the differences between a type 30 and a type 38.
The exchange makes sense as Ogata is much better at shooting while Sugimoto prefers to use the rifle as some sort of wand.
But then in chap 112 Sugimoto broke his rifle... and, for the first time, in chap 114, we’ve Ogata making a remark against him.
At this point, after he has broken Ogata’s rifle and Ogata remarked he did a stupid thing, Sugimoto wants the type 38 back. Ogata refuses and further hammer Sugimoto’s inability to shoot.
So, if previously Ogata merely kept quiet when Sugimoto would nag him, now he doesn’t do it anymore. Actually he starts it and finish it and from that moment on, Sugimoto won’t nag him anymore, actually he’s afraid Asirpa will say, in front of him, how Sugimoto mistakenly shoot the owl’s eye.
Do they like each other?
Whoever knows?
They sure as hell make an awesome team when they work together as Noda wrote them perfectly complementar, giving to each what the other lacks... but Sugimoto is fast to doubt of Ogata when Hijikata vents he might have joined them for personal ambitions... failing to spot how Hijikata, Toni and Kadokura planned to betray him, part him from Asirpa and use him as diversion, possibly sacrificing him.
And so we get to chap 14 and to Ogata shooting Wilk and Sugimoto.
I’m not sure why Wilk had to die, beyond revenge for, according to Kiro, having betrayed them. Ogata says shooting Sugimoto was due tot he latter talking with Wilk and, potentially, learning something he shouldn’t. It’s a good reason and Ogata definitely did his best to kill Sugimoto. He shot him in the head and then attempted to hit him again, even though he had poor vision of the spot in which Sugi was.
Ogata wanted Sugimoto dead, it’s failure on his part Sugimoto survived.
If this was because Wilk might have said him something, because Kiro was partial to Sugimoto and Ogata feared Kiro would discharge him in Sugimoto’s favour, or because he wanted revenge for Tamai and Co it’s up to speculation.
In the past I’ve also wondered if Ogata is merely projecting on Sugimoto. He knows Asirpa has a crush on Sugimoto and he knows Sugimoto has another woman and will leave her... same as Hanazawa did with his mother. He even went and tattled him out in this regard. Killing Sugimoto might be his own attempt to take it out against his father in an indirect way.
Ogata wanted Sugimoto dead and when he discovers he’s still alive while are on the ice drift his first thought is to happily try to shoot him again.
Sugimoto had made clear he’d gone to Karafuto to get Asirpa back and kill Ogata and Kiro. The whole scene in chap 171 in which Sugimoto tries to kill that man is Sugimoto projecting Ogata on the kidnapper and Asirpa on Enonoka in fact we see he calls Enonoka “Asirpa” and his fight with the guy not only strongly parallels the one he had with Ogata but it took 2 men to stop him from killing that guy and later Sugimoto even remarked how they should have let him kill the guy.
Again irony is at play because when Sugimoto finally find Ogata he inadvertitely causes Asirpa to shoot Ogata.
As he cares more about Asirpa not becoming a murderer than about killing Ogata (Sugimoto CARES A LOT ABOUT HER), Sugimoto does everything in his power to keep Ogata alive... and when he believes this won’t be possible with an excuse he goes to see him grabbing his bayonet clearly planning to kill him so that Ogata’s murder will be on his hands and not Asirpa’s.
When it turns out Ogata is fine and dandy Sugimoto makes clear his intention is to kill him. We see it when he escapes and we see it when he thinks that Vasily is Ogata.
We don’t know if Ogata plans to save him so as to return the favour and then kill him, or if he realized if he’s alive is just due to Sugimoto protecting Asirpa and therefore she’s the one to whom he owns something... but I think Ogata got a good grasp of how Sugimoto saved him for Asirpa and personally wanted him death so for him too would be more convenient to kill Sugimoto, who will clearly get in the way, than wait for Sugimoto to kill him.
Do they liked each other in all this mess?
I’ll say by the Karafuto arc the both of them were just obsessed with killing each other. At this point if friendship ever had a chance of blossoming between them, it clearly buried under the idea they’ve to kill each other.
Besides the two of them never really knew each other, likely misjudged them, possibly saw them through the eyes of other relations they had and were struggling with a lot of personal problems.
My personal HUGE hope is that for some reason they’ll overcome their murdering impulses and manage to join forces and to get to know each other and the fact they aren’t the people they think they are. I don’t think they can easily put aside all that went wrong between them but I’d like them to join forces for a common cause and... find an agreement somehow that doesn’t include murdering each other.
I think if they were to see each other for who they really are, they might get along... and even apprecciate the reciprocous strong points.
I would like it if GK were to show us than 10 years after the end of the story they managed to get friends.
For now though they’re too clouded by their idea they’ve to kill each other.
Of course though, there are a lot of blanks in their relationship, we hardly know what they thought about each other beyond the ‘I’ll kill him’ and so it’s all a matter of interpretation.
I think there are two key points in the puzzle that we’re still missing, why Sugimoto was so antagonisting with Ogata at the beginning and why Ogata ultimately decided to kill Sugimoto as I’m not fully sure it was because Sugimoto talked with Wilk... even if, in itself, is a reason good enough because, if that were true, it would jeopardize their plan.
Well, to be honest we also really need to know how the Ogata/Kiro allegiance formed as so far it’s a huge dark hole and it’s really relevant in the character dynamics instead.
If Noda will give us answers, depending on them even my view might shift radically... and I’m sure others could interpret the story very differently from how I’ve done. It’s vague enough it allows to more interpretations and I sadly don’t own the truth.
For now I’ll set on this.
Sorry, I’m not sure if it was what you were asking but the whole thing is VERY complicate and I tried for once to keep it short because I’m a tad overwhelmed by work at the moment...
Sorry again about it and thank you for your ask!
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anxiety-trademark · 3 years
Text
The week in review:
Raw 12/14 NXT 12/16 NXT UK 12/17 Smackdown 12/18 TLC 12/20 + Main Event 12/17
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Raw:
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“This Sunday at tlc, it’s gonna be you and me against Nia and Shayna,” Lana says to Asuka, as a quiet ‘woo’ can be heard in the distance.
Lana facing her fears and fighting Nia Jax makes her the bravest person Asuka knows. Rolling. Fucking Asuka. ASUKA. wwe, stop.
Why isn’t Asuka accompanying Lana to the ring?
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I like Lana’s gear.
Joe just compared Lana to a mosquito, goodbye.
Oh snap look how fast Lana did that headscissors takedown. We’re witnessing her progression, ladies and gents.
You know, I knew Lana would win this match, I knew exactly how she would win this match, but jfc what a treat watching it myself. 
Nia’s face lmfao.
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Shayna wrecking Asuka so she can’t save Lana from her inevitable fate. Still curious on whether or not this beatdown injured her, if she was injured going into the match, or if it was all really just a storyline.
Yikes this is sad.
Man that leg drop onto Lana’s ankle actually looked kinda wicked, ngl.
*distant woo intensifies*
Wow we got real tears from Lana. Points.
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Becky and Charlotte have been gone, Alexa hasn’t been on tv, the Raw women’s championship has become a meaningless prop... what a dead period for this roster.
Hi why is this match happening?
I will never not be impressed by Dana’s entrance.
Is Mandy actually hurt? Why did they take her off tv for so long? Is Shayna the resident kayfabe shelver? “Hey this girl is actually injured, have her written off by Shayna” ?? Cuz I know they’re not splitting Dana and Mandy up, and Dana has been on tv every week since Mandy left. Must be genuine.
These 2 are running roughshod over the entire division at this point.
OH SHIT MANDY’S BACK WITH A KENDO STICK
Lmfao the babyfaces are fucking done with Nia and Shayna. Honestly that’s great, I love it when babyfaces band together to stand up to dominant duos. This has been going on long enough. They took out Mandy, took out Lana, were about to take out Dana. Totally fair.
Highlight: Lana getting a clean win over Nia & being taken out so my queen can return
---
NXT:
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It’s a funny thing with Toni and Rhea. Toni says she’s the reason Rhea came to nxt, but she’s also the reason I became such a huge fan of Rhea’s. Heard they were having some big TakeOver match and everyone was always praising Toni. So I checked into Blackpool solely to see what the Toni Storm fuss was about, and I left that ppv solely impressed by Rhea Ripley. Then I took particular notice of Rhea in the Royal Rumble a few weeks later, and I’ve been watching NXT UK for her ever since (til she moved). To see her growth has been tremendous, and she’s so young. Such a bright future.
The music to this is great.
Toni says she isn’t scared of Rhea, as if Rhea’s mere theme music didn’t scare the absolute shit out of Toni the week prior lol.
Toni’s not even a terrible promo, but the timing of her blinks could not be worse. Yes, it matters.
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I can’t stop laughing at how fucking intensely Shotzi started this interview.
She does pissed off interviews well. I can feel her annoyance.
Really don’t want to see a Candice/Shotzi feud tbh but okay, I’ll try.
aaand there’s the howl. Awful.
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Lmfao Rhea called Toni a piece of trash. This is gonna be interesting to see with the alignments reversed.
I don’t remember who won this match, but I’m betting it was Toni. Which is fair tbh. Rhea is probably on the “put some peeps over before moving up to the main roster” path that everyone in the women’s division walks on. They always eat at least one monumental, or a couple meaningful, loss(es).
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Oh man that is fucked up. To not only be forced to continue punching/kicking a human (fun fact: the person on the offense takes quite the damage doing so) but to have the defenseless victim bleed out and beg for you to stop. That’s rough.
This was shot really well. That music holy shit, I’m creeped out. It’s like a horror movie.
I see the point. Numbs him to pain and breaks his will, while numbing her to mercy. Ruthless stuff.
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Oh are we finally done with Indi’s neck brace? Cool.
I can’t believe wwe invested in this upgraded tank. I still don’t think it’d work on the MR, but points to the boss for shelling out the cash.
Wtf was that stumble and “fall” by Indi lmao.
If Candice was a real bully, she’d distract Shotzi by fucking with her tank at ringside.
Indi does need a mentor, she’s a hell of a lot greener than my mutuals have made it sound. oof.
Shotzi looks like she has no idea how to work with Indi, and Indi looks gassed, confused, and slow as hell.
All Indi knows it going from spot to spot while Shotzi waits around for her to get there.
Lol Indi failed at getting a dirty win. I don’t really care if this is a part of her The Way storyline, what a mess.
The only redeeming part of this piss poor segment was Theory shaking the troll’s head at Shotzi.
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I’ll give wwe an extra $9.99 if they let this match have a clean ending.
“[Rhea] was at one point the biggest superstar in the world,” that isn’t even close to being true because Becky Lynch exists, but I’ll let it slide and pretend you said “in nxt”.
Their paths will be so similar to Becky and Charlotte in the future.
Wow what a sequence. That would’ve received an applause on the MR. Traded headlocks for restholds, threw around their strength, then went into a battle of pinfall reversals. Instead of following that with some stalemate, they didn’t take a breath and proceeded to dance with each other and showcase some chemistry before rolling back into a battle of pinfall reversals. The sequence started with a kick by Toni to Rhea’s midsection, and it ends with a kick by Rhea to Toni’s midsection. Peep that match production, good stuff.
My, my, those slaps to Toni’s back. Whew.
Yeah actually it’s really fucking cool that these 2 get to main event nxt together, come to think of it.
They sell well for each other.
Rhea has the best dropkicks, lesbireal.
Holy shit Toni’s headbutts make my own head hurt. God I wish she wouldn’t. Most people put their hands between the heads so no contact can be made, but Toni’s just like “lol fuck it”
This is a great match. This duo works a lot better with these specific alignments. Watching face Toni try to chop down Rhea is not as good as heel Toni being impossibly hard for Rhea to put away.
Women’s matches and never having a clean ending. Name a more iconic duo. Winter of overbooked women’s matches continues.
Like I had guessed Toni was gonna win anyway, but fucking come on.
*Bonus* online exclusive: Toni says playing by the rules got her diddly and squat, but like... she was a champion lol. “It ain’t even Toni time right now, it’s party time.” Alright.
Highlight: Rhea vs Toni minus the ending
---
NXT UK:
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I don’t know why we’re getting Isla Dawn vs KLR but anytime I get to see KLR fight, I’m here for it.
Hell even Isla’s song never kicks it out of first gear. Song has so much potential but it never goes to the next level.
Ahhhh my Scottish queen is here.
No, don’t compare Sasha’s basement meteora to the double knees Isla did. That was pitiful.
Anyway, KLR vs any of the 4hw would be fantastic, take my money. Sasha, Bayley, Charlotte, or the woman KLR wanted to face at TO Dublin, Dublin native Becky Lynch.
That back body drop is horrendous as a finisher. It’s like when Becky won her debut match the exploder suplex. Awful lmao. Imagine if KLR lost to a back body drop ffs.
You don’t get to be this frustrated for not being able to beat the champion when you’ve only been fighting for like 3 mins.
Isla’s pisspoor speed going in the corner, and her pisspoor roll off of KLR’s tornado ddt. Shame.
Such a clean transition from a failed pinfall attempt into a submission by KLR, whew.
This whole match was just a flex by KLR lmao.
There was a time where we had Becky Lynch, Bayley, Rhea Ripley and KLR as our champions. Wow, take me back plz.
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The background music of this stupid recording is so unnecessarily dramatic, wow.
All for the delivery of a chair. Of a fucking chair. Piper... shut up and handle your shit.
For someone so much larger than the little man, Piper is insanely unintimidating.
Highlight: I got to see KLR wrestle
---
Smackdown:
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Bayley does run her mouth a lot. She’s kind of the EST at saying dumb shit that gets her into trouble lmao.
Bianca is so friggin good at interviews and in backstage segments. She hasn’t received much of a chance to do promos in the ring, let alone obviously to a live crowd, but I hope she shines there, too.
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Has Liv reverted back to being a dumb blonde, or is it drugs? Stop letting her speak.
Love Riott Squad’s everchanging gear. Wonder who makes it for them.
Billie Kay claims that she’s a ‘seasoned’ ring announcer, and somehow that would not surprise me.
Tamina “get the fuck out of my face until I get a nap and a vat of coffee” Snuka, everyone.
Lmfaooo Tamina fucking chucked Liv across the damn ring. What a good job by Liv.
Ruby is exceptional at running the ropes. She gets a good spring off of it.
Tamina’s hair is always so beautiful, she gets points there.
Dropkick into a faceplant. Billie Kay gets pinned rofl. She’s so bad at wrestling and yet here I am ridiculously entertained.
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There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Carmella’s current persona, but man I wish she’d come out in a cut off tank top, camo pants, high tops and a printed hat.
I mean people are at home cuz covid, but go off.
Aye putting over Sasha. Good heel Mella.
Sasha has held the title for like a whopping 2 months and we’re already marking calendars. Sad.
In kf, Sasha is kind of mentally weak, so I’ll give Mella that. I’m not sure what it’s gonna take to shake that perception, either.
“Who is Sasha Banks if she’s not the Boss? Who is Sasha Banks if she’s not the best? It’s sad because that’s a question that not even Sasha Banks knows the answer too.” So I get that wwe are trying to help Sasha develop and fight off her past demons, but man these women are ripping her a new one. Sasha’s only 29 so she can grow and develop however she wants, but jeeze. Salt, meet the dagger Bayley stuck in Sasha’s back.
I like Mella cuz she knows how to hype her opponent’s accolades and strengths while cutting an immaculate heel promo where she hits them RIGHT where it hurts. She’s a pro. Heels should take notes.
This music is like the Jazz Vibes playlist I always listen to.
She just called Sasha cheap and frantic lmaoooo
Oh damn Sasha be out here looking like MONEY. That girl has style, even if it doesn’t always hit with me, she got style.
oof the crack of that slap to Reggie.
OOF the crack of the bottle shattering over Sasha’s poor back. rip.
Match at TLC should’ve been a champagne match. That entails whatever your mind comes up with; pouring alcohol on your opponent, dumping their head in a bucket of ice, breaking bottles over spines. It don’t matter.
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“You don’t see me going around here bragging about how damn good I am,” lmao WHAT. Bayley is equal parts delusional and obnoxiously annoying.
One size heel does not fit all, but I think her version suits her beautifully.
If I were her I’d pick your brain too, but I’d also want a match, cuz people leave matches with you looking as good as humanly possible. Equal parts selfless as well.
She didn’t lie, this was absolutely her putting Bianca on the map on the main roster.
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wwe: wants to strap a rocket to Bianca and make her a star. Also fucking wwe: “lol no we’re not gonna show you her full entrance, cry more scrub.” 
Bayley still looks weird without a title.
Bayley mocks Bianca’s entrance and then gets swept onto the apron lmao. Idiot.
Bianca is a lot of flash and showboating, which is great from an entertainment standpoint, but she needs to do a little... less.
Fantastic snap of the hand against the led board. Bayley wrecking Bianca’s arm gonna hinder the flips.
“I’m the ER. I’m BET-TER. haha.” lmao Bayley is such a fucking dork. Got sent into the ring steps for her bravado. Love that there’s always immediate repercussions for Bayley’s arrogance.
Bayley turned midway going down onto Bianca’s knee for that backbreaker, there. Hope she doesn’t have a massive bruise. Looked like it’d leave a massive bruise.
3 things I’ll apparently never get to see again: Bianca’s hair whip, Bianca’s full entrance, and Bianca’s 450 splash. I’m tired.
These stupid fucking squats while Bianca is dangling off the top rope rofl I swear Bayley is something else. Girl knows how to entertain. “Bayley got a bit cute and Bianca made her pay,” story of Bayley’s life.
Beautiful spinebuster by Bianca. At least SOMEONE in the women’s division will use it.
Bit of a miscommunication there it seems. Bayley goes for a B2B, Bianca tries to block it, Bayley drops down to dodge and go for a cradle. She rolls Bianca all the way back, stands up and hesitates before running at Bianca with an elbow - even though Bianca is not in position to receive it - which Bianca counters by rolling Bayley up, but it was super obvious Bianca was just scouting the next spot. Bianca goes to pick her up for a powerbomb but Bayley has to kick out twice to prevent herself from being pinned while Bianca tries to lift her. That entire sequence was super messy.
Then Bianca nearly drops her lifting her all the way up lol. Yikes. Gotta be pretty fluent to pull that off. Not to plug my fav (but I’m totally gonna plug my fav); it’s a move Charlotte does in almost every match against Asuka or Becky, and you gotta be not only built to pull it off, but you need to have impeccable timing to make the transition look smooth. Extra points if you lift them off the mat RIGHT before a 3 (which Charlotte usually does)
Anyway, good match with a messy last 2 sequences. Bayley did what Bayley does best.
Highlight: Bayley vs Bianca
---
TLC:
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They really took Eva Marie and Sasha Banks’ characters and meshed them together while keeping Carmella’s obsession for animal print lol.
Really don’t like that gear. That’s a miss, Mikaze.
Beautiful arm drag. Sasha taking the idea of wrestling like a Lucha more seriously? Cuz she should, ain’t nobody else in the MR doing it.
Commentators say the trash talk is continuing, I say Sasha is quietly leading this match with a grimace. Peeped that “hit me”.
Carmella goes to suicide dive through the ropes just for Reggie to catch her, cept she got caught up and started turning in midair. Would’ve hit her neck and shoulder HARD had he not been there. Great catch indeed.
Sasha “rip my back” Banks.
Not to be douchey, but if you have to adjust your gear in the middle of a match and it’s not just to fill time or be used as character work, then you need to redesign your gear.
Sasha’s a great babyface once that bell rings man. I wish she could carry that energy everywhere.
Holy fuck that facebuster. SPIKED her head, oh my god. I have never seen anyone make a facebuster look so impactful. Points if intentional.
Oh the timing of Sasha blocking that superkick from legit connecting. God she’s good.
You know how I know this is a good match? I’m watching some of these near pinfalls and submissions knowing damn well Sasha’s gonna win, yet my anxiety is still spiking thinking Carmella might walk out with the title. I KNOW she doesn’t though lmao. Good sequences, believable offense, great near pinfalls. They work well together (I’m not surprised, Mella and Sasha both work well with almost anyone)
What a fantastic transition into the bank statement. Points.
That match should’ve ended by dq the second Reggie pulled Mella out. 
Sasha could’ve sold that double superkick pinfall attempt a little bit more.
Carmella having a breakdown. What does that mean? That means she’s about to lose this match lmao. There it is, not even 10 seconds later hahaha.
Sasha sells pain so damn well. Good for her. Good defense of her title. Points to Sasha, she’s phenomenal every time she has an actual match. Post-match and she’s already annoyed me though lol. Ugh. Maybe she’ll get it soon enough.
Nice “replay” wwe. Billion dollar company btw.
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Billie, drawing a horizontal line is not how you write ‘clairvoyant’. 
“proficient in Japanese” aw Asuka was so excited for a split second lmao.
Oh no, she made a mask to match Asuka’s with a paper plate. Oh no no no. Travesty. 
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Ugh I’m so excited. I’ve already seen this and yet I’m excited. Here we are, the whole damn reason I started catching up on everything I basically refused to watch since June 22.
SHE LOOKS LIKE MONEY, WHEW. The queen IS back. She’s so fucking beautiful man.
Love how annoyed Nia looks. This is your comeuppance tbh. Could’ve just faced a measly Lana, but no, you had to play too much.
Really Charlotte shouldn’t be in the tag division, and really she shouldn’t give half of a fuck about Asuka, but we’ll get to that more in the future since this is already nearly 2 months old.
Nia’s doing a great job selling Charlotte’s return, and she’s not even active in the match rn. She does good work.
Bad camera angle on Asuka hitting the ring post.
Asuka getting wrecked lol.
I really despise that the Raw women’s championship was tied up in all of these storylines that have nothing to do with the Raw women’s championship. The Lana crap, the Charlotte crap, the tag teaming in general crap.
In hindsight, I now find it curious that Ric Flair was in the back for this match. Very curious. I swear, if the past 2 real time months weren’t a part of some master plan the Flairs came up with together, I will be SHOCKED.
Charlotte’s fucking crazy for doing those moonsaults to the outside though, for real. I know she was a gymnast and an exceptional cheerleader, but MAN you could not pay me to do fucking blind back flips that high up. Crazy.
She should’ve given us a spear in this match. I wanna go rewatch her work just to see some spears.
Good match. They needed to not focus on destroying Asuka for as long as they did, pacing was off for a little bit there.
Love how Charlotte sticks her tongue out when she bridges up into the figure 8. She’s such an asshole lmao.
If I could’ve changed one thing about that finish, I would’ve had Charlotte bounce off the ropes before hitting Natural Selection. Other than that, it was great.
Charlotte looks good with a title, idk *shrug*
The way Charlotte looked over at Asuka though. I really don’t trust her in hindsight lol.
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Like how this Firefly Funhouse is setting the spotlight on Alexa before Bray takes his leave of absence, only wish she hadn’t missed 2-3 wks of tv.
What a fun way of running a video package.
Inferno matches are insane and I’m not sure why anyone would participate in such.
Think it’s smart they’re both leaving their jackets on tbh.
Alright that was cool. The way Fiend called up the flames was fucking cool. It looks amazing aesthetically. They could’ve never done the set quite like this if there had been fans.
WE HAVE STRAPS?! IS FIRE NOT ENOUGH?!? Man. Randy is a fucking trooper.
Guys. Guys excuse me, that strap is on fire, can... can we not, please??
Man is swinging a god damn pick axe at Randy Orton, I--
I hope that wasn’t actually flammable liquid cuz otherwise Randy is now soaked in it, and that’s insanely dangerous. Oh that’s great editing. So it was flammable, but Randy was out of the chair before the fire rushed at him. Also covered the chair in blood. That was cool.
Orton just pull the damn string out of the jacket real quick lol.
Caught Orton’s attempt at an rko with a mandable claw. Points.
Can someone... put him out? Editing trick? Were the flames real? Am I real??
Shouldn’t the bell ring? Match is over, right??
The dummy was kind of obvious ngl. Not to sound like an asshole, but they should’ve made it a bit thicker and more solid lol. Doesn’t really take me out of it though, cuz even though I’m sure it was a stunt double that got lit on fire by the ramp, someone was on fucking fire, and that’s intimidating in itself.
Also the dummy is melting. I’d say they should’ve used pig meat, but I’m sure vegans and animal rights activists would’ve had a field day writing to Snickers about that.
Was a good match, for what it was. I was entertained.
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*BONUS*
Main Event:
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“Nasty Nikki” lol okay.
“The only reason people even know you exist is because you were Alexa Bliss’ best friend,” ouch. Truth is pain.
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Ahahahah Lacey has hand sanitizer again. 
Love that submission Lacey jumped into through the ropes, plus an eye rake. Fantastic.
That’s curious. Lacey and Peyton are arguing over the hand sanitizer as Lacey wants to squirt it on Nikki, while Peyton is claiming it’ll get her DQd. Now I’m on Peyton’s side in the sense that it should absolutely be illegal, but Lacey’s done it in a match against Nikki before, sooo ???
I like how Nikki fell trying to get back into the ring before the 10 count. Adds credibility.
Haha Nikki gets the pinfall over Lacey because Peyton was being a nuisance on the outside. Lacey big mad. That’s great.
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*Smackdown easily shined the brightest in what was a great week of wrestling. Utilized 8 women in 3 different storylines, couldn’t possibly complain about that.
3 notes · View notes
afinepricklypear · 3 years
Note
hello!!! im really sorry to bother you! im a huge fan of your powerless series and i was very excited to see you beginning to post the next instalment, but i just had a question!! od*zai makes me really uncomfortable for personal reasons and i was wondering if there would be any of it in the fic? again im really sorry for bothering you vnjdfklnb
I don’t know when this was asked, I rarely come here...but I’ll answer as best I can and hope it’s not too late. I really don’t want to spoil the story too much, but I can also understand that many fanfiction readers (myself included) don’t like too many surprises in their fics and, when it comes to a multi-chapter fic, they don’t want to invest too much time in a fic that might disappoint them in the end. I also understand that for many people (once again, myself included), ships can make or break a fic, and that many people have notps (I, personally, have *a lot* in BSD), so I’ll try to give you an indirect answer.
I’ll start by noting that I do tag most things appropriately -- including romantic relationships that will appear in the fic, so that’s always your best bet for determining if a particular ship will show up in one of my stories -- sometimes things come up as I’m writing that I didn’t anticipate, and I’ll always warn when the tags of a fic change. I also try to tag when a fic will have an ending that the readers might not be satisfied with.
However, I feel like you might be able to guess the answer to your question too if you read my notes throughout the series. I’ll reiterate a few things I’ve said in the past installments here:
- I’m not a huge fan of Oda. It’s not that I dislike him, I just don’t particularly like him either. I’m neutral about him, I guess. Apathetic is most appropriate. I just don’t feel that the character was well developed by Asagiri. He’s flat and bland. His personality traits read off like a character the author is desperately trying to make readers like by cramming arbitrary positive characteristics down our throats that feel as though they weren’t fully thought out or given much impetus: he rescues orphans, wanted to retire as a novelist, mafia grunt that never kills (though he doesn’t quite qualify as a ‘criminal with a heart of gold’ like Chuuya because we never see him do anything criminal...but then again, we never really see the Port Mafia doing a lot of criminal things beyond murder). He also knows nothing about fairytales and apparently that makes him interesting -- and not an idiot(?) -- to Dazai. In short, like his ability name, he’s basically Flawless. Unless you count his breakdown in Dark Era when his plot devices...er...I mean, orphans that he rescued, each of whom are indistinguishable from one another (except Sakura because, she’s *the girl*) were killed by Mimic, which spiraled him on a Saint’s Martyr journey. 
OMG. He’s the Gary Stu of BSD. I never realized it before.
Er, I’m ranting. I didn’t mean to turn this ask into an Oda-Bash, and I mean no offense to his fans. We all connect to different parts of a character, and I just...didn’t connect to anything with him. That’s not to say I wouldn’t rise to the challenge as a writer of giving the character more depth than presented in cannon.
- I’m not so much a multishipper, as I don’t care about any other ships in BSD outside of DaChuu. Not much else to add to that one...
- I won’t be introducing any romantic pairings into the story that weren’t tagged in the first story of Release, because it would be wholly unfair to the readers who’ve stuck with me through to a fourth story to suddenly throw a curveball at them with potential notps. So, while there might be hints to other pairs (teasing, more like, similar to cannon), no new romantic pairs will be confirmed and the readers are free to interpret relationships between characters how ever they want...though I might note in comment replies my own preferences on those ships, that isn’t to say that the readers are wrong in reading into characters within my story their own shipping preferences since the characters are otherwise meant to be close to cannon, and there are no cannon ships...therefore, anything goes.
- I want to see Dazai and Chuuya move towards a healthier relationship in Release. As it stands, there are a lot of growing pains they would need to go through to get there. It’s not enough to “confess your feelings”, relationships are built on a lot more than that. They’ve got a lot of bad history, in cannon and as established throughout my story, that they need to work through. They have certain understandings that they relied on in the past to work with one another which no longer hold true, and so they have to figure out new ways to work together. There’s a lot made of the trust between them, also, in the story, they themselves and characters like Lady Murasaki have made mention of the solid trust between them. The problem there, however, is this trust predated their confession to one another, and is, therefore, built on a foundation that is regardless of love. So it isn’t really a great measure of the state of their romantic relationship -- a mistake, I might point out, Dazai may have already made.
- Not technically me that said this last one, but I would also refer you back to chapter 2 of Lock-Down, where Chuuya and Dazai briefly talk about Oda. Although Dazai is rather aloof about his feelings towards Oda there, he is very clear that he and Oda were never romantically involved while Oda was alive.
...
Something I haven’t really said, but I do want to create space for it here, is that there are many different kinds of love. When I set out writing Release, I wanted to keep as many things as possible close to cannon, I wanted the characters as close to cannon as I could get them, tweaking only what was necessary to make the story work. One of the things from cannon is that Dazai’s relationship with Oda had a powerful impact on it. I see a lot of soukoku writers deal with this by ignoring or downsizing the relationship between Oda and Dazai, or changing Dazai’s relationship with Chuuya to "elevate it” -- for lack of better phrasing -- to the same level. What can’t be denied about cannon is that Oda meant a lot to Dazai, his dying words inspired Dazai to leave the Port Mafia, and in the Beast AU, he changes *everything* and even, arguably, puts Atsushi and Kyouka through a kind of hell to create a world where Oda lives and finishes his novel. I would be a terrible fanfic writer if I didn’t at least acknowledge that it is made obvious in cannon Dazai does love Oda...however, it all depends on your perspective what kind of love that is. Odazai fans like to interpret it as romantic love, and that is their ship, nothing wrong with it, but romantic love isn’t the only kind of love with power, and it’s not the only kind of love that drives people to do whatever necessary for the life and happiness of that person. 
Within the context of the Release series, Chuuya also interprets Dazai’s love for Oda as romantic love. This itself is a conflict, but it’s representative of a larger conflict in their relationship...that being Chuuya’s insecurity with regards to Dazai’s feelings for him, which is a theme I really want to explore. I don’t know that it’ll ever explicitly be discussed, but a lot of the trauma from Chuuya’s assault by Dante is actually closely tied with this insecurity too. It isn’t Dante’s actions that affected Chuuya so terribly, rather the newness of his romance with Dazai at that point in time, and how easy it felt for him in that moment, for Dante to brush aside “Dazai’s kisses and touches”. It really represented for Chuuya how fragile and vulnerable his feelings for Dazai are, and how afraid he is that he’ll lose whatever is developing between him and Dazai before he ever really gets to call it his own.
An element of the Release series that I use to drum up drama and suspense, and which I try to impress on readers is that, with few exceptions, we’re only getting Chuuya’s perspective. His information is limited, and his interpretations of events and the people around him are not always going to be reliable. But we’re on this journey with him and we learn most information at the same time that he does. In this case, the important thing isn’t whether Odazai is a thing, it’s that Chuuya *believes* it is a thing. This creates a nice conflict, because it’s very problematic, highlighting that, while Chuuya trusts Dazai with his life, he doesn’t (yet?) trust Dazai with his heart. A partner secure in their relationship would be understanding that they’re not the only important person in their lover’s life, and that their lover can have strong emotions of love for others without it changing their love for their partner. Thus far, it hasn’t come up as a major conflict in their relationship, because Oda is dead, but recent revelations in the fourth Release story (the reliability of the character who gave the reveal, notwithstanding) raises some interesting questions stemming from: what if Oda could be brought back to life. Most readers seemed to have accepted Chuuya’s logic built on his personal narrative that Dazai was in love with Oda and vice versa, that if Dazai is trying to bring Oda back, he’s using Chuuya to do it as some sacrifice, because he truly loves Oda and wants to be with Oda, and that his relationship with Chuuya is meaningless. So, if we stay within that perspective we’re left with the one question: is he really trying to bring Oda back? -- and the conclusion drawn from it being: if he is, he doesn’t love Chuuya, and if he isn’t, he does love Chuuya. But there are some other important questions I don’t see too many readers asking, such as: are these things truly mutually exclusive? Would Dazai being romantically in love with Oda represent the only explanation for why Dazai would want to bring Oda back to life? Would Dazai really see bringing Oda back as being in conflict with his and Chuuya’s developing romance?
Of course, this added potential motivation for Dazai aside, stopping the Grimm Brotherhood is paramount. This is a dangerous organization that is doing horrendous things, and their mysterious machinations are made more ominous by the fact our heroes don’t fully know their ultimate goals. Thus far, everything that’s happened involving Chuuya has been beneficial towards bringing down the Grimm Brotherhood. Regardless if Dazai is pursuing the Brotherhood for personal reasons, his actions still align with the motivations of the Agency and Chuuya.
I don’t know if this answered your question but I hope that you might trust me as a writer that has no intention of “pulling one over” on the readers and that you will continue to stick with the story. I don’t get my jollies from leaving stories with unsatisfactory endings. I believe that there should always be an appropriate payoff that the story built towards. Thank you for the question, thank you for reading and enjoying my other stories, and I hope that you take care!
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morepokemonimagines · 4 years
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Starved lanky boy anon here!! From the fluff of please!!
Sure thing! Not even gonna lie, I’m starved for the lanky emo boi too. I just wanna snuggle him! (and do other less wholesome things)
L ove Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?: (So many different things this could mean… I’ll probably do more than one scenario for this one.) While I wanna say he does it by singing some cheesy love song he spent weeks or even months on at a show he was unusually insistent that his love interest attend, I’m not sure he’d actually have the confidence for that. If it were done on stage, it would be a spur of the moment thing. He’d be running on pure adrenaline from the crowd’s energy, which boosts his confidence immeasurably, when he sees someone getting too handsy with them while they’re looking SUUUUUPER uncomfortable and trying to get away. He’d see red and stop mid-song to be all “Oi, wanker! Hands off my girl/man!” He’d start to blush the second he realizes what he just said, but the train’s already left the station, so he might as well blow the whistle. He’ll go off on a tirade about how disrespectful they were being to his love interest and that they’ve got another thing coming if they think he’s letting them get away with it. He’d then have the offending person removed from Spikemuth entirely (something he rarely does) while Team Yell keeps anyone else from getting too close to his love interest. He finishes his set while looking directly at them, though he does look away from time to time to give them a chance to slip away if they so choose; he’s happy but nervous when they don’t. After the set is finished, he hops off of the stage rather than walking off to the side like normal and asks his love interest if he can talk to them. He’s takes their hand and pulls them to a more secluded area so they can talk in private; he’s probably a bit more forceful than intended when leading them to said area because he really wants to get it all out before the last of his adrenaline and endorphin high can wear off since he’s kinda banking on it to help him through this. He’d take a deep breath and tell them how much he likes them and why: they’re nice, funny, interesting, easy on the eyes and he just feels more relaxed around them than most others outside of Marnie. He’d then ask them how they feel about him and his feelings about them. If he gets a positive response, he will ask them to be his s/o.
He could also do it in a less abrupt manner, but it would take A LOT longer to happen because the poor guy gets so down on himself all the time that he’d be convinced that his love interest could never actually return his feelings. They would likely have had to have formed some sort of friendship-type bond before this as well. Marnie will have to put her foot down and give him a pep-talk/lecture to get him to stop pining from afar and take the leap already. In this situation, he’d invite them to come hang out at his and Marnie’s place to watch a movie or some show they have a mutual interest in, something that they’ve done dozens of times before so they have no idea that anything is different this time around. Marnie won’t be there, but that’s normal since she’s busy with gym leader duties. At some point, he would either pause the movie or wait for a commercial to ask them if he can talk to them. From there, it goes about the same as the first scenario.
Now, as far as saying “I love you” to them, it would probably be a spur of the moment thing. They’ll do something that just makes his heart feel like it’s going to burst and he’ll think “Arceus, I love you so much….” Yeah, that wasn’t in his head like he thought it was…..
M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?: It’s not really something he thought about much before; it just never really crossed his mind. But, after being with his s/o for a while, he’ll find himself thinking about it more and more. Sure, getting the government involved in one’s love life is weird when you really stop to think about it, but having the title of husband instead of boyfriend and them having the title of wife/husband instead of just girlfriend/boyfriend just starts to feel more and more special to him. He’ll talk to his s/o about his feelings on the matter and get their opinion on it. When he feels like his intentions and their feelings are clearly known, he’ll make his move. THIS is where the cheesy love song at the end of his set would come in. He already knows that they love him, and he knows their feelings on the subject of marriage, so he’s confident as hell and is chomping at the bit. Once the song is over, he’d pull them up on stage and pop the question. 
Depending on what he knows about them, he may present them with a ring or (as he would prefer) a choker that matches his; the chokers are a family thing, after all, and they would officially be family at that point. If he had gotten them a ring, it would either be a simple band with some sort of phrase that is special to them engraved in it, or a flashier ring with either a round cut or heart cut. The center stone would be his s/o’s favorite stone because it would be more personal and shows that he pays attention to that sort of thing, and because diamonds are a literal scam and everyone knows it (he may allow a few small diamonds to be used as accent stones if it looks better, but that’s for aesthetics and not because the ring is “supposed” to have diamonds in it). If he were to get a ring for himself as a symbol of their union, it would be a simple gold band with a special phrase and/or his s/o’s name engraved in it. While silver would match with his usual style far better, he would want the ring to clash because that would make it stand out more. He’d let his s/o pick what they want for their wedding ring if they choose to have one. Something that would appeal to him would be the idea of wedding ring tattoos instead of traditional rings. They’re more permanent, they’re less cumbersome, and they just fit his style more.
The wedding would mostly be up to his partner’s taste, but he would have a few requirements. 1) Marnie is the flower girl. 2) Obstagoon is the ring bearer if they use physical rings. If they get the tattoo rings, then they’ll just get the tattoos beforehand and kiss the other’s ring tattoo when they would normally exchange rings; Obstagoon will be his best pokeman in this case. 3) Team Yell is invited, but they’ve had the fear of Arceus put in them by him, so they’ll be on their best behavior. 4) No media. This is their night and no one other than the ones they want to have there have any right to be there. 5) He is absolutely going to want to have a say in the music that is played.
Bonus!  N icknames - What do they call their s/o?: He sticks almost exclusively with “love” as a nickname, but will give them other endearing nicknames that allude to some funny/embarrassing situation or inside joke over time, but he uses these more sparingly.  (Example: my grandma calls my grandpa (both on my dad’s side) “Bunny Butt” because once while camping she got drunk and pantsed him, and my mom said he had a “cute little bunny butt” because he’s a thin dude and I’m sure that particular area has never seen the sun in the 60 some odd years that the man has been alive so it had to be whiter than a real full moon.)
O n Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?: This pasty mofo can’t hide his blush to save his damn life! When he’s in love, he’s blushing constantly whenever his love interest is around, or sometimes if they’re even just mentioned. When talking to them, he may stutter quite a bit too, which is something he never has trouble with otherwise. Also, he’s tugging on the ring on his choker constantly and avoiding eye contact. In short, he basically becomes a flustered pre-teen and you’d have to be dense not to know. His main way of showing his feelings is by paying really close attention to the things they say and do in order to find their likes, dislikes, things they need, things they’re going through and so on. He will use this information to make sure that any gifts he gives them (normal expected gifts like birthdays and holidays) are special and so that he can help them whenever he can. It will become pretty apparent that’s what he’s doing because why the hell else would he remember an offhanded remark about some random thing they said more than three months ago?
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linkspooky · 4 years
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What are your top 5 MHA characters?
I love to talk about the reasons why I love the characters I love. If you ever ask want to ask me who my faves are for a series feel free to send me an ask.
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# 1 The Future King - Shigaraki Tomura
Shigaraki is the character who I talk about the most so the fact he is my favorite is probably honest. With each of these characters I am going to elaborate one aspect of them that makes them a fave for this series. For Shigaraki, my favorite thing about him is not that he’s a bastard, but that he’s a wannabe bastard. 
Shigaraki wishes he could be the kind of person that All for One is, who controls everything, who crushes people in his hands, who feels nothing and wants for everything. Shigaraki ultimately will always fall short of All for One the more he strives to be like him, and that’s what I love about his character. Ultimately, he’s a child throwing a self destructive tantrum. 
The greatest thing about Shigaraki is how much he sucks, and how visceral his failures are. Everything he does explodes in his face in the most disastrous way possible. Even when he succeeds, he invites another worse fall for himself. When he manages to kidnap Bakugo succesfully, not only does Bakugo have no interest at all in becoming a villain, but the heroes track down his location and he loses All for One after that. He exeriences what can only be referred to as “fuck up cascades”.  The point is through watching Shigaraki struggle harder than any character in the manga you get a much deeper connection to him. Shigaraki fights in the mountains with no food or water for a month until he goes half insane, and then it switches back to the heroes and they’re all having a fun christmas party and wearing santa outfits. 
All for One is a king who basically exists to be the villain. He’s stopped being a person and only exists in the role of villain he assigns himself. Shigaraki is so desperate to kill the idea that he’s a person, that he feels anything other than an urge to destroy. The more he suppresses himself though, the more he ends up lashing out again. He’s so undeniably human and in paint that it’s impossible for me not to feel for him. He wants to grow up into All for One so bad, but he’s never going to be AFO he can only be the terrible child that he is. 
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#2 Himiko Toga - A Normal Girl 
The main villain trio have always been my top three favorite characters, and the dynamic I’ve been most invested in. Himiko emobides why I tend to gravitate towards villains. They are allowed to be themselves more than protagonists tend to be, because protagonists usually have to be relatable to the audience in some way. Himiko is the most well written female character in My Hero Academia. She’s also a weird serial killer. Somehow these two facts are not mutually exclusive. 
In a series where most of the female characters are like one of three “nice girl” personalities, and are at all times cute or presentable Himiko gets to fight right in the center and covered in blood. The reason I like villains so much is because they own their flaws so much. Himiko is half insane and nobody else can understand her, and she already knows that. 
Yet, Himiko is on this self destructive quest to be true to herself that makes her fight along with the rest of the League of Villains. There’s a lot of ideas present in Himiko’s character, and because she’s a villain she gets to be selfish and explore those ideas. I’m not trying ot make some kind of point here, I just like how messy and lopsided Himiko is. She doesn’t know what she wants, she’s continually running away from everything, she’s so so desperate for some kind of love. She’s independent, but also needy as hell. She exists in her own little world, and yet at the same time she’s vary aware of the world around her. I like that she’s hard to understand, and someone you cannot possibly accept either. Himiko just wants to be herself, no matter how ugly or grotesque that self is. 
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#3 Dabi - Self Immolation
Yes, a lot of what I like about Dabi is actually what he might be if he turns out to be Touya. At the same time Horikoshi’s writing is not subtle at all, and you can infer a lot of his character based on what little we have. 
One of my favorite characters are those who are motivated by some deep scar to burn everything around them, and don’t care if they themselves are burned up in the fire as well. Dabi strikes me as that kind of byronic hero. A self destructive person barely holding on, and yet his emotions burn so much he has to act on them. 
I like the idea that Dabi himself is aware that Touya is long dead and he looks like some kind of sewn up corpse acting on Touya’s desires. I love the idea that Dabi is aware himself that he’s slowly going crazy but keeps pushing himself anyway, because otherwise why did he burn half of his body up to reach this point? The fact that he isolates himself from others and keeps secrets when the league would obviously help him kill Endeavor if he wanted them to, shows how committed Dabi is to his act of self destruction. Either the world will burn or he will. I find those kind of sentiments deeply moving in characters. 
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#4 Hawks - Pride Comes Right Before the Fall 
I adore Hawks for the same reasons I adore Dabi. The tragedy surrounding both of their characters are so similiar and complementary I basically consider them a set. 
Hawks is always putting on a happy face when he’s more miserable than anyobdy else. He’s always pretending to be carefree when he’s more burdened than anybody else. Hawks is losing himself slowly and smiling all the while because he thinks this is what he wants to do. 
He’s interesting because in traditional tragic fashion, his good qualities, his total selflessness towards others, and how observant he is of other people’s needs and desires, are what drive him completely to ruin. People are going to pluck every single one of Hawks’ feathers out until he cannot fly anymore as he keeps letting himself be used again and again. 
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#5 - Aizawa Shota - Wannabe Batman
As stated above with Shigaraki there are characters who I love because they are wannabes, that is they are not who they desperately pretend to be. Aizawa is introduced to us a sa strict, unrelentingly cold and logical person. 
While the rest are villains or characters who are expected to fall to villaintry in some way, Aizawa is someone I admire even as a hero because of how complex he is written as a character. Aizawa has set up so many hoops for himself to jump through. He passes himself off as someone who is cold and detached when it’s obvious he’s an overly anxious nightmare who is constantly thinking about others rather than himself. 
He’s someone who believes he cannot show that he is caring in a direct way, so he always has to go through indirect ways. The cirlces he runs himself in around his students is always fun to observe. Aizawa’s big brain and analytical thinking are both his enemies, because they make him think of the ways absolutely everything can go wrong, and on top of that it’s implied Aizawa has lost someone in the past because of an unexpected accident which pushes him even further into wanting to expect everything and be in control of it all. What I like is of all the flawed mentors in the series, Aizawa is presented as one of the more flawed, but also someone who is actively trying to grow and learn as much from his students as they are him. As opposed to All Might who is stuck in his ways. Aizawa’s flaws are never glossed over but are right there for all to see, and his harsh personaltiy is what we are introduced to first before ever getting so much of a glimpse of his soft side which makes him all the more likable to me. 
But then again I just love unlikable people. 
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franeridart · 5 years
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Anon said: Um so hello, I’m just here to say keep up the awesome work, I love your kiribaku art and it’s adorable and I go on binges through your blog (omg I sound so creepy I’m sorry I just love ur art so much) and it makes my day so yeah please keep drawing!
Ahhhhh you don’t sound creepy at all, don’t worry!!!!! Thank you so much for liking my stuff that much!!!!!!! <3<3
Anon said: May ask what kiri///mina would look like in your style? You don't have to draw it if you don't like the ship.
Gosh sorry but I really really don’t ship it!
Anon said: you know how I miss?? your OCs!!! they're the cutest!!
AWE thank you so much!!!!!!! I have a few comics planned for them, hope I’ll manage getting to them soon enough!!! (oT^T)9<3
Anon said: This is so sappy but some of your kiribaku posts really make me really appreciate long relationships! I’ve always found pining and crushes the cutest bc it’s full of intense feelings, but you portray being in love and accepting each other so well!! it’s amazing how you show characters interacting with each other and being so comfortable instead of worrying about hiding part of themselves and long story short I love your art and ideas so much
This ask!!!!!!!!! means the universe!!!!!!!!!! to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m so glad I can manage portraying love in such a way, I’m so in love with the idea of open, accepting love, andI try seriously hard to make it look healthy in my comics so!!!!!!! thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have no clue how many times I’ve reread this ask I’m not even exaggerating TT^TT <3
Anon said: I just want to start off by saying you’re my favourite blog on tumblr, your art is incredibly adorable and always makes my day!! I was just wondering how you were able to create your own unique art style? It’s something I’ve been struggling with a lot lately with my own art. Any advice is appreciated, thanks for everything you do!!
I think it’s about finding the right spot between what feels comfortable for you and the end you’re using your art for? In my case what’s comfortable is something fun and smooth, and the main end has always been to be able to draw comics - I’ve always liked comics because I like writing and I like drawing, but my attention span was too short to manage finishing them, and the way I had of drawing was too stiff to properly convey emotions the way I wanted to, which made drawing comics sound like an impossible dream haha I fixed it by simplifying my style, by taking away or reducing to the bare minimum everything that took me ages to work out/draw and pushing my expressions and body language to extremes to make up for the lack of details. 
That’s just my experience with it, though! The best advice I can give you is to sit back and look at your current way of drawing from an objective perspective - do you enjoy it? Is the process of drawing something you’re comfortable with? What’s uncomfortable in it for you, and in which ways could you change it to make it comfortable and fun? Does your current art style allow you to do what you want to do with your art? If you want to paint, does it allow you to paint in an easy and fun way? If you want to make comics, does it allow you the range to properly portray a character moving and living without making you wish you’d never started drawing halfway through it? 
Imho the first step to find a style that’s your own and feels right is to find a style that’s fun to use and doesn’t stress you to hell and back every time you pick up your pencil. This is easier to do the more things you attempt, so for a bit being inconsistent in style is a good and normal thing - try things out! The best one for you will definitely stick in the end. And if you already feel comfortable with the way you have of drawing, then hell! You already have a style that works for you! Just because to you it doesn’t look unique and special it doesn’t mean that it isn’t - if you asked me to point out what makes my style unique I wouldn’t be able to tell you either, the way I see it my style is the most uninteresting and common-looking style out there. To be honest with you that’s probably just how it is for every artist out there hahaha
Anon said: Hi!! I love your art and just want you to know I always get a big, stupid smile on my face whenever I see you cross my feed, whether it’s something new or a reblog of an old post. Everything you do is just amazing and I love it
AHHHHHHH Thank you so so much!!!!!!!!! (TT^TT)<3<3<3
Anon said: Hey Fran! First off, thank you for the Fire Force art. I remembered to actually check it out, after seeing it lol. Second, I still can't find your Fatgum 😭😭 the link didn't give any, and searching on your page didn't help either. I WILL FIND IT ONE DAY
I think it’s a problem of the app orz I can see him just find from desktop but the app can’t find him either T-T stupid app!
Anon said: Do you have a mini Bakugou and Kirishima living in your head? Are they just living their lives up in your brain and that causes your hand to to write and draw the most perfect and accurate things? Of course mini Kaminari, Sero, Mina, Jirou, etc. also come to visit your head hole from time to time and just chill with mini Baku and Kiri. That’s the only logical explanation on how all your Bakushima content is so inconceivably spot on
That’s such a kind thing of you to say, anon!!!!!! I’m glad you find them that IC!!!!!! I try my best, but sometimes I admit I just have them do and say stuff I’ve done and said myself, the only difference is that I word things in a way that feels right for their usual way of talking hahaha
Anon said: I personally would love to read your essay on why bakugo is the best character ever because I really really really want to love him that much but i feel like there's something that I'm just not getting about him- there's something I'm missing about his personality (keeping in mind that i kinda left the manga after the whole mirio/8 precepts arc). I've always found bakugo compelling and would love love love to read your take on him! Hope you have a great day!
Bakugou has had some amazing character development scenes after the overhaul arc!!!!! He’s outright shown he understands where he was lacking and where he was wrong, that he’s perfectly capable of working in a team and letting people help him and helping them in return, that he cares about his class and how the rest of the world sees them! (and that he worries/cares about how the world sees him too, actually, that broke my heart a bit ;; ) We haven’t seen him in a hot minute by now, but most of anything before the current arc has had him improve and develop and become even better than he already was -  I’ve always thought him a good guy with just a lot of troubles relating to the world around him due the way he has been brought up as special and different (it creates a drift between yourself and the rest of the world when everyone around you keeps treating you as if you were other - when you tell a kid he’s different and better for his whole life he’s bound to grow up believing it, after all), but if the problem you have with him is that he isn’t showing the good in himself plainly and obviously enough, then the arcs after the overhaul one are gonna help you like him better, definitely
Well, the thing about Bakugou is that he’s not a plain/obvious character, so you need to think about his actions and his words a bit more, and can’t just take him at face value - it’s what I like about him, actually! How much you need to think about him to figure him out on a deeper level than just the surface one. Since I dunno why you like him and why you feel something’s missing, I can’t tell you specifically what it is in the way I see him that completes him for me, but as I said I try to keep him as IC as I can so probably reading my comics about him might help you understand the way I see him. To me Bakugou’s honest, and kind, and loving, but he’s also arrogant, and angry, and used to taking some things for granted, and I like how all those things work with and against each other in his character. He’s at the same time incredibly proud and absurdly insecure, and I like that about him too - where each comes from and where and how they clash, I like the complexity it gives him. I like that he’s a people person in the sense that he likes having people around himself, and I like that at the same time UA is the first time he’s had actual, honest to god best friends, and how that means that he’s gonna be awkward when usually he’s so sure and proud simply because he isn’t used to having people he actually specifically cares for, I very much like that about him. I like that he overthinks everything he doesn’t immediately gets, I like that he still acts on instincts more often than not, I like that somehow with him those two aren’t mutually exclusive. I like that he’s smart and still so damn dumb, I like that he’s just as simple-minded as he is an actually labyrinth in thought process, I like how one-track minded he is even on the most silly things - how once he sets his eyes on a goal he goes for it like his life depends on it. I like that he’s barsh and rude and impulsive in what he says and does, but when he fucks up he knows he fucked up, and he backstracks, and he does his best to make amends. I like that he sits in stupid ways and has the worst posture in the class and then he wears his hero costume and suddenly he’s a model on the catwalk, that’s so damn endearing to me. I like how ridiculously hyperbolic he is and how he just assumes people will get it, get what he actually means, like there’s a point between his brain and his mouth were things get blown out of proportion and he doesn’t even realize it. There’s just so many things to love about him, for me!! 
But most importantly I like that he started as low as he could get and that because of it his plot is a one way towards the summit. I like it. I like watching a character grow and every new chapter become a better version of themselves, I love it. Ultimately that’s probably why he’s my favorite, after all haha
Anon said: Hi, this isn’t a question but I just wanted to say how much I love your art and the way you clearly appreciate Bakugou as a character. So many of my friends hate him, but I think he has a lot of depth and so much potential. Your art always makes me smile! Thanks for doing what you do. :)
THANK YOU and thank you for liking the boy too!!!!!!! He deserves it, he absolutely does deserve it!!!!!!! <3<3<3
Anon said: I just went digging in the archives of my blog (which is.. a mess) and found some old art of yours (like... I'm talking bokuto and kuroo level old) and g o s h. I already loved your art so much then and I still do n hhhhhhhh u go. U great.
Gosh you’ve been around a long time then!!!!! Thank you so much for sticking with me all this time!!!! ✨o(TT0TT)o✨
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maddenedbythesstars · 3 years
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shipping asks: 1, 2, 4, 19
1. What was your first OTP?
Rufy/Nami from One Piece. At eight I was obsessed with that anime, and I still ship them. Yes, I know Oda-sensei said he wouldn't put any romance in OP, but still, a girl can hope.
Another ship that caught my fancy when I was very, very young is Harry/Hermione (obviously from HP). Yep, I was a Harmony shipper; no, now I don't care at all about which side "won", but I'm still quite fond of them, for nostalgia's sake.
Last but not least, Vegeta/Bulma from Dragon Ball. I was ten when I watched the Sayan saga for the first time; it was transmitted on Italian national tv, and back then I had no access to Internet and streaming devices, obviously. (Great, now I feel old lol.) So I used to wait with bated breath for each episode, and I crushed so hard on Vegeta (I think he was my very first villain crush?), and I rooted for his redemption and for Vegebul to happen. Guess what? Toriyama-sensei's visionary mind really set him up with his main female lead, and from a genocidal alien prince he developed into a devoted husband and father (albeit still grumpy as hell). Needless to say, it was a very formative experience lol.
2. What is your current OTP?
The main pairings from my two original projects (they're both antivillain/hero ships btw). Also Batjokes, probably Reylo (even though I'm so unhappy about their resolution in TROS, u g h), Dong-Hoon/Ji-An from My Ahjussi (a beautiful Kdrama), Erik/Meg from The Phantom of the Opera (my favorite rarepair; you already know it, Fish, but for the people who have been following for a short time… don't ask)... and I guess that's it. I have a lot of long time favorite ships (Valduggery from the Skulduggery Pleasant series, Jaime/Brienne from ASOIAF, etc.), but these are currently on top of my mind more than any other.
4. What is/are your favorite trope(s)?
Enemies to lovers, obviously. There's no trope I love more, really, in any shape. My favorite is probably this one: "they're a monster and I'd kill them with my bare hands/ugh now we're forced to work together if we want to save our skins and/or defeat a common enemy so I guess in the meantime we'd have some talks while for once we aren’t actively try to slit each other's throat/actually we're so similar it's scary and I don't like this/they stand against everything I believe in but I kinda mourn the person they used to be or could be/I guess they're… tolerable when they are not actively trying to ruin my and everyone’s life and also I kinda respect them for being a Worthy Enemy/remember when I said I didn't like that we are so similar? I lied I don't want to like it but oops I actually do/idk exactly how we became kinda friends but well now I care and can't turn back/shit this might be more than just care/why them??? ffs why them?" and so on. (As you see, it’s pretty specific lol.) I mean that epic, beautiful romance of Enemies to Reluctant Allies to Maybe Friends to BFFs to Lovers. It's hard to pull off, but when it's good, it's good.
I love any other iteration of this trope, too: friends to enemies to lovers, lovers to enemies to lovers again, enemies with benefits… anything, really.
I also love Beauty and the Beast/Monster Romance, Villainous Crush, Death and the Maiden, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Arranged Marriage (exclusively when they're enemies tho 👀👀), Hurt/Comfort (a classic), Huddling for Warmth, and Stranded Together (again, especially when they're enemies). I also like the Amnesia trope, but 1. I tend to like it more when the amnesiac character is a former villain, a la Revan in Knights of the Old Republic (imagine the angst!), and 2. it must be well-executed and pivotal to the character's development (that's why it works better for villains), otherwise it's just useless drama and at worst a soap opera-ish retcon (see Vanya in The Umbrella Academy's season 2).
19. Do you prefer fluff, angst, or smut for your ships?
ANGST, with a side dish of fluff. I live for the drama, but I usually prefer a happy or bittersweet ending (it depends on the genre). I love reading about/writing more lighthearted, witty dialogs, where both characters are just happy to be… you know, together, and enjoy each other's company. I like (very much like) smut only when it goes with character/relationship development; the ~sexy times~ are usually what I care about the least in a fic lol. tl;dr: I don’t mind smut, but I don’t actively seek it either.
Thank you, Fish! I’m so happy you followed me back on this new blog, too 💖
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noknockingonmydoor · 3 years
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❤ you know for who 👁👁 / @multavia​
Dating:
Where was their first official date? Something sweet and simple and inconspicuous like getting coffee/eating out and going for a walk in the evening
What is their favorite date location? Josuke says any date location is favourite as long as Rohan is there, Rohan would roll his eyes but he agrees
How many dates before their first kiss? They kissed long before going on an actual date
Who asked who out first? Josuke, ofc. Rohan just didn’t want to push anything
How many dates before they considered each other a couple? By the time they went on their first official date it was very clear that they were exclusive
Friends:
How many mutual friends do they have? There’s the Duwang gang, and... yeah.
Which one of their friends is most likely to get in between an argument between the ship? Okuyasu would be very protective of Josuke and whenever he heard about Rohan starting drama he’d be more than ready to settle it mano a mano, except Josuke would calm him down. Koichi would have to listen to both sides complain and at some point he’d just be like “I’m not going to listen to this crap anymore, just TALK to each other”
Which one has more friends? Josuke, undoubtedly
Which one has introduced the other to more people? Josuke, yet again
Did they start out as friends and made their way to a couple, or were they a couple almost right away? This is a classic tale of enemies to tolerant to neutral to weird tensions to friends to lovers
Arguments:
What do they argue about the most? Mostly it’s Rohan picking fights by spinning a roulette wheel and deciding what grinds his gears
How do they usually solve their disagreements? Josuke tries his best to please Rohan, after which Rohan feels guilty, and they try to talk things through
Do they argue a lot or not very often? In the beginning it’s a looooot but as time goes on they figure each other out and it’s much less frequent
Who admits to being wrong more often? Josuke, even when he’s not wrong
Sex:
Who is more likely to initiate sex? Rohan. It’s become a habit since Josuke is rly shy and insecure about it in the beginning
Do they prefer to do it in a bed, or do they prefer a chair, or perhaps the shower?  Maybe other spots? In the beginning, just the bed, later on whenever wherever Rohan throws himself at Josuke
Do they practice any kind of bdsm in the bedroom at all and if so, what kinds? Maybe on the occasion that Rohan asks for it and if Josuke is feeling up to it
Who’s usually more dominant in the bedroom? Most of the time, Rohan is a bossy, demanding power bottom and Josuke is happy to follow the lead
Lights on or off? At first Josuke insisted on lights being off, but Rohan wanted them on, so they settled for dim lights
Do they share any kinks? Their sex life is mostly vanilla but they both like tying up/restraining, maybe blindfolding one another from time to time
Does either one have any kinks that they don’t have in common with the other?  Unlike Rohan, Josuke isn’t particularly kinky and is awkward about many things Rohan is into, but he tries his best here and there to experiment
Have they ever had sex anywhere public before? Rohan maaaybe manages to egg Josuke on like once or twice to have sex somewhere weird, maybe
Who would be most likely to suggest bringing in a third person and who would that person be? Neither would be into that
Cuddling:
When are they most likely to cuddle? Whenever Josuke initiates it and if Rohan isn’t in one of his ‘no touch me im angy’ moods
Where is their favorite place to cuddle? Rohan sitting in Josuke’s lap on the sofa while they watch tv or smth
Who’s usually the big spoon? Josuke
Do they cuddle often? As time goes on, yes
Marriage:
Are they married?  If not, is it something that could happen between them? It could very much happen, yes
If they are married, where did they get married at?  If not married, what is their dream wedding location? Rohan would fantasise about an extravagant, expensive, luxurious wedding, while all that Josuke needs is for all his friends and family to be there
If married, who proposed to who?  If not married, who would be more likely to propose to who? Josuke is more likely to propose because of who he is as a person
If they are married, which one moved in with the other?  If not married, who would be more likely to move in with the other? Josuke with Rohan since he’s got a big ass house all to himself and Josuke practically already lives there
Children:
Do they have kids?  If not, would they consider having kids? Josuke wants kids, definitely. Rohan... he wouldn’t mind... but it’s complicated since they’re both dudes and idk if adoption would be viable bc of the circumstances
How many kids do they have?  If no kids, how many kids would they want to have? I think Josuke’d want more than one kid because he’s an only child. Rohan would say anything more than two is way too much
What are the children’s names?  If no kids, what would they name their kids? Josuke would deffo wanna name his kid after his grandpa, and Rohan would name them after some fictional character ngl (like Usagi or Akira or some character from Pink Dark Boy)
Random:
What are three random headcannons you have about the ship that are not related to romance or sex? 1. They’re really caring about each other and would drop whatever they were doing to comfort/help out each other 2. They have a lot of weird, stupid inside jokes that no one else understands 3. Josuke picks up and carries Rohan in his arms once jokingly and ever since whenever Rohan wants to feel pampered and like a prince he demands to be carried around inside the house. God forbid Josuke does it in front of anyone else, tho
Which one is more likely to suggest getting pets? Josuke like a month into the relationship and Rohan would be like ‘oh HELL no take a big step back stud’
Which one eats more snack foods? Josuke
What is their favorite movie to watch together? Grease--well, at least Josuke likes when they watch it and teases Rohan by singing along with the songs and comparing them to the main characters :P 
What is their favorite tabletop game to play together? Whatever it is, it’s not something competitive bc Rohan can be a very sore loser
What are your three absolute favorite things about this ship? 1. They’re so different but they can learn a lot from each other and give each other what they actually NEED 2. Enemies to lovers is always fun to explore 3. All the tensions and awkward moments and mixed signals bottled up in the beginning at some point just EXPLODE and bro i’m living to see that 
What is one thing you don’t like about this ship? How mean and controlling Rohan gets and how Josuke would bend over backwards to make him happy even at times he doesn’t deserve it
If you had to rate this ship on a scale of 1-10, what would you give it? 10/10 I have unexpectedly become Josuhan trash, thank you val for showing me the light and being so fun to talk to and plot with and write with :D
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