Tumgik
#Which is something I very intentionally set out to fix
bonefall · 8 months
Note
Have you thought about collabing with the creators of Clangen?
It would be cool? But from what I know, Clangen really tries to stick close to canon, moreso than I do. They wouldn't be looking to add my clan culture expansions or spirituality overhauls.
So like, sure, if they/a mod maker approached me with an idea or request. Otherwise I'm not sure what we'd collaborate about?
69 notes · View notes
nocturnest · 18 days
Text
lost in the fire
tangerine won't stop teasing you and you've had just about enough. luckily, you've got just the thing up your sleeve.
author's note: so i've been crazy about some of the weeknd's songs lately and came up with this amazing fic idea based off of it that i just had to try to write - i hope i did the song justice!
warnings: references to sex, light friskiness lol
Tumblr media
On a train to Madrid, España...
The day had been one of constant teasing and playfulness between you and Tangerine. Well, mostly coming from Tangerine. You faked annoyance but were really just too flustered by his antics to react. It had started innocently - with a lingering look and then a mischievous grin. Tangerine would make offhand comments, his words laced with the subtlest of innuendos that had your heart rate beating out of your fucking chest.
At one point, during a lull in the conversation, Tangerine had casually reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair behind your ear, his calloused fingers grazing your cheekbone. The simple gesture had you shivering, and you knew he had done it intentionally, gleefully reveling in the reaction he knew he could elicit from you.
Then there were the times when he would "accidentally" brush up against you, his arm or thigh pressing against yours for just a beat too long. You could see the amusement dancing in his eyes, daring you to call him out.
And whenever your gazes would meet, Tangerine would hold your stare, his eyebrow raised and blue eyes beckoning a challenge. He was taunting you, daring you to be the one to make the first move, to give in to the tension between the both of you.
The worst of it (which was really the best but you weren't going to admit that anytime soon) was when he would lean in close, his lips mere inches from yours, and murmur something simple, about the weather or a new book he'd read, but low and seductive. You'd find yourself caught in his gaze, unable to look away, until he would pull back with a self-satisfied smirk.
Lemon, despite being usually very observant, was blissfully unaware of what was going on. He would occasionally glance between the two of you, his face one of confusion, but he never seemed to catch on to whatever this was...
Eventually, you found yourself losing patience. Your desire to do something was becoming increasingly greater with every excruciating minute. You wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine, to let him know exactly how much he was affecting you, how flustered he was making you.
An idea hit you. Music. You and Tangerine had started a tradition of sharing earbuds during your travels, be it train rides or flights. You both had created playlists and everything was organized from genre to occasion. Tangerine had an eclectic taste - an appreciation for some modern songs but also British rock from the 90s, 60s, and 70s. He had shared some of his favorite songs with you and you had done the same. It was nice, sharing your music preferences with him, sharing a part of yourself with him.
But that was beside the point. Inconspicuously, you pulled a set of earbuds out of your bag as you often did during your travels. Meanwhile, Lemon sat across from you, watching the newest series of Thomas on his phone.
Tangerine always let you pick the first few songs, so you started off innocuously, playing a few tracks that you both enjoyed as you thought of a specific song to really make him lose his shit. One came to mind. Carefully, you cued up The Weeknd's Lost in the Fire and pressed play, your gaze fixed on Tangerine's face as you waited for the first sultry lyrics to fill the shared earbuds. Tangerine read from one of his novels, tattered from being read many times. He was distracted, tapping along to the music along the folding table.
I wanna fuck you slow with the lights on.
Tangerine's reaction was immediate - his head snapped in your direction. His eyes widened and cheeks flushed a spectacular shade of red. You, on the other hand, remained the picture of composure, humming along to the melody as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.
You're the only one I've got my sights on.
Tangerine took a deep breath. Lemon, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, looked on in confused fascination, his gaze darting between the two of you, trying to decipher the unspoken words.
You shrugged and rolled your eyes and Lemon returned his attention to Thomas and Friends, albeit with a look of uncertainty.
Type of sex you could never put a price on.
I'll take it off, you're the one I'll roll the dice on
Tangerine choked and spluttered until he started coughing. Lemon looked up again, this time genuinely perturbed, "You alright, mate?"
It took everything you had to hold in your laughter as you put on a look of concern, you reached over to place your hand on Tangerine's forehead, "Yeah, Tan? You look a little flushed."
He scowled in your direction and brushed your hand aside. Clearing his throat and avoiding your eyes, he responded to Lemon, "Ehm, I'm fine. Just fuckin' peachy."
Lemon squinted, skeptical, "Really? Because-"
Frustrated and evidently losing his goddamn mind just as you intended, Tangerine spit out, “Yes ya bell-end! Just go back to your fuckin’ show…”
It seemingly required a lot of effort just for Tangerine to speak in his condition. You preened while Lemon just rolled his eyes, putting on his own earbuds despite still being very doubtful of the stability of Tangerine’s mental state.
The music continued, the chorus ending and the next stanza beginning. Tangerine seemed to be convinced that it was over - whatever this little game of yours was. Alas, you were most certainly not done.
She gon' ride on top your face
While I fuck you straight
With the arrival of those words, he let out a sound that was a mixture of a squeak and a whimper. Tangerine's eyes remained fixed on you, a mix of disbelief and something akin to hunger etched across his face. The lyrics continued to pour through the shared earbuds, each word dripping with innuendo.
As the chorus repeated, you slowly dragged your foot along his calf, applying just the slightest bit of pressure. Tangerine shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his fingers tightening around the arms of the chair. He pulled on the collar of his shirt, still red in the face.
The song continued, the suggestive lyrics filling the air, and Tangerine looked on the verge of unraveling. Lemon glanced between the two of you, probably still wondering what the fuck was going on.
Eventually, you won. Tangerine could no longer contain himself. He stood up from his seat, muttering expletives and something about needing a "breather." You watched as he hurried towards the train's bathroom, and without a moment's hesitation, you followed closely behind, slipping into the cramped space and locking the door behind you.
The tension in the small space was palpable. Tangerine stood before you, leaning against the sink, his chest heaving and his cheeks flushed a brilliant shade of red.
"What - What the fuck are you playin' at?" he demanded, his voice strained with a mixture of both frustration and barely contained longing.
You were enjoying this immensely, seeing him undone by your actions for once. You couldn't help but smile, your gaze locked with his as you leaned back against the door. "I'm not quite sure I understand, Tangerine," you purred, feigning innocence. "I was simply enjoying some music with you, like we always do."
Tangerine struggled to maintain his composure, his Adam's apple bobbing with a nervous swallow.
"You know exactly what I mean," he growled, his fingers twitching as he took a step closer. You could feel the tremor in his touch as he reached out to grasp your wrist and pull you closer to him.
"Don't play fuckin' games with me," he growled, his lips mere inches from yours. "You know exactly what you're doing, and I want to know why."
You let out a laugh, meeting his gaze and refusing to back down under the intensity of his stare. "Maybe I just wanted to see how you'd react," you replied, your voice barely above a whisper.
He narrowed his eyes at you, "Ya having a laugh, are ya? You're fuckin' teasing me is what you're doin'."
You were just beginning to realize Tangerine's closeness to you and tried to feign nonchalance, "How is it any different than when you do it?"
For a moment, his features softened and he looked pained, "Because I actually mean it."
Your breath hitched. You hadn't thought this part through nor had you anticipated his honesty. This isn't how you had expected this train ride to go, Tangerine cornering you in the bathroom, his eyes wild and filled with desire, his hair slightly disheveled from running his hands through it. But you welcomed it, probably because you cared for him beyond belief and had been pining for him for God knows how long.
Your eyes dropped to his lips. When he noticed your gaze, Tangerine's eyes darkened with something primal, a hunger that mirrored your own. His grip on your wrist tightened, his thumb tracing slow circles over your skin as he leaned in closer, his lips hovering dangerously close to yours.
"Is this what you want, love?" he murmured, his voice low and husky. "Me to make a move?"
He leaned forward and you felt a hardness against you. You swallowed hard, feeling the weight of his words reverberate through you. "Yes," you breathed.
With a low growl, Tangerine closed the remaining distance between you, his lips crashing against yours in a kiss, one of passion and pent-up desire.
His hands moved with purpose, tangling in your hair as he deepened the kiss, his touch igniting a fire within you that threatened to consume you whole. Every brush of his lips against yours sent shivers down your spine, each caress leaving you breathless and wanting more. His mustache tickled your skin and you found that you enjoyed the feeling, it was so very him.
His hands moved with purpose, tangling in your hair. You melted into his embrace, your own hands trailing up his chest and clinging to the nape of his neck, pulling him closer until there was no space left between you.
You gave a light tug on his hair, your fingers grabbing his curls, and he let out a small whine. His tongue danced with yours, his touch leaving you to crave even more.
You could feel the desperation in his touch, the barely restrained hunger that had been coiled tight within him finally unraveling. He crushed you against the door, his body pressing into yours, and you reveled in the sensation of his firm muscles against your curves.
When you finally broke apart, gasping for air, Tangerine's eyes were alight with a smoldering intensity that made your heart race. His forehead rested against yours, his breath warm against your lips.
He murmured you name, his voice low and ragged, "You have no idea what you do to me."
You smiled, your fingers tracing the line of his jaw, reveling in the smoothness of his skin. "Then show me, Tangerine," you whispered, challenging him.
With a barely contained groan, Tangerine surged forward, reclaiming your lips in another kiss that left you weak in the knees.
"Fuck me," he murmured against your lips, "You're going to be the death of me, ya know that?"
Tumblr media
@kpopgirlbtssvt @little-miss-dilf-lover @sebsbarnes @kiss-me-cill-me @idontknowwhattohaveasmyuser @j23r23 @spookyspecterino @liukangsgirl @azureseacloud @pretty-little-mind33 hope you guys enjoy!
95 notes · View notes
lurkingshan · 4 months
Text
Last Twilight Episode 10
Okay…okay. I have had some concerns about this show on a low simmer for weeks and unfortunately, the direction this episode took has brought them all roaring to the surface.
First let me just say there was a lot about this episode I really loved (anything to do with Night especially). But there are also a few things that did not work for me so well, so let’s take them one at a time.
Mhok’s Story
Tumblr media
Mhok’s financial struggles, the prejudice he faces as a formerly incarcerated person, and his deep grief for his sister have been back-burnered for weeks while he and the story focused on Day. I chatted with @my-rose-tinted-glasses about this last week and said that I was reserving judgment and hoped this was an intentional part of the narrative that would come to the fore—Mhok was subsuming his own problems by making Day his entire life, and when he inevitably left the caretaker job he would have to face them again.
Welp, this episode was the moment for that to happen, if it was ever going to, and the show didn’t do it. Instead, they quickly glossed over Mhok’s struggles with two short scenes and a couple lines of dialogue, stuck him in a new job, and went right back to focusing on Day. Will I ever get a Thai bl that sets up class conflict and financial struggles and then actually takes it seriously?? Apparently not today.
This choice to gloss over Mhok’s money problems is also making the romance feel pretty imbalanced, and I’m really mourning the opportunity to see Day be a supportive partner to Mhok like he has been for him. I want Mhok to be a whole person, not an improbably perfect love interest. The lack of reciprocity in their dynamic is not great and it’s holding this romance back from reaching its full potential.
Day’s Mom
Tumblr media
Let’s be very clear: Day’s mom’s behavior in this episode was abusive. She was within her rights to fire Mhok, which he knew and that’s why he resigned before she took action. But her choice to intentionally isolate Day and lock him up in his room with no access to the outside world was cruel and selfish. And it doesn’t seem like the show really gets that, given how they presented her and Day through the rest of the episode.
That family holiday scene was really missing the underlying edge it should have had given she was playing the loving mom while doing these things to Day, and other than one brief line from Night that got interrupted, we didn’t see any acknowledgement in the story of how wrong she was, or even get a good sense of how much she was harming Day.
I would have liked to see Day actually seem affected by his isolation rather than focusing on more cute date moments. Bad Buddy was really adept at delivering excellent couple moments while never letting you forget about the underlying trauma and melancholy of the story, but this show is not quite managing to do the same. Moonlight Chicken also has some glorious moments where bad and abusive parenting was called out very directly, so the lack of it here is really jarring. It all feels curiously light for the subject matter and I expected more from Aof.
Day’s Vision
Tumblr media
Obviously after the end of the episode this will be the worry on everyone’s mind heading into next week. We know Aof previews can’t be trusted, but it seems clear the surgery is going to happen. Thematically, I do not think it makes any sense for the show to restore Day’s vision. I wish they weren’t going here with the eye donation surgery at all, but if they’re going to do it I hope its purpose is for the procedure to fail as a mechanism to force Day and his family to finally accept that his disability will not be fixed. But given the above noted poor execution on some of the story’s other themes, I am not currently feeling super confident that the show won’t do something very silly here. Fingers crossed!
143 notes · View notes
ursawastricked · 1 year
Text
Distracting: Part 2
Tumblr media
Viktor has been harboring guilt over his accidental thievery of your used champagne glass. At least he had the security that you were none the wiser..that doesn't change that your even harder to ignore now that he spent the weekend studying your lip print 
warnings: More of Viktor's developing crush on you, lots of flashback to after the party, him being soft, some VERY mild suggestive stuff..don’t worry more is to come in the next part 
Read part 1 here
Word count : 2,339
“Is the sun always that bright?” Viktor whined, covering his gaze as he hurried over toward the window, leaning toward it and squinting disaprovingly at the sunny world beyond it, before pulling on the shades and banishing the light. His head didnt exactly pound anymore, but he had a way of ending up hung over whenever he drank, call it his low weight, or the fact that his anatomy consistently seemed against him, if there was alcohol, it hurts the next day.
“I think it always stays like that Vik '' you answer, earning an unimpressed glance your way as he limps toward his desk and places down his bag. You stretch your arms upward, humming lightly as you feel the satisfying crackle in your spine and knuckles. You personally, feel wonderful. After the party over the weekend, you peeled away your dress and were fast to slip into a hot bath, allowing for your sore muscles to relax and let you practically fall into a perfectly restful weekend. You dont recall too much other than resting on your couch, reading the current novel that had infected your every thought, one you had also slipped into your bag for today when the lab was getting a little boring.
“Ugh..” You hear Viktor let out a relch at the sound of your joints popping, “Why, every morning..That isnt good for you, and it is worse to listen to” He lectured, placing himself in his chair, slowly turning to face you so that his point would get across. You mimic him immedietly, a practiced motion, turning to face him, and mirroring his posture and how his fingers laced together on his knee. He flashed yet another disaproving look, this time punctuated with a, “Rude”.
You snicker lightly, returning yourself to face your desk. Unpacking your bag only takes another minute or so, that moment remaining silent as you and Viktor set up for today's work load. The silence was normal, especially with Viktor, but that's why you liked working with him. While you could spend hours talking with Jayce, bouncing back and forth in a hyper focused frenzy, you much more enjoyed the comfortable silence of working next to Viktor. You had developed a ritual of passing back and forth materials and tools as you worked simultaneously on projects.
He was always respectful, never intentionally touching you without reason, and if he did bump you, he was quick to apologize, which you enjoyed only because of how flustered he got when he began to stumble over words so fast he began to slip into his native language. Or when he would tap you lightly with a pencil, and you would turn to see what he needed, only for him to lean over your notebook and scribble something down, like a warning before he did so.
You had caught yourself memorizing his little mannerisms over time, keeping a small tally at the top corner of your pages for every time he had tricked you into letting him fix a note, or murmured a word you didnt recognize when fidgeting with a new project. It relaxed you, like a little grounding tool to keep your mind occupied when you had tired yourself with your work, a healthy distraction. So you lazily flipped open your notebook to the current page, doodling a little box for today's tallies before pulling the sheet off your current project and beginning your busy work. Viktor sat quietly as he began his project, as usual. He had just gone for his wrench when he caught movement in the corner of his eyes, a familiar motion he had memorized, you're playing with your hair again. His gaze tracks the motion, how the tufts flutter about, if he was closer like last time, he was sure he would be able to smell the shampoo you used again..if he was correct in assuming, it smelt like honey. He didnt notice he was staring until you turned your head and caught him. Your eyes lock with his golden gaze for a short moment, a blissful second of eyecontact between you, before he caught it and you watched his gaze flicker around, his head turning swiftly before settling back on his work and his form shrank down far too close to his project to be safe, but successfully he had avoided the chance of you seeing how harshly his face darkened red. His breath was shaky, as he struggled to keep it low enough that you coculdnt hear. How frustrating, it had been getting harder to avoid your prying eyes, more tedious to avoid you catching him logging your smiles, and even harder to keep up conversations without smiling too much, and you had only added another level to it with that damned glass. That weekend, he had smuggled that stupid glass away from the party. He didnt know why, in fact he was sure it was a trance when he walked into him and Jayce shared an apartment, only to find the empty champagne glass still tucked in his palm. Jayce locked the door as Viktor considered what could have happened to end up here, now a thief..through the glass couldn’t be too expensive, it felt rather cheap.
“What's that you got there?” Jayce asked, leaning over Viktor and causing him the flinch, almost hard enough to send the delicate glass shattering across the floor. He gripped it tighter, giving one of his famously annoyed glances. Jayce lifted his brows, motioning specifically toward the rouge lipstain at the edge.
“Oh? Oh hoho..that color there looks pretty familiar” Jayce had started to tease, his chest was starting to bob with a deep chuckle, the kind he had always given when he was preparing to tease him.
Viktor felt the stab of anxity in his stomach, looking quickly between Jayce’s knowing gaze and the glass before he squirmed a bit away, trying to hide away in his room, fast.
“I dont want to talk about it.” He insisted, tucking away into his room and quickly hiding away the used glass in his closet with a slam.
“Talk about what? Did they give it to you or did you mean to steal it?” Jayce practically howled as he leaned into Viktors room, watching as his friend as he struggled to undo his tie with furious aggression, only getting more incense the longer he struggled. With a loud huff he finally undid it, now wrestling with his shirt vest,
“I didn’t mean t- I didnt steal it from them” He insisted, pulled off the vest before landing on his bed and taking off his shoes, “Oh..so you're not denying it anymore?” Viktor froze, his hands ceasing shakily over his cufflinks. Jayce smirked teasingly, suppressing another laugh until Viktor flung a loose shoe toward him. He quickly took the hint, “Okay! Okay! Good night loverboy-” He laughed, slipping away and leaving Viktor flushed violently and gripping his hair as he fell back into his bed. 
At least now he could let his face cool down now that you were no longer watching him, it of course was easier to work and ignore you for a few minutes at a time. Until..
“Hey guys! Sorry I'm late,” Jayce hollered, bursting through the door, nearly tripping over the doorway and spilling the offering of coffe for the trio.
Yes, Viktor was screwed now. Jayce knew, he dditn know to what extent, but he did know. He knew about the glass.
“Here ya go,” Jayce chirped, handing you a coffee with that stupid winning smile.
“Aw, thanks ya goof. You know, you could just not be late, then you wouldn't need to get us coffee every monday.” You explain, sipping the drink as you watch him float off toward Viktor who had frozen solid since the door opened.
“Then I would miss out on your winning smile, you have a very special smile when you get surprised by coffee” He replied, twirling around to the other side of an unresponsive Viktor. He placed the cup beside his friend's hand, leaning over his shoulder to whisper where you couldnt hear.
“I got you the same order, in case you want to ‘swap’ cups again,” He hummed, almost getting hit as Viktor swatted him away. Jayce snickered quietly, slipping away to his own work.
Viktor sat staring at his coffee for a few moments, regrettably reaching for it. Coffee was essential, how unfortunate that it was a gift from Jayce..he drank it non the less, pressing his lips to the lid and gulping down a few mouthfulls and returning finally to an average working pace.
“Vik? Are you there?” Viktor snapped out of his focused state, turning toward the sound before pulling off his goggles and finding you much closer than he expected you to be. You stoof next to him, leaning a little over his side after spending the past minute or so trying to get his attention. You tilted your head, giving an amused huff as you slipped some papers to his desk. “Thank Janna the fire alarm wasn’t going off, you would be cooked by now.” He blinked, glancing from you to the papers a few times before turning to read them better. He pulled them from the table, acutely aware of the fleeting warmth your hands had left. 
“Hmm..yes, and I'm sure in wouldn’t notice the heat or pain either,” he replied, looking over your notes with a similar, less intense, focus.
“I wouldnt be surprised, you kinda run on autopilot when you're zoned out. Once you stole my pencil for the day after fixing my notes”, You pull yourself up on the desk, crossing your legs and watching as he scribbles down corrections to your equasions. “And you have yet to return that novel I let you borrow, you're kind of a clepto.” 
“I am not a ‘clepto’” he huffed, adjusting one of your notes, biting on the edge of his pencil,
“That's my pencil..”
He pulled it away from his teeth, inspecting it for any signs he may recognize. He flipped it in his hand, finding your initials etched into the wood.. 
“Ah..so it is..” he muttered, finishing his edits before offering you the pencil. 
“No, you keep it.” You say, declining the chewed on pencil and snatching up your papers. You hug them to your chest, walking a step or two before leaning down close to his ear, “Add it to your little collection,” you purr, straightening up and hurrying toward Jayce for a final opinion.
Viktor stills in his seat, holding the pencil loosely between his fingers and staring blankely at the edge of the desk. He twitched his hand lightly, unable to do much more after that. 
You were so close..he still felt the warmth of your breath across his throat, the memory of it sending a static shiver down his spine, causing him to lean over his desk and place his head againstt his hands. You were warm, even though you hadnt touched him, and being so close, he could confirm..your shampoo smells like honey.And when you sat on his desk, he had fought every instinct in his body not to look at you, not when you sat above him like that. Your legs crossed, leaned over his work. If he reached over, he could have confirmed another theory, whether or not your thighs were as soft as they looked- Damn it, focus. He coudln’t be doing this, not here. You were no less than a yard away and all he couldnt think about was how good you smelt, how your breath felt against his neck..how your lipstain would look against his skin. He had noticed you were wearing the same color as before.
‘Stop it. They work with you.’ 
He grabbed his coffee, sipping it aimlessly.
The night after the party, Viktor had sat staring at the single stained glass on his desk. He had pulled it out to clean it, thinking at least he could put it in the kitchen and just forget all about his accidentale thievery. Instead, he had ended up watching it, as if it would squirm or come to life if he only watched for long enough. 
He didnt clean it..he let it sit on his desk and continued on with his day. On occasion he would glance at it, sometimes walking over and holding it to closely inspect the print of your lips left on its crystal edge. He always rounded back to it, replaying the memory of you in that dress, giving him the rest of your drink..you smiled..maybe you knew- of course you didnt. Why would you know? He was good about hiding it, right? He didn’t think he made it too obvious, maybe stareing a bit longer than he should have, or that one instance where he had to hide the smile tally from you when you had seemingly manifested beside him.
 Before he had slept that night, he absentmindenly brought it with him to the kitchen..he ment to clean it..but instead he had filled it, nursing down a bit of wine to trick his brain into sleeping. Maybe even allow for a dream similar to the events of the party..with less of him standing alone. 
He groaned lightly to himself, standing and grabbing his crutch before walking across the room toward the door. 
“Everything ok Viktor?” Jayce asked, pulling his attention away from the blackboard,
“Just need some fresh air..” Viktor replied, escaping the lab, and making his way down the hall. 
After a walk his head would be clear enough to work again. He would be able ti at least make some progress on the assignment without his thoughts drifting back to how your uniform looked against your skin, or how pretty your voice sounded when you gifted him your stolen pencil..
“Add it to your little collection..” 
He paused..eyes wide. “Oh..no..” 
400 notes · View notes
marveloustimestwo · 8 months
Note
Hiii! If it's ok, can I request general headcannons for a platonic yandere steve rogers? Thank you!
Tumblr media
Hi! Thanks for sending this in!
Warnings: Yandere themes, hardcore manipulation from Steve
Tumblr media
When Steve becomes platonically obsessed with someone, he will automatically take up the mantle of their older brother or father if you're young enough.
And I can definitely see him being more likely to do this with some feral ass child he met somewhere.
Like, if you display the slightest bit of rage at the world or are considered a delinquent or "bad kid", Steve will immediately try to take on a mentor role and try to steer you in a better direction.
Because he was that kid. He was the one always fighting people and ended up getting beat up in alleyways. And he had Bucky to help him and make sure he wasn't left in those alleyways.
But who do you have? Parents? Siblings? Nah, you got Steve now. The golden boy Captain America who now sees himself in you.
And he'll be very very protective. He absolutely does not joke around when it comes to your safety.
I don't think he'd immediately try to kidnap you. I think he'd prefer to have a normal relationship with you for the most part. He'll be far more overbearing than any normal person would be, but you never see the worst of it unless you intentionally provoke him.
Such as going out of your way to get yourself hurt or running away, in which you will be promptly locked away and have restricted access to the outside world and other people.
But other than that, you can go to school and/or work and have friends. An unfortunate thing is that Steve does end up butting into every aspect of your life.
He likes to know all of your teachers' names or bosses' names to run background checks on them and make sure you are truly safe with them and that they treat you well.
Steve will also end up meeting your boss behind your back to use his status as a well-known superhero to get you a pay raise and promotion. Same with your teachers and getting you good grades.
He will end up meeting all of your friends, too, and getting the names of their parents to make sure they're all decent and upstanding members of society.
When you end up calling someone your friend and trusting them, Steve just wants to make sure they don't stab you in the back. The first sign he gets that they can't be trusted around you, he will end up framing them for something.
Sometimes, he frames them for some crime, and their reputation gets ruined. Other times, Steve just ruins their reputation in your eyes.
He particularly likes the second option when you have a crush on someone.
Steve hates the idea of you dating. He barely tolerates your friends, so why would he allow someone to get romantically involved with you. That much access to your heart is dangerous. They could so easily break it and leave you devastated.
So he figured he could fix two problems at once. If he ends up not liking a friend and you have a crush at the same time, he'll just set up a bunch of coincidences that make it seem like your friend is intentionally going after the person you like.
And Steve will make sure you ditch both of them. Even if it hurts you now, it will help you avoid more pain in the future.
If you couldn't tell, Steve's a big manipulator. He likes to keep up a pristine image for you. He wants to be a good role model for you so that you aren't afraid of him.
But he still won't hesitate to get his hands dirty if he has to.
Tumblr media
127 notes · View notes
bipbopdepmop · 8 months
Text
Tumblr media
(click for slightly better quality :] )
fanart for solving counting sheep by @theminecraftbee! super super proud of this one :D i absolutely loved this fic! did not stop thinking about it for days. spectacular job.
timelapse here! tw: flashing. please watch it I had such a hard time getting it to upload :(
fun info/rambling about the piece below the cut!
a few little details i wanted to point out:
in case it was hard to tell what was going on, grian is in the top center, watcher three is in the middle, as well as at the bottom, but it is unmasked and a little feathery.
i have intentionally placed the yarn, the sheep and mumbo on the left hand side. they represent the things that help three begin to solidify its identity. oppositely, on the right hand side we have pearl holding the album, the photograph and candles, grian's gravestone, and the main building of the grian empire. they represent parts of three's old identity as grian.
the red is of course, three/grian's favourite colours, but also there to symbolise the sort of duality between the two? (hopefully that makes sense.) as well as the symbolism of the unmasked three being red is that its kinda like? trying to reconcile its old identity with its new one. it is holding its masquarade mask - it is three, it is grian, it is three. the red three is also slightly feathery to show that it looks like grian, but is not anymore, it is something else now.
also, pearl, martyn and jimmy all have some sort of red accent, which is to show their ties to grian.
i know jimmy's scarf is red and green, however, it wouldve messed the colour palette up :( so it's all red! martyn's headband probably wasn't red either, but shh, i took some ahh creative liberties
there's no particular reason for jimmy's wings other than that i needed to fill space and i love drawing butterfly/bug wings.
i was gonna try to tie in something about the listeners (like a symbol or something) but didn't bother to look too hard.
the album might not have said 'evo' on it, but i'm too lazy to go and dig that back up right now. it may get edited later to be more accurate.
the dragon pillars/purple background in the top are there to represent the dragon fight in which grian was taken from and 'killed.' the watcher eyes placed within the purple burst is to show how they were there.
similarly, there are watcher wings along the top edge of the piece. a certain set of them are 'watching' the grian empire, as a nod to how they had their eyes on grian and evo from the start.
there are also three dragon pillars, as a nod to three the person, and also because it was nice and symmetrical that way.
i initially had the middle three wearing the masquarade mask (as you'll see in the timelapse) but realised it made way more sense symbolically to have the lower three holding the mask, and for the middle three to have the watcher mask.
iiii don't know how to draw sheep. (<- too lazy to look it up) i hope that sheep looks somewhat sheeplike.
minor changes may be made if i notice any mistakes / small things i want to fix
overall, very, very happy with this! i hope i did the fic enough justice :D go read it if you haven't!!
101 notes · View notes
rimouskis · 3 months
Note
How do u make your yearly budget ? I remember you posting about your budget spreadsheet once. Pls I am v interested on how you set it up
I simply must ask if you're the FBI agent in my phone, because I genuinely just sent a message to a friend saying how excited I was it's the end of the month, meaning tomorrow I get to start with a fresh new slate in my budget hahaha
alright let's talk:
I don't do a yearly budget, technically! I budget month-per-month. There are lots of styles of budgets—some allowing for a yearly/more Long Term view—but what worked for my income level was a month-based system.
I lurked on r/personalfinance on reddit for a long while and actually pilfered my budget template from there!
I use this one, which I like both because I've used it for five years and because it's just plain ol' simple. I don't need charts to automatically populate and I don't want to categorize every purchase I make. I just want to see how much money I have per month and how much I'm spending.
That's also crucial to how I personally do budgeting. I don't set aside $X for food and $X for activities and $X for going out or whatever every month. That isn't productive to me; my life looks different every month depending on what's going on. I don't use my budget to be prescriptive; outside of my fixed expenses (rent, utilities, etc.) I just use my budget to track 1. where my money is going and 2. how much of it I have left.
If you want something with a bit more frills, there are lots of other options (one, two, three) on reddit, but I've [personally] found all their bells and whistles overwhelming. If they have useful features you want to use (like, some will have tabs for you to track debt and payments toward it), you can experiment with them, but I don't recommend them for someone new to budgeting.
...I also don't inherently recommend my preferred spreadsheet, either. It doesn't work for everyone. I've shown it to some friends and they almost immediately knew it wouldn't work for them. The reason it works for me is because I am kind of neurotic about budgeting.
To me, "peace of mind" is maintained by having a really close eye on my finances. That means that I track what I spend daily. I manually input every purchase into the spreadsheet. I manually put every paycheck into the spreadsheet. I keep the Google Sheets app on my phone for this very purpose.
That isn't something everyone's willing to do, and there's no shame in that—we all find the different tools that work best for us! But if you don't think you're able to keep up with manually tracking every cent you make and spend, I don't think that this method will be good for you.
If you need more automation in your budgeting, where you can get things autofilled and so on and so forth, I would have pointed you towards Mint, which I've heard good things about, but it's sadly shutting down this March. The article I linked provided an alternate recommendation, but I can't personally vouch for any of those services.
I've been tempted by YNAB a time or two — I like the idea that they intentionally work you towards living off of old paychecks instead of the money you earn month-of [which is a financial goal we should ALL strive for, even though it can be very hard], and I like that they encourage giving every dollar a "job", but you don't NEED their service to do either of those things. I don't like paying money to save money, you know? lol
I keep a secondary, simple spreadsheet with my "rolling funds" in it — money I set aside every month (which I input as a monthly "expense" in my normal spreadsheet) which I allocate to specific funds, like car funds, travel funds... I even had a "hockey game fund" for a few years, haha.
I prefer that method to paying for a service to do it for me. I'm sure YNAB has some nice bells and whistles, and it's clear MANY people love being integrated into their system, which has some automated bits that definitely make budgeting "easier," but I like Ye Olde Spreadsheet. Having to input every purchase keeps me accountable, I feel. Also it sometimes discourages me from spending money, haha, which is probably a good thing in the long run.
idk. I'm a huge advocate for budgeting. I know it can be really hard for some people, but I sincerely think there's some budgeting method out there that will work for you, you know? I credit my budget spreadsheets for keeping my head above water during the many times where money was/is tight. Knowledge is power and all that.
Not to sound like a #girlboss shilling my financial advice on tiktok (of which there are too many), but being aware of where your money is going is sincerely the biggest, most important step you can take towards building financial safety for yourself. My budget saved my ass this last year.
If you have any other questions, shoot them my way. I know it can seem daunting, but I totally think it's worth it! <3
28 notes · View notes
salted-caramel-tea · 7 months
Note
i have so much to say aboht the avavav runway
can we hear it? because from one side i get it, the whole thing is about the rush of the fashion world, the hidden part that people don’t get to see. but from another side… idk it looked kinda corny to me… there were some cool outfits but overall i found it underwhelming
I forgot about this ask so im gonna give a very brief rundown of what I think then maybe get into it once I get my fashion blog set up properly bc im too scared to write on it rn .
long and short of it is that these runways are less about the clothing itself and more about the impact and presentation of the collection. its more of a performance art piece than it is an opportunity to observe trends in high end fashion and this is something that avavav is popular for- their Milan fw23 show creating this narrative about fast fashion and the superficiality of the fashion industry with the clothes intentionally breaking and falling apart as the models walked down the runway. 2022 I think was her first show where all of the models intentionally tripped and fell and it sent the fashion realm into a tizzy bc ppl were so upset at the bad quality of the show which is exactly what she wanted to happen bc it was a commentary on the seriousness of the fashion industry and the desire to seem rich that causes this disconnect from our humanity because we want to be perfect we want everything to be perfect and I love her for that .
avavav runways are just so iconic to me I love the way she utilises clothing, the set, even the models to create this story and bring to light an understanding within the audience of the internal problems of the fashion industry like this one about how designers are expected to churn out designs keep on top of ever-changing trends and how designers struggle to meet these expectations because their creative freedom is limited by time constraints and pressure so its this display of unfinished garments it starts seemingly fine until the model turns round with and 'add back? note where the rest if the garment should be and that evolves to become these shapeless oddly structured garments like the styrofoam blocks the duct tape the post it note suit to close the collection that just visualises the designers desperation to finish the collection on time now just using anything around her to add to garments that she can fix later she can shape later she'll do it she's just under so much pressure right now hence the collection title no time to design .
I love beate karlsson I think its such and interesting display of activism and commentary through fashion snd I bet its fun for the models too .
34 notes · View notes
comicaurora · 1 year
Note
I've recently finished Leverage and Leverage redemption and am in the process of casually rewatching it. (Thanks for introducing me to FMAB and ATLA too btw) I just want to ask you a few questions about it, like: What are your favorite things about each character? What are your favorite things about each relationship. What are your favorite things about the group? How do you feel about the sequel? How do feel about the romance in the show? What are your favorite running jokes? Thank you
hoohoohoo, it's like an essay prompt but about something I actually like
What are your favorite things about each character?
Nate: to be honest, kind of a hard sell - definitely the protagonist I like the least, intentionally so. That said, when they're dealing with a really hateful bad guy it's always fun to see Nate turn all his asshole powers against them and get really smug about it
Sophie: extremely insightful! fun to see it weaponized, extra fun to see her very gently use it to try and help the rest of the team live their best lives, especially Parker
Parker: oh how easily Parker could have been an Obliviously Sexy Unhinged Harley Quinn type, and instead we got the first thoughtfully written explicitly neurodivergent female character I've ever seen. Never infantilized despite it being a frequent plot point that the others help her through her difficulty in social settings and with processing loss. Full-fledged character in her own right, grows and becomes more comfortable without ever having her neurodivergence "fixed". she's a great character and I find her writing refreshingly free of red flags or "oof" moments. love that she's good with kids and teaches them Crime in the first ten minutes of hanging out
Hardison: literally the only normal person in this group and I say this as a compliment. everyone else is at least kind of a james-bond-style superspy with borderline preternatural abilities but hardison is the only character I trust to order a coffee without making a scene. unconditionally the emotional heart of the group and the only character able to openly admit that he likes the other characters, which is vital in a group of Edgy Loner Crime-Boys.
Eliot: joke answer, the hair. real answer, I love any character who turns themself into a weapon and stoically accepts that they'll never be anything else again. "Incredibly simple, but in the same way that a sword is simple." Adds a beautiful substrate of angst to all of his funny or lighthearted moments, as underlying it is a character who concluded long ago that he's irredeemable, and because he thus considers himself entirely disposable and even irrelevant is now determined to spend the rest of his life making the world a better place. Also, one of the only Edgy Badass Lancer types who is incredibly overt about how much he likes and cares about his teammates and never even jokes about "bah I'm better off on my own I was just passing through etc etc."
Harry: just an absolute wet noodle of a man. Love that he's taken Hardison's role of "only normal human being"
Breanna: absolutely love how bad she is at the social grifting side of things, because that is 100% accurate to every tech person I know
What are your favorite things about each relationship?
There's a lot of relationships and I'm not about to highlight all 10 OG pairings plus the 9 new pairings added by Harry and Breanna, so instead I'll just highlight my absolute favorite underrated one, which is Parker and Eliot. They have this odd synergy where they're both by far the most physically dangerous people in the group and also the most scarred by a country mile, and they have this kind of unspoken camraderie about it that only gets overtly highlighted in Season 4 Episode 1, "The Long Way Down Job." Everyone else in the group is a person, they seem to think; people they want to protect. But the two of them are tools and weapons, and that means they can do the things that people can't. Also within this synergy there's a good foiling dynamic where Eliot has basically seen it all and come to terms with everything under the sun, while Parker is comparatively extremely hyperfocused and rather sheltered and is constantly grappling with new situations. Underrated dynamic.
What are your favorite things about the group?
They just hang out sometimes! It feels like they keep existing when the camera's off them. Valuable screentime is spent on them just chilling and chatting, getting dinner together and bringing up more wacky offscreen hijinks. A story that's relentlessly All Action And Disrupted Status Quo All The Time starts tuning you out after a while, but it's the slow, peaceful moments that make us invested in their success and in them being able to help the innocent-victims-of-the-week.
How do you feel about the sequel?
Loved the first season, tentatively optimistic about the rest of it - I've been burned before so I'm taking it slow.
How do you feel about the romance in the show?
Parker and Hardison's thing is cute and compelling! Big fan of how it doesn't override the other dynamics and isn't treated as intrinsically more important than the rest of the gang's relationships. Nate and Sophie's thing feels a little more plot-mandated and tbh Nate is kind of an unlikable fuckhead so I'm not sure why Sophie was so hung up, but it wasn't too disruptive and it was always very funny seeing them play a dysfunctional couple on a grift
What are your favorite running jokes?
"Dammit Hardison." Parker pushing people off of things. Someone asking Eliot if he knows about some niche thing or random bad guy and then it flashes back to him getting waterboarded in Area 51 or whatever and it cuts back to him mildly going "yea". Wil Wheaton is in this show and everybody hates him. "It's a very distinctive [thing]." Harry, walking befuddled sunshine man, being like "yes I know all the inner workings of this specific niche evil lawyer thing, I was a bad guy remember?" to this group of expert crime boys and somehow surprising them every time
139 notes · View notes
waitmyturtles · 2 years
Text
Alright. SPOILERS. It might take me a couple posts over today and tomorrow to process EAW ep. 14. I’ll try to keep things organized. My Big Thoughts on Young-woo are at the bottom. Long post warning.
1) I’m going to sound a far different bell than the reviews I’m seeing on the tag. I think the writing of ep. 14 was absolutely FANTASTIC. I am giddy over how good this writing was and I can’t wait to re-watch this episode. 
I think ep. 13 needed to set up a lot of conflict very quickly to get to the important penultimate episode next week, which we know can be huge. Today’s (Thursday’s) episode, for me, ironed out a lot of the sudden conflict we saw, including contextualizing Attorney Jung’s illness. When he says that South Korea has the best treatment for stomach cancer (a relatively common ailment in those parts of Asia that we don’t see as much in the US), I believe it, and I think the writers intentionally put those lines in there to give viewers who know that background a touch of relief (but we’re still worried about him). 
2) Content-wise, obviously, things are not going as linearly as us viewers would have liked or expected. But y’all -- I believe the writers know this and are doing this to us. Look at what Su-yeon said to Min-woo: “I almost reported you to the police for the crime of not staying in character.” The writers know what they’re doing! 
Another way I think the writers are injecting lightness here -- when Jun-ho said he wouldn’t drink, and then he got plastered. I think it was set up to be cute. I’m not reading a forever devastation and finality to the break-up, partially based on the existence of that scene. More on this below. 
(Also, side note, now we know that Min-woo knows. And, whoa, seemed to actually be supportive of his homeboy in the relationship -- Min-woo hadn’t tried to get them to break up, I guess?)
3) I believe the writers are setting up a moral dilemma conflict for Min-woo that I might be here for. NOT a hard bet, because I think he’s still scheming, but I wonder.
I also think that Su-yeon is fixing to be a freaking superhero vis à vis that dilemma. I’m getting that from the preview for ep. 15, where we see Su-yeon protecting Young-woo from reporters.
4) I’m seeing fam on the tag calling out CEO Han for being evil and scheme-y, but we already knew she was, and Young-woo’s dad knows this, too. Her scheme is not a surprise to me. Her hiring of Young-woo was going to lead to something like this. I just want to know their background in law school. Maybe CEO Han has a hereditary competition with Tae Su-mi. I want to know that juicy juicy drama. 
(I wrote this before, but this is why I think CEO Han eats Min-woo over this somehow. At least I hope so.)
(Frankly, and I know this is bad of me because it puts Young-woo in the middle of all of this shit, but I hope CEO Han blinks out Tae Su-mi. I think Tae Su-mi is pure evil.)
5) I think the big themes of this episode were: compassion, empathy, creativity, and revelation. Here’s why.
I believe the stories of Attorney Jung and Young-woo are linked. He’s the elder -- a senior partner who ignored his personal life, who ignored the people who loved him personally, to live and breathe the law. As his ex-wife notes, he’s more alive when talking to an attorney than when talking to her.
Wasn’t Young-woo the same as she was breaking up with Jun-ho? She was more energized about her law revelation than about communicating the reasons for the break-up. She kept that part to herself. And Jun-ho, bless him, was asking for that reasoning, continuing to demand to Young-woo that she work on empathizing with him.
We know that communicatively, there is a lot that Young-woo and Jun-ho need to say to each other. But this IS a drama, and the writers need to stave off that content to wrap up the series next week. 
However, I REALLY think we saw a lot of compassionate growth in Young-woo this episode. We saw her ignore Attorney Jung’s insistence to not fuss over him. We saw her absorbing the words of the song about the burden of love at the noraebang. We see her looking at Jun-ho on the plane. 
I think the way the writers are building Young-woo’s self-awareness and self-growth is absolutely gorgeous. In many instances, it’s wordless. Because -- we see her, as she’s growing into her adulthood, learning the words to use in these moments.
Autistic or not, aren’t we all doing that, growing as adults, learning about our emotions and ourselves? What’s the difference here, between her and Attorney Jung? Not a lot, in this moment. 
6) Jun-ho and ex-wife Ji-su, the two lonely left-behind lovers. Ji-su says she left Attorney Jung because of her loneliness. We see Jun-ho in his loneliness on the beach, left behind because Young-woo will not take him to where she thinks she’s going -- to always need to be cared for in her life, leaving her lover lonely.
First, we know she doesn’t need to be as cared for as she thinks, because we know she’s a breadwinning baddie. (She’s confident enough to take care of herself as the rest of the team eats the meat noodles with her take-away gimbap. She’s like -- I got me.)
Second, I don’t believe the break-up is final because of the pep talk Attorney Jung gives to Jun-ho. I think there’s a communication ultimatum between these two lovebirds, and Young-woo will need to decide to step up and believe she’s worthy of love, AND that she’s more independent than general society makes her think she is. 
7) This is where I think creativity comes in. After that pep talk, I think Jun-ho is fixing to fight for love. God help us, I think this is finally when some communication will take place.
Also, separately, creativity and empathy: I agree with Young-woo that we saw Attorney Jung at his absolute best when speaking to the Abbot at the end of the episode. Speaking to an opposing client is definitely skirting the edges of legal ethics. But he suggests that the temple work with Hanbada’s government affairs team, which is not technically a legal team. Genius. He wants to proactively help in the best way HE can. 
Did you see how proud of the team he was when his rookie attorneys were pitching the noodle restaurant owner? He’s realized he’s passed on his wisdom, creativity, and empathy. A huge law firm pitching a restaurant owner in Jeju. Even Min-woo getting into it. I love how the love for Attorney Jung is deeply spread out here.
8) One more point on empathy and compassion.
Did you notice, when ex-wife Ji-su was speaking to Young-woo, what was behind Ji-su?
It was a poster about women’s health. I can’t read Korean, but I did notice the small pink graphic of a set of ovaries. 
(Nothing like that will ever get past a mama.)
That shot almost certainly was not an accident.
Part of Ji-su’s sadness is likely not having a family with Attorney Jung. Yet she cared enough for him to fly down from Seoul to Jeju. And is concerned enough about his health to want him to have an earlier surgery.
Despite their break-up -- there’s still love and caring.
Despite Young-woo’s and Jun-ho’s break-up -- there’s still love and caring.
And, I think by including that poster in that shot, it gives us something to chew on. Young-woo, right now, is thinking she’s not deserving of love because she’ll leave her lover lonely in his caretaking of her. 
But I think -- in the most subtle, gorgeous way possible -- the writers have left us asking: can Young-woo deserve love and family of her own?
We all know that answer.
192 notes · View notes
Text
Running To Get To You
Sam was fiddling with his sunglasses, wiping them clean, and looked over at his brother, "Dean, you need to hold onto his leash better." 
Dean rolled his eyes, "Nah, come on," he bounced the leash in his hand, "Bones isn't going to go anywhere, in fact, I can let go, and-" 
As soon as Dean opened his palm, freeing the leash from his grasp, Bones took off up the hill. Neither Winchester could react fast enough to stop him. 
Dean pressed his lips into a straight line, "That wasn't supposed to happen." 
"You are the worst," Sam said, tossing his glasses down, running off in the same direction as his dog. Cursing Dean with every step. 
As he ran, you heard him shouting, "Bones!" Dean put his head down in shame and turned to his wife. She had her lips pressed in a tight line, raising her eyebrow at her husband. 
"In my defense," Dean said, "Bones is pretty well trained." She shook her head in disappointment but still looked up with a smile. 
Something told Dean he shouldn't admit that he's let go of the leash several times before, even today. Which is why he was so confident in Bones staying put, he'd just be digging his grave if he said so. 
"Except for the fact that we're at a public park, with thousands of distractions, like squirrels and frisbees," She patted his hand, "He's very well trained but he's still an excited pup." 
"Go fix your mistake, I'll hold down the fort," Cassie promised, she motioned with her head up the hill, "Come on, you know you should." 
"Yeah, yeah. Alright," He said, quickly pressing his lips against her forehead, "I'll be back." 
"And don't make an ass out of yourself," She said, returning a kiss on his nose. He waved her off knowing his mouth would probably get him in trouble. It usually does. 
-------------------------------------------------------
Sam continued to shout, "Bones!" He spotted the pup about to run someone down. 
"Bones! Halt!" Sam shouted with a whistle, and like the good dog he is, he immediately stopped. Right on someone's foot. Shit. 
He made his way over to Bones hearing, "Oh, hello." Giving the dog a little wave, with a head tilt. Bones made no movement to get off the man's foot. He just continued to pant and barked a hello to him back. 
Sam got up there, "Bones. Come on, buddy," fully expecting the pup to walk over and listen. However, Bones stayed put. 
Sam sighed and walked over, picking up his leash, "I am so sorry, I would never intentionally let him roam like this." He did a slight pull but the dog just shook his head. 
"May I pet him?" The stranger asked, making eye contact, now up close, Sam noticed, this is a very handsome stranger. 
"Yeah, go ahead," Sam said, trying to hide his blush. Looking down, letting his hair fall in his face. 
With the permission granted, the man bent down and scratched behind Bones' ear, "He's a fast runner." 
"Yeah, that's for sure." Sam said, shaking his head. A little too fast. 
"So Bones?" The man asked, and Sam blew some air out, not the first time he's gotten that. 
He shrugged, and gave a weak, "He likes them." 
"Very creative." Sam didn't miss the slight, or what he thought was, teasing. The little curl that pulled up his lips was so small, it was difficult to tell if Sam had imagined it. 
Sam shook out his hair with a nervous hand, "I am not that great at naming things." 
"Better than naming your dog after a physical attribute like spots," Not that this dog had any. But the man had heard too many dogs called such a name, Bones, it was a better name for sure. 
"Barely," Sam said, and held a hand out, "my name is Sam." 
The man looked at Sam's hand, with careful consideration, and shook his hand, "Castiel." 
"Your parents are much better at naming than me and my parents." Sam joked. 
"No, Sam is fitting," Castiel said, looking at Sam with such sincerity, "Very fitting." 
Dean saw them, and ran up behind his brother, setting a hand on his shoulder, "See you got him, no harm no foul!" 
"Dean, he could have run into the street." Sam said exasperated, shaking his head at his older brother. 
"But he didn't." Dean argued. 
Sam sighed heavily, "You are unbelievable."  
"I can take him for you-" Dean offered with a hand out that Sam swatted away. 
"Nope," Sam said, "you lost that privilege."
Dean shrugged and pointed up to Castiel, "Who is the flasher?" 
Mortified, Sam shoved Dean, "You don't have to say everything you think, Dean." 
"My name is Castiel." Thankfully ignoring the comment. Although, his eyebrows were knitted together in a glare that Sam was glad wasn't pointed at him. 
"That name sounds familiar." Dean said, ignoring the hostility coming from Cas. 
Sam patted for Bones who finally got off of Castiel's shoe, "It's angelic." 
Dean nodded, "Oh, that makes sense."
Castiel tilted his head, quite surprised, "You two know angelic names?" 
"Yeah, that's mainly due to our Dad." Sam answered. Dean gave Sam a knowing look, they knew that name after Sam got obsessed with angels, and would ramble on about them for hours. Didn't matter how insignificant they seemed to be, Sam held them all high in regards. 
"Dad?" Castiel repeated, sounding nearly hopeful. 
"Oh, we're brothers," Sam explained, pointing between him and Dean, "that's the only reason we hang out." 
"Excuse me," Dean huffed, offended, "I am a delight." 
"No," Sam looked him up and down, "You are not." 
"I am," Dean defended and looked back up at their bystander, "You busy flasher?" 
"If you keep calling me that, yes. Incredibly so." Castiel said, crossing his arms. 
"Fine, Cas," Dean said, "you wanna hang out with us? My brother brought his dog to avoid being the third wheel." 
Sam glared at his brother and let out a deep breath, "I brought Bones because he needed the exercise."  
"Sure." Dean dismissed, rolling his eyes. 
"I have some time to spare." Castiel answered, interrupting their fight. 
Sam's face lit up, "Really?"  
"Yes." Castiel answered, with a smile. 
Dean looked at the two, God, he hopes they don't take forever to realize they're making heart eyes at each other, "Come on, we got a spot down there." Dean said, already walking away. Not bothering to wait for them. 
"Is your brother always like this?" Castiel asked Sam, watching how in sync Sam and Bones were. 
"No," Sam said, shaking his head, "he can be much worse." 
Pulling a soft laugh out of Castiel, it was music to Sam's ears, "It's a good thing I have you as a better company."
"I'm not that great either." Sam warned. 
"I'll be the judge of that," Castiel said, gently, "you have a personal bias." Placing a hand on Sam's shoulder, "So far, I like the company." 
"I like your company too." Sam replied, patting Castiel's hand. Maybe he could forgive Dean for letting Bones go, just maybe. 
30 notes · View notes
rk8connorzz · 1 year
Text
"𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐞 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭" 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫
Tumblr media
𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: Connor decided to come over to hang out a little bit, planning to confess something huge. Something he’s been meaning to do for a while. 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: Sorry for not posting much, I’ve been losing motivation and I’ve been very depressed lately. I had nothing to do so I just wrote something that felt right in the moment.
The glacial wind of Detroit's winter bit violently on my skin. The strong gusts of wind splashed my face, my nose and ears turning a rose color. My balcony was always a sort of safe space for me. I did so much up there. I'm able to see all of the city's glorious lights. I looked down, gazing upon the distant lights. Glowing like fireflies dancing harmoniously in the night sky. Earlier, a friend of mine asked to come over for a little. I had no reason to decline, and his company to me was ... pleasing.
He had texted me earlier he would be coming in around 5 minutes, he wasn't much farther out. “Probably was a shitty idea to drink when he's coming over” I grumbled. My head felt terrible. Like someone was drilling my skull open. I threw down my 2nd glass bottle of the day into the trash can sitting just below my feet. My phone lit up brightly. The white light emitting from the screen burned my eyes, which took a little bit to get used to. When I saw the notification, it was from Connor. 'I'm here!' The message read. 'Hey, Siri. Text Connor "Go ahead and come in."'
The AI on my phone beeped twice, signaling the text was sent. I waited for my door to slide open. I was bent over the stone separating me from falling. When I finally heard the door fly open, I was almost ecstatic to see his face. I waved him over and slid my fuzzy jacket over my arms. "Hello! I'm sorry it took so long, traffic wasn't all great today." We both reunited and embraced each other inside our arms. The heat emitting from his synthetic skin warmed me and held me with such great comfort. "No, it's fine. I was just looking at the lights. Do you ... uh. Wanna watch a movie or something?" I moved over to the kitchen to fix him a quick drink. I know he can't orally intake anything other than thirium since he's an android, and I've had to grow accustomed to that. It's always been a habit of mine to fix my guests a drink out of politeness. I opened up the bag of blue blood and poured it into a wine glass. It was the only glass I had inside of the cabinets.
I walked over to him with the drink in hand. Connor had already sat down in front of the TV. I set down the glass on the coffee table in front of him and slid my body into my brown leather sofa. My head filled with thoughts. I always became slightly nervous in his presence, not really intentionally. "Why did you want to come over?" I partially whispered. The glass was in between two of his fingers. With his other hand, he was circling the rim of the glass. Until he finally brought the glass up to his lips to take a drink. He stuttered his words a little bit and looked over at me. "I just wanted to see you. And ... I guess I have something I've been wanting to tell you." His LED circled yellow, then back to the white-blue shade it's normally at.
Connor seemed nervous. Timider. He's never like this. He's a calm and well-put-together man, and it slightly startled me. 'Did something bad happen?' 'Is he sick of you and he wants to abandon you?' Rushing thoughts filled my head. I hated feeling like this. But I just shrugged it off. I grabbed the remote next to me and flipped through a plethora of movies. "Is there anything you wanna watch?" He shook his head 'no' and waved his hand. "Just turn on whatever, it's all right with me." I sighed and clicked on Hulu to play a movie I've loved since I was a kid. Not a very child-friendly one but, my mother didn't seem to give a shit.
"I've never watched Zombieland. Is it good?" Connor asked. "I'd say so. People would disagree but it has some type of charm to it. And I've always loved zombie movies so, I guess I'm a little biased." He huffed out a laugh and set down his half-drunk glass of thirium. He shook his head and sighed, getting ready to tell me something.
"(Name). I've been deviant for almost a full year, and since Markus gave me that freedom, I've been experiencing all sorts of new emotions. Some of them scare me, some others comfort me. With that deviance, comes some new sides of me. I never thought I had. I never thought I would experience it. I was only built to be a machine, nothing more. Before, when I saw you, I didn't feel much. I couldn't feel even if I really tried. But you started to open my eyes. My world used to be black and white, do or don't. But now, everything seems so much more colorful. All thanks to you. All of these emotions I'm feeling for you. Hank says it's ... love. B-but ... I'm just so scared to say anything just in case I'm confusing feelings that are platonic and nothing more .. I-I this is all so new and frightening I-"
Before he could ramble on more, I cut him off by placing my hand on his leg. Clear tears filled the edges of my eyes, threatening to fall down. His face flipped to look at me in my glossy eyes. I weakly smiled before whispering "I love you too, Connor. I was so scared to admit it at first due to fear. I thought you would never be able to reciprocate those feelings but I-" His thirium flowed flawlessly into his cheeks, lighting them up to glow a beautiful blue shade. I quickly pulled Connor into a bear hug, almost squeezing him. He moved his head over to kiss my head. Then, began his own tears. I gave up on hiding my tears, them now falling down onto my cheeks.
Connor pulled away from the hug and before either of us said anything, he quickly took my lips into his. His hand tangled inside my hair. My hand flew to his cheek, my thumb rubbing it up and down. I slid my head to the side, deepening the kiss. Breathlessly, he pulled away to allow me to breathe. He looked down at the floor and took in a shaky breath. I pulled him into one more gentle hug before whispering,
"I love you."
142 notes · View notes
mengyao · 5 months
Note
🍐for tgcf if you don't mind
Is there anything in canon that you absolutely hate and love to fix in fics? A wrong choice made, a fuck-up in characterization, a misunderstanding never cleared up, a conversation never shown onscreen, etc…
i'm generally not really the fix-it type... the first thing that comes to mind is actually mdzs/cql unfortunately, haha, which is the bit about nhs killing the cats--i've tended to ignore/not directly address it in my fic about nhs, not because it crosses a moral line that i think is OOC (i don't think nie huaisang has moral lines. to be honest) but because as far as his "plans" go, it's extremely stupid and makes no sense. in retrospect i kind of wish it'd gotten a passing mention in my sangcheng longfic, in the way that nhs in that story often makes these vague references to fucked up things in the past in this sort of passive-voice "yes, that matter of the [whatever]..shame...." way, lol; i shied away from it because i was constantly scared of accidentally being way out of pocket writing an opus about a character being a transgender woman who is also a genuinely horrible person. i think since then i've gotten better at trusting my own instincts and not writing for the bad faith reader in my head, but you know.
ANYWAY. you specifically asked for tgcf so tgcf i shall give.
i don't hate yin yu's death in canon -- i think it's actually a very well-written scene, but i do enjoy when postcanon fic handwaves him back into existence as a ghost because i just.. like him. i enjoy him.
oh, here's something... the extremely handwavey logic/timeline regarding Original Ming Yi drives me crazy. i wish mxtx had added just a SENTENCE or two explaining how he died, who killed him (if he was actually killed intentionally, which i imagine he was), and most importantly for my passions, HOW HE BECAME A HOME DEPOT SKELETON IN THE SPAN OF LIKE, A WEEK. did hx put him in a pirahna tank so his rotting flesh could get chewed off before setting his bones up in the foyer of his gothic mansion? why was he being kept at paradise manor instead of nether water manor in the first place, considering hx has other people imprisoned on the island as well and is presumably capable of setting up adequate home security? i know the answer is probably just "mxtx making decisions out of plot convenience for the sake of this character who literally never shows up while alive," and these are the gaps that fic exists to fill, i'm just like. what goes on.
12 notes · View notes
fountainpenguin · 4 months
Note
Frayed Knots 15,14,9,2
[Current Ask game]
Frayed Knots - Read on FNN || Read on AO3
#ridspoilers
---
15: What did you learn from writing this fic?
My pacing's improved in more recent projects. Knots is pretty bogged down with things that still make me cringe, but it's also like that intentionally because it's Anti-Cosmo's bragging time and he takes pride in his memory and culture (plus he's long-winded in general and I wanted to reflect that). Still, I don't write in that style anymore (except for Knots since it's still ongoing, of course).
This 'fic was also my first (and only) long-term project with British English phrases and spellings, so I learned how to efficiently work as closely to that as I can despite not being a native user of those words.
I'm personally pleased with my success in creating a culture for the Anti-Fairies that's unique to them and completely at odds with Fairy World, but I acknowledge that the nature spirit stuff might not be everyone's cup of tea when they come to read a Fairly OddParents story, so I try to balance that.
There are a lot of little details in their culture that I really like, like Anti-Cosmo's claim that he's descended from the Teumessian fox and that he'd be an outcast if he shapeshifts into any animal besides a fox. Anti-Cosmo uses VERY little magic for the majority of Frayed Knots (using most of it during the war, and only when he has to) and I love both his attachment to his culture and the mental gymnastics he does every time he breaks the social norms.
I'm happy with how the Anti-Fairy culture came out, but it's also pretty far from the established canon and my interest tends to be higher when I'm working on something that's canon-compliant (such as writing a scene a character referenced off-hand in present day, or fleshing out the Wanda/Juandissimo relationship, or doing character studies), so... read that however you like.
[Cnt'd under the cut; content warning for mild 'adult themes' discussion]
tbh I've also enjoyed worldbuilding a fantasy sociosexual culture, because I thought it would be an interesting challenge that would add drastic context between Fairies and Anti-Fairies while also fitting well with their bat genetics and their social norms of accepting things that many Fairies recoil from.
Ex: You're much more likely to accept bullying and theft as acceptable behavior if your social norms already permit a flock hierarchy of creche fathers fighting for dominance. It's easy to be at odds with Fairy World when they mock your cultural beliefs, such as by insisting that Anti-Fairies are a shadow of their Fairy counterparts and wouldn't exist without Fairies, when clearly all the proof points to Anti-Fairies being unique creatures of smoke that grow attached to other creatures and reflect their appearance because of it.
Since the Anti-Fairies are antagonists in the show, I wanted to set up the appropriately "cruel and evil" vibe of their modern leadership while ensuring there's justification in their culture to explain why people might turn towards a leader who embodies strength.
Mm, I'd also say I learned I don't enjoy this vibe of romance? I don't hate romance... I just either need it to be blatantly shallow or deep and complicated in a way that's amusing. The late part of the A.C. and A.W. relationship is super messy, which fixes the boredom for me, but I don't love how these early stages are working out.
In the original draft, A.C. and A.W. barely interact until their honey-lock, which would be about 40-50 chapters in. Well, probably less since we can cut most of the Anti-Wanda content from the story. I personally feel like "barely interacting until they're pushed together" fits their personalities a lot better than meeting in their youth, but... I genuinely didn't think people would have the patience for that, so I adjusted Knots to include Anti-Wanda scenes earlier.
It's probably the right call, and maybe some people enjoy the romantic bits more than I do, but they just read as cliche to me so I struggle with liking them. There are a lot of romance tropes I dislike (such as denying your attraction in front of others) and the romantic side of Knots doesn't vibe with me the way that the "animal people politics" parts do, but I do my best.
I'm satisfied with the character goals Anti-Wanda has so she has actual stuff going on in her life (including emotionally rough and some very messed-up stuff). If these were my OCs then I think Frayed Knots would be what it is without the Anti-Wanda ship at all (and/or she'd be sprinkled in occasionally until she shows up during the honey-lock for real), because I think that's my preferred romance story for them. I don't really vibe with them hanging around each other for so many years; it just feels forced to me.
Also Anti-Wanda can do better.
14: Is there anything you wanted readers to learn from reading this fic?
I hope it's obvious that I'm writing an evil villain backstory and that there are many, many things in this story that should not be glorified. Anti-Cosmo makes some seriously messed-up decisions throughout this 'fic, which is written for entertainment and not to be a guide for healthy relationships.
Same goes for Origin. Everyone sees themself as the hero of their own story. If you forget they're canonically the villains and they do some messed-up stuff that I would never condone IRL, I will cry.
Honestly if anyone's learned to love the Pixies, I'd be happy. Especially H.P. <3
Also if anyone develops an affection for the episode "Balance of Flour" and the characters in it, I'd like that. Anti-Bryndin makes his only appearance in this episode. No name, no dialogue, no context... but he's my boy.
Also, even though neither H.P., Sanderson, nor Anti-Cosmo is a ""good and correct"" representation of asexuality (i.e. in terms of healthy relationships), they are still ace. If anyone has learned more about asexuality through this 'fic (either from H.P. working out his feelings or because they were exposed to the concept here and did more research on their own), I'd be content with that.
9: Were there any alternate versions of this fic?
Yeah, you could say that. The official scrap doc for Knots alone is 25k words right now. It grows regularly, and that doesn't include the existing chapter drafts.
Perhaps the biggest change is that in the first draft, Anti-Cosmo's dad is alive, but walked out on his family. I do miss that. Once you commit to killing a parent when your protag is a baby, it's difficult to give them baggage or messy relationships with said person, who frequently gets romanticized. A.C. is absolutely romanticizing the father he never knew, who wasn't as great a person as he likes to think.
Another massive change was that originally, Anti-Cosmo's parents lived in a manor house. They were nobility, but didn't live in the castle. Anti-Bryndin was leader, but flock dynamics didn't exist in the worldbuilding so there wasn't any reason for them to live in the castle. The reason Anti-Cosmo lives in the castle in Knots right now is because his mother was brought under Anti-Bryndin's wing and she gave birth to both her children there.
I very briefly considered Anti-Wanda as heir apparent to Anti-Fairy World and Anti-Cosmo married into the family and that's how he rose to power. That's actually the world my short story "King Me" takes place in, and hopefully I'll be able to get it to a state I'm happy with so I can share it soon. It was drafted back in 2016. It's waited this long; it can wait until it feels right.
Oh. The earliest draft of Origin of the Pixies didn't have Anti-Cosmo show up until Anti-Sanderson had taken over as leader of the anti-pixies, and H.P. had to request permission to cross into Anti-Fairy World to talk with him.
I would say my happiest change in all my FOP works was switching that so H.P. and A.C. interact a ton more in their younger years (although if you look carefully at my earliest pieces like "Open Your Eyes," I think it shows that they were written for a world where A.C. and H.P. barely interacted).
Theeeeee other big change I could mention is Anti-Cosmo's.... ?? friendship? affair?? interaction with Prince Eastkal after the chapter "Deep" (where A.C. saves Eastkal's life and begs him not to confess, for the whole "I'll be disowned if they find out I shapeshifted into a dragon" bit).
In the current version, A.C. gets distracted [cough] and fails to meet the prince as promised. This leads Eastkal to pursue him several chapters later, with Eastkal making multiple attempts to talk to A.C. during "This Close to Heaven", "Floodgates," and "Crossroads". It works, but... it saddens me because this is not the attitude Eastkal has towards Anti-Cosmo in future chapters, which were drafted years ago with the assumption that they met up right after the dragon fight :/ I like the vibe of the first better and regularly wish I hadn't cut it.
Actually, that's another thing I've learned from Knots (and I even wrote a Tumblr post about this months ago before setting it aside under the belief no one would want to hear my vent about it). I cut that scene hoping it would be better for the story's flow and because I was tired and wanted to get to the zoo stuff, but since this is my fanfic I write for fun, I should've just let myself follow the direction I wanted to go. It's frustrating to want to write characters behaving a certain way because of what that cut scene would have done, and then having to change it back to what's "actually canon."
In my first draft, A.C. did meet Eastkal as planned (in the Pink Castle) and it involves a lot of soul-searching on both their behalfs. In current Knots, Eastkal does feel grateful that A.C. saved his life, but boy do I miss the dialogue of the original scene.
I cut the main scene because it was several thousand words on top of a very long chapter... I'd already split "Deep" into... 5 chapters at that point? And I really wanted to wrap up Arc 2 without struggling with another chapter, especially if it might wreck "the vibes." I convinced myself it broke the tension (Going from dragon attack to peace and then zoo), but it's the scene I regret cutting most, because there have been multiple times this year that I've wished it was there because I think it's important to show how A.C. acts (and because I think the scene's hilarious).
This cut meeting inspired Eastkal's attendance during migration season. Frayed Knots can work around not having that scene, but if I can mimic it, that would be nice. The lame part is that it probably would've been nicer right after the rescue, to increase tension of being caught fraternizing with the enemy. I'm trying to find a place for it that's not too near the war.
On reason Knots has been delayed so long because I've been looking for a good way to fit it back in to the timeline, but it was very specifically written for that scene, in that location, so it's rough. There's that and because Cosmo and Wanda are about to become notable, and I don't want to mess up this first meeting between A.C. and Cosmo), so... it'll come! Just been on a necessary hiatus.
I also have a scrapped scene where Anti-Cosmo babysits a nest of spirit eggs, but that got cut because the story is long enough without it. There's a lot of spirit stuff in the second half of Knots and I'm trying to decide how much should be cut... I'd like to end it sooner rather than later. Definitely hoping to post more regularly in 2024.
2. What scene did you first put down?
I think the earliest scene in the story was originally going to be its opening: Anti-Cosmo watching his father pack his suitcase as he prepares to walk out on the family. It would predate my scrap doc, but I might have salvaged something.
Mmm, I didn't find it atm, but I think it was rewritten into a very rough draft of A.C. reacting to his brother leaving shortly after their father's death.
“You’re leaving?” I asked, clinging to the door. “Of course,” he snorted. “The green needs me now more than ever.” “But then I’ll be left alone with Mother.” I glared at the ground. Anti-Schnozmo rubbed my hair, kissed my forehead, and then swept out the door. When I was young, I didn’t understand why we lived in the castle. But I was a smart pup, so I began to put the pieces together, of all the times I’d walked in on Anti-Bryndin kissing my mother.
^ Obviously a very rough version, but a lot of my drafts are this vague to get the story beats down before I flesh them out over weeks, months, or even years.
With polish, I think this would have made a great opening to Knots as well since it immediately sets up A.C.'s difficult relationship with Anti-Schnozmo, that his dad is dead, that he doesn't want to be left with his mom, A-Schnoz's motivations to carry out his father's legacy, and one of the core themes of Knots which is Anti-Cosmo's desire to be wanted.
The current opening of the story is there to establish worldbuilding, especially with the newborn smoke forms (something Anti-Fairies and Fairies can't see eye to eye on). The first chapter is pretty confusing and if I were writing commercially, I think I'd go with the brother walking out. But I wanted to write a longform 'fic about complicated worldbuilding and Anti-Fairy culture and that's exactly what I did, with the establishing shot to open it.
Thanks for reading! Hopefully these were interesting thoughts. Ask box is always open if anyone wants to ask more stuff like this; a lot of the time I tag these things as "director's cut" and I do enjoy sharing what the alt versions of my stories were.
[Current Ask game]
7 notes · View notes
englishstrawbie · 1 year
Text
Station 19 - 6x06
I’m still enjoying the angst, even though these two are breaking my heart every week.
Oh, my poor sweet Maya. 😢
That swollen ankle looks sore and she’s still running on it? Mind you, she won an Olympic gold medal on a sprained ankle so the woman thinks she’s invincible. (Spoiler alert: she’s not!)
I’m fully supportive of Carina taking the pregnancy test without Maya, because things are bad and there’s only so long she can be expected to wait. I was going to say that Maya hasn’t shown any interest in taking a test but, actually, we haven’t seen either of them suggest it. There’s been no “oh, we’re home together, shall we find out?” scene which I think we need - because Maya was genuinely upset that she had taken the test without her. 
And let’s not forget why... think about how this sounds to Maya:
6x01: I can’t make a baby with that.
6x06: I took a pregnancy test without you.
Of course I’m not suggesting that Carina did it to intentionally hurt Maya, she has her reasons and I get them. But Maya doesn’t know that, because she’s not listening to Carina or paying attention to how she’s feeling, because she so caught up in herself. I’m still hoping that one day they’ll pick up on this again. Argh, my heart! 💔
Also I fixed the dialogue for them:
“You seemed so pregnant.” 
“How did I seem so pregnant?” 
“Well, because you said so and you’re the OB expert…”
Carina deserves to be selfish - because she’s been so selfless with Maya lately. She has so much resilience to still be there, hanging on, hoping that one day soon something will change. I don’t know if I could do it, when everything hits a brick wall. Carina is really killing me this season. 💔  
The most important question: will they ever get a new duvet set? It’s been five seasons already! 
I don’t blame the girl at the fire camp being starstruck by Maya - I would be too. 
I see some criticism of the team and the fact that Maya’s obviously not doing well, everyone can see it, but no-one’s doing anything to help. Well, they are - but let’s not forget that Maya isn’t one to let people help her. Andy was spot on when she said that when she’s spiralling she will close down, push everyone out and “go for gold” by herself. The only thing that should have happened today that didn’t was that Beckett should have benched her and sent her home again after the helicopter call, because even if he’s oblivious to her mental health, physically she wasn’t coping with the job. 
That was one hell of a fall off the treadmill. Ouch. 🤕 I’m going to feel cheated if we don’t see the immediate aftermath of the fall - but I’m keeping my expectations low on that point. But, oh, I want to see people finding her unconscious on the floor of the gym, taking her to hospital in the Aid Car and Carina rushing to be by her side. (I’m counting on fic writers to satisfy me on that one!)
So how bad do we think Maya’s injuries are going to be? Part of me is preparing for a bumped head and broken ankle, but I’d love to see her dealing with some complex injuries, because chances are she won’t cope with them very well. Seeing her out of action and therefore having the space to work through her shit would be amazing!
Other things:
- I love Vic and the girls camp, and Ross championing her - it’s about time they saw her value 💪🏻
- I like Vic and Jack as friends
- I really don’t care for Travis and his mayoral campaign, it’s boring and pointless
- Yes, Ross, dump Sully’s ass and lets see who you really are 👏🏻
Only three months to go for the next episode... 
53 notes · View notes
Text
Okay so ya'll are actually gonna hate me for suggesting this but there's this concept that has come and gone from my mind pretty regularly for like, the past 8 years, I swear. It's not something I even remotely headcanon, or even have the courage to fully explore, but I really wanna get it out there. This is about Pixal and Zane's relationship. You ever notice how drastically their dynamic shifts within only a few episodes back in season 3? Like, Pixal shows this initial interest in him, yeah, but it's sort of a "Wow cool, a droid who's built completely different than me. How fascinating" while Zane's interest is very obviously romantic right from the get-go. But by like, the end of the second episode they're stupidly in love with eachother (Pixal even sacrificing herself temporarily for him). From what I can tell Pixal's feelings start getting stronger sometime after the part where she fixes Zane up (forgive me I have not seen Rebooted in a LONG time) because she goes from "I am not different. I am PIXAL. And your repairs are complete" to "We are... compatible?" in like 3 scenes. Pixal seems to attribute her feelings for Zane to him giving her half his heart (as she says in Crystalized) but honestly I don't think that makes sense? Yeah it totally made their connection stronger (even in a literal sense, as with them doing spinjitzu together) but it doesn't seem like the starting point for her catching feelings (and there's nothing in canon to suggest that you need a magic blue power source to HAVE feelings). From where I stand, the turning point is closer to the scene where Zane uses a Technoblade (may he rest in power 🙏) to rid the Overlord from her system. Now, the canon reason for this is probably "With the Overlord in her system, even dormant, it made it difficult for her to access her own emotions. Cleansing her system made these feelings finally surface, which is why her love for Zane becomes more obvious" and that's the explanation I'm happy with. But the slightly more disturbing answer is... Technoblades have two main functions: Cleansing the Overlord virus, and reprogramming the device to suit one's preferences. The second one is mostly used to give mechs and vehicles a cool, colour-coded makeover so they can sell more lego sets, of course. But would it be completely insane to suggest that maybe, unintentionally (because he'd NEVER do it intentionally) Zane sort of... slightly altered Pixal's programming to be more into him? Again NEVER on purpose, he wouldn't dream of it. But the subconscious is a powerful thing. Just a (very cursed and terrible) thought.
45 notes · View notes