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sugawarassoulmate · 2 years

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and i can be needy, way too damn needy

“oh, didn’t like what i had to say?” she must have noticed your reaction, feeding off your palpable anxiety. “both of them feel that way, you know. they only really hang out with you because your mothers are good friends. you think they would give you the time of day if they had a choice?”

atsumu too? no, that couldn’t be true. he’s always been your best friend. yeah, your moms were close and it was easy to go to their house after school while your parents were working, but atsumu’s smile always grew wide whenever you walked through the door. surely all of that had been genuine?

“that’s a lie…” you mumble, wishing for once you could find the strength to stick up for yourself. this doesn’t feel the same as when osamu teases you, that’s something you can navigate. this is uncharted territory. never has anyone else been so callous towards you. usually because one of the boys was there to step in—atsumu to offer a kind word and osamu to throw a punch or two.

but maybe that was the problem. maybe they didn’t want to waste their time saving you anymore.

this really wasn't meant to turn into anything! i've had this doc sitting on my computer for months thinking nothing was gonna come from it, but you guys really liked the snippet i shared so here it is.

if you were expecting a big confrontation between osamu's girlfriend and reader, sorry! my crybaby doesn't play that way but she does get her comeuppance 👀

also there wasn't going to be any smut in this fic but.......osamu's hot LOL

words: 3.8k

cw: fem!reader, insecurity, name-calling, fingering, jealousy, possessiveness, infidelity mention, minors dni

disclaimer: on this blog, we discuss and explore toxic relationships/situations/ just because i write about these themes does not mean i condone/support these types of relationships nor do i do them in my own personal life.

these are fictional characters in fictional scenarios and nobody should be taking real-life advice or mirror the actions of the characters in these stories!

You walked into the kitchen expecting to see Osamu with his head in the fridge as usual. Instead, you found something worse, his girlfriend leaning on the counter. A scowl on her face as soon as she locks eyes with you. It’s the first time you’ve ever been alone with her, without Osamu there to make a mean comment at your expense that makes her laugh sweetly, “Baby, you’re being so rude!” she’d say in her shrill voice.

But there’s none of that in her face at the moment. She crosses her arms, eyebrows furrowed as she gets a good look at you. “Of course, you’re here too,” she says, attempting to grumble under her breath but it’s definitely loud enough for you to hear.

You don’t really want to know what she meant, mumbling an apology in her direction before trying to shuffle past her to the stairs. She’s quicker than you, though, blocking your path and almost tripping you in the process. “What the hell are you doing here?” She gets in your face, demanding an answer. It’s only when she’s so close that you take in how pretty she actually is: full, pouty lips, a high arch in her eyebrows, sharp cheekbones, a straight nose.

She didn’t look like the kind of girl Osamu dated, but you figured that wasn’t a fair assumption for you to make. You didn’t really know what kind of girls Osamu liked. Whenever his brother brought the topic up, it usually ended with a punch to the gut.

“Atsumu and I have plans,” you said, hoping she’d leave you alone. She purses her lips, seemingly not satisfied with your response. “Could you—”

“Do you not have friends of your own? You’re always tagging along with the twins, aren’t you embarrassed?” her features twist into a smile, one of ridicule. You’re not sure how to respond, mouth clamping up as you hope for someone to come downstairs and save you. But you’re not that lucky and your silence only pisses her off even more. “Not even going to defend yourself? Samu’s right, you’re hopeless!”

Hopeless? Had Osamu said that about you? He’s said worse things to your face, sure, but never once did you think he spoke about you behind your back. Did he talk about you to her? Complain about you? Of course, you weren’t his favorite person in the world but did he actually feel that way?

You could feel your stomach churning, a bitter taste bubbling in the back of your throat. You had to get out of there, but your legs wouldn’t move. “Oh, didn’t like what I had to say?” she must have noticed your reaction, feeding off your palpable anxiety. “Both of them feel that way, you know. They only really hang out with you because your mothers are good friends. You think they would give you the time of day if they had a choice?”

Atsumu too? No, that couldn’t be true. He’s always been your best friend. Yeah, your moms were close and it was easy to go to their house after school while your parents were working, but Atsumu’s smile always grew wide whenever you walked through the door. Surely all of that had been genuine?

“That’s a lie…” you mumble, wishing for once you could find the strength to stick up for yourself. This doesn’t feel the same as when Osamu teases you, that’s something you can navigate. This is uncharted territory. Never has anyone else been so callous towards you. Usually because one of the boys was there to step in—Atsumu to offer a kind word and Osamu to throw a punch or two.

But maybe that was the problem. Maybe they didn’t want to waste their time saving you anymore.

“Please, do you think they’d say it to your face? To the crybaby that lives next door? They don’t want to hurt your feelings but someone needs to give you a reality check.”

“You don’t know anything about me,” you snap back, feeling the tightness in your chest. Even when Osamu was giving you his worst, he never made you feel so small.

She laughs humorlessly, taking a step forward into your personal space and leaning down. It feels so humiliating. “I know enough,” she claims. “Every time I’m with my boyfriend, he never shuts up about you. What makes you so damn special? Maybe he wouldn’t bitch about you so much if you just fucked off and found friends of your own.”

You wanted to tell her it wasn’t true. That you knew more about the twins than she did, but all the energy you had left disappeared. And, in turn, her words started playing in your head over and over. Maybe it was true. Maybe your friendship with the twins had run its course—or rather your friendship with one of them did. Osamu had never been your friend before, had he?

Right on cue, the tears started running down your face. You could imagine how red and distorted your face had become, your nose becoming runny and mouth growing dry. You’re rushing out of the room before she could say anything else, running towards your house and slamming the door behind you.

It’s only when you’re finally alone that you allow your sobs to get loud, to feel all your insecurities pouring out into the open. And it’s just so pitiful that your first reaction is to run to Atsumu and point out the person who made you feel this way. What’s most surprising is that, for once, it wasn’t his brother who was at fault. Not even Osamu could make you cry this much.

Your phone starts buzzing every few seconds and through tears, you read out the notifications on the screen.

From: ☀️tsumu☀️: did ya get here yet?

From: ☀️tsumu☀️: thought i heard the front door..

You want to reach out to him, to both of them. But you can’t even bother with a reply. Instead, you turn your phone off, and let your tears flow some more.

You’ve never avoided both of the twins before, but you couldn’t face them after that conversation. It was hard at first, having both of the boys blow up your phone for most of the day was pretty normal. The three of you were always together, whether at each other’s houses, going out, or running errands together. If that wasn’t the case, you’d be on the phone with one of them, usually Atsumu, for hours.

But for the first time, you haven’t been giving either of them your attention—you turned off notifications on your phone, started waking up an hour earlier so you wouldn’t have to walk with them, and you told your parents not to answer their calls.

“Did you get into a fight?” your mother had said. “What did Osamu do this time?” But you didn’t really have an explanation, the real story being far more embarrassing than anything else.

At school, it was harder to steer clear of them. You didn’t share many classes but you ended up moving your seat in the few you did, ducking out of the room as soon as the bell rang to avoid having to talk to them. Thankfully, volleyball kept them busy and limited your interactions.

There was one incident in the cafeteria where you nearly broke your-self isolation.

It was easy for Atsumu to find you in a crowded room, locking eyes with you across the cafeteria. The boys were there with Suna and Ginjima talking amongst themselves and being rowdy as usual. Atsumu waved in your direction, beckoning for you to sit with them and you nearly did. Until you saw her cuddled up to Osamu’s side, a disapproving look on her face.

Osamu’s face didn’t look that pleasant either. “Maybe he wouldn’t bitch about you so much if you just fucked off and found friends of your own…”

Suddenly feeling nauseous, you turned your back on the table. Grabbing your food, you make your way towards the roof and eat there. You could usually be alone up there, without being a bother to anyone else.

“Did Osamu do something to you?” Suna asked one day when you were in the library. It was safe to study there—the boys had been banned in their first year after one too many fights. Suna sat across from you, an unreadable look on his face as he watched you take notes. “You haven’t come to practice in a week.”

You figured there was no use in avoiding him and continued to keep doing work. “Why does everyone think he did something?”

“Something had to have happened. Tweedledee and Tweedledum said you haven’t spoken to them in a while,” he leans back in his chair with his feet up on the table. Even during the worst moments with Osamu, you’d still end up getting dragged to practice somehow. “They’ve been fighting a lot more than usual. Kinda annoying, honestly…”

That didn’t do much to quell your anxiety. It was always nasty when the boys fought but the idea of sitting in the bleachers with her after what she said made you queasy. Maybe it had nothing to do with you. The twins fighting wasn’t out of the ordinary, what made you so special?

“I’m really busy with school, okay?” you motion towards the mess of papers on the table you’re working at. But Suna looks unconvinced, probably thinking back to all the times you’ve either done homework or studied while watching the team practice. “Just don’t tell them that you spoke to me, please?”

One thing you love about Suna is that he doesn’t pry. If you’re not ready to talk about something, he’ll hold off on asking questions. “Fine,” he sighs, getting up. “Whatever it is, I’m sure you’ve got it figured out. But do something quick, ‘cause I don’t know how much patience Kita has left.”

You can’t explain the uneasiness in your gut while watching Suna leave the room. He was wrong, you didn’t have it figured out. There wasn’t a plan or an end goal in mind. But you couldn’t face the boys just yet. And, honestly, whatever was going on would figure itself out with or without you.

“No, no, no, no…” you groan to yourself fishing through your backpack for the tenth time, hoping your keys would somehow magically appear. There was a torrential downpour outside and your parents weren’t home or answering their phones. Like an idiot, you forgot your keys and certainly didn’t have an umbrella, your soaked uniform sticking to you, your body freezing and shivering.

The only people who had spare keys were the twins and their mother. “For emergencies,” said your own mother so long ago but they were never actually used for emergencies. All too often, the boys would barge into your home for snacks or drinks, but mostly for you. They’d pluck you from your bedroom—it didn’t matter if you were studying or sleeping, really—and drag you back to their house to watch a movie or settle an argument.

You asked your mother to tell them you weren't home or hid out in the library until it was too late for them to show up at your front door. But now, you were royally fucked and were running out of options. “Please be here…” you cried, wishing for your keys to end up in your hand.

“Are ya stupid? Yer gonna catch yer fuckin’ death out here!” It wasn’t hard to figure out who the voice belonged to. Osamu stormed to the front of your house, pissed off as he shoved you under his umbrella. “The fuck ya standin’ here for? Yer practically blue!”

You didn’t have the energy to argue or come up with some excuse to distance yourself from him. Not when your crybaby tears were threatening to come back again. “I don’t have my keys,” you sobbed, feeling cold and pathetic.

Osamu grabs you by the sleeve and hauled you next door to his house, cursing with every wet stomp of his feet. You’re pushed through the front entrance, already forming a puddle on the floor. The shoes by the door let you know their mother isn’t home either.

“Dude! Ya were right behind me, what took ya so long—” Atsumu stops dead in his tracks when he spots you, an unreadable emotion on his face but he’s quick to go into protective mode, running towards you and his brother. “What—”

“She forgot her fuckin’ keys,” Osamu grouches, sticking the umbrella in a stand near the door. He turns to you, looking as if he wants to bite your head off. “Go upstairs and take a hot shower. We’ll get ya clean clothes.”

“Aren’t you embarrassed?” her words are in your head again. The twins need to take care of you yet again because you’re too stupid to remember to carry a fucking key. “I just need my—”

“I don’t remember askin’ ya,” Osamu says, pushing you in the direction of their bathroom. “Go.” Your eyes flick to Atsumu but he’s in agreement with his twin. Embarrassed, you start heading upstairs, wishing for all of this to be over.

The boys left clean clothes for you outside the bathroom door after your shower. As expected, the shirt and pajama bottoms were much bigger, completely drowning you. Your wet clothes were thrown in the laundry room to be washed and dried. You’re too nervous to go into the living room and face them, but hiding upstairs would only make the situation worse.

You decide to just rip the band-aid.

Wringing the rest of the water with your towel, you walk in to see the boys talking amongst themselves. They stop when you enter the room, Atsumu looking apologetic as he leaves room on the couch for you to sit. A cup of tea sits on the coffee table, likely made by Osamu and you’re certain his anger would only get worse if you refuse.

It doesn’t take very long for Osamu to start interrogating you as soon as you sit down. “Why the fuck didn’t ya come here sooner?” he stands in front of you and his brother, grey eyes shooting daggers at yours.

“I thought I had them,” you lied, letting the cup warm your still cold hands. “I just didn’t want to bother you.”

“But why would ya think yer a bother?” This time Atsumu spoke, his hand reaching out to rub your shoulder. You appreciated the extra warmth. “Better yet, where have ya been lately? Ya stopped talkin’ to us out of nowhere.” You don’t miss the way his eyes glance over at Osamu. He probably thinks it’s his fault too.

“You think they would give you the time of day if they had a choice?” You’re so fed up at this point that her name falls from your mouth before you could stop yourself. Osamu quirks his brow, probably wondering what she has to do with any of this.

So you tell them—You mention all the nasty things she said to you, the cruel looks she’d shoot your way at school, and how you felt too stupid to tell them because a part of you really wondered if it was true. By the time you’re done, there are a few stray tears running down your face that you didn’t notice at first. A frustrated crybaby to the very end, you’re nothing if not consistent.

They’re both angry now, eyes locked with one another. “Did ya know about this?” Atsumu’s tone was accusatory.

“Of course I fuckin’ didn’t, why didn’t ya tell me?” Osamu asked, looking at you, but his brother is quick to come to your defense.

“It doesn’t matter when she told us, what matters is that it was yer girlfriend that said that shit to her.” He snaps, pulling you closer to his frame to soothe you. It doesn’t go unnoticed by Osamu, tongue poking his cheek. “What’re ya gonna do about it, Samu?”

The younger twin rolls his eyes takes a deep breath and walks out the room, choosing not to start a yelling match for once. Once you are alone, Atsumu wraps you in his arms for a hug. “Please don’t disappear like that on us again,” he says, refusing to let go. “I won’t be so nice next time.” You can hear the dumb grin on his face. You’ve missed him, both of them. Atsumu makes sure you finish the rest of your tea before walking off to set up the futon for you—he suggested you spend the night and didn’t take no for an answer.

You’re folding your uniform a few hours later after taking it out of the dryer. It should probably be ironed before you could wear it again but, thankfully, there’s no school tomorrow. While you’re there, you decide to fold the rest of the clean clothes there as well, knowing the boys’ mother would appreciate it.

The sweet silence was broken with Osamu’s heavy steps coming downstairs, screaming into his phone, unaware that you’re also in the room. “I don’t wanna hear it and don’t even think about comin’ here and gettin’ yer shit,” From all the years of knowing him, you’ve never heard his voice get like that. Even when he and Atsumu were fighting and he’s certainly never yelled at you like that.

“Get one of yer stupid friends to pick it up from Atsumu or Suna or I’m throwin’ it the fuck out. I’m blockin’ yer ass after that. Fuck off.” He hangs up without another word and that’s when he catches you kneeling in front of the dryer with piles of folded clothes. His face doesn’t soften as he gets down on your level, eyes scanning your form. “That’s Tsumu’s shirt…”

Staring down at the much too big shirt, you now realize that he’s right. You hadn’t really considered which of their shirts the boys gave since you were more concerned with having warm clothes than anything else. “I just grabbed whatever was there—” Osamu’s quick movements take you by surprise. Next thing you know, he has you pinned to the floor, hovering over you. It rattles you at first, but Osamu’s always been known to push you around whenever he felt like it. “Samu—”

“Don’t keep secrets from me. Ya should’ve told me as soon as she said that shit.” His knee is between your legs and you wonder if his intentions are pure. All of your clothes were soaked from the storm and all Osamu had to do to get to your more intimate parts was wander his hands just slightly underneath your shirt. It had been a while since he did anything like that. Osamu was loyal to the girls he dated. At least you think. So many times he’s trapped you for a quick kiss when nobody else was in the room, it’s possible that you had overlapped with his relationships a few times.

Maybe that’s why she hated you so much.

“If any of that bullshit was true,” Osamu continues, noticing the apprehension on your face. “I wouldn’t put up with yer sensitive ass.”

“I’m sorry…” you mumbled, fingers twisting between the fabric of your shirt. You felt stupid, letting your own insecurities and her words get to your head when you know none of them to be true. With all the years you’ve known them, you should have given the boys more credit. “I missed you.”

Finally, Osamu’s face relaxes. At this point, you wonder if he was actually upset with you this whole time, or with himself since it was his ex-girlfriend who had said caused all this. He leans in, pressing his lips to yours. It’s overwhelming, like all his kisses and it feels wrong to be so close just moments after he broke up with her, but it doesn’t stop you from deepening it.

“Such a pretty little crybaby, don’t know why I even bother with anyone else,” his voice is thick while his hands tug at your clothes. “Take this off. I’ll give ya my shirt in a bit, just lemme see ya.”

The sensation of your breasts being exposed to the cold laundry room to Osamu’s warm mouth wrapping itself around your nipple. A sharp whine leaves your lips but you stifle it, remembering that Atsumu is still upstairs. Osamu bites down on the sensitive bud, as one of his hands reaches past the sweats you had on, groaning when he realizes you aren’t wearing underwear.

Two of Osamu’s fingers plunge into your cunt without warning. It gets harder and harder to muffle your noises, eyes welling up with tears. “Wanna hear yer pretty noises, dummy. Been hidin’ from me too fuckin’ long. I deserve ‘em,” he growls, biting down hard on your breast just to force a high-pitched cry from you.

You pray that Atsumu is in his room. The thought of anyone seeing you in such a compromising position—half-naked and humping against Osamu’s hand—would be so humiliating but it has you whining and moaning even more.

“Can feel yer pussy clenchin’ around my fingers. Gonna make ya cum on the fuckin’ floor like a slut,” You can hear how wet you are, juices flowing down Osamu’s hand and it’s becoming too much. His thumb circles your clit as his fingers speed up. You pull him in for a kiss, burying your cries into his mouth. “Cum fer me, stupid girl. Missed this pretty pussy, need ya to cum.”

By the time he adds a third finger, you’re already too far gone. With a final, exasperated sob, you cum around Osamu’s hand. He stares, mesmerized by how sensitive your cunt is when he pulls his fingers out, your essence catching the light.

Your brain is too fuzzy to notice Osamu wiping his hand with Atsumu’s shirt, too busy trying to stop your legs from twitching. “Samu…”

“Don’t start yer whinin’, I’ll clean ya up,” he warns, grabbing a clean t-shirt to put on you. It’s one of his, of course. “Much better.”

“Don’t mind her, y/n,” Suna says after following your line of vision. The two of you were sitting at your regular lunch table a few days later when you felt someone staring daggers at you. Sure enough, there was Osamu’s ex looking back. Her usually pretty face now red and puffy. As horrible as she was, you still feel bad.

“Don’t mind who?” Atsumu asks as he and his brother join you after getting their food. Osamu feels your body tense up and is swift to see the reason why. Watching his eyes meet with hers brings back that unpleasant sinking feeling in your stomach for some reason.

But Osamu is quick to look away, an arm wrapping around his waist as he offers you some of his food. You sneak a brief glance back at her, just in time to see her storm out of the cafeteria.

It shouldn’t make you smile, but it does.

#haikyuu #haikyuu smut #haikyuu x reader #osamu smut #osamu #osamu x reader #osamu miya smut #osamu miya x reader #osamu miya #miya osamu #miya osamu smut #miya osamu x reader #miya twins #haikyu x reader #haikyu smut #✨#✨osamu #bully!osamu

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nethhiri · 3 months

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Marooned: Chapter 5

Kid x FemReader x Killer

Warnings: Suggestive, implied eye-fucking? lol

A Mutual Rescue

Kid's scowl deepened before evolving into a smirk. "Yeah, I'll fuck you." He lunged for the meat again and you jerked it away.

You were taken aback for only a fraction of a second until it was replaced with cackling so hard it brought tears to your eyes. "That's- That's not-" You couldn't even get the words out. A minute or two passed and you took a calming breath. "What I was going to say, Eustass, was: If you give me a lift off this island when, if, your ship shows up, I'll give a hand to your ship's doctor up to the point you drop me on the next island. And, of course, keep you and your friend alive since your crew probably would like you alive." Your shoulders shook as you kept trying to stifle your giggles. That was the literal furthest thing from your mind. You were focused on getting off alright. Getting off this fucking island.

The redhead considered your proposal. Or, rather, his stomach considered it for him. It cramped with hunger, growling loud enough for you to hear it from across the fire. Did he really have a choice at this point? Actually, the more he thought about it... It was sort of a win-win-win for him. He, and Killer, would survive long enough to be rescued. There would be someone who had medical talent on the ship, since, what you didn't know, was that they didn't have a doctor. As for the third win, it wasn't lost on Kid that although you may be covered in dirt and grime, with unwashed, unkempt hair, that you were hot. You were obviously cunning, tough, and there was a distinct ferocity behind your gaze that reminded him of himself. Not to mention that your little dress, though loose and boxy, gave glimpses here and there of a body he wouldn't be opposed to seeing the rest of.

"So?" You prompted. "By the way, me and Mini are a package deal so she's coming too."

"Who the fuck is Mini?"

"She's behind me." You pointed your thumb back in the direction you threw the drumstick. You half turned, expecting her to give some indication that she was there. "She's mad at me," you apologized for her lack of politeness.

Kid would have shared a glance with Killer if he was conscious. Okay... she's hot and .... has an imaginary friend, Kid thought. Usually he let Killer make these types of decisions, but he thought Killer would think you were ho- helpful too. "Deal." Kid gave his signature shit-eating grin, "Consider yourself our newest rookie."

Narrowing your good eye at him, "This is temporary." Shoving the remaining food at Kid, you walked past him to check on Killer. The wound on his head had no signs of infection, however he felt clammy and slightly warm, causing your eyebrows to knit together.

"You'll be begging me to stay. Just wait." Kid said with his mouth full as you tended to Killer.

If you could roll your eye any harder, you would. "Or you'll be begging me not to leave."

Kid inspected his dinner to make sure he hadn't missed any meat on the bones before tossing it aside. "Then I guess we'll see, won't we...what's your name anyway?"

You hoped Kid hadn't noticed you pause momentarily while you checked on Killer. There was luckily a good opportunity to stall as you pressed your ear to Killer's chest, systematically listening in different areas. You held your hand up to indicate you needed silence while you did this. Obviously, you weren't going to give him your real name. You had a bounty and you didn't know if your posters were still around or if anyone on the crew had seen them when they had been. You avoided the question. "Did you notice he was hot?" The instant the words left your mouth you knew you should have rephrased. It worked in your favor, however, since the accidental bait distracted him from the fact you didn't give him an answer.

"Aw you hear that, Killer? Girlie thinks you're handsome." Kid's mood seemed greatly improved with a good meal in his belly. More likely, it was because he had realized how very entertaining you were going to be. You had successfully piqued his interest. He liked a woman with a mouth on them, in more ways than one. Regrettably, since he had a lovely view of you bent over his friend, Kid got up and crouched next to you. Though he could, at times, be daft, he knew what you meant. "I guess he felt warm. I don't know." The grin previously on his face was replaced with a concerned look.

You were certain there was fluid in his lungs, probably from being tossed around in the ocean and on his back for too long. "I think he might have pneumonia." A grimace settled on your features and Killer seemed to confirm your suspicion by letting out a weak, phlegmy cough. There was a chance you may be able to make an herbal remedy from some plants you had stored. It couldn't hurt. Hopefully, it would at least prevent it from getting worse until you were picked up.

A large hand grabbed your shoulder, squeezing in, not a reassuring way, but a menacing one. "I hope you remember that your life is contingent on his."

I didn't forget. It was unsettling to feel his gaze on you when he was this close. You weren't scared of course. If this didn't work, you could always try your devil fruit powers.

#sorry this is short #having a terrible work week #one piece #eustass kid #massacre soldier killer #eustass x reader #killer x reader #kid x reader x killer #x reader #marooned

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jmrothwell · 2 months

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OMG ALL THOSE PROMPTS ARE SO GOOD (and I finally caught one of your lists before it's six days old lol). Laying on the floor so hard you wish they’d invent lying down 2 is an Alex Mood to me.

Maybe the chairs on the ceiling were less of a stylistic choice and more of a storage thing. After all that one was hung fairly low and if Alex knocked it, it would swing. Threatening to fall right on top of him.

He didn’t really like the thought of that. But it always occurred to him every time he caught even the slightest glimpse of the polished wood hanging from the ceiling.

Perhaps he has a death wish since Alex was now laying on the studio floor below them. The steepled ceiling, fairy lights, and new potted plants hanging closer to the ceiling added a surreal level he wasn't really expecting.

Is this what Alice in Wonderland felt like falling down that hole? All disoriented and floaty?

Which, honestly, he really shouldn’t be feeling all floaty like this. Not with how itchy this particular patch of carpet is. Another train of thought he would really rather not venture down, but is unstoppable now.

Why was it itchy? He knows it gets regularly cleaned out here. It’s on the rotating cleaning roster. Though considering the last three individuals who were in charge of it were Reggie, Luke, and Carlos and Alex isn’t sure if any of them would have even considered the rugs.

“Comfy?” Flynn’s voice came out of nowhere, quickly followed by her face leaning over his. Upside down. Her braids reach out towards him. That does not help him stop feeling like Alice.

“Not really.” Alex says simply. Focus split between talking to her, keeping his breathing steady, and not spiraling into one of the many chasms his brain felt the need to create for no damn reason.

Flynn hums noncommittally before disappearing from his view. Though she doesn’t go far, he can hear her settling on the floor next to him. “There are better places to lay down.”

“I am aware.”

“Do you like feeling uncomfortable?”

He can’t help the huff from his throat. He doesn’t like it, no. He can’t ever seem to escape it, just has to settle for which discomfort was more acceptable and today that means, “It’s quieter here.”

“Wow.” Flynn says through a disbelieving laugh. “What kind of chaos are they up to if the studio is the quiet option?”

Alex shrugs though he’s not sure if she can see it. “Don’t know about now but when I left, Carlos was unsuccessfully showing Luke something called Guitar Hero, and Reggie had been ranting for nearly an hour about how the Star Wars on the Disney app thing was completely wrong.”

Flynn quietly giggles, “Where was Julie in all this?”

An uneasy heaviness twists in Alex’s chest with the question. Or rather with the answer he gives, “She and Ray went to the Wilson’s.”

“Ah,” Flynn thankfully leaves the topic there. “This is the weirdest ceiling to lay under.”

“Right? Like, do you know why they hung the chairs on the ceiling?”

“Not really,” Flynn says but doesn’t really sound sure herself. “But is it weird that I want to see if there are weirder ceilings out there?”

It’s the first train of thought in a while Alex feels sort of willing to wander down. “How would we do that?”

“Dear sweet Alex,” The statement and her haughty tone both make him slightly regret his decision. “That is what Google is for.”

“Okay, please never call me that again.”

“Happily.”

He finally sat up and could finally see Flynn laying down on the floor. Her head next to where his was but feet pointing in the opposite direction.

She smiles up at him, “Want to go see what we can find?”

“Yeah, all right.” He says with another shrug, following her to the couch. Tries to keep the thought splintering in check as he watches her use her phone in ways he’d only ever seen in sci-fi until a few months ago.

Admittedly, there are definitely some bizarre ceilings out in the world. But the Molina’s seem to be the only ones they can find so far who have chosen to mount chairs to theirs.

#julie and the phantoms #alex mercer #flynn taylor #honestly not sure if this fits the theme #originally I had planned for Flynn to like introduce Alex to weighted blankets #but the story was like naaaaah.....what about those chairs?

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eleni-cherie · 8 months

Text

a thief's end ✨ || bts • myg - chapter 1.2

"so eager to be in a headlock again?" "only if it's by you." he thought he was done with the criminal life and ready for some peace and quiet. but his plans collapsed in the form of a strange girl who was in trouble. © 2023 | eleni_cherie

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masterlist: here

— genre: thief au, gangster comedy, adventure, romcom, humour, angst, fluff, sexual tensiON, slowburn, mutual pining, strangers to lovers s2l

ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE. CHARACTERS NOT NECESSARILY LIKE THE REAL PERSONS. ALSO VERY UNREALISTIC PLOT LOL - JUST PRETEND READING A MANGA/COMIC OR WATCHING A FILM, REALLY.

SUGGESTIVE THEMES. MENTIONS OF VIOLENCE & BLOOD (BUT NOTHING TOO GRAPHIC, IT'S STILL A COMEDY!)

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Seoul, South Korea

Soyeon blew out a long sigh before taking a sip from her iced coffee. It felt odd to be back in Seoul after three weeks. Weeks of feeling terrified and anxious when now everything seemed back to normal. As if any of the previous incidents had never happened. A strange thought. Like a fever dream.

Her eyes wandered out to the people passing by on the street. It was a mild summer day, most going out for a walk or to meet friends. And she wondered if and how Arabella was planning to find her. Recalling their last conversation on the phone in the restrooms of the italian police station.

"They'll be flown out to Seoul tomorrow." Arabella hummed, going silent then and Soyeon thought she had hung up, when she spoke up again. "What about you?" "I'll have to give my testimony. Hope they can arrest that jerk.." she scoffed, "And after that, agent Jeon assured me I could fly back to Korea with them. After all, I don't have any papers with me to get back otherwise.." "Alright." "They'll escape won't they?" "I don't think they'll try." Soyeon frowned. "W-what? Will they just stay arrested and fac-"

"No, no. Obviously they'll flee," Arabella laughed, "But if they're smart, which Yoongi and Taehyung are, I guess my idiot as well, they'll do it when they're back in Seoul. It wouldn't make sense to escape now and try getting back to Taiwan from there. They'd be more obstacles with pops being on their tail. The smart move would be for them to do it in Korea, which is way closer to Taiwan and has direct connections." The younger woman hummed understanding. If put like that, it made indeed sense. And Arabella was supposedly a thief as well, or had been, so she should know more than her.

"No need to worry," Arabella said then, "I'll fly out to Seoul myself. I'm sick of sitting here idle and missing out on all the fun anyway, so I'll help them get out."

"A-aren't you afraid of getting caught as well?"

Arabella clicked her tongue almost offended at the insinuation. "Please, I'm not a noob like them!" Soyeon pursed her lips, unsure if she was going to regret her next move. "C-could I come with you?" "You mean in bailing the guys out? Absolutely not. You're unexperienced." She wasn't able to argue with that and yet, she tried to. "I know.. but I feel miserable. They're only in this situation because of me. Obviously I'd let you professional take care of the difficult stuff, but.. but.." Her jaw clenched when thinking about Yoongi's expression when she'd last seen him. Those glum eyes. And him being in a cell now like a criminal. She knew he technically was one, been one in the past. But he wasn't one to her. He was much more to her than that. "If I can help in any way, even if only a little bit.."

"I could think of a way.." Arabella contemplated then with a sigh, "But just to be clear, if Yoongi gets angry at me for getting you involved, it was your fault. You were persistent and demanded to be part of it, not letting me any choice. Got it?" Soyeon's eyes lit up. "Yeah, yes, of course!" "Alright, see you in Seoul then." "W-wait, where should we meet?"

"Don't worry about that, I'll find you."

And with that she hung up. Leaving Soyeon perplexed back.

She took another sip, taking her phone out and going to her photo gallery. She didn't feel like returning home yet. Getting adjusted to work again was already hard, but then staying in her lonely apart was almost insufferable. A sentimental feeling overtaking her as she scrolled through her photos, stopping at the last one she had of her grandfather. He was attempting to smile, something he rarely did in photos. Not because he'd been a serious man, rather because he liked to appear like one. She giggled. That somehow reminded her of Yoongi. On the outside he seemed cool, calm, collected, but she had managed to catch a glimpse of his true nature. The warm, kind and caring side of his.

Her brows knitted together when a hot ache flowed threw her chest. She swiped away to another photo of her grandfather. It was of a photo from her grandmother's albums, showing her grandfather heaving little Soyeon up on one arm. Holding her high and smiling up at her. Yeah, she remembered, her grandfather used to do that when she was little. Carrying her around and holding her up, making her feel like a giant.

Tears started welling up in the corner of her eyes and she quickly wiped them away before anyone noticed. Deciding to lock the phone and swallow the lump in her throat down with another sip from her cold drink.

"Did something happen?" A voice behind her asked and she internally cursed, hoping the person didn't mean her, when suddenly the chair next to her was pulled out and a women with long dark hair and black eyeglasses sat down. Eyeing her suspiciously from above the glasses. "N-no, just remembered something. That's all," she quickly said, perplexed by the stranger. The woman hummed and Soyeon began wondering what she wanted from her, when it finally clicked. "Arabella?" "Yup, that's me." Her eyes widened. "How, how did you find me?" Arabella's lips pulled up into a grin as she shrugged nonchalantly. "I got my ways." She waved at someone then, soon another person appearing next to them much to Soyeon's surprise as she recognised them. "The doctor?" "Hey," the red-head smiled and sat down at the empty seat between them, "I see the wound's healing nicely." Cassandra pointed at her forehead to which the younger girl smiled, nodding shyly. "Yes, thanks again." Soyeon's brows furrowed then. "W-what are you doing here, though?"

Cassandra playfully huffed, folding her arms in front of her puffed out chest. "Why? My husband also got caught after all! And besides, I always wanted to take part in a mission. Tae just never let me." She pouted then before grinning at Arabella, patting her shoulder. "That's why I convinced Bella here to let me help. We're forming a girls' gang now, bailing out our idiots!" The dyed-brunette only rolled her eyes. "'Convinced' is quite a light way to put it. You blackmailed me in saying you wouldn't give me a pda otherwise." She pointed at her belly and only then did Soyeon notice the bump. "Ah-ah, I said I would advice your doctor not to give you any." "Still blackmailing," Arabella whined, heaving a frustrated groan then and burried her face into her palms, "Tae and Yoongi will kill me if they see you two here, ugh." "I'm taking full blame, don't worry," her friend ensured her to which Soyeon quickly nodded. "M-me too!" She exhaled deeply, leaning back. "Fine.."

Soyeon raised her hand then as if she was in class. "Uhm , excuse me I got a question.." She pointed at Arabella's belly, "You're pregnant, right? Is it okay if y-" "It's totally fine," Arabella quickly dismissed her question with a wave of her hand, "Just because I'm pregnant people don't have to treat me with kid gloves. I won't do anything risky and besides -" She faced Cassandra then with a smirk. "We got the doc here after all, just in case." She grabbed a tablet out of her handbag then, switching it on. "Now let's get down to business." Soyeon raised her hand again, interrupting her once again with a shy grin. "I should probably tell you that I've to go to interpol tomorrow." Arabella frowned, setting the device down. "Why? Didn't they interrogate you in Italy already? " "Only about what went down in Taiwan and in Italy. Now they wanna ask me further questions about my grandpa, although I really don't know what I could possibly tell them.." Frankly, she knew less than they did about her grandfather's life as a thief.

Arabella hummed, that piece of information perhaps turning into something helpful. "What time exactly?" "T-they said they'd be out all day long. So 5pm." The professional among them contemplated for a moment, smirking then. "Right before their shift ends. Perfect. New plan then!"

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Yoongi was staring at the white wall in front of him. Stifling a sigh, he stretched his arms over his head. He could tell the sun was setting by the few streaks of light coming from the window. Seconds turned to minutes and minutes to hours. When his eyes grew tired, he'd close them, otherwise he'd keep them on the white painted bricks. If he had his sword he'd just cut through the door with ease, but Seokjin had obviously confiscated it. So there wasn't much left but to stare and wait. There wasn't much else to do. He was alone with his thoughts.

It wasn't the first time they had been caught and sitting in different cells. And they always had a plan for this. However, considering they hadn't planned to ever see a custody cell again, he couldn't help but feel sullen. He was the one involved with Soyeon, not them. If Jimin and Taehyung wouldn't have joined, they wouldn't be there with him now.

Soyeon.

He wondered what she was doing right now. He had heard from Jungkook that they had also flown her back to Seoul.

He smiled to himself, being sure she was finally able to return to her normal life with this story being hopefully over. That had been their intention after all by luring interpol to Italy. They already had a case file on the younger Rossi, so it shouldn't have been a problem for them to do something against him now either. And they would, he was certain of it. He just hoped she could find her peace now and enjoy life again without any fears.

For a second he wondered if he should look for her after they get out, but he quickly dismissed that ridiculous thought. After all this traumatic experience, she probably didn't want to see anything or anyone that reminded her of it and he unfortunately counted among that. It was probably better this way anyway, even if he had retired of being a criminal and only got back because of this, he was probably not the right person for her. He bit his inner cheek, a mix of sorrow and relief spreading inside him. She deserved someone normal. Someone who wouldn't potentially drag her into this kind of situation again.

And besides, her real life was taking place in Seoul while he was forced to return to Taiwan. The two had no prospects from the beginning.

Yoongi never considered himself a lucky guy. The only good thing that had ever happened to him was meeting his two friends, but otherwise he'd never seen himself favoured by fortune. Although, the time he had spent with Soyeon, even if short, had felt like luck in a way.

Luck. Such a weird concept. He rarely truly understood it. So he accepted things for how they were. Perhaps it was some kind of karma for past mistakes. There'd been more than enough anyway.

»»»

Arabella's plan was simple or at least not as complicated as it could be.

"There's a catch though," she explained as she eyed the other two women over Soyeon's coffee table. They had returned to her apartment to fully develop the plan and prepare for it and frankly, it was more convenient than sitting in a café. "From what I found out, they inaugurated a few new precautions for some reason. Like whoever enters or exists any area, even the archives and evidence storages, will be checked in case they're wearing a mask or other type of disguises. They literally pinch your cheeks to check. Another reason why I'll undertake the security room and gain access to the system, they obviously know my face. But that means you won't be able wearing a mask either." Cassandra's brown eyes widened and she gulped. "And how do I get in there then?"

"By me adding you into the database as a new employee. I'll access the personnel department's files and create a fake staff account for you." "But won't they find it weird if out of nowhere a new employee appears without them knowing?" "The trick is to act as if you belong there," Arabella winked, "If there's any issue, just say you just started and probably someone simply forgot to inform them. Remain persistent." "What if agent Kim, Blake or Jeon see me though? They know me." "They won't," she dismissed her with a smirk, "We'll do it during the late shift, after the field agents leave and none of the normal personnel is working."

Cassandra and Soyeon nodded eagerly, listening intently. Arabella smiled for a brief moment before continuing.

"The second new security measure is having to enter a specific code that changes every few hours to enter the basement area where the cells are located. But it shouldn't be too big of a deal to find out once I've hacked the security system." A frown spreading over her features then as something else was seemingly troubling her. "The other new thing is that they aren't in the normal cellblock like usually while waiting for trial, but in the isolated high-risk ones. Those have a seperate security system located somewhere in the basement, meaning I can't exchange the live camera recordings from there. Sure, my distraction tactic will possibly blur quite a lot, but there's still a good chance someone might catch you on tape while I won't be able to see that footage and possibly warn you. So I'm asking you again if you're indeed sure about participating in this." Her glance flickering to Soyeon, looking at her inquiringly. "I am," she said with no sign of hesitation, causing Arabella and Cassandra to exchange a look, before nodding.

"Alright, let's do this."

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Step one:

While Soyeon went for her anew interrogation, Arabella found her way inside by sneaking into an employee's car. In disguise, she engaged the man from the security control room in a flirty conversation, drugging him by sprinkling some rohypnol on his snack when he didn't pay attention. Taking control of the technical part and switching the live security footage with looping recordings, so no one would notice their little rescue mission, while also keeping an eye on the actual live footage, to warn the other two women if needed through their in-ear transmitters.

She also proceeded in creating two new employee accounts in the security system for Soyeon and Cassandra, the data matching to the two fake IDs she had already given them.

Step two:

Cassandra gor inside by pretending being an archive worker, having easier access to the evidence storage to get the guys' weapons this way. After a small encounter with an agent in the elevator, where she kept her cool, she headed to her designated area. Arabella told her the passcode and she passed the security check for disguises. Lying about having to check the evidence box of an old case that'd soon go to court to see if the content alligned with the list her 'supervisor' had given her. Finding the wanted objects in the weapon storage, she loaded the guns - having the needed knowledge from her husband who had insisted in teaching her how to use a gun just in case - and then hid them in a bag. Stuffing it into the vent Arabella instructed her to, pushing until it dropped down the vent into a lower level. After that was done, she retreated from the archive area and proceeded leaving the building from the staircase and emergency exit.

During these preparations, Soyeon was sitting in her interrogation, answering to all the agents' questions without leaking any suspicion.

Step three:

When the interrogation ended, Soyeon pretended leaving but actually went with Arabella's instructions to the storeroom in ground level where the vent ended. And after climbing up a shelf and opening it to get the bag out, she hid it into the cleaning trolly stored there. Changing into one of the cleaning uniforms hanging behind the door, she waited till the shift ended and most agents clocked out, before heading out with the trolly and the fake ID pinned on her chest. Entering the underground area using the security code Arabella told her and undergoing the check for any disguise herself.

The basement area was devided into two parts, to enter the second one where the guys were located at, Arabella initiated a small false alarm by starting the sprinklers, confusing the guards and getting them to go check for the cause. As soon as they left their positions, Soyeon took the bag and slipped through the gate to the second area. Immediately heading to the cellbocks the older girl had told her and quickly shoved their weapons through the barred door window. Returning to the first area and the abandoned trolly and Arabella ending the alarm.

Leaving the area by explaining she'd need to get extra help to clean up the wet floors while guards went to check on all the inmates.

Step four:

Soyeon left from the emergency exit. Arabella retreated then as well, as if nothing had happened and the two met in the parking lot where Cassandra waited for them in the car.

And the three set off.

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next chapter: 1.3 here Don't forget to like, reblog & leave feedback!♡

It motivates me to keep writing :)

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curio-queries · 23 days

Text

FRI(END)S : the Music Video

youtube

This post is part of a series of my thoughts on this release. Here are the other posts:

QUICKCOMBO: Continuation

QUICKCOMBO: Termination

The Song

The Music Video (this post)

The Promo

THE PRODUCTION

First, I don't claim to have any expertise when it comes to film-making, I just know what makes sense to me. Please remember take all of the following as a personal interpretation and not fact. I'd avoided reading anyone else's reactions during the initial release as I wanted some time to formulate my thoughts...but here we are. If any of you made posts discussing this release, I'd love if you shared a link so I can go check them out now!

I don't remember if there was any speculation prior to the release if this was going to be a fan song for ARMY. There was some precedent for that with other recent solo songs by the members so I remember going into my initial watchthrough wondering if that would be the case. In any case, it's exceedingly clear when watching the mv, that this song is not ABOUT us. And there's a very clear indicator that this is the case. Two words: EYE CONTACT.

There are exactly four times in the mv that V makes direct eye contact with the camera: when he's alone at the convenience store, both zoomouts in the restaurant, and at the end after he greets his doppleganger.

The convenience store moment is very brief and is immediately followed by a shot of what he's seeing and how he reacts to it. This is giving us a window into how this world is effecting him.

The first zoomout in the restaurant, when he's alone is the moment I knew this song wasn't about us. It's such a deliberate breaking of the fourth wall and it lingers foreeeever. The shot is so long. It's beautiful, don't get me wrong but it firmly puts us in our place as the recipient of this message V is delivering to us.

The next zoomout actually stands out to me not because of V's eye contact with us but because of the girl's lack of it. All of the couples in this world have been obvious about being the same with each other. Whether they're loving or fighting, they're both equally in it. Her NOT making eye contact with us while V does, also highlights the idea of this being a conversation that V is having with us. This whole mv is about V telling us how he's effected by the world around him. She can't connect with us because she's part of the world and not part of him.

The end is such a cheeky little moment. V acknowledging that the past few minutes were bananas and that we will do what we do best with their content: extrapolate and theorize. He's giving us his blessing to take it and roll. So let's do it!

THE PLOT

When V makes his bid to end the friendship, there are two possible results: termination or escalation. So let's go through both.

Termination:

V is alone in a world that is seemingly only populated by couples. Everyone else has someone and they are hyper-focused on each other. In this part of the story, the couples are clearly focused on a romantic/sexual connection.

Escalation:

V is no longer alone. He has a lady with him going through the same activities he did previously. But now, all of those couples are fighting with eachother rather than loving, to the point of destruction.

So which side do I subscribe to? Honestly, neither... lol trust the aspec to choose 'none' when presented with a multiple-choice question.

THE END?

That's it. Honestly that's all of my thoughts about the plot. Excellent storytelling and they do a wonderful job of bringing us into this bizarre world in an entertaining way. I do think it's interesting yo contemplate if this is actually describing a weird other world or if this is all in V's head, showcasing how he perceives the world differently based on his relationship status.

...but that's not all I want to chat about regarding this mv. I think this honestly has more to do with my personal mix on the ace-aro spectrums and the self-sacrificing culture I was raised in. Buuuut I've always had this little thought in the back of my mind that getting into a relationship is actually a really selfish thing to do. I realize this is a highly targeted viewpoint but hear me out for a second on why this mv has got me thinking about this. I'm curious if anyone else on the ace-aro spectrums have had similar thoughts so I'll be posting this over on @aspec-kpop as well. Please tell me if this makes sense to any of you!

So, in this world, V is miserable if everyone else is in relationships and he's alone. Or, if he's seemingly happy with his lady, everyone else around them is in absolute chaos. Either way, both stories end up with him bleeding in the street but in the latter, everyone else is miserable, including his girl who now has to suffer the pain of losing a loved one.

As a teen, who didn't have the luxury of knowing about aspec identities, I remember being absolutely haunted by the admonition that 'it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all'. As I got older and it was becoming increasingly clear to me that I would not have the traditional life experiences that were expected of me, this weighed very heavy on my soul. I would then see my friends go through the heartache of breakups, and older relatives suffer at the passing of their loved ones. Maybe the saying was wrong after all; since loving someone would always lead to pain anyway?

Yes, I do realize that this is a fictional world created to be a backdrop for a fun pop song and I'm likely exposing a little too much of my own psyche for strangers on the internet. But I do find it interesting also that in this fictional world, there is no good choice for V to take. Either he's miserable and everyone else is happy or the inverse is true. He is in a position where it's just not possible for him to choose both his own happiness and the happiness for those around him. Sound familiar?

BONUS THOUGHTS:

(This whole section was worded much better and I feel like I had another point but that is now lost to tumblr eating my original post so this is going to have to be what we get.)

Like I said before, I'm curious how y'all reacted to this release. Do any of my points make sense to you as well? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

youtube

Just a couple of thoughts from watching the making film:

Tae is so technically competent! It's so satisfying to watch. Did y'all see that moment where he hits his mark walking backwards before the car? Trust a dancer to be so spatially aware.

He's also so good about giving them options with his reactions and expressions. We only get to see the more entertaining ones here but to be so on the ball with a production team that doesn't speak your native language, it's very impressive. Not that I expected any less but it's sure nice to see.

WAIT WAIT WAIT

While rewatching this to see if there were any other interesting tidbits, I noticed the sign that said ACE behind V when he was outside of the restaurant. I'm not usually one to research these kinds of things but I am somewhat partial to the term ACE soi was curious. I found it! It's the ACE CAFE of LONDON.

I no longer feel bad about my aspec interpretations. Aces, this song is OURS! lol

#Youtube #kim taehyung #v #fri(end)s #aspec

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cosmicjoke · 1 month

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What are your thoughts on Bertholdt?

Ehh, I don't really like him too much, if I'm being honest, lol.

I suppose my negative impression of Bertolt really comes from the way he spurned Armin's attempts at negotiation during the RtS arc. He knew no one there deserved to die, he understood at that point that the people of the walls weren't monster, and they were just defending themselves and trying to live, and yet he went through with trying to kill them all anyway.

Armin begs Bertolt to talk, and puts himself in direct danger to make the attempt, and Bertolt responds to the request by saying "If you talk, will you agree to die?" And then he says "We only have two demands! We want you to give us Eren! And we want all of humanity inside the walls to be wiped out! That's just how reality is, Armin. It's already been decided."

When Armin asks who decided it, Bertolt answers "I did."

Eventually Armin asks if Bertolt's mistrust of them is because they're all "descendants of devils" and Bertolt answers "Oh no. None of you have done anything wrong. And you're not devils. It's just that you all have to die. There's nothing you can do now."

Later, as Bertolt is flying off to transform into the Colossal Titan, he thinks "What a strange feeling... I'm barely even scared... I can see... everything around me... I feel like... any outcome would be acceptable. That's right... No one's at fault here... Nothing could have made a difference... Not in a world that is this cruel."

Again, Bertolt knows that no one is at fault, that Armin and the others aren't devils or monsters. Everything he was brainwashed into believing back in Marley about the people of Paradis had, by then, been proven to be a lie. Armin offered him an olive branch in good faith. It wasn't a trap, like Bertolt accused him of. He genuinely wanted to try and talk it out, but Bertolt refused, and so the situation escalated into what it became, and a shitload of people died as a result.

This entire sequence really demonstrates what we see again and again throughout the story, which is that attempts at negotiation, and attempts to avoid violence, while commendable, don't work unless both parties genuinely agree not to hurt one another. That pacifism only works if you can actually talk the other party into not attacking you, which, most of the time, if they're really intent on it, for whatever reason, you just simply can't. Remember Marco, and how he begged Reiner and Bertolt to talk, but they just simply refused, and then they killed him. The reasons why they refused don't matter, what matters is that they did, and Marco was murdered because he couldn't convince them to let him go. Or what happened with Annie in Trost, when again, Armin and Eren tried begging her to come with them peacefully, but she refused, and again, the situation escalated and a massive amount of people died. It's the same reason it's so awful when the Survey Corps travels to Marley in the hopes of negotiating, only to find out that nobody wants to hear from them. Again, the reasons why don't matter, it's just the reality of the situation. Sometimes people just won't listen, no matter how much you try to talk them down or out of hurting you or others. And if you can't do that, then you're left no choice but to defend yourself and fight back. It shows us why pacifism is and always will be an ideal, but not a viable reality, because there's always going to be someone, somewhere, who wants to hurt you, or believes they have to hurt you, and they can't and won't be talked out of it.

Bertolt could have saved a lot of lives that day if he had just accepted Armin's offer, and what makes it particularly egregious is that Bertolt knew no one there was a bad person or a monster or a devil. He knew the reasons Marley had sent them there to wipe out the people of the walls were bogus. He knew it was wrong. But he went through with it anyway, he continued on his course to wipe Paradis out, for no real reason. To do what you know is wrong, and to do it while also knowing it won't benefit anybody, that it won't save or better anyone's lives, that in fact it will actively lead to enormous amounts of suffering and death, is something only a bad person would do. So in a lot of ways, that's what Bertolt was. He even says that the outcome doesn't matter to him, that any outcome is acceptable. He's not doing it then because he believes he has to, because he thinks it will help him or anyone else. He's doing it because he's just decided that's what he's going to do. It's completely arbitrary. It's eerily similar to Eren, in the end.

Anyway, I remember I wrote a couple of posts on this chapter back when I read through the entirety of AoT, and you can read my thoughts here too, if you're interested:

#Bertolt Hoover #attack on titan #shingkei no kyojin

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laincelebi · 3 months

Text

I have seen there have been some alterations in Yukari's social link, not a fan of those to be honest, but I understand these were made due to you not needing to romance all the girls but still... I think they could have done a bit different and some were not even necessary. so my thoughts after the cut if you want to read to avoid leaving spoilers in the open.

So lets start with the reversal hug....yeah they went p3p route of changing to "but you are a girl" which honestly I am not very upset about, even though I like the original dialog Yukari says when you pick that option.

one thing that I feel like wasn't a good change was how now Makoto tries to talk to the punks instead of just running and punching them. I like that detail a lot about him, how the option to help Yukari was basically no questions asked, see some jerks intimidating his friend/crush, just punch the guys.

Next, how Yukari now doesn't tell him to not invite anyone else, to just be the 2 of them when talking about going on a trip, but Makoto can say that they should go the 2 of them. I honestly don't get why this was changed, There are many other moments that were kept that show that Yukari is romantically interested in him through her social link so this change is a bit weird to me.

Now rank 9, I understand they had to change it to make the friendship option, and its not really a real issue but changes one aspect I always liked about their relationship.

Rank 9 now gives you the option to say "I love you" to Yukari to go the romantic path. and that's cute and all, but one thing I liked in the original was, they never had to say that to each other. they had this mutual understanding, they didn't need to spell it out, it gave the impression their relationship evolved naturally from friends to lovers.

In the original Yukari would say she love him in rank 10(reload too) but that is much more "hey I know you know this already but I will say", so Makoto saying that changes a bit this dynamic to me. in a way I wish it was some other option like "were not my feelings clear enough" or something better worded but with the meaning of "we both know the answer to this." and I think it would fit fine with the rest of the dialog.

There is also the point that if Makoto says he loves her, doesn't make much sense to me she would say "I want you to only have eyes for me", that's already implied.

And rank 10 has a few weird choices... in the original they would be talking to each other sitting on the floor, she would say that if she is loud people might find out. and they continue talking for a bit before Yukari gives him her phone strap, when in reload that was cut short.

And to me that also feels like it harms a bit their dynamic, cause it was cute how much they seem to be talking to each other, Yukari says one thing that makes Makoto tease her and they just continue to have a good time. When in reload its more direct. Also...removing the hug from rank 10 was weird imo, like i guess they moved it to rank 9 but dont know I liked where it was in rank 10.

This last bit I am unsure now but I faintly remember Yukari asking Makoto to go to her room with the excuse of playing cards... why is this not in reload lol its just so funny, it could be added in her dialog like "let's go to my room...uhmm so we can ....play some cards or something uhmm" it would be a funny nod to the original

Anyway these are just my thoughts on the matter, they don't really ruin the game for me or anything of the sort, are just some nitpicks I have, I just love when a couple don't really need to say they love each other they just know. and well that being said I will just headcanon that some parts are like the original in any works I do so that's fine.

#shuyuka #yukari takeba #makoto yuki #persona 3 #persona 3 reload #persona #lain saying things

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jerzwriter · 1 year

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Things Unsaid (1/3)

I was having difficulty writing anything fandom related. I just couldn't get a word out on any of my WIPs. So I decided to return to @creativepromptsforwriting's 30-Day Challenge. I reasoned writing a "little" something based on the next prompt might help. Well, it helped. lol The next prompt was "write about regret" I ended up with this little three-part series.

This is an AU - my babies are very happy in my HC - but it looks like I'm going to have a "What's Forever For?" Universe. This is a follow-up to What's Forever For?, and I will flesh this universe out, so you'll see the past, present, and future more clearly. Be warned: happy endings are not guaranteed. Well, at least not as most define it. I have not decided how this story will end (truly, not sure yet). But at least I'm out of my Choices slump! ❤️

Book: Open Heart (Post Series-Alternate Universe)

Pairing: Tobias Carrick x F!MC (Casey)

Rating: Teen

Category: Angst/Short-Series/AU

Warnings: Regret, divorce

Series Summary: Three days. That's all that stands between Tobias and Casey Carrick and the end of their marriage. The house is sold, they've said goodbye, and now they just have to wait to make it official. But what happens if one (or both) have second thoughts?

Chapter Summary: Tobias is staying at his mother's home until the purchase of his new condo closes. Sitting on the porch where he spent so much of his formative years has him thinking... and rethinking.

Words: 1,468

A/N: In addition to the 30-day challenge, I am also participating in @choicesmonthlychallenge using the prompt soft touches. They're from his mom, but they provide comfort at a challenging time.

Part 2 will be posted later on 3/2, and Part 3 will be up no later than 3/5. The series is already completed.

WFF? Universe Info & Masterlist Tobias & Casey Masterlist All Works Masterlist

The morning was eerily quiet. If not for the sounds of the leaves rustling in the trees, there would have been no sound at all. It had been decades since he resided here, and he had forgotten how quiet his old neighborhood could be. Moving in a few days before, he thought this would be perfect. Peace and serenity. He'd have time to think with so many changes on the horizon. But it only took a few days for him to realize how terrifying being alone with his thoughts would be.

"Jason! Come back here, sweetie!"

A woman's voice broke the tranquility, and Tobias flung his head her way. An adorable little boy waddled down the street, leaving his mother rushing to reach him. He wasn’t too far ahead; with just a few quick strides, she and the sleeping infant in the stroller she pushed were at Jason’s side.

"You can't run away from me like that, OK?" she admonished, though you couldn't miss the love in her voice.

"Ooooo-kaaayyy!" the little boy sang, and Tobias couldn't help but chuckle. The young mother turned his way and waved with an embarrassed little grin, and Tobias waved back… then, they were gone. Tobias watched them until they were out of sight. His mind raced in a hundred directions.

The little boy wasn't much younger than his son, Kyle. Tobias hadn’t seen him in several days now, and his heart was aching for him. It wasn’t all that long ago that he and Casey had been trying their best to give him a little brother or sister to love. But sometimes the best of plans, yeah….

Silence.

Even the wind and leaves abandoned him, giving him nothing to distract him from his thoughts, and that was the last place he wished to be. With his stomach churning, his lower lip began to quiver. An anguished look that had become too common for this jovial man registered on his face once again. If history was any predictor, tears would be sure to follow… and it turned out history was right.

Silence was not his friend.

The sound of the front door opening and the screen door snapping shut after it was a welcome reprieve. So was the sound that followed; he would know the sound of his mother’s footsteps anywhere, especially here. He had heard them just like this hundreds of times before, and the sound transformed him to a simpler time. What he wouldn't give to be a child, a teen, a young man, anything but the broken man he felt like right now.

He felt his mother's touch upon his knee as she sat beside him on the steps. She had been attempting to be there for him for months, wanting to be the rock that would help him through. Tobias was unsure if denial, pride, or embarrassment caused him to push her away, but right now, he was sure, it was a bit of all three. When he didn't recoil or crack a joke at her touch this time, a small smile came to his mother’s lips. She'd finally get to comfort her son, but more importantly, she knew the harsh reality he needed to make peace with was beginning to settle in. Older and wiser, she knew pain could only be avoided for so long, and it was time… truly time.

"I thought I'd find you out here," she announced. "You always sat on this porch when you needed time alone to think."

That elicited a chuckle, temporarily halting his tears.

"So, of course, you do what you've always done. Come out here to make sure I won't get it."

"I’m your mother,” she playfully chided. “And what kind of mother would I be if I didn’t come and pry into my son’s business.”

“I’m sure you think there’s logic in that,” he smiled, placing his hand over hers.

“There is. You know there is, even if you won’t admit it.”

A gentle breeze blew around them, and everything turned quiet once more, but Tobias knew it wouldn’t last, and within minutes, his mother, Vivian, proved him right.

“How are you holding up, son? I’ve been trying to give you space, but I can’t sit by when I see you in pain and don’t try telling me you’re not in pain.”

“Why would I be in pain, Ma?” He joked mournfully. “In three days, I get to sign my name and walk away a free man. Several thousand dollars to useless attorneys, a little bit of ink… and the life and love I spent the last decade building is over. Done. Like it never happened. What could be painful about that?”

Vivian sighed deeply, concealing her own pain over the situation to care for her son.

“It's never easy,” she lamented. “But, you and Casey… you thought this through. It’s going to be painful, son; there’s no avoiding it. But if it’s for the best, you’ll get through it. You’ll heal and move on, and one day you’ll be able to think back on this time without tears.”

Tobias shook his head with a sarcastic chuckle, his agitation becoming evident.

“Without tears, huh?” He mumbled. “Wouldn’t that be nice?”

His mother rubbed his knee as silence ascended once more. Silently, he thanked her for allowing him to sit in his grief. For not rushing in to save him, not telling him it would all be OK because, in truth, they both knew it wouldn’t be… at least not any time soon. The moment's authenticity helped him to mouth the words he had been saying silently for some time but never dared to speak out loud.

“Ma,” his voice cracked. “I think I’ve made a mistake.”

Vivian was grateful her son wasn’t looking her way at that moment because she couldn’t control the emotion on her face. Surprised, yet expected. Relieved, yet distraught. She knew her son, and she was confident that he felt this way in his heart, but if he didn’t put on a good act to prove otherwise. She was almost at a loss for words.

“You… you what?”

“I made a mistake, Ma,” he cried. Shaking his head furiously as tears stained his cheeks, “I made a terrible mistake.”

“OK. I think I know what you mean, but I want some confirmation. We’re not talking about closing on your new condo next week, am I right?”

“No,” he sighed sadly, “though that’s certainly part of it.”

“The divorce?” she whispered, a pleading tone in her voice.

“I was wrong, Ma.” His cries became sobs. “I was wrong. I didn’t want this… All I wanted was my family. How could I have been so stupid!” He yelled. “How could I let it slip away?”

“How… how long have you felt this way? When you first told me, I was stunned… but you seemed to believe this was for the best?”

“We lie the loudest when we lie to ourselves,” he said with a distant look in his eyes. “I’ve known this was a mistake for some time now. Just like I know how much I fucked up.”

“Well,” she said, her voice taking on a commanding tone. “Tobias, you have not signed on the dotted line yet! There is still time. Have you discussed this with Casey?”

His body shook as a sarcastic laugh escaped him.

“Tell Casey what? Psych! I didn’t mean it. I was just joking when I said our marriage was over. It was just a gag! Tossing away a decade of our lives, our love, destroying our son’s home… it was just a joke, Case. Funny as hell… wasn’t it?”

“There’s nothing funny about this,” she insisted, moving to stand before him. “And you’re right; there’s an excellent chance she’ll tell you it’s too late. But, Tobias, what if she doesn’t? You can’t live with that what if hanging over your head. And don’t you think she deserves to know this, too?”

“It’s too late, Ma.”

“No, it is not! The ink is not dry, and neither of you is dead, so don’t tell me it’s too late!”

“Look, she may have been fool enough to try to have a life with me, but she’s not that much of a fool. Plus… I don’t know if I can bear to tell her and have her say no.”

“Can you bear an entire lifetime of wondering what could have been if you gave it just one more shot? Will you be able to look Kyle in the eye one day and tell him you truly tried everything before you threw it all away? Tobias, I didn’t raise a quitter, and I don’t expect you to quit now! Go. Go see her. You owe it to yourself to try.”

“I don’t think I….”

“Tobias! I’m telling you… just try!”

See what Casey's experiencing the same morning in part 2 later today.

Permatags: @a-crepusculo @animesuck3r @annoyingmillenialnewbie @crazy-loca-blog @doriopenheart @differenttyphoonwerewolf @fayeswiftie @genevievemd @gryffindordaughterofathena @inlocusmads @jamespotterthefirst @jennieausten @kingliam2019 @liaromancewriter @lucy-268 @onikalover @openheartforeverinmyheart @potionsprefect @quixoticdreamer16 @rookiemartin @secretaryunpaid @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction @jerzwriter-reblogs-asks @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

OH Only: @annfg8 @binny1985 @coffeeheartaddict2 @mysticalgalaxysstuff @ofmischiefandmedicine @peonierose @youlookappropriate

Tobias Only: @icecoffee90 @kyra75

#choices fanfic #open heart fanfic #open heart choices #tobias carrick #tobias carrick x mc #playchoices fanfic #angst #creative writing prompts #30-day challenge #choices fic writers creations #choices monthly challenge #alternate universe #my babies are HAPPY in my HC lol #<-- that's guilt

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nikethestatue · 1 year

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I kinda need to vent a little and you seem like the person everyone vents to so:

I can’t have kids. Like I am physically unable to (thankfully my husband and I don’t want them anyway, but that’s beside the point).

There are days when I’m in my head..when I feel like I should want them, and since I’m already depressed about the fact that I “should” but don’t, I start feeling bad that I CAN’T. Like I’m less of a woman because my body decided that for me.

The whole reason I’m saying this is because no matter how long it’s been since ACOSF came out, there has been and will be discourse regarding Elain’s ability to procreate and whether or not that means she’s Azriel’s mate/LI/whatever. That ideology hurts real women.

It fuckin sucks that we lose ourselves in this fantastical world only to be ripped out again by people saying a FICTIONAL CHARACTER is not worthy of love because they can’t bear their FICTIONAL love interest’s child. I-? And that’s not even starting on the way the whole pregnancy was handled..we’re sticking with Elain here.

I know there’s nothing you personally can do about any of this. It’s not like you can find SJM and shake some sense into her (not that any of us would complain about that lol). Like I said you seem like the person people send stuff like this in to, so thanks for that.

So this is an interesting one, because I bitch and moan about SJM plenty, however, in this case -- the stupid pregnancy plot aside in general -- I really have a hard time with blaming her.

Yes, her fake feminism died the moment Nesta began augmenting everyone's pelvises and making them nice and stretchy for Illyrian babies. However, I think that the place where SJM wrote this from was ...positive? I think she really wanted to make sure that none of the sisters are left with the same choices and no answers as Feyre did. And I think in SJM's mind, it was another step in Nesta's 'redemption arc' that she thought of Feyre, herself AND Elain when she was playing god with her sisters' hips. Now, the whole thing is ridiculous of course. But SJM did the best she could with the wording of that conversation between Nesta and Feyre. So not to give away her precious endgame couple, SJM still had Nesta say 'so NONE of us have to go through this again'. She could've said 'so you and I never have to go through that...' ir 'the two of us...' But she said 'none' which implies Elain is included. Now, the ethical ramifications of whether someone's body should be changed against their will, or at least without their consent, I think are lost on SJM. But I think that she left all of it open ended, and a choice.

Fertility and childbearing are complex issues. Personal and societal. Whether you want, you can't, you don't want, you planned, you didn't plan, etc. it's an issue wrought with both sorrow and pain.

The problem is that SJM decided to switch the direction of her writing mid-series --went from YA, geared towards younger audience, where sword fighting is a lot more important than baby making (hence no one except Yrene had children there on page), to NA, which should be geared towards a more mature audience. Or at least an audience which wouldn't take the issue of fertility so lightly and flippantly. Yet unfortunately, the switch wasn't done well. So now, we are stuck with 13 year old TikTok pontificators who think that they know something about something. And they amplify their own noise, talking about something which I don't think SJM ever meant to be talked about. I certainly would never think that she'd write a storyline where a woman is rejected by her potential lover over her inability to have potential children.

a. I don't think that's what she was hinting at at all

b. And while she is definitely very much an author where HEA means happy coupling with offspring, she did create quite a number of couples where children were not their HEA at all.

it's frustrating that so much animosity and sometimes real pain has been generated over a stupid ship that doesn't even exist.

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wiedzmacienia · 8 months

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Would you rather give up your magic to live a normal life, or keep your magic and never hold any genuine human connections? (There's no anon option, so I guess I have to be called out lol.)

eyes narrow in the light of the campfire, wood crackling and heat meeting her skin that's made it crawl for centuries yet she can not move with the young boy who's head lays on her lap having fallen asleep (she imagined she'd have to carry him back to his tent at some point). maybe she shouldn't have come here, even if the knightley boys had asked her to when she'd been to see beth. they'd found a few soldiers they'd felt able to confide in about themselves, soldiers who seemed to accept them once one of them had used his powers to save the other, and it's from this that such a question has been brought forth. she knows it is not out of malice and yet, it still awakens something deep within her. a memory she's locked away for ages in the depths of her soul. maybe they think her standoffish because she is so much less open than the boys. but she can not afford to be like them when she must direct her forces by the day. these boys were young. too young and had yet to truly understand the world even if they were serving in an army now let alone understand magic or it's role in the world.

there was one day, no, a mere few hours within her life that katarzyna had wished she could have shed her magic from her body and lived a so called normal life. that she could have been as human as the rest of her village. the moment men who had been smiling at the children just the day before entered their home with violence and tore her and her brother from their beds, binding them and dragging them outside. when she had screamed for her brother as wooden posts had been erected. there had been no trial or recourse. no amount of pleading for their lives had halted them from being beaten for speaking the foul words of creatures they'd said. it had been them who had brought the plague upon them they believed. yet was it not the twins whom only sought to save an elderly woman from the pain of such plague? fires had been lit and pain seared their bodies and in those moments she wished they could have been anything but what they were. for to have been born as such had been their death sentence.

but then they had been reborn from the ashes and her whole world view had been shaken. her parents had given of themselves to bring them back and she no longer saw her power as something to shy away from. her parents had believed in magic. had believed in the worth of her and her brother and what they could bring to the world. and she vowed to never seek to be anything but what she was again.

to never be weak and powerless again.

greenish-blue hues move over the fire and meet the human speaking to her. was she not making a human connection now? perhaps once she believed being what she was separated her from the human world. perhaps in the respect that she lived longer than humans it did. but this war and the people she had begun to meet made her begin to question such. maybe making connections with humans wasn't about how long you knew them or preventing one's self from becoming close because of the eventual loss but the value of the time spent with them. no, she did not think having magic equated to a lack of forming human connections, genuine ones. not if she didn't allow it to.

after all, while it had never been the intention, she cared for-- no, she could acknowledge it was more than that now as she ran her hand through the young boy's curls, she held a motherly love for auggie in a way she had never believed she could possess before-- and tended to the human child more often than not these days. sometimes the intensity of which she believed she would protect the boy scared even her for if there was a choice between him and someone else, she held no doubt of what she would choose even if it could mean burning the world in the process. but did her love toward the boy not equate to a genuine connection? and was her magic not the very thing which could allow her to protect him? was such love not a normal part of life?

"why can i not have both?" she questions, gaze drifting over the man's shoulder to see the major approaching. ah, perhaps she would not have to carry auggie back to his tent herself after all. still, she continues, looking back at the questioning soldier without care for the major hearing her words, for they were truth and she would not deny her connection to the boy at this point even if she has no idea what it would look like once this war was done.

"is there some book of rules which state i can not have magic and hold connections with humans who i love? that i can not still have something of a normal life with them?" and with that she looks down upon auggie and begins to shift him gently without waking him, picking him up so that his head falls to her shoulder. strangely, the heat of the campfire seems to affect her less, a different kind of warmth washing over her as she raises from their perch on the log and moves to meet tallmadge. "come to collect the little terror? i think him, cora, and furgus just about defeated half the soldiers in camp charging them while wearing your helmet today."

@honorhearted

#i'll answer it as an anon since you were gonna send it as an anon #BUT BEN IS STILL GETTING CALLED OUT AS ENDING UP THERE BECAUSE YOU SENT IT HAHA #and i guess it sorta turned into a drabble #it can remain a drabble or actually turn into a thread if you want either way is cool #apparently i can't just answer a meme without it turning into something long #but this seemed to just really flow well together with auggie being there and coloring her views on things #but it's also so interesting because this is how she views things at that time but in the future she will live up a part of her magic #to have a normal life with ben and their children but she doesn't give up all of her magic just what makes her immortal #her magic is so intrinsically a part of who she is that like she couldn't exist without it #idk that she could literally live without it because it's fundamentally a part of her soul and being and cells #but the question was about magic and not immortality so it's two different things #i think her view on immortality itself as a separate thing would be different or could be #but magic itself is not the same thing #though if you did want to turn this into a thread we could always let it lead into a deeper talk where she does tell him how old she is #but again it could just remain a little drabble too lol #i have way too many emotions about this thank you for coming to my te.d talk #meme answers;#answered asks;#honorhearted

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zahroreadsthings · 8 months

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hmm vriska thoughts under the cut

putting this under the cut because it's going to be mostly incoherent rambling from someone who wasn't around for the vriscourse but i mentioned in a tag before vriska's actions followed a pretty simple pattern to me and i want to study her like a bug

like a lot of things boil down to

she gives the distinct impression that she had bad choices, didn't see a way out, and eventually decided to get comfortable (eg killing trolls to feed her lusus - she's not shown to have a problem with it, but also seems disappointed after her conversation with kanaya when she sees her lusus is still alive, and also doesn't take up karkat's offer to bring her lusus back to life)

i think this eventually devolved to her thinking she doesn't have control over her actions or their consequences at all, which in turn (ironically, given her whole thing) made her incredibly easy to manipulate (rolling her dice and determining she has bad luck she can't fight against, and then being exploited by doc scratch - he says at least once 'you'll do this anyway, i'm just telling you what's already been laid out'), which she uses to absolve herself of responsibility

which isn't to say she has no responsibility, obviously; the thing that pulls it all together is the way she exploits others she sees as beneath her. in her first few appearances i remember thinking 'peak white woman' - but obviously not just a white woman thing, i'm sure any member of a marginalised community knows at least someone else who's marginalised and tries to feel better about their position in society by exploiting people with less social/political power (side note: i also think she feels her position among the 'blue bloods' is precarious too; if terezi's comment to aradia about being a little too teal for their tastes is anything to go by that would mean her caste neighbour is also on thin ice)

and i'm sure her whole thing can largely be chalked up to her relationship with her lusus; in the best case scenario she fed her lusus of her own free will, and in the worst case scenario (if [s] make her pay is any indication of the power a lusus has over their troll) it's entirely possible spidermum had at least some direct control over vriska's actions

(which also means that if that is the case she's very new to making decisions without outside influence, and that's a skill we all develop) (and boy is she not doing great <3)

so personally, the question i kept in mind while reading act 5 act 1 wasn't 'did vriska do anything wrong/was she justified' but 'how much control over a situation does she have vs how much does she think she has vs how much does she pretend to have' because those are all wildly different

which is all to say, after reading this her decision to wake john up and claim responsibility for making him a hero makes complete sense

AG: Relaaaaaaaax.

AG: Listen, John.

AG: Regardless of what I did, he is already here.

AG: I know this consequence will 8e hard for you to accept, 8ut whenever you feel angry or confused a8out it, just repeat this to yourself.

AG: It should 8ecome your mantra!

AG: He is already here.

like. im sure she's trying to pass on the rules to john that she's lived by lol, I genuinely dont think she's able to comprehend a life outside of predetermination

#zahro reads homestuck #im sure im not adding anything new to the conversation i just really love this scrunkly little freak #also if anything sounds stupid i typed this up at near midnight <3

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libertys-lovers · 1 year

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💌🎣 𝘿𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝘿𝙚𝙗𝙩 🎣💌

What started as merely a brotherly feud had quickly evolved into a devastating bet for Karamatsu. Everything was on the line; his money, his persona, and even his romantic confidence. Can the mysterious woman across the fishing grounds help him with his debts?

SHIP: 🕶💥Dramatics💥🕶 (Karamatsu x Freedom)

WARNINGS: Swearing, blood’s mentioned as an effect for a gag, and there’s a single virgin joke. (That being said this isn’t an NSFW fic, NOWHERE near it- It’s… well, it’d be fluff if it wasn’t so chaotic-)

AUTHOR’S NOTES: Erm.. this one’s definitely longer than my last fic… just a heads up lmao- Also this takes place before Freedom got her nickname, which is why she’s referred to as “Liberty” instead of “Freedom” throughout this thing lol-

—

The skies of Japan were once again painted with Autumn clouds, the softest breeze blowing through its capital. It would only make sense for its citizens to take advantage of the weather around them. Some would go on simple walks, and others would take their families out. One group may go to the oden stands, and another may go out for a round of pachinko. Strange enough, there'd even be people that'd head to the fishing grounds. Yes indeed, donning their cool-colored clothes, Karamatsu and Todomatsu would visit the grounds. They’d claim their staple spots and throw in their lines, waiting for a catch.

It truly was a day for relaxation... perhaps too much relaxation. Dozens of minutes would pass, and their lines would barely recieve any action. There weren't even any conversation topics that could fill the time in-between catches. They had no choice but to be stuck in the worst silence of all: the Familial Awkward Silence. The brother in blue would fidget with his sunglasses, and his pink counterpart would scroll mindlessly through his phone. The temptation to leave began to grow stronger and stronger, but if they left already, then that would mean they came all this way for no reason, and they simply couldn't have that. So even if they decomposed right in their seats, they could not leave until they had caught something.

A distant giggle suddenly snapped the two out of their boredom-induced zoning out. It came from the hill behind them, the source merely being a couple walking along the street. The two would scoff at the commotion; if this show ever bothered to give their eyes color, they'd most definitely be drenched in green.

Karamatsu sighed, pushing his glasses up; "It must be nice, being blessed by cupid's arrow. To be able to navigate this maze called life, with the compass that is a lover... they better enjoy it while it lasts". His raw jealousy leaked through his smiling teeth.

Todomatsu glared at his brother as he died from second-hand shame. "Why can't you just say you're a virgin?! How did you manage to make your situation sound even WORSE?".

Karamatsu winced from the directness of his unfortunate, self-brought reality; "But... surely someday, the gods will grant us a love never before experienced! We just need to pay for our inner sins". The poor man was willing to say anything to give himself an ounce of hope.

"Mhm, good luck with that"; Todomatsu dismissed him, turning his attention back to his phone.

"...you realize that goes for you too... right?", asked Karamatsu, flabbergasted by his brother's indifference.

Todomatsu shrugged; "Obviously, but I still have the best chance out of all of us to get a steady partner. I've gone on dates, after all". He slyly waves his phone as he spoke, conveniently having his list of (inactive) girls' phone numbers open.

"EH?! Well- well that doesn't mean the rest of us don't have a chance!"

"Karamatsu, have you ever even talked to a girl before?"; Todomatsu asked, with a faux-clueless look in his eye.

Karamatsu opened his mouth.

"That wasn't Totoko-Chan", Todomatsu added.

Karamatsu closed his mouth, furrowing his eyebrows in thought.

"Well... no- BUT that doesn't mean I can't!", spat out Karamatsu. But alas, he had a persona to keep up. With a snap of his fingers and a tilt of his head, he hid his embarrassment and replaced it with a poor veil of confidence. "As soon as I see someone that could truly handle my never-ending love, I'll happily approach them and show them how it FEELS to be one of my Karamatsu Girls, haha!".

Todomatsu shook his head; all of his brothers were shameful, but Karamatsu was on an entire other level. It'd sure be nice to knock that ego down a peg or two.. yes... yes it would be. He’d just need to make Karamatsu realize that he’s not as suave as he LARPS to be, and surely he could! Their fishing lines were still dead after all; there was time to cause a little tomfoolery.

Todomatsu stood up, observing his surroundings. His expression remained innocently blank as he began pointing at the people around them: "Well, there's a girl right there, and right there, and there's a couple of them walking by outside! Plus there's probably all sorts of them on the street right now".

Totty walked in front of Karamatsu, staring down upon him. "If you want a chance so bad, there's a ton of them right here!". Though his face remained wide-eyed, his cheery voice couldn't have been more suspicious.

But alas, it worked. Karamatsu's eyes went white, sweat beads quickly forming into existence on his face. He had been outsmarted, cornered in a conversation of his own creation.

He turned away and shrugged, praying to whatever deity was out there that Totty wouldn’t smell his fear. "Pl-Please! This is no environment to find love! The atmosphere is all wrong! There's too many old guys here watching. There's not even any scented candles! Is wine even allowed in this place-?".

DAMNIT! Totty was so close. He just needed one final push, his +4 card of arguments. And it'd finally hit him; his innocent facade would completely fade into a taunting smirk.

"I’ll give you money if you successfully get a date".

Karamatsu's head immediately snapped back towards Todomatsu.

"How much money?".

"I don't know. How much is in your card right now?".

"Eh? Wait, where are you going with this?".

"Well, if you actually do it, I'll just double it or something. But if you don't, then it'll all be mine, okay!?"; his devious smile beamed brighter than even Karamatsu's sequin pants.

All of Karamatsu's senses officially left his braincell. Deep down he knew he'd absolutely blow it, but both his ego and his money were at stake.

"Hmph... very well. Prepare yourself, young brother, for the lesson of a lifetime".

Karamatsu rose from his seat, taking glances at the people around. This, single-handedly, must've been the most intimidating moment of his life. He didn't want to risk embarrasing himself in front of anyone, and if HE considered something embarassing, then you know it must've been bad. But he couldn't let himself get distracted by these thoughts, not this time. Most of the girls he could've talked to just simply felt out of his league; they were surrounded by friends or seemed much too busy, or they were quite literally out of his league, being up the hill and all.

He turned to the front of him, catching sight of something... peculiar. Across the fishing grounds sat a woman with an entire folding table set up, art supplies scattered all across it. She glared at her notebook, barely paying mind to the fishing line set up next to her. Her headphones cut her off from the rest of the outside world; she seemed at peace, almost. Yes... she certainly seemed easier to approach.

"Hmm, you're considering her, huh?", Todomatsu asked as he walked to Karamatsu's side. "Yeah, she's been here even before we got here". Totty glanced at the woman's desk set-up; "The weirdest part is, I haven't seen her draw a single thing since we got here", he whispered.

Karamatsu pushed his sunglasses up, letting his hand cover his face as he posed; "Heh, maybe she just needs a muse then~".

Leaving his brother disappointed in his cheesy lines yet again, Karamatsu started navigating the fishing grounds to get to her. Though his stride started off confident, his sturdy form became shakier with every fishing stream he walked past. His eyebrows were furrowed, his mouth reduced to a mere squiggly line. It was taking everything out of him to not just rush back and sit at his original spot, but man... he really didn't wanna go broke. At least the girl was still focused on her notebook; he didn't have the added pressure of her watching him as he approached.

He'd eventually stop, only being a few feet from her desk; he couldn't even look at her directly, and he hoped that his sunglasses hid that fact. His chest rose and sunk quicker than ever before; it felt like his breathing was much too loud, but yet this woman still paid him no mind. Maybe this would be less intense than he imagined. He put on his signature smirk and slid himself to the side of her folding table. He didn't let his body face her, as he wanted to remain "cool” and "mysterious". He stood there with his hands in his leather jacket's pockets. He felt sweat form along his face, flustering his thoughts even more.

"Heh... so.... out of all the fish in the sea.... out of all the fish in these very streams... we still found each other... isn't that interesting~?".

Karamatsu smiled, waiting for the girl beside him to respond. Seconds of silence went by; perhaps she was so enamored by him that she was left speechless? He looked over at her, only to see that her eyes hadn't left her blank notebook page. Her headphones were still on; maybe she just didn't hear him? He cleared his throat and closed his eyes, lightly gesturing towards her notebook.

"Hmm, maybe you could draw me a map of your eyes... because I'm already lost in them....".

Karamatsu opened one of his eyes, glancing at the woman. She hadn't even moved since the last time he looked at her. What the Hell was happening right now?! She... she was still alive, right? Like her music couldn’t be THAT loud.

Karamatsu looked back across the fishing grounds, and caught sight of Todomatsu trying his hardest to contain his laughter. Karamatsu's face went white; he knew his finances were all going down the drain if he couldn't successfully talk to this woman. So what was he gonna do? He wasn't just gonna rip off her headphones, and if he tried leaning on the fold-table, the entire thing would surely fall over. He had no other choice; it was the least-romantic thing he could ever do, but he'd have to tap her shoulder.

His hand was shaking as it inched towards her, but eventually it'd reach its destination.

He tapped her shoulder: Once... and then twice.

The woman jumped from Karamatsu's touch, her eyes going wide from surprise. She tore her headphones off, slamming her notebook shut as her head jerked to face him. While the woman was surprised by Karamatsu's precense, Karamatsu was startled by her quick movements; both of them jumped back, practically in sync. Her hips would bump her table by accident, spilling many of her supplies onto the ground. She glared at her notebook through her sunglasses, watching as it landed right on the edge above the fishing stream. It was perfectly balanced; one half chilling on the ground, the other half hanging right over the water. She sighed dramatically, her hand clutching her nonexistant pearls.

"Stay.... sttaaaaaayyyy....."; the woman pleaded, like an owner to their rambunctious dog.

She kept glancing between Karamatsu and the notebook, unsure if this moment was even happening. Her face was incredibly red, her hyper-focused demeanor from a second ago suddenly flipped into a exaggeratedly-embarrassed expression. A similar statement could be said for Karamatsu; all he could do was stare at the woman, for his brain wouldn't let him think of any other action to take. And so he watched as the woman took a gentle step towards the notebook, staring at it with petrified eyes. Right as she took a step, the notebook slipped into the water.

"SHIT-"

She scrambled to the edge of the stream, dropping to her knees and watching as her notebook... floated at the top. Oh thank lord; that's what she gets for failing physics. Her notebook was perfectly fine, one side of cover was just a little wet. She reached to retrieve it, but heard footsteps behind her.

"Please~ Allow me", said Karamatsu as he kneeled beside her.

He got ahold of the notebook, and as he turned to look at the woman, he was greeted by her staring right back at him. The two flinched at the realization that their eyes met. The woman’s hand was still extended towards the book, almost giving the impression that she was reaching for his hand. Karamatsu relaxed his body; maybe this bet would work out just fine… maybe it'd work out a bit too fine. His mind truly got lost in the possibilities of this moment.

And it seemed that Todomatsu saw those possibilities as well, as he watched their shenanigans with a pale face. If his lamest brother got to hold a hand before he did, it would ALL be over. Karamatsu’s advances weren’t supposed to succeed damnit! He had to intervene!

Todomatsu rose to his feet, gesturing to his brother from the other side of the fishing grounds; "KARAMATSU-!", he shouted.

The shouting snapped Karamatsu out of his star-struck trance, startling him enough to stumble. And thus, before he could process anything else, his body was submerged in the water... with the notebook still in hand.

The woman could only watch as Karamatsu fell in the water, getting splashed as she rose to her feet. She glanced around in the direction of the yell, locking her eyes with Todomatsu from the other side. This wasn't the same sort of connection as before though; her eyebrows were furrowed, her confused gaze hardened. Todomatsu caught her gaze, and sat back in his seat faster than her eyes could process. She quickly jerked her attention back to the stream, darting her eyes across its surface. She held her breath and waited for any sign that Karamatsu would come back up.

And alas, he'd emerge from the waters, even with a few fish clinging to him. In his hand was a soggy, sad excuse for a notebook, but it was her notebook nonetheless. He handed the book back to her, a shaken grin on his face as he tried to stand unbothered.

The woman stumbled over her words, her face red with plenty of emotions (90% of them being embarrassment); "I... Are you okay?!? That was- that was terrifying- Thanks though!!, I guess!?".

Karamatsu chuckled, slicking back his soaken hair; "Hmph, it was nothing~ I-".

He heard shuffling from behind him; the woman had seemingly dismissed his ramblings yet again. She was scrambling through her bag, oddly focused on what was inside. She seemed to notice that Karmatsu stopped talking, and she quickly turned back to him.

"Oh! No, I'm listening! I'm just..."

Her voice trailed off as she finished fishing through her bag, whipping out a hand-towel. She gestured it to him, practically staring through his soul. Karamatsu hesitated, being caught off-guard by the offering, but he accepted it. His grandiose gestures immmediately softened as he stared at the towel. Did... did this count as a gift from a girl?!? He began drying himself off, knocking the fish from himself and conveniently covering his blushing face. His eyes remained closed as he dried himself, but even if he didn’t see the woman right now, he still heard her.

"I.. I'm just?? I'm so sorry man!! I just... I didn't see you- And I didn't hear you- And I definitely didn't mean for... all of THAT to happen-"; the poor woman was embarassed as hell, her voice getting incredibly shaky.

Karamatsu sighed, still trying his best to seem intriguing; "No, it's alright. Don't be sorry! It was just fate for us to meet like this, I guess”. His tone became much more somber as he clenched his fist; “I just wish that I could've actually protected that notebook. Just the thought of all those pieces, now forever tainted. Their true, original meaning being only known to your memories and the goddess of time... The poor-".

The woman scoffed to herself with a smirk on her face, and though she tried her best to be quiet, she noticed that Karamatsu was glancing at her. He went silent again, and she took that as a cue to speak.

"Well... it's not like I really lost anything... so it's all good..."; she shrugged as she spoke, beginning to smile.

Karamatsu, meanwhile, threw the towel away and rushed to her side. He posed, almost leaning against her shoulder.

"Ah, but you can't say that about your works of art! I may have never seen them before in my entire life, but I just KNOW they leaked of raw, uncontrolled, passion. You put your heart, your soul, your blood, sweat, and tears into those works. There had to be something in there worth saving~!".

Karamatsu paused his antics to see how she would react. She was frozen, glancing up and down at him. Within an instant, she turned away, holding her face in her hands. Her laughing ensued, but what Karamatsu didn't see was the light pink on her cheeks. She'd eventually regain enough composure to look at him again, shaking her head as her hand still held onto her forehead.

"No... no... like there was literally nothing in there. I've been trying to draw in that thing for weeks, but I just couldn't come up with anything. I was hoping coming out here would do something for me, but... ya know..."; she gestured at the notebook, which was both soaked and still completely empty.

The two chuckled together, and as Karamatsu looked at her, he suddenly remembered his entire reason for being there. He straightened himself and cleared his throat.

"Ah! But... who do I have the pleasure of meeting today...?"; now that he was snapped back to reality, all he could focus on was the mission at hand. Unfortunately for him, the very idea of it made him nervous, and the dreaded sweatbeads had made their return.

The woman seemed to be confused by the question at hand, at least for a second. Her eyes would eventually light-up at the realization of what he was asking; "Oh!... I'm... Liberty! The name's Liberty".

She closed her eyes, too overwhelmed to make proper eye contact. She rolled her hand as a gesture for him to speak; "And you're...".

Karamatsu grinned brightly, filling in her intentional silence; "Karamatsu Matsuno, at your service~!", he said as he extended his hand.

His intent was to merely offer for Liberty to hold his hand, and though he didn't expect her to respond to it, it almost seemed to work. She hesitated, one eyebrow raised and the other furrowed, but she'd reach back to him...

"Well it's nice to meet ya, Kara", responded Liberty as she held his hand.... and gave it a quick, firm shake.

Karamatsu stared at his hand, dumbfounded by what just happened. The shake wasn't... entirely what he was going for... but it still technically counted as her holding his hand. His mind was swarming with thoughts, all of them blending together into static noise. One thought would congratulate him on taking a step towards leaving NEEThood, another thought was playing the sound of wedding bells, and plenty more were questioning the fact this was happening at all. What he didn't realize, however, was that he was muttering every thought he had. All though they were quiet and incomprehensible, they were still blatantly noticeable. Liberty tilted her head, releasing a confused chuckle.

"Are you good?", asked Liberty.

Her voice snapped Karamatsu back to reality; "AH! You-... Your art! I was just... reflecting on the fact that you draw! Yes... what does it look like anyway?". Perfect, he found his scapegoat!

Liberty rubbed her neck, glancing away from the man in front of her; "Awe, well... I don't know... it's like... anime-ish... I guess sometimes it goes into semi-realism." She sighed, reaching into her back-pocket; "Do... do you really want to see it-?".

Karamatsu's entire being lightened; "YES! No doubt about it".

Liberty giggled from his enthusiasm, an "if you say so~" being sung from her lips. She whipped out her phone and scrolled through her phone gallery, selectively showing her personal best pieces. Kara only asked to see as a cover-up for his mutterings, but... but these were actually pretty good-

"Hmm... not too bad... not too bad at all! FANTASTIC, even! STUNNING!"; Karamatsu's smile grew larger with each statement, even giving Liberty a little thumbs up at the end.

As well, with every statement Karamatsu spoke, Liberty's gaze became more and more averted. Unbeknownst to Karamatsu, Liberty had a curse that plenty of artists shared: the curse of not being able to accept praise properly. He'd watch as she'd wave her hand and dismiss the praises, giggling uncontrollably and struggling to even form a sentence. His eyes widened, his mind trying to comprehend what was in front of him. He couldn't even have a comedic-reaction at this point; his mind was shooting blanks. It's not exactly like the sight of flustered woman was a normal one for him. He… he greatly enjoyed it.

Liberty sighed, blissfully unaware of the state Karamatsu was in. She finally recollected enough braincells to speak; "...Thanks... Thanks man... But yeah, I'd have more of this sorta’ stuff, but ya know... brain's been empty on ideas".

Karamatsu put a hand to his chin as an idea spawned in his head. With a snap of his fingers, he slid in front of Liberty, switching between an endless selection of poses.

"Heh, then let me be your mine of inspiration; your pencil being the pickaxe!".

Liberty stared at him, utterly confused; "huh?".

Karamatsu froze and stared back at her; "what do you mean 'huh'?".

"I don't know... are ya... like… asking me to draw you?".

"...would you really draw me?".

"Yeah, sure!".

The willingness of her answer nearmost threw Karamatsu in shock, delaying the reaction of his ecstatic persona. He practically danced around her, almost tripping back into the water a couple of times. He sung his thanks to her, promising not to disappoint.

"Then it's settled! I shall be your model, your muse! A bit of charity work from yours truly~".

Karamatsu paused next to Liberty, glancing at her with a bit of a concerned look; "This... isn't going to cost me anything, right-".

Liberty facepalmed as she turned to face him. She was using every force imaginable to hide her smirk, though she was failing quite miserably.

"No, Kara, you need to give me your entire life savings. Hand it over"; she extended her hand, gesturing for him to give her his wallet.

Karamatsu choked, the sticker shock of this commission making him cough up an exaggerated amount of blood. He collapsed and Liberty jumped back, barely preventing her purple blouse from turning a shade of red.

"GOOD GOD KARA, I WAS KIDDING-".

He immediately got back up, his body being completely unfazed. He rubbed his neck, his face donning a reddish-hue from embarassment; "Ah... of course-".

Liberty smiled at him, a pitiful attempt to make him feel less awkward. She'd turn her attention back to her phone though, opening her notes app and beginning to type; "So, what'dya want me to do for this? You got any specific poses in mind, or...?".

"Hmph, I have plenty of ideas for you. We could do this, or this one, or even this one"; he slid back in front of her, switching through poses at a much quicker rate.

Liberty began typing furiously on her phone, trying to describe each one of Kara's poses in substantial detail. But alas, her fingers just weren't fast enough. She shook her hand at him, calling for him to wait a damn second. He'd pause for her, and she'd proceed to type. A flick of her wrist signalled for him to switch to another one, and she'd type again. This process would be rinsed and repeated plenty times, enough times for the both of them to enter an auto-pilot sort of mode. By the time Liberty refocused herself... the amount of concepts typed in her notes was enough to make her app lag. She scrolled through them all, nodding to herself.

"Well... well I definitely have ideas now... I'm sure I'll be able to pick one from these 50-billion concepts...". A genuine smile grew on her face as she glanced back at Karamatsu, who was still swapping through poses. "Hey... thanks man... I really appreciate it-".

The sound of proper praise snapped Karamatsu from his modeling trance. He seemed to have forgotten where he was for a second, but he regathered himself rather quickly.

"It's no trouble at all..."; he smirked as he waved his hand dismissively.

"Yeah, well, I still appreciate it. You've been a real help man!". Liberty grew a teasing smirk as she walked towards him and draped her hand across her forehead. "Perhaps you were the angel I needed today. A true muse sent by the forgiving hands of God, mm~?".

Liberty giggled at her imitation of his character, but Karamatsu was stunned from the display. He couldn’t tell if it was genuine praise or a mockery of his attempts at poeticism, and frankly he didn't care. While Liberty conveniently faced away from him, he covered his mouth and fidgeted with his sunglasses. The sound of her continued speaking jerked his attention back to her.

"Alright... so what'dya want me to do once I finish this thing? Am I just dropping this off at your house, or-".

Karamatsu had no hesitation in answering; his brain was being ran by adrenaline at this point. The sudden boom behind his answer jumpscared Liberty, making her take a step back; "YES! Yes! You can... definitely do that". He held his hand out expectantly, "But I'll need to give you my address~".

"Yeah, yeah, hold on". She rolled her eyes and smirked as she opened a new notes page. "Just go ahead and write it in here, and give it back to me when you're done".

She handed her phone to Karamatsu, being caught off guard by a terrified noise. Her and Karamatsu turned their head to the sound's direction, seeing a petrified Todomatsu across the fishing grounds. He made eye contact with them, immediately shifting back into an emotionless gaze towards them. Liberty turned away with a shake of her head, meanwhile Karamatsu was becoming enthralled with the device in his hands. No wonder Todomatsu freaked out; he finally got to feel how Totty feels whenever he's giving his phone number out... well... it was similar-enough feeling anyway- Karamatsu typed the address in as lightly as humanly possible. He seemed nervous to break the phone, or to even taint it at all.

Curiosity began swarming his mind though... what did a girl's phone even look like? Her phone case was various shades of purple, looking like one of those spilled-paint art pieces. The thing also had... glitter in it? It matched her outfit's colors, but the design seemed almost too cutesy for her; needless to say, Karamatsu was obsessed. He couldn't help but wonder what her wallpaper was... or the sort of photos she took; hell, he was curious enough about what other notes she had in that phone. He had a fight with his inner demons on whether he'd try to secretly snoop…

Liberty noticed he stopped typing, and extended her hand out to him. She glanced away from him, trying her best not to seem demanding. Karamatsu sighed, and placed her phone back in her hand. Those sort of questions could be answered another day, he supposed.

"Sweet! I guess I'll... stop by sometime then..."; Liberty was unsure about the entire idea, but a soft smile was still carved into her face. "But uh, I guess I should probably start on this! I should be done with it by... I don't know... Saturday? Is that a good time to invade your house?".

"Mhm. Sounds perfect~".

"Great! Or, perfect, I guess. I'll try to stop by in the afternoon, but you never know what'll happen, right? But until then… I’ve got a masterpiece to work on~!”.

She began putting her set-up away, somehow fitting it all within her over-shoulder bag. Truly, the workings of this franchise's logic were an enigma. She headed for the exit of the fishing grounds, giving a quick salute to him as a farewell.

"See ya later man!".

Karamatsu watched as she walked out, noticing the slight skip in her step as she left. She seemed to be muttering something to herself, and though he couldn't understand what it was about, he could at least tell it had a happy tone. That went over decently well, he thought.

That being said... what the HELL just happened to him?!? He began jumping around, pumping his fists and laughing joyously. A dramatic "YAHOO!" belted from within him, probably loud enough for Liberty to hear outside the grounds. His cheering was interrupted by a yank backwards; Todomatsu had spawned right to his location, and he wanted answers.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!? WHO'S NUMBER DID YOU GIVE HER, THE HOUSE NUMBER?? WHAT'D YOU D O?!??!?", said Todomatsu, having a crisis over his plan backfiring.

"Relax brother, relax. I didn't write a phone number in there, just our address".

Todomatsu's expression went blank for a second, having to process what his brother just said; "Our... our address? What is she even coming for? Is she picking you up for somewhere?!?!".

"Nonononono! She's just dropping something off for me!". Karamatsu smirked; "She's agreed to create a work of art for me, heh~".

Todomatsu raised a brow, all of his fears immediately being tossed through the window.

"So... so you're not going on a date?".

Karamatsu sighed; "No... but that's alright. The next time I see her, I'll surely sweep her off her feet. You should've seen her, dear brother... she was obsessed with me. Every word of mine had her begging for more-".

Karamatsu cut himself off, noticing the drastic change in Todomatsu's body language; "Why... why are you smiling like that-".

Todomatsu’s eyebrows raised, giving him the slyest expression known to man; "Because you lost the bet~".

Karamatsu went dead silent. He… he kinda forgot about the bet for a minute there- His brain went into overdrive, getting even more shocked once he processed Totty’s words; "EH?!? HOW DID I LOSE?!? Did you not see how well that went?!".

"The bet was for you to get a date Kara, not to get a commission from some starving artist".

Todomatsu giggled, reaching into Kara's pocket and yanking his wallet out for himself. He ran off, staring at Karamatsu with a shit-eating grin.

"Thanks big brother~!".

Karamatsu called for his brother to come back, but in a flash Totty took all of his fishing gear and left. Karamatsu stood in place, his arm reaching out for a brother he knew would never return. He sat down defeated; his rollercoaster of emotions was all for nothing.

Or... maybe that was too harsh of a sentiment to have. There was a certain warmness inside him that he hadn't felt before. Even minutes after the entire encounter, his face was still visibly warm. He wasn't really sure how he felt. Was this how true love felt? Was he just riding off the high of being close to a girl? He couldn't decide, but maybe that was alright for him. He knew he liked her in some form though, and he knew he couldn't wait for Saturday to roll around. He was excited, perhaps inspired. This could finally be the start of the mutual-pining, suspenseful romance he’s wanted all along! Or it could just be another disappointment, but the chance it could work this time… that’s where the fun was.

If only he knew how reciprocated those feelings were. Along the streetside walked Liberty, an aura of excitement surrounding her. She came to Japan for a specific purpose, but never in her life would've she expected her plans to come together so smoothly…

#WOE!!! SHIP-ORIGIN BACKSTORY BE UPON YEE!!!#Just like with the other fic; if I see edits that need to be made I’ll hop in here and do them #self ship #self shipper #self shipping #self ship writing #self ship fic #into the libbyverse #💞📕💞once upon a time💞📕💞#romantic f/o #🕶️💥dramatics💥🕶️#gif #gif warning

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stormethecat · 1 year

Text

I saw the Mario movie yesterday and honestly it was really good! I give it like an 8/10.

Unfortunately I missed the first couple minutes or so of the movie because the theater was lined up with people, so it took a bit to actually get in haha. My friends and I all went dressed as Mario/Luigi too, which was awesome.

(spoilers under the cut)

tl;dr the Mario is very good and I want to see more

I was kind of expecting Chris Pratt's Mario to be not great, but surprisingly Fred Armisen's Cranky Kong was even worse. The only voice in the movie where I was like "wow this really doesn't fit." Now that I've seen the full movie rather than just the trailers I can tell that Chris Pratt at least tried. I still think that someone else probably would have fit better, but he wasn't horrible. Like even Charlie Day as Luigi and Seth Rogen as DK were pretty much just their regular voices, they still kinda fit somehow. Keagan-Michael Key's Toad and Kevin Michael Richardson's Kamek were spot on. Anya Taylor-Joy's Peach was serviceable—she sounds like a girl. And Jack Black's Bowser was freaking amazing. If I could tweak it a little bit to be pitched down slightly and maybe more growly then I think it would've been absolutely perfect, but as is I think he did a fantastic job. Charles Martinet as Giuseppe (basically Mario's design as Jump Man from the original Donkey Kong arcade game) was so great, and casting him as the Mario Bros' dad was a great choice.

The score was brilliantly done, the direction of having Koji Kondo as a composing consultant was an excellent choice, wouldn't have had it any other way. While I figured at least one pop song to show up, I think five has more than I was more than I was expecting. I'm not exactly bothered by it, but it was very noticeable haha. Also I wasn't expecting (yet not surprised) by the full on musical number that Bowser did performed by Jack Black. It was great lol, well done and got me to laugh. Also the DK rap was a welcome surprise, although Grant Kirkhope went uncredited which kinda sucks. Plus all the sound effects were great too.

The story wasn't intricate, and I keep hearing this as a complaint, but it's a Super Mario Bros. movie so idk what people were expecting on that front. It was a really fun ride from start to finish and I actually already want to watch it again. It's a great kid's movie and all the details, references, and easter eggs they put in for the fans of the series are greatly appreciated too. I wasn't expecting them to show so much of the Mario Bros' family or Peach's origins (which is to say not much, but I wasn't expecting any at all. And I also wasn't expecting them to show where the blue shells come from, so that's neat. I'm mildly disappointed at how large a chunk of the movie Luigi was captured. I understand they wanted someone to get captured because that's kind of Bowser's thing and they probably wanted Peach to shine on her own and do girl boss things, but I'm just disappointed that he was in a cage for like most of the movie.

The animation was also really well done if you were worried about that. I've seen some critics complain about that, but it almost feels like they watched a different movie as far as that point goes. The lighting was spectacular, the screen was almost always packed with detail, and the characters were expressive.

One last tiny gripe: Hearing the koopas being referred to as turtles more than once felt off to me. I know this complaint is such a nerdy one, but Nintendo has always gone out of their way to specifically call them koopas and not turtles. I usually only ever hear people call them turtles when it's someone who only vaguely knows about Mario. Having Mario call them turtles kinda makes sense since he's from Brooklyn transported to the Mushroom Kingdom, but Peach and even Bowser himself referred to them as turtles which was weird to me.

#blue cat blogging #mario #mario movie #mario movie spoilers #super mario bros #super mario bros movie #review #movie review

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houseaeducan · 1 year

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what do the family dynamics of your hawkes look like and how are they different or similar? (inspired by the ask meme sibling question!!)

Omg thank you for this question. Much to unpack with these guys in all directions. Not sure where to start so I'll go hawke by hawke i guess (this post got so long so I'm putting it beneath the cut lol)

Caleb - GOD OKAY. caleb is my canon hawke so i have the most thoughts about him so this is about to be a mile long. caleb has a massive eldest daughter but a boy complex that primarily dates back to an incident as a child where he blames himself for his father almost being caught by the templars, but also only been reinforced over the years of trying to protect bethany and then stepping up as basically the head of the family after Malcolm died. i know Malcolm is supposed to have the same basic personality as hawke but my Malcolm in all worldstates except camillas (will get into that later) primarily has the blue/green personality and is like. a generally pretty upstanding guy who didn't want this life for his children but also knew there wasn't really any choice if he and his children were going to be free. he didnt want to raise his sweet eldest son to feel like he needed to be Protector of the Family but like. what else was he going to do. if Malcolm died or got captured by templars someone had to be ready for that. and as a result caleb has always kind of hero-worshipped his father and is constantly measuring himself against what he feels like Malcolm would have wanted him to do.

and that extends into caleb's messy relationship with carver, because if Malcolm saw caleb as his replacement, then caleb saw carver as his. and in a lot of ways it makes sense he expected the same from carver that he did from himself: they're both boys, both non-mages, both two-handed warriors, I even hc they both take after the hawke side of the family physically while beth takes after the amell side. but caleb expecting so much out of carver also makes carver resent him, and when carver tries to confide in him about how much he hates having their lives defined by magic, caleb takes it as like a personal betrayal against the family and doesn't want to engage with it. (also the girl carver had a crush on had a crush on caleb which was so unfair and unbearable for poor carver). it's not like he's mean to carver or anything, but he's definitely not understanding in the way he could be and this isn't something that hits until carver dies. which sucks and is something he's going to feel guilty about forever :/

he has the pretty typical hawke relationship with leandra i think. he wants his mom to like him and he knows she loves him but. its hard sometimes. leandra is hard to deal with and when she's disappointed in him it's another reflection of the way he feels like he's failing his father. and then BETHANY he loves bethany and by the end of things she's the only family he has left. after a lifetime of doing everything to protect her seeing her become a grey warden is honestly agonizing bc she's so miserable and there's nothing he can do about it but it gives bethany the space to work through her negative feelings about all she's been through and i ultimately think she comes out better for it

catherine - my og hawke :) i think her dynamic with Malcolm and leandra wasn't unlike calebs but just wayyyyy less intense bc catherine is simply less inclined to take things So Fucking Personally. from an early age she learned sometimes you have to stab some guys to protect your family and its fine. that's just how it is. i don't think she and carver were super close but they had a pretty classic older/younger sibling relationship. they loved each other and bickered and cat never took carver's shit too seriously bc he was her dumb kid brother. catherine was also really protective of beth tho and when she went to the circle and then liked it there she took it PERSONALLY. bethany is actually probably her most fucked up and strained relationship in her family and out of all her companions. she loves her sister she would do anything for her but she also feels unbelievably betrayed that bethany is happy in a place she worked so hard to protect her from. they work it out eventually but i genuinely don't think they're on speaking terms for like another 5-10 years post da2

cassian - cassian hawke love of my life is a huge sweetheart but is frankly pretty self absorbed at the beginning of his story and really just did Not internalize any of the family pressure my other hawkes did. he's a talented mage who took malcolm's instruction seriously and is very nice to his mom and so managed to get through his whole childhood with a very nice relationship with his parents. i think he and bethany had a pretty solid relationship but were never close despite being honestly very similar people in many ways. the carver relationship was TENSE bc carver was wildly jealous of cassian (cassian is nice in a way that makes everyone like him, he's better looking so the girls all had crushes on him, he was always in good shape despite not needing to be as a mage, he got more attention from their father because he was mage, he was even just naturally good at magic and Malcolm was always commenting on it) and cassian just never really got why carver acted the way he did with him. their relationship does actually improve as its put through the test in kirkwall too (and as cassian gains more perspective on the world and has his arc) and they end the game friends

calliope - rebellious streak a mile wide. she never did blood magic while Malcolm was alive but she was always asking questions pushing the boundaries of what she was allowed to do and it worried the shit out of him. she was good though, and their relationship was overall positive, but he was always warning her about the consequences of going too far. i don't think leandra was as attuned to that honestly, and it wasn't something Malcolm ever brought up to her because he didn't want to worry her. calliope was always pushing back against leandra and challenging her when she felt like she was wrong but at their core they both had a lot of love for each other. and cal LOVED bethany. would have and probably did kill for bethany. and bethany loved calliope a lot albeit in a "that's my crazy older sister” kind of way and was terrified when she realized she had started doing blood magic. that caused some fighting between them but honestly cal just never took bethany's objections particularly seriously. the carver relationship is more complicated bc they never got along and calliope was such a bitchy older sister to him. and carver knew EXACTLY what cal was even if he wouldn't say it. frankly cannot rlly blame him for joining the templars. there is still a lot of love there though, and as much as they might fight with each other they wouldn't hesitate to defend the other if they were in danger

camilla - PLAY DADDY LESSONS BY BEYONCE. so malcolm in this worldstate had the red personality just like his daughter and also had the same expectations for camilla that caleb internalized just. more intensely. my read of Malcolm (in all world states) is that despite being an apostate he still has a very conventional circle educated philosophy of magic and (in this worldstate) i think impressed hard on bethany, as well as carver and cam, the importance of highly disciplined magic, the importance of being an exceptional mage who didn't make mistakes lest the results be dire). this translated into cam being pretty brutal when it came to protecting her family but also having a very critical outlook on mages despite coming from a family of apostates. she loved and admired her father for being a strong, disciplined man, and also hated him sometimes too for condemning them to a life on the run. she wanted her mother to love her soooo bad and I'm sure she did but leandra just never responded to her intense, easily angered daughter as well as she did to sweet little bethany. cam got along with both her siblings like. fine. growing up. they fought sometimes, they played sometimes, she wasn't particularly close with either as teens. carver's death is hard on her, but not like leandra's is years later. she finally gets the validation she always wanted from her mother at the moment of her death and its AWFUL. it sends her down a spiral -- leandra was killed by blood mages, who camilla has always hated, and of course she finds orsino's note in quentin's lair. the circle is complicit in blood magic, probably all the mages around her are as well. they all as good as killed her mother. she and bethany almost patch things up in the legacy quest, but when orsino uses blood magic in the final battle, camilla is certain that bethany is a blood mage too and has betrayed their mother, betrayed their father, betrayed her too and lets Meredith kill her. yoinks

#THANK YOU FOR THE ASK SORRY THIS IS SO LONG #caleb hawke #catherine hawke #cassian hawke #calliope hawke #camilla hawke

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