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canonicallyobserving911 · 1 month

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Buck & Eddie: Parallels of Chris’ 3 Parents

Chris has three parents; his father is Eddie, his mother is Shannon and his dad is Buck and they all love him!

While I was watching and live blogging during episode 7x1, I was listening to the conversation Buck had with Chris but when I heard Buck explain to him that his mother died, I realized Chris’ response about how she left him and Eddie was very important because IIRC, up to that point, the show had never let Chris express the fact that Shannon left them. I always believed she said goodbye to him before she left them in El Paso because she put him in the bed with Eddie and when Eddie woke up, he asked where she was, Chris replied, “She’s gone”. Granted he was maybe 5 years old at the time but he remembered he asked Santa for Eddie to come back when he was 5 years old too, so it’s not farfetched.

(Hopefully Chris' storyline will continue and not be sidelined for multiple reasons but mainly because Eddie and Chris are still healing and also because I've been hoping that Chris would have his own storyline that's not directly connected to Eddie and Buck. Eddie's Chris' father and Buck's currently his legal guardian but the pain of losing a parent is something Chris has experienced all on his own. IIRC, Chimney is the only other person who lost their mother and it would be great if they're allowed to talk about it the same way he talked with Denny about his dad in 6x13. I'm so happy Chris finally has his own storyline and I've written several fanfics about it in my "Bad Cop vs. Good Cop Parent" series. Chris is not 7 years old anymore and dealing with his mother's death is something the character will have to deal with for the rest of his life.)

Additionally, their conversation reminded me of several other conversations Chris had with Eddie and Buck over the years and all of them revolved around the three of them leaving and Chris asking for them to come back.

IMO, Buck being the one to mention Shannon’s death was partially for the new viewers but it was also for those current viewers who’ve continued to consistently deny Buck’s place in Chris’ life as his second dad for the past six years (related post linked here). If 9-1-1 wasn’t trying to make a point with the scene of Chris and Buck talking with Eddie standing outside of his bedroom door listening then they could have let Eddie say it. The comment would have been just as effective and it still would have alerted those who are part of the new GA that he’s Chris’ biological father and Shannon is his biological mother but she’s deceased.

Since TM, the OG -showrunner is back, it appears he wants all of the GA, both old and new to fully understand Buck is Chris’ parent too. Reminder, Buck, May, and Chris all have two dads (post linked here). May told Bobby in 5x16, she had two dads and in 6x11, while they were at the hospital and Buck was in a coma, she explained for the first time in CANON that Buck is Bobby’s found son and Bobby responded, “He’s a good kid”.

It’s evident Chris has viewed Buck as a parental figure in his life since season 3, especially after the Tsunami but in 3x10 it became more apparent when he asked Buck if he could spend Christmas with him. He’s been looking for Buck as his other parent for a while (related post linked here) but apparently, Buck still hasn’t realized his role in Chris’ life. Based solely on the colors of Chris’ shirt (related post linked here) and Buck’s “looking for answers” uniform (related post linked here) it appears Eddie’s the one who will have to tell Buck how important he is to Chris and to him. He tried during the will reveal but it seems like Buck thinks he’s just Chris' legal guardian in the event of Eddie's death, not Chris' other dad.

Back to the regularly scheduled program of Season 7 Episode 1…

Now there was a lot that happened in 7x1 and the scenes with Eddie and Chris, Buck and Chris and Eddie, Chris then Shannon were all important. By now it’s likely everyone noticed Buck, Eddie and Shannon all sat in the same spot on Chris’ bed with Chris in the room but the emphasis was put on Buck because not only was he in the room; he sat on the bed with Chris. When Eddie and Shannon were in the room with Chris, he was sitting in the chair. Therefore, the question is, why would the show have Buck sitting on the bed when he could have sat in the chair since him and Chris were the only two in the room?

The answer appears to be they were making a point regarding Chris’ three parents, i.e., Eddie, Shannon and Buck!

The sections below include the three times Eddie, Shannon and Buck left Chris along with the three times he asked for them to come back. (Please note: the scenes below are listed in date order not episode order.)

In 3x15, while Eddie was trapped in the well during one of his flashbacks, Eddie remembered a conversation he had with Chris from 2017 before they moved to L.A. He asked him if he missed him while he was gone and Chris replied that he missed him all the time. Also, after Eddie asked him if he wanted to take a trip with him and Chris replied he did then he explained he was never going to leave him again.

In 2x10, it was 2018 and Chris told Eddie while he was in Afghanistan, he asked Santa for him to come back but it’s important to note that he told him about it after Eddie and Buck took Chris to visit Santa.

Chris asked for Eddie to come back first then when Shannon left, he asked Santa when they were in L.A. for his mother to come back but he asked for that to happen while Buck and Eddie were there with him.

Here are two important reminders.

First this is the same episode that Eddie told Shannon he forgave her but he didn’t trust her even though he told Buck he could have his back any day in 2x1.

Second, it’s the episode where the elf told Buck that he and Eddie had an adorable son.

In 4x8, it was 2021 and Chris ran away to Buck’s loft after Eddie told him he was dating again. During their conversation, Chris explained that he wished he could forget because people leave, not just his mom and when they do, he misses them. Buck reassured him and explained it’s hard when people leave but they always come back (not Shannon because she’s deceased) but everyone else like Isabel, Carla and Chris’ friends would eventually come back. This was during the pandemic and at the end of their conversation, Chris asked him if he promised and he replied that he wasn’t going anywhere.

In 6x11, it was 2023 and after Buck was struck by lightning and DIED with Eddie being the one to revive him, Buck was in the hospital and Chris insisted Carla take him there even though he knew children weren’t allowed in the ICU. Eddie explained it but Chris said, “I need to see Buck, I have to talk to him.”

Eddie snuck him into the room and while he was in there, Chris asked Buck to come back the same way he asked Eddie and Shannon to return but reminder, Chris asked Buck to return himself he didn’t ask Santa for Buck to come back.

Why is this important?

It’s important because when Chris asked Santa for Eddie to return, he was probably 5 years old and he was 7 years old when he asked Santa for Shannon to return. But in 2024, Chris is 13 years old, he told Eddie in 6x4 that he’s not a baby anymore, therefore, he’s old enough to speak for himself and he can ask for the things he wants like who he wants to be his other parent.

In 7x1, fast forward to 2024, after Eddie learned Chris had become a player since he was dating five or six girls at the same time, he asked Buck to talk to him because he’s a reformed player. When Buck did, Chris explained all the girls were special and he likes to keep things loose 🙃. After Buck explained they wouldn’t think he was a nice guy (related post about the word “nice” linked here) if he made them all believe they were special, Chris asked, “Does it matter?” and Buck replied, “Why would you ask that? Does it matter?” Chris said because “They just end up leaving anyway” then Buck asked him why he would say that and Chris responded, his mom left and even though they loved her, she left anyway.

Parallels

Eddie, Shannon and Buck left

Eddie left to serve in the Army not long after they learned Shannon was pregnant and him and Shannon got married but he returned for Chris’ birth. After he was honorably discharged, Shannon asked him if they could leave Texas and take a road trip to California but he asked for some time. When he woke up the next day, she left him a note that said she needed time too. It’s obvious she told Chris she was leaving because she put him in bed with Eddie and when Eddie asked him where Shannon was, Chris replied, “She’s gone”.

Buck left too but it was because he died but two years before he was struck by lightning, he told Chris he wasn’t going anywhere. Reminder, before they left El Paso, Eddie promised Chris he wasn’t going to leave him again, Shannon wrote Chris a letter that said she loved him even if it was from a far and Buck promised Chris he wasn’t going anywhere.

Chris asked for all three of them to come back

While Shannon and Chris were still in El Paso and Eddie was in Afghanistan (Chris was probably 4 or 5 years old then), Chris asked Santa for Eddie to come back. Then after Shannon left them and Eddie and Chris moved to L.A., Chris was 7 years old and he asked Santa to find Shannon so she could come back. But when Chris was 12 years old and Buck had been struck by lightning and died, Chris didn’t ask Santa, he insisted Carla take him to the hospital so he could talk to Buck himself. After Eddie snuck him into the ICU room, he asked Buck to come back with Eddie in the room.

Side note: Hen was in the room too and since I’ve always believed her, Bobby and Chimney know Buck and Eddie are in love and that they’ve been co-parenting Chris (related posts linked here and here), I figured her response to Eddie sneaking Chris into the ICU was for the GA. Her initial reaction was one of shock but she’s seen Eddie, Buck and Chris hangout before (in 2x4) also she was part of the conversation Eddie had with Chimney in 6x4 about Chris skipping his science club meetings. Reminder, Eddie turned around and asked Buck if he knew anything about it and he said he didn’t but I think he did. Also, in 6x8, Hen was in the fire truck with Buck, Eddie, Chimney and Bobby when they were talking about Chris’ crush, so she knows.

Both Shannon and Buck died but Eddie brought Buck back after doing chest compressions on him and while Buck was in a coma, Chris asked him to come back from wherever he was.

The show made a bold statement regarding Buck’s place in Chris’ life as a coparent with Eddie along with the fact that they’ll be two dads raising their son together but it’s up to the GA to pick up on it. Everyone who watched the episode should have understood that Buck is one of Chris’ three parents and of course there will be some who’ll continue to deny it and they’ll claim Buck and Eddie are just best friends who coparent a child but that’s not accurate. They’re in love with each other and the show is trying to help those people who haven’t figured it out yet that Buck and Eddie will become a romantic couple otherwise, there wouldn’t have been a need for the scenes in 7x1 with Eddie, Shannon, Buck and Chris to have been filmed the way they were.

Will Buck and Eddie become a CANON couple before the end of season 7? Only the showrunner’s writers and producers know the answer to that question.

#buddie #eddie diaz #evan buckley #christopher diaz #buckley diaz family #the buckley diaz family #911 abc #911 on abc #911 season 7 #911 season 7 speculation #911 meta #911 spoilers #911 speculation

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finisnihil · 29 days

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Hey guys so a while back I went insane and made a list of things we know about Luocha and the coffin entity that took an hour of scrounging every second of screen time and references to his person

These lists were made as of 2.1.

So what we know about the Coffin Entity TM:

•Is being delivered to the Xianzhou despite the fact nobody on the Xianzhou stores their dead the way this person is stored. Also, Lucoha hasn’t “delivered” it yet he still is carting it around despite being on the Xianzhou. It also seems whoever he’s delivering it to is of the Ten Lords Commission and he's aiming to go to the Xianzhou Xuling with it

•They met only once and it was during some sort of conflict Luocha became involved in

•The coffin is being delivered on somebody else’s behalf, possibly the deceased’s or another third party's

•The coffin entity is not considered a friend, lover, or relative

•Luocha proposed a deal of some kind that he’s still waiting to see the entity uphold

•The entity isn’t quite dead as it is temperamental and jabs Luocha with thorny vines when he upsets it. The coffin also has an emphasis on being silent as though whatever is in it can talk back and chooses not to

•Luocha considers their relationship a business one

•Luocha says he and the entity underestimated each other, particularly when Luocha proposed the deal

•He states he and the entity both wanted to use each other

And now, what we know about Luocha:

•He’s a wandering merchant who is registered with the IPC and the Xianzhou Yuque

•He seems to come from an aristocratic or wealthy background based on his clothes and speech and sword (An Épée which is used in fencing, a sport typically practiced by European royalty and the upper class since the 14th Century as that’s when the oldest fencing records seem to hail from)

•He’s considered an Abomination of the Abundance and he confirms his power stems from Yaoshi

•He has no home according to him

•He can heal both organic and inorganic life forms

•He’s looking into immortality of some kind which is interesting because he also seems to have a negative view of immortality and even notes Mara-struck being used as "sacrifices to the Abundance". He also says yearning for immortality as a short-life species is normal and to avoid doing so would be like killing an Aeon.

•He wants to kill Yaoshi

•He’s working with Jingliu to kill Yaoshi and I think Jingliu is the “other business” he had to attend to

•He isn’t the one who snuck on the Stellaron despite turning himself in for doing so. He says he delivered it without knowing its significance but once again he can can sense Stellarons so that doesn't hold much water.

•He doesn’t know VA (Void Archives)

•He he’s wary of Jing Yuan and tries to avoid to being watched by him

•He “changes his mask” so to speak to fit in different situations which matches the fact he goes by the alias Luocha when on the Xianzhou

•His clothes are that of his home world and he wears them “to remind him of the path he must keep treading”

•On his home planet he was involved with a church/church-based society

•His city was destroyed and he was perhaps the only survivor? Possibly related to the Knight of Purity Palace set?

•Many Xianzhou natives say he works and speaks like an older Xianzhou native

•He has a very similar design as Yaoshi

•Before he arrived on the Xianzhou he had a diviner tell him “not to be concerned with the destination, but to seize [his] chances and travel with the current to reap the greatest harvest”

•Luocha is an alias, not his real name, and he only goes by Luocha on the Xianzhou and his real name is noted to be a "tongue-twister" by himself and Jing Yuan

•He’s always wanted to visit the Herta Space Station

•According to Jing Yuan, he "isn't in any hurry to conduct business" and in Jingliu's quest he says Luocha didn't conduct any trade during his stay and his departure lined up with the calamities taking place

•He doesn't like seeing flowers wither but does later note "maybe it's not so bad after all"

•Jingliu says he's "just like her" in that he has a "hole" in his heart that no matter what he does he cannot fill it and just exhausts himself in the effort to do so

•He sells "uncommon trinkets"

•He considers friendship precious

•He typically doesn't get eye bags from staying up

•He's renting a like AirBNB type residence to stay in instead of the Petrichor Inn where he normally stays. He notes it "helps him forget his identity as a traveling merchant"

•One of his hobbies is observing and experiencing the Xianzhou natives' way of life

•He considers himself not great as opening conversations

•He seems to like wine as he left us some when he departed from the Express

•The flower that is his motif is a white lily which represents rebirth

•Jing Yuan admitted he outsmarted him

•Luocha has a weird motif in his related achievements of dancing (Coffin Dancer and Wardance: Épée Trial)

•He broke into the Shackling Prison but seemingly did nothing. Luocha states that in doing so he found the Luofu didn't have what he was looking for

•Jing Yuan mentions he's infamous for being involved in matters at locations called Eternity Fortress and Shroudveil Starzone which I can't find mention of anywhere, so I don't know these locations

•Dahao tells us that upon being arrested Luocha was charged with identity fraud and smuggling dangerous bio-merchandise among other crimes, which Dahao points out is weird and vague.

•He considers the Clous Knight's devotion to Lan as making them "closed-minded". He says there's other factions other than those of Lan who want Yaoshi dead and that they must "look to the source for the solution" to severing Yaoshi's curse

•He also has an understanding of traditional medicine and will write prescriptions for people

•He likes to do little kind things for people with no expectation of being recognized or praised for it

•He constantly stresses he's a noncombatant and while he can hold his own in small-scale conflicts he seems to rely on more experienced fighters in more serious ones and this is reflected in his sword which an Épée, a kind of heavy fencing sword

•He’s interested in and holds a great deal of respect for Elias Salas which is interesting because Elias Salas is notable for not wanting to extend his lifespan despite being able to and died at 103

I probably missed some stuff but I scrounged all this from lightcones, voice lines, character stories, relic backstories, quests, messages, trailers, etc. If I missed anything let me know! Some of these are obviously more relevant than others but if I missed anything let me know and I'll add it to the list!

I wish I could add the screenshots of where I got everything but posts have picture limits so if anyone's curious where I found certain information feel free to ask and I'll reply with where I found it.

Have a great day, mwah!

#honkai star rail #Luocha #Finis Analyzes #Am I insane for this? Probably #Doc was so tired of me #She will never know peace fr

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sapphicseasapphire · 3 months

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Sorry for the many questions I'm about to ask but its been driving me insane.

How exactly does the story of Hyrule Warriors work with your cryptid au? Does Wars have a personality during those events or do the events of Hyrule Warriors not happen at all?

Your au is great and l really want to know how Wind, Time, and maybe Ravio interact with Wars. I am considering writing a short story with them, and I want to stay as loyal to the au as possible.

Also I love your art.

Hello!! First of all I’m SO SORRY it’s taken me this long to get back to you!! Sincerely I apologize!! But this question made me do a lot of deep thinking and I wasn’t exactly sure how to answer. I’m gonna break this up into sections under the cut because it’s gonna get pretty long.

How does Hyrule Warriors fit into the au? Gonna be completely 100% honest here, I’m kind of sort of rewriting the whole story I think. There’s a lot that I’m still figuring out, but (in the briefest of terms as this is all subject to change) here’s what I’ve got so far: Cia is still enamored by the Spirit of the Hero, and Ganon still takes advantage of that desire and purges her of her light, corrupting her. She still opens the Gate of Souls(s) and launches an attack on Hyrule, opening portals across time. However, in this era, there is no hero. (There was no Ganon either, before she showed up, so Link was never born. There was still a Zelda, since Hyrule’s princesses are always named Zelda. But yeah, Link just doesn’t exist). Not until Cia’s attack, that is. When Hyrule is threatened, Zelda and Impa decided that they need a hero. And so, they make one. They physically pull the Hero’s Spirit from its resting place in the Sacred Realm and manually place it in a sword, thus creating Wars.

They don’t call him Link, as he’s not a person. In this era, he’s always been called the Hero of Warriors, as that is his purpose. He was created solely to fight. To win the war and save Hyrule.

After the war is won, he is placed deep within a temple and abandoned. After all, he’s a literal weapon. A weapon without a wielder is dangerous- anyone could take up his sword and be accepted as his new Master. The temple that he’s placed in is a typical Zelda Temple TM, like a dungeon, and it’s where he will wait until he is discovered by the Chain.

Does Wars have a personality in Hyrule Warriors? Short answer: no. He is a freshly created sword spirit and bound entirely to his Master. (Which, at this point, is his Zelda). With the War of Eras still ongoing, his purpose hasn’t yet been fulfilled. At this point, he is very very similar to how Fi was in Skyward Sword: mostly residing in his sword and giving power ups to his Master, only manifesting outside of the blade when called upon. He doesn’t speak unless spoken to. He shows absolutely no emotion. Ever.

… which leads me to the bad news. How do the others (Time, Wind, Ravio) interact with Wars? Generally speaking, they don’t. Like. Not even a little bit. With Wars constantly in his sword, he’s pretty inaccessible. Plus, they don’t really have any reason to. Any of Wars’ advice is heard only by Zelda, who relays the information to the group, they don’t think to ask where these strategies are coming from. And they really don’t think much of the sword at Zelda’s back.

That’s not to say that nothing is happening between the Links, though!! I’ve been having a field day thinking of little Time, a godling, fresh out of Termina and trying to comprehend the weight of his fate while also being a kid and now fighting in yet another war he never asked to be a part of. He’d appear to the others as Child Link (and go by Mask), using his god powers to change his appearance. He doesn’t have to be Child Link, but with how new his powers are?? He’s scared to be anything else.

And WIND!!! Wind and Ravio interactions!!! I have been thinking about this for WEEKS, ever since you sent this ask. Wind, the chaos gremlin of an Aquili. And Ravio, the violence hating Mer whose whole family and everyone he knew was killed by the corrupted Aquili in his own world. Ravio witnessed his whole pod being murdered, he narrowly escaped. He was a child, alone and afraid. If Legend carries bias against Aquili, imagine the scope of Ravio’s trauma. I wouldn’t be surprised if he avoided Wind at any cost.

(I will be making a lot of Ravio content in the future. He’s just. He’s my little guy).

I’m having a very fun time thinking about these interactions, even if it’s a bummer that Wars isn’t a part of it. (Remember! The only one who knows what Wars is is Sky. Wind and Time never had the chance to meet him. Although, after they discover that he’s a Sword Spirit, I bet a lot of things suddenly make a lot of sense haha!)

ANYWAY. This is one of the less organized lore posts I’ve made but I wanted to get this answered. Like I said, I’m still workshopping this, but I hope this helps? You’re welcome to make a story (as long as you tag me)! I’m sorry if this was a bit of a let down, but even if Wars’ role isn’t very big, I already have so many ideas about the others! I hope this gives you ideas as well

#the legend of zelda #chain as cryptids au #cryptid lore #I answered question #sapphire rambles way too long #hyrule warriors #albw ravio #sorry again about how long this took me to respond to #and sorry about wars #cryptid wind #cryptid time #cryptid warriors #links meet au

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stardustdiiving · 6 months

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I love Neuvillette and find him so interesting to compare to other characters he shares characteristics to—I rlly wasn’t expecting them to go the route they did for what kind of character he was going to be but I’m so on board with it he’s so fun

First comparison I’ve been thinking about I suppose is him and Zhongli. They’re both distinguished old men (tm) who r powerful non human entities, but the way they both go about this are both enjoyably distinct. Both of them are both capable of deep gentleness, but Neuvillette’s gentleness feels a lot more “innocent” than Zhongli’s does. Zhongli is gentle from a place of experience of having to be not gentle in his time as an Archon who had fo hold his country together through apocalyptic war and calamity, but while he is gentle from a place of certainty about himself and what he’s learned/will learn about the world, I feel Neuvillette is gentle from a place of uncertainty and feeling he still has much to learn about himself and the world

We still don’t know a lot about Neuvillette’s history as of 4.1 but it’s interesting to me Neuvillette feels like a non human character who hasn’t had a lot of unique suffering tied to being physically nonhuman, and/or calamity intertwined with him learning about and building a relationship with humanity, like a lot of other non human characters we know have. A lot of his hardship in this vein feels very…grounded on a human level (see: his SQ) and different than say, a Scaramouche or any of the Archons

Neuvillette seeking out humanity and the way he connects to communities and other societies I think can have this additional sad edge to it because I wonder if you could frame that as being influenced by the fact he doesn’t really have any community of his own kind around him to feel a sense of identity with. So like, compare how Neuvillette engages with humanity, compared to how characters like Yae Miko or Xiao—I feel there’s a level of disconnect and difference in how they want to/feel they should engage with humans because they have a sense of identity as youkai/adepti that Neuvillette might have never really had a chance to develop, because of the circumstances with his own kind

The way he forms bonds with humanity and the melusines just feel very distinct to me, and feels like he’s been able to explore it with a less jaded view than a lot of other characters have been able to do. That’s sort of what I mean when I describe him as having this certain feeling of “innocence” to him

He’s just very earnest in a way that’s honestly really endearing. I like how he sincerely responds to Paimon’s silly suggestion to refer to himself as a “dragon out of water” rather than a “fish out of water” because he’s just genuinely spending a lot of his time trying to learn and understand how to communicate and engage with others very often. It’s funny how it’s not even like Neuvillette isn’t jaded or doesn’t hold strongly worded opinions or dislikes of things. His earnestness about this sometimes manifests as him being kind of sassy and it’s honestly hilarious. He’s very a impartial judge who cares a lot about fairness but also he must scoff at a lack of respect towards the Art of drinking water and Zhongli + Venti LARPing normal mortal humans , you see. Love this guy

#neuvillette #zhongli #genshin #fandomferns #fern.txt #neuvillette’s occasional ‘sass’ is something I also find funny when compared to Zhonglis humor #because zhongli gets his amusement out of being kind of playfully mischievous almost #for example #I am jestering to the entirety of lantern rite 2023 #no wonder xiao is so vaguely tormented the entire time #(of course this is the first thing I think of)

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thebroccolination · 1 year

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Win had a rough week. He tried to arrange a family meal that went sour, got a frantic call from the man he loves that convinced him to drive two hours by motorcycle in the rain to a completely different province, found that man almost delirious in a cemetery before an unknown child’s grave, heard that man sob into his shoulder that life would be better if he were dead, met that man’s parents for the first time early the next morning, drove two hours back to Bangkok with a fever, and then had an emotionally turbulent build-up with Team that left them both in tears.

He had a rough week.

They both have.

And because of that, I think it makes sense that Win had no idea how to answer Team’s question of what they are to each other. Their relationship status has always been nebulous, but as @nejineeee and I were just discussing, Win also kind of had his confidence torn down piece by piece throughout this episode.

First when Team told Win to leave his room. As far as Win knows, he hasn’t done anything to be kicked out for. He doesn’t know Team just had an emotionally raw conversation with his friends that’s put him on his back foot. He just knows he had a fever the night before, he was allowed to stay then, and now Team’s telling him to go to his own room seemingly for no reason.

Win looks genuinely confused and hurt, and it probably wouldn’t occur to him to think so, but there’s an imbalance here. Win’s allowed Team to use his room as if it were his: he sleeps there, showers there, even borrows Win’s clothes freely. But Team’s room is still only Team’s. And that’s Team’s right, of course, but it gives us an idea of how Win could be interpreting Team’s side of things.

We know Team loves Win, and so does the alphabet gang and now the traffic light gang, but he can’t say it to Win himself. Team is terrified of losing the most important person in his life—someone he didn’t even know a year ago!—who’s become so significant to Team that he introduced him to his parents and wants to be significant to him, too. He can’t imagine life without him anymore.

But when Win makes up an excuse to stay in Team’s room for the night, that his fever is still lingering, Team argues back. Maybe because he wants some degree of control back, to keep for himself some small part of his life that Win hasn’t totally absorbed yet.

Win doesn’t know that’s what’s going on, though.

He just looks genuinely vulnerable and almost nervous that Team really does want him gone. When he’s done nothing wrong—in fact, when he’s only done things right. All he did was rely on Team while sick, so is that where his mind goes? This is what happens when you’re a burden to others? They get bored of you and kick you out?

And in terms of character growth, I was so proud of Win here. This scene is the first and only time so far that he’s genuinely gone against what Team claims to want. Every time before, Win’s ultimately backed off and respected Team’s space (King of Consent TM), but now, he finally pushes back, and purely because he wants to be near Team.

He’s worried about Team. He’s saved this kid from nearly drowning, and then only the night before he was sobbing into Win’s shoulder that life would be better if he were dead.

What Team said to Manaow and Pharm about Win is also true of Win: he can’t imagine himself without Team anymore. And given Win’s fear of being alone, being left, could there be anything scarier for him than realizing Team is that important to him?

And yet, despite pushing back and ignoring Team’s protests, when Team does join him in bed, Win gives Team this searching look below. I interpreted it as Win checking whether Team is actually uncomfortable. If Team really does want Win to leave. Because I think he would have, if Team had said just one more annoyed hia here.

Yet, when Team says nothing more…

Win loves him so much, and honestly, what he’s been doing for Team would probably work for a lot of people. Team just needs more stability and a level of bluntness than Win can offer him at this stage.

Then they arrive at the resort, and Team claims that he doesn’t want to room with Win. To the point where he’s literally screaming “HELP ME” to his best friend.

And sure, that’s How Team Is, and he doesn’t mean it really, but that’s also the second time in less than twelve hours that Team has expressed displeasure at the suggestion of sharing a bed with someone he’s spent months actively seeking out for exactly that purpose.

Incremental damage to your defenses is still damage.

Then, there’s the bottle game where Team (correctly) tells Dean he isn’t dating anyone. And he isn’t, and there are ways to change that, but oh, how that must sting for Win to hear aloud after everything they’ve been through in the past week.

It’s entirely possible that Win just doesn’t understand what Team needs from him. He’s waiting for Team, but that’s not what Team needs.

After that, Team ends their kiss on the dock without explanation and leaves Win alone there.

I think it’s easy to see Team’s side throughout the series because we’ve seen him seek help from his friends and heard what he’s thinking and feeling.

Win’s less forthcoming, and I think that’s why he’s so broken by this whole episode. He’s always faster to care for others than he is to seek counsel for himself. But during the scene where he’s sick, Win doesn’t object to Team taking care of him. On the contrary, he seems quietly undone by it.

Win is just so young himself. He’s only two years older than Team, and this whole situation is just as new to him. He doesn’t know what he’s doing or what he should say. He just wants to feel wanted by the person he loves to a degree that scares him, and he’s trying to communicate in the ways that feel safe to him.

In the next episode, he’ll make it right. They’ll finally talk, and there’ll be tears and catharsis.

But I think this episode did a strong job of showing why Win hesitated when Team asked him what they are to each other. For all we know, Win might’ve hesitated because he’s stuck between two answers: what they are and what Win wishes they were.

#between us the series #between us ep 10 #winteam #win x team #buts spoilers #he’s a good good good boy #he’s doing his best <3

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imsofthelp · 1 month

Text

Word count: 2.7k

Category: Angst, Smut

Warnings: smut, a bit of rough sex ig, reader is sad tm, cult leader geto, an awful lot of dog metaphors, veeeery slight masochism but not really explicit. Takes place eight years after Geto left but reader's age is not stated.

Summary: When Suguru left, a part of you went with. It's not a surprise, that eight years after, you still come crawling back to him.

***

When Suguru left, a part of you went with. The school years spent together passed by in a flash and then he was gone without saying goodbye. No words, no letter, not even a short message to your phone. The wallpaper was still set to the picture of the two of you. He wasn’t smiling in that one. When was the last time he did? The more you study the phone screen, the more your hands tremble. His skin looks pale, the bags under his eyes holding all the colors of the night sky. How could you not notice? How could you possibly be that stupid? How were the signs so glaringly obvious yet slipped past your radar?

You were too happy, your brain suggested. Lost in the bliss, living in the soft summer days, only noticing that you had nothing warm to wear when winter came along suddenly. Shoko had told you not to blame yourself, yet you noticed that she had started smoking way more often. You were often with her, when she allowed the nicotine to surround the air around you, letting the bright red cherry tip burn right to the filter. Those moments were quiet most of the time.

Satoru didn’t say anything to you, during that time. You often wondered if he was hurting more than you. If the guilt completely ate him completely instead of chipping away as it had on you. You wondered if he had any tears left to shed. Yours seemed never-ending.

You also wondered what your friends (if you could still call them that, after so many years of no contact) would think of you if they saw you like this. Hair matted with sweat and sticking to your forehead, skin clammy and flushed, eyes rolled to the back of your head and countless loads of cum decorating your pliant body.

Right now, Suguru had you on all fours, back arched harshly, his large, unforgiving hand aiding the pose with a harsh grip on your hair, the other resting on your hip with a bruising grip. His hips were unrelenting in their pursuit of his pleasure, almost punishing with how harsh they were. Your body bounced back and forth with each mean thrust, your hands fisting the silk sheets until the knuckles turned white.

You squirm forward a little and his strong body chases right after. His lean, toned body leans on yours, more weight landing on you, his soft hair forming a dark halo around you.

“Not trying to run from me, are you, darling?” His voice is dark and a little breathy.

A soft grunt slips past his glossy lips and you still, taking and taking and taking until there’s nothing but him. His clean, woody scent surrounding you, his silky hair tickling at the sensitive skin of your neck and his huge cock tearing away at your insides.

“N-no. Sorry.”

You’re surprised by the breathlessness of your own voice, sounding so far away. Geto rewards you with a content hum as he kisses the shell of your ear with befitting gentleness. The only sound besides your own deep breaths is the loud squelching of your awfully wet cunt.

It’s not like he hasn’t prepared you. He spent what seemed like hours between your legs, dark hair pulled into a bun because he didn’t like distractions while doing the thing he enjoyed most. He dangled your pleasure just in front of you, only allowing you to cum when you begged real pretty and tear tracks embedded themselves into the soft skin of your cheeks. After that, he had stretched you out with his fingers, cooing at you almost mockingly when three seemed to be too much. And they were, they really were with how long, thick and calloused they were and yet-

Nothing ever prepared you to take his cock, not even when you were dripping, messing up his expensive sheets. He was massive — long, and thick and slightly curved to the side, hitting all the right spots instantly yet never fully fitting inside.

“No? Seemed that way, doll.”

Another kiss, this time to your exposed neck, before his thrusts pick up speed. It’s nasty and loud, yet missing the usual sound of hips connecting that most often came along with sex. Those two last inches never did fit, much to his displeasure.

Suguru angles his hips in a way that hits that spot deep inside, the one that despite countless times of trying, no else was able to hit in the way he was. You keen loudly, burying your head into the bedsheets and sniffling loudly, hands clawing around in search of reprieve.

Suguru grants you that one relief, the hand that was knit tightly into your hair finally leaving and intertwining with yours, fingers squeezing tightly, as if he was the one afraid to let go. His thrusts are still mean. Now, that he had finally granted you the pleasure of feeling his cock against that one sensitive spot, he abused the newfound power over and over and over again.

“You close, love? Tell me how it feels.”

His voice is sweet and as smooth as honey. The word “love” feels like venom dripping from his perfect lips. Another mean thrust and you’re keening, thoughts jumbled in your head, saliva dripping down your chin as if it’s your brain leaking out.

“Feels, ngh- Feels soo- Suguru!”

He actually laughs, sound melodic and heavenly. He’s a god above you, a vision of utter perfection, and you’re a mortal, on your knees in his temple, begging for reprieve, for pleasure, for him.

“Use your words, dear. Can you do that for me?”

It’s completely condescending. The only thing that’s betraying how tight you’re squeezing him is the slight grunts he allows to slip past. He had nothing to hide from you, anyway. Who would you tell, when you were so afraid of admitting that you shared your bed with him?

“M-mhm, wanna be good. Feels, ah, feels good-“

His thrusts slow and you can’t find it in yourself to feel bad for actually whining at the loss of friction. He’s a henchman and you’re the victim, willingly walking to him and laying yourself under the shining silver of the axe. Nothing seems to matter anymore, save for your pleasure.

Your hips buck back, trying to get him to speed his thrusts back again, but Suguru is not the one to give in that easy. His hand still on your hip tightens, fingers curling in a way that’s sure to leave bruises, that’s sure to leave his mark.

“You can do better. You want to come, don’t you, darling? Yeah, you do… So do better for me. Talk all pretty, okay?”

And how can you refuse Suguru, when he asks like that?

“You’re s-so big and n-no one else can fuck me like tha-that. I love your cock, love to fe-feel it in me, love the way i-it hu-hurts and lo-love you, ah-!” words tumble past your lips as fast as running water, afraid to disappoint him, afraid for him to leave.

Finally, finally his hips pick up their speed, the hand that was just squeezing your hip now slithering under your body and finding that little bundle of nerves in an instant. He seems to have no trouble playing you like an instrument, his practiced fingers drawing tight, fast circles on your clit. You just do your duty, keeping your back arched, your hips thrusting back to meet his movements.

It doesn’t take long for your vision to completely black out, screams and moans and little ramblings leaving your spit-soaked lips. Suguru aids you through your orgasm, never ceasing his movements against your clit. He gifts you with a couple more shallow thrusts before he’s pulling out with a soft grunt. In a moment, you feel the warmth of his cum hitting your back and your knees finally give out, body splayed out on the bed.

Suguru rolls over in order not to crush you, his own breaths labored and loud. You spend a long moment just catching your breath, head turning to the side and drinking in his painfully pretty features. The arch of his jaw, the gentle slope of his nose, his tired, dark eyes and his mused hair.

“You confessing your love for me was not something I had expected tonight.” He answers with a chuckle, your name slipping past his lips unprompted. No matter how soft it is, it still sounds foreign.

“It was just a slip of a tongue.” You reply, still studying each movement of his body. He was still so coordinated and delicate in his maneuvers, as if the intense session before didn’t tire him out at all.

“Some phrase about a cat and it being out of the bag seems to come to my mind.” Suguru chuckled, before standing up and disappearing for a moment.

He comes back with a wet towel, wiping away at the mess between your legs and then carefully caressing your back, removing all evidence of what has happened before. He puts it away immediately, always the one to stick to neatness and tidiness.

“Why didn’t you just finish inside? It’s less messy and I’m on birth control.” You find yourself mumbling the words. Perhaps you just missed his warmth, craving it to be so deep inside you that even after you left, some part of him still lingered.

Suguru hums softly, pulling you into his strong arms. His skin is warm against yours. He’s still naked, his chest pressed up against your back. It feels right. Like that’s the way it should have always been.

“Admittedly, I am not that possessive, darling. You can fuck whoever you like, someone who fits your moral compass and all that. I don’t need to cum inside to prove that you’re mine.”

He’s always so nonchalant about this. Like he’s absolutely sure that you would always come crawling back, even if it resulted in bruised knees and absolute banishment of your dignity. It hurt that it wasn’t exactly wrong.

“It seems that no one fits my moral compass nowadays. Perhaps I am getting too picky.” You answered quietly, softly. The smell of sex was still heavy in the air.

Suguru brushes figures into the skin of your arms, making your body instantly relax in his strong arms. It shouldn’t feel so safe. Not when the blood of so many people stain every inch of his skin. You can’t find it in yourself to mind. He had never hurt you, at least, not physically. The emotional damage was something you preferred to think about over a nice bottle of wine, alone.

“Perhaps you are. Or maybe we are just two sides of the same coin. I cannot seem to find someone who’s presence satisfies me as much as yours, either.

His words never fail to make you blush. You’re not a school girl anymore, it shouldn’t affect you at all, let alone this much and yet, when it’s Suguru, nothing is off the table.

“We are not the same and never will be.” You find the strength within yourself to answer. The words are weak and uncertain.

“Oh, are we not?” He answers immediately, the movements of his nimble fingers ceasing for a moment before continuing their path down your arms. He’s soothing you, you realize. How stupid. As if you ever needed that. As if he actually know how much you did.

“What are you implying, Suguru?” You ask, and your head finds it’s way to rest on his chest. Suguru finally relaxes, as if it was him who craved it instead of you.

“I will never change my ideals and yet you still crawl back to me like an obedient little dog.” He lets the words linger in the silence of his bedroom for a moment, “You will never change yours and yet I welcome you back into my arms each time.”

“Comparing me to a dog now?” Is all you manage for an answer.

The words have no real bite behind them. A metaphor of a dog with no teeth comes to your mind briefly. You are a scared animal, cornered in somewhere, just waiting for a hand that will feed instead of hitting. Suguru embodies both.

“That’s not what you should be focusing on. And that wasn’t even my point.” He waves you off with a gentle flick of his wrist.

“Spit it out.”

“We were doomed from the day we first met. It was meant to be happen this way.” He begins, and you can’t begin to understand what he’s getting at. Suguru often got philosophical after sex, “I believe it was Emil M. Cioran, who said “If you are doomed to devour yourself, nothing can keep you from it: a trifle will impel you as much as a tragedy. Resign yourself to erosion at all times: your fate wills it so.”

“Are you saying that there was nothing that I could have done to prevent you from leaving? That you are devouring yourself?” the words taste bitter on your tongue.

“I’m saying exactly that. The guilt is ridden all across her features each time I see you. Not only because you feel bad about us sleeping together. You can’t let go of it even eight years after, you carry it with you like a deadly weight. It’s going to drag you down one day, don’t you know?” He asks so nonchalantly, like he’s not expecting an answer. You offer him one anyway.

“And the part about devouring yourself?”

“Exorcise. Consume. Repeat it until everything inside you aches. My fate was written down on the day my cursed technique developed.” He’s quiet as he tells you this. Honest, for the first time in a while.

“And for you, that is synonymous to devouring yourself? Your technique?”

“More or less so. The rest of devouring is me reaching for a goal that is impossible to reach. Icarus flying too close to the sun, Laika trying to reach the stars.” He’s silent for a long moment after that.

You don’t really know what to say, either. The need to ask about why he was still doing this if he knew what the outcome was, dies down on your tongue. Instead, you hold onto his hand still tracing shapes on your arm. He gives your fingers a squeeze. The atmosphere of his bedroom is heavy and dark, melancholy weighing down heavy on your bones.

“You’re bad at pillow talk, Suguru.”

He offers you a small laugh, sound melodic and airy.

“And you’re trying to evade the topic. There was nothing you could’ve done, okay? And I don’t have plans for returning.” Your throat burns. The harsh reality that you have been trying so hard to avoid comes crashing down around you, “It’s not that you’re not good enough for me to turn my back on all of this. The thing is, you’re pretty, and caring, and your laugh, and your touch are the only things that can soothe my tired body.”

“You’re pouring salt into the wound.” You answer, and your voice is hallowed. He either doesn’t notice or chooses to ignore it. Deep down, you know that it’s the latter.

“My goals just always come first.” He adds, as if that wasn’t obvious, as if it hasn’t been the thing that’s haunted you for years, borrowing it so deep inside your body, soul and heart that it’s become familiar.

“Your goals always come first.” You echo, “You’ll die a selfish man, Suguru.”

He rearranges you into a more comfortable position, laying you down onto his chest and enveloping you both in a soft, warm blanket. His breathing matches yours and you feel yourself teetering along the edge of unconsciousness.

Suguru presses a kiss to your hairline, chuckling softly, before closing his own dark eyes. Can you even hear him anymore? Ah, no matter. He can always tell you the next time you come back to him.

“Don’t I know it, dear. Don’t I know it.”

#jjk smut #tw angst #tw smut #jjk x reader smut #geto x reader #geto smut #geto suguru x reader #geto suguru x reader smut #geto suguru x reader angst #geto suguru smut #jjk x reader #geto x reader smut #jjk x reader angst #tw masochism

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vylad243 · 7 days

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hiiii! 💕 I know you said you aren’t taking on too many requests atm, so it’s no pressure at all if you don’t feel like responding for a bit — your comfort is top priority after all! But here’s a bit of a fandom AU classic for you: radiostatic beauty and the beast AU.

Vox is a young, brilliant, beautiful, and talented up-and-coming overlord hoping to make it in the scene with his newfangled television idea — Hell still being in The Dark Ages (TM) at this time. He feels unsatisfied with his life and is ostracized/shunned by his fellow overlords and sinners who assume he’s stuck up and find his constant push for innovation odd (“what is this so-called electricity thing? We were doing JUST fine with the trashfires, thank you!”) Not helping matters is that he is also being actively “pursued” (aka harassed) by Valentino, who keeps proposing that they team up for business purposes but really just wants Vox’s soul/Vox all to himself and won’t take no for an answer. Despite his aspirations, Vox is content to live as happy and simple a life can have in Hell alongside his beloved personal assistant Papermint and Vark.

Things take a turn when, one day, Papermint goes out to run an errand while walking Vark and doesn’t return. Concerned for his assistant’s safety, especially after Vark returns Papermintless, Vox does some investigating (sidenote: I headcanon that Vox used to be a journalist when he was human, so he’d have the skillset) and after doing enough digging, realizes that Papermint had vanished around the premises of a seemingly abandoned and derelict hotel on the outskirts of Pride. Heading there himself, he finds himself taken aback when common household appliances start talking to him and notices a strange magical aura permeating the old building as he scopes it out. He eventually finds Papermint in the dungeon and is confronted by the imposing form of a giant, territorial wendigo — however he quickly recognizes the creature as Alastor, a former overlord who had mysteriously gone radio silent seven years ago and was presumed dead by the masses. He had caught Papermint trespassing on his property and had tossed him in the dungeon with plans to turn him into a future meal for attempting to steal from him: the poor assistant had tried to make off with a beautiful antique radio as a gift for Vox to cheer him up after Val’s latest stint had left him considerably heated and had wrongfully assumed the place was abandoned.

Vox, as you can imagine, is having absolutely none of this and barters with the Radio Demon to release Papermint and, in exchange, he’ll take his place as his prisoner and next meal—as it was his fault his assistant wound up in this predicament anyway, and besides it’s not like anyone will care if he’s gone anyway, right? Alastor is taken aback by this young demon’s gutless nature and sacrifice (and perhaps even a little flattered as well), but honours his wishes and let's Papermint go, arranging him a room to stay in and allowing Vox free reign of the hotel as long as he stays away from the forbidden radio tower. Vox is likewise just as confused by Alastor’s gentleman nature as anyone probably would be: having heard many, many stories before of the “terrifying and ruthless, bloodthirsty” Radio Demon, Vox is mostly shocked that he hasn’t been torn limb from limb yet. He finds himself adjusting to life at the hotel fairly quickly, finding the strange sense of solace it provides the much needed reprieve from his life back home, despite the occasional bouts of homesickness (missing Papermint and Vark in particular). He even quickly befriends and bonds with the enchanted staff, which includes a gothic raggedy Ann type doll named Velvette (who naturally is at the ready to give him a makeover at the drop of a hat), a vintage tea kettle set named Rosie, Niffty — a feather duster, and so on.

However, despite his terrifying appearance and reputation, Alastor is mostly just an awkward loner desperately seeking companionship and sees a worthy potential friend in Vox (although rest assured, the Radio Demon will not hesitate to rip you apart with his teeth if you cross him); living in exile after being cursed into this form by Lilith herself for his arrogance, Alastor has long since given up hope on breaking the curse and his content to live a quiet life in isolation with his enchanted servants. However something about this Vox creature draws his attention and fascination quickly turns into affection the longer the two interact and bond. It isn’t too long before Alastor realizes that he no longer wishes Vox to just be his friend, but his mate: with much of the help of the staff, he begins the process of attempting to court Vox over the span of a year — unfortunately, years in isolation has left the poor stag with the social skills of a rock, so Vox doesn’t immediately clue in on what’s going on but is flattered by the lovely and thoughtful gifts and increasing invites to dinner and dances. Unbeknownst to Al, Vox soon starts developing feelings of his own toward the terrifying but kind demon as well, but is too scared to act on them in fear of being rejected like he is with everyone else. Velvette, and the rest of the staff are all sighing and shaking their heads at the mutual idiocy of these two.

Unfortunately, their budding romance is put to the test when Alastor realizes that, by the end of this year, if his spell isn’t broken, then he will be permanently trapped in this state and will be lost to his animalistic urges, putting Vox at a great risk of getting hurt. He allows Vox the opportunity to go visit his family back home for some time and uses his absence to sneak out of the hotel and meet up with the princess — who had been letting him and his thralls hide away in her hotel this whole time — in secret, hoping to figure out how to finally break his curse before anyone gets hurt; Charlie is, unfortunately, unable to break the curse herself but informs him that if he performs one truly selfless act for someone he loves, then the spell will be broken and he will be restored to his former power.

And just beyond the gates of the hotel, things in Hell aren’t looking so hot either: Vox’s disappearance was initially brushed off, as was Papermint’s claims of the Radio Demon still being alive, but now — six months in without power and the media demon still not showing has made speculation rise. Things only go more out of control when Alastor himself is accidentally spotted on one of Vox’s still functioning security cameras leaving a secret meeting with the princess. Shit hits the fan and, ever the opportunist, Valentino seizes the chance to rile up both the public and his fellow overlords into taking down the Radio Demon before he becomes too “difficult to manage”, his efforts only strengthening when Vox suddenly reappears back in Pentagram City, still alive and singing the Radio Demon’s praises as he gleefully reunites with his beloved assistant and pet shark once more. Valentino tries to pressure Vox into staying away from the hotel even longer and becomes more aggressive/possessive in his advances as a result — accusing the wendigo of brainwashing him and projecting so, so hard in the process. Vox, fed up with the moth’s disgusting dehumanizing treatment of him, denounces him and tells him flat out that he’d rather die than be Val’s little plaything, inadvertently letting his feelings for Alastor slip in the process. Enraged at this final, brutal rejection, Val knocks Vox unconscious and keeps him locked up in his tower for a time, using his sudden disappearance and staged evidence to fake the media overlord’s murder and further rally up the people and leads them into an attack on the hotel — fully intending on killing Alastor so that Vox has nobody left to go to but him.

Meanwhile poor Al is beside himself with worry over his mate not returning but falls into despair at the thought that Vox has abandoned him the longer he fails to return, and meanwhile Vox desperately tries to escape Val’s tower, realizing that he really is in love with Alastor and vowing to kill Valentino himself should anything happen to his Radio Demon. He manages to get a distress message to Papermint, Vark and a stowaway Velvette, who help him break out and together, they race to go save Alastor before it’s too late.

This is quite a long one! While this is a great prompt, sadly this would be quite a large project and I don't want to do anything too big for prompts since I like to keep them to 1k-3k words. Maybe one day I'll shorten this down and make it into a prompt, but not right now

Thank you for the prompt regardless! It sounds really interesting!

#hazbin hotel #vox hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel alastor #anonymous #radiostatic

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via-the-cryptid · 10 months

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oooh it’s been a hot second, but I’m back to continue the Gotham Ghost AU!!

Ellie is now bandaged and no longer contains a bullet, Ace is chilling somewhere in the ceiling with her hand sticking out so Ellie can see where she is (they have separation anxiety), and Eddie is… in his room having a crisis. there’s a fucking CHILD in his house, and he can’t kick her out because he’s been struck with the uncontrollable urge to study her brain, but what does one do about a child being in their house? does he… give her things? food? a book? is the ceiling ghost negotiable or is that addition mandatory? what if he stunts her mental growth and her mind becomes unsuitable for proper use?

Eddie is, of course, completely oblivious to the fact that he’s worrying over her like a new adoptive parent. to be fair, at this point he thinks of her more like a fond experiment than a child that is under his protection, but the fact is that he’s still acting like a concerned dad.

but of course, we can’t have nice things while I’m around because I am a master of hurting characters in the best worst ways possible! which means that now it’s time to point out: as far as Eddie knows, Ellie is just some weird-looking little girl whose brain works sideways. he doesn’t know about her powers, nor does he know she’s technically half-dead and also not from this dimension! Ace is aware of Ellie’s Oddness(TM) but still hasn’t really seen Ellie turn herself human.

why, you ask? she can’t! Ellie’s powers are on the fritz from the portal incident, meaning that for the moment, she’s stuck as a ghost. and worse, she still doesn’t actually trust the Riddler. she’s known too many people who only wanted to use her, and she’s still not sure what his real motives are. for now, she’ll stick close and observe, but the second something goes wrong, she’s getting the hell out of dodge.

Ellie knows all too well that she can’t trust anyone but herself, after all. Not even the ghosts can save her if she’s caught at the wrong moment, and most of them would rather watch her burn than put the fire out.

#dani phantom #danielle phantom #danny phantom #dc comics #gotham ghost au #dp x dc #ellie phantom #ace batman #dc ace #the riddler #edward nygma #kinda short but oh well #I have no idea where this is going #so if you know please give me ideas

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bestworstcase · 4 months

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Something that’s been knocking around my head for a while, that really solidified with vol 9 when we met the fucking demiurge of the tree, is the brothers Grimm were born, grew, and were at one point capable of change. The storybook montage at the end shows the brothers Grimm evolving as all denizen of the everafter do. But then they left the everafter, so my thought is: have the brothers Grimm evolved beyond the point when they left their “motherland”? Or have they stagnated? In a kind of stasis similar to what they inflicted on Salem? At the very least, the god of light (or what appeared to be him 👀) that spoke to Ozma was unchanged from the time before Remnant. And given that was, by our best estimation, a bajillion years ago, he hasn’t changed much huh? (Though it would be cool if the gods had mutated into incomprehensible eldritch dragon titans in the bajillion years since. One can only hope!)

it might have been done for Budget Reasons TM or for the sake of having the emotions read clearly, but i find it interesting that the brothers take on humanlike shapes before leaving the ever after. the general assumption is that the demiurge is human-shaped because she takes after humans who’ve journeyed through the ever after—and certainly her appearance is informed by those connections, hence the traces of alyx’s colors in her design—but, well.

she’s a wood-carver, a sculptor, a blacksmith… things you need hands for. meanwhile the brothers began as little goats and grew up into dragons and in this story about how they became gods, the last transformation they undergo before stepping into the unknown is to take on new humanlike forms; it seems to me just as likely that a humanlike shape originated with the demiurge and the brothers took on that form themselves when they set out to make their own world.

and yet, when they fight in the lost fable, and when they’re confronted by salem’s rebellion they become dragons again: they regress. when light appears to ozma in the white void, he does so as a dragon before donning a gigantic variant of his humanlike form.

their humanlike forms are also… incomplete, lacking eyes and mouths. they haven’t yet fully become and—evinced by the way they fall back into the dragon forms—they don’t know how to become what they aspire to be. they never settle into these new forms. stagnant, as you say. but…

look at jinn! look at ambrosius!

they’re not just human-shaped—they’re fully-realized, expressive, alive in what has to be a deliberate contrast to the brothers, because jinn and the brothers were introduced in tandem. (this is part of why i think dark ascended and divided himself into these spirits; if he learned through the experience with salem what he was missing, what he wanted to become, then iterating to a more humanlike form makes a great deal of sense)

and of course the chains are golden—like the god of light, who still doesn’t understand, who’s still the dragon under his under his skin, who bound these spirits and who’s still trying to enforce his will on a woman who has grimly resisted no matter how much pain he inflicted upon her. (<- pun intended)

i think light is probably exactly the same even now. bigger than before, maybe, but so much of what he is as a character is wrapped around his refusal to change. he’s still that dragon pretending to be something greater.

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khickuwa · 11 months

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My thoughts on “A Dream of Benji” - Luke’s Fluffy Fuzzy Time Card

so I had the privilege (or the misfortune, depends on how you’d view it lmao /lh) of getting and reading Luke’s new FFT card. I haven't seen anyone talking about it yet, and I have many thoughts about it so.... To anyone who hasn’t read it yet, beware I’ll be discussing spoilers (come back when you’ve read it please I promise you you won’t regret it) and as everyone else probably mention it’s probably best to read this after the FFT event (or at least after completing Benji’s route)

BUT I MUST SAY, this card has surprisingly became one of my favorite Luke cards (in terms of the art as well I mean look at THEM(tm) LAYING DOWN IN A MEADOW OF FLOWER... MISS ROSA LOOKS SO ESPECIALLY PRETTY HERE LIKE) right up there with Luke’s 1st anniversary card “Under the Milky Way” and Luke’s “Shape of You” card. I know everyone is probably saving up for the second anniversary (I really need to save up to I haven’t been playing as much last month) but if you do have the s-chips to get the card like... *grabs you in a chokehold* it’s so good. I promise you it’s really worth it.

Though disclaimer! These are just my thoughts (I’ve been up all night thinking about a virtual dog... Please I Am Not Okay) feel free to disagree! I’ll be discussing about character death and Luke’s illness, so if you ain’t good with that feel free to skip this!

Okay, moving on.

Hoyoverse. What the actual fuck. (YOU THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE A CUTE CARD? CUTE EVENT? TAKING CARE OF VIRTUAL ANIMALS? A FLUFFY FUZZY FUN TIME!?!? WRONG. ABSOLUTELY WRONG.) This whole card was so incredibly devastating and yet it’s so hopeful at the same time. They really hammered in the idea of “inevitability” and “hopeful anticipation” irt actualbird's journal of NXX Investigation Team Behavioral Studies. To me at least, this card is like everything that makes Luke... Luke... condensed into a card.

About Benji (you sweet sweet boy):

Immediately right in the first story, Benji is admitted into hospital and it’s very much obvious that... Benji, a retired 9-year old military dog, doesn’t have much time left.

Benji, obviously, is very much a parallel to Luke Pearce... As I was reading the card, Benji’s situation almost feels like a peek into of what could be Luke’s Future... what could become of Luke. Once great and majestic dog plowing through a vast field of snow, saving hostages along side other agent... now so frail, the wear and tear of old injuries, old age and illness is finally getting to Benji.

...and in Luke’s own words: “Is he still the same Benji from my memories.”

Luke and Rosa decides to take Benji into a dog park, where they hope to give Benji some sort of “freedom”... for Benji to finally some semblance of living life as a normal dog. It still had to be catered in a way that was familiar to Benji... and this is sort of scattered around through out between the event stories and the card. eg. making custom training dumbbells, planning training regiments, recreating a hostage situation. Even when Benji is retired, he's still yearning to go back... eg looking back to the direction of military base. Because in the end of the day, that’s all Benji Knows. His Whole Life has Always Been a Mission to Benji.

Then Mr. Henderson, a man in the dog park who's also grieving about his late dog, who's also a retired military dog. And while Luke was able to open up to this man, as both have/are going through the same grief. But MAN did that interaction cause Luke to spiral downwards.

Even in what I would say Benji’s last moments with Luke and Rosa, the way that Luke had to dismiss Benji of his “duty” this way. (I’m not okay, I’m not okay, THIS DIALOGUE WRECKED ME)

About Luke (ah here we go again):

After being subsequently punched multiple times in the face by “LOOK BENJI/LUKE PARALLELS, LOOK AT IT. LOOK AT IT!!!”

As I’m going “NO BENJI UWAH QAQ” every second through this card... I also can’t help but fear for Luke. It really made me think that... let’s say even if NSB drops Luke the moment he was diagnosed with the illness and three years left to live, I really do wonder if he would’ve been able to cope with it... or otherwise live with himself?

Luke as we know it, has this whole self deprecating deal of avoiding and hesitating happiness. The way I see it, he often times try to make himself seem "small" in a way, that he prioritizes other people's needs first before his own. And I would imagine the last thing he'd want for himself is to become a burden/useless. If one day Luke does retire from NSB, one would think that he'd be free... but not really either. I can imagine him being sort of like "what now?" (i can sort imagine luke entering this phase of adjusting back to normal life when he's back in Stellis. this brings me to the headcanon of luke's... questionable lifestyle is a product of Luke having to readjust to normal life /i’m sorry i made fun of your kitchen and my boy, you probably had to make do what with what you had.)

If think about Luke lying in a hospital bed, nearing the end of his life. I'm Going To Lose It (tm). But looking at Benji all old and sickly... I really can’t help imagine that IF it were to happen, it would probably go down the same way it did for Benji. (I Am Going To Cry)

Anyways, after the conversation with Mr. Henderson, Luke spirals down into thoughts of "if I didn't left you, would things have been different?", “we could’ve been happier, if only I had made the “right” choice. (and I wanna grab him by the shoulders and then scream at him “LUKE STOP BAD >:C”)

About Rosa (YOU GO GIRL SLAY):

NOW, HONESTLY. ROSA REALLY DO SHINE IN THIS CARD. HER RESPONSE TO BENJI. HER RESPONSE TO HER SAD LITTLE BOYFRIEND GRIEFING AN SPIRALING DOWN. THIS IS WHY SHE IS THE MC(TM) AAA

but more than that, this card somehow not only showcase her strengths but also how this somehow becomes a weakness as well (at least to me).

Rosa to me, comes off someone who really looks on straight ahead and her focus on what she can do in the present, in contrast to Luke’s tendency to focus on past regrets and uncertain tomorrows. I would argue that she also has this like- perseverance/stubbornness against adversities and I would say that her solutions also come off as very head on?. (could you imagine having to argue with your lawyer girlfriend, like nah... you ain’t winning for sure.)

(”But that’s for dogs” I’m laughing through TEARS OMG - Luke is Dog-Coded FR) But Rosa in here is really ain’t letting Luke go, forcing Luke to Actually Look into her Eyes and tell her What’s Wrong. (LukeRosa nose booping omg...this is how they comfort each other in my head from now on) Which yes, sometimes I think Luke does need someone who can hold him back before he retreats, but also at the same time... after this exchange, Rosa realizes that it’s not really quite enough to erase his worries. And I think this is also the exact moment Rosa realizes that not all problems could be solved immediately... sometimes you have to let time do its thing and just.. sit with it.

(Rosa calling in an animal psychologist... like did she just searched on up in the internet for consultation like pls Rosa) In Story 5 (I’d put in every screenshot from this part if I could), we go on the Benji’s “rescue mission”, I kinda enjoyed how Rosa does fumble a bit here and there... though with good intentions, perhaps the overly familiar environment was over-stimulating to Benji? which caused him to attack Luke somehow... But anyways... It seems that Benji still thinks that he’s on service and it’s not when Luke “dismissed” him of his “duties does Benji stop and Luke, just so full of grief, wondering why Benji couldn’t just forget the past. And Rosa really isn’t holding back with her words when she says:

“Why does Benji have to forget the past?” “

Have you ever thought that perhaps Benji is proud of himself for being a military dog?”

“You said before if Benji wasn’t a military dog, he could probably lead a happier life.”

“But Luke, you and I are not Benji, We can never understand Benji’s true feelings.”

“And we can’t just make wild guesses about whether Benji would have ended in a better situation if he had made a different choice...

“Because it will never happen”

Because it will never happen....

MISS ROSA I-

“But how are you sure a “perfect and flawless” choice exists in this world”

“Luke, are you sure that if one makes a different choice, one’s ending will be better?”

I just really love Rosa for this because she just so... incredibly focused in the present and taking one’s autonomy. And this is probably so reassuring to Luke (and to me) cause she’s basically saying “regardless of what happens, we will be fine.”

And I don’t think Rosa has ever blamed Luke for leaving, for having a dangerous job, nor for getting diagnosed with only 3-years left to live. SHE JUST LOVES HIM SO MUCH OUEUEUEUEUOOO!!! Even. EVEN. if Luke’s condition does turn for the worse, I really do think that Luke is in very VERY capable hands. AND THAT’S SO REASSURING TO ME? As much as I Really Don’t Want Luke to Die (Please Find A Cure For Him), but just the thought that Rosa is going to be there for him (just as he will be there for her) regardless of whatever happens to the both of them, it will always be the “best ending”.

I’m just so happy that Rosa’s answer to Benji’s case is really just to ensure that Benji lives the last few days of his life... happy. and IT’S SUCH A ROSA ANSWER PLS... Even with Luke as well, even with knowing all the risks of staying with Luke, she’d rather make the most out of the remaining time they have. But even so, she’s still so full of hope! “As long as we’re not at the end of the path, there’ll be boundless possibilities”

Luke is the Definition of Devotion, BUT CAN WE TALK ABOUT ROSA? It’s so subtle, but I really can’t deny that Rosa does really really really love Luke too, in a way that she’s going to be there for him... for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until parted by death. (HOLDS THEM BOTH IN THE PALM OF MY HANDS UUUUUOEOEOOEOE)

When Benji finally passes away peacefully in a quiet afternoon, with Luke and Rosa at his side, I really do think that this is the best ending for him. RIP Benji, you were the goodest boy.

#tot spoilers #chika rambles #Luke Pearce #lukerosa #tearsofthemis #on another note: luke's voice acting here. HEART WRENCHING.#i'm using korean dub #cause luke sounds the most gentle in korean to me at least #also reliving mystic messenger vibes...#but whenever his voice breaks i just wanna cry with him #anyways have I told you guys that I love them so much?#I love them so much #this almost sounds like a sponsored ad for Luke's FFT card but #omg it's so painful but so good #forgive me for any grammar mistakes/typos cause i really didn't structure this in anyways it's really just everything in my head plonked #down to the keyboard as i smash the keys with much much emotions

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taylor-tut-fics · 1 month

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i uploaded this fic the other day but the formatting was off so rather than fixing it, i panicked and deleted it. so here it is again! another camp camp fic. enjoy and also if you have more requests i Desperately Need Them(TM) or i'll be left alone with my thoughts 😰

It’s one of the hottest days of the year, and they’ve been out of electricity for three days. The campers are cranky. Gwen is cranky. Cracks are even beginning to show in David’s patience. They were meant to watch a movie indoors to combat the heat, but they’ve been forced to find a last minute activity that doesn’t involve running around outside, so they’d settled on painting. So far, it’s been a wildly unpopular choice, pleasing only Dolph. Everyone else is antsy and bored to tears. Ordinarily, he’d go to any lengths to ensure they were having the best time possible, but he’s lost the energy.

It comes on suddenly in the middle of painting. At first, it’s just a headache. A minor inconvenience, really. He probably hasn’t drank enough water today for how hot it is. Understandable. His main focus has been keeping the campers hydrated, after all, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he’s neglected himself.

Next, he starts to feel shaky and weak. He’s willing to chalk that up to dehydration, too, so he grabs a water bottle from the cooler and downs half of it, ignoring how it makes his stomach churn.

When he feels achy, he blames yesterday’s hike. Lightheadedness, he blames on the heat. It’s only when he starts shivering with chills that he finally accepts it. Something is wrong. He’s gone from normal to feeling like he’s been hit by the bus (again) in the span of half an hour. This isn’t just a little overexertion. And with the way his head is starting to spin, if he doesn’t go lie down in bed now, he’s going to end up lying down against his will somewhere much less desirable.

“Hey, Gwen,” David calls, dragging his aching body across the mess hall to her. At the mention of her name, she looks up. “Hey. I’m not feeling so well all of a sudden.” She scans him up and down with a grimace. He’s pale and sweaty, with a distinct red flush to his cheeks.

“Yeah, you don’t look so good, either. What’s wrong?”

“Not so sure. I’m just really tired and everything hurts.” The shivering is obviously concerning without even having to mention it. She reaches out to place her hand to his forehead.

“Hm. A little warm maybe, but nothing crazy. Sounds like you’re getting sick.”

“Maybe. I think I want to go lie down for a while. Can you handle the kids?”

She seems a little stunned that he’d ask, and she doesn’t react the way he’d hoped she would. Rather than appreciating that he’s never asked for a day off in the entire time they’ve known each other, even working through colds and injuries, her eyes turn pleading.

“You can’t leave me alone with them,” she begs. “They’re monsters.” David glances around the horrible room and if he were only a tad more cynical, he’d have to agree.

“But Gwen, I—”

“Please, David. I’ll owe you so hard.” He sighs. There’s no way he can ignore a genuine plea for help from his CBFL, so he forces a smile.

“Sure. I’ll stick around.”

“You’re sure?” she asks, hoping that her tone doesn’t portray the fact that she hopes he’ll say yes. It’s courtesy, not concern.

“Positive. I’ll just head to bed a little early tonight.” He massages a temple with his thumb. “Preston is painting a backdrop on the wall. I’ll be right back.”

He dashes off to deal with that while Gwen tries her very best just to ensure no one kills each other. Tensions are high, but she doubts that will be a suitable plea in a murder trial.

Another two hours finds the craft supplies put away, the paintings left to dry outside in the sun, and David feeling more miserable than he thinks he has in his entire life. Rather than helping with lunch, he plops down at his usual table without grabbing anything to eat. The thought of food makes his stomach churn. He’s still shivering despite that the cabin must be 85 degrees or more.

As soon as Gwen notices David sitting at the table, trembling with his eyes shut, something in her softens. She makes her way to him as soon as the campers have her food, foregoing her own tray.

“David,” she calls, nudging him by the shoulder. “You alive?” He nods, but doesn’t force any pep into it. “How are you feeling?”

His only reply is a groan, not even bothering to open his eyes.

“Damn it.” The hand that rests upon his forehead is cool. “You’re burning up. I shouldn’t have asked you to stay.”

“I wanted to,” he reassures, even if it’s a mumbled lie.

“You need to go to bed. I’ll handle them for the night.”

“Are you sure? What about the kids?”

“They’ll be fine. Mostly. Probably.” He doesn’t find the joke funny and she can tell immediately. “We’ll be fine. You can’t possibly take much more of this.”

Despite his reservations, he has to admit that she’s right. He’s already had a few near-faints today, and he’s not looking forward to another. All he needs is an evening to sleep this off and he’ll be fine. He tries to keep that in mind and ignore the guilt that arises as he exits the mess hall and heads back toward the cabin.

He sleeps until Gwen comes to check on him before dinner bearing flu medicine and a thermometer. The opening of the door startles him from sleep. He doesn’t remember drifting off.

“How’re you feeling?” she asks before handing him the thermometer. He makes a noncommittal “so-so” gesture with his hand. Can’t be good. That combined with the reading of 102℉ tell them both that they’re in for a rough next few days.

“It’s so hot in here. Will you be okay?”

“Sure,” he replies. “Honestly, I haven’t even noticed.”

“Still having chills?”

He nods. His temperature is too high already, and he’s still shivering. The worst is yet to come.

“I’ll come check on you in a little while. Stay in bed. Text me if you start dying.” He agrees to do so even knowing that it would take a whole lot to pull her away from the kids when she’s the only one on duty.

She’s dreading this. The idea of telling the campers that she’s running the camp alone for the next day or so is like strapping a steak to her chest and entering a lion’s den. Assured destruction. However, they’re going to notice some time or another, so she might as well get it over with.

“Alright, campers, listen up,” she announces as soon as everyone is sitting down with their lunch, “David went to bed early. He’s not feeling so good. We’re going to have a free play evening, if you all promise to leave me alone. David does like three people’s worth of work around here and now I have to do it all by myself. If we can keep from killing anyone or burning the camp down until he gets back, we can have an ice cream party. Capiche?”

There’s a general murmur while the children weigh the merits of arson versus ice cream, but ultimately decide in favor of the party. Fewer cops, more chocolate.

Max is the only one who thinks that it might not be worth it. His own reward assessment comes up in favor of torturing Gwen. He can always dip into the dregs of the candy supply that wasn’t confiscated, but messing with the counselors? Irreplaceable.

Gwen needs a list to tell her everything David does in a day, one that was given to him by Campbell and which he memorized years ago. She watches him go through it every day, but by now he speeds through it so fast that she barely even registers most of the tasks on it. They make sense, she supposes, but she’s not used to them. Not to mention the fact that she doesn’t care.

After she’s already put away the painting supplies and cleaned up the mess hall, she begins to work on washing dishes from lunch. Periodically, she checks on the children just to ensure they all have roughly the same number of digits this morning. She’s got one earbud in and is listening to a smutty audiobook. Honestly, it’s a little soothing. Normally, these are her least favorite activities because she hates touching wet food, but now, it’s giving her a welcome reprieve from the squealing and hollering outside as the campers play Humans vs. Zombies with water guns. She hasn’t even realized that a few hours have passed when David bursts into the mess hall, his eyes frantic and feverish, while she’s setting up for dinner. Gwen immediately rushes to his side.

“David? I told you to stay in bed.”

“But the fire,” he argues.

“Fire?”

She practically runs out the door with the extinguisher in hand only to find the camp very much as it’s always been. When she walks back inside, he’s pacing, wringing his hands together anxiously. He walks in large, lazy, dizzy circles around the mess hall. He looks up when she returns, a desperate plea clear across his face.

“Did you put it out?”

“David, there’s nothing there. I think you had a fever dream.”

He shakes his head. “Max,” he argues. “Max isn’t here.”

“He’s getting ready for bed with the other campers.” She reaches out and places her palm across his forehead, then frowns. “Woah. You're really burning up. You need to take something and go back to bed.”

“We need to find him.” She argues again that he’s fine, but David is having none of it. “He’s all alone.” His eyes are filled with tears that don’t spill over.

“David, don’t—”

“Please. We have to find him. It’s not safe.”

Though reluctant to leave him alone, it seems as though the only thing that’s going to alleviate his panic enough to get him to take another dose of fever reducers is to show him that everything is okay. “Fine. I’ll go get him if it means you’ll calm down.”

She tells him not to move while she tracks Max down. He’s about to head into his cabin when she stops him.

“I need to borrow you,” she says. Max rolls his eyes,

“No. Anything else?”

“I mean it. David’s freaking out in the mess hall and isn’t going to stop until he sees you.” Max frowns.

“What do you mean, ‘freaking out?’ I thought you said he was sick in bed.”

“Come see for yourself.” Citing the fact that it’ll be fun to see him in a state, he follows. When she opens the door for him, David comes rushing to his side.

“Max,” he breathes, dropping to his knees. His eyes are glassy, either from illness or from tears. “I’m so glad to see you.”

“Woah,” he manages, caught off guard by how markedly less fun this is than he’d anticipated. He looks awful. Likely feels awful. And he’s outright distressed. Max has never wanted this no matter how much he says he does. David’s hands are worryingly hot as he lays them on his shoulders, and this close, he can feel heat pouring off of him. “Well, I’m alive, so is this over? Can I leave?”

“What happened? Where are you hurt?”

“I’m not,” he snaps. “You just had a nightmare. Everything’s fine.”

“But I—I saw you.” A tear spills over onto his cheek and he wipes it away swiftly before replacing his hands on Max’s shoulders. He swats him away and wiggles out of his grip.

“Jesus, he’s acting crazy. How sick is he?”

“I need to take his temperature but he’s too worked up. He’s going to make it worse.”

“I’m so sorry, I let you—I didn’t—and you could have been hurt and I—” He trails off in a shuddering breath.

“David,” Max says slowly. “You’ve gotta calm the fuck down. Nothing happened. You’re out of your mind.”

It appears as though he doesn’t even hear him. None of his reassurances are registering judging by the quickening of his breath, but he’s losing steam quickly. His head droops forward but he catches himself. Max inches back toward him. He’s not even trying to maintain an image of nonchalance anymore. This is scaring him.

“David?”

That’s all he has time for before David slumps forward. Max has to push against his shoulders to keep him from hitting the ground face first.

“Holy shit,” Gwen exclaims as she drags him under his arms to get him to lie flat on his back. It seems as though he’d only lost consciousness for a second or two. “David, hey. Look at me.”

“The kids,” he says, his tone thin and watery. He’s still near tears. He’s still breathing in shallow, stuttering breaths that don’t quite reach the bottoms of his lungs. If he keeps this up, he’s going to faint again.

“I think you’re having a panic attack,” she says, her tone soft and gentle. “You need to breathe slowly.”

“I’m fine, I just—” a quick breath, “need to,” another breath, “find them,” a breath and a breath and a breath, loud and frantic and fast.

“Should I go get the other campers? Or, like, an ambulance?”

“He’s a little delirious. He’s not going to come out of it until I get the fever down.” She places his hand on her chest so he can feel her breathing as well as hear it while she tries to soothe him. It helps marginally. He’s no longer hyperventilating, but he certainly doesn’t calm down.

“Thanks for helping, Max. You don’t have to stay.” Instead of immediately turning tail and running, Max shifts from foot to foot.

“Is he, like… okay? Because he seems like he’s not okay.”

“I’m going to see if I can get him to take some flu medicine.” It’s not a definitive answer and that’s by careful design. She doesn’t want to break his fragile trust by promising things are going to be fine and then carting David off to the hospital in an hour if she can’t get his temperature down. Even Gwen knows better than to do that to Max.

“Do you need help?”

The offer is tentative and awkward, but earnest. Max is worried and trying.

“Actually, could you sit with him for a minute and make sure he doesn’t try to run off while I go get some things?”

Max nods.

“Great.Thanks. I’ll be right back.” His attention switches back to David as soon as the door slams behind her. He can’t believe things have gotten so bad so fast. He seemed totally normal when they’d started painting after breakfast. Sure, he looked bad when he’d gone to lie down, pale and sweaty, but it was nothing like this. He’s not sure what this is, but it doesn’t seem safe. Max has been sick before. He’s even seen David sick before. Only once over the years, but he hadn’t detached from reality about it. Whatever this is, it’s not normal.

David tries to push himself to his feet only to be kicked in the shin hard enough to stop him. “Owie!” he exclaims.

“You’re not going anywhere.”

“But the campers.”

“How many times do we have to tell you everyone is fine? It was a bad dream. Stop being a freak.” Max has a feeling that if he could stand up right now, that he would run off looking for the others. It’s almost worse to see him so still, given how worked up he is. A single tear streams down David’s cheek and while Max is pretty sure he won’t remember any of this tomorrow, it still makes him feel like shit. “Hey, stop doing that. Gwen’s gonna be back any second with medicine. You’ll feel better after you take it.”

“Everything feels so fuzzy. And hot.” Max shifts uncomfortably from foot to foot, unsure of what to do. He’s normally so confident, so decisive. But he’s way out of his league with this, and it’s scaring him.

“It’s gonna be fine. You’re just really sick. Relax.” Just as he’s running out of things to say in response to David’s feverish ramblings, she reappears in the doorway with the first aid kit. Max never thought there would be a day when he was glad to see her.

“How is he?” she asks rhetorically. She can clearly see he’s a wreck. She removes a thermometer from the bag and hands it to him. Apparently he’s at least a little lucid, because he places it in his mouth without complaint. In two minutes, it beeps, and Gwen grimaces at the 104 degree reading. This is bad. It’s so, so bad. She needs an adult to handle this, preferably one with an MD and a lot of patience.

“Take these,” she commands as she sets two small pills in his hand. He does as she says, chasing them with an offered water bottle. “Good. Drink as much as you can.”

“You put out the fire?”

“There’s no fire,” she says reassuringly, her hand stroking his in an attempt to ground him. “Breathe.” David does, for the first time since he’s sprinted out of his tent, breathe deeply and slowly. She offers words of encouragement and never steals her hand away.

“Are you sure he shouldn’t be in the hospital?” Max asks. She sighs.

“Maybe, but this place doesn’t give us health insurance. I want to try to fix it here before I ruin his life with medical bills.”

God, that’s so unfair, Max thinks. Just another reason to hate this stupid place.

“What if he doesn’t get better?”

“David,” she dodges, “do you think you could do me a favor?”

His eyes snap open and he nods desperately. “Anything.”

“I need to get you in a cool shower. It’s not gonna be pleasant, but you’ll feel a lot better after. Do you think you can walk that far?”

This time, his affirmative is hesitant, more like he’s agreeing for her sake than that he’s actually considering the question. Whether that’s true or not, it’s good enough for Gwen. She sends Max off to start the water running and meets him, supporting David and guiding him where he needs to go because while he’s got his feet firmly beneath him, he’s still loopy as fuck. She doesn’t even let him try to shower by himself, instead opting to guide him into the stream and sitting him down on the floor, fully clothed. The only thing she bothers with is taking his phone out of hit pocket.

“You don’t have to stay, Max,” she reminds him. “You should go to bed.” He knows she’s right, but he can’t bring himself to leave, not with the severity of what’s happening here. There’s no way that she can handle this on her own. She’s going to get him killed, and then she’ll be in charge. God help them, then.

She shields David’s eyes with a cupped hand, feeling the heat radiating there. She hopes that this will help. He stays under the stream for what feels like a lifetime, but is really probably about 15 minutes or so.

“What’s going on?” he asks, staring down at his drenched clothes and running a hang through sopping hair. Gwen reaches for a towel and hands it to him, and he’s at least coherent enough to know what to do with it. He rubs the towel over his head to dry his hair. “Why am I in the shower?” He looks down. “In my clothes?”

“What do you remember?”

He thinks for a long moment. “Woah. It’s all a bit hazy. I think I had a bad dream?”

She nods, relieved that he’s finally able to call it that. “You ran out of the cabin raving that the camp was on fire. Your fever spiked and you got a little out of your mind.” He looks devastated, embarrassed.

“I’m so sorry.” It’s then that he notices Max standing a little ways away, watching the scene without being a part of it. “Max? What are you doing up?”

Of course he noticed before he could quietly slip away without being seen.

“You were freaked out that I was dead. Gwen made me prove I’m not.” She smirks.

“That was over an hour ago.”

He kicks his foot against the dirt and David doesn’t make him say he’s worried, admit that he cares. Instead, he groans as he hauls himself to his feet, wavering for a moment before Gwen can steady him.

“I think I’m going to go change into something dry.” His teeth are chattering from the tepid water.

“Nuh-uh. Not until your temperature comes back below 103.” She hands the thermometer over and they wait a long two minutes before it beeps. She takes it before he can even look. “103.2,” she says unhappily. “I can live with that. It’s still really high, though.”

“I’m really fine to just go to bed. I don’t want to keep anyone up.”

“I’m not taking my eyes off you,” she says. She plans on sleeping on the couch so that if he wants to leave the counselor’s cabin, he’ll have to go through her first. “Come on. Let’s get you to bed.”

“Max—”

“Yeah, yeah,” he interjects, “I’ll go to bed, too.”

“Thanks for helping,” Gwen says. “I owe you one.” Before he can open his mouth, she glares. “Within reason.”

“Fine. Goodnight.”

“Max,” David calls. He doesn’t turn around. “Thanks.” He acts like he doesn’t hear it even though they all know he did.

Gwen turns her attention to getting David standing once more. With the fever down, he seems steadier on his feet, but still a little wobbly. She makes a mental note to make him drink a bottle of water before he goes to sleep.

“How are you feeling?”

He forces a smile. “Not great,” he admits, “but better.” She doubts he really remembers those delirious moments, but better is something. The walk back to the cabin is much easier than the walk to the showers. She sits right outside the door as he changes into dry sweatpants and a t-shirt. Funny, she thinks. He’s always slept in his uniform, if he sleeps at all. She’s not sure she’s ever even seen him out of uniform. He looks sick: flushed but no longer worryingly so and pale but no longer toeing death’s door.

“Here,” she says, handing over a Gatorade and a banana. “Drink half of it and eat what you can.” He doesn’t even open the granola bar, but he does sip the Gatorade while they watch Bob Ross, though his eyes haven’t been open in a while.

“You’re going to be so tired tomorrow. I’m sorry.”

“Eh, I’m always tired. I’ll just let the kids free play. I told them if they’re good, they can have an ice cream party.”

“Good idea.” He rubs the back of his neck. “I’m so sorry about—”

“Don’t do that.”

“--about all the trouble—”

“David,” she curtails. “Don’t start. It’s not like it was your fault.”

“Okay. Thanks.” He places his hand atop hers, and she doesn’t pull away. “And thanks for taking care of me.”

“Of course.” She leans in and places her head on his hot shoulder. She really is exhausted, and the next few days are only going to be worse. “I think it’s time for bed.”

“Yeah.” But instead, they just fall asleep like together like that on the couch.

#camp camp sickfic #camp camp fanfic #camp camp david #camp camp david angst

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seirindono · 1 year

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Update

Hi everyone!

It's been a while, hasn't it?

For some of you, this may be the first time you've actually seen me on your feed since I'm on my annual hiatus so... Hi! I'm Seirin, your friendly skeleton lover and author of The Missing Scarf, that one Undertale comic (o´▽`o)

If you were not aware, this blog is usually only active in the summer and/or during the holidays as I'm a student, but I figured I should still write a little smth as I really haven't given any news for a long while now.

So, um, this blog is still very much alive, and so is TMS! DEMON AU TOO

Truth is, I didn't anticipate back in September the sheer amount of work I'd have to pull off this year as well as the crazy schedule, house mouves, and many, many group assignements... I've always managed but this year is just rough, both physically and mentally (that was new). I had a serious slump around new year and didn't even have the motivation to draw or open social medias for a while.

But you know me, always ranting that health comes first and that I’ve seen enough burned out artists to know not to go beyond my limits. (*￣▽￣)b So knowing that I had this 30 pages+ lore doc, unfinished sketches and pile of unanswered asks just waiting for me whenever I wanted to work on TMS, I knew I wasn’t up for the task and had to put it off for later. And later. Again and again.

That's about it for the venting section.

As of today, I'm still short of time but I've got some of my energy back, enough to write this anyway. But also *drum roll* to work on the next part of TMS!

And this is where the real announcement comes in: while I'm still on hiatus, I'm planning to adjust the publication schedule a bit for this part. Until now, I'd post a chapter (1 page per day) only after I finished drawing it in its entirety. For this part however, I've decided to try a monthly (or bi-monthly) publication, to give me some leeway, and for you to have actual updates.

We'll see if I can keep up with this pace, but it seems much more satisfying for everyone ( ´ ▿ ` )

So there you go. Sorry again to those who kept sending me Asks and dms I never got to answer. I just kinda turn into a hermit when overwhelmed or don’t notice them at all (I feel extra bad when I eventually do but every drop of energy needs to be salvaged for irl emergency), but I really appreciate the thought! And, yeah, I haven't disappeared into thin air. I’m just... Lurking here and there.

Thanks for your patience and I'll see you soon!

Updates will be on the 1st of each month (and occasionally on the 15th)

#seirin talks #the missing scarf #news #txt #hiatus #part VII #so what did I miss?#feels like I'm re discovering my own lore each time I come back here #can't blame you if you do too haha #time to jog my memory back #a big thanks to the discord crew #Norma relayed some of your messages and you're all too sweet *sigh*

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aemiron-main · 2 years

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Mike holding Will’s face in his hands while Will is getting vecna’d and Will’s nose and eyes and ears are bleeding even though he hasn’t risen into the air yet (since he’s using his powers tm to fight against vecna so he hasn’t risen up yet AND he’s bleeding) and the blood is running across mike’s fingertips and down his palms and his wrists.

and then Mike, later, after Will is out of the trance, having to scrub Will’s blood off of his hands, and no matter how much he scrubs, he swears he can still see stains from it on his pale skin.

Mike, having his lady Macbeth moment, feeling as if Will’s blood is literally and figuratively on his hands because Mike found out that he was part of Will’s vecna vision. (he overheard a conversation between Will and El, and even though Will didn’t mention details, Mike knows he was in it and he knows it was bad and that he was being used to hurt Will/was the one hurting Will, that he played a role in what almost killed Will, even if he didn’t mean to, even though he had no control over it.)

#stranger things #byler #mike wheeler #will byers #will gets vecna’d #Mike has his lady Macbeth moment #byler scenarios #st5 scenarios #st5

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solarianvoidthearoace · 11 months

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youtube

Okay, listen– Listen! Seeing videos like this I can’t dislike Ran, she’s a strong and powerful female character. She’s badass and she’s iconic and an inspiration for little girls. (Not kidding.)

She can fight, she powers through, she can knock down guys like houses of cards. She is a certified badass woman and inspiring both due to her femininity combined with her martial arts proficiency. Because she is feminine and still wipes the floor with your average criminal.

She is whiny at times, pining for “her” Shinichi but that’s fine, I can handle a whiny main girl and strong lead woman character if they are one and the same.

I am not much of a fan of her pining and her getting whiny/ crying for Shinichi every chance she gets. Still, I respect her as a strong female character.

However, towards the end of the video… those are the scenes why I – personally – consider ShinRan to be toxic and borderline abusive.

I had originally posted this in a reblog on my KID movie poll but finding this video gave me an incentive to make it its own post.

Aside from this video, one example is the after-credit of movie 3 with Ran straight-up threatening to physically abuse Shinichi. Like, folks, that’s my main reason I dislike her.

Ran started out as a strong female character, which is awesome, but over the years she descended to 1) “Save us, Shinichi!~” and 2) physically abusive

I get that she’s whiny at times and while I generally dislike whiny characters (see Martin from TMA), I can handle that

I can handle the Main Girl(tm) being whiny and pining for Shinichi

But that drive to keep her a strong female character who needs no man lead to her being increasingly physically abusive. She cries and pines, fine.

But then Shinichi does show up and what does Ran do? Either first thing, she hits him for being away for so long. Or she slaps/ hits him when he tells her he has to go back to his case and can’t stay. I understand her upset, I understand her pining.

Nobody has a right to vent their upset through physical abuse, though.

But a girl who can knock down a lamp-post, who can kick a man trough a window, ESPECIALLY has no right to raise her hand against her love-interest!

That’s one of the first things every martial art ever teaches you, do not resort to violence if there is even a sliver of another safe option.

I get that Kogoro knocking Conan about was played for shits and giggles, it’s a thing of that time when the manga/ anime started out. And accordingly Ran venting her upset through physical violence also was a product of that time and result of portraying her as the strong/ physically tough lead girl.

But she is his love interest for crying out loud and among many other scenes the after-credit of movie 3 emphasises that Shinichi is scared of her hitting him as soon as he gets back.

That’s not funny!

Physical abuse is not funny. And a strong female character directing physical abuse at her no-show love interest doesn’t make it funny.

My main ship always has been and always will be KaiShin. But I also know that would never become canon because DCMK doesn’t do queer. It’s “kid-friendly”, it can’t do queer.

But for goodness’ sake do I wish – desperately wish – the Main Couple became MasuShin instead. Masumi is on-par with him, she’s quick-witted, she’s silly, I love her queer vibes, and she understands/ encourages Shinichi every step of the way.

That’s another thing! Ran despises Shinichi’s work. It’s a common motive in fanfic (hence played up) that she forbids him from taking cases. But her dislike for his work – his passion his calling – is there.

I just can’t see ShinRan be healthy. And that opinion hasn’t changed in the 14 years I have been watching Detective Conan.

Edited to add:

I also want to clarify that I am not basing my opinion off the movies (alone), in fact, any DCMK movie outside the KID movies, movie 3 specifically, and movie 18 onwards, I haven’t watched in years. I am referencing movie 3 specifically because I recently watched it but this behaviour certainly is in the anime/ manga/ canon as well. The London Arc, that restaurant date in a skyscraper where he stood her up and Conan had to apologise (which also got used for an opening/ ending), the early episodes where Shinichi makes a comeback, the “Murder Suspect: Kudo Shinichi” Arc where he hides from Ran, and that’s just off the top of my head because I was on a fandom-hiatus for around 2 years and don’t care enough for ShinRan to rewatch these things.

I’m so sorry (sarcasm) that I didn’t provide receipts for my critique of Ran. But I’m also not about to go through the series for the entire purpose of making an itemised list of Ran abusing/ hitting Shinichi. If I do a rewatch from the early episodes on, I might keep a notepad handy and jot down the instances of Ran smacking Shinichi but don’t hold your breath because I tend to avoid the romance-heavy episodes in general, no matter the pair.

#shinran critical #ran mouri critical #detective conan #dcmk #dcmk anime #physical abuse #tw abuse #abuse tw #abuse mention #toxic ship #toxic canon ship #physical abuse tw #tw physical abuse

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void-and-virtue · 5 months

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OP I LOVED UR ANDREIL POST GOING CRAZY THINKING ABOUT IT if you have anything else in that amazing brain of yours on this take please do share because i absolutely LOVED how you articulated this aspect about andreil. its something i particularily appreciate about their dynamic and relationship with anger and Their Issues TM. your post will cross my mind whenever ill think about it from now on.

I don’t think I have ever gotten an ask and this is kind of making me go insane??? I hope you know that you made my day and also, I’m so glad people share in my endless brainrot bc when it comes to this series and these characters I simply cannot stop

It really isn’t nearly talked about enough that the thing that got Andrew to actually look at Neil and become interested was (as cited by Neil himself at some point tho I can’t remember in which book that scene is from the top of my head) Neil’s bone-deep jealousy of Kevin. It’s—it ties into that whole epiphany that Neil has at some point, when he looks at Andrew and realizes that while he is hurtling towards his own breaking point and about to burn out and shatter into something he’s not sure he’d recognize if he survived the encounter, Andrew hit that point and broke from it years ago. And that’s an understanding that goes both ways between them—in a fucked up way, it feels like Andrew might be the future that Neil has waiting for him if he doesn’t end the year six feet under: hollow and drifting, passionless after everything he had to rip away from himself to be able to survive. At the same time, Neil probably reminds Andrew of how he used to be, back when he had hope for things only to have that hope rip him apart—which is exactly where Neil seems to be headed for the majority of the story.

I think that a lot of Andrew’s understanding of Neil comes from the fact that he knows intimately what it feels like to be caught between a rock and a hard place and cut his own lifeline, only to then fail to die on impact. Neil hasn’t had to resort to that yet, but he is hanging by a thread. You’d think that watching him struggle would only serve to drive it home for Andrew that he made the right choice in closing himself off, except… well. His expectations of life and the people in it are so bleak, it’s no wonder he finds himself drawn to Neil’s messy emotions and every unexpected show of spine like a moth to a flame.

Neil, for all of his issues and scars, can still feel things—can still want something so badly it defies all logic. Can want something with such visceral, fucked-up intensity that it resonates where it shouldn’t. It’s an ability that Andrew thinks he’s either lost or cut out of himself to stay somewhat safe, sane and alive a long time ago, but that remains as the most fundamental crack in the foundation of his being. It’s a fascination that seems to come out every time he’s sober and eventually ties into him wanting Neil—wanting something worth wanting and putting a name to it once he finds it. They look at each other and don’t want a watered-down version of the person in front of them. It creates a relationship that embraces issues big and small and accepts (even values!) the messy parts of being human. It means that any space shared between them immediately becomes safe once they settle into something comfortable together. The way they handle the uglier sides of each other’s personality honestly makes me feral because it’s always done with understanding and acceptance and they even find positives or comforts there that the other can’t see and that’s probably a reason for why 1) their chemistry is so off the charts and 2) their relationship is so damn healthy (in addition to their communication being stupidly good when it comes to each other).

Andrew wants something real and Neil wants to be real. And then they get to have exactly that.

#I hope this is even somewhat coherent #this went way out of hand but it’s an aspect of them that’s so hard to put into words #something something Andrew’s almost detached fascination with intense emotions and fervor #he shows that same tendency when it comes to Kevin vs exy as well #in the sense that I’m convinced Kevin’s passion both fucks him up and mystifies him #Neil is just much more up close and personal bc yeah his original devotion that caught Andrew’s eye was to the sport #but then Andrew got to experience that devotion turned around on himself full force #you cannot tell me he was ready for that #but also also #this and the og posts were meant to be about Neil and Neil’s emotions being ugly and messy and human #and how that resonates with Andrew because even terrible feelings can be better than an emotionless void #between numbness and twisted-up falsities #Neil’s raw emotions were probably the most honest thing about him early series and he had a lot that he was never allowed to express before #and not only is Andrew safe to let go of those inhibitions around #Neil also wants for Andrew to relearn how to enjoy that same privilege with him #losing control and all that #there’s a lot that can be said about all of this and I’m really not fully finding the words but. THEM. That’s all and thank you.#also ty for the ask I was really !!! when I saw that in my inbox :)))(#aftg #all for the game #neil josten #andrew minyard #andreil #aftg meta #answered asks

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