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understandableparadox · 3 months

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a comprehensive list of everything wrong with hazbin hotel.

quick note before i lose myself in madness, my standards for helluvaboss are non existent because its a free show on youtube. also i kinda like helluvaboss and i will indulge in any bias i damn well please.

oh and spoilers. i guess.

the greater narrative of the entire season is "White lady civilize inner city hoodlum". ex: The blind side. rich girl, affluent family yadda yadda.

the story is set up to be like amphibia, owl house, svtfoe, steven universe, that being starting as something episodic then transforming into story driven narrative. why? because we know the benefits and drawbacks, episodic starts allows us to wander the world, it allows us to understand the dynamics, we are not forced to reckon with anything because there is no deadline. characters are allowed to bloom and shine and the audience can actually get attached.

the source material is Vary Clearly formed from remnants of something out of a middle school edgelord narrative. the usage of transformation, the big spooky grins, the "and then i smile as my eyes glow and-"-isms which in most cases i don't mind because in some instances but in a vary Particular case its astoundingly annoying and that annoyance is like a mold, shit spreads quick.

the color Red. as a lover of homestuck cherubs and karkat and aradia, as someone who fucking loves the color red, it is so painful to say but holy shit tone it the fuck down, i know its hell but their are so many other colors that you can use, its everywhere, the streets, the air, the windows, the screens, the characters, i know the pride ring is represented with red but change up the palates every so often for backgrounds

the rush, this ties into the second point made but i think the story itself is rushed. we know everything way to early. i know way to much and it makes it hard to care about anything because im still trying to digest the last chunk of info. "oh ok, so they clear out hell once a year. oh hell has a heaven embassy? ok. oh that adam the angel, i though he wou- oh its every 6 months now. wait the exterminators die a lot? then why is everyone sca- people in hell already have weapons that can kill angels? w- oh we are in heaven now, ok ma- no one in heaven except for the elites know the exterminations occur? how do-" and its that, just this incessant rush to explain everything to you. notably that's just the god damn spark notes, we need to know everything about the characters now, every single bit of their story, their insecurities, what charlie needs to fix, how she can fix them, the major bad guys, everything. you are never allowed to dwell on a character because we need to rush towards something else. it almost feels like this should have been like... season three, it would have been a fantastic season three if you dropped the introductions honestly.

the concept of redemption. for a story of redemption to work you need to look at three things. What is there crime, Do they want to change, What is preventing them from changeing? there is only one single character that has a notable path of redemption, angel dust, but if you look through their story it feels off. What Exactly is he guilty of? he has sex, does drugs and drinks. his apparent nymphomania is tied to his sad backstory as someone forced into the sex industry so how is that their fault? then if you think about it you start to spiral and notice "hey why are most of these people in hell?" like sure some of them may deserve punishment but then you see the fucking dichotomy and its like "I was a inventor in england and died of the fucking plague, i may have made evil little contraption hoohoohoo" vs "I was a cannibal, a full on cannibal, i fucking killed people and ate them and then someone shot me". ONE OF THESE THINGS ARE A LITTLE MORE FUCKING EXTREME. i'm going to go fucking nuts, the thing they went to heaven with when presenting a case to angels on the idea that redemption and becoming a better person is actually real was angel dust not drinking at a party and not having sex with consenting adults and i want to go fucking insane. WHAT IS THE CRIME, WHO IS THROWING THE BOOK, WHAT DOES THE BOOK INTEL, ARE WE ON GOOD PLACE RULES?! half the cast dont Need redemption they need fucking help, and the other half of the cast do need redemption but they do not seek it making the point moot. sir pentious acts like he has the brain of a hyper intelligent toddler tossing about toys, its almost like he did his one bad thing of spying and then got caught, sank his little diddy about forgiveness and second chances and become a null point through out the rest of the series, sure their was Some weight to him sacrificing himself, he was a decently funny character and he had good moments but him popping up in heaven felt like a fore gone conclusion, he didn't deserve to be in hell so why do i care that he is suddenly in heaven? because its working on the concept the good place already made. no one actually deserves eternal punishment they just need help processing what makes them a dick, but instead of looking at all the parts of the afterlife that make it bad, inefficient and then creating and trying ideas to see if it work instead over a few seasons, we crash dick first into all the major plot points in regards to that and say "tada, we fixed it.".

having a sub-plot about sexual assault and its victims then having multiple sexual assault related gag ruins your point.

don't make a bunch of stereotypically jewish characters into cannibals, that was a big thing, really shouldn't have to say it.

if you are going to make a character black, make them black, you can say alastor was black but sweet seren-fucking-dippity that's not a black man.

pot meet kettle but yeah the cursing could be a little less liberal. maybe just blue hair or the pronouns, not both.

there is a very distinctive art deco/jazz aesthetic which normally i love but i feel as though it is not used to its full extent and in some cases really hurts the character design in and of itself.

this is a vary obvious bit but the story is a million times more interested in gay men then it is of lesbians, which culminates in this insane thing where the writers clearly have more talent or perhaps it would be more abt to say practice writing male gay pining then they are with lesbian pining. which i personally think is hilarious because i did not know you could min max fujoshi-ism that hard.

this next section is more to do with each character on a fundamental level, for the sake of brevity whatever there is left, i'm just doing ones with speaking roles.

13. Charlie:

(see what i mean about that red thing?)

as originally stated charlie fits rather comfortably into every white saviour narrative, though that seems to be part of her joke. though i'm not entirely sure how much of a joke it can be when its rewarded and expected to advance the plot.

her character design says nothing, it has the motif of old puppets or dolls, she wears something vaguely similar to service suits, her demonic form is just some extra horns.not to say every character needs to have their life on a clothes rack but some more snake and goat imagery would be nice

its not the chol design of charlie with snake hair, not an actual problem but its a problem to me, damn you @cholvoq for ruining my ability to look at any of the characters without wishing i was seeing your designs instead.

character wise aside from the white savoir bit, i'm having a bit of trouble understanding what the arc of the character is. she is shown to be naive, someone who doesn't understand how the world works but everytime she says something its something astoundingly clear like "people can actually get better". and its treated like someone demanded faygo in every water fountain. is the joke that the world around her to cynical or is so to naive? please pick one or the other.

now if you know me, you know i fucking hate overpowered characters with a blinding passion, one that would set alit the god damn abyss but in this one special instance, i feel like its warranted, she's the direct descendant of fucking God, she can swing her weight around a little, i mean god damn. she in so many instances looks like shes cowering so often, why would the daughter of lucifer get backed down by some rando pimp? why wasn't she the one to fight adam? sure you can say she is young but how young? her parents were there since pre-abrahamic times, most of the characters showed up in hell in the 1900s, some of them showed up in the 1600s, how old is charlie??? how long does it take for her to learn how to be strong? The story does not suffer if charlie is strong and knows she is strong. it can easily be a case of "i don't believe in violence to a weird degree". fit it into her apparent naivety about the world to believe that violence is never the answer even when dealing with a being that is unilaterally horrible and abusive and monstrous.

she ga- no im kidding, i do think her romance was waysided a bit, it would have been fine to have more scenes of them togather and in love you know?

14. Vaggie

why did you name the lesbian vaggie...? Don't do that maybe?

I like how her design is almost moth like but again i feel as though you could have amped that up.

she feels as though someone tried to combine undyne and pearl from steven universe, same story beats and design elements. it makes it hard to really distinguish her as a character.

i honestly dont have much to say about her. she is fine.

christ kill me, lets just get the big one out of the way

15. Alastor.

God Damn

where to start.

"alastor is mixed race" mixed with fucking what? concrete? there is not a single black feature on that creature, now im not saying you have to make him a png of louie armstrong but it wouldn't hurt to add a curl to the hair maybe? make it a tiny bit more wavy? Something? a crumb i beg of thee?

his symbolism is all over the god damn place, native american monsters (you know the one), voodoo, radio, puppets, stitches, circuses??? and Tentacles i guess. two of those are from closed religions so if you dumped those you would actually get a more concise character focused on the concept of vox populi as a means of societal control and influence as we see in his first song. but again that gets drowned out repeatedly by all the other random toy box bits shoved into him.

tumblr sexy man bait

he serves no purpose in the story. he does spooky stuff, pretends to do things and then goes back to sitting around looking spooky. i understand that his motif is supposed to be aloof mastermind but maybe have him do more mastermindy things? if you remove most of alastors scenes, bar the songs, it doesn't change all to much. husk and nifity can still be at the hotel, they could be looking for outs in their contracts the same as angel dust. hell it even helps with the one scene where he dose some spooky shit, asking charlie for a favor in exchange for his help in the fight with the angels instead of asking him about angel weapons which should have remained a strictly vaggie scene.

his presence in a way delegitimize the story, as I noted in in the section regarding redemption, the three parts are "what is the crime, do they want to change, what is stopping them?" and alastor kinda just spits in the face of that. he is a serial killer cannibal that has no qualms about how evil he is and apparently must continue being evil due to being under the control under someone legitimately called the Root Of All Evil. show him take a slight interest in the idea that maybe shit for him could be better, make him Want Change at the bare fucking minimum or dont have him at the hotel.

his stupid little fucking horns, big shot the troll liker wants characters to have big fucking horns, make them noticeable or dont have them.

he looks more like a dog boy, which could have been an interesting thing with the collar motif but fuck me i guess.

personal pet peeve but i fucking hate characters that have a million plus powers, stick to a set number, be creative.

im getting more petty as i go on so last point: he could have been in less episodes, he didn't need to be in dad beat dad, that should have been just a lucifer and charlie episode. inverse the red and black and i think he would be fucking great color wise, his body type is the same as ten different characters, he isnt radio enough, aside from the voice and and staff if you told me he was the fucking Cat Demon i would have been just as convinced.

16. Angel Dust

what the fuck, gay spider? its hard to actully articulate all the thoughts i have on angel dust, not in the sense that he is a deeply thought provoking character but in the fact that there is not much meat on the bones.

all around i think angel dust is kinda middling. he has a decent enough romance with husk, he has a decent enough story line that revolves around battling addiction and removing yourself from an abuser (which the story tries to brand as "Redemption???")

I dont like that most of his jokes would qualify as sexual harassment, i don't mind him being sexual as a character but continuing on when clearly someone doesn't like the jokes hurts the character.

not a critique but he is pink, which honestly ill fucking take at point, as long as its not more fucking red.

i think his design is an improvement over some of the old vivzie designs but it feels like it could have done with going a few more rounds of design changes.

same thing with alastor, charlie and vaggie, there is not enough of the animal that they are supposed to be. You could have told me angel dust was a fucking bee or something and i would have had to believe you. nothing about angel dust initially says spider, hell he dosent even have enough limps to be a fucking spider.

17. Carmilla carmine

are... are you supposed to be a rabbit...?

Big Yoai Hands

ballet fighting style, could have been cool, wish she fought more like sanji or chun li.

A single mom that works to hard, who loves her kids and never stops-

her song was decent, not great, decent. it feels as though the actress has experience singing but not in the way they tried to make her sing during her two songs. they have a obvious mexican influence, honestly just let her sing in spanish in the english dub. go listen to the spanish dub, "out for love" sounds great in spanish.

i wish i had more thoughts on them, fucking rip.

18. cherri bomb

that's not a punk aesthetic that's 2010s alt

decent character, they showed up once or twice i guess, no real thoughts.

19. egg boiz

absolutely perfect, i have not notes on them, these are perfect creatures.

20. Emily

im so fucking happy to see a singular blue character

does the naive dreamer bit better then charlie

We really shouldnt have seen her until the end of season two or middle of three.

good contrast with the other angels on screen.

Wait she is supposed to be black??? Where???

21. Husk

keith david you absolute delight, Why on gods green earth did they only give you one singing part?

one of the few charecters where its clear husk is a cat, i do like the kinda... marquee design, he is a magic cat, thats neat. i still think you can toss the wings and eyebrows and still have just as good of a charecter.

has a deeply intresting story of someone who died as a nobody, became the fat cat of hell and then was forced back to the bottom by their own vices, not used at fucking all.

huge potential, little pay off.

22. lillith

I know nothing about her except she ditched her kid and husband to vacation in heaven and i think thats kinda funny.

alot of werid things floating around her, again she shouldnt have been shown in the show at all until next season.

23. lucifer morningstar

no notes, funniest charecter, did a song based on friend like me.

few notes: i do like the idea that the immortal symbol of pride is a constant emotional wreckage constantly seeking approval through grand showmanship and manic energy that threatens to take over anything they touch.

would have liked more snake stuff on him, maybe some more goat things like horns.

that is such a stupid fucking staff lmao.

24. Adam.

alex brightman you absolute fucking delight, you should have had more songs.

I wish his design was more focused on the idea of him being a glam rock wash up

I fucking hate his mask

We shouldn't have met him until the end of the season.

25. Niffty

again she is supposed to be a bug or cockroach but nothing about her points to that.

token straight

keeps rocketing back and fourth between sexulization and infantilization

you had kimiko glenn but didnt give her a single fucking song?

26. Sir Pentious

the secret season one redeemed.

the pilot version of him felt more like someone that could do a season one redemption arc, a megalomaniac constantly attempting territory grabs, there is something you can work with, actual character flaws to work through.

essentially a child after the first episode.

actually a snake which i appreciate.

no where near steampunky enough.

27. the villians of the show dont make much sense, each one feels like they should be season long deals on their own instead of a bunch of team rocket esque idiots that show up on occasion, do a bad thing and then leave.

28. Valentino

gOD THERE IS SO MUCH RED

only a moth some of the time.

sucks as a villain, maybe they need more screen time to show why they suck in a more substantial way aside from being told that he sucks.

it is interesting that angel dust is only under his magical control when in the studio, it shows that angel dust has to make a conscious choice to return, which in turn can be made to show how abusers can draw back their victims. I do not think it was done well in this circumstance as it shows him to be cartoonishly evil, constantly flying back and fourth between sweet and utter psycho, there is no actual reason for angel dust to ever actually go back to the studio, he just does so every so often.

29. Vox

legit who cares? the only thing about him that is in any way substantial is all the dope ass fan art we get.

propaganda machine angle that is not explored at all, just hinted at. no actual barring on the story whatsoever.

why didn't he try to do the same shit as alastor by the way? he knows its bad if alastor gets in good with charlie so shouldn't it be a ass kissing race?

same body shape as literally every other male character.

tumblr sexy man version of pyrocynicals fursona.

30. Valvette

the actual poster child of the shows huge problem of "Show me, don't tell me".

apparently the glue that holds the villains together. never shown.

apparently the one that makes the love potions that valentino is famous for. had to learn about that in the fuckin wiki trivias

we know so much about her from things outside of the show.

was there to call carmilla a coward, that's her plot contribution. she shows up every now and again but its never anything substantial and serves to more around take up run time for people We Don't Need To Know Yet.

im not trying to be mean, animation is animation, we need smaller studios to have success in the industry so that other indie studios can have that success, felling a tree makes it easier for others to follow. showing that its possible to number brain rot exacs helps all animators.

but this show has so much bullshit attached to it, it has so much fucking potential that it fries my brain with unyielding frustration.

this took a bit to write, im tired, thanks for reading.

#hazbin hotel

1K notes · View notes

bts-hyperfixation · 3 months

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Outside of the Fox

Chapter 34 of 35

2785 words

Y/N longs for a new life when the one she’d been living comes to an abrupt stop. Without much thought to those she is leaving behind, the little fox packs a backpack and disappears. She stumbles across the shelter and makes an interim home for herself while she works out exactly what she wants from her second chance.

Last

“And he really said he wanted to meet me?” Namjoon asks for the fifth time.

Jungkook is stood by the door to the annexe tying his laces while you brief Namjoon on how to get to the doctor’s office; not that you really need to, Jungkook is perfectly capable of getting the two of them to Dr Treiver’s appointment on time. But Namjoon seemed less than convinced of Jungkook’s progress.

Which is part of the reason dr Treiver had asked for Namjoon to accompany the rabbit to his session rather than you.

“Yes Namjoon, I am certain. Now go before you’re late,” You scold, pushing him towards the foyer.

He holds up his hands in defeat, and Jungkook takes ahold of one, pulling him along so they don’t end up being late.

They disappear around the side gate as you watch them through the still open front door.

You feel a bit put out, your routine broken by not taking Jungkook out for therapy. It’s been about ten weeks now since it began, and you had taken him without fail to each one. It was really slow progress, but there had been definite progress. Jungkook was now able to share a room with the builders without twitching too much AND you were able to go into the ice cream shop last week! Sure you were the only customers, but there were two teenagers behind the register that he only hid from briefly.

“Are you going to stand there until they come back?” Hoseok asks.

He makes you jump as his arm snakes around your shoulder.

“Your feet are really going to start to hurt,” Yoongi says, going around you to close the door.

The older man settles on your other side and places an arm around your waist. They turn you around and bring you over to the large plush sofa in the middle of the room. It’s a great L-shape sofa Jungkook had insisted on so it was big enough for the eight of you to pile together, far more comfortable than the 3-seater you had had in the main house before.

They cage you in between them and Hobi rests his head on your shoulder

“They’ll be okay you know,”Hoseok comforts.

“Of course I know that,” You roll your eyes.

However, the knot in the pit of your stomach doesn’t untie. You lean your head against his and take a deep breath.

“And you made fun of us for being so concerned about Jungkook when we met,” Yoongi chuckles, he strokes your leg comfortingly.

“I didn’t make fun… I just thought it was odd…” You shrug “And I’m more concerned about Namjoon than Jungkook right now,”

“Now that might be a valid concern,” Yoongi agrees.

_______________

Meanwhile Jungkook switches off the engine as he parks outside of the doctor’s office. Namjoon has driven him nuts the entire drive. He is certain the man means well but all he is doing is making the anxiety in Jungkook’s stomach feel like it did on that very first session again. He lets out a low whine as Namjoon asks him for the fifth time if he is really sure about going in to the appointment.

“Oh Bunny, if you really are that stressed out we don’t have to go,”

Namjoon reaches out a hand to pat Jungkook on the shoulder, but Jungkook flinches away.

“I’M FINE,” he snaps.

Namjoon looks taken aback. He has never been shouted at by a pack member before now, especially not Jungkook.

“I am okay, Namjoon,” He sighs reacting to the sadness in his leaders eyes, "You are making me more nervous.”

"I'm sorry," Namjoon answers, his voice small.

Jungkook's hands begin to tremble and he longs to lean over and curl into his leader like he always has done, but he knows the minute he does it's like giving in. Instead he takes a deep breath and closes his eyes like the doctor taught him, steadying his nerves on his own. Namjoon sighs and opens the door, letting himself out of the car. Jungkook follows suit a moment later and allows Namjoon to take his hand falling into step beside him. The younger man leads his partner through to the doctor.

“Good afternoon Jungkook, this must be Namjoon,”

The elder gentleman smiles warmly at the pair, extending his hand to Namjoon. Namjoon greets the man, warily taking up the offer of a hand shake. Doctor Treiver nods curtly and motions for them to both sit on the sofa.

Out of instinct, Jungkook sits almost on top of Namjoon before realising and shuffling over to allow for more space. Namjoon can't help but feel a little lost, unsure of what to do with himself if he isn’t comforting Jungkook.

The first half of the session went as could be expected of a therapy session. The doctor focused most of his attention on Jungkook, walking through anything and everything Jungkook was willing to talk about. Today that seemed to consist of renovation plans.

Namjoon rolled his eyes. This is what Seokjin was paying for? Seemed like an absolute waste of money if you asked him... Not that anyone did lately…

Only on his fifth eye roll did he realise the doctor was now watching him instead of Jungkook. The bear looked down at his feet, suddenly finding the hideous carpet pattern to be the most interesting thing on the planet.

"Jungkook, you've done a fantastic job today. I can tell you're really excited about this room painting you and Y/N have been doing and I do want to talk more about it," Doctor Treiver says, then he turns to Namjoon, “However I was hoping we could talk to Namjoon and you together today, would that be okay?”

Jungkook and the doctor both turn to Namjoon expectantly.

Namjoon won't meet the doctor's eyes despite the clear invitation to speak. He hadn't considered he would be the one in the hot seat, prepared to observe, not participate.

“Okay, let’s try this slowly. Jungkook are you comfortable with me talking to Namjoon about things we have discussed in past sessions? Please understand you can say no,” Treiver says gently.

“Namjoon knows everything about me, doctor, you can talk about whatever you need.” The bunny confirms.

Namjoon prepares himself to be psychoanalysed by this almost complete stranger, thinking somehow this man was going to blame him for every single one of Jungkook’s problems, reaffirming what Namjoon already thought about himself. He braced himself to hear all of his worst thoughts realised by a professional, to hear how he wasn’t fit to have one mate let alone be the leader of such a large pack.

But the negativity never came. In fact, it seemed that while Namjoon had been spiralling inside his own head, the doctor had been commending him for how he had handled Jungkook so far.

“Jungkook’s condition goes back a very long time from what I can see. I think it is a credit to you and your family that he is able to function outside of his birth family unit at all”

The doctor went on to talk about how Jungkook had confided in him about his fear that he had only gotten worse since moving in with Namjoon, no longer able to be independent at all. This made Namjoon cringe until the doctor continued. The elder man explained how this was much more likely to be a response to the new sensation of safety that Jungkook was experiencing, he was finally comfortable enough to shut down and protect himself in the way prey animals typically want to, hiding from the perceived threat of the world outside his burrow, his home.

It was a lot of information to take in. Ever since Jungkook had started therapy, Namjoon had been terrified he would be blamed, that they would find out he wasn’t able to support the people he loved. It hurt to find out that Jungkook had been concerned about his worsening state and hadn’t been able to voice it, but at the same time Namjoon hadn’t brought it up to him either, his fear that Jungkook would want to leave consuming him. He'd be lying if he said it wasn't a little reassuring to hear the doctor blame Jungkook’s father instead.

The bear rests his hand on Jungkook’s leg and squeezes reassuringly, more to ground himself than his mate. He isn’t sure he truly understands what this therapy is going to do for Jungkook in the long run, and in the short term, it’s just hurting his head. But he is happy that Jungkook has someone outside of the pack to trust.

The doctor glances up at the clock and Namjoon’s gaze follows, only five minutes remain in the session.

“Jungkook would you be comfortable enough to sit in the waiting room on your own for the remainder of the session? Ms. Harris, my assistant is right behind the desk for you, and you can come immediately back inside here if it is too overwhelming for you?” Dr Triever asks carefully.

Jungkook’s eyes go wide and Namjoon can see the immediate rise in his hackles as his panic response begins to activate. Jungkook’s hand finds Namjoon’s and squeezes tightly before the bear has a chance to react. Instinctually he pulls Jungkook into his lap and holds him close, whispering gently into his ears reminding him to breathe.

“I’ll take that as a no…” The doctor tilts his head observing. “That’s okay, a little too soon for public spaces I see, not a problem, you can stay right here,”

He makes a note on his paper as Jungkook carefully unfurls himself from Namjoon’s arms, revealing his tear-stained cheeks to the room.

“Would it be possible for me to see you alone another time Namjoon? I would also like to discuss the tension you yourself show around Jungkook as his primary support system”

“What do you mean the tension I show!?” Namjoon asks, a little sharply.

“That tension Mr. Kim” The doctor states, returning to honorifics in response to the change in tone.

Namjoon looks a little ashamed of himself for snapping at the man, immediately aware of the way his demeanour changes when Jungkook’s scent sours.

“Right doctor, of course… Do you have any appointments later this week?” He has zero interest in having his brain examined by a shrink, but he would do anything for Jungkook, or anyone in his home.

“You can arrange with my assistant on your way out. Thank you so much for coming on request Namjoon. Jungkook, I look forward to seeing you next time” The doctor opens the door and ushers the pair back into the waiting room.

___________________

You and Yoongi had just finished showering when Namjoon and Jungkook returned. You had managed to find more than a few ways to keep your mind from wandering to how their joint session might’ve been going. Hoseok had regretfully had to go in for the early shift at the karaoke place, although the two of you had tried very hard to make him call in sick to keep you company. That man had an iron resolve, any other member of your pack would’ve folded the instant your shirt left your body.

Both men were stood before you in one piece, and with no police escort, which meant the session must’ve gone much better than you had given them credit for. Yoongi had money on Namjoon insulting the doctor in some way that would result in a restraining order; and while you had a little more faith, the issue of Namjoon’s ego and temper had made you a little nervous of the potential outcome.

Still, the pair didn’t seem overly eager to share what had actually happened within the meeting, only sharing that Namjoon would be returning on his own later in the week. So instead of talking about it, you got comfy on the sofa and waited for your other lovers to return to you.

By nine pm, Taehyung still wasn’t home. This had become the norm in recent weeks, but it didn’t make you any less sad. He claimed his family were just being needy at the moment and promised it would finish soon and he'd be home more, but each time he said that, he seemed less and less convinced by his own words.

The house was at a loss without him too. You'd all been together for such a short time, but one person missing felt long a limb had been detached. Lately, Taehyung wasn't even bothering to join any of you in bed, if he came home at all. You'd all wake up to find him sleeping on the sofa cuddling a pillow, still fully dressed from the day before. Jimin was furious with him, he'd given him the silent treatment for about an hour before he caved. Taehyung had seemed far too sad to stay mad at him.

After yet another night of watching Jungkook and Jimin mope, while the others were just restless, you decide enough is enough. It's obvious that Taheyung is unhappy with how much his parents are piling on, and it's obvious that no one around here is going to be comfortable until he is back to his normal self. So it's time someone did something about it.

You text Taehyung to make sure he is not on the way home, only to receive 'Sorry babe, probably going to just sleep here' as a response almost immediately.

You feel a little guilty about your next move, but it needs to be done. You check the Find My Phone app and track Taehyung, finding his parents' home address. Grabbing Yoongi's car keys, you tell the others you're heading to the store and then you follow the little green dot all the way to a very large estate.

You chew your lip the entire drive, feeling guilty about lying to the others about where you were going, feeling even guiltier about stalking Taehyung's phone to find him. You contemplate turning off to actually go to the store and leaving Taehyung alone, but you just can't shake the feeling he needs help, and more than anything you just want to see him.

You drive up a dauntingly long driveway and park Yoongi's car next to Taehyung's. The door is equally as imposing with a large golden knocker right in the middle, it reminds you a little of your ex-husband's parents' house, and it really drives home exactly how much money must be behind Taehyung's family. You grab the knocker and bang before your nerves get the better of you, although you find yourself wondering if it's loud enough when no one immediately comes to the door.

You shuffle your feet awkwardly as you wait, it feels like hours until the huge wooden door swings open revealing an ageing gentleman in a suit.

"Good evening Madam, I'm afraid we will not be needing anything you're selling today," He says and moves to shut the door.

"Wait!" You say a little too loud.

The man pauses with the door ajar.

"I'm here to see Taehyung,"

"Master Taehyung did not make us aware of any visitors and he is extremely busy. He is unavailable to be seen."

"Bu... but" You stammer trying to think of a plausible excuse for your random late night appearance.

The older gent just raises an eyebrow as if he is waiting for something entertaining, knowing you have no straws to grasp at.

"He sent me his location and told me to bring him some clothes, they are in the car..."

"Master Taehyung has plenty of clothes here. Now I must ask that you leave now miss, before I have to escalate the situation.

Once again the man moves to shut the door. You sigh and resign yourself to having to give up, turning to make your way back towards the car. It probably wouldn't do to linger too long, families like this have a penchant for calling police on people they deem to be trespassing. You watched your own butler deal with the police far through the crack in your curtain far too often to think the threat would be a bluff.

Dejectedly, you take one last look at the large house. It really was a beautiful build with ivy hanging from trellises scaling the walls. If you had to guess you probably put the house at at least 200 years old. The stonework seemed old but wonderfully maintained and the windows had that slightly warped appearance that only old glass possessed. Observing more closely, you could see a very familiar, but confused, face staring back at you through one of those windows.

Masterlist

Sorry about the disappearing act.... it will probably happen again ngl. Also that 35 chapter thing was complete bull we are going so much further than that I guess....

#bts fic #bts smut #kpop fic #kpop smut #namjoon smut #jungkook smut #seokjin smut #teahyung smut #jimin smut #yoongi smut #hoseok smut #hybrid bts #bts hybrids #bunny jungkook

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imfinereallyy · 1 year

Text

“You hurt me.”

“I know.”

Steve sighs, and he looks at Eddie in his doorway. So much has changed in five years. But Eddie seems the same. Just his hair is a bit longer, he’s got more tattoos, and he’s got scruff on his face that Steve knows when they saw each other last in 87’ would have driven him nuts.

Steve has always liked the idea of Eddie with a beard. It doesn’t matter now, though. “I think you should leave.”

“Steve, I—I just need a chance to explain.” Eddie moves side to side on his feet.

“Explain?” Steve scoffs, crossing his arms across his chest. “You had the chance to explain five years ago before you left. You had the chance to explain the weeks after with no phone calls to me to any of the kids. You had the chance to explain the year after when you talked to everyone but me, and I thought you just needed time. You had the chance a year ago before you cut everyone else off again.”

Eddie hangs his head in shame. “Stevie, please. I know I don’t deserve it. But I just want to talk.”

Steve’s resistance wavers slightly. He moves out of the doorway to let Eddie in. Eddie rushes inside, knowing Steve will change his mind at any moment. Steve shuts the door behind them. “I’m only letting you in because if Robin finds you in our doorway, she will kick your ass. And as much as you hurt me, I don’t actually want to see you in physical pain.”

Eddie smiles a bit, “Still the dynamic duo? You and Robbie? What’s stopping her from beating me up inside?”

“Our cat Sylvia might see. And she’s trying to shield her from as much violence as possible. Says one Sylvia has seen enough.”

“Oh please tell me she is out by now, because that is a giant gay flashing sign.” Eddie chuckles.

Steve can’t help but laugh a little, “Yes, she is. It would be hard if she weren’t, considering she’s dating Nancy. And Nancy is a lot of things, but subtle isn’t one of them. She shows her off any chance she gets.”

“Wow, Robs bagged Wheeler? Never saw that coming.” Eddie lets out a low whistle. “Must have been a blow to the ego for ya, Stevie. Your ex and your best friend.” He mock clutches his heart.

Steve lets out a big laugh this time, “Nah. I encouraged it. They’re my favorite people; they deserve to be happy.”

Eddie softens, “Yea, being a favorite person of Steve Harrington is a very special thing.”

Steve feels ice water in his veins, “What are you doing here Eddie?”

Eddie sighs, “What do you want to hear? Why I needed to come, or why I wanted to? Cause the truth is I needed to come to apologize to you. Give you the explanation you deserve. What I wanted, though, what I wanted is to tell you that I love—“

“Don’t.” Steve chokes.

“Right apologies first.”

“First? First?! Eddie. I don’t know what you could say to me right now that would make anything make sense. We had something good. It took us so long to get to that point. And it was great because we learned about each other and knew each other inside out. Our friendship blossomed into something more, and we were just getting started, and you left. I had thought I was done with love before I met you. But then you came along and made me feel seen and cared for, and then you got weird and distant so quickly, and you fucking left. And then I knew for sure I was done with love. Don’t think it was meant for me. Sure, that’s not on you, but you don’t get to—you don’t get to open old wounds because you feel the sudden desire to come around again.” Steve swallows tears.

Eddie’s face goes through hundreds of emotions. Anger. Shock. Grief. He doesn’t say anything for a minute. They stew in Steve’s words instead. Then finally, Eddie settles on. “I’m an addict.”

Steve, who has thought about a million ways this could go, has never thought of this. “What?” All the tension releases from his body. He just stares hopelessly at Eddie.

“I’m an addict. I'm sober now, I just reached a year, but yeah. I'm an addict. Never thought I would be. But after everything with Vecna and the painkillers they put me on…it got hard. Denied it for a while. Said to myself a little of everything here and there to forget wouldn’t hurt anyone. But then we were becoming something alongside, me spiraling deeper into addiction. And I—fuck this was easier to practice at the meetings.” Eddie runs his hands through his hair. “You didn’t do anything wrong. But I would have hurt you. More than me leaving did. And I couldn’t live with that. I could live with you hating me. It was selfish of me. I wasn’t ready to give up the drugs so I gave up you, and it’s not fair. Not fair that I did that to you, to anyone of you really, but especially you Steve. You just deserved someone who could love you all the time, love you fully. And I thought I did but I think I was using you a little to make myself feel better. That’s not to say I didn’t love you. I did, still do, always will. But we both deserved a better version than what we had.”

Steve feels tears on his cheeks, he isn’t sure what to say. “You didn’t get to make that decision for me.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

Steve chokes on a sob, “Dammit Eddie. It was my birthday.”

Something breaks inside them, and suddenly they are in each other's arms, weeping together. There is this fragile broken thing between them, a love that never went away. It is horrible and beautiful and needs so much work to be wonderful once more.

But it was nice to break together again.

“I know. I’m sorry. I can’t say it enough. I’ll make sure every day for the rest of my life that I make it up to you. In any way I can.”

“I don’t know how we can get back Eds. Don’t know if we should.”

“I’ll take you any way you’ll have me. Friend. Lover. A person you only call when you need a ride to the airport. Just let me try; it’s all I ask. I promised I wouldn’t go back to you until I knew I had put the work into myself first. You don’t owe me anything. I would understand if you kicked me out right now. But I need you to know that Steve, I love you anyway you’ll have me. And I have never stopped thinking about you.”

Steve lifted his head from Eddie’s chest. “I’d like to try to get to know you again. This you. See where it goes. But Eds, no matter what, no matter the version of you, I will always care. And I will always be your friend.”

Eddie kisses Steve’s forehead, “Thank you.”

It’s there where Steve and Eddie hug on the wooden apartment floor; they hear the door unlock. “Oh no, she’s home early.”

Eddie doesn’t get to respond because, suddenly, Robin is in the doorway. “Hey, dingus! I brought home an extra latte—“

She freezes at the sight of Eddie before rebooting with a dark look, “Steve, is your nail bat still under your bed?”

——

Wanted to try the whole break up thing, I have a lot of different break up/makeup ideas in my head. maybe pt. 2???? Kinda feels good to stop here. But if you think so I have more ideas for this.

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lewisinho · 6 months

Text

new jallison interview just dropped! part 1 part 2 :)

he loves 'tinkering around in his workshop' and doing stuff in his garage and the airfield; he says work doesn't allow for 'much self-indulgence' now lmao

says he loves 'the fight' of f1 and being in the thick of it and smth he missed when he was only working part-time

says that what he brings is rather 'less technical' but actually 'more human' and his description of the difficult '22/23 period was fascinating: "(...)since coming back to the TD role, it has got nothing to do with nuts, bolts, springs, dampers, wings, floors, it's just human stuff (...)"

'let's not pretend we're deserving of winning' and thinks the sooner everyone's on the same page with the transition 'a. the shorter the slump is and b. the more fun it is'

'life's much more fun when you decide to look at it cheerfully' oh james he's such a sweetheart

in his early 20s was 'really quite ambitious' and work-focused; 'happily he got sacked in his late-20s' which now feels like a 'brilliant experience' because it says it provided him with a necessary perspective; 'it was brilliant being sacked' lmao

he talks about the america's cup and compares it to f1; 'aspects of f1 which are just ludicrously difficult to cope with'- i thought was an interesting line

describes the transition of f1 over the last 30 years transitioning from a 'cottagy' industry to an industrialised, detailed, process-driven world' where people are quite 'pigeon-holed' - much more compartmentalised compared to the 'jack of all trades' people in america's cup

'doesn't know' whether merc will be back to winning ways in '24; in his head 'winning ways' only means championships

his performance tip: every time he comes to work and drives through the factory gates, his game face is cheerfulness and decides 'i'm going to have a fun day' and hope some it rubs off on the 'people around me'

#he's such a nice person to listen to #in jallison we trust #james allison #podcast #mercedes amg f1 #f1 #lewis hamilton

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aidansplaguewind · 9 months

Text

This isn't Aidan related but it's something that has driven me nuts for a while so I just need to get this off my chest.

Y'all need to stop using the word "ped0phile" so casually. I'm talking to a lot of people here, not my followers for the most part unless you do this.

Every time I turn around I'm seeing or hearing about someone being called a ped0phile for being attracted to or in a relationship with someone younger than they are. At first it was with people as old as 18-20. Now the number is going up.

Apparently some people are calling Chris Evans a ped0phile because his gf/fiancé/wife, or whatever the fuck she is, was 23 when they met. That is not what that is.

I'm not here to argue whether or not it's wrong in the moral sense for an older man to date a woman in her early 20s, just to be clear. I'm here because labeling that man as a ped0phile is just flat out inaccurate.

Y'all do realize that ped0philia is a very real disorder that means the person is sexually attracted to prepubescent children, right? It doesn't just mean they're sexually attracted to people who are younger than they are. (And to be clear, my use of the word disorder doesn't mean I'm excusing it any way. It IS a disorder and it's an incurable one. They can't make it stop anymore than I can stop being attracted to men. Which is why personally I feel they should all be put in a facility for life to keep children safe but that's a different debate.)

On the one hand, all you Tumblr kids wanna get mad when people throw around diagnoses like ADHD or OCD because they like things orderly, but then y'all want to change the meaning of other diagnoses to suit your own agenda. Stop doing this shit!

Being attracted to a 23 year old woman does not make a man a ped0phile in any way, shape or form. It's normal for adults to be physically attracted to other adults with adult bodies. The problem with those relationships is the mental side of things, not the physical. Older adults are going to see younger adults they find physically attractive, they just are. Anyone who says they aren't is a fucking liar. However, the adult is supposed to know that MENTALLY they are not on the same page with a 20 year old and that's why they shouldn't be in a relationship.

Stop fucking calling these people ped0s. You may not approve of their relationship, you may think it's morally wrong, but do they deserve a label as horrendous as "ped0"? No. I have kids and I can tell you there is a big fucking difference in someone being sexually attracted to my fucking 11 year old son vs when he's 20. Big fucking difference.

In general I'm just so tired of the internet deciding to cancel someone or ruin their career because they don't agree with what the person is doing. Do some people deserve to be canceled? Sure, but not everyone who lives differently than you and thinks differently than you deserves to have their life ruined because you don't agree with them.

So get out your pencils and write this down: A ped0phile is someone who is sexually attracted to children that have not yet hit puberty. They want the child to look very much like a child and nothing at all close to an adult. No body hair, no boobs, no curves, no physical development at all. It's sick and it's disgusting and it's so damn sick and so damn disgusting that I don't throw the word around lightly.

#chris evans #im sorry but this shit drives me nuts #im probably gonna get attacked for this but thats fine because i am actually 100% correct #this isnt just my OPINION #this is a FACT

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linka-from-captain-planet · 4 months

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that minthara and florrick update was NUTS. Minthara using her sources to see if Florrick ever slept with Ulder is EXACTLY the kind of unhinged, territorial behavior I love her for tbh. If you need an excuse to ramble about them, I would love to know how you picture this whole thing between them starting!

YES because the thing about Minthara is that she's operating on nuclear Menzoberranzan levels of intensity 24/7. Writing her subjective narration is very fun because she's so intelligent and cunning, but her perception of things is just slightly skewed from the reality of Baldurian life. That's the realization she starts to have toward the end, that she's playing this hardcore game of 4D chess basically just against herself, while Florrick is only like... having a nice evening banging her work frenemy (which is unhinged, just not nearly on the same level).

I only briefly mentioned in the fic what context I think this thing could have started in, but I'm obviously insane about this ship, so I'll take any excuse to expand! Wall of text incoming though...

Since the story is told from Minthara's POV, I wanted to go over what she sees in Florrick that would attract her, since Minthara's not easy to impress and doesn't waste her time with just anyone. And what she sees is... a lot of herself actually. She sees a powerful woman on a noble quest, driven by her unshakeable values, who falls into the clutches of the Absolute (albeit in a very different way) and almost loses herself, only to be saved and find herself again. I think that would earn Florrick just enough of Minthara's respect to earn her attention... and maybe a bit of a connection, too.

(This is also a saved but unromanced Minthara, passed over by the person who gave her back her life... still yearning for the affection and connection that is her deepest desire and her biggest weakness...)

Fast forward a bit and the Netherbrain is defeated, the Cult of Absolute is no more, people are cheering in the streets... All I'm saying is that *I* would be a little frisky. If I'm Minthara, I'm reaching for someone perhaps not in the tight-knit group of heroes I don't really feel a part of, but perhaps someone who's also on the edge of them, someone who's earned a bit of respect. If I'm Florrick... maybe she doesn't know that Minthara was the one who ordered the raid on Waukeen's Rest yet, or maybe she's temporarily willing to forgive it because Minthara, at the end of the day, did help save her beloved city and her beloved duke.

(Or maybe she's just a wood elf* and, opposite of Minthara, her attitude toward sexuality is pretty relaxed and she doesn't feel the need to justify her desire or make partners 'earn' it. It's just sex, not a big deal....

*not confirmed in canon and possibly refuted by her stats, but always real to ME bc of the fun flavors it adds to her characterization overall as a stern, urbane bureaucrat)

So anyway they bang once, expecting that to be the end of it.

But Minthara can't go home. There are no gods left for her. She's a traitor unto Lolth, and she knows exactly what her greatest adversary (her mom) is capable of. She could skulk in the shadows of the shadows, find fellow outcasts, build a rebel force... but maybe she bides her time, first, in Baldur's Gate. Maybe she sees an apple ripe for picking in the chaos and the rebuilding. No matter what she does, she needs resources, and she's just been given a key to the market.

You know Ulder and Florrick give what remains of Gortash's yes-men the boot on day 1 plus a lot of patriars and whatever are already dead, so there are plenty of openings among the ranks of the leadership, and who better to fill it than a renowned hero? Not in any official capacity at first (I imagine her just being a menace in a town hall for a while), but once she proves her mettle as a shrewd leader, she quickly earns her way into the council.

Obviously, this flings her back into Florrick's orbit.

Florrick wasn't born yesterday, and she also probably has a 1000-page dossier on Minthara's various war crimes drafted on day 1. She knows what Minthara is up to. Her faith in the city and Ulder's leadership is unshakeable; she does not really find Minthara to be a threat... but perhaps she takes it upon herself to monitor the situation anyway.

And that's where things get a little messy, because they're simultaneously allies and adversaries day-to-day, and they once went through something pretty extraordinary together, and they've already had sex. These are both women who aren't happy unless they're in at least a bit over their head, unless they're being challenged, and having a bit of excitement in their day that is otherwise just endless squabbling, Florrick trying to keep the city on the righteous path so it doesn't fall into corruption yet again, Minthara trying to snatch power bit by bit...

Well I just think they'd have a lot to fuck about, basically.

And considering that Minthara is a known feelings-catcher... while Florrick's love is reserved for Baldur's Gate and Ulder** even though she shares her body with Minthara... there's a lot to feels about, as well.

**I'm on the fence headcanon-wise if I want Florrick to actually be somewhat in love with Ulder and simply at peace with it not being mutual/sexual, or if she's simply a very devoted friend and Minthara's jealousy is irrational.

Anyway this is possibly more than you bargained for but thanks for the opportunity to ramble :)

#minthara/florrick #my beloved crackship #asks #minthara #counsellor florrick

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tadc-confessions · 29 days

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since episode 2 came out, I've been seeing a lot of people theorize that Caine might be a human who just believes he's an AI, and if that does turn out to be true... not gonna lie, it'd kinda ruin Caine's character for me. maybe I'm just biased, because I absolutely adore stories where non-human characters with alien mindsets interact with and learn more about humans, but I think it's a lot more interesting if he's just a wacky, weirdly-programmed sentient AI who is unknowingly hurting the people he was made to help! it makes me wonder more about who originally programmed the Circus, their intentions, and how the situation the main characters find themselves in even happened in the first place than if he was just another human who got trapped and lost his mind. cuz like... if Caine was originally made to basically be Game Master for a bunch of humans, why DOESNT he understand them?? it's even implied in the pilot that he doesn't actually know what a human LOOKS LIKE (though I admit I might be reading too much into a line that was just meant to be a funny non-sequitur lol) was he originally made for a different role and got forced into his current position by necessity? or, alternatively, was the CIRCUS ITSELF originally made for a different reason, like it being some kind of digital prison?

anyways tl;dr I wanna study this floating pair of dentures in a lab and I'd kinda lose interest in him if it turns out he's just a normal human driven nuts by the game.

I have many feelings about Caine, one of which ‘is Caine human’?

Judging by your theory/ask, we don’t actually have a clear answer about what Caine actually is. Yk, aside from the ringmaster of the circus.

Caine very well May be another human driven nuts by the game/thinks he’s an AI.

But we’ll have to wait and see, We’re only on episode two after all 😗

#gooseworx #tadc #the amazing digital circus #glitch productions #tadc caine

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kerrikins · 1 year

Text

About Build & Poi's statements

I have so many thoughts and I think it will take awhile for me to sort through them and be able to put them down coherently on paper. I've felt a lot of emotions since January, perhaps the most I've ever felt in any fandom, ever. Shock, doubt, frustration, grief, rage, confusion, relief.

The statements have been posted at both Build and Poi's IGs and Twitter accounts, though I kind of assume that everyone has seen them by now. I have thoughts on what was in them and what they mean but for now I'm waiting for everything to be completely finalized.

In the meantime, though..

This applies to all sides when I say that the lines cutting through this fandom may as well be chasms at this point and I think that's horrendous and horrible in a lot of ways for a show brought to us by a company/cast of people who care about each other deeply. It's at the point where even within the various ships there are deep fractures and the literal insanity going on within ALL of the ships etc is downright disturbing. MA fans hating on BBB fans. M fans hating A fans and vice versa, and the same thing going on for BBB and Jeff & Code. Ghost shippers going to war with fans of actual pairings. All of it is nuts.

It's become clear to me that so much of the hate that's surfaced during Biu's case has been driven by what is, at its roots, shipping culture and wars among stans for the individual cast members. So much of it hasn't really been about feminism or victims at all, and yet it seems like there's so much silence about it or 'oh that's just Twitter' - it's not. I've seen it pretty much everywhere I've gone in the fandom, from Twitter to Reddit to here. And even if it is 'just Twitter' - there are still people behind those keyboards and the 'support' that's really just weird projections and using these men who are mostly incredibly kind and talented as fodder for hate and constant toxicity is... sad.

The last few months has really shaken me in terms of making me take a second look at how society and the internet have started reacting to cases of this nature. I said this earlier on twitter but I really feel like 'trust, but verify' has become 'trust and vilify' - and that is not okay. First, because it's wrong, and second because it is so incredibly detrimental to future cases like this due to the inevitable backlash.

I'm so incredibly disappointed at the lack of discussion that has existed on here, elsewhere on social media, and in the news since the initial blow up. From the phone call to the apologies to the incredibly concerning actions she took last week, none of it got the same level of coverage that the initial posts in January did and in my opinion there's a huge problem with that. Supporting victims should NOT mean 'well, we're just not going to discuss anything else that comes out'. There should be room for us to look at an issue from all angles and consider everything. There should be room for us to be able to speak up and ask questions without it being shut down as a lack of support or victim blaming. It shouldn't be wrong to just have a genuine *conversation*, and by that I mean conversation and not just poorly disguised passive aggressive jabs (and that goes for everyone).

There needs to be a true middle ground and I feel like we haven't found a way to balance that, yet. Not just the fandom or people on tumblr, but society in general.

I have more thoughts about how this entire case has gone, but those will wait.

For now I'm just relieved that we at least have this out of the way and can keep moving forward.

#build jakapan #kinnporsche: the series #kinnporsche cast

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thegreatcaptainusopp · 3 months

Note

Another thing that upsets me about usopp haters! (im sorry, is just those people drive me nuts and for my mental health ill never interact with them because its not worth it, so I prefer to interact with you and other fans so we can all be "yeah those people are crazy, Usopp is great 🥂 we have good taste" together. Ehem I'm missing the point)

What upsets me is when they act like Usopp didn't have any moments in pre-ts, and they act like his only badass moments are shooting the world goverment flag (not even then, because they're always like "actually that was Sogeking" 😤 jokes over man, you are being obtuse on purpose) and that moment in Dressrosa, now I can't speak for post-ts because 😶 I'm still not caught up (stuck in post war, I'll keep going eventually), but my boy has many moments in pre ts. My favorite one being his fight against Perona, and one of the reasons its my favorite is because it comes very soon after Usopp has been feeling useless and weak (ok soon after for us, in universe it seems that Oda likes to leave certain characterizations in the arc that they appear and never mention them again...)

The anime quite literally spells it out for you that Usopp is incredibly important, and actually the reason why they didnt just all die in Thriller Bark, and there's STILL people out there saying Usopp is the most useless member *eating the drywall in my home*

Sorry I needed to get that off my chest.

If nobody got me, I know you Usopp fans got me 😔

Always fun to speak with Usopp fans on here! There’s a great community and a lot of great conversations to be had.

I really think a large part of this kind of fan reaction to Usopp is twofold. I also think a lot of these points are also applicable to Nami tbh. Firstly, I think that Usopp’s particular skills are undervalued by a lot of fans. He’s a long range fighter, not a close range one, and a lot of fans simply aren’t interested in that kind of battle because it’s not super flashy in the same way. His strengths also usually aren’t catered to in universe. For one reason or another he doesn’t get the chance to park himself somewhere and really get to do his job as sniper, and maybe if he did it would be a different story? I’m not sure though. His other skills (engineering, art, etc) also aren’t the coolest or flashiest but are necessary for the crew to function and don’t get a lot of hype in the same way either. In the same vein, I think a lot of people forget he’s forced up against literal monsters most of the time and in battles that aren’t his forte fighting wise, so in comparison he doesn’t get to shine. However he’s canonically extremely talented at basically everything he does.

Secondly, I think a lot of what he adds to the story and the crew is emotionally and character driven, and people who come to One Piece for the fights aren’t necessarily going to be drawn to that kind of contribution to the plot. If you’re interested in more low key character drama/development you may be compelled to pay attention to him in the story. But I think a good amount of people aren’t as interested in that element of the story and so don’t really pay attention.

There’s also the matter of the way some of his accomplishments are framed in universe tbh. Usopp is considered by a lot of fans to be kind of a meme character and so is treated like that accordingly. This includes all the Sogeking jokes and other things that mean that he isn’t really taken seriously by a lot of people unfortunately. But I think if anyone takes a closer look beyond the surface they’ll be able to see a really interesting character underneath! Especially pre time skip like you mentioned

I hope you enjoy your journey as you go further into the story! There’s a lot but it’s a great time and a lot of fun moments upcoming.

#asks #one piece #op #usopp #speaks

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nametakensff · 1 month

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you just casually posting about how long it's been since you've nutted and how its affectin u is insanely hot to this snzfucker combination orgasm denial kink-haver.

So glad to hear that, anon! 🥰 I'm always happy when my oversharing on here turns other people on. It feels like as suitable a place as any for me to be unabashedly explicit

That being said, much more graphic details of my frustration under the readmore for anyone who is interested! 😤

I think by the time Monday rolls around this may well be the longest I've gone without actively masturbating or having an orgasm since I started to actively do so aged 14 lol

I foolishly thought I would be okay to listen to wavs yesterday but of course that was the stupidest idea - had to turn one off after a minute because I was going mad and was moments away from masturbating. I did touch myself a little, just to feel how wet I was and how sensitive, but forced myself to stop before it really started to feel great...

All day today my hand has been finding its way between my legs. I touch myself a lot out of habit, and normally this wouldn't be an issue - I'm home alone on weekdays, I can back away from work for a moment (or longer) to get myself off - but right now the temptation just feels like torture 😫

I was on my daily walk earlier and as my mind is prone to doing, my thoughts wandered into sneezing and fucking territory - my favs sneezing on and fucking each other, me eating out a woman as she sneezes all over me, me pegging a fav whilst they bury their face in a feather pillow and sneeze over and over...

I had to physically stop walking for a moment because my cunt felt heavy and engorged, I was so suddenly turned on. It almost ached with the sudden rush of blood, and I was unmistakably wet. I switched from listening to music to a serious podcast for a while and used to that to distract me, and I was successfully able to get home with no further issues

I feel like I may even have to extend my masturbation ban until Tuesday when I'm alone all day, since this Monday is a bank holiday and my sister and flatmate will both be home...I don't want to start touching myself or I just won't be able to stop, and I want to be able to enjoy orgasms with all my toys for as long as I want and as loudly as I want. Work will just have to wait, I'm afraid 😌

But yeah. I think if I attempted to do this whilst I was going through one of my intense horny spells, I genuinely would not have lasted this long. If it feels like this much of a tease now, I feel like I would actually lose my mind under those conditions!!

Cannot wait to reward myself for my hard work. I feel like I won't be making a habit of this because I'm far too hedonistic and orgasm driven - buuut if I feel again in the future that I need to take a break, I now know I can at least pull off 5 days! Honestly, I would much rather tease somebody else like this for a week then reward them myself if they manage to last 😇

I hope you get something out of this, anon! I'm trying my best to be good but I'm sporadically typing this one-handed. Still not giving in, though!! 🥲

#seriously guys give this a skip if you don't want to hear about my pathetic horniness #i write a lot of characters being intensely desperate and unable to control themselves in my fics because it's what I *know*#people who regularly edge or deny themselves are incredible honestly #nttalks

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sprintingowl · 3 months

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Batman Miniatures Game (2015)

So, a friend was thinning his ttrpg collection and sent some my way, which means I'm going to be reviewing a few rpgs that I probably wouldn't have picked up normally.

This is good, though! It means I'm getting a broader diet of media than "this looked weird and gloomy and I was unable to stop my own reflex to acquire it."

Anyway, the Batman Miniatures Game is still being maintained by Knight Models (at least as of my writing in 2024,) and is a skirmish game that emphasizes parkour and worker (token) placement.

You play as various factions from the broader Gotham metropolitan area and engage in objective-driven battles in a world of perpetual darkness (canonically, all combats in this game are considered to take place at night.)

There's a lot of elements in BMG you'd expect from an older wargame. Rolls to hit, rolls to damage, multiple wounds per model, etc. But initiative is handled by going back and forth activating models until everyone runs out of action tokens. And action tokens are the stars of the game.

At the start of each round, before any actions are taken, players assign tokens on each character's sheet. These tokens are assigned to different categories of actions, like movement, attack, block, and special. During your turn, when you activate a model, you choose which of its action types to take and spend tokens from that type to act. Token placement is public knowledge after it's been done, so there's an interesting meta here where you can see the enemy's bruiser with a bunch of movement tokens on it and know that it's going to rush you down when it activates. Damage also removes tokens, so you can theoretically preempt said bruiser by just opening up on it with a shooter.

The game being objective-oriented feels a bit necessary, because models become less capable as they take damage. Damage is in two flavors, stun and injury, and characters can get nonlethally KO'd if they're dropped with stun. They can also wake back up from KO, and it takes extra actions to cuff them or finish them.

So you can kind of get stuck in a spiral of your characters getting less capable as they take damage, and that means you'll generally be taking fewer activations in later rounds than earlier ones, but this isn't bad gameplay because the more actions your opponent is spending on gunning down your models, the less they're dedicating to the objective.

To further support objective-based play, Batman Miniatures has non-complex but relatively detailed rules for climbing fences, jumping gaps, wading through sewage, etc. Plus, close quarters attacks can grab and push, and cover and sightlines matter a lot for ranged engagements.

This is a game that wants detailed three-dimensional environments and shantytown style terrain, and will lose a lot of its complexity if it's just played on a flat board. Knight Models, which produces the game, also sells a lot of associated models and elements---although they're fully supportive of you making your models and terrain yourself.

And that's Batman Miniatures at a glance, but I want to take a moment to talk about the layout of the book itself because it's... it's something.

Despite being fully endorsed by DC and being an official production, this thing looks more like a high effort fan project than almost any high effort fan project I've seen--and that's not a negative. There are splash pages and pull quotes drawn from the comics, the Arkham games (rendered in engine!), and the Heath Ledger movie. No two page spread looks quite like any other two page spread. There's a page that's layed out as a newspaper and it's done that way *perfectly*, feeling like a windblow scrap picked up off the streets of gotham.

The layout designer popped off, even if the actual visual contents are kind of weird at times. You'll get a full two page spread of procedural rules for what to do if the Joker kicks you in the nuts, and then the next page is just straight up a cover from Long Halloween with "Live. Laugh. Love. -Frank Miller's Batman" in stylized red HAHAHA font over it.

Also, adding to the weirdness, the whole back half of the book is just photographs of models you can buy from Knight Models and then a semi-comprehensive guide to modern batman chronology (circa 2015).

Overall, I don't think I vibe with Batman Miniatures as much as with other modern skirmish games (such as Rangers Of Shadowdeep) or other superhero rpgs (such as the old Marvel Universe,) but I'd be amiss to say that I don't think there's something here. The token placement is rad, and the movement system is clever and streamlined. If you're a ttrpg designer looking to study an action economy, or you need a reason to paint some dark deco terrain pieces, or you're just a batman fan, there's probably something here for you.

#ttrpg #ttrpg homebrew #ttrpgs #ttrpg design #indie ttrpgs #rpg #indie ttrpg #tabletop #dnd #rpgs #batman #skirmish game #wargames

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justmybookthots · 7 months

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Chess & Mate

Okay, first of all: This isn't a bad book. I want to preface my review with that, even if 'bad' is a nebulous term. I want to make it clear that at this point, I'm absolving Ali Hazelwood of her sins with Love Hypothesis. While I hated Adam, I loved Jack from Love Theoretically, and I do like Sawyer… to a degree. I think her heroes have evolved slightly since Adam, and now they're kind of at a very acceptable Jack-Sawyer stage.

I'll elaborate on the hero part in a bit. But for now, I also want to make it clear that while I don't love this book anywhere as much as I loved Love Theoretically, I can see a lot of people loving this, and I understand. It really all boils down to personal preference. (Though that… pretty much sums up any kind of book review, so you can ignore this statement, really. But I guess what I'm trying to say is: Love Hypothesis pissed me the fuck off. Its issues were egregious to me. Chess & Mate got on my nerves a bit, but I recognise it was just due to my own weird preferences as a reader.)

Anyway. Spoilers ahead.

Things I liked:

Sawyer. He's very similar to Jack and if that's the kind of hero Ali likes, I ain't complaining. He knows what he wants; he's mostly straightforward with his feelings and is unabashed about them. Neither is he growly or saying "babe" and all that cringe stuff. He's just… calm, same as Jack. It's very attractive. And ALSO. He is a virgin. I so, so love that? Too bad this was YA so the sex scenes were closed-door, because I felt that would have been a fun dynamic to explore in an adult book.

I like that for once, Mallory (the heroine) is the one who sleeps around. It's all very sex-positive and I support that immensely. Also her being bi? I 100% am for it.

I really liked Oz, for most of the book. And Dfne? I think that's how you spell her name. [But I may be wrong and I'm too lazy to check.]

I think all the loose ends were tied up rather conclusively, re: Eaton and Mallory's family.

Now…. The things I did not like. Hoo-boy.

I'm not into the Mary Sue scene. This is my biggest, biggest gripe for this book. Mallory being this good was not to my liking. She was just winning match after match even though she hadn't played in years. She felt unbeatable, and it took a lot of narrative tension out of the story for me. At some point, I was just like: Okay, I get it. You're the best. And Sawyer is also the best. You are both the best, and you two can sit above the plebs in your couple-y thrones. Reading this book felt like I was reading a power fantasy between two people, and while I get that being everyone's cup of tea, it wasn't mine. At some point, it felt like Sawyer was only ever interested in her because she could play as well as (or better than) he did.

I wished Sawyer hadn't been interested in her from the start. It would have been fun to really lean into the 'enemies' angle for a bit and have her slowly climb her way up to face off against him later. But then again, that's asking for a major rewrite, and that's a whole can of worms I'd rather not open.

But speaking of interest, I was conflicted on the insta-love on Sawyer's part. Him showing up at her house early on in the book and eating dinner with her family was really abrupt and it took me aback. They went from almost no interaction save for her beating him at the first match and the encounter at the pool to… this? Or maybe there were more encounters that I can't recall off the top of my head now, but it just felt too soon for me.

Oh gosh. Her family. Her mom was fine, but her sisters, especially Sabrina? I was being driven nuts. When Sabrina called Mallory egotistical, I was like: wtf? Mallory was practically slaving her ass off to support her family and she made so many sacrifices for them. I get that that was the point—Mallory was clinging to martyrdom and refusing to let herself need them and it upset them. But being antagonistic to Mallory was NOT the answer. Her martyrdom stemmed from a place of self-loathing and trauma. I hated how everyone at the end of the book was yelling at Mallory to get her head out of her ass. Maybe this wake-up call works in books/fiction, or maybe it works for some people, but it's not ideal. It's callous and cruel. I approved only of how Mallory's mother handled it: she very calmly talked things out with her.

Mallory had EVERY right to be angry with Sawyer. I hated how everyone, including Eaton, fed this narrative that Mallory was completely in the wrong for her blow-up at him and how everything he did was right for her. If a man I was developing a romantic relationship with was paying for my fellowship/my fucking SALARY all along and omitted telling me (don't give me the bullshit about "you could have just asked"—omission is still lying), I would be furious. This is crucial information that should have been voluntarily shared sooner. Even if he came from a good place, it doesn't make it okay to hide this imbalance of power from me.

I also want to say that the bad guys are cartoonishly bad. Like you know right away who the 'villain' of the book was going to be, and it felt rather juvenile how unapologetically dickish he was. There wasn't a lot of nuance to it, but eh. Whatever.

The PDA between Sawyer and Mallory (her sitting between his thighs and him… biting her earlobe? I… Okay) while they played chess with his friends was… not for me. I had the same complaint with a hauntingly similar scene in Love Theoretically. I get it: this type of thing is just not my cuppa, but Ali loves it.

All in all, while it sounds like I'm complaining a lot, I don't hate this book. I just don't really love it. Or… like it very, very much. But it had its cute moments, so it's, well, not that bad? I think?

- 13 Nov 2023

#book review #book blog #ali hazelwood #check & mate #love theoretically #the love hypothesis

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ashes-writing · 2 years

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Is there any chance you can do a fluff Shane Walsh alphabet now so we have the set? Pleeease?

|| taglist, babes + req rules / fandoms&characters + send ?s + masterlist ||

I would absolutely love,love,love to do this and I'm here for matching sets, lets be real. It would've driven me nuts to not have both sides of the coin so thank you, thank you, thank you for sending me this!

warnings ;

I kind of delved into Shane's upbringing here and there so tw for shitty fathers / anger issues / drinking and hints of emotional abuse at the hands of a parent. It is v.v vague though, so hopefully, nobody's put off.

taglist ;

@beardedbarba @chieflawyerpastatoad @hotgirlsshareaccounts @krys-orion @icequeen1371 @moonileo are the only people on my Walking Dead masterlist. If you want to be added, pls click the link up top or let me know.

{ graphic by me with help from pinterest + google images. jsyk. }

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

--- Shane is very affectionate, however... He's been through a lot in his life so it takes a while -a really long while, for that affection to show itself in more obvious ways. He sticks to smaller gestures. Maybe fond teasing, checking on a person to make sure they're doing the bare minimal to take care of themselves, lingering hugs and forehead kisses, ahhh.. Always has his arm around you when he's really starting to open up, that's one of the first tells.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

--- Protective but with a side of realism. He will protect his best friends with his life. He'll help them out any way he can, but.. If you want a yes-man and not the blunt and honest truth, it's not advised to befriend this man, because if you're being fucking stupid, he's going to tell you that you're being fucking stupid and he won't mince words or be gentle about it either. He's also v. argumentative, stubborn and a bit of a practical joker. The argumentative and stubborn parts are the ones you need to know about the most, however. Because he'll argue with a goddamn brick wall if you let him. A friendship with him probably started from a rivalry, tbh. I feel like he's made a lot of friends this way, he has to test a person through and through first.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

--- Shane loves to cuddle. He'd rather die than admit it -toxic masculinity victim right here, writer feels as if his father drilled all sorts of toxic shit into his head like it's not manly to cry or cuddle or talk feelings, etc and this was a huge factor in the dark turn he took, but anyway... He loves to cuddle and when you finally get him used to being allowed to do it / ask for it whenever he wants it, I feel like it'll look something like -> this or this, depending.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

--- He does. He really does. He's all about that domestic life, the only problem here is, he's got the wrong mindset, hence the reason he has so much trouble actually finding a person worthy of it. He's a damn good cook, neatness and cleaning however... Not his strong suit. He's not messy chaos, he's just not overly tidy, either. As long as he can find something, he doesn't worry too much about it.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

--- Whew.. Okay, so breaking up. If he's breaking up with you, he's reached the absolute end of the line, the rope and his patience. That or he's afraid he's losing you anyway and he's trying to avoid any extra pain. I feel like at first, he'd avoid them. But you can only avoid a person for so long, right? When the confrontation finally occurs, he'd be short and blunt and to the point. He'd listen to his partner, he'd try to talk things out, but if his mind is made up and he's already in the avoiding you stage, the latter isn't always going to happen. The quicker he can get through the pain of doing this, the better for him because this asshole does not handle emotional pain well, not at all, not even slightly.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

--- He absolutely loves the idea of belonging to someone and having someone belong to him. He longs for it, I think this is a huge factor as to why he spiraled so far out of control and things for him turned to a shit show at the end. I feel like he'd probably hold off upwards of a year (in a normal setting) and he'd want to live with his partner a little bit first just to make damn sure you're going to be compatible. (in an apocalyptic setting) he'll move quicker because he just wants something of his own, he wants his person and he doesn't want to wait around so long that something horrible happens to him or to you.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

--- hahahaha omg, okay. So this man is not gentle at all emotionally. He was probably raised by a v.v old school -read, drunken asshole, borderline abusive and emotionally stunted, father who drilled into his head that men don't do certain things at all and being gentle is one of those things. He will try to be gentle with the person he loves, however, but it's something he has to actively make an effort to do -though if he really loves someone, he doesn't mind doing it. Physically, -especially if you're smaller or he feels you're weaker and you need it, this man is the epitome of gentle to an extent. If he loves you and he cares at all, he's fucking treating you with kid gloves. The only exception to this is when he's angered. If he's angered though, and he really cares and he doesn't feel desperate or backed to a corner, he'll still do everything in his power to keep treating you gentle.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

--- He likes them but.. only if he really knows the person in question. He's not the kind of man who likes strangers touching him for no goddamn reason. He'll hug those he cares about a lot. I mean, a lot. Because it's his way to tell them how he feels. His hugs are tight and engulfing, he'll melt into you or let you melt into him, and his hands are all over you. They linger for what feels like an eternity too.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

--- It takes him a while. Sometimes this tends to frustrate his lovers/partners. But he's gotta be sure he feels some kind of way and you feel that way back. he doesn't like empty words or gestures.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

--- He has such a huge jealous streak, holy shit. He lingers, his hands are all over you, he's shooting the other person dirty looks til they feel like they need to fuck off like five minutes ago. He'll fight in a heartbeat if he feels like the other person is trying to threaten or harm you.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

--- Ugh oh my god. So he likes to grab your jawline or your face and rest his hands on either side of it (or the column of your neck) and just really get in there, y'know? All this and he's got you as close as he can get you to him. He bites and sucks your lips til they might bruise. He will stray from there and leave a line of lil kisses and nips down your neck. His go to kissing places are the back of your shoulder, your neck, your lips, your forehead and the tip of your nose while he's holding both of your hands. He loves lip kisses. And shoulder kisses, god, if you kiss this man and lean against him from behind, he's fucking putty in your hands.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

--- He's pretty good with kids. The baby-babies kind of freak him the fuck out though because they're so smalll and fragile and there's so much shit that can accidentally go wrong to hurt 'em. But the slightly older ones? Amazing, he's amazing with them.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

--- considering he hates getting up early, it's spent cuddled into bed with him, a tangle of limbs and sheets. When you finally emerge from the bed blanket and body burrito cocoon you had going on, then the two of you cook breakfast together and you have to start this man a pot of black coffee otherwise, your hash browns are getting sugared and your pancake batter is salted.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

--- Eating together, whether it be takeout or something one of you has cooked. Afterwards, you'll probably wind up cuddling on the couch to watch tv / talk or read. Then he's all about sharing a shower or bath, like.. it just feels so good to touch you, he loves touching this is his love language, fight me. Anyway, after this, you're cuddling in bed and maybe other bedtime activities (if those didn't happen on the couch in the tub/shower or on the damned kitchen counter oops rip). if you have kids together, he likes to cuddle with them and read/make up stories to tell them to put them to sleep.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

--- He reveals everything about himself slowly. Very, very slowly. And it takes a while for him to get comfortable enough to do it, it's not a quick process at all and sometimes, holy shit, it can feel like pulling teeth.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

--- Shane is not exactly known for his patience, we'll be honest. He tries to change for the people he cares about the most, but beyond that, he's a quick tempered son of a bitch most of the time.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

--- He remembers everything, even things you don't realize he remembers. Which is like.. It's something that'll blow you away when you realize this man is a huge fucking sap when it comes to the person he loves.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

--- Probably something random like a really bad date or the time the Bronco ran out of gas on some backroad on a cold night and then the battery died so you had to cuddle in the backseat because we all know... body heat = warmth.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

--- Really, really protective. Almost too protective. He's always nearby, especially in his apocalypse form, he's always watching, always teaching you how to defend yourself or shoot a weapon or build a fire, anything he can do to make sure you stay alive and you can defend yourself if by chance he happens not to be around. In normal settings, he's the guy who watches your drink when you make a bathroom run at the bar, he's the guy who will pick you up no matter what time it is if you're too drunk to drive, he's the guy who will threaten an ex who won't take the hint with a gun, he will fight for you, he will pretty much die for you if it means you live and you're safe. He wants the same in return but he's a pessimist, so he never expects to receive it.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

--- He's middle of the road on this. But he always does / buys you something he knows you want and sometimes it's something you haven't even really mentioned to him to begin with, he's just picking up on little hints you've given silently and subtly, he's that observant. Everyday tasks he's a little more laid back unless it's something to do with his Mossberg, his home or his Bronco. Because he enjoys working with his hands and outdoor sports.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

--- Jealousy, I mean that one is obvious. Over reacting and losing his temper over something too easily when he's had a bad day. Fighting / brawling, Saying harsh things -that half the time he doesn't really mean, in the heat of the moment.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

--- He's not really into the whole looks thing. Man doesn't really care to take the time to be 'pretty' he just kind of is.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

--- Depends on how much you mean to him, to be honest.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

--- I'm just going to say it now. I firmly feel that his father was probably a drunk, burnt out football player who wanted to make the big time but an injury stopped him. He drilled very toxic shit into Shane's head from a young age and when Shane suffered an injury that ended his own football/baseball career, his father was the first one to point out how worthless he was. And this only grew worse when he became a cop with Rick. Shane's father was probably a habitual flyer down at the drunk tank / general lockup, I feel like the man was just.. Not a good one. I feel like his mother died when Shane was a bit younger, so it was just the two men. I feel like he and Rick became friends in high school and Rick's family sort of adopted him.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

--- He hates when someone won't meet him halfway in terms of effort made. Lying pisses him off. He really doesn't like being in a position where he has to lie either.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

---Sleeps bare ass naked.

#shane walsh #shane walsh imagine #shane walsh headcanons #shane walsh x reader #shane walsh x fem!reader #shane walsh fanfic

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