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#like nothing sticks out when they're in a group together
dreadark · 11 months
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siracusaposting
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switchypanic · 3 months
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'Hazbin Hotel' Tickle Headcanons
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Charlie Morningstar
→ Our charming demon belle is a total switch. She loves the playfulness of tickles and regularly attempts to initiate tickle fights with the others (at the moment, she has a shockingly high success rate). → Vaggie is her favorite target, of course! There have been many mornings where she has awoken her girlfriend with a barrage of soft, tickly kisses, and Vaggie can never bring herself to mind them. → She leans heavily on baby talk, so expect a few "coochie coochie coos" between gushes about how cute you look while laughing. → One of the only ones brave enough to try tickling Alastor. This earned her some huge bragging points with Angel Dust Even Husk had to admit she "had guts" when he found out about her attempts to reduce the feared Radio Demon to a giggling fit. → Her tickles tend to be quick and gentle, her fingers spidering from spot to spot before you even have the chance to grab at her hands, and if she ever decides to bring her tail into the mix, that's just one more thing you'll have to watch out for. → Speaking of her tail, it's one of her worst spots, so it's a good thing she usually keeps it hidden. Other sweet spots include her cheeks, sides and hooves. → While teasing can fluster her to some degree, she isn't embarrased about liking tickling, and will even outright ask for them if her lee mood is bad enough. → If you manage to get her laughing hard enough, she lets out these loud snorts, a trait that she inherited from her father. → Responds best to fast, light pressure. Sure, digging into her spots will get her laughing, but those reactions are nothing compared to the frantic squeals you'll get by spidering your fingers across the spade of her tail. → She is predominantly tickled by Vaggie, though as the other hotel patrons start to warm up to her, they start sneaking in a few tickles here and there as well.
Vaggie
→ Far from the most touchy feely member of the group, Vaggie is only okay with tickling Charlie at first. However, as she starts to warm up to and bond with the others, she slowly starts to become more playful with them as well. → The most skilled ler in terms of precision and technique. However, she still has some learning to do when it comes to teasing (she's kinda bad at it, though not for lack of trying). → Prior to meeting Charlie, Vaggie hadn't really encountered tickles before, as she didn't exactly have the best home life. However, her girlfriend is more than happy to help her make up for lost time and always makes an effort to include Vaggie in the group tickle wars. → When her wings grow back, she loves using them as tickle tools, though this is a technique she reserves for Charlie alone. Showing off one's wings can be a huge show of trust for an angel, and she just doesn't have that level of comfort with the others yet. → Angel Dust is her most prevalent lee after Charlie. The actor just goes out of his way to push her buttons, knowing good and well she's going to retaliate for it, and Vaggie is happy to oblige. → While not as ticklish as some of the other members of the hotel staff, she has a few sweet spots that are guaranteed to get her laughing, those being her armpits, wings, and feet. ONLY Charlie is allowed to touch her wings, though! → Whenever she's being too much of a stick in the mud, Angel will make sure she gets a few good tickles, usually aided by Charlie. While she might act annoyed by it, Vaggie doesn't really mind their affectionate concern. → The only one she actively tries to fight off as Alastor. No matter how much time they spend together, the angel cannot bring herself to trust him (not that I can blame her), and Alastor's teasing tends to be just a little too mean spirited for her to find comfort in. → Angel has made SO MANY JOKES about how "they should just tickle the other Exorcists into submission if they're half as sensitive as Vaggie" and it flusters her to no end. → She is more of a giggle than a cackler, having a higher pitched, sweet sounding laugh that Charlie likes to compare to the sound of a bell ringing.
Angel Dust
→ On the outside, Angel is shameless about his enjoyment of tickling, be it being on the giving or receiving end. However, once you start to break down his bravado, he's shockingly easy to fluster (when Husk found out just how SHY Angel gets about his lee moods, he had a field day with it). → THE KING OF TEASING, I SWEAR. It is one of the many talents he's developed over his time in the "film" industry and he loves to boast about it. → "Aaaw, what's the mattter? Does the wittle kitty have tickwish wittle wings? Can he not handle havin' his wittle feathers ruffled?" → Very big on consent for obvious reasons. If his lee really doesn't want it, he will stop tickling them immediately and profusely apologize. → All of his arms give him a major advantage in tickle fights, allowing him to hold his lee down with ease while the remaining limbs target multiple sweet spots at once. → Speaking of his extra arms, they are actually both a blessing and a curse, as his armpits are his absolute worst spot. As if having one set wasn't bad enough, the poor guy has MULTIPLE to worry about protecting during a tickle fight, a feat he rarely manages to accomplish. → He doesn't like having his feet touched. While they're pretty ticklish, they are a huge source of insecurity for him, so the others make sure to stay clear of them. → Prefers soft, gentle tickles to rougher ones. Sure, getting absolutely destroyed can be fun and all, but sometimes he just needs something sweet and playful to brighten his mood after a particularly hard day of filming. → Cherri Bomb was the one to reveal his sensitivity to the others, leading to the poor spider getting lovingly ganged up on and tickled to pieces (not that he minded, of course). → His laughter is wild and bouncy, ranging from frantic giggles to loud cackling depending on the spot, technique, and ler (responds the best to Cherri and Husk, though Alastor is a close third).
Husk
→ Husk prefers being the ler most of the time; it takes a lot for him to let go and allow somebody else to take control (thanks a lot, Alastor). However, as the bartender comes to trust the other hotel patrons more, he starts opening up to the idea of being on the recieving end more often. → Usually only pokes or prods at you in passing; very rarely full-on attacks. If you want to get totally wrecked, you're either gonna have to ask for it or annoy him enough to get him to snap (Angel Dust has become the master of this because there's NO WAY IN HELL he's gonna be able to ask for it). → Husk is a fan of more toned down teasing; he finds baby talk too silly and will actually end up flustering HIMSELF if he attempts it. Instead, he leans more towards little comments, deep chuckles and knowing smirks to get his lee all squirmy. → "Hm, this a good spot? No? Well, I guess you won't mind if I stay here then, will ya?" Cue panicked screeching for Angel. → THIS MAN IS CONFIRMED TO BE CANONICALLY TICKLISH! WE'VE GOT A LIVE ONE, YOU GUYS! → Alastor was the first to find out Husk's ticklish but (shockingly enough) kept it to himself. As such, it was a total shock to Angel when one misplaced scratch behind the ear nearly sent the cat demon into a fit of giggles. Needless to say, the actor had a field day and Husk was MORTIFIED. → Teasing gets to him so bad, you guys! Like, he isn't a fan of teasing that makes him feel weak or small, but if you start complimenting his laugh or cooing about how his tail is wagging, he might actually combust. → HE TOTALLY PURRS WHEN HE LAUGHS! SORRY, I DON'T MAKE THE RULES, PEOPLE!" → His kill spots are his ears, wings and paws (especially the little heart beans, he'll offer you anything you want to get you leave those alone). Under the chin is also a major giggle spot for him.
Alastor
→ Most people automatically assume Alastor isn't ticklish. I mean, come on, he's the RADIO DEMON! Plus, with how evil of a ler he is, the risks of trying just doesn't seem to outweigh the benefits. However, if you know the right spots and techniques, it is possible to take him down with you. → Behind Charlie, he starts most of the hotel's tickle fights, using his shadow to cause chaos and turn the other patrons against each other (he once had Husk CONVINCED that Angel was squeezing his sides whenever his back was turned). → He is shockingly gentle with Charlie and Nifty, using lighter touches and kinder teases with them than any of the other patrons. Angel claims this is "bullshit and totally unfair," though it's not like Alastor particularly cares about being fair. → If you provoke him enough, he might decide that a regular wrecking isn't enough and bring his powers into the mix, using his tentacles to hold you still as he slowly tickles you to pieces. → "There's that smile! You know, my dear, this look REALLY suits you! Perhaps I'll just have to tickle you more often! Would you enjoy that? Oh, no need to answer, I'm certain you would!" → If you want to get Alastor back, you're gonna have to catch him off guard and go for a kill spot right away to weaken him. The ears, ribs, or tail should do the trick! → Surprisingly enough, he won't usually fight back, so long as you're someone he has a level of trust with. If Charlie, Nifty, or Rosie go after him, for example, he will just collapse into a fit of barely muffled snickers and half-hearted protests. On the flip side, if Vaggie, Angel, Husk, or Pentious were to try it, he'd put up much more of a fight. → While I adore the headcanon that his radio effects and static get stronger the harder he laughs, I would like to propose the OPPOSITE. The more you get him laughing, the more the effects fade away, letting his true voice and laugh start to slip through. → His tail wags when he's tickled, which absolutely mortifies him, as it is a clear show of just how much he is actually enjoying himself. → Just a heads up, he isn't the biggest fan of being teased. Sure, nicer ones and compliments can get him flustered, but anything too mean spirited can sour his good mood in an instant.
Nifty
→ Canonically not ticklish; sorry fellas! This, mixed with her usual chaotic nature, makes her a force to be reconned with during tickle fights. → Even Alastor will stay clear of her, knowing he won't have the slightest hope in Hell of fighting back against the unhinged tickle monster. → Her tickles are fast and brutal, jumping from place to place at lightning speed, her fingers drilling into any sweet spots she finds mercilessly. The first time she found out about Angel's armpits, the poor guy was left WHEEZING before Vaggie and Charlie could pull her off of him. → She has absolutely attempted to use her feather duster to tickle people before, to varying degrees of success (it worked best on Charlie and Pentious because they're SUPER feather ticklish). → "Kitchie kitchie kitchie kitchie kitchie! Oh my, you're AWFULLY ticklish! How do you get anything done when you're this sensitive?" → Tickle bites are this girl's signature move, though sometimes she can be a little bit rough (they had to bandage up poor Husk once when she bit down a little too hard). → Not much else to say about her, unfortunately! She's just a feral little goblin and I love her so much.
Sir Pentious
→ This man is such a lee, I swear. Like, he tries so hard to be a ler, but he ALWAYS ends up flustering himself in the end. You tried your best, Sir Pentious, but some folks just aren't meant to be tickle monsters. → He has tried to tickle the others on a few occasions, namely Charlie, though he worked up the nerve to try taking Alastor down once. However, his attempts always seem to end with him being reduced to a hissy, giggling puddle on the floor. → He does tickle his minions from time to time, when a ler mood strikes him. In a hotel filled with tickle monsters, it's just the safest option for him, and it's not like the eggs mind the affection. → This dork cannot tease to save his own life. He either messes up the delivery or ends up accidentally sending HIMSELF into a lee mood (sometimes both happen at the same time). → His tail is perfect for holding his lee still, though he has to be careful. If he does not make sure their arms are properly pinned down, it makes it VERY easy for his target to go after one of HIS sweet spots. → The tail is a death spot. Like, he absolutely loses it if you go after it, falling into waves of pleas and shrill cackles. His little hood is also really bad, flaring open and closed in an attempt to cope with ticklish scribbles or kisses. → "NOHOHO, SSSSTAHAHAHAHAP! NOHOHOHO TEHEHEHEHEHEASSSING!" Cue more panicked screeches. → Pentious hisses when he laughs, a fact that everyone finds extremely cute and loves to comment on, much to the inventor's dismay. → Once, he accidentally sassed Alastor while being wrecked. The instant he saw the other's smile tighten and antlers grow ever so slightly, he knew that he was royally screwed. → As stated in Charlie's section, he is super feather ticklish. Heaven help him (pun totally intended) if Lucifer ever finds out; he might just be tempted to give Charlie's first real guest a "proper angelic welcoming," as he likes to call it (it's really just a horrific wrecking with all six of his wings).
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ffverr · 11 days
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On the discourse (that somehow still exists) of why the X-Men are feared and hated but other genetically modified heroes like the Fantastic Four or some of the Avengers aren't :
I still see this argument online that some people, usually not X-Men fans, pull out in a sort of gotcha moment. To kind of stick it to Marvel for being unrealistic or to vouch for the fearing of other heroes in the marvel universe to tip the scales.
There are two points for the "why is *random x-men* oppressed and not *random marvel hero*" discourse that people are always intentionally missing.
One- A base of mutant fear and repression is the argument that "it could happen to your children too". It could happen to ANYONE, from birth, and there is nothing you can do about it. No being careful of scientific experiences can stop your close ones from becoming a mutant. (Kind of like people are okay with gay celebrities as long as they're doing their thing from afar but it's a threat when it comes to their children/Friends/family being gay)
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They layed it on thick with this amazing advertisment back in the day: "do you know what your children are"??? I mean come on it's not rocket science
Fun fact, the kid labeled "mutie" here is actually Franklin Richards, son of Mister Fantastic and Invisible woman. He used to be a mutant and this goes to show how somehow johnny storm can be beloved but his super powered nephew doesn't get the same treatment.
Two- Spider-Man, the F4, the Avengers etc... All these heros who get some powers by some incident. They're supposed to be rare and few in between. The fear of mutants mainly comes from the fact that they started popping up in the MILLIONS. A mutant isn't necessarly seen as an honorable individual that acquires powers and realises they have the responsibility to use it for good. To humans, they're millions of people (or at least hundreds of thousands) that are, just by existing, threatening the status quo of humanity. They are changing the natural dominance of humans for good.
So of course humans love the F4 (usually). Because they're not scared to be replaced by them in their day to day life, however they are scared to be rendered obsolete by mutants. When humans look at the F4 they see brave selfless HUMAN heroes. They relate to them, they identify with them. They're a sweet family dedicated to the world's safety. In contrast, the mutants represent a world changing threat that truly shifts the balance. And that's not comfy at all no matter how cute or harmless the power is.
This difference can even cause very understandable tension in between the X-men and other super powered groups:
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In short, the mutant moral panic comes from the fact that for exemple:
-humans are afraid to loose their jobs to super powered level talents.
-humans are scared from groups of super powered people that could threaten their safety.
-Governments are scared of these groups being the equivalent of entire armies concentrated in a single individual.
- They're scared that their children could turn into something unimaginable once they hit puberty
-And some just hate the idea of being manipulated by a random telepath on the street without ever knowing.
In contrast of Spider-Man, humans feel like nature is done with homo sapiens and THAT'S what brings hate and fear.
That's why everytime a mutant hate crime happens in the comics, it's always accompanied by some human saying "y'think you're better than us weirdo".
+ Contrary to the avengers, mutants also claim a culture, a shared history and common experiences between thousands. This binds them together in a way they doesn't necessarly make them identify with humans. And this is overall irritating and scary to humans.
Also, religious fear-mongering of mutants is rampant!!! It does a ton to set appart the mutants from the scientifically modified heros of the marvel universe.
In the end, one of the best comic to portray this whole thing is still God loves man Kills.
It depicts a villain, Striker, that gains popularity by spreading religious propaganda to justify mutant hate. In an emotional and shocking twist, we come to find that Striker has had a mutant son, that he killed with his own hand because he was a "monster".
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You can understand how Captain America, with his super body, doesn't really evoke the same existential dread. Bigotry isn't rational, but also, a shit ton of things complicate the mutant's inclusion into society that doesn't necessarly parallel perfectly with real world struggles so that's also to take into consideration.
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bbanghiitomi · 5 months
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| when things don't go your way
synopsis: what do you call someone you're not dating but someone in your arms? hanni asks that question herself often but always comes to the same answer: which is you.
— nonidol!filmstudent!phanni! × nonidol!journalismstudent!fem!reader
ლ⁠(⁠^⁠o⁠^⁠ლ⁠) ლ⁠(⁠^⁠o⁠^⁠ლ⁠) ლ⁠(⁠^⁠o⁠^⁠ლ⁠) ლ⁠(⁠^⁠o⁠^
honey ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ
y/n, are u not coming to see me?
i miss you already...
haven't seen you for a month.
how's ur org doing?
received.
you find yourself smiling as you read her messages, it seems like just the casual hi and hello's, the simple updates that friends are supposed to be sharing with each other aren't enough to satisfy the pham's need to be able to see your face, hear your voice and touch you. she's right actually, the last time you've seen each other was a month ago, before your journalism organization started being busy once again and her life has been a lot more boring ever since. there have been lots of restless nights where you think to yourself that there's no such rest as good as hanni's hugs, you really need her embrace, her arms around your waist.
god i miss her…
you can't help but think to yourself whilst you sit in one of the journalism organization room swivel chairs, working in front of a computer for the next online publishing of the university's news publishing website. it's almost 9pm, the lights are dim and the last person who you were with inside the room was the radio broadcasting group's director — danielle marsh, who then left with the sports writer kang haerin. they've been going in and out together for the past couple of months, which went unnoticed by some members of the faculty as it was seen as “typical” and very on character for them to do so.
you weren't new to that thing too, it's pretty obvious they've got a thing for each other and they're pretty open about it if anything.
unlike you.
just seeing the two made you miss hanni so much more, and it's quite selfish to think of such things because everyone, including the sane part of your brain knew that there's nothing between the two of you except for friendship — worn like a cloak to hide a secret. you can't remember why this whole arrangement between you and hanni started, when did you start sharing kisses? when did you start taking her home? what was the reason you visited her place even if it was late at night? why were you even so adamant about being there for her when she needs someone? why did both of you agree not to put any meaning behind these things? those thoughts were at the back of your mind, it shouldn't matter actually and when you think about it you try not to pry yourself about how it should matter that much — at the end of the day, things are not going to change.
if the walls of your room could talk, your secrets would no longer be something shared between you and hanni.
well, you've been on thin ice for such a long time — at this point, you assume that everyone in your organization and her club already has an idea about your relationship with hanni and are quite in a stump about it but that's too far from the truth, in fact — there were hardly anyone who notices the little things you do. everytime you think about her, the shared secrets together, the things about you that only she knows — you can't even find a reason to hate yourself for entertaining something people won't find appealing. it's been so long, why would you even go back to where it all started to stop this from escalating even further when you could just go with it until the end.
you know, you're going to hold onto this till the end, thinking that there will be that time where you and hanni can settle things down and accept what needs to be accepted and leave what needs to be left behind.
maybe, things will get better eventually…
you just hope you can stick with this until — you can finally call her… yours.
honey ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ
hm…
i'll think about it.
miss me already?
the org's doing just fine, hbu?
sent.
you drop your phone on the table as you close the tabs of the computer and then turn the computer off. you stay on the chair for a few more minutes, waiting for her reply as you fiddle the hem of your shirt with your fingers. quite nervous, confused as to why you were nervous — you can't help but just laugh, not having any explanation as to why you're suddenly acting like a giddy teenager girl over your so-called "friend".
crap… you think to yourself, it's really late now but you were hoping to see her again, at least even for just an hour or-so.
i wonder what she's up to now.
honey ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ
oh! the club's doing well!
we just finished our project and were hoping to release it soon.
you know how giddy i get about it, right?
i wish you were here with me so i can tell you all about it.
received.
you feel the familiar heat crawling up to your cheeks, you tap at the screen only for a few seconds and then pick it up. you wonder why, even before you kissed her, no matter how many times you tried setting yourself up with other girls — it wasn't effective at all. behind those words you told other people is hanni lingering at the back of your mind, the image of her face clear in your eyes until you just gave up, leaving yourself falling into her arms.
just how many times have i tried?
i can't even remember.
you thought then just gave up.
honey ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ
yeah…
i wish i was there, where are you anyway?
i mean, maybe i can come and see you.
right?
sent.
you stare at her message for a few seconds then you stand up and grab your bag that's been left unattended on the floor for a few hours since you first started working on the articles. you have absolutely no idea about what you're doing, it's just you doing whatever once again and doing it in the most random time ever but that's just because you missed hanni so much.
it won't hurt, right?
spending just some time to see her again.
honey ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ
wait, really?
i mean…
that's great!
but what about your roommate?
will minji not look for you?
received.
that's the thing, minji has been your roommate for almost two years — yes, that long. she's practically like your sibling at this point, one that you can always trust and lean on when you need a shoulder to hold onto or someone to cry on. minji used to be also a part of the film making organization in your university. she used to work with hanni on some projects for school until she left to focus on writing her own stuff on her own accord. so, minji is someone hanni already knew before she met you.
minji knows your thing with hanni and is at first troubled by it, but then it's not like it's something unethical, right? it's just secrets and a relationship with no label, it doesn't hurt anyone aside from you and hanni. that's the thing, minji feels bad that you subject yourself to self-harm — which is a relationship where you have no right to feel jealous about. she knows it sucks, how many times have she asked you: “what’s really between you and hanni?” and you always answer her. “nothing, we're close friends.” even though she's seen you cuddling with hanni on your couch, awfully closer than normal.
she worries your mother might find out even before you make it official between the two of you,
you know, she knows you're screwed if it were to happen.
minji has basically given up prying her way into your business but still tries to watch out whenever you feel sad or frustrated. she's always there when you need her — she's obviously a great friend that even your parents trust.
honey ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ
nah, don't worry
i’ll tell her.
she’ll be alright.
where are you?
sent.
honey ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ
great, i’m here at my condominium
just, you know? waiting…
hope you come here asap
;)))
received.
you grab your backpack and sling to your shoulder, making your way past the rows of computers lined and exiting the room. you see the dim corridor, your eyes follow along the lines of doors and the straight path to the stairways, and under the dark hall the pictures of when you first met hanni lingered at the back of your mind, right at the end of the corridor.
r u carps, min?
hey minji,
bro
i won't be home 2night
take care of the dorm and heat up the pizza
i got some money under the flower base and just take it to order sum whatever…
lov ur roommate, y/n
sent.
and with a blink, you come back to reality and start running your way to the stairs and reaching the ground floor — rushing as soon as possible to get to the open parking lot where your scooter is parked, you open your top box with your keys and immediately place your bag inside before locking it once again.
r u carps, min?
dude wtf?
why now? ur mom will be here tomorrow.
y/n?
hey!
BRO!!!!
ur such an asshole
you know that?
come on…
ur dead
received.
as the engine ignites, all your worries are pushed back behind before the motor accelerates and you finally find your way outside the campus then to her condominium.
“you’ve been away for so long.” hanni grumbles, arms wrapping themselves around your torso, you laugh at her expression, a cute pout adoring her pink lips and her eyes full of stars inside of them. it's almost like she has the universe in her pupils. “only for a month by the way, i’m guessing you really feel lonely here.” you tell her, raising your brows at her direction with a smile on your lips. she nods, snuggling closer to your body on the bed, she feels like a koala the way she couldn't let go of your figure.
“of course! aside from my parents, you're really the only one i want here with me.” she says, well it's nothing but the truth but hearing it made something inside you tremble. it's something you cannot understand but something you feel very deep inside, you only smile at her.
she could bring anyone she wants here.
and you would still not be able to tell her nothing, because you have no right to do so.
she's free to do whatever she wants to do.
and that must be your fault, right?
you place a hand on top of her head, patting her soft hair under your palm. “seriously, this is why you feel lonely. having a friend or two here other than me wouldn't be so bad.” you express out of genuine feelings, though it's nice to know you're the only one she wants, you can't help but feel guilty that you're making her wait or expect too much to the point she's not allowing anyone inside of her life aside from you.
at the end of the day, you only want her to be happy.
but that's not the case, for a relationship that doesn't have any label — hanni seems committed to it.
you haven't even said anything but she's already sure she's yours, and it honestly makes you feel bad even if it is a mutual feeling you two both share.
“i really only want you…” hanni buries her head on your neck, snuggling close for warmth and you can't help but wrap your arm around her, to keep her close as if anyone was going to take her away from you if you don't. “it's okay, i won't be away for any longer anymore. i promise.” you whisper, you feel hanni nod her head and feel her lips against your skin as she speaks. “promise me you’ll be here with me forever?” you look down on her, eyes directly on her cheek, her face hidden on your neck. “i will.” you smile at her.
maybe, you are really that tired that when you open your eyes it's already 9am in the morning yet hanni is still wrapped around your arms. the sun shines so much brighter on days like this, it must have been her presence beside you and everyday should have been like this if things were different.
there is still a chance for you to change it.
you start to see it.
“are you sure i can come to you and minji’s place today?” hanni asks, looking up from her plate of food, she tilts her head as she asks, eyes meeting your own pair. “well yeah, you know minji would never mind.” you say, bringing your utensils down before smiling at her direction. “besides, it’s not a busy day today.” you add.
you take the helmet in hanni’s hands and help her wear it on her head, making sure it's strapped tight. as your hands let go of the helmet, you notice hanni staring at your face and you raise your brows at her. “what?” you ask. hanni giggles and shakes her head. “nothing, i just… feel giddy about being with you today after what felt like forever.” she says and you almost saw the entire galaxy inside of her eyes the way it shines, the wait the light sparkles, you can't help but be mesmerized.
you nod at her and place a kiss on her cheek. “of course, it's not everyday we get to be like this together.” you huff and hop on the motor, hanni follows and wraps her arms around your waist.
when you get to your shared apartment’s front door you notice the weird aura of the place, you hesitate to open the door as you stand still looking at the wooden entrance, hanni peeks behind you and wonders why you haven't touched the doorknob.
now… i must be paranoid.
it's oddly quiet or somehow, there's a strange presence looming around the place and you don't know what it was.
you take the doorknob in your hand and feel its cold surface, sending shivers on your spine. you twist it and enter inside, slowly stepping a foot and looking around to see if anyone beside minji is present, hanni follows quietly but is still confused. your eyes widen when you spot your mom standing by the living room and seemingly pacing around, in panic and quite in a rush, impatient.
you feel a rush of adrenaline pumping in your veins as you immediately take a step back, pull hanni outside then close the door gently. “w-what’s wrong? is there an intruder inside?” hanni asks, worried that there might actually be an intruder, which ironically turned out to be your mom. you laugh sheepishly and scratch the back of your head. “uh no? i just remembered that minji wasn't around and… we can go grab food somewhere before coming back—” your words are cut off when the door opens to, none other than minji.
“minji..?” hanni looks behind you, to the door as minji stands with a hard expression on her face.
“where have you been?” minji asks, her tone is strict and impatient for an immediate answer, her eyes bore behind you and then dart back at hanni. “and why is hanni here?” she adds to the pile of questions.
you turn around and shake your head. “ah, i didn't know you were here… crap, i was at her place yesterday and i thought i’d hang around with her here ‘cause you wouldn't mind, right?” you shrug, minji kept her serious face but sighs, rubbing her temple with her fingers. “y/n, i won't of course. but you know who will?” she says, clearly frustrated.
hanni squints her eyes at minji. “who?”
“her mom, she's here today, waiting for y/n inside.” minji answers, you flinch at the idea before turning your head at hanni who frowns and looks away. “i didn't know she'd be here!” you whisper aggressively, rubbing your face with your hand.
“dude, i messaged you yesterday. you didn't even bother reading it.” minji argues, which was the truth but you were riding your scooter to hanni's place when you received the message — it was the reason you didn't have the time to read it.
with your face buried on your palm, you grumbled. “dude, i was riding my scooter that time…”
hanni sighs and places her hand on your shoulder, you put your head up and look at her. “i’m leaving for now i guess, you'd be in more trouble if she sees me.” hanni says, giving you a small smile.
you furrow your brows, you think to yourself that there must be a way — there's something you can definitely do, doesn't matter what there has to be something!
you stare at her, pursing your lips before reaching out for her hand and shaking your head. “no, you'll stay. don't worry i’ll take care of this, please just stay.” you tell her, minji’s expression turns into confusion — as if, your ways of salvaging you and hanni's relationship seemed absurd to minji's level of understanding.
“wait? y/n are you crazy? you're gonna get you both in trouble!” minji says, already scolding you even before the trouble happens. you look at her and shake your head, holding hanni’s hand tight. “no, that's my mom — i know her, we’ll be alright. i promise.” you look back at hanni to give her a small smile again, caressing the soft skin of her hand under yours to soothe the unstable feeling stressing her out.
the door opens once again but this time it's your mother who exits and her eyes dart at the three figures standing. “y/n? where have you been, young lady!” she yells, you laugh and look at her with a sheepish expression before pulling hanni slightly closer beside you. “i stayed somewhere only for a night. i swear, no troubles.” your mother seems to notice hanni’s presence beside you and raises her brow towards hanni, her scary aura unchanging.
hanni took a deep breath, opening her lips as if about to say a word but she fails miserably when your mother glares at her. “and who is this girl?” your mother asks, her voice asking irritatedly. you look at hanni before wrapping your arm around her torso, getting a look of doubt from your mother but mostly directed to hanni, who gulps a lump inside her throat. “hi — i’m y/n’s —”
“she's my girlfriend, mom.” you grin at your mother, hanni and minji both looked shocked at the sudden revelation — you were confident, this time you’re sure and there's no way you’ll take it back again, not this time or never again. hanni looks at you and her eyes shake when it meets your mother's gaze.
“oh, what..?” minji mutters, feeling her head spinning, she blinks in confusion and looks at the three people all facing one another. hanni blushes, aggressively gripping the hem of your shirt, looking up at you as if you said something crazy which is indeed crazy, out of character even.
“oh, really?” your mom adds, her voice softens but her eyes remain the same.
hanni looks at your mom, nodding her head gently.
“yes, i’m your daughter’s girlfriend, ma'am. nice to meet you…” hanni smiles, still quite hesitant, like a curious cat dipping its paws in something it doesn't know — but in hanni’s case she has her hand sticking out for a handshake.
somehow, your mother's eyes softened or is hanni just deluding herself into believing so?
she hopes, your mom did — because she shouldn't be seeing things, she's still sane after all!
yes, your mother did soften her gaze.
hanni may not be that crazy after all.
just a little, just for you.
“yeah! you're okay with it, right mom? hanni’s a very nice girl and she lets me sleep at her place when i stay at school late and she cooks me breakfast and she helps me with my homeworks. she helps me clean my room, helps me with my laundry and —” even before you finish rambling about how hanni basically keeps your life stable your mom raises her index finger to your way to shush you down before she steps forward to take a closer look at hanni.
your mother looks at hanni’s hand and reaches for it before shaking it, feeling hanni’s sweating and trembling hand. “nice to meet you, is my daughter too much work? i know she's a little handful sometimes.” you slump your shoulders as you mother jokes, hanni laughs— you notice the change in her voice, feeling your girlfriend starting to relax herself. “she isn't, i’m happy to be helping her.” hanni answers, feeling her cheeks flush and her blood boiling on her face.
“that's good to know, she's very dependent.”
minji nods and huffs. “yes, she is!” you roll your eyes at her.
you mother lets go of hanni’s hand and turns away to walk inside the door, but before she enters she calls for minji. “help me arrange the table.” she says, to which minji followed almost immediately.
hanni feels like laughing, there's a certain type of warmth blooming inside of her when she realizes what just happened. she blinks only for a bit, trying to do something to make sure she isn't daydreaming or dreaming whilst asleep — and she had just confirmed that she is indeed awake, none of what happened was fake and the warmth of your arm proved it.
“hanni.” you call out to her. hanni puts a hand on her mouth and looks up at you, starstrucked to actually see your mother up close.
“i’m your girlfriend?” she asks, to make sure you're not bluffing.
you smile and nod, giving her the type of gaze that means “i love you”.
“you are, you're my girlfriend.” you tell her.
hanni feels like crying this time, there's something about it that she can't explain — something about finally being able to hold onto something that isn't a thin thread of hope for something that will break apart in no time, without her knowing. something about finally being able to actually express her feelings without holding back sends waves of relief inside of hanni.
why has she not thought of this earlier? why didn't you tell her that earlier?
hanni embraces you in a tight hug, her face buried in your shoulder as she sobs. “oh my god…” you feel her speak. you laugh, petting her head. “hey now, i promise i’m not lying.”
hanni sniffs and looks up at you. “i love you.” she whispers, eyes covered with tears and cheeks are bright red, before breaking into a wide smile. “i love you too.” you tell her back before giving her a small kiss on her lips.
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smoke-and-silver · 2 months
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A Little Support
I have a prior headcanon that the elite demons in Obey Me are only biased towards humans because they're out-of-touch aristocrats, and a lot of demons are actually fine with other species. I can't help but think about all the little bits of solidarity and kindness MC must have found amidst all the mistreatment and violence.
An empathetic demon who raises his voice to tell another demon to screw off when they talk down to MC in public.
A succubus pretends to know MC on the sidewalk because she saw another demon following them. She gets it. Demon guys follow her down the street sometimes.
The cashier at a convenience store who, on MC's first night in the Devildom, asks them questions about the human world, gives them a soda free of charge, and wishes them luck.
A lesser demon with a stuttering voice stands up to Mephisto, knowing the nobleman could easily ruin him, because he's been mistreated by higher demons all his life, too.
The Human Appreciation Club at RAD hosts human movie nights in the projector room. It's an unexpected and welcome respite.
A ton of witches feel kinship with other humans and openly welcome MC, assisting them with basic knowledge of potions, gifting them protective charms, introducing them to witch society, insisting that they "have to stick together down here!"
A demon in class snidely comments that a human must "struggle with all this magical knowledge". Another demon speaks up to say that most magical knowledge comes from human women, witches, and sorcerers.
A burly guy with spiraled horns growls at another demon being predatory towards MC at a bar. The other demon leaves and the burly dude returns to his drink without a word. Nothing eventful happens.
The host of a late night show makes an unfriendly joke about the human exchange students. A demoness in the crowd boos him loudly and is removed by security when she refuses to stop jeering.
A certain shop is known to be unwelcoming towards angels and humans. MC is surprised when they see posts about the shop being boycotted by empathetic demons.
MC sees in passing a group of demons assisting an injured witch. She sits on the sidewalk with her face in her hands after an attempted attack. The surrounding demons are calling her friends and waiting with her until they arrive.
A lot of "confused but he got the spirit" demons attempting to make MC happy and comfortable in misled ways. A trio of frat dudes bring MC a tupper of mac and cheese one evening because "humans like this stuff, right?".
MC's induction into the council brings some backlash, but also a wave of support and a ton of flowers being sent to the House of Lamentation. MC is touched and their reaction makes Lucifer too happy to complain about the living room being full of flowers.
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findingcrow · 2 months
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Okay, its been a couple months since my last Roomies post which means I need to ramble more (mainly because I consume the found family trope like its oxygen I need to survive), so here we go again!!!
The Roomies (Grian, Etho, and Cleo in Secret Life) are genuinely my favorite group out of all of the life series. They are the very definition of found family. They made the trope, actually. And what's worse is that they were doomed from the beginning.
Grian, known for abandoning people for the hell of it anytime it's convenient. The last time he was really loyal to someone was in Last Life with Scar, and after how that ended, I like to think that he was afraid to make any connections like that again. He messes with people for the sake of it. He is the embodiment of chaos itself.
Cleo, known for her violent and merciless nature. Throughout the series, she's constantly making a long list of people to kill when she gets the chance. It's not often she displays openness with people, especially knowing how the life series always ends. The last time she did, her family was splitting by the seams and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She refuses to not be in power again like that.
Etho, extremely serious and yet not at all. He'll lie when he needs to, he'll mess with whoever he wants, whenever he wants. He does his tasks, bumps into everyone and no one on the way. Known for being loyal, but loyal to who? All of the other seasons are done, he has no solid allies, besides BDubs.
And yet after the divorce arc, Cleo and Etho reunite, Etho allowing Cleo to stay when she was trying to escape Tango and the others. It's more for connivence at first, maybe helping out with a task here or there. They made a home and continue on.
Then Grian asks for a place to stay- just as Cleo had all those episodes ago- and they say yes. They know that there's a high likelihood of him killing them when the time comes to it. They look between each other, remembering all of their pasts and all of the blood shed, and they realize that they're just the same as the man standing at their door asking for shelter. Not a home, just a shelter. That's all this is for the three of them, it's a roommates-for-connivence situation.
But over time, they all get... closer. Maybe it's after the zombie apocalypse, where Grian's first thought after realizing is, "I need to warn Cleo and Etho" or where Etho purposefully wards the zombies away from his friends. Maybe it's after the traps set specifically to kill them. Maybe it's after Grian begs Etho and Cleo to do the "zombie dance," where Cleo tries her best despite not even knowing it existed.
There was never a specific moment where they decided they were no longer roommates and that they were family. It's rarely acknowledged until Grian is speaking with the two of them where he swears to never hurt them, even after all of them turn Red. Etho and Cleo, in return, agree.
When the end eventually comes, like they all knew it would, they stick together. They climb high up, high enough where they should be able to live in peace together for the rest of eternity. But they're found, just like the game is meant to go, and everyone knows there's going to be people who don't come down. Etho is one of the first.
There's no mistaking the cries that are shouted when Etho falls. Grian and Cleo watch intently, only wanting Etho to run faster. They don't hear his final words, they don't hear him say "I'm going home, everybody. I'm dying in my home." They don't get to be there, in his last moments, as he passes away in the home they made together. All Cleo and Grian can do is mourn for a short moment before trying to save themselves. Grian calls out, "No, Etho, my boy!!!" eyes straying to their home, staying there for a moment, not being able to know what happened there, other than his family being dead. Cleo begins to do something similar- "Etho, you're my bo..." She lets out a sob, her voice cracking, before she quickly distracts herself. She understands now what the goal of the game is, how everyone else is playing it. They're willing to do anything to avenge Etho, even if it means getting killed themselves.
Grian and Cleo- only two of their trio, a blank space left open where another should be- work together, barely leaving each others side. But eventually they're found, even with their trap doing so much damage. Cleo is the second to go, cornered and slaughtered.
Grian was the last to join The Roomies and the last to leave, and he made sure it counted. He fought not only for himself, but for his fallen family. He's only one person, but he fights with the strength of all three of them. Eventually, he's killed, just like the others, but at least he did what he could. He tried, and that was all that mattered.
I'd like to think that Etho and Cleo were waiting for him, then. Etho had waited for Cleo, both of them tearing up at the fact that they got to see each other again. They cheered from above, watching Grian fight off so many more than himself. And when Grian joined them, they opened their arms, the same that had held on so tight throughout the series. The three of them, The Roomies, they had named themselves, were only thankful that their last memories of each other's faces weren't the bloody versions from their deaths.
The three of them were so different. They had different personalities, different friends, different backgrounds. They knew that in the end, only one could win. And yet they were willing to die for each other, ready to murder the whole server in cold blood for even trying to hurt any of them. After trying so hard to not be attached, they couldn't help it.
Family isn't always the blood in your veins; sometimes its the blood on your hands. Sometimes it's the hand that holds yours, despite it being red-stained and calloused. Sometimes it's the ones that would be willing to spill more blood with you, for you, even if it was illogical. Sometimes it's the stupid animals that you named together, sometimes its the adventures that ended up causing pain but you can laugh through because you're not alone.
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issa-pheonyx · 7 months
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Since you did goth yan what if you did a twist on that and did goth reader ?? 😵‍💫
Could be paired with any character but im imagining re2 leon being both really attracted to but also really scared of the reader
𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮 𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗱, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱! 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗵!𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝗼𝗻. 𝗦𝗼, 𝗹𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻~👀🖤
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▌│█║▌║▌║ L̳͈͉̅̊ȍ̸̢̢̮͚̐̚v̸̵̝͙͆̈ͤę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ M̶̷̲̊ͥ͋͟ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ L̳͈͉̅̊ȍ̸̢̢̮͚̐̚v̸̵̝͙͆̈ͤę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ M̶̷̲̊ͥ͋͟ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ L̳͈͉̅̊ȍ̸̢̢̮͚̐̚v̸̵̝͙͆̈ͤę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ M̶̷̲̊ͥ͋͟ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ L̳͈͉̅̊ȍ̸̢̢̮͚̐̚v̸̵̝͙͆̈ͤę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ M̶̷̲̊ͥ͋͟ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ ║▌║▌║█│▌
-Okay, to start off with people (friends and his coworkers at the department) would find it both strange, yet curious based on witnessing you guys standing together. The rookie with a goth? Now way-oh you were not joking. How the hell was he able to even talk to someone so highly different?
-Now crushing on you may have been the way you were attractively intimidating from the looks seeing how he never met someone like yourself in his life. Of course, there are trolls who have talk shit on the stereotypes which you were not phased by it (as you should💅🏽) , however the rookie cop was not having it, defending you like a guarded puppy to you
-He sees you that you are really talented and protective of your creativity amongst the arts, having strengths of independence and respect for all aesthetics even for being called a 'weirdo' for being goth, etc. He would praise and worship you for having such a unique style and do not let anyone get to you, because those who are basic or just have no taste would usually copy off or project themselves onto you, because you happily and lovingly express yourself
-As more to discuss on the being scared of you part, yes, not going to lie he was shitting bricks when he made the first move. Lets say a scenario of you being involved in a scene saving someone's life who had a knife, but you were not afraid and had the courage to fight off the bastard and wield a pocket knife like it's nothing. He thought you were scary cause how did you get him pinned and second of all what the fuck was the knife doing against his neck you could just threw it aside until the cops came
-So, yes he is scared of you cause of the 'the more you fuck around, the more you're going to find out' energy you hold and having the biggest dick energy cause goddamn you is the shit and you can pull your own weight. Sure, he had stalked caught you intruding an abandoned cathedral, because it looked so pretty outside you just want to see inside so badly. This was a good excuse for him to talk to you more and more as you both walked around, you're taking pictures and videos here and there, and he sticks around you like a damn puppy smiling as you tell him more about your style cause he is genuinely curious
-You and him developed a genuine friendship since you were usually just known as the goth instead of you as a person with other individuals/groups. Leon really wanted to get to know you more and more, but the issue is there are people who will find ways to pick on you both. Leon as the rookie cop and you as the goth crush. People would laugh at the thought of him taking a liking of you cause again you guys are opposites
-Thankfully, you would shut them down with respect, maturity, and boldness in which they immediately have their tail between their legs. Leon would try to be light and taken jokingly on their statements (even when they're genuinely rude) which pisses you off, because hey Leon that wasn't a joke they are actually being assholes. So, I guess right then and there the platonic bond turned to a romantic one-developing feelings for you, because you not only express your love and creativity for your gothic aesthetic, but more as a human being who respects those who deserve it and calls out those who are undeserving of it
-You were also developing feelings for Leon too. In denial at first thinking it could be a dumb crush and you will get over with it. But, no it was real, because he sticks with you again like a damn pup you know the routine and defends you whenever someone disrespects or criticize you. He knows you. Everything about you and knows whatever bullshit they're saying is not true. You always had defend other people who you gave so much respect only to be betrayed, because you will be always the weirdo to them. Not as (Y/N)....
▌│█║▌║▌║ L̳͈͉̅̊ȍ̸̢̢̮͚̐̚v̸̵̝͙͆̈ͤę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ M̶̷̲̊ͥ͋͟ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ L̳͈͉̅̊ȍ̸̢̢̮͚̐̚v̸̵̝͙͆̈ͤę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ M̶̷̲̊ͥ͋͟ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ L̳͈͉̅̊ȍ̸̢̢̮͚̐̚v̸̵̝͙͆̈ͤę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ M̶̷̲̊ͥ͋͟ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ L̳͈͉̅̊ȍ̸̢̢̮͚̐̚v̸̵̝͙͆̈ͤę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ M̶̷̲̊ͥ͋͟ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ ║▌║▌║█│▌
𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴! 𝗜 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁. 𝗠𝘆 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗦𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹~🖤🫣
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chahnniesroom · 8 months
Text
tenderness | chapter 8: all fall down
[noun] /ˈtendərnəs/
1. the quality of being gentle, kind, or loving
2. the feeling of pain, aching, or soreness
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pairing: bang chan x female reader
summary: in a world where soulmates are rare and precious, you don’t know why the universe has decided to give you one. you never could have imagined that they would be an idol, and one that you worked with at that, or the challenges that would arise from your bond.
chapter word count: 4.1k
chapter warnings: injury, blood, sasaeng fans
a/n: i am not a doctor and i did minimal research on anything medical related
previous chapter | masterlist | next chapter | read it on ao3
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Over the past few years, Chan has grown relatively used to large crowds. At concerts and events, he’s excited to have the chance to see so many faces and hear their cheers. So when their security team warns them that the airport is much busier than usual and to take extra care about sticking together, he takes it in stride and doesn’t think too much of it. The group is in varying states of tiredness and everyone just wants to get home. Airport crowds are a nuisance, but nothing new. 
They file out of the plane and line up before they reach the public area. Seungmin is leading the way, Chan is last as usual, and Jisung is sandwiched between Changbin and Minho near the back. A few staff pad the front and back of the line while security surrounds the whole group.
The second that the doors open, they’re subjected to the roar of the crowd that gets even louder when they spot them. Even with headphones in, Chan blanches at the sudden increase in noise and is thankful that his mask probably covered most of his reaction. It seems that the amount of people that usually greet them at the airport has more than doubled and they’re all desperate for an interaction. It's a cacophony of fans calling out their names, love declarations, and screams that make it hard to think.
Ahead of him, the kids are urged forward, but he can barely see them through the bright pops of camera flashes and the sea of bodies pushing at them. The bodyguard closest to Chan rests a hand on his shoulder casually, but his grip is like steel, both guiding him and making sure that they don’t get separated. 
Y/n must also be subjected to the ebb and flow of the crowd as she runs straight into Chan at one point, sparking the Charge between them momentarily. Chan looks back to make sure that she’s okay, but she just gestures for him to keep going, anything she might be trying to say being drowned out by the screams and hidden by the mask that she’s wearing. Knowing that he's definitely being filmed, Chan keeps his head down and swallows his concern. The last thing he wants is rumours that might involve Y/n or put any sort of extra attention on her.
The crowd reaches a fever pitch, and multiple cries for Jisung prompts Chan to look up again to search for him. When he finally manages to spot him, it becomes clear that he’s being helped up from the ground. Chan can’t tell if it’s a result of stumbling from poor visibility or an overzealous push from fans, but he attempts to tamp down the simmering anger that he feels building in his gut. He hates that he can't be there to protect Jisung and calm him down. Regardless of the reason that he fell, this wouldn't have happened if they were given more space. They're grateful for their fans, but this is too much.
They need to get out of here and now.
The screaming is deafening now and seems to be coming from all directions. He thinks he can hear security yelling directions, but it’s hard to decipher what they’re saying and who they’re saying it to. With the increased noise comes more pressure as people jockey for a closer position, mercilessly jostling other bodies out of the way. Chan tries to ignore it all, solely focused on getting everyone into the vans waiting for them and making sure they’re unharmed. 
The crowd surges forward and they're finally given the space that they need to reach the doors and spill out onto the outdoor concourse. From there it's only a short distance to where a manager is shepherding them into the idling vans. 
They had lined up based on dorms, so Changbin basically hauls Jisung into the van with Hyunjin, while Minho ushers all of the younger members into their vehicle with no time wasted trying to organise further.
Chan collapses into his seat and everyone in the van seems to let out a sigh of relief the second that the door closes, sealing them away from the frenzy and most of the noise. There's a brief moment to double check that all the members are present before they pull away from the curb.
Chan twists around to confirm there are no injuries. Other than some bruises and scratches on their arms, they're all relatively unharmed, but definitely rattled. Their fans are generally well behaved and respectful of personal space, so this type of encounter is unsettling, but a good reminder to stay vigilant. They're lucky that things didn't escalate to a point where somebody got seriously hurt, but that might not be the case next time. Chan makes a mental note to request some sort of increased security or additional protective measures to guarantee the safety of the members and all the fans. 
Normally, they would spread out in the van to give each other as much space as possible, but today, Jisung stays practically squished between Hyunjin and Changbin who have their arms wrapped around him and are trying their best to soothe him. 
Knowing there’s nothing he can do from where he’s sitting, Chan opts for pulling out his phone and shooting Y/n a quick text. He wasn’t able to catch a glimpse of her after he noticed Jisung fell and has no clue how much she did or didn’t see. He doesn’t want her worrying about their safety.
[5:17 pm - sent]
Sorry that was more chaotic than usual haha
Wasn’t expecting so many people to be there...
We’re all fine even if it looked crazy... 
Hope everything is okay on your side and see you at the dorms later
He keeps the messages succinct, knowing that Y/n likely won’t have a chance to read his texts until later. Just like with their regular schedules, the staff are all brought back to the company and sometimes she gets held back to finish something or go out for food or drinks. He’s hoping that the crowds died down after they left to make it easier to haul all the luggage and equipment away. 
He taps out another message to Minho to reassure him that everyone with him is physically okay, just unnerved and receives a similar response. They agree to all go to the 3RACHA+Hyunjin dorms instead of splitting up, sensing that everyone would feel a bit better if they stuck together for the time being. Relieved, he drops his phone into his backpack and settles into his seat. Without the rush of adrenaline from the airport and the high from the concerts, he can feel how exhausted his body is. It's worse than usual, a bone deep tiredness that doesn’t feel like it’ll be improved no matter how much he sleeps.
It’s the Charge, or lack thereof, he realises. The past few days have been such a blur of travelling and concerts that he hadn’t noticed that he’s barely spent any time with Y/n. He resolves to make up for it this week. They have a bit of a break before the next leg of their tour continues and while Chan has a lot that he wants to finish during that period, he can afford to set aside a few extra hours for Charging. Although he knows that he can probably power through with this level of energy- he’s done it in the past- he feels guilty thinking that it would mean Y/n has to do the same.
When they make it back to the dorms, he calls dibs on the shower, intent on burrowing into his bed the second that he’s cleaned off all the airplane grime. He feels significantly better after washing up and changing into clean clothes, so he wanders towards the kitchen to try to eat something as he waits for Y/n to get back. The second that he enters the living room, all conversations cut off and the members turn to look at him with grave expressions. 
Immediately, he’s on edge again and all the tension from earlier is back.
“Is everything okay?” he asks cautiously. It’s clear that Jisung, Felix, and Jeongin are crying and the rest of the members are suspiciously teary-eyed, other than Minho who just looks murderous. “Did something happen?”
He sits beside Felix, who’s on the couch closest to him and puts an arm around him. Felix instantly inches closer, buries his face into Chan’s neck, and starts sobbing freely, tears soaking into the front of Chan’s shirt and making him panic more. Chan surreptitiously pats him down, searching for some sort of injury, but finds nothing. It makes him feel better and worse at the same time. 
“We- Yonghwan called-” Changbin finally says. The words come out roughly, like it had been a struggle to get them out. “He said-” The tears that he’s been holding back finally come out and he can’t finish his sentence, wiping at his face roughly.
“What?” Chan demands, when nobody continues Changbin’s explanation. He hates this feeling of being in the dark, he wants to know what has made everyone this upset and what he can do to fix it.
“It’s Y/n.” Felix’s voice is rough and even deeper than usual from crying, Chan can feel it against his skin more than he can hear it. “Hyung…”
Chan didn’t think that his stomach could feel worse, but it seems to twist into a tighter knot at Felix’s words. On autopilot, he continues to rub Felix’s back, but his hands are now feeling weak and he’s glad that he’s already sitting. It takes a couple of deep breaths, but eventually Felix is able to calm down enough to speak again.
“Hyung… Y/n- There was a sasaeng… At the airport.” 
Everything seems to stop.
His mind, which was previously racing, can’t seem to process anything anymore and the next few moments feel like a dream or, more accurately, a nightmare. Felix is crying earnestly again and Chan vaguely thinks that he should be too, but instead he’s numb, detached from his emotions, unmoored. He’s aware of someone grabbing his bag and putting it into his hands, helping him into his shoes, and leading him into the lobby of their building, but it feels like his mind is no longer connected to his body. He doesn’t even remember when he put on the beanie or mask that he’s currently wearing.
He desperately wants this to be a nightmare, that someone will shake him awake and he’ll find out that he accidentally fell asleep the second he got home.
He’s jolted back to reality by a voice calling his name. It’s Felix, who is also holding onto both his shoulders. He’s stopped crying as hard, but unshed tears still glitter in his eyes and there are teartracks running down his face. It’s clear that he’s trying hard to keep himself together for Chan’s sake.
“Hyung, the car is here. Are you going to be okay going by yourself?”
“Yes,” he hears himself say. His voice sounds strange, void of emotion. He knows that he has to be okay, that really, there’s no choice because the chance of being recognised would be much higher if he goes with anyone other than staff. He has to be okay, for Y/n.
“Okay. Yonghwan-hyung is going to take you to the hospital.”
“Okay.” Chan starts to walk away.
“Hyung,” Felix calls out, voice still hoarse with emotion. “Promise me you won’t go on Twitter?”
“What? Why? I-”
“Just promise. Okay?”
“I promise.”
But it festers inside of him, not knowing what’s going on, not really. Yonghwan has barely spoken, other than a couple words to guide him into the car and reassure him that they were going to get to the hospital as fast as possible. 
After 20 minutes of being stuck in traffic, Chan takes out his phone and unlocks it. It’s clogged with notifications from various staff members, but they’re from half an hour ago and are ambiguous, just telling him to call different people. He swipes everything away without replying and opens up Naver with the intention to look up how far away they are from the hospital. Before he can get that far, he’s distracted by the trending search terms. 
‘Stray Kids,’ ‘Incheon Airport,’ and ‘Sasaeng’ are all in the top 10. His finger hovers over each one for a moment, before locking his phone. He doesn’t know if he wants to read an impersonal or speculative article that might overdramatise what happened.
He only lasts another minute before he reaches for his phone again. Even though he can still hear Felix’s voice warning him to avoid it, he can’t help but open the Twitter app. It’s probably going to be worse than reading articles, but it’s killing him to have so little information.
He needs to know what happened.
His Twitter timeline is pandemonium. There’s a mixture of tweets that can be separated into three different categories. The first are ones demanding that videos and photos be taken down, that post links to accounts calling that they be blocked, and warnings to avoid retweeting information. They’re mostly vague and the replies are littered with people asking what happened. Chan scours through them briefly, but all questions are met with ‘DM me’ or something similar.
The second is a set of hashtags trending, #thankyouskijigi, #prayforskijigii, that talk about how grateful they are that Y/n was there to protect Chan and general well-wishes for a quick recovery. This only heightens Chan’s anxiety. He’s not sure why he’s being named specifically, but nothing he can think of is good. Either way, it feels wrong to see that Y/n is being praised for being injured instead of Chan.
The last is what Chan is really searching for. Any photos or videos that he can find of the incident. He has to sift through a number of deleted posts and broken links. There’s a few that are easy to find, but they were clearly taken in the midst of the chaos and the blurriness means that it’s hard to see any details.
There’s an awful clip that Chan somehow manages to find. He’s thankful that he records his screen while watching it because when he clicks to see the replies, the video has already been either deleted by the poster or removed by Twitter. Whoever is filming it has unsteady hands, but they’re close enough that you can still see everything. Y/n is lying curled up on the ground clutching her stomach, the sasaeng nowhere in sight. Chan still can’t tell what kind of injury Y/n has, until she props herself up a bit more and peels back the baggy sweatshirt that she’s wearing to expose her abdomen more.
It looks bad. There’s blood and there’s lots of it.
The light-coloured shirt she’s wearing underneath makes the blood that’s seeping into it obvious in a way that the dark hoodie concealed. The splotch is alarmingly large and seems to be expanding every second even with Y/n’s hand pressed tightly against where the wound must be. It spills onto the floor now that the hoodie isn’t soaking it up anymore. The second that the injury is revealed, the crowd panics. Half the people recoil, while the other half rush forward.
The filmer is one of the latter, dropping their phone to their side so that you can’t see anything, but not stopping the recording. At first, Chan doesn’t think there’s anything else to the video. The audio keeps peaking, overwhelmed by the screaming, but in the last few seconds, he can suddenly make out Y/n’s voice. It’s surprisingly stable, though tight with pain.
“-please send medical services to Incheon Airport? At the terminal 2 arrival hall. There’s a young female who has been stabbed.” There’s a series of pauses and moments where Y/n continues to talk. She's obviously answering questions by the person on the other end of the phone. "I'm- she's conscious, yes… Yes, lucid… In the abdomen… Two times…”
The video ends abruptly and Chan’s left staring at his own face reflecting against his phone’s dark screen. 
He feels sick. 
He feels nothing.
He-
He closes the video and searches for another.
Pictures, videos, accounts from people who were at the airport, he saves everything. He continues frantically combing through as many links and tweets that he can, especially if they have descriptions of the sasaeng or capture her face clearly.
The best- or maybe the worst, based on the way that it makes Chan’s stomach drop- video is a livestream that somehow hasn’t been deleted or edited yet. It was taken by a fan who seems to be on a stepladder or something that provides them some extra height although if they’re further away. The video is an hour long, but Chan scans through the first section that’s from before they had arrived and starts to play when he first sees Seungmin appear.
This new angle makes it obvious how intentional everything was. There’s a distinct moment when the crowd that’s offscreen shifts, likely reacting to Jisung’s fall, and a corresponding ripple through the rest of the crowd. Chan remembers that, the sudden push as everyone wanted to see what was happening and a renewed effort from the security team to get them outside.
There’s a brief second when there’s a gap between the security team that’s just barely big enough for the sasaeng to slip through unnoticed. The first time he watches the video, he almost misses it. She heads directly towards Chan, partially aided by the general movement of the crowd, and it sends shivers down his back to know how close she was to him without him knowing. With nondescript clothes, a lack of a camera, and a mask covering the lower half of her face, she almost blends into the rest of the staff members. 
Before she can reach Chan, she’s intercepted by Y/n who looks like she’s aware of the sasaeng’s presence based on the purposeful step that positions her right in between the sasaeng and Chan. The sasaeng has no time to react and the two of them crash into each other and tumble to the ground.
After that, the video gets too shaky to see what’s happening and cuts off before showing anything else.
“Chan-ssi!” Yonghwan’s voice takes Chan’s attention away from his phone. When he looks up, he can see that the car is idling at the side entrance of the hospital that he normally uses. “Did you hear me?”
“Uhm.”
“Just go in and talk to the reception, tell them you’re looking for Y/n-ssi. They’ll take you to her. I have to go park the car and then I’ll join you.”
The person that helps Chan at the front desk seems to be familiar with Y/n's case right when he mentions her name. Her posture straightens and she checks Chan's ID to confirm that he's her soulmate before leading him away, pressing buttons on a pager as she does so. She walks briskly and stops in front of a closed door, sliding it open and motioning for him to enter before heading towards the nurses' station.
Chan steps into the room and when he sees Y/n, it feels like he’s been punched in the gut. He physically recoils, shoulder hitting the door frame as he takes a step back.
She looks so small, in the middle of the bed, hooked up to a number of IV’s, other tubes, and monitoring equipment. Her face is pale, more so than usual, and her eyes are closed. 
For one awful moment, all Chan can think is that she looks dead. 
He slowly approaches Y/n’s side and gingerly rests his hand on her exposed arm, mindful of all the tubes and cords that she’s connected to. The Charge has never felt so reassuring, a steady transfer of energy that reminds Chan that she’s still alive. The nurse excuses herself, but Chan barely notices, too focused on Y/n and the constant drone of the heart rate monitor.
He startles when the doctor enters the room.
“Ah, you are Y/n-nim’s soulmate?” he asks. When Chan confirms, he brightens. “Perfect! Before anything, let’s get you up on the bed with her so that you can Charge properly.”
The doctor helps Chan manoeuvre himself so that he’s curled around Y/n. He shrugs off his hoodie so that he’s just left with his t-shirt and shorts to match Y/n so that they can have as much direct contact as possible. Chan knows he usually runs hotter than most people, but Y/n’s skin is colder than usual, even with the warmth of the Charge between them.
Yonghwan appears partway through the doctor’s explanation of Y/n’s injuries which is probably for the better because other than confirming that she’s stable for now, he hasn’t been able to concentrate. Instead, he holds onto Y/n’s hand, the one that doesn’t have an IV line in it, and intertwines their fingers. He’s always marvelled at the size difference between their hands.
The moment Y/n's heartbeat picks up from the steady rhythm that Chan has now gotten used to, his seems to do the same. It’s close to sunrise, but Chan hasn’t even come close to falling asleep. The time has somehow both inched by, stretched out like pulling taffy, and passed in the blink of an eye. Embarrassingly, he didn’t even notice when the doctor, then later Yonghwan, left the room. Only realising when he noticed the lights dimming automatically when visiting hours ended.
He’s alternated between doom scrolling on social media, texting the group chat since most of the boys are still awake as well, and waiting for any sort of updates from Yonghwan or JYPE. He’s restless, but has done his best to barely move, not wanting to disturb Y/n or any of the equipment she’s hooked up to. 
She comes to slowly and Chan feels like he can barely breathe, chest tight with anticipation of her regaining consciousness. Her eyes flutter open and she squints, even though the lights have been dimmed almost all the way down.
He helps incline the bed slightly, lets her have the tiniest sip of water, just enough to wet her mouth, then gives her a little bit more once he knows she won't choke.
He can tell the second she's awake enough to recognise his presence. Her eyes widen and her heart rate speeds up. She tries to lever herself up, but Chan presses a hand onto her shoulder, keeping herself in place. She tries to put a hand on his arm and her eyes scan his form.
"Stay still, you're hurt," he chides gently when she makes a questioning noise.
"Chan?” she gets out.
“Yes, it’s me.”
“You’re safe?”
Chan doesn't know if he wants to laugh or cry at her concern. She's on some strong drugs and is still recovering from anaesthesia, it's obvious from the slight haze in her eyes, her sluggish movements, and the difficulty she seems to have putting words to her thoughts. Yet her first thoughts are about him.
"Yes, I'm safe. The rest of the boys are safe. They’re all at home," he reassures her. She doesn't seem to believe him, reaching for him again agitatedly.
“Were you hurt?” 
“Y/n, it’s okay. Everything is okay, I’m not hurt.” Chan takes Y/n’s hand in his again, pressing it against his chest so that she can feel his heartbeat. “Can you feel that? You protected me."
At that Y/n finally calms, settling back against her pillow. Before he can say anything else, she’s already drifted off again. With his free hand, Chan smooths out the hairs that frame her face and she subconsciously leans into his touch. Unable to help himself, he presses a careful kiss to her forehead.
He stares at her peaceful looking face, a mixture of guilt, fear, and worry churning in his stomach. He can’t believe that he was so close to losing her and he knows that he’ll do everything in his power to make sure nothing like this ever happens again.
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seventeenlovesthree · 17 days
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Character/Relationship Analysis: How Taichi's and Sora's arcs in the late Etemon/early Vamdemon arc are intertwined, how they (in)directly activate each other's Crests and how they're the most important plot drivers/leading figures at this point in the series.
One of my early theories regarding the character line-up in Adventure was how Sora could have potentially been the secondary main character besides Taichi (instead of Yamato). And I still believe that nothing makes that theory more apparent than taking a close look at how the "Crest activation period" frames these two as main plot drivers that are the reason why the group sticks together - and also why they all found their way back together after Taichi's disappearance. So let's break this down, shall we.
As pointed out in the analysis post above, when you just watch the opening of the series without any context, you might assume that Sora is the secondary/female main character anyway, because she (and Piyomon) are basically always coming after Taichi (and Agumon). And if you look at Sora's impact in the series, that isn't even too farfetched - especially when you consider that she is LITERALLY stepping up to be leader in the Etemon arc in the novels while Taichi is in a dark spot, whereas Yamato is later on declared to be "too emotional to be a leader".
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That aside, let's dig into the set-up here: In the Etemon arc, Sora's Crest is the last to be found. We do not know a lot about the characters' singular arcs at this point, so watching her worrying about the situation doesn't strike the viewer as too weird yet. While it astonishes her that Taichi is so keen on finding her Crest for her sake (despite knowing how selfless he can be too), Taichi himself doesn't see any reason to falter and reassures her instead. This is important, because these two have known each other for quite a while already; they have been in the same class together since elementary school, are also partners in their football club - thus, Taichi's view on Sora is pretty settled. He is very vocal when it comes to "words of reassurance" towards people he cares about and so he repeatedly mentions how caring and selfless Sora is to him, how she always worries about others first and how she shouldn't doubt herself and her qualities - neither because of her own perception of herself nor because of the lies PicoDevimon had been feeding her. Because Sora's perception of herself is indeed slightly skewed, but we will get to that.
Taichi's road to (re)discovering his personal sense of courage is irrevocably linked to his wish to save Sora; initially, his recklessness had repeatedly caused trouble, not only by letting his own Digimon partner go through a dark evolution, but also because he let one of his longest and best friends get captured by the enemy. He initially promised that they would find her Crest for her - and now he is being humbled once more, threatened by an electrical fence right in front of him that could potentially kill him, punishing for losing his way once again. He is aware that something important was lost, referring to both his "brave heart" - and Sora.
Why is that so important?
Not only is Taichi fulfilling both of his promises in the end - saving Sora himself and personally giving her the Crest they've been looking for -, but this is (in)directly mirrored in Sora's arc as well.
Once Taichi disappears after defeating Etemon, the group starts to search for him - for two whole months, while some of them already start to lose hope and drift apart. Sora realizes that the group is torn on how to proceed, but can't stop herself from wishing to find Taichi. Because, once again, something important was lost, indirectly referring to both Taichi - and the sense of togetherness in the group. One might argue that her leaving the others behind may not look very sensible at first glance - but just like she was the one who enabled Taichi's Crest to glow, her disappearance indirectly has an impact on (almost) everybody else's arcs as well. (Additionally, they would not have learned the meanings of the Crests, if Sora hadn't overheard PicoDevimon talking about them to Vamdemon...)
As a complementary force to Sora, Taichi's return reunites the group bit by bit. It almost feels like they're acting as fairy godparents to everyone else, each in their own way - while Sora is hiding in the shadows, giving everyone advice (Agumon, Mimi) or physical aid (Jyou, Yamato) to protect and guide them in the right direction, Taichi directly tries to pull them out of their corrupted viewpoints (Takeru, Yamato, Mimi, Koushirou rather indirectly), whether through words or actions. It's absolutely no surprise that the scene where Yamato tells Taichi that he was the one who brought them all back together (episode 28) is basically a direct mirror of them all coming together to agree to save Sora (episode 20). Because these two are the glue that keeps it all together.
And so, of course it puzzles Taichi that Sora doesn't want to reveal herself to the group again. Of course it surprises him that the girl, whom they all came together for to rescue, who secretly protected all of them behind the scenes due to her kind heart and selflessness and who never gave up looking for him - once again, doubts herself like that. Not only that, she screams at him, tells him that he has no idea who she really is. That her "love" is a facade, that she has no idea what love even means - that she had lost (or never even possessed) her personal sense of love.
(To go on a small tangent here, their framing is just endlessly interesting to me, because the misunderstanding and miscommunication between them is a red thread that spins throughout the entirety of the series. And it is rather tragic, because throughout it all - they actually never really seem to be drifting apart, but due to their lack of means of communication, they cannot be close for some reason. Whether you think of them as platonic or romantic doesn't even matter, the general idea remains the same: They are on each other's minds, they are incredibly important to one another and never stop feeling that way, consciously or subconsciously. It's why Taichi encourages Sora to be with Yamato, but still goes observing the black spore kids together with her in 02, it's why Sora still feels comfortable being physically close to Taichi in DSB and Tri, it's why she gets upset that he ALWAYS gets her - somewhat - right despite not finding the CORRECT words in OWG and Tri, it's why the connections never vanishes in Kizuna... But they're also both awfully insecure about certain parts of themselves, especially when it comes down to decision-making towards their futures and selves. Since neither of them can be fully open up to each other about that, things kinda feel like they are on hold.)
In the end, Taichi (mirrored by Pyocomon's words below) had been correct to tell Sora not to believe in PicoDevimon's lies, not to give in to her own self-doubts - and eventually, she realizes that, just like her mother, she simply did not want anyone else to get hurt even more.
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The way Taichi is framed here, smiling at her with absolute glee and satisfaction marks the end of this arc - while he wasn't directly triggering her Crest to be activated, he still believed in her best qualities just like her Digimon partner did, refusing to let her get corrupted more. And even if the infamous sentence "I want Sora's love too" is more of a light-hearted little throw-away line, it's intriguing to look at the potential implications overall here: Since Taichi's arc of Courage was fueled by his wish to save Sora, since Taichi was the one who eventually gave Sora the Crest of Love, since both their arcs were initially sparked by their wishes to find each other again as they took the others under their wings like proud parents... Let's say, after all this time since Taichi had successfully saved Sora, after all the searching leading up to finally being reunited (after several months in Sora's case), they both must have been incredibly relieved that it had all turned out nicely. To see each other again alive and well.
It started with his Crest - and ended with hers.
Long story short, the Adventure would have stopped rather early if it hadn't been for these two, their bond and loyalty toward each other - and also their sense of leadership.
Last note: Shout-out to the third most important character in this arc - if it hadn't been for Koushirou, Taichi would not have found Sora, may not even have found a way back to the Digital World and they also would not have been able to solve the card riddle to get back home.
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Just a non-comprehensive list of all the things P'Jojo touched on throughout the entirety of The Warp Effect:
The harm of forcing teens to promise absolute abstinence from sex while not providing space for safe and open discussions about it
Some people have a strong sense of their sexuality/gender identity. Others don't
Even guys who seem like good ones can do horrible things and be unaware. They are not required to be forgiven no matter how guilty they feel
Being single by choice is not shameful
Fwb is not shameful either
No one has any right to expect more out of a relationship when you have communicated what you are up for up front
Female friendship is a beautiful, wonderful thing, why would we pit so many bad bitches against each other when they're cooler as friends?
Nonsexual kinks are valid and with the right person can make for a beautiful relationship
There are several methods for pregnancy and it's important to discuss things with your donor (if you've chosen one personally)
Listen to your partner! It is actually possible to be together for a decade and still be unaware of something they like/dislike!
You can be forgiven for being shitty in high school but that is not up to you, it's only up to the person you have wronged
Always know the age of whoever you're talking to so you don't accidentally sleep with a minor
Fatphobia and transphobia have never been cool
Trauma hurts and the journey to work through it is difficult. It's not wrong to want to reconcile with someone and find that you can't. It's not wrong to try to push past it numerous times. It is not your fault someone ruined what should be a good experience for you
Nonsexual intimacy is valid and the right partner will work with you to understand your needs
The choice to have children is a really big one and no it should not be an excuse to keep the relationship together. The choice not to doesn't always have to break it up either
Abortion is a personal matter and should be done safely and legally
STDs have all sorts of origins and are an important matter to address in terms of being polyamorous or even going from one partner to the next. They are also not a reason to feel shame and are simply a matter of getting proper treatment and abstaining from sex while healing. Straight couples can get them, it isn't just a gay stereotype
Anyone can have a romantic relationship and not have sex
Parenting from afar isn't being responsible, but it is still possible to create a relationship with your estranged child
Dick size is nothing to be concerned about - you can find someone who enjoys a sexual relationship with you no matter what
It is so important to see your doctor. If that doctor makes you uncomfortable, though, you should be fine to leave and go somewhere else
Gay does not mean pedophile and it's important for you and your children to know the difference because there are gay teachers and coaches who have enough on their shoulders
Cheating doesn't have to include anything physical if you're seeking pleasure from someone who is not your partner and have not discussed such things with your partner or the person you cheat with
Sex work should not be criminalized and more of us need to standing up for the rights of sex workers
Masturbation is normal and doesn't have to be treated as sad or pathetic
Cishet people can be amazing allies. You can have your group of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and trans people with a bunch of them included and it can be a fabulous group
Casting agents that don't allow for body and gender diversity don't deserve their job
The show gave us a whole PSA on pelvic exams????? HELP??????
ALWAYS PRACTICE SAFE SEX NO MATTER WHAT YOUR AGE, ORIENTATION, OR IDENTITY IS - ALWAYS HAVE A PROPER DISCUSSION AND STICK TO WHAT EVERYONE CONSENTS TO. ALWAYS
I swear I'm still missing stuff but everything that The Warp Effect said is so special to me
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soggyriceee · 10 months
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Uhm— I'm new around here so hello!!
Can I request for König? Can't get enough of him really—
Anyway, straight to the point.
So, basically. König and Reader had a mission together yada yada, then it's done— they go back but König realizes that Reader, uh sadly, was left behind and noone saw them—curse the shortness ong—and yaeh.
This can be either oneshot or HCS! You an also adjust this request to your liking jsjss
Thank you and have a good morning/afternoon/evening!
lost and found | Konig
hi anon, thank you for your request! I wasn't too sure if you wanted to go nsfw with this or kinda like a fluff/angst so I can def do a part two nsfw if you'd like hehehe. not proof read!
"Konig.. its kinda hot. im tired." you mumbled behind him, dragging your feet through the mud and dirt of the forrest. "keep up maus.. were almost to the safe house." he said softly, turning his head back slightly to give you a small smile. you sighed, nodding your head slowly.
you and your team had just come back from one of the most physically challenging missions you've had yet. some of the enemies men had planted multiple bombs scattered throughout the forrest, some close to civilization, some not. you all had spent the day finding them and defusing them. hopefully all of them. it was surely a scary mission, not knowing exactly how many bombs there were planted. but given the round area of where they were, it definetly did help.
but that didnt mean you weren't any less tired. being the shortest one there, your legs got tired and gave out easily. so much so, people often realized when you were present or missing. Konig had loved that though, how small you were. its one of the reasons you've become one of the best operators on this task force. your insecurity became a strong suit. but this insecurity often got in the way of your ability to keep up.
your ankles and legs were cramping bad, and you couldnt take another steep muddy hill. without realizing you began to slow down. you tried to call out to the team, but they were already much more ahead. "eh, I know what safe house they're going to." you said to yourself. finding a tree stump, with as little moss as possible, you sat down, grabbing your ankle in hand. you threw your boot off, sighing at the release. "god this feels so much better" you sighed, closing your eyes.
your hands worked on your ankles, relieving as much stress and tension as you could before getting back up. of course you thought Konig would be mad knowing you didnt stick with the group, but your safety and well being comes first. he was the one who told you so anyways.
standing from the stump, you stretched your back out, grabbed your gun that you had rested behind you and made your way back towards where they were walking. Konig was right in it wasn't taking too long to get to the safe house. maybe another 5 or so minuets walking.
there it was, the dark green brick house. no lights came from the inside, the door was closed. as you got closer you actually began to realize nobody was inside. tilting your head, you walked over to the heavy wood door, pushing it open. as expected, you were greeted with nothing. " what the fuck.." where could they have gone? this was the closest safe house, the one you all went to for each mission.
grabbing your walkie from your back pocket, you began to radio the team. "konig do you copy?" static from the other side. "konig do you copy?" you asked again, voice more firm. but again, radio static. thats when the panic began to kick in. where could they have gone? there wasn't many safe houses you knew of in this forrest, maybe it was new? you mentally cursed yourself for this, but began to relax. Konig would come looking for you. you knew he would. but how long will you be alone before he comes? what if you get attacked?
you grabbed your gun, opening up the mags. 2 left. it wasn't horrible, it was unlikely even if you were to get attacked. but there was nothing such as impossible, at least thats what you believed.
looking around the safe house, you quickly began to realize there wasn't a lot in here for survival. walking over to the sink, you pulled on the lever. brownish water came out. so that was no longer an option. food was limited but available. what were you expecting? just by the look on the outside of the house you could tell this house was old, probably way before even Konig became apart of this team.
you grabbed one of the bags of chips and made your way to the surprisingly not moldy couch, grabbing one of the magazines from the glass table. " Hot Topics of 1999".
yea, this was an old ass house.
~~
Konig searched high and low for you in the large house. he hadn't realized her loss in presence until they all grouped up in the large living room. of course he didnt panic at first, believing you had just fallen asleep in one of the rooms since you were complaining about your body hurting earlier. but when 3 hours had passed and everyone else was up, eating dinner, he grew more than worried. he grew anxious.
he jogged up the stairs of the house, searching every single room twice, then three times. you simply were not there. Konig was not one for showing emotions, but this time he couldn't stop his chest from rising and falling fast, his breath catching in his throat each time.
grabbing the dresser, he bent over it, trying his hardest to calm down. "she's not dead, she's not dead." he said to himself. but how could he prove that. you'd been alone for hours at this point, and as the leader of this team, he felt like he failed you. he felt like he failed your relationship.
of course, he knew you'd disagree with him immediately, but he wouldn't allow it. his job as a leader and boyfriend was to keep you safe and protected. he had promised you the night he pulled you into his room, kissing you without giving you the moment to think. " im never gonna let anything happen to you.. ever." he said softly. and now, look.
that anxiety turned into a mix of anger as well. he lifted his head, wiping his teary eyes and making his way back downstairs. " im going to look for our Lieutenant. stay put dont leave this house unless the rescue team comes. am I understood?" he spoke into the room, cutting off everyones conversations. they all nodded, watching Konig grab his night vision goggles, weapons and some food, shoving it into his backpack. " do you need help sir?" one of the men asked. but Konig just walked out the house, ignoring anyones offer for help. he wanted to save you, keep you protected. that was his job.
~~
night fell and you slowly began to loose hope. rescue teams always come the morning after and it was sun down at this point. sleep was something you did not get, your own anxiety keeping you up. you kept calling on the radio but got no response from anyone. how far could they even be? its impossible they've already left without you, right?
for the first time in a while, you began to cry. you were a touch person, inside and out. emotion was something you didnt show too often, another reason you were such a good member of this team. but the thought of being left alone in a forrest, a country you aren't the most familiar with. it worried you. it worried you more that you'd never see Konig again.
thats when you decided to get off you ass and stop waiting to be saved. you'd find your way to them, one way or another. you began to search the house for real now, hoping to find any ammo possible. you found more shotgun ammo than assault rifle. figures. but you lucked out in finding one mag in the bathroom.
suiting up, grabbing the rest of what snacks were left, you made your way out into the forrest. you looked around, trying to figure out which direction they could be in. but honestly you had no idea. it was dark, the flashlight clipped to your gear was a tiny one, only able to light up a small path. who knows what you could run into? or who?
but you were determined to find your people and get home. get home to Konig and never let him go. you began to walk, looking behind you, clutching your gun to your chest. the grenades and smoke bombs would only bring more attention to you, but you brought them anyways. just in case.
~~
you felt like you'd been walking for hours in a straight line, no turning, no going back. and you had yet to encounter any weird sounds, movements or figures. until of course you saw a mini fire, no tent or person. just a fire.
at first you thought it was a good idea to go and see if there was any food, water or even just a person to help you. but then you remembered your safety training. ' never, I mean NEVER, approach a random fire in the woods if lost. you dont know if it could be us, a trap from the enemy or a crazy person. its better to play it safe and seek shelter elsewhere." you'd remember Konig telling you, only you in fact. it was wrong, but he would tell the others to take the more dangerous route in situations like this. but with you, he didnt. he always 'played it safe' with you. and at first you didnt take offense. but, when he pulled you onto his lap, he smiled, saying ' I give you the safest route because id rather pick up your living body than your dead one, meine liebe." he whispered, eyes darting across your face.
and so you made the choice to keep walking, not looking back to see who it could possibly be, hoping to soon find your team and the warehouse they were in.
~~
Konig hadn't heard the footsteps at first, his head pressed against the tree stump. he was dozing off, so tired from his hours or looking for you. but just when the footsteps began to disappear, he woke up. he rubbed his eyes quickly, scanning the dark forrest. the fire helped illuminate the space around him just enough to get to see a small figure and a dim light walking away from his little camp. he knew it was a dangerous move making a fire, but he did anything he could to help you find him.
and so, without even thinking, he took the fire out, grabbed his gun and gear, following after the figure and hoping his night vision goggled would help him. he hadn't the perfect eyesight, but he was able to see exactly where the figure was going with the help of the slowly dying night light. that had to be you, who else could it be. and he knew yelling your name would not only draw attention to him, but it could scare you. you could run off in the opposite direction, once again loosing him.
so, as quickly and quietly as he could, he began to jog. he pressed his gun to his chest to stop the rustling of it, trying his hardest to jump over any tree branches large or small. he was so determined to see you. he had no clock on him, but he could assume it was late late in the night, maybe even early morning. you'd been alone for hours and hours on end and he couldnt help but tear up when he thought about pulling you into his arms, holding you and never letting you go.
but he was so caught up in the fantasy, he hadn't realized this figure had stopped. when he did realize it, he stopped immediately, freezing on the spot. he didnt want to charge the person, mainly because he didnt want to get shot. so he watched as they turned around and he realized it was you.
~~
you heard shuffling behind you, only getting closer and faster. your heart began to pump in your chest and you immediately felt sick. you were a trained military lieutenant for crying out loud. but, forrest was rarely something you needed to deal with. never a situation where you got lost alone in the dark forrest either.
so you stopped, the shuffling stopping soon after. gripping the muzzle of your gun, as well as the trigger, you turn, holding it up. you tried to put on a brave face, but the tears of fear did not hesitate to make their presence known. your chest was rapidly moving up and down, your heart going 100 miles per hour. you had no intention of shooting anyone or anything, but in order to keep yourself safe you had to.
"w-who is there" you whispered out, hoping to get a persons voice rather than an animals voice. " liebe.." a voice whispered back. you swallowed, shaking your head. that wasnt Konig. you were truly going crazy now. he'd been at the new safe house, not even realizing you were gone yet. he wouldn't come back just to look for you.. right?
but when a gun was thrown in front of your feet, accompanied by a knife and pistol, you looked up into the dark. " its me.. please tell me your okay" it was Konig. his accent was hard to miss, let alone the nickname. it was him, and for the first time in the last 12 or so hours you've been alone, you'd felt the safest you'd ever felt.
~~ he tossed his gun over, along with a pistol and knife. he'd do anything for you to know it was him. and he'd do anything to get you in his arms again. " its me.. please tell me your okay." it was silent for a bit before hushed cried came from in front of him. he pushed his night vision goggled off of his head before running over to you, pulling you into his chest.
your arms immediately wrapped around his figure, your sobs muffled into his chest. " im here now liebe.. im here. ill never let you out of my sight again." he whispered, his arms hugging around your head, pressing you deeper into his chest.
~~ Konig and you never separated the following morning. you both decided to keep pushing forward as the safe house was only another mile and a half straight. " I shouldn't have stopped. im so sorry" you said into his neck, still wiping away the tears of happiness and just worry. Konig had refused to let you walk anymore, saying ' you've done enough walking. let me take care of you."
" no liebe. i should've listened to you and stopped. im so sorry we lost you. the old safe house was one we'd been directed not to use since there wasn't much in there. thats why I brought you those." he said nodding down to your hands. in them, was a sandwich he took from the house. and he refused to let you share any with him. " there will be more for me at the house. I hope. you need to eat more than anything." he said, turning his head away from the sandwich anytime you offered.
" please.. it'll make up for loosing me in the forrest." you smiled, batting your lashes up at him. this earned a chuckle from him, a slight head shake following. " how about I make it up to you some other way, hm? for now, enjoy that for yourself." he said, winking down at you.
a blush covered your face, your head hiding in his neck once more. he chuckled at your reaction, pressing a kiss to your forehead. " I love you, liebe. so much. ill never loose you again." he said, looking forward. the warehouse was coming into view now, the large plot of land lit up by the house lights. it was kinda a dangerous, risky place to have a safe house, you began to think. but then again, you all were miles and miles into a random forrest, who would really find you?
the sky turned a dark blue, birds chirping in the trees. you assumed it was maybe 4 in the morning now, yawning at the thought of it being so early. " we're almost there maus. then we can sleep together." he smiled, another kiss pressing to your temple.
and he kept to his word. when you both got inside, your team was all waiting anxiously in the living room. " captain! we were so fucking worried, we were all about to go and look for you both." one said, running up to greet you both, the others following. you smiled at them all, loving how attentive they were of you both. " are you hurt? or hungry? we can make you both some food." another called out, handing you both two water bottles.
" thank you guys but we're fine. we all need to sleep, the team will be here in about 3 hours." Konig said, patting the back of one of the men. you hadn't realized it, but your shoes were covered in mud, and you could only assume how dirty your body was. groaning, you looked up into Konig. " I feel gross so im gonna go shower first." you said, handing him the cold water bottle. he nodded, smiling down at you. "okay maus. ill be up shortly."
that shower was one of the best you'd had. the feeling of safeness and warmth from the water. knowing Konig was right downstairs. knowing your team was downstairs. you felt like you were being dramatic, and a bit cliche, but you hadn't felt more grateful for a group of people in your life. not more than this moment right now.
you were so caught up in thought, you completely missed Konig slipping into the shower behind you. "oh you scared me!" you gasped, slapping his chest. but he just looked down at you, his eyes staring deep into yours. it sort of scared you, considering it was a look he'd never really given you unless you were in trouble. " k-koni?" you whispered, waving your hand in front of his face. but he only moved closer to you, trapping your body against the wall. his hand rested beside your head, the other beside your waist. " i.. cant stop thinking about losing you." he said, his eyes drifting down.
"Koni it was an accident. what matters is im here now and safe. we can all-" "no. I failed, as a leader. as your boyfriend as your guard as- as.. I just failed you." he said, shaking his head angrily. and it was kinda cute, seeing him so worried about you. so protective over you. " Koni you also just saved me.." you said, your hand reaching up to his face. but he shook his head, looking back into your eyes. " maus please.. let me show you how sorry I am."
| agh so slay, I hope this was good! like I said if you doo want another part with smut lmk bc I will write that for sure. but this was cute and I liked it a lot, THANK YOU ANON FOR YOUR REQUEST <33
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jacksprostate · 3 months
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me and @a-forsteri were talking about how the narrator like, desperately wants someone to tell him his life is fucked up, what he does is fucked up, he desperately wants someone to respond with the gravity he desires.
Like, he tells these people on the plane what he does. Trying to fuck with them. Desperately hoping!! One of them will go: holy shit!!! That's really fucked up how do you live with that!!! But all he gets is people thinking he's the freak and just asking what car company he works for. Because it is easier to pretend he himself is the problem, maybe just his company, rather than actually face and recognize the systemic, widespread nature of what he's saying.
It leans together with his sense of where he is in his office, too. He feels separate from all these people. They feel fake. They feel like people going on as normal even though they're all working to hasten the apocalypse, and no one acknowledges it! They're all perfectly happy to turn a blind eye to any of the distant consequences of their actions. That is what their jobs are for. Keep them up in the cubicles, nicely fed and watered with inflated salaries, and then they'll have no issue with the distant sense that they may be contributing to a corrupt system. They can't change the system, but they need to feed their kids, so hell, just don't think about it too much.
But he doesn't have that option. He is the one who actually does go out into the field and he sees the direct result of all of their collective actions, but especially his. Every crash related to a faulty part he sees is because someone like him before him, or him himself, ran the formula and let this happen. He has no choice but to see the very real result of his actions.
And he feels INSANE over it. Because he returns to the office and it's just numbers. Applying the formula. Hearing your coworkers chat about a potluck. You're not contributing to a horrific system, you ARE the horrific system, and it's like you're the only one who sees that. He literally cannot sleep over it.
And when you tell people about it, they try to minimize it. To your company, to you. Because that is easier than acknowledging just how many things have to be corrupt and uncaring of human life to allow this to be the case. It's too much. Stick your head in the sand.
He desperarely wants someone to scream at him: how could you do that? How could anyone do that? Why is this allowed to happen? Doesn't anyone see something wrong here?
He imagines his plane crashing. Free him from this. The burden of every piece of normality manufactured for satiating any thought and discomfort he has about his job. It's all petty, pointless fluff. It's putting some artificial grass on the feedlot. Why does everything and everyone say it's all worth it for this garbage?
He wants someone to tell him all this. He doesn't want to be alone. He already feels catastrophically alone. In his life, whenever he talks about this, whenever he does anything. He loves the support groups because you're allowed to have abject misery there. You rejoice in it. Everyone's life is falling apart and ending and nothing means anything good ever. They're all honest about it, too. He plays coy when he talks about his job, but these people, everyone knows they're falling apart, and it's recognized and treated as the horror it is. This is freedom. Hitting bottom is freedom.
But he's supposed to be happy, because he's got his cushy little IKEA nest. It is only when people think he also has cancer and parasites causing his deep dissociation from his own life and general aura of resentment and misery that it's treated as something that isn't just... an individual flaw. Because it's easier for there to be something wrong with him than for that thing wrong with him to be how society makes him be this way. Rewards him for it.
So he invents someone. Tyler. To stop his little dance. To interrupt him. Drag him away and tell him all those little sundries are meaningless. Like he knows. But now he has someone saying it's true. The world IS falling apart. Everything is fucked up. It's everything he knows and has been too cowardly to say and now he finally has someone to say it for him and push to make some changes in his life. To expect him to actually do something. To feel his rage for him. And it's a catch-22, because a large part of what he hates about himself is that he's too cowardly and noncommittal to just do this all on his own.
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zebarius · 5 months
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AAAAH this series has me in a chokehold-- the angst, the drama-- I just gotta talk about Scar's final episode! I can't stop chewing on the ideas it's spawned in my head.
I mean, Scar and Bdubs' dynamic has to be addressed. They felt like proper siblings in this. From the way Scar was like an older brother praising his younger sibling's efforts, to Bdubs boasting about his success to get his older brother's approval. . .
And for Scar, I might even go as far as to say that he was protective. How he was constantly in a state of hypervigilance about their safety. How he was constantly offering resources and support.
(gosh, I can feel the possible fanfics boiling beneath my skin)
And the fact that Scar went and killed Cleo for her favoritism, rather than taking out his jealousy on Bdubs.
Not to mention that Scar was absolutely brutal this entire season (this last episode in particular) yet to Bdubs he was almost gentle in this last episode. This is the same Scar who looked at Etho, his "father", and saw nothing more than an animal he needed to put down. The same Scar who pushed Bdubs into a pit of zombies for the giggles.
Yet when it came down to their red lives, Scar was more than willing to set aside his need to bully Bdubs and instead look out for their little group. (Even if Scar never planned to really end up in any group specifically, I feel he was more than happy to side with his brother.)
And Bdubs was also more than happy to have Scar join their group-- even after being pushed into the zombie stream. (I like to think this is because, while Bdubs was angry at Scar at the time, he more easily forgave Scar because of their familial ties.)
And in the end, it just feels like a sibling relationship-- you'll fight over petty things like they're the end of the world, but when the end of the world actually arrives you stick together and are as thick as thieves.
I'm just dying to see art or read fics about this complex dynamic and their messy past. I feel like there's so much potential.
I have so many thoughts about this last episode and this is only skimming the surface.
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lazyfox411 · 2 months
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Summary: Sanji glances over at Zoro, who's been awfully quiet, even for him. He finds the swordsman staring at the rest of the group with a dejected set to his shoulders, and Sanji's about to kick him and tell him to haul the stick out of his ass until he sees Zoro absentmindedly reach up to trace his fingers along the scar over his left eye.
Oh.
((The crew dock at an island just in time to enjoy a festival. Everyone gets their eye makeup done whether they like it or not, sanji has a little too much to drink while denying his feelings, and zoro has some feelings of his own while being an excellent caretaker)
Length: 4979 words
Fandom: One Piece
Relationship: Zoro/Sanji
Rating: T
Additional Tags: hurt/comfort, crew as family, drinking, alcohol, drunk sanji, vomiting, self-esteem issues, pre-relationship, pre-slash, mutual pining, denial of feelings, makeup, everybody gets eye makeup bc its fun and i said so, not beta read, post-time skip
Ao3 link above or read under cut :)
“If everything goes to plan, we’ll hit the next island before sundown,” Nami says, earning a chorus of cheers from the crew.
Stretching their legs on land will be a nice change. They’ve grown restless, cooped up on the ship for too long. Sanji is feeling particularly pent up this time around; he’s been picking fights with Zoro nonstop over anything and everything, from getting in the way while he’s cooking to simply just existing, all to try and release some frustrated energy. 
It’s not like he wants to be picking these fights, he just can’t seem to help it. Honestly, things with Zoro have been good, lately. Different, but not in a bad way. When they’re not fighting, they enjoy each other’s company, sitting quietly on the deck or doing the dishes together in the galley.
It's always easier when it's just the two of them, Sanji muses, less hostile, less explosive, neither trying to outdo the other with no one around to impress. They're equally guilty of trying to antagonize each other, but they have quiet, calm moments too.
Sanji's finding he likes these moments more and more lately. Zoro knows him, knows what he's capable of after them trying to beat the shit out of each other so many times, and so Sanji doesn't have to try so hard in these moments, when it's just the two of them. There's nothing to prove to Zoro. Maybe there was, in the beginning, but not anymore, not after so long. He hates Zoro's company a lot less than he used to think he did.
He thinks about it idly as he finishes cleaning up from lunch and starts dinner prep. Until he hears commotion from out on deck and pokes his head out of the kitchen to investigate.
“I see it!” Usopp exclaims, pointing in the distance to the vague outline of the approaching island.
“Good eye, Usopp!” Luffy praises, practically vibrating with excitement. 
“It’s a fall island,” Nami informs them. “Judging by the weather right now, I’d say it’s the fall season, too. Dress warm, guys, I bet the temperature will drop once the sun sets.”
The Straw Hats are buzzing with anticipation as the island grows nearer, shifting from a distant shape into a stretch of vegetated land, leaves changing color for the season. 
There’s a small port waiting for them, and Luffy is the first one off the ship, slingshotting himself over the railing with a rubbery snap before they're even fully docked. He disappears in pursuit of adventure or meat, whichever he stumbles upon first, followed by Usopp who witheringly promises the rest of the crew he'll try to keep their captain in check.
Nami is next to disembark with Robin in tow, eyes bright as she anticipates what sort of clothing shops the island may offer. Chopper and Brook follow close behind, chattering excitedly, and Zoro and Jimbei trudge after them.
Sanji opts to stay and help Franky finish mooring the Sunny. He tosses the thick ropes over the side of the ship, where Franky ties them to the dock with expert hands. They double check the anchor is lowered, and then they're off to see what havoc the rest of the crew is wreaking.
As he steps off the pier and onto solid ground, Sanji notices a flash of green off in the distance. The rest of the crew have already disappeared inland, but Zoro is by himself, headed in completely the wrong direction.
"Oi! Marimo!" he shouts, waving an arm in the air to get Zoro's attention. "Town's this way!"
Zoro's head turns, and although he's a little too far away to see, Sanji's sure he's scowling.
"Go on ahead, Franky," Sanji tells his companion, "I'll wait for the moss head."
And Sanji does wait, lest Zoro get lost again. He sticks out amongst the reds, oranges, and yellows of the foliage that lines the coast, brightly colored leaves fluttering from the trees and into the air around them as he finally catches up.
"I knew where I was going," Zoro mutters once he's within earshot.
Sanji scoffs. "Sure, mossy. Whatever you say."
The town is just a minuscule walk away, shrouded with more colorful trees shedding their leaves. The tips of Sunny's masts are just visible over the treetops, flags waving in the warm breeze.
The swordsman and the cook walk in companionable silence until the worn path gives way to cobbled streets dotted with buildings and vendors. The market is bustling, humming with excitement, and Sanji finds it washing over him, putting a smile on his face and a skip in his step as he flits through the market stalls.
Zoro follows him without much interest, probably just on the lookout for a bar, Sanji suspects. He keeps an eye on the moss-brained idiot to avoid losing him in the crowd, and is rewarded when Zoro is still by his side as they come upon the town square.
It's a flurry of activity. People are hanging lights and banners on every available lamppost, tree, and awning, while others arrange tables and chairs, and musicians warm up and tune their instruments. Sanji can smell spices of something cooking, curry and turmeric, maybe, and Zoro finally perks up when several barrels of alcohol are rolled by.
"What do you s'pose is going on?" Zoro asks him.
Sanji shrugs. "No idea. Let's ask somebody."
The place is scattered with large pumpkins and bundles of corn stalks, and the next person they pass is balancing on a stack of hay bales while he hangs a string of lights.
"Excuse me, sir?" Sanji asks politely. "What's everyone doing?"
"You're not from around here, are you?" The man smiles at them. "We're preparing for the fall festival tonight! Everybody's been looking forward to it all year! You're more than welcome to join in the festivities with us!"
"Seems like we arrived at a good time, then," Sanji says to Zoro as the man returns to his decorating. "It sounds like fun."
"Hm," Zoro eyes the preparations critically. "As long as there's booze."
Sanji rolls his eyes and elbows him good-naturedly. "Of course that's what gets you excited."
Zoro's retaliation is drowned out by their captain's shouting.
"Zorooooo!!!!! Sanjiiiiiii!!!"
Luffy is gathered with the rest of the crew on the other side of the square, waving wildly at them. He bounces up and down as they approach and points at a nearby table.
"Look! We're gonna get our faces painted! Isn't it cool?"
Sanji grins at his enthusiasm and looks over the array of palettes and brushes set out on the table. He notes many of the locals milling around the area are already sporting various colors and designs, all strategically painted to accentuate their eyes.
Nami bargains with the young man doing the face painting, stating they should get a discount because they're such a large group. After the berries are handed over, Luffy has his turn first, too active in the stool he's asked to sit in and making the artist almost smear makeup all over his face because he won't stay still.
The end result is still stunning. Despite his squirming, shimmering shades of scarlet dance around Luffy's eyes like flames. He cackles with glee looking in the small mirror he's provided, then waits impatiently for the rest of the crew to have theirs done.
Nami is next, her eyes veiled in glimmering turquoise that looks like the sky reflecting off the ocean.
Then Usopp, with shining greens and warm browns reminiscent of a forest canopy. Luffy gives him a high five as they admire their new looks.
Robin gets sparkling purple and black, enchanting as a night sky, and Sanji is sure to tell her as much, complimenting Nami as well.
Brook is done up in glittering gold, then Jimbei in vibrant silver, looking a little unsure of himself but pleased nonetheless. Franky follows in brilliant blue and yellow.
Chopper hops up next. The makeup won't stick to his fur, and he's utterly devastated until the artist suggests painting on his antlers instead, and he squeals with delight as his horns are made pink and sparkly.
Sanji glances over at Zoro, who's been awfully quiet, even for him. He finds the swordsman staring at the rest of the group with a dejected set to his shoulders, and Sanji's about to kick him and tell him to haul the stick out of his ass until he sees Zoro absentmindedly reach up to trace his fingers along the scar over his left eye.
Oh.
Sanji's heart clenches at the sight. He doesn't know what happened to Zoro's eye, isn't really sure if he wants to know, but he does know how hard it must have been to adjust with an injury like that. It hasn't slowed Zoro down in the slightest, he's come out the other side stronger than ever, but seeing the forlorn look on Zoro's face as he watches the crew having fun, Sanji wonders if maybe the damage wasn't just physical.
Either way, Sanji will be damned if he lets the idiot feel embarrassed and left out because of a stupid scar.
"C'mon," he tugs on Zoro's sleeve, "your turn next."
"Hm?" Zoro shakes himself from his thoughts to glance at Sanji, then to where Chopper is having the finishing touches put on his antlers. "Oh. It's okay, you go ahead. I don't need–"
"Nuh-uh," Sanji crosses his arms, "you're doing it. You know Luffy will be upset if we don't all do it, and Nami-san already paid for us all."
Zoro scuffs the toe of his boot against the ground, head down. "Nah, I'm good."
Sanji frowns. He has one more trick to get Zoro to do his bidding, though he'd been hoping not to have to use it.
"What, you scared or something? Need me to hold your hand, Mossy?"
Zoro's head snaps up and he levels Sanji with a one-eyed glare. "I am not scared."
Sanji smirks. "Prove it."
And prove it he does. Zoro stalks over to the table and plops his ass down, still glaring daggers. Sanji flips him off and then turns to the rest of the crew to avoid his steely gaze. They're all in good spirits, and Luffy is positively ecstatic about the festival and the food that will accompany it.
"Your turn, cook."
Sanji jumps and spins to face Zoro, who's snuck up behind him while he was talking.
"Wow," Sanji blurts, "you...it looks great."
The other strawhats have been made up with glitter and shine, but Zoro's been given matte colors, dark green and burgundy that pair well with his hair and earrings. The scar has been left untouched, as if it weren't even there. His lashes are lined with sharp black wings that make his face look more severe, eyes sharp and fierce.
It's a little offset, though, by the flush creeping up on his cheeks.
"Shut up," Zoro mutters, "I'll cut you."
"You'll try," Sanji smirks, before taking his place at the table.
"What color would you like, honey?" the artist asks.
Sanji thinks for a moment. "Blue, please."
The man sweeps Sanji's bangs out of his face, which. Ah. That's not something he considered having to do to get his face painted. At least he doesn't make any snide comments about the eyebrows. Sanji closes his eyes to let him work, his grip strong on Sanji's chin as he tilts his head this way and that, deft fingers sliding the brushes over his closed lids.
"Almost done," the young man tells him. "I'm sure your partner over there is going to love it."
Sanji opens his eyes to see where he's pointing, prepared to tell him that unfortunately, despite his best efforts, he and Nami still remain firmly in friendship territory.
Except he's not pointing at Nami.
He's pointing, at Zoro.
"Wha–" Sanji sputters, before lowering his voice, because god forbid anyone hear them, "he is not my partner!"
The man blinks at him. He looks at Zoro, then back to Sanji again.
"Oh, honey," he says simply. "Whatever you say."
As soon as the last stroke of the brush is done, Sanji bolts like a feral cat.
Zoro catches his eye and raises his eyebrows. "You look–"
"Shut up," Sanji growls, "I'll kick you."
He joins Luffy at the front of the group, leaving Zoro behind and bewildered.
--
The festival gets into full swing as the sun sets. The square is lit up, struck with lively music and cheerful crowds.
Luffy immediately makes for the buffet table, and Zoro for the drinks. Of course.
Sanji, still a little frazzled–because how could anyone think–Zoro–euck– sticks to Jimbei, who is more than happy to be quiet company.
Until they're joined by one moss-headed swordsman.
"What do you want," Sanji snaps.
"Brought you a drink, idiot," Zoro says, handing him a mug. "Looks like you need it, geez."
Sanji takes it wordlessly and takes a sip. It's a strong, sweet mead, honey coating his tongue and warming his throat.
This is something he and Zoro have done for a long time now, since Cocoyashi. Whoever gets the first drink of the night gets the other one as well. Sanji isn't really sure why he started it, he just knows it's entertaining to see Zoro's face light up when a drink is placed in his hands.
After Zoro leaves, Sanji chugs the rest of his mug and searches for a refill right away. Jimbei gives him a questioning look but doesn't pry.
Really, though. Zoro? No way. Sanji wouldn’t go for the mosshead, not in a million years. Never mind how good he looks when he’s swinging those damn swords around or how strong his hands are when they brush up against Sanji’s while they’re drying dishes–
Okay, yeah, he’s going to need that refill. Sooner rather than later. Enjoying Zoro’s company is one thing, but these are things he’s not quite ready to be thinking about yet.
The drinks help him unwind, and he loses track of how many times his cup is refilled. Mood considerably lightened and forgetting why he was stressed in the first place, Sanji talks and laughs with Usopp, dances with Chopper, even sings a little with Luffy. The atmosphere is wonderful and the locals are friendly, and Sanji mingles with them under the falling autumn leaves.
Nami offers to buy him another drink, and Sanji agrees because he'd sooner chop his legs off than say no to Nami. He downs it and stumbles into a chair, not realizing how drunk he is until Chopper appears in his face, telling him maybe he should slow down and have some water.
"M'fine," Sanji waves him off with a hand that feels much too heavy, words sticking to his teeth.
"Sanji," Chopper whines, "you've had a lot to drink. I don't want you to get sick."
"M'not–hic–gonna..." Sanji trails off as he tilts to the side.
Chopper catches him before he tumbles out of his chair, the sudden stop making his guts lurch.
"M'kay," Sanji admits, bracing his hands on the table to steady himself. "You're right. M'gonna...go'n sober up a bit."
He staggers to his feet, Chopper hovering nervously until he gets his balance.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Chopper asks.
"Nah, s'alright," Sanji pats him on the head.
He makes his way through the buzzing crowd, intent on finding somewhere quieter to sit and suck in some fresh air, but he's stopped by Nami draping herself over him. Sanji's too far gone himself to even freak out about it.
"Sanji," she singsongs, her cheeks flushed and words slurring. "I drank too much. Finish this for me, would you? I don't want it to go to waste." She thrusts her mug into his hand.
Give it to Zoro, Sanji wants to say, but Nami is already gone and the swordsman is nowhere to be found. He stares down at the swirling liquid in the half full mug. It would be a shame to waste it, and Sanji doesn't waste things.
Sorry, Chopper, he thinks, gulping it down.
Bad idea. Bad idea, bad idea, bad idea. He drags himself away from the crowd as his steps become more wobbly, limbs floaty and uncoordinated, lights and falling leaves blurring together and making him lightheaded.
He drops gracelessly onto a bench on some side street, leaning back all the way and taking deep breaths, praying for the world to stop spinning. He's not sure how long he sits there, body lax, staring up at the full moon through the trees. The festival is white noise in the distance.
"There you are," Zoro's voice permeates his dulled senses. "Been looking everywhere for you. Everybody wants to watch the fireworks together, come on."
Sanji snorts, his head still reeling. "So they sent you to find me?"
Zoro squints at him, stepping closer. "Are you drunk?"
"No," Sanji replies automatically. It's punctuated by another involuntary hiccup. "Maybe," he amends.
Zoro chuckles and moves to sit next to him, lowering himself onto the bench with a satisfied groan.
"Are you?" Sanji asks. "Drunk?"
Zoro shrugs. "Nah. The booze here's a little sweet for me. Besides," he smirks, "somebody's gotta look out for your sorry ass."
Sanji huffs, but doesn't argue.
"You alright? You've been...weird, tonight." Zoro frowns. "Curls?"
"Yeah," Sanji sighs. "It's just..."
He tilts his head lazily to look at Zoro. Zoro's looking patiently back at him, elbows resting on the back of the bench. For as quick to anger as they are with each other, Zoro is always patient when it counts. Sanji is trying to be more patient in return.
"I don't know," he finishes lamely.
He's still staring at Zoro, and Zoro doesn't shy away. The eye makeup looks more dramatic in the darkness, painting him some sort of ethereal being, cut from the night sky–
Okay, no. Sanji slams the brakes to that train of thought. Where the hell did that poetic bullshit come from? This is Zoro, for crying out loud.
"You cold?" Zoro asks him suddenly.
Sanji pauses to try and take stock of himself. He's warm on the inside, fueled by alcohol, but on the outside he's shivering.
"Dunno," he replies. He vaguely recalls Nami telling them all to dress warmly before they arrived here, and he wishes now he had better listened; he's only dressed in a light shirt.
"Here," Zoro says. He shrugs off his thick green coat, and carefully wraps it around Sanji's shoulders.
Sanji grasps at it, pulling it tighter around himself. The residual body heat Zoro left behind envelops him and he sighs contentedly.
"Better?" Zoro asks.
"Mm," Sanji nods. The motion makes him dizzy again, and he presses a hand to his temple.
"I think we should get you back to the ship," Zoro suggests. "Can you walk?"
"Yes," Sanji says indignantly. He pushes himself to his feet, only for his body to protest. He sways and the dizziness comes back in full force. "Shit."
Zoro catches him before he can topple over, holding him up like he weighs no more than a sack of flour.
"I'll take that as a no, then," he snickers. "C'mere, Curls, hang on to me."
He arranges Sanji's arms around his neck, and lifts him so they're pressed chest to chest, Sanji's thighs curled around his waist.
"This is so fucking embarrassing," Sanji mutters, too drunk to really protest. "Don't you dare tell anyone about this, shithead, or I'll kill you."
"Yeah, yeah," Zoro placates, insincere. He adjusts the coat around Sanji's shoulders and they set off.
Resigned to his fate, Sanji instead focuses his efforts on correcting Zoro's course to make sure they stay headed towards the ship. The fireworks start, loud booms thundering across the night air, and Zoro trudges along, unbothered, his hold unwavering.
Sanji glances up through the trees to look at the fireworks, but the bright lights and colors only serve to make his head spin more.
Eyes screwed shut, he hides his face in Zoro's shoulder with a miserable groan.
Zoro's grip tightens near imperceptibly. "I've got you," he murmurs, his voice a gentle reassurance warming Sanji's ear.
I know, Sanji thinks. He trusts Zoro implicitly to keep him safe when he's vulnerable like this. Zoro always keeps the crew safe.
Zoro continues to march them towards the ship, and Sanji continues to take measured breaths in through his nose, trying to ignore the pounding in his head and the churning in his stomach.
It's a losing battle, and he urgently taps Zoro on the back. "Put me down."
"Tch. You can't walk, cook. Don't worry, there's nobody around to see you getting carried like a baby."
"Put me down now, or m'gonna puke on you."
Zoro takes the hint and quickly sets him down. Sanji crashes awkwardly to his hands and knees and proceeds to hurl his guts up.
He tries to aim for the bushes so he doesn't make a mess of the picturesque street. Zoro's coat slips from his shoulders and he trembles in the cold night air, eyes watering with the force of his retching.
Zoro kneels beside him calmly, wrapping an arm around him to keep him from nosediving into the pool of his own sick. He cards Sanji's hair away from his face, even though it's not quite long enough to really be in the way.
"I've got you," he repeats.
Sanji groans and curses himself. He doesn't usually drink like this, and here lies the reason why. He almost always ends up making a damn fool of himself, and this time it's in front of Zoro, of all people.
When he's finished defiling the shrubbery, Zoro guides him to lean back, and Sanji lets him, placing all his weight on Zoro while he tries to catch his breath.
"Done?" Zoro asks.
"Think so," Sanji gasps, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. He's way too fucking drunk to care about propriety, and his dignity is lying in a puddle in the bushes.
"Let's get you home."
He's bundled in Zoro's coat once again and lifted into strong arms. He feels a little better after throwing up, just exhausted now, and Sanji lets his eyes slip shut and rests his head on Zoro's shoulder.
The rest of the short journey is a blur, and Sanji comes to as he's being lowered to sit on the edge of his bunk.
"You're really fucked up, huh?" Zoro snickers at him when he starts to list sideways again.
"Shuddup," Sanji grumbles, shoving at him with clumsy hands as Zoro props him up.
Zoro's steady hands move from his shoulders to his neck, unbuttoning the first button of his shirt to make him more comfortable and removing his tie with deft fingers.
Sanji looks at him sleepily. "How come you're doin' all this?" he asks. Surely, Zoro would much rather return to the crew and the party, not be stuck here with a miserable cook who can't hold his liquor. He's surprised Zoro didn't just dump him in his bunk and leave.
"We're crew," Zoro says simply, bending down to untie Sanji's shoes and setting them aside. "We take care of each other."
Sanji stifles a yawn and lets it happen, too tired to argue. He rubs a hand over his drooping eyes, only to find it comes back smeared with blue glitter.
"Shit," he mumbles.
He'd completely forgotten about the face painting, hasn't even looked at himself in the mirror since getting it. While it probably did look nice, Sanji's sure he looks like a wreck now, shades of sparkly blue streaked and smudged all over his face. He flops over onto his bunk in defeat.
Zoro smirks down at him, his own eye makeup impeccable. "Wait here."
"M'not goin' anywhere," Sanji promises. He's become one with his bed, sprawled on his back like a starfish, blanketed by Zoro's coat. He tries to pretend the sensation of being tossed back and forth is from the ship rocking on the waves and not his own poor choices.
Zoro returns after an indeterminable amount of time, a glass of water in one hand and a wet cloth in the other. He sets the water aside and sits on the edge of the bunk. He reaches out, cupping a gentle hand under Sanji's jaw, and lightly angles his face to wipe off the glitter.
The cloth is blessedly cool on his flushed cheeks, and Sanji leans into the touch. He watches Zoro through half lidded eyes, warm and safe under his sure, calm hands.
Zoro wipes the last of the makeup from his face, brow furrowed in concentration.
"The blue looked nice on you," he comments absently. "Matches your eyes."
Sanji looks up at him dumbly, not quite sure what to make of that. "Huh?"
Zoro's eye widens as if he's only just realized what he'd said. He stands quickly and backtracks across the room, ears turning red.
"Wait," Sanji calls after him, reaching out blindly. He didn't mean to chase him away. He'd been surprised, that's all. People don't usually compliment him. Zoro doesn't usually compliment him.
Zoro crosses his arms and looks at him from the corner of his eye, cheeks still tinted pink. "What, cook?"
"Nothing," Sanji says. "Just...thanks."
Zoro nods. "You need anything else? I brought you water."
Sanji shakes his head. "Mn-mm."
"Warm enough?"
"Mmhm."
"Alright then," Zoro heads for the door, "go to sleep. There's more festival stuff going on tomorrow morning. The rest of us will get breakfast in town so you can sleep in."
It's thoughtful. Sanji's chest feels full.
"G'night, Zoro."
"Night, cook."
The door clicks shut. Sanji snuggles into his bunk and promptly passes the fuck out.
----
The morning brings him a mouthful of dry cotton and a splitting headache.
Sanji hisses when sunlight hits his eyes, streaming in from the porthole window. He rolls over in his bunk, guts rolling dangerously with him, and before he has time to think his instincts have him on his feet and staggering outside to gag over the side of the ship.
"Sorry, Sunny," Sanji mumbles, patting the ship's railing apologetically.
He shivers in a cold sweat, still feeling sick and shaky and in desperate need of a smoke. He's awarded a small miracle when he finds his cigarettes still in his pocket from last night. They're a little squished from being slept on, but they'll certainly do the trick.
He leans heavily on the railing as he lights up, face scrunched in defense of the bright sun. He estimates it to be late morning, which means he's really slept in. The ship is uncharacteristically quiet, and Sanji vaguely remembers Zoro telling him the crew would be in town for the morning.
He's grateful for the break. A hot shower is in order, and he really needs to brush his teeth as well. Plan made, he grabs a comfy change of clothes and heads for the showers.
Much later, Sanji reemerges, still exhausted and with a killer headache, but feeling considerably less gross. He makes for the kitchen and the familiar safe haven it provides.
Only to find it already occupied.
Zoro is by himself, leaning casually against the counter and sipping from a steaming mug.
"Marimo," Sanji grunts in greeting.
"Cook," Zoro nods, hiding a smug grin behind the rim of his drink. "You're alive."
Sanji sinks into one of the stools on the opposite side of the counter and shoots him a withering glare, head pillowed on his arms.
"You are not to speak a word of last night to anyone," Sanji warns. It doesn't come out as menacing as he intends, because as he says it he remembers–mostly remembers, the fine details are a little fuzzy– just how pathetic he'd been, and how Zoro had gone above and beyond to make sure he got home safe and sound.
Zoro's face has been cleaned of makeup, but Sanji remembers how striking it had looked, accentuating his sharp eye and jaw. He remembers how Zoro had been reluctant to participate, how he'd hesitated and touched the scar marring the side of his face. He'd held Sanji with those same hands, but with confidence and reassurance rather than hesitation.
He hears Zoro puttering around, opening cupboards, and Sanji lets him, lacking the energy to stop him from messing with his kitchen.
He trusts Zoro, anyway, he thinks, not to make too much of a disaster.
A second mug is placed inches away from Sanji's nose. He sniffs at it and looks at Zoro questioningly.
"Coffee," Zoro says. "I didn't poison it."
"A feat," Sanji teases, "for you in the kitchen. I'm surprised your algae brain can even figure out how to turn on the coffee machine."
Zoro rolls his eye, smiling fondly. "I'm not as helpless as you think."
This is the part where they start arguing, Sanji thinks. But the longer the moment stretches, and the more he drinks from his coffee, made perfectly to his liking, the less he wants to kick Zoro's brains out and the more he wants to just...
Just what, he's not sure. But it's quiet, and comfortable, and the midday sun is shining through Zoro's hair and glinting off his earrings and if Sanji were to suddenly get stuck in a time loop, this wouldn't be a bad moment to have to relive.
This is the different he's been feeling lately, creeping up on him again.
"Thank you," Sanji says, deciding to indulge the feeling for a change. "For last night."
Zoro's cheeks and the tips of his ears become dusted with pink. "Don't mention it."
And, yeah, okay. Definitely not a bad different. 
Not when Zoro smiles at him like that.
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webslingerofthegalaxy · 7 months
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RANT TIME
Okay, unpopular opinion that no one asked for but I have nowhere else to vent it so you're stuck with it time. I HATE the animated trolls shows, The Beat Goes On and Trollstopia. With a burning passion. I will admit, TBGO wasn't as bad as Trollstopia imo, but it was still bad. Why, you may ask?
Allow me to explain.
First off, let's start with TBGO. Now, since this comes after the first movie and we don't have a lot of context beyond it, I let a lot slide. But the main transgression I have is that this show brought Creek back. CREEK. Of all the MISERABLE LOUSY PATHETIC COWARDS to resurrect, they picked CREEK. WHY. Why was this necessary???? He adds nothing to the story beyond an annoying presence that makes me want to hurl my device like Captain America's shield. AND THEN, they make Branch the bad guy for not trusting him immediately. OF COURSE HE DIDN'T TRUST CREEK, THE SLIMY POS SOLD EVERYONE OUT TO SAVE HIS OWN SKIN. DID EVERYONE FORGET THAT!?!?! And then this leads to Branch having to APOLOGIZE to Creek and then eventually to them sort of becoming friends. THIS WOULD NEVER HAPPEN. Every episode he was in I could feel myself losing braincells.
If you thought that was alot, stick around for my rant on Trollstopia because holy shit, where do I begin?
Now, the idea behind Trollstopia is actually a good one. Like hey, everyone is so spread out, how about a group from every tribe comes to live in the middle which happens to be Pop Village? Genius! And I will admit, in the beginning it seemed promising! And then, they fucked it up.
How, you may ask?
Simple. My point can be simplified to 2 main subjects:
They put WAAAYYYY too much effort into Poppy's relationships with literally EVERYONE ELSE and nowhere near enough into her relationship with Branch, HER BOYFRIEND.
They absolutely, totally, 110,000% DESTROYED Branch's character.
I shall now explain my stance. First off, we have point #1. Now, don't get me wrong. Poppy should absolutely have relationships with other trolls! She's the queen, for hair's sake! And I really did enjoy the fact that she made new friends and got really close with them. As someone who has eternally struggled with making and maintaining friendships, I loved seeing her do what I usually cannot. HOWEVER, this is no excuse to neglect her relationship with her actual fucking BOYFRIEND. Trollstopia takes place after TWT, after Branch and Poppy confessed and entered a relationship (if you wanna argue with me, look at the official Trolls Wiki, it'll back me up). But if you watch the show, you can barely tell they LIKE each other, let alone that they're dating. The show ran for 7 seasons and, out of those seasons, can anyone tell me a single episode where they were the focus? I won't even ask about them as a couple, just them interacting together being the focus! Poppy and her friends repeatedly bulldozed over Branch, his feelings, and his boundaries, constantly mocked him, and shit on anything he wanted to do. I swear at times it was like watching Trolls 1 Branch and Poppy interact.
Finally, my second point: Branch's character. They absolutely fucking took all of Branch's hard earned character development from 2 movies and a holiday special and went:
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Wanna know how I know? What does Branch actually DO in Trollstopia? About every 10th episode, he shows up to offer a crappy sarcastic remark that pales in comparison to his usual ones and does one of 3 things:
Gets hurt
Gets made fun of
Acts like a total moron, and not in a cute way.
He's basically turned into Jay from the later seasons of Ninjago (my apologies Jay, I love you but you know it's true). I mean, in one episode he got his ass absolutely HANDED to him when he tried the rodeo! COME ON. The dude who caught a stick fired at him without looking and jumped in front of a death bolt to save Poppy got served by a fucking bull thing? Bullshit (no pun intended). To add onto this, when he's not being trampled and beaten for no fucking reason, he's being used for the most CRINGEWORTHY comedic relief. I mean really, there was a whole episode about how he wanted to be called a "cool nickname" by Lownote. Really? We really think that's in character? And to top it off, he gets stuck with "Skippy Two-Shoes". WHAT. THE. FUCK??? I almost had an aneurysm when I heard that. And everyone was fine with it!!!! Which leads into my last point, NO ONE GIVES A SHIT ABOUT HIM DESPITE THE FACT THAT HE SAVED POPPY AND IS HER FUCKING BOYFRIEND. There was a whole fucking episode about him getting all pissed off at the Techno Trolls for taking over his lagoon in his bunker (which I have to say I'm jealous he has) to have "raves" at like 4am. WHO WOULDN'T BE PISSED OFF??? My upstairs neighbors bang around at all fucking hours of the day and it drives me insane so I get why Branch is mad! BUT WHY DOES NO ONE ELSE? Why is it when he complains he gets told that he's being "unfair" and has to "share"? Fuck that, he was there first! It's not like Trollstopia isn't huge, they can find somewhere else to infest at 4am!
In conclusion, I hate the animated shows because they destroy the relationship between Branch and Poppy and demolish all of Branch's character development, reducing him to the annoying sidekick that always gets cheered at when they get hurt or die tragically.
End of rant. Thank you for sticking with me, I needed to get that off my shoulders. Branch is my favorite character and it infuriates me that he gets the short end of the stick all the time. Enjoy this as a reward:
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kedreeva · 1 year
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Honestly, I don't think Steve even noticed what he did or didn't feel or what he was or was not actually lacking in his parents until post-Nancy. He's exactly the sort of person who doesn't think about something unless he has to. I'm NOT saying he's stupid, just that literally he does not think about things he thinks aren't worth thinking about, and I genuinely do not think he thinks his parents are worth thinking about unless it's to plan around them.
"My dad's a grade-A asshole" and Steve worrying about getting in trouble if his dad finds out what he's done is in direct opposition to his willingness to do the thing in the first place, if he thinks about his father beforehand. "My parents are not home" and "my parents are somewhere else" are separate thoughts, and what matters to the plans Steve wants to make is the latter, and I'm not entirely sure he recognizes the former as a problem. His parents not being home is the solution to 'my dad's an asshole.' His parents not being home is a point in his favor, not a problem
And honestly, why would it be a problem then? Season 1 Steve has parents he prefers to be absent, and friends that are quicker to sneer and bite than they are to smile. Season 1 Steve, prior to getting sense literally knocked into him, is concerned about getting in trouble rather than worrying about his gf having just lost her best friend. Season 1 Steve takes one look at Jonathan in Nancy's room and his first reaction isn't to worry about Nancy's well-being, not yet. His first reaction is to rile up his sharp-teethed friends and go be destructive. Before Nancy scolds him and Jonathan hits him and an entire fucking monster drops through the ceiling and tears his paradigm of the world apart, I don't think it really occurred to Steve that things should (or even could) be different. Parents are just like that, right? Everyone's parents and family and friends are just like that. Right?
Except, then he's seeing what Jonathan and Nancy will do for Jonathan's little brother, how all the kids stick together and fight for each other. What Joyce will do for her son, what Hopper will do for her kids, for the small, strange girl they're saying has superpowers. The way Dustin's mom loves him, even if she's a little oblivious. How even the parents who know nothing, like the Sinclairs and the Wheelers, actually do love their kids; it's not a show. They're not in the news, they have no reputation to keep up, there's no one to impress. They just genuinely love their children. This friend group genuinely cares about each other. even when they are at odds with each other, they care. Absolutely mindblowing to the kid who couldn't get his family or friends to give a shit about anything, including him.
And I think he gets a bigger inkling about it all at the start of season 2, when he gets more involved in the whole group, but I think the moment he realizes he's got to protect Max from her family that it really clicks about his own family. She's scared about what her brother will do, and Steve remembers being scared about what his father would do. And it's one thing to kind of Know that your parents are not good, and be in the middle of coping with it, but it's another to see that reflected in someone else and realize oh.
And I think that's.... I think that directly leads to what's going on with Steve in season 3. He mentions his dad wanting to teach him a lesson and we can assume it's about Having A Job and Work Ethic etc, and maybe it is, but I think no small part of it is also that Steve got more defensive toward his parents about them being bad parents. I think instead of just being mad that he wasn't gonna get his way with them like in S1, or cranky they were gonna punish him for doing Teenage Stuff he thinks he should get away with, that he was actually a little hurt that his parents were more like Max's family than like Dustin's or Will's or even Lucas or Mike's. And I can imagine his dad reacting the way Entitled Parents act when their kid figures them out, and saying well if we're so terrible how about you experience what it is like without us, so you can see how much you owe us for everything we do for you.
and he ends up at Scoops Ahoy, because his dad is trying to teach him a lesson, but it's NOT a lesson about work ethic, it's a lesson about how to be grateful for the things his parents give him, as if taking care of their child was a favor that Steve now needs to pay back.
Except the lesson he learns is that he can pick his family. The lesson he learns is that his family sucks. And yeah, the lesson he learns is that he hates the way things have gone, he hates the big empty house, he hates the distance his parents put between them (while simultaneously being grateful for it because he doesn't want to be close to THEM, he wants to be close to better parents). And his reaction to that isn't to want better things with his family. Maybe if he was someone else, but this is the boy who doesn't think about things that aren't worth thinking about, and it's not worth thinking about something that will never happen. His parents will never be those people and, frankly, he doesn't want them to be. It's too late. Cut that loss.
His reaction, rather, is to imagine having a new family, one where no kids are going to be alone because there will be more than one of them, a family where no kids are treated like Max was, or untreated at all like he was, because he'll be there for them. That's something he can think about as long as he likes.
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