#only the differences between their respective universes mean that he gets to be a nice middle-aged bookshop keeper

[dellalyra]

FAMILY FORMATION - PART SIXTEEN

Summary: Begrudging (but not really) Uncle Nanami, and some of his moments with the family. Request from @psychicai ‘uncle Nanami - uncle to the gojo baby and/ or begrudging uncle to the other 10 adopted gojos’

CW: heartwarming, nice memories, mentions of Geto’s absconding, pregnancy, babies, Satoru gojo and how much he loves his wife

A/N: shout-out to @psychicai for this idea and how much SUPPORT they pour my way ily also this is HAPPY TIMES NO SADNESS EVER HAS HAPPENED EVER NO.

MASTERLIST

FREEZEFRAME ONE

“I’m sorry, I think I’ve misheard you, Gojo brought home what?” The tall blonde leaning on your counter asks.

“Children.” You reply.

“Children?”

“Toji Fushiguro’s children.” You respond, setting a glass of whiskey beside him.

He’s silent for a beat.

“To do what with exactly?” Nanami replies.

“Oh, we’re thinking of a Hansel and Gretel situation.” You smirk in response.

He raises his eyebrow at you.

“We’re hoping to raise them, Kento. They’ve nobody – the boy has the Zen’in technique, Toji sold him to the clan – so Satoru stepped in.” You respond, shrugging.

Silence again. You continue to potter around the kitchen, it’s 5 pm on a Friday and you had been starting dinner when Nanami arrived.

“Well. Fuck. If this was just Gojo I’d ask if you knew what you were doing, and tell you that it’s crazy but, it’s you too. Y/N, I know you’d do anything for him, follow him to the edge of the universe but – you two are only 19 and fuck, now Geto’s gone - you’re the two most powerful sorcerers in the world.” He says, crossing his arms as he sits at the dining table.

You freeze at Geto’s name. The wound was still fresh and gaping in your chest. This was the first time someone had verbalised it so casually, but of course, it would be Nanami.

“I – we, know what we’re doing, don’t worry Kento. Geto is… part of the driving force being the decision. We want to shape the jujutsu world afresh, healthy and stronger and that will be done through the next generation. Satoru’s been asked to teach and school and I’ve already taken the job. We want – we wanna prevent more sweet kids being butchered by this world.” You say, holding your weight against the counter.

“Well – and don’t tell him I said this – if there’s anyone out there capable of doing this, it’s you two.” He says, swirling the whiskey in his glass. He looks different, you notice. Not only is the signature haircut gone but he’s wearing a shirt and tie.

“Thank you, Kento. They’re good kids, really good. Megumi – he will be an incredible sorcerer. His sister Tsumiki has no cursed energy – but she’s a very bright young girl, and so precious. Satoru and I were saying that between him and me and you and Shoko, we have all the tools and balls to reshape jujutsu sorcery from the inside out. Imagine it – you could be Principal Nanami!” You giggle, imagining the bright future you all had together.

“Ah. Well. That’s part of the reason I’m here.” He says, settling down his glass.

“Oh god Kento, what, you gonna go commit some genocide and steal twin girls too?” Dark humour. Fresh sounds are being poked at.

“I’m leaving the sorcery world, Y/N. I’m going to university, then I’m getting a job. I can’t be part of that shit society anymore. The whole thing, I respect none of it.”

Your turn for silence.

“Are you sure?” Your voice cracks as you ask.

“I am.”

“Then, okay. I’m – proud of you Kento. I hope you know though, leaving jujutsu sorcery behind - doesn’t mean you’re leaving us! You can leave the six eyes and the Y/L/N heir, but not Sian and Satoru!” The tears in your eyes are pushed back with quick blinks.

The sounds of three pairs of footsteps echo through your hall – and if that hadn’t been sign enough that Satoru and the two kids were home then the ‘Oh honey! I’m home!” definitely was.

An immediate eye roll from Nanami ensues as you jump from your chair and fling your arms around your boyfriend's neck and pepper kisses on his face.

“Welcome home, ‘tour! Hi kids! How was school?” You say, letting Tsumiki hug your waist and tentatively patting Megumi on the head.

“Hi Y/N! It was fun! We had art today; I made a paper-mâché turtle!” Tsumiki says rummaging through her bag.

“That’s so fun Tsumiki! What about you Megumi?” You kneel at the boy's level.

“Fine, I guess.” He shrugs and then furrows his brow in Satoru’s direction.

“Okay, why are you mad at Satoru now?” You ask, lightheartedly.

“He keeps calling me a short stack. And he’s a dumbass.” The six-year-old replies.

At this, indignation from the white-haired man and a snort and a ‘here here’ from the blonde at the table.

“Satoru, stop calling him short-stack and Megumi, don’t call Satoru a dumbass.” You wipe the dust off your knees as you rise.

“Now kids, this is Nanami Kento. He’s one of our best friends. Megumi, he also thinks Satoru’s a dumbass, so you’ll get along great!” You announce to the room, sitting back down at the table.

Satoru emerges changed into a sweatshirt and sweatpants and you can’t ignore the swell in your heart.

The domesticity of the scene was so warm and cosy you almost felt tired.

“Tsumiki, Megumi. Pleased to meet you both.” He waves a hand towards the two kids who’ve placed themselves at the table too, with snacks and strawberry milk.

Megumi scowls slightly, ever wary of strangers. Tsumiki waves back, ever polite.

“We’re pleased to meet you too, Uncle Nanami!” She speaks.

Satoru immediately begins to cackle laughing at Nanami being called the kids’ uncle, and you elbow him.

Nanami just quirks an eyebrow and thinks it’s fantastic how quickly these two have taken to you both. It’s clear in how Tsumiki is pleased to chatter with Satoru and giggles at his silly antics and how Megumi shares an animal cracker with you and scoots slightly closer to you when feeling particularly exposed.

“So, what grade are you both in?” Kento asks as you rise to retrieve the lasagna from the oven.

FREEZEFRAME TWO

“Okay! I think that’s everything! Tsumiki sleeps in the dark, but she’s 10 and is kinda like a self-cleaning oven. Megumi sleeps with this nightlight, but don’t mention it, just plug it in and leave, his frog stuffy is in his bag too! I’m rambling, aren’t I?” Satoru speaks.

“Yes,” Nanami replies.

“Nanaminnnnnnnn! You’re meant to say ‘No Satoru I know you’re nervous but you’re doing great! You’re so amazing! Uncle Nanamin will take care of these darling cherubs while you hopefully change your life forever” Satoru says as he dramatically shakes Nanami’s shoulders.

Kento is unimpressed.

“Satoru. You’re being fucking ridiculous.”

“Not quite but you’ve got the spirit!”

And with that, Satoru strides into Nanami’s living room.

“Children! Be the absolute best tonight for your dearest Uncle Nanamin, and Tsumiki don’t let Nanamin around Megumi too much – they might form an anti-Satoru club and my poor heart just couldn’t take it, my two favourite men, hanging up against me! My best friends!”

Tsumiki giggles and agrees but her face turns deadly serious.

“Papa. Do you have everything?” She asks.

“Run me a checklist, assistant.” He replies crouching down to her height.

“Snacks?”

“Check.”

“Including all mom’s favourites?”

“Check.”

“The CD mixtape you made?”

“Check.”

“Um… Oh! Do you know what to say? Did you write it down?”

“Check and no, don’t need to.”

“Okay! Then I think that’s everything!”

“No, it’s not.” Comes with a voice hidden behind a Nintendo.

Three heads turn to the spikey-haired boy’s blue eyes visible over the screen.

A gasp from Tsumiki is followed by,

“What did I forget to list?!” She asks, almost frantic.

“The ring,” Megumi replies.

Another gasp from Tsumiki.

Satoru only smirks, he knew Megumi was excited about what was happening – it was obvious in the way he never left the room and even put his book down when Satoru and Tsumiki would go over plans. He liked this idea. That’s how he showed it.

He pulls a small dark blue velvet box from inside his coat pocket and flicks the gold clasp open. In the box, stood the item in question. The most stunningly beautiful, antique ring. Small and dainty in size, the gold filigree art deco setting with the most brilliant marquise cut diamond with two tiny sapphires beside them, it was just so you.

After shouts of good luck (they knew he wouldn’t need it, you were his the day he met you) Satoru says his goodbyes to the kids. Nanami walks him out, stopping him at the door.

He hands him a bottle of champagne.

“For when she says yes.” He says as he nods at him.

Satoru’s eyes sparkled and darted to Nanami.

“You’re sure she will?” He asks. This a rare moment of pure vulnerability from this man who needs his best friend's advice on proposing to his girlfriend. No six eyes. No sorcery. No 7:3 or salaries. Just two men, one hopelessly in love and the other quietly rooting for them for the last 4 years.

“Satoru. Of course, she will, you two have always been inevitable, it’s obvious to everyone. Now – go, get out of my house or you will be late for your engagement.” He says, shoving the taller man’s shoulders.

“Thank you Nanaminnnnnn! If we don’t ring tonight - don’t get worried! We will be otherwise engaged, haha! Get it?”

“Go, Satoru.”

FREEZEFRAME THREE

“So, Megumi – who do you want at your graduation dinner?” You ask – planning a family meal for the following week when Megumi graduated elementary school.

He shrugs.

“Uncle Nanami and Aunt Shoko I guess.” As hyper-verbal and enthusiastic as ever.

So you shoot off two texts telling them, not asking, that they’re coming for dinner on Friday night to celebrate.

At the graduation ceremony, you in a pretty white and blue dress and Satoru in a white button down and slacks wait with the two kids – Megumi scowling at his classmates and Tsumiki speaking to some of the older siblings, you spot Nanami’s car parking and he opens the passenger door for Shoko. The two make their way up the steps with Nanami in tan slacks and a grey shirt and Shoko in a navy pantsuit.

“There they are! Megumi, Tsumiki look it’s Uncle Nanamin and Aunty Koko!” Satoru points at the two arrivals.

He receives a quick thwack on the back of the head from Shoko who abhors the nickname, and she then leans in to kiss him on the cheek.

“Hiya Kento! Thank you two so much for coming today! We’ll go back to ours for dinner after if that’s still good with you guys. The ceremony is only 30 minutes. Between you and me, once Megumi has been up there we’re probably gonna bounce so he doesn’t scare the teachers.”

“Congratulations, Megumi.” Kento nods and pats the boy’s shoulder, then hands him a black box. Megumi raises his eyebrows at you silently asking if he can open it and you nod in encouragement. Inside the box is a black leather wallet, with M.F stamped into it.

“A wallet is a sign of a grown man, now, Megumi. Get a copy of Satoru’s black card and put it in there.” Nanami says, nodding to the boy whose chest has puffed out at being considered a ‘grown man’.

“Here you go, kid.” Shoko opens her wallet and pulls out a ¥5000 note and puts it into his hand. “Don’t spend it on girls or booze.”

“Jesus Shoko he’s 12.” You sigh at her, with a huff of laughter following.

“Hey Megs, you should ask Aunty Koko about how she got through school! Then do everything the exact opposite because she cheated her way into being a Doctor!” Satoru giggles and skips off to grab Tsumiki.

“How do you deal with him, Y/N?” Kento asks.

“Selective hearing.” You respond, but the truth was you dealt with him easily – given that he was one half of your soul.

The doorbell rings and you skip to the door, opening it to see the tall blonde salaryman waiting.

You fling your arms around his neck for a hug.

“Hiya Kento!”

Since Nanami had left sorcery, you and him had set up a standing plan that every second Thursday he would come over to the cottage and you would have Kooking with Kento, as Satoru had named it much to your delight.

On tonight’s menu was a delicious asparagus and lemon risotto, you two would always cook together with Satoru and occasionally the kids taking part from the table. Tsumiki would help you stir sometimes, but Megumi had proven himself as useful as Satoru in the kitchen so they were relegated to the table.

You loved these nights, you and Kento had always been close since you had gone on his first mission with him – your warmth and care as his senior was the foundation for the fact you act like his big sister. He never seemed as bothered by your chaotic energy as he was by Satoru’s – even though you were two sides of the same coin. He acted like he didn’t, but he truly cared for Satoru too, he’d also never admit it, but he was his best friend and 3 years ago when Satoru had very elaborately asked him to be his best man – he was very honoured. Hell, he’d even managed some vaguely complimentary things in his speech. Megumi also found a kindred spirit in Kento, he would speak to him about what he had been reading, and complain about Gojo to him, he was also definitely his favourite babysitter. Now at 13, entering the teen years – Nanami was beginning to be one of the only people who he could stand to be around. The last time he’d been in a fight, Nanami had pulled him aside and told him the correct way to launch his first to prevent bruising on your knuckles – you had heard even though you weren’t mean to. You hadn’t said anything, but you did think to yourself that it’s no wonder Nanami and Satoru were friends.

At the table that night, with food put away and the kids gone to bed, Nanami says he wishes to speak to you both.

“I’ve made the decision, that the 9 to 5 life is shit. Jujutsu sorcery is also shit, so in this case I’m choosing the one I am most adept at and so I will be returning to sorcery. I –” He was immediately cut off by your squeals and Satoru’s cheering and rendition of Return of the Mack but changing it to Nanamin. He just sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose at the fact his closest friends were you two and a woman chain smoking over cadavers and wondered what the hell he did wrong in a past life.

“Oh we’ll get to see you so much more! There’s an empty office beside Satoru’s, I’m in another building but still close by! We can all have lunch together!” You clap your hands and look to Satoru who is equally as delighted.

“I won’t be teaching. I’m returning to active missions.”

More cheering ensues.

It goes on for a while.

Kento is tired.

FREEZEFRAME FOUR

You lay on the hospital bed, Satoru almost on top of you, head tucked into your neck as you snuggled into him – tears on both your faces.

Shoko had left the room to give you both some space, standing in the hall she hears footsteps approaching – neat and fast.

Kento Nanami appears at the end of the hallway and as he approaches her a loud laugh and a giggle escape from the room behind her.

“Is that Y/N and Gojo? Why are they here, they have no active missions as far as I’m aware and it’s summer holidays?” He asks her, as her lips curl into a smile around her lit cigarette, she holds out her hand as he passes her the papers – he was here for her sign off on his monthly physical.

“Knock and ask ‘em yourself, Ken.” She shrugs her head toward the room.

He nods and tales the paperwork back.

He knocks on the door as your voice rings out telling him to come in.

“Nanaminnnnnnn!!! You’re here too! How awesome is this!” Satoru says, still not moving from his spot glued to you.

Your eyes are sparkling with glistening tears but your smile was lit up with the widest smile directed at your husband – eyes filled with pure love.

“Is everything alright? Is someone unwell?” He asks.

You giggle and swing your legs off the side of the table so Satoru can sit beside you and he wraps his arms around you middle and nuzzles into your shoulder.

“That would be me, but only every morning.” You hint.

Kento then notices the way you seem to glow and the placement of Satoru’s hand, protectively splayed across your lower belly.

Then it clicks.

“Shit – are you pregnant, Y/N?” He asks, aghast at the situation he didn’t expect to walk into today.

You nod and smile and Satoru raises his head.

“I’m gonna be a papa again! More babies for you uncle Nanamin!”

Kento can’t even bring himself to chastise him right now, the aura of joy surrounding you both is too beautiful to burst.

“Have you just found out?” He asks, a small smile on his lips.

“Satoru notices their cursed energy today, so we warped straight here. Who needs a pregnancy test when your husband is one, huh?!” You high five the man beside you.

“Of course I’d be the first to see it, I put it in there!” This makes you throw your head back and Nanami shake his.

“Christ. A combination of you both. I’ll be grey by the time the child turns one.” He smirks.

In truth, he couldn’t have been happier for you both. You’d both done a great job with Megumi and Tsumiki, your attachment obvious at your constant quest to wake Tsumiki up since we sank into her slumber a year ago. More than anything though, he could not think of two people more deserving of welcoming a new little light into the world. The love you both share and the depth of the bond often renders Kento speechless. Seeing you both, was enough proof for the eternal skeptic to wholeheartedly believe that soulmates exist and you two were made to be together by whatever hand guides the earth. He will continue to joke about the combination of you both leading him to insanity given your chaotic nature and well, Satoru but he knew while all of that was true and the child would be as boisterous and wild as they come – the child would also be the most caring, bravest, most passionate, fearless and a true force to be reckoned with. Your love could create all that, and he was privileged to bear witness – and to later, be named godfather of Akio Ryu Tadashi Gojo.

FREEZEFRAME FIVE

A Thursday came about, and Kento walked up to the sage green door of the Gojo cottage. He heard voices inside and figured Satoru must have gotten home early – you were still on maternity leave and Satoru was coming home very early each day to see his wife and baby boy. Megumi was in school now, so he lived on campus.

He knocked and not 10 seconds later the door opened revealing you with the baby on your hip.

“Kento! Yay you’re here, and you brought wine. You are my lifesaver. I’ve had to get extra, because we’ve extra mouth to feed tonight.” You say, kissing his cheek and wandering back to the kitchen.

He follows you and your large wooden kitchen table is overflowing with people – the source of the voices.

Megumi, Nobara and Yuuji sit with Satoru at the table.

“Hello Nanaminnnnn!” came in perfect synch from Gojo and Yuuji. That was followed by a ‘Hello Nanami-San!” from Nobara and a wave from Megumi and a babble from Akio. He greets them all in return as Akio makes grabby hands towards his father and Satoru lifts him delighted from your arms, before settling him on his lap to play with the small panda plushy in his hands. The kids all coo at Akio and Kento then notices the dog, large and black and fluffy asleep by Megumi’s feet.

“The kids are all exhausted and a bit shaken from the exchange event last week, so ‘toru gave them the day off tomorrow so they can stay here for the weekend.” You say quietly. He’s reminded that under layers of bravado Satoru truly loves these kids – not just as his adopted son and students, but truly all three of them as part of he and his wife’s formed family.

“I did bolognaise for dinner tonight, and we’ve chocolate cake. But first things first, here’s a corkscrew Kento – crack that thing open. The grown ups want a glass of wine.”

He does as requested and marvels at the scene in front of him, you kiss the head of his godson and the lips of his best friend as you pass them whispering how handsome your boys are to them both, then mention to Nobara you bought some new nail varnish to try later as you pass her, then ruffle both the teens boys hair as you move past them and weigh in on their debate over the best Pokémon in the new game.

He might complain, but he’s happy to be Uncle Nanamin to this wonderful puzzle piece family.

#gojo satoru #jjk #jjk x reader #gojo satoru x reader #gojo x reader #gojo fluff #anime #dad!gojo #pixie writes: family formations #nanami kento #nanami x reader #platonic nanami Kento

[onlyseokmins]

neighbor!joshua who's been your lifelong friend, next door living companion, and quite literally embodies the "nice guy next door".

for as long as you can remember he's been by your side. you've swung on the swings side by side, walked together to the school bus stop, sat together in every class, moved in and out of the city to chase your respective dreams, and now have settled down in a cute neighborhood. you've spent every moment together and unlike some might think - it never gets old.

he's like your rock and safe place. you only see each other when you're both home - but considering you work remotely and he spends a suspicious amount of time talking on the phone in his kitchen-turned-office... well, it's no different than your college flatmate days.

Though this time there's a whole building to separate you from each other and not just a couple of rooms and walls.

you'd think that's a better arrangement but it's not. especially when he knocks on your door before dusk for your weekly walk down to the grocery store. like always, he sweetly asks how your day was - eyes never daring to stray from your own even with you wearing nothing but a comfy t-shirt that just barely covers your bare legs.

even tho you really want to slam the door petulantly in his face, you leave it ajar - scowling and stomping off to find proper clothes. joshua closes it genteelly behind him and hums his infamous comfort song while he waits, not venturing further from the entrance despite the free show he'll likely get of you changing carelessly. or maybe on purpose. even as roommates, he's never walked in on you.

when you emerge back out from your room, your attire really isn't all that different - although you actually have shorts on this time even if they barely cover your ass. like clockwork, joshua shrugs off his jean jacket and lays it to sit in the crease of your elbow to carry. he knows you'll eventually get chilly from the evening breeze which is actually an excuse to simply cuddle his jacket in your arms and smell his cologne.

joshua's always nice to you, ever the gentleman. sometimes you wished he'd be a little mean. slap you around a bit. like you know he did to the people he'd bring back to your shared home and into his bed throughout the university years. you're a bit on the wild side too (ahem, broken bed frame) so you think he either doesn't want to disturb the friendship balance you're perfectly fine disrupting OR even more terribly, he doesn't find you attractive.

it's sad. often you wonder if he's ever noticed the way you squeeze your thighs together when he scolds you for staying out too late drinking at bars and to hurry home with him. stripping your outerwear off and manhandling you under your sheets with a hangover remedy on the nightstand when you wake up and a check-in scold early next morning before work starts.

but joshua causally holds your hand as usual on the way back from the store, swinging it in opposite time with the full bags of snacks and drinks held in the other. your sour attitude doesn't affect his cheerful mood because he thinks the stars shine brighter, the sleeping flower petals look a bit more vibrant, and the air a generally feels little sweeter all because he's by your side where he has always belonged.

his little grin grows wider on his face as he watches you - observing how over the years your pouty, bratty behavior grows - enjoying the way he can work you up until he breaks you.

oh, and he will. when he's had enough of you slamming doors and drawers around the kitchen one weekend afternoon after feeling snubbed once more at your attempt to seduce your dumb best friend.

you find yourself whirled away from where you were glaring daggers into the poor cupboard, pinned against the counter top, and caged between joshua's arms. face almost pressing against his broad chest that heaves with restrained annoyance. he brushes your earlobe with his large thumb, clicking his tongue as his thigh slots between yours.

"you have to be careful not to hurt yourself, sweetheart. it'd break my heart if anything bad happened to you... anything made you cry." now he strokes your cheek, looking incredibly worried before it abruptly changes to a harsh scowl. "except you want me to make you cry. tired of me playing nice, begging me to be mean to my sweet friend."

and you just gaze at him with those pretty eyes and his lips curl. a light slap to your cheek, it lacks any malice behind it and doesn't hurt. but it makes your lips part and he hooks his thumb between them, eyes narrowing. encouraging you to speak, despite it coming out mispronounced due to the finger in your mouth.

"nasty little thing, aren't you?"

it certainly kills him when you give him your consent - he knew all along what you wanted. bending you over and stretching you out with his long fingers buried deep inside your cunt after a couple of slaps to your ass and clit. then prepping you with his tongue after helping you up on the counter with such shaky legs that he has to hold away from wrapping around his head that's in between them to now devour your pussy.

edging you both times so when he finally thinks you just might deserve his cock, you're instantly coming undone the minute its large tip brushes against your wet folds.

and your sweet joshua has to turn mean, mean, mean - clicking his tongue and shaking his head in faux disappointment. degrading you for being such a whore for him - and while yes, you're a good whore for him - he needs you to behave and listen to first like the lovely darling he knows you are. and he's going to start all over until you can obey his orders of when you can cum.

he's kissing your tears away, reminding you that this is what you wanted as if your tight walls aren't squeezing around him even tighter every time he has to restart. you love it. and joshua's intent to have you on every surface of his house. and yours next.

"knew you'd love being treated like this but i just... you mean so much to me, how could i dare? look at you - so drunk off me right now from a little bit of cruelty. but even my niceness was too much for you, so don't pout all pretty at me now, love or i'll be tempted to stick my cock in between those lips of yours and not in that sweet pussy i've been dreaming of for years."

#ez.thots #josh.thots #neighbor.au #THIS IS SO MESSY AND BEEN SITTING IN MY DRAFTS FOREVER I NEED TO RELEASE IT #svt.thots

[vasito-de-leche]

I've read all of your Reverse: 1999 related posts about a hundred times already and I'm still mesmerized! I love how your writing is fluid and meticulous — all of your analysis feels so precise that it might as well be official.

I was wondering if you could write a one-shot or headcanons about Forget Me Not with a human partner, whichever you believe to be more fitting; to extend what you said in his relationship headcanons. It's such a fascinating concept... at least I think so.

If you are not feeling up to it, I beg of you to at least write some of your thoughts about this. That would make me more than happy!

;R1999 FORGET ME NOT - Relationship Headcanons (2)

Compilation of headcanons about Forget Me Not's relationship with a human partner. A continuation of this post.

thank you so much for the kind words! I really love talking about blorbos so it means a lot to me that you like my work!! for this post, I went for HCs since I already wrote two FMN fics lolol

warning for abusive/toxic relationships!

Even though this is a continuation of the first relationship post, I feel it would be nice to bring back that one point I made about Forget Me Not's potential relationship with a human or mixed - just so everyone knows the themes this post will dwelve into!

The way I see it, all of Forget Me Not's relationships naturally lean towards unhealthy and dysfunctional dynamics, regardless of his partner's status. Being a pure-blooded arcanist only means you're simply trading a specific set of problems for different ones.

So when it comes to humans (note, humans, not mixed - that's a whole different can of worms) Forget Me Not is at his worst. After all, you represent everything that he sees wrong with this world, he's conflicted and torn between his hatred and his love.

He's a difficult character to grasp, but it's clear that he's fully dedicated to Manus Vindictae's goals, as they align with his own unique set of experiences and emotional baggage - this means that he would need a lot of work, effort and time to reconcile with many, many things such as being in a relationship. Especially one with a human. And yet, I don't think it's impossible for him to grow and change as a person.

On the subject of Forget Me Not's mentality towards a human partner.

I want to stress the fact that Forget Me Not is, above all, a cowardly man - it's easier for him to act behind the scenes and react accordingly than to be upfront and confrontational.

He's manipulative, but not controlling.

And one can argue that manipulation is just a different type of control, I agree! But I feel there's a bit more of nuance in this context. Compare characters like Arcana or Constantine to Forget Me Not - the former use manipulation as a means to an end, it's just one of the many tools they can employ to maintain their control over their respective groups. But they have other ways to remain on top. Forget Me Don't doesn't have anything else. When it comes to Forget Me Not, his manipulation comes across as the single thing he can do to win, or turn the tides to his favour, even if it means winning by the smallest of margins. Chances are he's already mentally prepared himself for the worst, anyway.

This originates from the fact that he's fully accepted the fact that he's inferior, that the universe will constantly try to undermine and step all over him, dealing the worst hand for him over and over - so for someone like him to win, he needs to outsmart and pull the strings from behind the scenes, to cheat at a system that could never allow him to get his way. Hence all the emphasis on his two-faced and contrasting themes (a snake in the grass, waiting to reveal itself. a docile and put together bartender, controlling the flow of the market, etc).

Why do I bring this up? Because when it comes to something as unfamiliar and daunting as falling in love with a human, Forget Me Not doesn't have it in him to even take the first step or decide how he even wants to approach the situation. He knows he's already at a disadvantage, and so he defaults to manipulating.

A lot of his behaviour is heavily dependant on your personality and the way you see his actions. Again, it's much easier for him to adapt like this than to confront why he's having so much problems admitting he might've caught feelings for you.

Basically, this is a lot of text to give some insight to why he manipulates you. It's not done out of the desire to control and dictate your every move, your every thought, let alone mold and/or break you into a more ideal partner - Forget Me Not can barely take responsibility for his own life, don't expect him to do that with yours. He does it because he's very sad, pathetic and desperate, that's about it!

His view on love is also an important thing to discuss in this specific point - in the first post I talked about how Forget Me Not is quick to catch feelings, he falls hard and fast. This still applies despite everything I just mentioned.

In the context of this relationship, love and hate simply go hand in hand to the point where he cannot tell one from the other.

He latches onto you like a parasite because you're the only person who seems to care for him or give him the time of day. As negative or harmful as his interactions with you could be, he's addicted to your presence.

If his partner is oblivious to his actions and ties with Manus Vindictae.

I decided it's easier for me to just tackle all the big possibilities, so here we go!

This is possibly the best outcome for Forget Me Not, a partner who is entirely oblivious to his unpleasant sides and morally corrupt actions. It doesn't even matter what your opinion on Manus Vindictae and their goals might be, because you don't know he's related to any of it! This way, he doesn't have to unpack any of those complex feelings and thoughts, nor think too hard on the fact that you're a human - who cares? You're not tainted with all that unnecessary knowledge.

And this would also allow him to continue living in denial, to indulge in a delusional fantasy in which he gets to be happy without putting any sort of work into being a better man. It's perfect for him!

The top priority is to keep you in the dark, and he'll do pretty much anything to make sure you never find out anything that could paint him in a negative light. If he could edit his own files - the ones that the Foundation had - to erase all traces of his past, then he would have no problem gaslighting, lying and playing all these mind games so that you only focus on how loving and doting he is as a partner. All while telling himself that he's simply protecting and shielding you from the horrors of the truth, that he doesn't want you to deal with the stress.

Forget Me Not could continue with this façade for years, presenting his best, most gentlemanly persona to you. It's easier for him to be vulnerable, to allow scarce moments of quiet, gentle intimacy, now that he has a way to excuse his actions.

I'd say that the only thing that could ruin it is, as usual, his own mind. He's the one who took all these precautions into maintaining the fantasy of a perfectly normal relationship, and yet he'll start spiraling into depression over that exact same thing. What if you were faking these feelings all along too? He made you fall in love with a fake version of himself because there's no way you'd love the real thing, etc etc.

Depending on how long you two might've been dating, I can see him choosing to disappear from your life without even saying goodbye. One day, he's just gone and he makes sure that you cannot find nor follow him. Alternatively, he can fall victim to the usual impulses and confess everything he's been hiding, to scare you away and see how you'd react to the truth.

If his partner is aware of his actions and ties to Manus Vindictae, while being very vocal against it.

This dynamic is the one that absolutely leans heavily into a very codependent, toxic mindset. The relationship itself makes no sense: you're a human, therefore someone who Forget Me Not resents and loathes. And he's a member of Manus Vindictae, a group you recognize as extremely dangerous and biased, rejecting all of their ideals.

And yet, you two stick together exactly because of that. Whether you have good intentions (wanting to fix him, save him, what have you) or not, it doesn't matter because Forget Me Not will instantly assume that you're exactly like him: you want someone who sees you for who you are.

Knowing that you openly disapprove of everything that he does and says is addictive, as he's spent a good chunk of his life concealing all of these aspects. Knowing that someone sees him in his totality, without turning away, without fear, it gets to his head pretty quickly. You're the only one who knows him and you continue to stand up to him, all while claiming that you care for him - Forget Me Not eats that shit up. It's a type of affection he's never been shown.

But the more you call him out on his bullshit, the more you attempt to help or challenge him, the more Forget Me Not will sink into Manus Vindictae's mindset - because he loves to see you put so much effort into a lost cause like him. His manipulation tactics are used to make you believe, just for a moment, that you can truly change him for the better. He pretends to breakdown, to reconsider his lifestyle, just so you don't feel disheartened and continue pushing him.

In the previous post, I said that Forget Me Not would get a little unhinged around his crush - this also applies here, but on a much bigger scale. Everything he does is a cry for attention, he wants you to witness everything and still come back to him every night.

Given how self-destructive Forget Me Not can be, he would never think of ending the relationship. It doesn't matter if you begin to pose a threat to Manus Vindictae or The Walden or whatever, he'd gladly give up everything he's worked for if it means having his life ruined by your hands.

If his partner is aware of his actions and ties to Manus Vindictae, but supports him wholeheartedly.

One would think that having a supportive partner who encourages Forget Me Not to never change and to commit as many crimes as he wants as long as he has fun, would be a dream come true - but he's much too paranoid to accept this reality, always expecting to have the rug pulled from under him the second his guard is down.

Now, when I say "support" I mean a lot of things! From truly siding with Manus Vindictae and hating humans as well, to simply being there for Forget Me Not no matter what - as usual, it's up to you!

Your never-ending kindness throws him in for a loop and he channels all that energy into figuring you out. What do you get out of this? Forget Me Not wants to know the catch, and he grows more and more vulnerable each time you show him that there's no catch - you just love him, that's it. All of him, scales and all. At his worst and at his best.

Confronting the antithesis of everything he's believed in is difficult, but overtime I think Forget Me Not would slowly reconsider things - if you, a human, coud love him so earnestly regardless of his constant hatred and bitterness towards the rest of your peers, well... Maybe he can learn a thing or two from you.

This dynamic is the most confusing, however, as Forget Me Not will be clinging onto you like his life depends on it only to keep you at arms' length, emotionally and physically, for the next few weeks. A lot of back and forth between those contrasting aspects, cold and hot, love and hate - but this is good because it's a sign that he's reconsidering things, that he can't just make up his mind with a half-assed excuse. Here, Forget Me Not lacks that conviction and confidence from the previous two points, he doesn't know how to get the upperhand when faced against such brutal, honest love.

His manipulation tactics come across as a half-hearted attempt to get you to slip up or to distract you from the fact that he's losing his edge. Forget Me Not relies on his distant and intimidating persona to operate, but none of that works on you, and so he attempts to keep up the façade to make himself look cruel and heartless.

I think this is when you get to see Forget Me Not at his most pathetic and saddest self - the way he's been lying to himself and to the world for years, how hard he tries to have power to make up for the fact that he has any substance as a person. How afraid he is of letting you in his life because by doing so, he'll have to step out of his bubble and face the consequences of his actions.

#reverse 1999 #reverse: 1999 #r1999 #reverse 1999 headcanons #reverse 1999 x reader #reverse 1999 forget me not #hmm not my best post i think #i feel like i keep repeating myself when talking about FMN

[songsofadelaide]

Call it Magic

Jean was, in every aspect, the perfect guy to bring home for your family to meet— handsome, polite, honest, respectful and responsible to a fault. Your family liked him so much that he became a staple on every occasion, never mind you at all. Jean liked them as much, thankfully.

You can live with the fact that Jean will never see you as nothing more than a childhood friend. You were perfectly content just being at his corner, not at all speaking of your unyielding fondness for him. Middle school, high school, university and work never changed how you felt for Jean Kirschtein, but he's always had his heart set on someone else.

So when the chance to finally move on from him presents itself to you, you decide to finally take the very first step, one which you should have taken a long time ago.

In which you ask your childhood friend Jean to become your plus one to a family occasion for one last time, and all of the chaos and clarity that ensues afterwards.

[A Jean Kirschtein x Reader AU one-shot]

tags: lawyer!jean x author!reader, alternate universe - no titans, modern setting, childhood friends, aged-up characters, unrequited love (but not really?!), angst and romance, no use of yn wc: 8.8k.

"In the end There was only one. Isn’t that how it is for all of us? There's that one you circle back to —  for home." — Redbird Love by Joy Harjo  

— First rain of summer.

You knew back then that being a new kid in a new neighbourhood wouldn't be easy. 

When you first moved into the suburbs of Trost when you were only nine, the Kirschteins were the first ones to bring your family a housewarming gift. They were your typical friendly family who liked getting to know the new neighbours as soon as they moved in. Your family was no different from every other house they've made a connection with.

Mrs Kirschtein was a lovely conversationalist. She gave you one look and estimated you were around the same age as her son, who stood dutifully between his parents as they chatted with your own. "Jean-boy, why don't you introduce her to your friends?"

"Haa? But she just moved in! Shouldn't she help her family with unpacking?" Came the shrouded complaint from the brown-haired boy. Jean was a tall and lanky nine-year-old but the look oddly suited him. 

"It's all right, we can handle things here," your mother beamed at the boy before giving you a gentle push in his direction. "Go and make friends, my sweet girl."

Jean shrugged as he took your hand in his and urged you to follow him, a smug grin on his face as he led the way to the nearest playground in the area. "Looks like I'm your first one. The name's Jean!"

You gave him your name in response, only for him to nod in affirmation that he remembers it. 

"Strange, but not in a bad way. It suits you," he replied. "My friends are kinda strange, too, but they're good kids."

He didn't lie when he said his friends were pretty strange. The first question Sasha— the girl with the pretty brown hair— ever levelled at you was, "Hey, what's your favourite food?! Mine's barbecue!"

Connie's initial reaction was even more unexpected, especially since he anticipated another boy to move into town. Instead, there was you. "A-A girl?! No way! I'm not ready for this! And she's c-cute, too!"

"Knock it off, you two! She just got here and you're already so annoying!"

Their familiar bantering could only mean they're closer than they let on. By the time Jean was done arguing with them, you had the warmest and most amused smile on your face. I could get used to this.

"It's nice to meet you," you beamed at them. "I hope we can all be friends!"

"I did say I was your first, so here's two more," Jean shrugged once more. "Welcome to the club or something."

That was the beauty of childhood friendships further unveiled. It didn't matter if they only knew you for a couple of minutes. Sasha and Connie were awfully kind to you and never made you feel out of place at all. Jean always kept a watchful eye on you at school as well. Whether he did it out of duty or out of worry— you'll never know for sure.

When you look back at your childhood summers, they were often characterised by Connie's boisterous laughter, Sasha's sundried sweets and snacks, and Jean, the very first friend you made in a new neighbourhood. He was an easily likeable boy who had a soft spot for you, not that he'd ever admit it outright, though. You liked his abrasiveness, even considering it part of his charm. 

And you still like him as much twenty years later. He made moving in and fitting in so easy, after all. 

— Rust and Stardust.

~ twenty years later.

"You know, Zeke is going to have my head for this." 

The slender figure who stepped into your space at the office pantry could only sigh as you finally looked up at her. The subdued whirring of the coffee maker only sounded not long after she arrived.

"Pieck! Good morning!"

"Don't you greet me a 'good morning' like everything's normal," the brunette crossed her arms over her chest, slightly wrinkling her neatly pressed pale blue blazer. "Why haven't you responded to Zeke about his offer?" 

It was as good as any other day, but you knew it was only a matter of time before Pieck, of all people, started to chew you out because of your indecisiveness. Though if you were being completely honest, the offer made to you by your editor-in-chief weighed heavily on your mind. 

"It's not that I haven't considered it," you sheepishly replied before letting the sound of coffee droplets fill the air in the pantry. "I've been thinking about a lot of things lately." 

Twenty years have passed since you and your family moved to the suburbs of Trost, and four years since you graduated from college with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. You quickly landed an entry-level role at the then-underground homegrown magazine The Eldian Synergy and eventually rose to the rank of Managing Editor— partly due to your writing skills and partly due to your friendship with Pieck Finger, who introduced you to the eccentric magazine editor-in-chief, Zeke Jaeger. 

Surprisingly, the older Zeke was thoroughly impressed by the fluff pieces you continuously brought to his table, though he knew you were capable of writing more insightful pieces. As your team of editors grew from just a handful of ragtag writers to an echelon of executors only after the most excellent beats, so too did the magazine readership— and it's now reached the point where an expansion is at hand.

"Investors have made their intentions clear. I believe we should give this a go," he told everyone as you were all gathered in the office a few weeks ago. What was once a spacious studio for just the original five of you was now a cramped office for every member of the editorial team. The place was lively, vibrant and well-lived, and every wall has heard every word or breath of the heart of the whole team. To leave it now…

"If you're worried about the future of the magazine, then you really should go with Zeke. The whole point of this move is to expand our influence. I'm sure I wasn't the only one dreaming of a second branch— and overseas, too!"

"You'll be going too, won't you, Pieck?" 

"Naturally! I am the Synergy's Creative Editor, after all!" The brunette exclaimed with a proud little puff of her chest. "Zeke will leave operations here to Porco. It's been a long time coming, too, seeing as he's been his assistant and long-time protégé for quite some time now. Colt will also be helping out."

"I dunno… Don't you think there should be at least one of us to stay here with them? It's—" You fumbled for the right words to say, though it was already obvious to Pieck that you were masking your real intentions.

"I know what this is about. You're so reluctant to leave because of this. I am saying this to you not just as a colleague who wants you to think for herself for once, but as a friend who wants you to choose yourself for once," Pieck said with a subtle click of her tongue, and perhaps a little hint of disappointment. "Isn't it about time you stopped choosing someone who isn't choosing you?" 

Good grief, you groaned inwardly. 

You can live with the fact that Jean will never see you as nothing more than a childhood friend. You were perfectly content just being at his corner, not at all speaking of your unyielding fondness for him. Middle school, high school, university and work never changed how you felt for Jean Kirschtein, but he's always had his heart set on someone else. 

With Jean now a newly-minted lawyer, it was only a matter of time before he started working on building his renown and reputation. 

He and Mikasa took the Bar Exam together, you thought. Then again, so did Armin and Annie and Marco, too.  

You filled your cup with the freshly-brewed coffee and suddenly realised you made too much— Too much for just one person because Jean always had coffee at your place every morning and this must have been a force of habit, but who was going to drink this? Who else was going to choose you?

Not Jean. Not Jean again. 

"You think I don't know that yet?"

— I will never ask you for anything except to dream sweet of me.

When you, Jean, Connie and Sasha first spoke about college and university in the summer of your last year in senior high, it became clear to you that Jean was far more ambitious than he actually let on. He lived for arguments and investigations and relished proving himself correct. It only made sense for him to take up law, but Mrs Kirschtein found the thought of her son feeding her with 'money bloodied by crime' absolutely repulsive.  

"Mother wouldn't let me take political science, so I'm changing my trajectory a little," Jean stated. "First, I'll take up Business Administration, then, boom— Corporate law."  

"No criminals, just corrupt businesses," Connie pointed out. "You'll still be defending bad guys no matter what you do."  

"And he'll do a great job at it. It takes one to know one, after all," Sasha snorted. "As for yours truly, I might take up Hotel and Restaurant Management! My parents have always been big with hospitality stuff, so I thought I might give it a try as well." 

"And you aren't just doing that for the good food that your hotel or restaurant might serve in the future?" It was Jean's turn to laugh. 

Sasha elbowed him. "Hey, the food experience will definitely be part of the job!"  

"And if anyone needs some floor maps drawn, for their law firm or hotels, you can always contact your resident architect," Connie stated with a grin so bright as he jerked his thumb on his chest. It didn't take long for him to elbow you as well. "You've been awfully quiet. Plotting any grand plans for college or uni yet?"

You could only smile as you looked down at your clasped hands. For some odd reason, you felt like Sasha's bedroom shrunk awfully small, but you gradually came to realise that you and your childhood friends have grown up ever so slightly. 

Eighteen. All of you were just eighteen and yet it felt like your friends have their lives planned out for the next decade. 

"I've always liked writing, so I guess I'll keep on writing?" You said with a little shrug. Though if you were being honest with your friends, you'd say their ambitions scare you a bit. You didn't think about college hard enough to actually want to earn an esteemed title of sorts. Communication Arts was as good a degree as any other, and you liked that you didn't have to solve any maths problems, too.

"Oh, yeah! World-renowned author in our ranks, too! Not bad!" Connie nodded, a thoughtful hand on his chin. "Oh, man. Just the thought of us achieving all our goals excites me. The goosebumps are kinda gross, though."

"Yeah, yeah, the future's cool," Sasha shrugged before sitting back more comfortably. "More importantly, I want you guys to promise that we'll stay in touch. Not that you really need any reminding at all, but just to be sure."

"You don't need to say that twice. I'll always be around, you dumbasses," Connie chuckled. "Drawing up plans for houses in the neighbourhood."

"Someone's gotta keep this place free from troublesome people, so…" Jean stated with a nonchalant shrug that seemed more a show of confidence. "And where else will we all meet but your ritzy hotel with amazing food?"  

"Yeah, I-I'll write all about it, too," you piped in. "I mean I think people will trust my word by that time, so…"

Lawyer, hotelier, architect, and author. The prospect of achieving such heights in the future terrified you, but with your friends so sure about their goals, you felt it was only right to be optimistic about things. They were all doable, with hard work and maybe a bit of luck.

Eleven years after that very promise was made, Jean refuted that luck played a role in his passing of the bar. All of it was him. Surprisingly, Sasha was the very first one of your friends to get engaged— to a world-class chef, no less, as though the universe was providing her with all the vital pieces for her endeavours in building your city's fanciest hotel. Following his apprenticeship with Ragako Restorations, Connie was on his way to starting his own construction company, though it was only from the backyard of his childhood home.

Years have passed and the promise made to stay in touch with each other proved pointless since you all bunked in the same apartment complex. Your respective circles may have expanded, but home remained the same, with Sasha always cooking, Connie bringing over one too many drinks every after-exam period, and Jean raiding your coffee maker to the point where he's become part of the caffeine budget as well. 

Your friends from your youthful days all have a foothold on the goals they manifested years ago. And while you haven't published a single book yet, you grew a following with your work for The Eldian Synergy by releasing fluff and cream pieces that were a hit with locals both young and old. 

The magazine's readership was big and its reach was incredibly wide, and a lot of young women looked up to your advice columns and articles as a Holy Grail, a bible to follow as they tackled their own relationships head-on. 

Funny how you seldom followed your own advice, with your feelings for your very first friend still unspoken after all these years.

Jean's magnetic personality brought through a number of admirers and would-be girlfriends, but he had a policy of prioritising his studies before starting any relationships. 

One stood out, though, since Jean can't seem to get her out of his mind no matter how hard he tried— Mikasa Ackerman. She was friends with Eren Jaeger and Armin Arlert, who was friends with Annie Leonhart and Marco Bodt, who was friends with Reiner Braun and Bertholdt Hoover from the Architecture Department… And so your circle of friends expanded on and on. Once a tribe of college and university kids— now adults— in pursuit of goals made manifest. 

When your blockmate Pieck Finger first approached you after hearing your verbal essay on the immortality of the press, she had a look in her eye that said she struck gold. You proved her right after you won over both Zeke Jaeger and Porco Galliard, the founding members of the college's Press Club. 

While each of you has carved out a place for yourself, the peace that comes with having Jean, Sasha and Connie around was a feeling unlike any other. 

As your mother's birthday approached, so too did the dread of having to invite your childhood friends back home. Invitations were easier when they weren't being tormented by the busyness of adult life, but with Sasha planning her wedding, Connie launching his construction firm, and Jean about to take his oaths after passing the Bar Exam, you expected the idea to be rebuffed at best. Not that you really minded at all.

Except Jean wasn't busy on that day. His oath-taking wouldn't be until the next three weeks. 

"What? I've been waiting for you to personally invite me even though Aunt Cara already called me," he stated from across the table as he drank his freshly brewed cup of coffee. "I know it's always been us four, but…" 

But now it was just the two of you, and your throat felt awfully dry right now. If this was fate's way of telling you to shoot your last shot or let down your hopes gently, by granting you one last trip with Jean, it truly was a convenient but awfully cruel set-up. 

One you willingly walked into yourself.

"Well? Whaddya say? Road trip? Just like old times." He chuckled. 

Jean was, in every aspect, the perfect guy to bring home for your family to meet— handsome, polite, honest, respectful and responsible to a fault. Your family liked him so much that he became a staple on every occasion, never mind you at all. Jean liked them as much, thankfully.

How the hell could you refuse?

"Sure." 

Were you, though?

— Take me back to the night we met.

Jean's car, a reliable orange Hilux he's had ever since you all started college and university, was always filled with rambunctious laughter every time it was time to go home to Trost for the summer break. The lack of noise and storytelling from Sasha and Connie didn't worry you at all, and this isn't the first time you'll come home with just Jean, but the prospect of opening up to him about your decision to move to Marley did fill your chest with some trepidation.

Looking back, the longest you've ever been apart from Jean was during your week-long writers' camp in your junior year in college. And his oddly overprotective self still insisted on seeing you off and picking you up afterwards even though the Press Club had transportation provided by the college. 

Jean and Sasha picked you up in that very same truck when you called her in tears following the end of your very first relationship that very same year. 

It was still the same "squad car" with a smaller, modified squad since it was just going to be you and Jean. Gosh, just how many adventures and misadventures did you have in that car?

You were on the landline phone with your mother the night before her birthday and your homecoming with Jean.

"I already talked to Sasha and Connie about it earlier this week," you started straight after the pleasantries with your parents. "I told them I have a really good feeling about this new job. They're supportive, like always." 

"And Jean?"

"I'm… not quite sure how to tell him yet. I'm sure he'll be thrilled for me," you said, absentmindedly wrapping the curling cord over a finger. "I'll probably tell him while we're on our way home tomorrow."

"Oh, my sweet girl… Have you told him about how you felt? I know it's been so long and…" Your mother said with a soft sigh. "If you're still mulling things over, just remember… He deserves to know just as much as you deserve to be free."

When your mother first teased you about your feelings for the boy next door when you were just a girl, you nearly yelped at her to keep it down. Now that you're an adult and more honest with yourself and with your mother, there was no need to jump any hoops and deny what was already blatantly obvious to her.

"I'll… find the time to," you nodded to yourself, as though assuring yourself you'll be all right. 

—

You were not all right. 

Jean was apologetic for making you reply to the messages of his bar mates while you were on the expressway to Trost, but there was little he could do to ease your motion sickness now that you have passed through every possible gas station you could have taken a break at.

"All right, all right, I'll call Marco and tell him we're on the road. They can bother me later," his larger hand gently pried his mobile phone from your grip. "All this talk about an afterparty when the oath-taking is still next a few weeks out… Even Mika's annoyed. Hey, recline your seat and close your eyes."

"I'm fine, Jean," you softly insisted. "Besides, I need to stay awake so I can keep you—"

The Hilux gradually ground to a halt as he pulled into a lay-by, unbuckling his seat belt so he could reach over to adjust your seat. "Please. I shouldn't have made you reply to all those questions so I could get a quiet holiday."

With his figure draped over yours, his scent was quick to stick to your clothes as well. He always smelt of citrus and cedar and it never failed to send signals to your brain that you were home.  

"Take a nap. I'll wake you when we're home," Jean stated as he tenderly brushed his palm over your eyes, prompting you to lower your lashes. He ran his fingers through your hair and made sure you were rested before eventually driving home. "I'll be sure to buy some Dramamine the next time we have a road trip."

Oh, but I have something to tell you. I'm not even sure we'll have a next time. You wanted to open your eyes and speak because there was so much you had to say, but all you could think of was home and your mother's embrace. However, the urgency of the issue mattered very little now that you were lulled to sleep by the air conditioning and the smoothness of the expressway. 

Jean in his beige pullover, his cologne that smelled of citrus and cedar, his gentle humming to the songs playing on the radio— if you were dreaming, you didn't mind sleeping in a bit more, because this was surely the calmest dream you've had in a while now.

I'll talk to him about it later was the last bit of consciousness you could recall before eventually dozing off for the rest of your road trip. By the time you awoke, Jean was already pulling into your driveway, giving you very little time to react and adjust to your surroundings. Your parents were already excitedly waiting at the front porch to welcome your arrival. 

"Here they are! My sweet girl and our Jean-boy! Come! Come in!" Your mother was quick to let you go after your embrace as she hurriedly ushered Jean into the kitchen. "Here comes Trost's newest lawyer!"

Apart from always proving himself right, Jean also relished in praise and admiration and there was no lack of it in your house. It was pretty much his second home in the neighbourhood and he remembers running to your place whenever he had arguments with his mother. His parents weren't there yet, but his every whim and word was indulged by your mother, who handed him a hefty serving of freshly-cooked Paella.  

"There he goes," a defeated sigh left your lips as Jean vanished into the kitchen with your mother and aunts. "Then again, he's always been so popular with everyone at home."

"Not everyone," came your father's response as he gently smacked your head with a rolled-up copy of the latest Eldian Synergy. 'On Goodbyes and Seasons of Waiting' was the title of your last article, and it was carefully bookmarked, obviously read more than once. "Your last one was a good read. More discerning than your usual pieces. Wherever you go, I'm sure your writing will move more people. You pour your soul into everything you pen, after all."

"Thank you, pa," you smiled at the older man, to which he responded with a kiss on your forehead. 

"While you're here, be sure you don't leave anything important."

"Of course."

Anything important, huh? Were your feelings for Jean important enough that it warranted a proper conversation? Of course they were, but only you would gaslight yourself into thinking they didn't matter and it wouldn't matter if you left even without saying a word to him. Should I just leave without saying anything?

By the time your mother and aunts were done talking off Jean's ears, he found you staring at the photos that lined the hallway leading to the living room. Your parents' wedding portrait, slightly faded pictures of you and your siblings in your childhood, some of their graduation portraits… and tucked in a corner was a photo of little you, Jean, Sasha and Connie on your 10th birthday, some little bruises and baby teeth missing, but it radiated the same comfort and happiness you've been so accustomed to most of your life. 

"Hey, bestie! Do you remember this?" You couldn't help but giggle as Jean approached you. You caught the rest of your laugh in your mouth when you saw the graveness of his expression. 

"I heard you're leaving town for work."

"What?" Oh. You felt your pulse quicken at his inquiry. "Who told you that?"

"Aunt Cara did."

"Good grief," you groaned, a hand now over your eyes. "I… was supposed to tell you about it a little bit later." You couldn't say that you were truly thinking of not telling him at all, now that he looked so bewildered by the revelation. 

"I'm confused. Was I not supposed to know about it?" He asked, visibly perplexed by your statement. "Don't tell me you were planning on just straight up leaving without telling me at all."

"I… was," you said plainly, figuring there was no use hiding things now that he knew, anyway. "But look, you know about it now, so let's just say our goodbyes, okay, Jean?"

He stood there completely immovable, piecing two and two together in his head— the hushed conversations you've been having with Sasha, the muted discussions about foreign accommodations with Connie, one elbowing the other whenever they made a slip of the tongue about flying and Marley, of all places.

"So that's what everyone's been whispering about…" The confusion on his face melted into a look of pure hurt. "The gang knew, didn't they? Was I the last one to know about this?"

"Jean…"

"You not telling me things, especially something as important as this… I don't understand. We're best friends, aren't we? Please make it make sense! You're leaving so soon and I had no idea!"

You pursed your lips to a thin line, averting your gaze from the sad look in his eyes as he unknowingly backed you into a corner of the hallway, far from your family's bustling and merriment. With his arms pressed to the walls, there was no escaping his brokenheartedness, the very thing you've been avoiding from the start.

"Is it because of me?"

His question prompted you to look up at him, his brows furrowed in gentle frustration. "No, Jean… It's not you." 

"Why won't you tell me what's wrong?"

"Because there's nothing wrong," you shook your head. "Look, the job offer's great. I still get to write about whatever I want, just in a different place… Zeke wants our writing to overcome the world and I… I'm just trying to help myself the best way I can."

"Will… Will Porco be there?" Jean asked, almost sounding embarrassed. The question may have seemed out of place in your conversation, but you knew exactly what he was thinking of at that very moment. 

"No, just me, Pieck, and Zeke. Porco will be managing things here at Eldia. You know my relationship with him was good while it lasted, but we broke things off when we realised that we were better off as friends. And while we're still co-workers, I can assure you that there's nothing…" Your voice faded as your explanation continued. Why were you even explaining this to Jean? 

Oh. Somehow you felt your face heat up as Jean slowly stepped away from you, now that he's heard what he wanted to hear. It always did please him whenever guys gave up on you, but you never really understood why. If he wanted me, all he had to do was say so. Then again, he was always so quick to draw the line between you two whenever things started feeling different than usual— when he'd rest his head on your shoulders a minute more than what was considered appropriate, when he'd reach for your hand whenever it was just the two of you in the room, only for him to drop it as soon as his blockmates showed up, and when he'd laugh at Sasha and Connie's insistence that you two should date each other— 

You could feel your chest tighten as you stood there motionless, as though your ribs were crushing your lungs, pushing your heart up your throat. 

It can't end like this, you thought. He deserves to know just as much as I deserve to be free.

"Porco was a good guy, but he… he wasn't you," you started, trying to quell the quiver in your voice. "And you always told me to come to you whenever I had any guy problems, right? But did I ever? No, because there's no one else I liked more than you, Jean. I've always felt so at home with you and you've always been the centre of my world, and I want to tell you so many things and spill my heart out to you like I always do, but I can't do that anymore—"

"What?" Came his confused response once more. "You…"

You only realised that you were sobbing when you tasted salt on your lips, with fat, stinging tears rolling down your cheeks. You raised a sleeve to your runny nose, taking a step back as he attempted to reach for you.

"I like you, Jean," you stated before swallowing your own cries. "I'm in love with you. I've been in love with you for the longest time, but what the hell, right?"

—

The car ride back home was awfully quiet and Jean couldn't blame you for wanting to sleep during the entire trip instead. 

Friends since nine, inseparable ever since. Your families were as good as your own with how often they saw you two together, and it only dawned on him now how hurt you must have been every time they commented on your relationship and how he always offhandedly rebuffed any deeper involvement with you. 

And after nearly 20 years of friendship, you finally confess to him, only for you to leave just as soon as you gave voice to the depths of your affections.

At a stoplight by the border exiting your hometown, Jean noticed how you forgot to put on your seatbelt before leaving the party. Placing the gear on neutral, he reached over and pulled the belt over your sleeping form and buckled it down for safety. The corners of your eyes were puffy after all that crying and he understood how it must hurt a lot for you to even just look at something, so he just let you sleep.  

The weight of his own obliviousness lay woefully dense on his shoulders. How could he have been so blind to all of this? Then again, you were a master of restraint yourself, and Jean couldn't help but trace back the steps you took together— the path you walked alongside each other— when you decided to become friends nearly two decades ago.

And if by chance he did notice the flowering feelings you had for him, what would he have done? Either way, he couldn't picture a life without you by his side. 

You, who was present for most of his life, a figure he closely acquainted with the feeling of home. Jean believed you would be a permanent part of his life and things would never change between you even in the future. But that future was happening before his very eyes and it wasn't as he imagined back then. How could he have been so cruel to you?

You, who always left your window open so you could listen to his endless prattling about the divine Mikasa Ackerman. You, who only dared to date one guy all your life, only for Jean to rebuff him by claiming he wasn't good enough for you. 

Deep down, maybe Jean did know. Maybe he was aware of how you felt. Yes, he must have known it somehow, and that might explain that awful, gnawing feeling of entitlement he had over you. He must have felt it in his gut before, and all that talk about guys not being good enough for you was just him holding you back with his own entitlement and insecurity. You… were probably just as divine as Mikasa in his mind, but you were his most precious friend. You were off-limits even to him. 

You, who came to your senses one day and decided that enough was enough.

Jean tried to keep his mind from wandering away any further by attempting to focus on driving since you were nearing the expressway anyway. He slowed down and gave your sleeping form one last look, his arm already halfway from brushing his knuckles against your warm cheeks, only for him to eventually pull back. 

All your lives, you orbited each other as celestial bodies would in the sky, close enough to hear each other's heartbeats but never really fully touching. For once, he wanted to touch you as you were, not under the guise of a protective friend who wanted to shield you from every harm and hurt that may come your way.  

He must have known you were holding out hope that he would turn your way and see you not just as a friend, but… Why did the prospect of your relationship taking a different turn scare him? Why did he have to turn your way now that hope has been lost to you and everything was now out in the open? 

No, you didn't deserve this. You didn't deserve a lukewarm love at all. You deserved someone who would love you with all of the warmth and fire in their being, and all Jean had now were embers barely sparking a blaze.

"That's enough, Jean," he murmured to himself, shaking his head as he gripped the steering wheel once more. "I'm sorry."

And it was only right for him to finally set you free.  

— Rain[fall] over tormented cities. 

A week has passed since your trip home with Jean. Sasha, though officially moved out of your shared apartment, decided to stay for a while given the state you were in when you got back. Her fiance Niccolo would also come from time to time, cooking the most amazing dishes in hopes of lifting your spirits. By the time you were ready to return to work, the couple was about to make their exit from the apartment as well. 

"I can't thank you enough, you two," you pulled them into an embrace which they happily returned. "Nicco, I don't know how many pounds I've gained, but what can I say? Totally worth it."

"We're a little busy with stuff at the moment, but you know that we'll always have time for you," Sasha replied, taking your hands in hers. "See you in two weeks."

"I'm so glad you enjoyed the food," Niccolo said, a twinkle of goodwill in his golden eyes. "If I may… While I haven't known you all since childhood, I think I do know you guys well enough to have a pretty clear idea of what just happened."

Sasha squeezed your hands in hers. You squeezed right back, smiles on your faces as you nodded at her fiance to carry on. 

"Jean loves you in his own way, I'm sure you're aware of that," he clapped a hand on your shoulder. "And you love him in your own way, too, yeah? Might not be on the same degree, but I'm certain neither of you would want to lose that love, regardless of whether you just see each other as just friends or something more."

He's right. More than anything, you seemed to miss Jean more now that things are out in the open. Were you truly content just leaving without even saying goodbye to the person most precious to you? 

"But you know, I was all for you admitting your feelings to him. Sasha here told me not to instigate anything. Jean might have just reciprocated if he knew. Call me a dumb romantic, I guess," Niccolo said with a smile and a shrug. "But please… Don't leave things as they are. You two have known each other forever. I doubt your younger selves would have liked this."

—

On the other side of town, newly-minted lawyers Jean and Marco had just concluded a conversation that ran for several days given how inconsolable the former was when he returned from Trost. 

"And she hasn't reached out since, huh?" Marco asked from across the restaurant booth, their black coffee untouched for hours. "Though she's already contacted Sasha and Connie. Speaking of Connie, he said he'd drop by—"

"Damn right I'm dropping by," said the newly-arrived bald guy, taking a seat beside Marco so that he was facing Jean as well.

"Why're you even coddling Jean so much, Marco? Let him feel the weight of everything," Connie stated as he called for a waitress. When Jean met his gaze, he could only shake his head in response. "What, you idiot? She finally went and said it after 20 years. Did you seriously think nothing would change between the two of you now?"

"Did you… know about it?" 

"Everyone in the room knew except you, Jean," Connie sighed. "You know, it was pretty aggravating how you were so oblivious to how she felt for you. You always chalked it up to our long friendship even though it was already blatantly clear that she cares for you more than anyone else."

"Why didn't anyone think about pointing it out to me? Was I really that oblivious?" 

"It wasn't our place to… to pry open a girl's feelings when she had no intention of letting you know. Not directly, at least," Marco stated. "She cares for everyone, but it was pretty clear she had a favourite."

"That's Jean and his entitlement," Connie replied. "That time she dated Porco, you and I saw how he did absolutely everything for her. For once, she was happy with a guy that wasn't us. But I knew that something was up when he opened up about the way he felt in their relationship… like he was competing against some unseen creature." 

Jean couldn't help but lower his head, dropping his eyes to his coffee as he tried to avoid his friend's claims. 

"Let me ask you something, my dumb little friend. Did it ever occur to you that she could have been absolutely happy with someone else if not for her great affection for you? She almost…" Connie shook his head. 

Your past relationship with Porco Galliard was a Pandora's Box you never wanted to open again. Now that Connie jimmied the box open, it forced Jean to confront the very same demons he sought to hide from everyone.

"I… I thought I was the one who knew her best. I was her best friend, after all. But that was the thing: we were best friends. Could I really afford to shatter something so important? One word could change just about everything."

"And how did you feel when Porco was doing just about everything you did for her when they dated?"

For Jean, it was simple. Simple yet complicated. "Why couldn't that be me?"

"Damn right, that could have been you!" Connie exclaimed, pointing a finger at his childhood best friend. "Don't give me this bullshit about our friendship changing overnight just because you two had feelings for each other either didn't want to acknowledge. It was going to change regardless and it was up to you two to make sure that things hold—" 

The small ping from Jean's phone lit up his screen, cutting through the conversation and drawing their eyes to the single notification that appeared across his wallpaper.

[𝚢𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚞𝚝𝚎𝚜𝚝 ✨: 𝙲𝚊𝚗 𝚠𝚎 𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚔?]

"…?"

Jean and Marco were startled when Connie bolted from his seat and slammed his hands on their table. "Don't just sit there, Jean! Reply to her text! Better yet go say you'll see her now! For goodness' fucking sake, talk things over with her before it's too late!" 

— It's the same damn thing that made my heart surrender.

It was just like any afternoon after a day at work, but seeing Jean jog towards you as you sat on one of the stone benches in the park just outside your apartment made you feel like something truly has changed. With your most well-kept secret out in the open, it was only natural that the silence between you two was rather awkward. It used to be comfortable. However, in the quiet of that afternoon, part of you also felt absolutely freed.

"Hey."

"Hey," he replied, slightly breathless. 

"Did you run all the way here?"

"I… I did," he exhaled before finally taking a seat beside you after you gestured for him to. 

"I wanted to talk to you about that thing I missed the chance to tell you last week. Our editor-in-chief Zeke invited Pieck and me to start out in a new office in Marley. We have investors backing this expansion and Zeke wants to bring along his most trusted people with him," you started. "It's not a permanent thing, but the three of us will have to make base there for a while. You know, to build up readership in the country, find people to fill roles… Basically to run the office like we did when the Synergy was just starting out."

"I see. Sounds like you got your work cut out for you," Jean stated, slowly sitting back. "Which is why I've been thinking…" 

"Ooh, how dangerous. Jean using over 10% of his brain could only mean trouble," you replied with a laugh. Surely your friendship with him hasn't changed so much that you wouldn't be able to joke with him just like always. "Kidding, kidding. What's going on in that brilliant mind of yours?"

Jean fell quiet, a pensive look on his finely chiselled yet rugged face. He unclasped his hands and reached out for yours. "This might sound crazy at first, but what if I try to find a law society in Marley? I know I'll have to take a certification exam of sorts, but—" 

"You can't be serious about this, Jean," you stammered, nearly pulling your hand away from his grasp in indignation. 

"I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He pulled you right back in. "I thought you'd be happy—"

"Jean, listen to yourself a little. Your plan is crazy! And the last thing I'd want is for us to get together now because you feel sorry for me and my unrequited love for you," you playfully bumped shoulders with him, only for you to rest your head on his arm. "I… chose to love you regardless of everything. It's not your fault you didn't like me that way and it's nothing to pity, either. I was just being honest, after all."

"What am I supposed to do now, then? My best friend is about to leave and I…"

When he opened his hand to release yours, all you could do was lay your palm over his own, smiling at the difference in their sizes. Hands that have led you everywhere whenever you were together.  

"I think your best friend would want you to choose yourself because lately, she realised that all you've ever done was look out for her," you said softly. "Even though you like another girl."

"You mean Mikasa, right? I—"

"You don't have to explain anything to me, Jean. I don't need it."

The two of you sat there, a brief moment of silence before he asked.

"When's your flight?" 

"On the 17th." 

The 17th. "That's my—"

"Your oath-taking ceremony, I know. I'm sorry I can't be around for that," you replied with a small smile. "I know you'll do great. As for me, I'll manage. No need for you to worry about who'll take me to the airport since Sasha and Nicco offered to, so I'm all covered."

"I see," he nodded. "Don't worry about my oath-taking, too. Connie said he'd be there. I'm actually more worried about you and your flight."

"Don't worry about me too much, okay? Have a little faith in me."

"I'm sorry… But you know I'll always worry about you. It's like a job at this point in time now. Call me the CEO of worrying about my best friend," he chuckled, slowly turning in your direction to see the very same softness and fragility that endeared you to him from the very beginning. "I'll miss you." 

But when you turned to him, all he could see was the strength in your unclouded gaze as you looked into his brown eyes. "And I'll miss you. Terribly."

Your facade finally broke when his long arms drew you into a long and tight embrace, your steely resolve crumbling in his hold.   

"I love you, Jean. Always have," you cried into the crook of his neck. "Thank you for letting me choose myself first this time."

"And if you were to ask me After all that we've been through "Still believe in magic?" Oh, yes, I do. Of course, I do."

~ ten months later.

"And after nearly a decade of dating each other, hotelier Sasha Blouse and cruise ship executive sous chef Niccolo [Abbandando] have tied the knot at their beloved passion project, The Hunter Hotel and Resort, in the presence of their beloved and adoring family and friends. That very place stands as a testament to the couple's fidelity to each other and to their community, a place where people from near and far can gather to take a break from the intricacies of their lives and indulge themselves in amazing food meticulously prepared by an executive sous chef of The Founding Queen…" 

Still decked in her elegant wedding dress, Sasha could only squeal in delight at the piece she read from the latest Eldian Synergy, where you wrote an article to commemorate the opening of their hotel and restaurant and their wedding. "Beautiful. This is a work of art!"

"I'm so glad you liked it, Sasha," you replied as your newlywed best friend pulled you into an embrace. "Congratulations. I hope you and Nicco have a blessed and blissful married life."

Following the church ceremony was a wedding reception at The Hunter Hotel and Resort carefully planned by the newlyweds. The menu was composed of many of the bride's favourite meals prepared by the groom, including wood-grilled barbecue, lobster tail with smooth mashed potatoes, and banana creme brulee.  

While you and Jean walked down the aisle together as a bridesmaid and a groomsman earlier, your short conversations were mostly made up of pleasantries and silly banter that was commonplace in your friend group.

The reception was gorgeous, perhaps a tad bit too excitingly lavish for Sasha's tastes, but seeing her guests enjoying the celebrations made her extremely happy. However, in the midst of the merriment, one of the bridesmaids in emerald green was scribbling away in a corner, coming up with the next big hit for the local magazine.

"Are you perhaps the Managing Editor of The Marleyan Synergy? I could've sworn I've seen your face before," a familiar voice cut through your thoughts, a wine glass filled with sweet rosé gently pushed in your direction. From across the table sat one of the groomsmen in a pressed white dress suit, his golden necktie tastefully loosened.

"I'm pretty unforgettable if you ask me," you replied, setting your pen down on the table. "How have you been, Jean?"

"Been good. Handled a few cases here and there," he nodded at you. "And you?"

"Been good," you echoed, your serious facade slowly breaking as your painted lips curled into a smile. "Come on, Jean. It's not like we haven't been talking through text and on Facetime for the last ten months."

"Haha, you're right, you're right," he beamed at you. "Did you know that Mika knows your editor-in-chief? She calls him 'big brother'. When she mentioned it just recently, I was only able to make sense of it now."

"You didn't know that Eren from Connie's block in uni was Zeke's little brother? And that he and Mikasa were childhood friends?"

"That was a finer detail I missed. If this were a case, I probably would have tanked it. I always wondered why Eren hated my guts. Hated how I was always around Mikasa in general," Jean laughed. "I suppose it takes one to know one, making us cut from the same cloth. It was just like how I disliked your ex-boyfriend hanging around you all the time."

You watched how his expression changed from pensive to hopeful, a twinkle of wonder lighting his brown eyes as he steadily held your gaze. 

"I've made my peace with Mikasa, if you're curious. Turns out that girl's been hiding some serious feelings for her childhood friend, too. Funny how our common ground both became our launching pad to reach into the unknown," he started, not at all missing a beat. "I just wanted to say that I've never felt sorry for you even for once when you finally made your feelings known to me. More than anything, I felt terrible that I couldn't respond to you in the way you deserved. I was so scared of things changing between us that I tried to deny it."

"Jean…"

"You know, I got the scolding of my life when I came home to Trost after my oath-taking when my ma heard all about what happened between us," he said with a low laugh. Yes, Jean vividly remembers the way his mother hurled the Yellow Pages at him after he opened up about your feelings for him and how he had such a hard time determining how exactly he felt for you. 

"How could you be so blind, Jean-boy? You could be Trost's finest lawyer, but you're sloppy with your relationships! You always looked at her like she placed the sun in the sky—"  

He determined that he could go a day without even seeing the lovely Mikasa, but it always drove him nuts whenever he never saw you. And between you and Mikasa… he was pretty damn certain your conversations were always more fun. That was the beauty of knowing someone forever, he thought. Everything seems natural at this point in time.  

"I'm certain about what I feel for you now. And I'm not asking you to get together with me yet. That would be asking for too much too soon. If it's all right with you, maybe we can start—"

Wait, what exactly is happening? Somehow, the noise of the party was drowned out by Jean's confession, one that came a little bit late but still came regardless.

"From the very beginning?" You interjected, your smile uncontrollable at this point. 

"As friends."

"We already are, remember?" You replied, slowly getting up from your cushioned seat. "Are you still afraid of things changing between us?"

He followed suit, shaking his head at your question. "Not anymore."

That corner of the party was yours. That very moment was yours to make as well. Standing beside you in that very corner was the very same Jean you've been hopelessly in love with for the last 20 years. Only this time, you weren't so hopeless anymore.

"Good. I suppose doing this wouldn't bother you anymore."

You slipped your hand into his and gently tugged him down your way for a kiss, one that tasted of sweet rosé, a little bit of courage, and absolutely no regrets. 

"Twenty years is a long time, Jean. Are you really sure you want to start things over again?" 

There he saw it, the warmest and most amused smile on your face, the one he's always liked. From the very start.

"Now that you mentioned it, I think you're right," he said, his smile as wide as yours now that your embarrassment broke through your feigned confidence. "Wanna go on a road trip or something?" 

"Oh?" You quirked a curious eyebrow at him. "Where to?" 

"Home." 

But with your hand in his now, there was no need for any road trips. You've been home the very first moment he pulled you close, all those years ago. 

*Cue Sasha's bouquet toss and reader catching it because it was specifically aimed at you lol.*

Author's notes: Hello! Before everything else, I just wanted to say thank you for picking up this fic. It's one of my newer works and has a very special place in my heart. After a lot of thinking, I decided to crosspost this fic here on Tumblr and I am hoping it will receive just as much love here. ♡ — I use "Otome" as a placeholder for "Y/N" because I thought it looked much nicer in the stories I write. The term "Otome" is from otome games, or maiden games, and in this piece Otome would literally mean maiden, or Maiden-chan, which pretty much means Y/N. — I initially had something in the works for Levi back in 2021. I never really got around to developing that one and instead shifted my focus to Call it Magic. I think boyfriend material x lawyer Jean is pretty neat! (He also kinda reminds me of my own boyfriend.) I didn't actually include a lot of lawyering here since I actually have no idea. I recall my boyfriend wanted to take up law before but his mother didn't like it for the same reason I wrote here lol. Unlike Jean, he didn't exactly pursue it in the same roundabout way. I have very little to say about this except apologies for the angst, and this may or may not be the last time I write something for Jean. Hopefully the right inspiration strikes and I find the motivation to bring out another fic in the chiller lol! ~ Mari / SongsOfAdelaide ♡

✦ Original Tumblr post ✦ AO3 link ✦

#songsofadelaidewrites💛 #attack on titan #aot #aot fanfiction #shingeki no kyojin #snk #snk fanfiction #jean kirschstein x reader #jean kirstein x reader #jean kirstein x yn #jean kirstein x you #reader insert

[mx-mongoose]

Crossover prompt, Casey and Casey Junior centric

So when meeting Casey Junior, the 2012 gang is just AWESTRUCK on how different Casey is in this universe. He’s nice, calm, considerate, well mannered, respectful- you get the point. Everything 12!Casey ISN’T. And most of the 2012 gang absolutely likes him. It feels nice to have a Casey that doesn’t constantly push their buttons and feel like they can have a mature or calm conversation with.

Leonardo spars with him and is shocked by how formally trained he is.

Since Junior grew up with Rise Donnie, he tries to help Donnie with projects when he allows him to and is actually good company for Donnie!

Junior is the only one who can stomach Mikey’s cooking since he survived on roadkill and scraps most of his life so maple syrup and tuna pizza tastes like Gordan Ramsey to him,

April is just appreciative to have a meaningful conversation with another human for once.

Raphael is the only one on the fence about Junior for a reason stated later.

As for 12!Casey, he absolutely HATES Junior’s guts. Mainly out of jealousy. He’s jealous of how his team trusts him and how they’re not generally annoyed to be around him, hell he’s even jealous of how sick his weapons are! I mean a chainsaw hockeystick fusion and a grappling hook?! No-one would trust him with those but apparently these guys do. There’s also this thing where Junior is just so… Bland?! (In his eyes) He can’t understand why anyone likes him, universal cosmo law or not that wasn’t Casey Jones and he’s not gonna share his title to the equivalent of white bread.

So it sparks this one-sided rivalry and Junior doesn’t understand any of it. Like Casey will start random competitions, will pick on him, purposely make him mess up on missions, hell he’ll even try and make Junior physically fight him a couple times before someone will have to tear Casey off of the poor boy. (It doesn’t help that 12 Donnie constantly calls Junior the “better Casey”)

Eventually the two of them talk and they make a truce then they become friends (i have no idea how, just imagine some emotional conversation between them)

Then they’re walking and they go up to one of the Donnies and ask

Casey Jr: Hey Dona- i mean Donatellos, my counterpart wants a replica of my weapon if that isn’t any trouble

Casey: What my good looking bro is trying to say is- Dude I NEED a hockey stick chainsaw

Rise Donnie: Okay two things, one-

2012 Donnie: No way in hell that i’m giving YOU a chainsaw

Rise Donnie: And two, who said you guys were counterparts?

Then there’s this long silence and Casey asks

Casey: how we are not counterparts? We share the same name, we share the same handsome face and both play hockey??

Rise Donatello: That’s because he’s the counterpart of your would-be-son Casey Jones Junior. Your counterpart is our friend Cassandra Jones, you guys haven’t met because she doesn’t visit much-

Casey: JUNIOR?! CASE, WHY DIDN’T YOU MENTION THE JUNIOR PART OR YOUR MOM.

Casey Jr: It never came up! But i guess that makes sense, you do remind me a lot of my mom.

Rise Donatello: It also explains why when I asked Donnie over here how his Casey was sent to the past without mystic energy he looked at me like I was crazy

2012 Donnie: To be honest, I was more shocked that a Casey was put in charge of saving the world. Now I can sleep easy at least

Casey: YOU’RE FROM THE FUTURE?!

Rise Donatello: You didn’t tell this guy anything did you???

After that, Casey loves to pull the “Technically i’m your dad, so you have to listen to me” and teasingly calls him “son”. Of course this is all out of earshot of Cassandra. But this also is a weight off Casey’s chest that this is indeed a separate person and of all things his son! Hell it kinda gives him an ego boost (not that he needs one) that someone as crazy as him can raise someone like Junior.

They’re close friends and I love them

#teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt 2012 #rottmnt #Casey Jones #Casey Jones Jr #Cassandra Jones #Crossover prompt #tmnt prompt

[yukidragon]

I always wonder about the time-line in mafia au with Bo and Jack

I know in aphrodesia they have cellphones but what about the mafia au?

What year do you think it is?

I think the year itself is meant to be ambiguous for Aprhodesia, as well as the other series by SnaccPop Studios. That's likely why we don't get exact ages for the male leads in their bios, and only Jack is given a birth year due to the year of his death playing an important part of the story.

I'll admit I don't know a lot about the lore of Aphrodesia yet, but I do know it definitely takes place in an alternate version of Earth. There's a lot of fantastical and sci-fi elements, including robots and angels becoming crime bosses in the city of St. Valen's. I don't think it's meant to really reflect our Earth's timeline, but instead be its own thing based off aesthetics, kind of like fantasy worlds tend to be based off of medieval aesthetics.

In that spirit, I don't bother trying to give the Mafia AU an actual year. This is an alternate Earth, with alternate events that mean the timeline as we know it on our world no longer really applies.

I mean, the clothing that Bo and Jack wear in the original piece of art Sauce made that started this AU is pretty timeless, in my opinion.

Isn't it so nifty? Full credit to Sauce as always for their stunning art and being cool with me using them in my rambles. In the spirit of supporting them and the rest of the team who makes such awesome visuals and ideas for us to play with, why not consider joining the SnaccPop Studios patreon? There's a whole bunch of artwork there that you can only see by joining.

Remember, don't share anything privately posted on the patreon. Doing that only hurts the team. Instead, just encourage others to sign up as well, or just spread word about these fun games and audio dramas they're making.

Anyway, this picture, as I recall, was inspired by this comic drawn by Rain over on twitter. As you can see, it's a different sort of crossover, but it has the same vibe of the Mafia AU.

Sauce then did something of a genre swap with their characters. Here we have Jack and Bo as a crime boss and wise guy respectively in an Aphrodesia-esque setting. This picture's sister image was Jambee wearing a kids-show appropriate thief costume, complete with a black and white striped shirt and domino mask, as if he was an antagonist character to the SunnyTime Crew.

While this AU is a crossover between Something's Wrong with Sunny Day Jack, DachaBo, and Aphrodesia, I don't worry too much about sticking close to whatever timeline any of the three actually have, or their original continuities. This crossover is about being inspired by some stylish art and letting whatever urge feels fun to me when it comes to pulpy mafia crime drama indulgence, with a nice splash of sci-fi and fantasy elements thrown on top.

As such, the timeline itself isn't all that set in stone yet. Even the original ramble's timeline of events when it comes to Alice's influence on the world isn't completely solid, as expanding the King family's lore changed some things in this follow up post. This universe, as well as its timeline, is very much a work in progress.

Also it's an excuse to have Jack be touch starved and need to have very intimate (and especially spicy) contact with his sunshine as often as possible.

In essence, the year is modern day, only modern day in this world isn't the same as our world. We have cell phones, computers, and the internet, but also some classy retro-style aesthetics for clubs and the like. Or at least that's how it is in my version of this AU. Others might take it a different way.

On that note, why don't I give a shout out to some of my fellow artists who have also played with this particular crossover?

Glassy Shards over on twitter has a really cool take on this AU, giving Bo this creepy "glitch" ability that allows him to no clip through realities. Her take on Bo is pretty creepy and intense, as you can see in this delightful art here and here.

Fun fact: it was actually Glassy's audio dramas that made me inclined to have Bo be more promiscuous, violent, and rebellious in my version of the Mafia AU. The audio dramas are really well done, which makes sense considering she was Bo's original VA. I suggest giving them a listen here, here, and here if you want to hear Bo be a very scary alpha on the hunt.

Lilith Rose on twitter made a fun comic, which really pops in her colorful and distinct art style. It's just another day in the city of St. Valens with some goons getting pummeled, and Bo falling for his puppy. Check it out here, here, here, here, here, and here. Oh, and a cute piece of art that isn't part of the comic, but Bo in suspenders and Lilith in a dancer outfit are just so cute.

CheriiHoney on twitter and here on tumblr also has an adorable comic for this crossover. Jack is lovestruck, and Bo is just dumbstruck. There's also this very delightfully spicy follow up picture of Jack being so yandere for his sunshine and Bo is still annoyed by his boss, hahaha.

I'm sure there's plenty more takes on this crossover out there. If you have any favorites I missed, feel free to tell me in a reblog. Also, consider checking out these awesome artists and leaving a kind word or two. It was Cherii's birthday yesterday, so you could also consider giving her a belated happy birthday as well.

One thing that always tickles me about this AU is how much we've inspired one another when adding to it. It's almost like a community project. Rain inspired Sauce who inspired so many others. We're paying it forward artistically, which is why I wanted to shout out so many of my fellow artists in this post who have given me so much inspiration. You're all awesome. Keep on creating. 💖

@channydraws @earthgirlaesthetic @sai-of-the-7-stars @cheriihoney @illary-kore @okamiliqueur @kurokrisps

#Sunny Day Jack #Something's Wrong With Sunny Day Jack #SunnyDayJack #DachaBo #Aphrodesia #sdj #swwsdj #Headcanon Ramblings #Sauce-y Art #Mafia AU

[suffarustuffaru]

Reading your tags about how people miss the very obvious "there's some fucked up shit boiling underneath" regarding Otto, just gave me a sudden realization. Otto is the only character I know in fiction where they act all innocent and drive up the "clumsy", "just in the side-lines" and "straight-man (heh)" persona. When. Like no one's in the EMT camp is buying it. They know he's way more capable than he let's on. Meanwhile, the tomfoolery is completely brought on by the Western audience.

Like Otto is failing miserably to make other characters believe that he's not up to mischief, Roswaal even thinks it can bring his downfall. But the audience, who even sometimes *sees* his fucked up thought process, is buying it.

*head in hands*

no u bring up so many good points bc ive been really thinking about this for a while T^T its such an interesting phenomenon in the difference in perception otto has between the japanese speaking half of the fandom vs the english speaking half which can be explained by—yeah. media illiteracy mainly. im also putting my head in my hands anon T^T

because—okay sorry wkdndn im gonna get into meta again but hear me out bc this pattern of the fandom underestimating otto is interesting bc i kind of sort of i cracked the code maybe??? o.o i think the nature of otto is a character is that youre SUPPOSED to underestimate him at first, just like what happens sometimes in universe. i mean wayyy back then i definitely wasnt expecting him to get more depth added to him in arc 4–which was a pleasant surprise—which is also the reaction the vast majority of people have to reading/watching arc 4, along with the other vast majority reaction which is being a bit endeared to ottosubas friendship and respecting otto for being a good friend. and then its easy to underestimate otto bc of 1. all the chaos going on in rezero at any given moment and 2. hes almost always overshadowed by other characters doing worse shit or being more insane than he is and 3. otto of course damn well knows hes easy to underestimate and counts on that. thats what he did against roswaal in arc 4. plus—i mean even aesthetics-wise hes 100% DESIGNED to be easy to underestimate. his outfit and physical features make him look either friendly or frazzled or soft. so i think that the point is that we were supposed to be kind of fooled—at first.

because yeah, we’re endeared to otto. we respect him for helping subaru the way he did. we think that hes a nice person and we now support his actions especially after feeling sympathetic towards him after learning his backstory. (or at least the average audience member will think this wjdndn.) but like—you dont even NEED to look at any side content at all for it to dawn on you that theres something Wrong. with him. like all you need is main route arcs 3-8 aka ottos entire screentime thus far, because at arc 4 its so easy to overlook otto unless youre thinking a bit deeper (for example—he gets violent with subaru. like yeah its entertaining, its played for laughs a bit, yeah subaru needed to be snapped out of his own head, but was it 100% necessary??? why did otto have this response??? bc if you just look at the main timeline otto really decided to beat up subaru first. and bc this tendency is now Less Funny in arc 8).

but even if youre just looking at rezero face value, when you get to arc 5 its starting to get even more clear that ottos weird in the head. like we already saw him being very good at scheming and planning in arc 4–in arc 5, we find out about otto hiding the tome for a year. we find out WHY hes been hiding the tome for a year. the tome then leads the witch cult into priestella, so like—in the sense, otto is RESPONSIBLE for arc 5. but theres STILL a tendency sometimes for the audience to continue underestimating him even though by this point we’re getting more clues and many characters around otto, like you said anon, KNOW hes very capable. i keep wondering why this is, but arc 5 is, again, FULL of chaos and different storylines happening at once, so its so easy to almost kind of forget otto there in the background until he occasionally pops up again. plus otto serves an additional role as comedic relief sometimes—he spends all of arc 5 being bitchy and whiny (i say this affectionately HAH) about his camp being full of disasters, for example, so i think the natural response from the audience tends to be “aw otto!! what a silly guy!!” sometimes. you know? so its like. i think at this point some people tend to be like “yeah fair that otto was wary of roswaal and thats why he saved the tome…. anyway ooooh whats going on with these other plot points” wobsbss. its so fascinating bc—ok this might be my own personal experience but anyone reading this pls tell me if you agree or not—i dont think ive seen a lot of people actually even MENTION otto bringing the tome into priestella attracting witch cultists. and the english speaking fandom LOVES to go into certain characters’ wrongdoings so why gloss over otto????

the only explanation i have for this is that from arcs 3-4 underestimating otto is. kind of the point of his character UNTIL you get to arc 5 and the clues in the main story start seeping in even more. and also the western audience DOES have media illiteracy a lot. theres that too. just look at rezero content on youtube or reddit or fanfic sites or other things of that sort T^T but no yeah i think ottos nature as a character exacerbates it. youre supposed to start asking questions about him. youre supposed to start connecting the dots and then SUDDENLY its now EXTREMELY obvious in arc 7-8 and even while theres so much chaos going on its basically shoved in your face. arc 7-8 is just delivering on all the leadup that was arcs 3-5.

and i think that youve gotta be media illiterate for sure to NOT get that otto is not squeaky clean and innocent BY ARC 8. i think that ottos the deconstruction of the loyal best friend trope, and also a mirror into what subaru couldve been like if he decided to be more ruthless instead of jumping right to forgiveness and saving everyone, except sometimes that flies right over the audience’s head wkdndnd. it confuses me bc ive seen some people completely miss the point or completely agree with otto and overlook the Bad Parts of it or, you know, STILL think ottos perfectly sane—like T^T please.

and yeah so back to what you said about otto Not being underestimated In Universe—its such an interesting detail bc hes ALWAYS been simultaneously pathetic and Very Competent wjdndnd. but yeah no all of his friends have seen various hints and clues and evidence of what hes capable of. like even though he hid the tome from them successfully and even though hes hiding info now its INEVITABLE that its gonna blow up in his face one day. like you got characters like garfiel who literally saw otto punch the wall and break his hand in an unhinged fit of rage, julius who got snapped at by otto and while julius is a Bit naive definitely knows somethings off there, anastasia whos smart as hell and definitely knows not to underestimate otto, and roswaal who, like you said anon, literally went out of his way to stop otto from breaking his hand in another unhinged fit of rage and warned otto that he will literally be destroying himself if he keeps going on like this. its this fascinating dichotomy bc otto is NOT fooling anyone around him but at the same time his current schemes are mostly unnoticed—for now—which yeah i havent seen that in a lot of media!!! its an interesting balancing act bc people around him realistically know hes competent after seeing the Proof of that for the past couple arcs, but otto is still finding ways to try and Win…

which—again, the anger and violence is an extension of arc 4 otto!! this is the same guy!! hes always been like this!! ottos kind of stayed the same, deep down, this whole time and as an audience its ONLY shoved in our face with a big gigantic spotlight on it FOUR ARCS LATER, but it was hinted to all this time. and like you said anon—we LITERALLY see ottos fucked up thought processes. literally what sane person thinks any of that shit. its spelled right out for the reader HAH T^T which—yeah. media illiteracy…. and also this whole ask was a longer way of just saying that otto is VERY easy to see at surface level if youre media illiterate. but at the same time it should be very easy to figure out otto is A Bit Fucked Up bc tappei underlines it in bright red print!!! i think people sometimes just hang onto soft awkward silly otto and forget about the rest T^T either that or they dont think he cares about subaru at all. which. that phenomenon of thinking characters that do care about subaru Dont Care is also interesting to me bc why????? we’re at arc 8 and you STILL dont get it??? o.ooooo

but yeah apart from that….. i said this earlier but yeah sometimes some people agree with ottos realism in arc 8 which is. understandable, but the whole point is that he is EXTREME. with it. hes Not in the right here, but the same crowd that wants wanton revenge in rezero is gonna agree with that kind of stuff T^T ottos been lurking in the background so much so that tappei made it meta by doing the whole “walking in darkness” part of his character, so i guess people just. dont see ottos ACTUAL worst traits and instead think he would ditch subaru at the first opportunity or something. but at the point we are now, arc 8 ottos problem isnt that hed ditch subaru. his problem is that he would sacrifice the world for subaru. his problem is that he gets extremely angry at subaru for trying to do good. his problem is that hes trying to micromanage everything around him and is willing to sacrifice anything necessary to get what he wants. but sometimes people dont get that bc otto doesnt look sound or seem like a character thatd do that. the Underestimation part of his character is doing too well on. certain audiences. please T^T the soft and awkward and silly parts ARE part of his character just like all the Darker parts are!!!

additionally im also wondering if western audience perception of otto is also clouded by the fact that otto looks and sounds more feminine / androgynous and he doesnt have the appeal of Overt Power either……. he cant Really be waifu-ified… and he cant be used as a weird self insert like subaru…. and you Have to look at him closer to understand him…. and for some reason people dont tend to hate on him so aggressively, if anything people cant even see his actual canonical flaws half the time wkdndn so if youre not paying attention otto CANT be aggressively hated on bc theres nothing there if ur not looking at it….. and if youre not paying attention otto seems more “boring” compared to the others…… (not that people arent allowed to not have otto as a favorite character bc thats totally fair but im talking about the tendency to think hes Saner than he actually is.) but yeah these are just my guesses. i have no clue the western fandom is a little T^T some people unfortunately cannot read.

anyway. big thank you to the japanese fanbase for understanding ottos character more and making so much wonderful fancontent for him T^T also i think that we as a collective fanbase should stop underestimating otto in general bc its exactly what he wouldnt want and i think itd be really hilarious. <3333 make him explode with rage please

#rezero #ask #yeah sorry this response was so long wkdndnd but yeah ive been thinking on this for a while… #like ottos a very key side character thats given a lot of focus and yet hes?? largely ignored in english fanbase #but also rezero is a special case i feel bc for some reason a LOT of people misread it so easily. all the time. even fans thatve made it to #arc 8. why???? T^T rezero is so divisive i feel and for what??????? why?????? why do people miss this the story makes it obvious what its #about??? not to mention the LITERAL anime episode called THATS WHAT THIS WHOLE STORY IS ABOUT WNDNDN #tappei basically slamming u in the face with otto being fucked up fr too HAH…. #its like ottos falling into almost the same kind of stuff that rems perception by some people does. which is u know ignoring her problemati #traits of Being Obsessed With Subaru. shes a loyal ‘waifu’ and ottos a loyal friend but he cant be waifuified so easily and hes not front #and center in the sense that rem was also the second main love interest skdndnd #which i think might be the common fandom problem also of overly focusing on romance bc people notice rems loyalty more than they do otto at #this rate. bc rems the waifu. ottos only the friend. hes ‘less important’. #its interesting to me. bc why??? with other characters ppl either erase all the good or the bad out of them but with otto hes just in stasi #hes just kind of. there. #rip otto the bad luck made him cursed to always be in the background #it just confuses me so much T^T the difference between jp fandoms perception of otto vs english fandom is STAGGERING #otto suwen #the other day i accidentally got dragged into an argument on reddit bc someone tried to correct me on otto and i was like ?????? WHAT SANE #PERSON DOES ANY OF THE STUFF ARC 7-8 OTTOS DOING…??? #they were like ‘otto wouldnt do anything for subaru’ and i was like ‘lmao whys he trying to have louis killed then 😭😭😭😭’ #‘whyd he try to let 50 million ppl die then?? 😭😭’ #‘WHY DID HE DIE FOR SUBARU THEN’ #like ottos not gonna indulge subaru with everything thats not what i mean by he would do anything for subaru. he would do anything as in he #would sacrifice so much for subaru. but some people just see subaru doing it then ignore otto trying to do the same thing but in a differen #font???

[bucketofchum]

Foster Bros AU Atumu gets a girlfriend at age 22-ish? Maybe older. Maybe 25. She's respectful so she hasn't tried to push his boundaries (he's still aroace but she's a nice person - one of the few nice people he has met in his life), so they haven't ever done anything beyond cuddling before. She's older than he is. A lot of emotional intelligence. More content with under the cut (lots of SA trigger warning)

I think this is after she had met Startop and Startop acts like a total dick bc he's jealous. Atumu tries to defend his foster brother for his behaviour. After all, Startop is the only other human being who has ever been kind to him and genuinely cared for him as a person.

Atumu casually alludes to some bad shit that happened, but he seems emotionally okay with it. Doesn't go into detail but he just mentions it. Like some bad shit happened, but it's bc he's got this deformed body. And Alice is like ?? Bc she has seen Atumu in basically his underwear and he looks fine to her. He looks FINE to her haha. Anyhow he shrugs it off like it's no biggie but she is actually curious. Will be tell her? They've been dating for, idk, like, 2 years now at this point? (Atumu doesn't really know what a relationship is so I guess he doesn't know how long they have been dating. He doesn't even know what dating is).

Atumu is intersex. He doesn't really know what it is, and he doesn't know much about it. But he knows there is something physically "wrong" with him, and that's probably why all the Bad Stuff happened. He has experienced REPEATED sexual assaults, in almost every stage of his life. Early childhood (before 8 years old - but he has no memory of that, age 12 at boarding school from a group of older boys - really fucking traumatic, age 15 when he went to a private university - first week getting drugged and date raped by a bunch of upperclassmen, and 15-18 all throughout his entire undergraduate experience just because he didn't understand boundaries and didn't KNOW he was allowed to say no). By the time he was 18, in his last year in university, he was so emotionally vacant and dissociative and had basically zero will to live. He said no for the first time in his life. And kept saying no. And hadn't had sex since.

Now, some 4-6 years later, it has been a while since he has had any sexual experiences and it's....nice. He has never wanted sex. He was already asexual before the sexual assaults, and afterwards...? He has a hard time distinguishing the difference between sex and rape. Because he has NEVER wanted it. It's all the same to him.

But the kind of tragic thing is that he has sort of internalized it to be...his fault? Like the REASON he was raped was bc of his body. He's got this fucked up body - that's why he was raped. That's why all those horrible things happened to him repeatedly. And this is what he gets for having a fucked up body.

Alice can't imagine what he's talking about since he's so fucking vague about it. He never told her about the rapes, but his vague ass language gave her some idea that he might have been SA'd. But deformed? She's seen almost all of him and the only thing that seemed strange, besides how tall and thin he is, were his large scars across his back. But he has already told her that he doesn't know what those are from (that happened before he was 8 years old, which he has no living memory of).

So she asks to see. Atumu still doesn't know why anyone would want to see his genitals. He thinks all genitals are kinda........ blegh. And his in particular are even more messed up. So he gives her a warning. She still wants to see.

He does eventually show her and.....it sort of all makes sense. Why he'd say that sort of thing. Why he'd think that. He has a penis, like normal - well, I mean not that normal cuz it's MmMmmm..hmmm we will just say more than proportional ... Hm okay no additional comment, but at the base of it, it connects to what looks like a fully formed vagina instead of a scrotum. It looks identical to any normal ciswoman's labia...just weirdly where the clit would be, Atumu instead has his penis. She has heard of "hermaphrodite" before but never knew it could be like this. (She'd spend the next few days furiously teaching herself about it on the internet).

Anyhow, in the moment, she asks if she can touch it. Atumu is uncomfortable, but he allows her to. She tries a bit, but based on Atumu's body language in response, she doesn't push it.

They don't mention it again for a while, but Alice thinks about it nonstop for like...the rest of her life.

#tw: sa #cw: sa mention #lots of trigger warnings for this one under the cut #intersex #oodles of doodles #foster au #alice #anyhow that's not at all what Alice looks like but idk how to draw her #i have aphantasia so I can't picture her but its not that #my OCs that no one cares about #also he never says no to her but she is respectful enough to notice when he is uncomfortable #which is SO GOOD of her

[blueteller]

For the WIP game, I literally cannot choose over these ones so handing it over to you, blue! I know I'm asking for too much but can you please let me see at least the idea or an excerpt of 3 WIPs I listed below (all of them sounds so good i wanna see the idea behind them or an excerpt of them 😭)

Selectively mute KRS AU

A Blessed Curse

What Kind of Alternate Universe Setting Is This!?

The Scam Artist

Dump it all on Trash, why don't you!

Who do you think you are (and why you're wrong)

Dragon Ex Machina

Cale Henituse gets (a vacation) kidnapped

Hm... Why don't I give you summaries about each one?

1. Selectively mute KRS AU

Due to his previous experiences, Kim Rok Soo is a very reserved person. He doesn't speak, unless it concerns work. So you can imagine the stress he's under when he suddenly becomes Cale Henituse.... ...Elsewhere, the original Cale curses the God of Death. It would have been nice to have a warning not to talk too much as Kim Rok Soo!! How could he have know that him saying a simple sentence would make people faint from shock!?

2. A Blessed Curse

Is there a god which can offer Cale his much desired slacker life? Actually, there is! The god of memory offers Cale a deal, to which he agrees without any hesitation. He's very pleased with the results... However, all his well-meaning friends see is a terrible curse being put upon Cale. Naturally, they must break it!! (Or, a story where people of the world temporarily get amnesia about Cale being the Hero who saved both continents – except Cale's closest companions, that is. Cue classic TCF shenanigans and misunderstandings.)

3. What Kind of Alternate Universe Setting Is This!?

Kim Rok Soo fell asleep reading a fantasy novel. The next thing he knew, he found himself transmigrated into the body of one of its minor villains, except… …Except everything is completely wrong!!! Why is Cale Henituse a respected Commander? Why does he have multiple Ancient Powers? And why is Choi Han his body guard here instead of the guy who beat him up? Where did all of these Beast People even come from?? And wait a second, is that a f***ing Dragon?! (A Crack Amnesia AU set right after the war against the Indomitable Alliance, where Cale literally trips over a rock and loses his memory for a day – until Eruhaben can come and heal him. Complete chaos and hilarity ensues.)

4. The Scam Artist

A companion piece to a fic called "body hopping for dummies" by thursdays on AO3.

"So what you're telling me is, this guy…" Kim Rok Soo gestures at his newly acquired body with a suspicious gleam in his eyes. "…is super rich? I mean he is in charge of the evil organization and all."

"Oh no," Choi Jung Soo responds dramatically.

"Oh yes." Kim Rok Soo grins widely, making the others shiver in sudden fear. "That bastard stole everything from me, right? So it's only fair that I'll steal it all back."

"…Are you sure we actually kicked out White Star out of that body?" Cage whispers to Choi Jung Soo, doubtful. 'That smile still seems pretty evil.' she thinks.

"Yep," Jung Soo replies with a deadpan. "That's Rok Soo alright."

"I like this weird human!" Raon decides suddenly.

A short story of what happens after the heroes defeat the White Star and ressurect Kim Rok Soo in his original body: Chaos, Destruction, and the Friendship that grows between them.

5. Dump it all on Trash, why don't you!

Cale Henituse was just having a drink and causing trouble, as usual. He did not expect to be approached by someone wearing his own face, supposedly a transmigrator from the future in another dimension. Now he's expected to save the world by himself?! Damn that bastard!!! (Or, the story where KRS!Cale gives 18-year-old OG!Cale exposition before the Birth of a Hero starts, in order for him to change the story on his own. Will OG!Cale be able to manage? Is he ready to become single parent?? And why does he have to adopt people who are older than him??)

6. Who do you think you are (and why you're wrong)

What if Cale had reacted a bit differently to the Message from the God of Death…? After all, he had been okay with losing his old life only because he had been alone before. However, that wasn't the case anymore: now he had friends and children dependant on him. Cale knew the feeling of being left behind and wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy… Except it seemed like the God of Death wouldn't be giving him a choice, just like Kim Rok Soo wasn't given one when he first transmigrated. Die or return to your old world? Either way, his family would lose him. Does that mean the previous owner of this body was going to come back and take what was rightfully his…? Just how was Cale going to explain that to everyone? How could he simply disappear and leave a stranger in his place? (Or, a fic which forces Cale to act slightly out of character and TELL his friends things for a change. He also picks a different "least distressing" part of the God of Death's message.)

7. Dragon Ex Machina

Eruhaben has NOT asked for this. This must be that unlucky bastard's fault – his bad luck seems to be contagious, since breaking through the Sealed God's Temple wall apparently causes the intruder to be termporarily transported into a parallel universe. Now, Eruhaben has absolutely no clue why Cale in this dimension is called Kim Rok Soo, or why his face reminds him very much of the White Star for some reason. Nevertheless, Eruhaben would recognize his wayward child in any form, and there's no way he would let this dimension's version of him die by the hands of some Goddamned Unranked Moster. (Or, the story of how Eruhaben swooped in to save KRS's team and spare him the most heartbreaking moment of his life. Also, Dragons can dispell half-baked curses, because KRS deserves to live a happy life.)

8. Cale Henituse gets (a vacation) kidnapped

The horror! Raon and the cats go on a short shopping trip, but the moment they take their eyes off of Cale their guardian gets kidnapped! Luckily for them, they are well trained and capable of tracking him down with no problem. Unluckily for Cale, this is the most relaxing event he had experienced in months - can't they pick him up a bit later, please…? Meanwhile, the poor unsuspecting kidnappers have no idea what they're getting themselves into. This is what happens when you don't check the identity of your abduction target.

#tcf #trash of the count's family #lcf #lout of the count’s family #my wrtitng #tcf fanfic #au ideas #q&a #replies

[darkstarofchaos]

Unpopular Opinions: EarthSpark Wishlist Edition.

Was going to give some thoughts on S1 a while back but never got around to it, so eh. Let's look ahead to S2 with some things I'd like to see and some I wouldn't.

Characters:

Ironically, the one character I wanted to see but didn't think would fit the show seems like he's actually going to appear. I've already written up an extensive Prowl wishlist, but to summarize: socially awkward and seemingly cold or rude, but nice once you get to know him; either not a cop or an ex-cop; disability optional but strongly encouraged. Also, if he's going to have low empathy or a strongly numbers-based approach to the world, don't villainize him for it.

Aside from Prowl, the only characters I have strong feelings about are ones I don't want to see. Basically all of them are MTMTE/LL characters, but the only ones I'm going to call out specifically are the DJD: I feel like they would need to be a season-long threat to be properly utilized, and since we've already had one major "hunt down Decepticons" plotline, I'm not interested in seeing another.

Not a deal-breaker, but I'd rather not see any more gender-swapping. I don't mind Ravage or Nova Storm and I warmed up to Frenzy, but Skywarp just doesn't feel like the same character. By which I mean I wouldn't be able to write her the same way I write him, because the way I write him would be a female stereotype applied to her. And I couldn't do her relationship with Starscream the same way either (same goes for her relationship with Thundercracker if he shows up). So as far as fanfic goes, she's literally a different character who I'd need to approach completely differently, and I just. If you need a bigger female cast and you can bring in characters like Hardtop and Skullcrusher, you can give little-seen female characters some time in the sun. Do that instead.

Pairings:

So first off, kudos to EarthSpark for finally producing a Megatron & Optimus dynamic where they actually feel like friends, but that's all I see them as, tbh. In fact, there's only one pairing I have any interest in so far, and that's MegaStar. And with that being said, I would like to see some development between them in the next season. But not Megatron trying to make things right with Starscream: Starscream deserves to have his desire for distance respected. Instead, put them in a situation where they're forced to cooperate and let them start to work things out from there. Maybe some apologies that neither is required to accept (we don't actually know what Starscream might have to apologize for in this universe, but I'm sure there's something).

As far as potential future pairings, I guess I wouldn't hate TaraProwl. On one hand, I would prefer as few IDW influences as possible, but on the other hand, the monsterfucker in me wants someone to pair Tarantulas with. But if they're going to interact, I need Prowl to not be a jerk and I'd love it if they didn't already know each other.

Other Random Desires:

Minimal IDW influences.

Normally I wouldn't think about this in a Transformers show, but after the Mother's Day episode: no more holiday episodes please (I will make an exception for an Independence Day episode that highlights recreational explosives as a horrible way to celebrate. Seems perfect for this show).

Still torn on whether or not I want to see Nightshade become aware of transphobia, but I'm thinking not. Won't say no to having more trans/nonbinary characters, though (I will make an exception to the no gender-swapping thing if the swapped character is explicitly trans).

More disabled characters! If not Prowl, then someone (was kinda disappointed that Twitch's optic got repaired by the Magic, not gonna lie).

Okay, that's all for now. Might revisit this when we get a trailer for S2.

#transformers #transformers earthspark #Unpopular Opinion #The desire for disabled and trans characters might be the only points that aren't unpopular

[wine-dark-soup]

thinking about the emperor. ultimately he only thinks about his own survival and is very selfish, but also, it couldn't have gone any other way.

throughout the entire game, no one expresses sympathy for illithid (except if you are nice to him in the astral prism, and even so, you can still betray him afterwards). they are to be destroyed no matter what. and yet, he is there, with his free will, and enjoying his existence as an illithid. something that's technically impossible. and because illithid are universally hated, he knows he wouldn't survive for even a minute if he chose to roam the world without any cover.

so OF COURSE he had to choose deception and domination. yes, he killed ansur - because he thought that, as a full sentient being, he deserved to live. yes, he manipulated us - because if we didn't, we would probably have killed him, and again, he wants to live. yes, he pulled the strings from the shadows in baldur's gate and yes his influence probably killed stelmane - but it's not like he could have popped in the upper city claiming he was balduran. yes, he kept orpheus prisoner - but like, with orpheus free, the emperor would die.

i think the reason - aside that he wants it for his own personal gain - he insists so much on us absorbing the tadpole is that he wants someone else to see how great it can be to live as an illithid. show someone else it's fine and that it grants you unlimited powers.

and you know, he DID keep us alive after all. aren't we just like him? we refused to die even if we were technically doomed to turn into mind flayers, even killing people to stay alive, just like he had to kill ansur. orpheus even tells us we should just have died - even as we stand in front of the dead netherbrain! that we just killed! ourselves! thus saving everyone from illithid enslavement!

oh of course the emperor isn't nice. he says it: we are his puppets. out of all the endings there's only one where he survives and accepts to kill the netherbrain and set us free. and even then, it means he will still be hunted by the githyanki, led by vlaakith. his life as a mind flayer is STILL not accepted. the other endings have him control us and the sword coast, or die after he joins with the absolute.

but again. between saving everyone but still being a target for mind flayers hunter OR get a chance to live, as an omnipotent ruler, of course he would choose the latter. and the fact he immediately turns coat for the absolute if we choose to free orpheus makes sense: once again, with orpheus free, he would die. the absolute is his only chance of survival.

and like, we often say that *he* betrays us in that moment, but from his point of view, *we* betrayed him. he brought us this far. he saved our lives countless times. his last intervention happened quite literally two minutes ago, before the netherbrain dominates us. and yet, we still don't trust him (or we do, but we'd still rather free orpheus). all of that, for nothing.

as balduran, he was a hero. and i do think he still believed himself one - as in he thought he was the main character and the world revolved around him. if he survives the rest of the world can fall, whatever. he's still a protagonist. and there's a difference between being a hero and being a protagonist. but it did work, you know, because well, without him as a pivotal narrative tool, we would have died immediately.

i find it interesting that the ex-hero (balduran/the emperor) keeps the fated hero (orpheus) prisoner. he can't respect heroes anymore. there's a huge friction between them. but also, what does that mean for the story?

if a party member chooses to become a mind flayer, they become the ambiguous figure of the hero that will soon be hated.

if none in the pary becomes a mindflayer, in any case, orpheus and the emperor both die/are assimilated/forced to live in hiding.

in all those cases there's no hero left (not even counting the ending where we control the brain. of course we're no hero in that case). at best there's the memory of balduran, the memory of orpheus (as a githyanki) and the memory of the party member's heroic deeds. that's all.

not saying i absolve the emperor of what he did, but i do understand where he's coming from, he and his desire not to just be the memory of someone he isn't anymore.

#bg3 #bg3 spoilers

[sepublic]

Your brotherhood members as THE Makuta reinterpretations are soooo fascinating

Your bit about Chirox being the hand that Mocs and comparing him to smash bro's master hand gave me a thought

Mutran is the crazy hand to Chriox's master hand

And to tie them into lego symbolism like you've been trying to do, both hands are competing ideas about how a Moc should be constructed, constantly dueling to see what works and what doesn't

(Mutran would probably also represent illegal building techniques too)

OHOHO I love this idea so much! And I guess if there's a Master Core equivalent, it's the Antidermis released, paying homage to Teridax's MNOG form as well!

Yeah, this works perfectly because Mutran and Chirox have always been joined at the hip, always been a duo, the trope of the artists with competing visions. I have little doubt that this connection was inspired when Greg realized how similar the two look, after all...

While Chirox's Rahi are more of a destructive, mean-spirited vibe, Mutran's are more... experimental. Weird. Absurd. Still agonizing and unfair to the victims he disassembles, but you can sort of respect what he's going for here. Neither of these philosophies are sustainable, and must be stopped however.

So YES to that idea of Mutran being illegal building techniques, while Chirox is willing to be more pragmatic, function over form; Hence being represented by a swarm of spiders, whereas Mutran wants to put in time and effort into each creation, quality over quantity. So Chirox is creating the mass-produced enemies, the ones for whom there are multiple instances of, while Mutran makes the unique one-of-a-kind bosses (Which is meta since they were respectively a canister and Titan set). I actually have a post comparing these two characters and their philosophies from a while back, which ties into this interpretation.

Them being separate hands of the same entity is also a lot of fun. I intended for Makuta in this universe to seemingly be a spider-like entity, only for it to be revealed that what our heroes have been fighting is just his hand, in an Alaskan Bullworm twist. The full titan this hand is connected to resembles Chirox's depiction in G1... But we can also have it resemble Mutran with this 'Crazy Hand' addition, because again; These two already looked similar, so it doesn't require much change.

Maybe we could go with the idea that one hand is named Chirox, the other is named Mutran; Both offshoots of a larger, mutual entity known as Makuta! A nice reference to their shared title and heritage from G1. I wonder how the introduction of a second Makuta would turn out; Maybe there are scenes showing Makuta tearing things apart to make all sorts of weird stuff, but eagle-eyed viewers will note that the asymmetrical design seems flipped sometimes, and that there's a correspondence between what we see each angle of Makuta create.

We get the classic "There are twins" reveal, and after both hands are beaten, individually and/or together, the whole lair collapses to reveal the monster they're attached to; Their mutual true form, which takes back the title of Makuta in clarification. While his hands are differentiated as Mutran and Chirox afterwards... Two sides of the same coin, or rather entity. Kind of like how MNOG Makuta is implied to just be the destructive side to Mata Nui's chaos, so maybe the brothers are just personalities/design philosophies for the same Great Spirit Robot?

So we bring back the idea of Makuta having a brother he hates and is jealous of... Except this brother isn't good either, so maybe the heroes get them to fight each other, and/or Mutran and Chirox manage to put aside their differences to focus on these pesky heroes! Like in G1...

(When all is said and done, we cut to Will Ferrell tenderly nursing his hands as a Stepping on Lego joke is made, but for hands instead of feet.)

#bionicle #mutran #chirox #makuta #brotherhood of makuta #ask #reply #lego

[shepherds-of-haven]

Hi Lena! Hope you’re having a nice day! 🥰 I was just replaying the SOH demo for the umpteenth time in a while and just… WOW! Every time I get so invested, I love the characters (Blade and Chase romancer reporting for duty 😎), and I wanted to thank you for sharing this with us! But ahem, I also have a question! On this most recent round of replays, I found myself LOVING hanging out with Shery, and I definitely feel like she’s my MC’s best friend! So what I was curious about is, how does she feel about her best friend MC dating the different ROs? 🤩 I saw the ask you answered for Riel like this and I couldn’t help but wonder! 👀 Thanks again!

Hi @thesupremepuff, thank you so much for your kind and lovely words, I truly appreciate it!!! (Blade and Chase!mancers are pretty rare! 👀) And great question! I think Shery is far less judgmental than Riel and is one of those ride-or-die BFFs who will go out of her way to justify rooting for you and shipping you with your chosen RO, so her opinions aren't as juicy as someone like Riel's, it's pretty universally always positive! 😂 For her, it'd go something like:

Blade: "oh, that's amazing, I can definitely see the two of you together and he certainly seems to have a soft spot for you! But how will that work with the no fraternization policy? 😥"

Trouble: "oh I love Trouble, and I know he loves you!! what a match made in heaven!"

Tallys: "that's so wonderful, I can tell you make Tallys so happy, I hope you two are happy forever! 🥰"

Riel: "that's great, I think you're the only one who can make him eat and sleep well, so he'll probably live longer as a result of being with you, he won't listen to me 🥹"

Chase: "haha he's certainly... he brings so much excitement to life, doesn't he? may you always have fun adventures together! ☺️" *secretly wondering if that means she's off the hook for having to write his mission reports for him because he wheedles her into doing it when he feels lazy*

Red: "that's so lovely, and aren't the two of you old school friends? It's just like a story out of the novels!" (if exes) "I always thought there was still the spark of something between you, but I didn't want to presume..."

Ayla: "that's wonderful, I can tell you're the one person she trusts and respects the most so of course that would lead to a love match! I just hope that doesn't mean you'll be away from home more often, I know she loves to travel abroad..."

Briony: "that's amazing news, I've been hoping the two of you get together for a long time, now I finally don't have to keep it a secret that she's in love with you! 😅😅 we've been waiting forever!!"

Lavinet: "oh, you two look so lovely together, of course a couple as beautiful as you would match perfectly! please tell me about all the balls you'll attend, I hope I'm invited to some!"

#Shepherds of Haven #Shery #Shery Acquell #feelings about #hypothetical scenario #reaction #romance options #BFF shery

[its-captain-sir]

oh my gosh, genuinely- PLEASE tell me about your turtles/zelda crossover

YESSSSSS I HAVE BEEN ENABLED ok ok ok so. don't have any explanation for Why it happens but the turtles end up in Hyrule at some point before the calamity. They're not together when they arrive, but rather split up amongst the four major regions. I'm sure you can see where this is going as to me drawing connections between the turtles and the champions hakdhskdjs I'm still missing a lot of the plot reasoning for all that to make this a truly solid au idea, right now it's kinda just been me thinking about who would be best matched with who, though it does get a little more complicated than just magically appearing in front of a champion and going from there

Meeting Mikey is point where it all sorta starts in my head. It's actually Zelda and Link who run into Mikey first on their way to Gerudo Town! He's just kinda been wandering the desert for a day or so after getting turned away from the town, and up until this point he actually has no idea that he's in a different universe, he honestly thought there was some kind of portal mishap and he ended up by another hidden city somewhere else in the world. Getting everything actually sorted out is a bit of a mess, but Zelda promises to help him search for his brothers, he and Link become cooking besties, and then they have him tag along to meet Urbosa. These two I paired together mostly because I felt like their powers of fire and lightning complimented each other well, and Mikey's chains might just be fast enough to help prevent something later on...... :)

Raph ends up in Goron City! In the hot springs more specifically, as it's the only place protected from the heat as Death Mountain becomes more active. Luckily Daruk was out and about though, so he finds Raph pretty quick before he spends too much time alone and takes him back to the city to get fireproof elixirs and eventually a custom fit set of fireproof armor. Raph has a BLAST with Daruk and they definitely spend a lot of time sparring (without having to hold back too much!) and showing off their different protection powers! Eventually though they do set off towards Hyrule Castle hoping someone there will have the answers to how Raph got here and where everyone else is.

Leo ends up in the Hebra Mountains and his first meeting with Revali is Absolutely Horrible. for Revali. Kinda like Mikey, Leo was on his own for a bit wandering around, except he ran into wayyyy more monster camps. Just bokoblins so nothing too bad, but it does mean his new motto becomes stab first talk later which makes for a bit of an issue when he runs into a Rito patrol spearheaded by Revali. They think he's a monster, he thinks they're monsters, it's a mess hdkdhdkfhd just as he's about to enter a really serious fight with Revali he finally gets clued in that these are People rather than monsters, so he drops all pretenses in his usual manner and backs off instantly and Revali's just left scrambling like "what." And really it only gets worse for him from there cause here's yet ANOTHER blue coded sword wielder except this one. this one tries to be annoying to him on purpose. Leo has absolutely no qualms about throwing all Revali's bullshit right back at him and pesters him beyond that just for fun (he's just similar enough to Donnie that Leo knows alllll the right buttons to press). Revali wants to get rid of him right away, but who knows, maybe Leo's portals would be enough to make a difference in the final hour if Revali had him on his side.......

Donnie is the only one to appear right in front of a champion right in the middle of Zora's Domain, so there's no escaping meeting Mipha hskfhskdhsj she's very nice to him though! And he likes how thoughtful she can be and that she's not overly loud. There's also something to be said about being long ranged weapon buddies <3 it's honestly just a very nice match up that quickly comes to be built on a lot of respect for each other, and so Mipha is the one who offers to accompany Donnie out of the domain and to Kakariko Village where hopefully the researchers there will have some answers (but Donnie will have fun exploring their whole entirely new form of tech regardless hskdhskdjs and he definitely becomes close with Robbie and Purah)

Eventually everyone heads back or gets redirected to Hyrule Castle and an actual reunion can happen! As for what happens after that point.... I don't know really. The only other ideas I've tossed around are how the blight fights could potentially go if they all had a little extra help on their side. If anything, I think this crossover would be in a similar vein to hwaoc, just not as easy and without time travel forewarning hskdhskdhsj it's something to keep thinking about though! Thank you for indulging me in my ramble cause I really do have so many thoughts and ideas about this hakdhskghsj

#i had also tossed around the idea a bit of the turtles disappearing right as ganon appears and showing up again 100 years later #when link's by himself and kind of guiding him while there even though he doesn't remember much of them #and idk i probably could do something with them confronting all the failure in the world they weren't even there for #and assisting link with the divine beasts to help everyone find a sense of closure #but idk i just think i can do something better with their purpose for being there #eh I'll figure it out eventually hsjdhskdjs #ANYWAYS if you made it to the end of all this thank you for listening and feel free to ask more questions <3333 #loveeee getting to talk about this idea :) #rottmnt #breath of the wild #asks? #jastertown

[setr0spect]

About Sonic Franchise... what would I do? 1#

Hello, have you ever imagined what would you do if you where in a position of a company because you wanted to change something that they originally did but it was so bad? Well, today (or everyday), I will talk about what would I do if I was the owner of the entire Sonic franchise and if SEGA gave me full freedom of what I could do as an average Sonic enjoyer. 1. Rewrite with more consistence

It's kind of simple thing actually, if we compare the IDW with Sonic Universe, we can see that the stories made in Archie Comics was more... developed? Like, we had a lot of cool characters and stuff and we had a good story (The ones directed by Ian Flynn, of course.). Mobius will be Terra (Earth) but in 299 years in the future, and the term humans will be changed to overlander, you know the old story created by Archie, right? I will just make an adaptation, I don't even know if I could use the term overlanders to mention the humans, if I cannot use it then the name would be tumans, the "t" is from Terra.

2. Characters

I would need to talk with Ian Flynn about bringing his old characters, like Eclipse the Darkling, yes, Shadow's brother, we had an good story with him but it didn't had a continuation. And I would also need to talk with... ugh... Ken Penders... because he is owner of a lot of important characters, like: Scourge, Lara-su, Julies-su, Sonic's parents, Mammoth Moul, Sally's family and many others. And of course, the IDW characters will continue to exist and everyone working on this work can create new characters. I'm thinking about giving Cream brothers... if not, give a reason for why she is the only daughter, yes, I like to create dark backstories.

3. Fan-Characters

Since I really liked the community (the good part of it, at least), I would talk with a lot of creators, about me, giving a payment for them, that could give me the permission to make a lot of specials ACTs about their characters, why would I do that? Because good references is not enough and it would be a form of thank you for being part of the community, of course, not everyone would had their special comic, but at least have a camera or apparition in a square of a comic. But the highest apparition of them would be in a remake of Sonic Forces, why? Because the game has the custom character creation, and many OCs appeared from there, also, I think the game was supposed to be a certain alliance between company and clients. And also characters that was a beta version of other characters, like Terios, Umbra, Venice and the beta version of Blaze, Sonic, Rouge and also, cancelled characters like Tiara, Null, Metal Shadow and Inigo. 4. Consistence

Let's use an example, Shadow the Hedgehog, in the old comics, he was very different than today (IDW), he worked for G.U.N, made a overlander (human) friend called Hope than reminds him of Maria, he wasn't so cold and impatient, he also had a respect for Sonic. Today, on the IDW... he's sucks... yeah. I mean, in Sonic Forces, he killed the Jackal Squad, yes, he killed, that was confirmed by Ian Flynn, the problem is that he wasn't supposed to kill when his motivations is being led by Maria's wish about giving them a chance and... I forgot what she told him... but anyways, you get the idea.

5. Character rules

In the IDW there is a lot of those stupid rules... Sonic cannot cry, I mean, it would be nice, c'mon. Mobius, mobian and G.U.N cannot be mentioned and OH MA GA, money doesn't exist. In this Ultimate Rewrite of mine, those rules will be burned. Shadow won't be a complete jerk, there will be money, Mobius is where everything happens and most importantly, everyone will get a parentship.

6. Family

Sonic had a lot of parents, yes... but when came the IDW, they got erased... so... this time, our blue blur will have parents, and this will be nice because, I already have a story involving his parents, Bernadette Hedgehog and Jules Hedgehog... and Aleena... yes, the very first (I think) mother of Sonic..., I will explain this thing in other post, for now, just be in alert. Tails also will have his parents (again), as for Amy and Knuc-... oh yes... I forgot about the "last of the echidna" thing... but you guys get the idea. 7. Relationships

People that know me would say "Oh let me guess, you will make Sonadow a cannon?" HAHAHA no... as much as I would like... no, because after some time, I see that Sonic loves everyone but not to the point of being in a romantic relationship, but, to make everyone happy, there will be an ACT where Sonic or someone else from his gang, would travel to other realities, and one of those realities, the Sonadow thing is real or Sonamy or many others, I want to make a lot of references that the fans made, like Sonic.exe, Sonic: The murder of me, and a lot of other kind of realities... oh, Amy and Shadow will propose to Sonic, but he will reject in the canon, but be glad that there will be those ACTs. As for other ships... Rouge and Knuckles will be a thing, but after... what? 40 Comics? Who knows? In the end, they will be a couple. And there is the ship between Silver and Espio... I think it's cute to happen, and it would be perfect! I mean... Silver, technically, shouldn't create any kind of relationship or else it would create a paradox... man... I have a great idea to the future so they could be a couple. About Blaze... she is more like a old sister to Silver, like Rouge is to Shadow, so no romance between them! Vector and Vanilla will have their developments to be a couple. Gadget and Zero... I mean, why not? I just need a perfect story to make more sense. And yes, Gadget will be canon, between all the custom characters, he will receive more focus. 8. Custom Characters

Do you guys remember of the promotional characters of Sonic Forces? Well, they will exist and I will create (or help to create) a story for each one of them or just a tip of what they were, who they are and why they fight... and like I said before, Gadget will have more focus.

#sth #sonicthehedgehog

[tentative-wanderer]

Hi again..... I'm glad you're feeling better now than before...... I'm doing so-so (sorry for the weird answer)......

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime, books, movies or tv series)? Thanks....

Thank you! My past few months have been hopeful. I hope each day will be better and better for you!

I don’t have a top 10, but I can do top 7/8, arranged in no particular order. I know I’ll sound like a broken record talking about them, but they’re all danmei characters because that’s the kind of fiction I enjoy nowadays. Some English titles are my translations and may differ from what fan translators call them, if fan translations of the books exist.

🚮🌶 Chi Xiaochi from “Don’t Pick Up Boyfriends from the Trash Bin” and Wei Wuxian from MDZS

Chi Xiaochi is an actor who carries out missions across various universes in exchange for a wish that will allow him to regain his life after a freak accident. Wei Wuxian, as most know, is a donkey-riding resurrected necromancer who solves mysteries.

They’re my favourite type of protagonist. Right from the start, they wow readers with jaw-dropping statements that infuriate other characters. I love their charisma, their humour, and the way they don’t always toe the line. They have the classic protagonist hallmarks: kind hearts, impressive intelligence/skills, and complex pasts that gradually unfurl as we read, but those things aren’t special on their own; it’s the authors’ prowess that makes them shine through creativity and the weaving of human problems through fantastical events.

An aside: Chi Xiaochi had/has a dog and is terrified of ghosts, while Wei Wuxian had/has ghosts and is terrified of dogs. These traits are important in their respective stories.

🐾 Bai Chunian from “Merman’s Fall” 《人鱼陷落》

Bai Chunian is a white lion alpha not-so-secret agent who works for the IOA, the International Omega Alliance. (If only there were a similarly influential International Women’s Alliance in our world.)

I like contrasts, and Bai Chunian has plenty. He’s rough yet gentle, immensely strong yet vulnerable, a leader and strategist who needs a guiding light in his life. He’s a bad-boy kind of tease, but he always ends up being the one who gets teased when he tries it on Lan Bo, his partner. (Lan Bo doesn’t even mean to tease. He’s just giving Bai Chunian replies from the heart; those replies just happen to be bawdy to the max.)

There’s something about the way Bai Chunian acts when he’s sad that triggers the urge to protect. You just want to give him all the nice things in the world.

🏋️‍♂️ Shen Qiuji from “Today I Am Forcefully Resurrected Again” 《今天我又被迫复活》

The love interest of a constantly haunted protagonist. By the standards of common danmei love interests/tops, he’s on the “useless” end of the spectrum, and by that I mean his protective capabilities are low because his ghost-busting skills are mediocre. Contrast him with, say, Hua Cheng from TGCF or Luo Binghe from SVSSS. Despite that, Shen Qiuji gives off a very strong sense of safety and reliability by dint of being a masculine fitness buff who chooses to be persistently there for the protagonist, Gu Rong. His presence is like an anchor.

Shen Qiuji may look stony-faced and somewhat intimidating, but he’s very affectionate with Gu Rong; he likes to cuddle and touch and—in the past, before he and Gu Rong went from being enemies to lovers—annoy. It’s captivating. I think having someone who makes their existence tangibly felt and who wants to share your burden is a wonderful thing.

Plus, like many characters in the book, Shen Qiuji is hilarious.

✨ Xiao Xingchen from MDZS

Blind smiley daozhang (Daoist priest, used very loosely in this instance).

Who wouldn’t want a friend like him? He strikes that sweet spot between poised and approachable. A kind person with an amiable attitude and an undercurrent of courage to do what other people don’t dare or care to do. Also, it’s super cute that he laughs easily and uncontrollably (I suppose this trait would have been more obvious when he had eyes). He sounds like a huge pleasure to be around.

Oh, and he has the prettiest name I’ve ever seen: “dawn stardust”, sounding like “little stars”. Additionally, it sounds like “the dawn star sinks”, echoing a line from an old poem and, in hindsight, foreshadowing his fate. I like wordplays!

Giving a supporting character like this a tragic ending makes him even more attractive to (sadistic) readers because it makes us mourn how good and beautiful things don’t last, sometimes.

🐀 Shen Jiu/Shen Qingqiu from SVSSS

Misunderstood villain in the book title. High-ranking scholarly lord in the No. 1 martial arts sect. Fierce battered batterer.

Another tragedy king, in a totally different flavour. I love contrasts in characters, so I love how hardened Shen Jiu is, how deliberately rough and tough he acted as he grew up, and yet he has this soft spot, this vulnerability pertaining to one person who (accidentally) helps shape his demise.

Speaking of his relationship with Yue Qi, there’s beauty in what-could-have-beens, in feelings burned and blackened before they could properly begin. There’s beauty in things only half said—no I’m not talking about Yue Qi’s tight-lipped idiocy, I’m talking about something that’s almost love but not completely there yet because no one’s said it out loud; only metaphors whisper it. I like metaphors and implications.

🌸🏡 Shi Mei and Hua Binan from 2ha (indirect but major spoilers below)

Guy who wants to go home. At almost any cost. (Lol, sounds like me when I was a kid.)

Yet another tragedy king, and this time it’s one who’s physically very lovely. (At this point, I can safely summarise my favourite supporting characters as “beautiful tragedies”.) I’m semi-blending Shi Mei and Hua Binan from both timelines into one person in my speech because I like both versions of the man whom child Hua Binan grew up to be. Same seed, same tree, just moulded to grow in slowly diverging directions.

I like characters who are stuck between a rock and a hard place; it doesn’t matter whether they’re protagonists or antagonists. And ethical dilemmas aside, I admire the way Hua Binan dreams big (and crazy), puts it into action, and succeeds. My reactions were both “wth, they actually did…that” and “what a relief, they made it”.

I like male characters who come across as tastefully demure and exquisite, their unfortunate rarity making them all the more precious. The demure part may have been acting in this case, but elegance is indisputably required to make it work. What’s more, this guy can pull off both styles: beautiful and handsome. He’d be a delight to look at. (Sidetracking: speaking of “delight to look at”, I dig Mo Ran’s strapping farmhand look too.)

*

The books above are listed in my danmei book recommendations: https://tentative-wanderer.tumblr.com/post/624449567085248512/danmei-book-recommendations

#mdzs #dpubftb #dpubfttb #qijiu #svsss #2ha #人鱼陷落 #the falling merman #merman’s fall #今天我又被迫复活 #魔道祖师 #不要在垃圾桶里捡男朋友 #danmei #asks