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tomorrowsdrama · 4 months

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Ok I firmly believe that Gu Tingye and Minglan are perfect for each other and I love how ride or die GTY is for her and how much he adores her. And not the polite and meek version of Minglan that she shows to the rest of world to lay low. But the real Minglan who is talented, clever, strong-willed, and sometimes unladylike. I love that he encourages her to be her true self and creates an environment where she can actually do so.

BUT! Having said all that, I also love the courtship between her and Yuanruo. It's so young and innocent and gives you all the puppy love feels. The noble, refined and upright Yuanruo is nothing but an infatuated teenage boy in front of Minglan trying his best to impress her. And he’s the first person to make her dream and want something more than what she believes she is allowed as someone of her status.

And the thing is! We are so all-in with this coupling as we’re watching their story unfold. We’re all rooting for them and want so badly for it to work out. But it is also so clear that Yuanruo isn’t the right person for Minglan. He doesn’t know the true her and only thinks of her as someone weak who needs protection. Not in a condescending way of course. But more importantly, he also doesn’t REALLY understand the disparity in their statuses and what that means for HER. He is a young romantic dreamer who believes in fairness and that they could overcome anything. That’s due to his very noble and privileged upbringing where the world is practically handed to him on a gold platter. So he can have the luxury of not heeding social norms. But that’s also why he’s not the right person for Minglan. He can have these ideals and wishes, but he doesn’t have the fortitude and grit when push comes to shove, to go against his mom and social norms. I don’t blame him for it. He’s a young pampered lord who hasn’t met any adversity and reacted to his mother’s opposition as so. Unlike Gu Tingye. Struggle and unconventional are that man’s middle names.

And that’s reason 12345678910asdhjklajdksha why The Story of Minglan is such an incredible drama! It convincingly creates this beautiful love story between Minglan and Yuanruo and just as convincingly shows us why they’re not meant to be and why Minglan and Gu Tingye are the OTP. And we’re all onboard with all of it every step of the way! God I love this drama!

#it’s been over 5 years since I first watched it and I still have so many thoughts and feels #superior drama remains superior #the story of minglan #cdrama

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alliswyattonthewesternfront · 18 days

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i'm so spoiled by full-cast audio dramas that have a lot of financial support that getting into the more indie/DIY side is hard. because i want to support smaller shows, but if the recording and mixing are dogshit, then they are dogshit. it's really hard to stick it out through wet mouth sounds and tinny, echoing voices just because the story is good.

which is why i almost turned off The Silt Verses. they aren't even committing that many audio sins - it just comes off as more "high end audio book" than an actual radio play. but maaaaan. i'm going pretty feral over the lore, not gonna lie. it has lit a fire under me creatively. gonna be hard to convince my 3 friends who also love audio fiction to give it a shot

#also not for nothing but audio fiction tags are almost always fan art #or benign commentary #audio drama fandoms remain largely superior to others in this regard #the exception is nightvale but we dont talk about nightvale #the silt verses

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its-chelisey-stuff · 7 months

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mmm 'kay thanks, but like i still need confirmation??? IT DOES MATTER!!

I mean, I have felt from the start that the whole love spell thing is purely something that deepens what's already there and seeing as these two are bound together because of a past life and destinies and whatnot I can buy that ShinYu had feelings from the moment he met her.

But then?? do the magic spells work or not?? Like why was he in the hospital?? If the love spell worked doesn't that mean the cure spell worked as well?? I know I should know better than to try and make sense of drama logic and a fantasy one, but it all comes down to the weird way they're telling the story. I just wish it had more cohesive storytelling.

Also, drama has been throwing in some unexpected twists and turns from the start, but it's obvious ShinYu remembered his past life after that quick coma lol so what triggered it? The last time we saw him he was talking with creepy gardener and we don't know what happened and now it turns out the cheating gf found him in a parking lot?? I know it's a common thing in kdramas to withhold information so that they can create plot twists after showing the whole scene in flashbacks (which frankly I hate bc it's rarely done well and with the desired effect and it's overused) but this drama has been playing this game from ep 1.

Having said all this, you're gonna think I'm crazy, but I still enjoy the show. A lot of it has to do with whatever the hell they fed Rowoon in this and how he's looking hotter than ever and his acting has been a major treat of course, but it's time I get my answers and drama makes up its mind about being an office rom-com with a side of fantasy or a fantasy thriller that just happens to take place at the office.

RIP Rowoon's neck. Also, shoutout to the drama for answering some of the questions I had like six eps ago. Would be nice to get some answers for the questions I have now lol *cries in confusion*

#destined with you #kdrama #rowoon #jo bo ah #also sorry but in boah's dramas there are now two romantic bridge scenes #and the original remains superior and y'all know which one i'm talking about

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fortes-fortuna-iogurtum · 1 year

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i think my biggest beef with "Miss Scarlet and the Duke" is just the general awareness of the characters. I get that the entire point of the show is about a lady detective attempting to make her way in a man's world and having to fight her way through sexism prejudice and injustice for every single victory she claims, but there's a level of... modernity? to a lot of the issues addressed that just... doesn't quite flow with the setting and the rest of the writing, imho.

like--the female characters talk about how they can't do anything of importance because they're women, the gay characters talk about how they're 'outcasts of society' and 'marked for life' because of their sexuality, the misogynist male characters flaunt their male privilege over everyone, loudly, with extreme awareness. idk, it all just seems very much like inflicting modern views and opinions onto historical characters who couldn't possibly have the context to actually hold those views?

and don't get me wrong, I am not saying that these issues didn't exist in that time period. they did, and they were very real, and the people who faced them really did have to struggle in ways we'll not fully understand because we enjoy so much freedom today that had to be hard-won by previous generations. but there... was a bit of balance, I think, in a lot of ways? for instance, women weren't allowed to hold political power, but they had enormous social power. and I think a lot of that is overlooked and glossed-over in order to make a big loud statement about historical sexism and give a lot of snappy dialogue about how 'it's a man's world' and 'how DARE a woman do ANYTHING'.

and I say all this with caveats, too, because I just blazed through all of season 1 in two days, and I actually am enjoying the show! Eliza and William are both really fun characters, and I love their dynamic with one another! there's a lot of good stuff too in respect to how neither of them are fully clear-cut people with simplistic moral and ethical codes, they're not cardboard cut-outs but actual characters, and I appreciate that. and I appreciate that there are women of diverse backgrounds who want various different things from life and they're all represented equally and with dignity--same of the male characters. and I do think there's a historical precedent for a lot of the things that are brought up in the episodes! there's real history here. but I think the writers are missing some of the real depth of it for the sake of boiling everything down to focusing on One Specific Topic (ie, anti-woman sexism, social injustice, and general misogyny in the past and the struggle to be seen as An Actual Valid Professional as a woman in a career and profession completely dominated by men). and in a lot of ways, when the story really gets lost in itself and stops trying so hard to be About Sexism, it's a lot more immersive and enjoyable.

again, all just imho.

#miss scarlet and the duke #gurt says stuff #tv series #period dramas #like I said I only just finished season 1 #and I'm loving the character growth!! especially William's struggle to decide between furthering his own career and not making himself #an outcast to his superiors for championing ''radical'' ideologies (having Eliza help him on cases and lauding her abilities as a female #detective) and remaining loyal to his friend who was trusting him to help her gain publicity #plus I find it hilarious that they have to argue about literally. every. single. thing. no matter how hard they try not to #I can relate. most of the friendships I've had with guys have been about like that actually. sdfkjhsdkfjhskdjfh #women's place in history and historical roles of women in what are usually thought of as 'male dominated societies' is one of my pet #interests too tho. so this was always prone to be something that would get me stirred up lol #I just watch too much Bernadette Banner and Karolina Zebrowska to Not have OpinionsTM about women's roles in history kdjfhksdfh #long post

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underdevelopedbutterfly · 2 years

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I just want another drama of Lee Joon Gi and Moon Chae Won with director Kim Chul Gyu and written by Yoo Jung Hee.

#flower of evil #lee joon gi #moon chae won #kim chul gyu #yoo jung hee #flower of evil remains superior #that drama was such a masterpiece #a classic #and I want another masterpiece from these people #tvn flower of evil #tvn #netflix drama

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arkhamjack · 24 days

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CW for gore and suicidal ideation (TriMax Vol. 7) also Spoiler warning!

EDIT: I am a drama queen and just assume a lot of Trimax readers misinterpreted this scene bc I saw like only two people do it but I’m also using this as an excuse to yap about Vash and Knives’ personalities bc it was super interesting in this volume ok byyeee read on:

Is it just me or is the majority of the fandom under the impression that it was Knives who stabbed Rem?? Because it was actually Vash. Which I think says a lot about their actual personalities vs how the fandom perceives them.

Analysis under the cut!

In classic Nightow fashion, it's hard to figure out wtf is going on and you gotta read over it multiple times, but look:

After the discovery of Tesla, Knives faints and is placed in a little incubator thing or whatever and Vash laments the fact he remained awake to mull over the horrors. From this point on, Knives is not in the picture bc he's busy honk mimimi (which is actually something he employs as a coping mechanism throughout the story... his precious beauty sleep...)

Now, Vash is refusing to eat and lashes out at Rem, expressing his disdain for being stuck on a spaceship with all these nasty humans.

Rem once again tries to get Vash to eat, peeling him a fruit.

Vash lunges for the knife and attempts to stab himself, but Rem stops him.

Vash is locked in a reactive state - he's in shock and acting out. This is where I think ppl miss the mark in interpreting the twins and why Vol. 7 is so important.

Vash can actually be nasty as hell. He ain't all that babygirl. His silly goofy facade is a way of integrating himself into the human world sure - but it's also lying to himself. He's impulsive, stubborn, and dare I say arrogant with his Messianic martyr type shit. (EDIT: I’m being a bit harsh here… I mean yeah he’s the only person on Gunsmoke who’s got a chance against Knives but like getting up in townspeople’s business gets really annoying imo like I understand why he does it but man…that’s why we’ve got Wolfwood bc narrative foil and whatever… anyway)

Knives on the other hand, internalises everything. Though he may appear to be the one who lashes out, and yes of course he's also arrogant, but it's mostly projection. He is in a MAD state of denial. For all his talk of being a superior being, that humans are icky and should all perish, yada yada yada, he actually wishes for love and acceptance - he wants to be safe.

Obviously, his head is too far up his ass to admit it, and he's always too busy tweaking about how annoying Vash is and blaming Rem for everything to actually try and sit down and think of better ways to do things but ANYWAY

(You know who else's head is up their ass? Vash. The twins are actually so alike if you really study them!! Anywayyyy)

That was Knives' whole deal from THE VERY BEGINNING. Knives was the one to cry in relief when Conrad and the crew accepted them, not Vash. Vash was more like "ok cool! life might not be so bad! yipee!" and then Knives had to Big Fall about his internalised plantphobia or whatever etc etc.

I AM GETTING SIDETRACKED !! ok so

The stabbing occurs. Again, hard to tell it's actually occurring bc Nightow, but yeah Vash stabbed Rem. Not Knives! Bro has passed out for a couple days now lol.

More evidence it's Vash - Vash was the one to express feeling suicidal. Knives cannot express anything to save his life bc he's the king of internalisation and deflection and projection lmao. Also yeah he's still eeping.

Oh look! He rises! Completely unaware of the drama that has unfolded! Not that he'd care! He's set on a mission to hurl humanity to the dust bowl of Gunsmoke! Little scamp.

Ok take from all that what you will!

Thanks for reading <3

#trigun #trigun maximum #trimax #millions knives #trigun knives #vash #vash the stampede #trigun vash #trigun rem #rem saverem

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zvezdacito · 1 year

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Me and my friends were talking about some Glorious Masquerade Plot + Rollo character writing tweaks the other day and I decided to share what we came up with her 💃 So yeah💥

• Instead of wanting to exterminate all magic, Rollo instead wants to control what types of magic exists and that only who he perceives worthy to have it. This is because he sees himself as the only one righteous enough to deem what and how magic should be.

• He targets the NRC students, seeing them as wicked and unfit to wield magic because of all the times they've overblotted, and thinks Malleus especially should be stripped of his magic before he inevitably goes next to OB due to the pattern of events or does something like Halloween 2 again (Masquerade has no reason to be set on Halloween tbh it could be like summer in the timeline and virutally nothing would change. So Halloween 1 and 2 still happens here because it doesn't happen in Halloween anymore.)

Maybe just NRC specifically is who he targets to depower in this rewrite, but the other invited schools got dragged into it by being there when the flowers sprung, like how Frollo was only after esmeralda and the romani at first but his obsessive wrath ended up dragging all of Paris into it

• This is because he harbors an anger that he was the only one trying to warn his brother to not misuse his magic, and how he was inspired by the misuse of magic by other mages to die in his Overblot accident.

• He partially realizes this was his fault as his controlling 'holier-than-thou' behavior and manipulation (motivated by wanting to make him "see" the right way like Frollo to Jehan in the musical) is what fueled the negative overblot feelings of his brother, but he can't deal with the guilt and the fact that he might've been wrong, so he remains in denial.

• His controlling and manipulative behavior motivated by the belief his way is superior to others continues in the current time, as here he also manipulates Yuu to make them believe what he believes.

• He appeals to them by pointing out how the NRC students have done nothing but endanger them with reckless magic so far, and how they're all too selfish and probably aren't even using it to find them a way home. (More things to fuck up Malle+Yuu and challenge their friendship as well as make them both more paranoid and desperate in time for their drama in Book 7)

Yuu either purposefully helps him betray the others because of this or they were simply tricked into leading them to a trap. Either way it really looks like to the others that Yuu has turned on them because they lacked faith in them, which would sting more because of how excited they were to have Yuu being on this trip with them at the start of the event.

• This would also make Idia's confrontation and parallels with him make more sense, because like Idia he in a way was indirectly responsible for the death of his younger brother, instead of Rollo's brother just happening to perish in front of him.

• Maybe instead of letting him go completely scot free (they said the real punishment was having to live with his guilt but let's be real he felt no remorse by the end of it, he even said he'd try again☠️) Rollo's punishment when he reveals himself is like some kind of house arrest, confining him to not be able to move around without supervision or leave the grounds of NBC to do sneaky stuff again. Kinda ironic, since supervising and policing actions is literally what we wanted to do to the NRC mages and the entire world, but all it resulted in was it being enforced on him.

This penalty could be like a parallel to Esmeralda being confined to sanctuary in Notre Dame and Quasimodo also not being allowed to leave because he is a "monster" (in this case Rollo is a moral monster)

• Also, I think this would really kind of done a better job being a prelude arc taunting the audience and the characters for what's gonna happen to them in Book 7, and challenging how strong their newly formed bonds really are, as well as their resolve to not make these foreshadowed mistakes are. (We know they WILL make these mistakes, so oof lmao. It will make us and them confront whether Rollo was right or not that everything eould be better off if they had been defeated there and then)

Overall, I think this would make Rollo's whole character feel more connected and not just different random aspects the writer thought of at the last minute. His canon plan and reasoning is, for a lack of a better term, so corny and over the top, not in a "this character is meant to be crazy" kind of way but in a "the authors thought this would be more epic than it actually was" kind of way.

-> What was Rollo going to do if he was the only mage left, how was the City fo Flowers meant to deal with the diplomatic implications of harm befalling Malleus, how are in-universe essentials that run on magic supposed to go on if there is no more magic left.

-> The story never tried to point out the practical disastrous consequences of Rollo's plan on the structure of the world if it succeeded, so now it looks like it wasn't meant to be dumb on purpose and the writers themselves just never thought of it.

From what I remember the most they do is give Malleus a line worrying about what would happen to the Briar Valley if this comes to pass, and how Rollo is a misguided hypocrite for his plan. But that's kinda it😭

-> And why did him seeing his brother die from OB lead him to dislike magic in general and give him a superiority complex that he's the only one deserving of it? The reason they give in canon is because he feels weak for failing to save his brother. And through becoming the only mage ever, he will feel powerful enough to compensate for his failure I guess😭

This motive of wanting to be better than everyone can still co-exist with the rewrite motive but it's kind of weak and lame on its own, especially for a character who's meant to be based off one of the greatest Disney villains of all time😭

Plus no matter what the narrative tries to frame it with I feel like getting "I need to become better than everyone" from the experience of your brother dying kinda came out of nowhere, and isn't as connected to each other as it could be😭

So that's why I think giving him:

a) an issue of being manipulative in forcing rigid standards he believes to be "superior" on the people he wanted to "save"

b) wanting to blame the use of magic that these standards of his did not approve of for his brother's death, because he couldn't stomach the fact that the way he enforced these standards was also to blame

c) and his motive being more specific than eradication all magic

makes what they were trying to do more fleshed out and connect to each other better, as well as making more out of having Claude Frollo as his character's inspiration.

I get he's an event-only character so they probably didn't think too hard about it, but if you're gonna go out of your way to include a character based off Claude Frollo in the story at least go crazy and make the most out of it💃

Other than tweaks to Rollo's motivations and the scope of his plans, if I could edit something else about the event it would be the worldbuilding😭 I just put a screenshot from my Instagram story back when the event was ongoing because it pretty much sums up everything I would like to change about it

I still liked the event overall. I was so happy that Malleus finally got an event ssr and more story spotlight, but yeah I think they could've done more with the ideas it proposes

Maybe this post would be more relevant if I made it right after the event ended and not many months later when there's already a new event grabbing everyone's attention, but I'm cursed to never be on time to trends and etc so everyone is only getting this now💔

Ty for reading🫡

#twst #malleus draconia #twisted wonderland #rollo flamme #twst yuu #azul ashengrotto #idia shroud #twst glorious masquerade #twst writing #twst wordbuilding

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littjara-compleated-sage · 8 months

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Daily Life in the Phyrexian Spheres (Facade to Furnace)

Because we've heard about praetor politics and planeswalker battles, but tragically little about life for the average Phyrexian. What does that look like? Fantasy worldbuilding thrives on the mundane, and this series hopes to expand on that starting from the outermost three layers.

The Facade is largely uninhabited by humanoid Phyrexians, though creatures like Zenith Chroniclers benefit from consistent exposure to the suns and thrive plentifully. Phyrexian civilians or even praetors' agents may use it as a neutral ground for traveling, though Mirrans tend to avoid it for the unpredictable landscape and hidden pitfalls with deep oil pools. Occasionally, religiously inclined Phyrexians will embark on pilgrimages to monuments of spiritual significance before they crumble again, and researchers may chart the movements of the suns.

Mirrex, too, is sparsely populated save for wanderers, outcasts, and the occasional Mirran Resistance holdout. Phyrexians seeking to escape their roles without open rebellion often flee here. Some secondary bases of the Phyrexian rebellion are located here for their proximity to the Furnace. Occasionally praetors will send their enforcers here to sniff out rebel strongholds, but efficacy is generally low and it's rarely considered worth it. Mirrex, after all, is viewed by most Phyrexian authorities as an inconsequential wasteland, all but drained dry of its resources. The few who hide in Mirrex are more than happy to encourage that assumption.

The Autonomous Furnace is the outermost population center and the main home of the Phyrexian rebellion. Misfit Phyrexians from all spheres are drawn here as a result. Mirran refugees also cluster here, taking advantage of red Phyrexians' avoidance of or even sympathy to their cause. The rampant policing and surveillance of the other spheres only rarely reaches here, and when it does, it is swiftly thwarted.

The culture and attitude of the Furnace varies wildly by sector, as furnace bosses control large areas and go largely unchecked by Urabrask or other superiors. Working conditions range from surprisingly decent with a good amount of self-directed time to back-breakingly brutal with constant oversight. Commoners live in rickety habitations at or near their work areas.

Many sectors are openly rebellious, and a few remain vehemently loyalist, but the vast majority of Phyrexians here aim only to do their own work and stay out of any and all drama. (The work done, and who receives its final products, depends on the local boss's allegiances.) "None of my business" is the presiding mantra here, and residents are reluctant to either snitch on passing Mirrans or aid them too directly. Some, though, are driven by forbidden curiosity about humanoid ways of life and may furtively peek at Mirrans while working.

Generally, a red Phyrexian civilian's circle of concern is small; they care primarily about the quality of their own work, their creative pursuits, and their immediate social relations. Politics is often shunned, save for that which immediately threatens their livelihoods and homes--which increasingly translates to anti-praetor, anti-authoritarian, or even anti-Phyrexia stances (though the latter is rarely voiced even among dissidents).

As the Furnace steps further and further out of line with Phyrexian dogma, underground, creative subcultures have begun to form amongst artisans and rebels. Primarily working with metal and sculpture, such artists create statements about Phyrexian life, political commentaries, and calls to revolution. The population as a whole often appears too busy or apathetic to pay these artisans much regard, but their influence runs deeper than it seems at first glance, with increasing numbers of people choosing to redefine what being Phyrexian means to them. Self-modification serves as a tantalizing promise of a future Phyrexia without enforced hierarchies or roles. Urabrask actively encourages and supplies the artists of the Furnace, particularly appreciating displays of destruction that spawn new beginnings.

#mtg #magic the gathering #daily life in the phyrexian spheres #new phyrexia #phyrexian #worldbuilding #autonomous furnace #quiet furnace #mirrex #glorious facade

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yoriyaland · 8 days

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The Red Means I Love You | Chapter 1

She treats him differently, she doesn't make fun of him or call him names. She was nice, she was pretty, she wasn't very smart but that's okay, he'll help her study. She was becoming someone who he couldn't let go of, he refused to let her go. She was his source of light... she was his everything and he'll protect her forever.

🎤 PAIRING: yandere!ni-ki x Kurasawa Rin

🎤 GENRE: yandere au

🎤 WARNING: mention of drugs, family member passing away, illicit photos

🎤 AUTHOR'S NOTE: sorry it took so long to post part 1, life hates me... also this chapter is a bit short but I just wanted to get this chapter out so you guys don't have to wait more than this but I promise next chapter will be longer

🎤 CHAPTERS: Prologue

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The lunchtime bell rang, signalling a temporary escape from the whispers and stares that seemed to follow Ni-ki wherever he went. As he settled into his seat in the quiet classroom, he hoped for a moment of peace amidst the chaos of his new school.

“I’ve heard he got kicked out of his old school, that’s why he’s here because no other school wanted to accept him.”

“I heard he does drugs.”

“I’ve heard he tried to get with his teacher, that’s why he was expelled.” All kinds of things were said about him. The school was quite boring, they didn’t have lots of things going around so once in a while, new students really bring out the drama. Ni-ki couldn’t care less, he just wanted to get high school over with.

Peace was not to be found. A group of boys, their faces twisted into smirks of superiority, entered the room. Ni-ki recognized them instantly as the ones who had been spreading rumours about him. They swaggered over to his table, their presence looming over him like a dark cloud.

"Hey, new kid," one of them sneered, his voice dripping with arrogance. "You should know your place around here.." Ni-ki despised the way these boys tried to assert their dominance as if they owned the school and everyone in it. He refused to bow down to their intimidation tactics.

Ni-ki felt a surge of anger rise within him as one of the boys invaded his personal space, reaching out to pet his head with a twisted sense of satisfaction. Though he longed to retaliate, to spit in their faces, Ni-ki knew better than to act recklessly, especially as the new kid in school.

As the tension thickened, curious onlookers cast glances at the scene unfolding before them. Among them, Rin couldn't tear her gaze away from Ni-ki, surrounded by what seemed like a pack of wild dogs. Since their encounter the day before, Ni-ki had occupied Rin's thoughts incessantly. There was a strange familiarity about him, a sense of being different, he somehow remained her of herself. She wanted to get closer to him upon seeing him having no one at all. This was the perfect moment for her to make a move.

"Hey, why don't you guys leave him alone?" Rin said firmly, her voice cutting through the tension in the room. "Can't you see he's not interested in your nonsense?" The seniors exchanged uneasy glances, clearly taken aback by Rin's unexpected intervention. Sensing their hesitation, Rin turned to Ni-ki with a reassuring smile. One of the boys glanced at her annoyingly before telling the group to leave.

"Hi," Rin asked, genuine concern evident in her voice. Ni-ki felt a surge of gratitude wash over him. Despite the rumours and the bullying, there was someone willing to stand up for him, to offer a friendly hand in the midst of his turmoil.

"Hi…." Ni-ki responded, a slight smile curving his lips.

“Is it okay if I sit here?" Rin gestured towards the chair beside Ni-ki, who nodded in affirmation. "Were those guys bothering you?" she asked, taking a seat next to him.

“No, I couldn't care less about them," he replied, glancing away.

“Well, if they ever bother you, just let me know.”

The two spent their break together, although it was just Rin talking and Ni-ki listening but it didn’t matter, he liked it that way. It didn’t take long for Rin to ask Ni-ki for his number, she had always been an extrovert. Ni-ki hesitated briefly but eventually relented, unable to find a reason to refuse.

“By the way, why do you always have a camera around your neck?" Rin mentally scolded herself for prying into his personal life, recalling past troubles from interfering in a friend's drama, She hoped Ni-ki didn't find her nosy.

“I just…like it? It's been my hobby since middle school. My dad was a photographer, that's why," he explained, fiddling with the camera strap. She slowly nodded, seeming to understand yet a question popped into her head.

“Was?” she mentally face-palms herself for asking such a sensitive question.

“Yeah, he passed away a while back,” he replied, leading back to his chair.

Although he didn't appear bothered, Rin sensed he might not want to delve into the topic further. Sensing the potential for awkwardness, she changed the subject.

“Can you teach me how to take a photo?” she asked suddenly, catching Ni-ki off guard. Nobody had shown interest in photography since his father's passing, and he hadn't interacted with many people since then.

“You don’t know how to take a photo.” it was a dumb question and he knew it, of course, everyone knew how to take a picture and he knew what she meant yet he just wanted to be confirmed.

“I do, everyone do but not everyone is an expert at it.” she clarified, trying to convey her curiosity about him.

“I’m not an expert.” he finally looked at her.

“You seem like an expert. I mean like, knowing the angle and the lights and stuff like that, you know?” she wasn’t interested in photographing but she was interested in knowing more about him, so far he still seemed a mystery to her. She usually can tell a person’s personality when first talking to them but Ni-ki is different, something about him made her wanna get to know him more.

“Alright, I'll teach you but know that I’m not an expert. I can explain about angles and lighting, but I can't guarantee you'll become proficient," Ni-ki cautioned.

“That’s fine,” Rin assured him

“And I’m probably gonna be the most boring teacher ever,” he added.

“That’s also fine.” “And--” “Oh my god, why all the negativity? What's the worst that could happen? You're just teaching me photography," Rin interjected, dismissing his concerns.

She’s right, what could possibly go wrong?

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“No!”

“What?” Rin asked confusingly as Nozomi and Hana exchanged alarmed glances, their voices tinged with urgency as they rebuffed Rin's idea of getting closer to Ni-ki.

“DO NOT HANG OUT WITH RIKI!” Nozomi's short hair bristled as she raised her voice, eyes wide with concern. “Zomi, if you keep yelling like that, I swear I'll kick you out of my apartment," Rin retorted, rolling her eyes at her friends' dramatics.

“She’s right, do not hang out with Riki.” said the girl sitting next to her on the bed. “Hana... you too?" Rin's disbelief was evident as she turned to her other friend, who nodded solemnly in agreement.

“We're saying this because we care about you, Rin. There's a lot of talk about this Riki guy, and it's not good. Rumour has it he's into drugs," Hana whispered conspiratorially, as if afraid of being overheard.

“I also heard he's involved in some shady stuff, like taking illicit photos and selling them online," Nozomi added, her voice dropping to a hushed tone.

“But those are just rumours, right? Don't believe everything you hear, especially if it's from Kokoro. I saw him bothering Ni-ki this morning," Rin interjected, rising from her seat and grabbing her jacket from the floor.

"Where are you going?" Hana's confusion was evident as Rin made a swift exit from the room.

"To get a photography lesson with Ni-ki," Rin declared, leaving her friends behind in a hurry, determined to follow her own instincts despite their warnings.

______________________________________________________________

“Hey there!" Rin greeted cheerfully as she closed the door behind her, coming face to face with Ni-ki. He was clad in all black, with a hood pulled over his head, carrying a backpack laden with camera equipment. It seemed he was more prepared for their first lesson than Rin herself.

“I don’t have another camera so you will just have to use mine if that’s okay,” Ni-ki murmured, his discomfort palpable as he still wasn't entirely at ease with Rin.

“That's perfectly fine, I'm just happy to be learning," Rin reassured him with a warm smile.

Together, they made their way towards a park near Rin's house. Despite the short ten-minute walk, they managed to engage in lively conversation along the way. Rin seized the opportunity to inquire more about Ni-ki, but he deftly redirected the focus back onto her, and before she knew it, she found herself divulging her life story.

“This spot looks perfect," Ni-ki remarked, setting up a tripod stand in the centre of the park. Just as they were about to commence their lesson, an unwelcome interruption shattered the tranquillity.

"Well, well, well, are you two lovebirds on a date?" came a sneering voice from behind them.

To Be Continued

#enhypen imagines #enhypen x reader #ni ki x reader #nishimura riki x reader #ni ki imagines #enhypen yandere

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melissak2802 · 9 months

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While I am at complaining about the supporting characters treatment in the show, may I speak about Sabrina.

Sabrina who is forced by the show to stay stagnant in abused and toxic position without revaluating her situation for 4,5 seasons,

after the protagonist attempts reaching out to her and explain she deserves a healthy friendship ("Evillustrator");

after her father loses his job on Chloe's whim ("Rogercop");

after Chloe repays her with open ingratitude and cruelty, breaking her heart, causing her akumatization ("Antibug"), and after it happens again ("Miraculer");

(And in both these cases her return to Chloe is framed as POSITIVE thing)

after she becomes a superhero ("Penalteam");

after she is akumatized because of Chloe's cruelty again but this time as purposeful manipulation by Chloe to force her akumatized self to participate in a crime of framing a person ("Adoration");

and then decided to rebel only when she is being forced to ruin 10 teens' career, but mostly because the plot demanded it ("Confrontation")... still better than nothing I guess.

Sabrina the only kid in the class whose first "akuma episode" is just an opening of another person's akuma episode (Chloe's, to be precise) and not even named after her;

(And whose second akuma episode is a Chloe-centric episode again, and whose third akuma episode is kind of Chloe-centric and kind of Zoe-centric)

Sabrina who has, like, several minutes of screen time in her superhero debut episode (that is, through, a misfortune she shares in "Penalteam" with Ivan, Nath, Marc, and also Kim in "Party Crasher");

Sabrina the only hero in the team who is replaced after one outing despite not even doing anything wrong as a hero or any explanation (in Season 4 finale Ladybug introduces Flairmidable as PERMANENT new Dog);

(And it remains completely unnoticed. Care to compare with the infamous Queen Bee retirement drama?)

Sabrina on whose personality the story cannot decide other than "she is Chloe's underling"(how willing to be a petty nuisance is she? What are her beliefs and values? Depends on the episode. What are her skills? Whatever the episode demands. Interests?...I suppose football was mentioned once).

Whose father's personality is retconned from protecting justice and people's rights despite corruption of superiors ("Rogercop") to approving of his daughter's rightless position and humiliation ("Startrain").

And whom being abused the story's deuteragonist (himself an abuse victim, mind you) is watching in enjoyment ("Lies").

And about whom the author has the gut to accuse VIEWERS of not caring about her enough.

#miraculous ladybug #ml criticism #sabrina raincomprix

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thatgirl4815 · 7 months

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Maturity & Mirrors

I think where Only Friends succeeds in being more than just a messy romance drama is in the way it promotes long-term growth through the presentation of multiple transient (or potentially transient) relationships.

BostonNick

BostonNick’s relationship could be a good opportunity to capitalize on Boston’s individual maturity. Something transient—a person passing through your life for only few months or even mere weeks—could become the perfect mirror. Nick is that person to Boston. Their short term relationship spiraled into chaos, but this episode revealed to Boston that Nick’s obsession with him actually runs much deeper. The implications of Nick's feelings are what Boston could take with him in the future. (I'm kind of fascinated with the idea that maybe Boston and Nick don't end up together, but they remain close friends in the end.)

I find it ironic that Nick finally taking Sand’s advice to move on from Boston is the very thing that seems to bring Boston back to him. It takes Nick offering that closure in the form of a lengthy admission for Boston to realize what he’s missing with Nick--not only from Nick, but from himself.

Atom and Nick mirror each other for their seeming innocence. Clearly Atom is still coming to terms with his sexuality, whereas Nick started the series fully aware of his. We’ve been given the impression that Nick has never been in a FWB relationship before (at least, not one like this), and the emotions crept in before he could stop them. This seems to be the case with Atom as well. The way they match each other is so fascinating, because their relationship with sex stands in contrast to Boston's (@waitmyturtles wrote an excellent breakdown of the emotional aspect of sex in Ep6 here).

Nick and Atom don't seem to know each other at all, but I think they could start a good friendship over their mutual interest in Boston despite Boston's insistence that he only wants sex. Ironically, I think what Boston is learning through both experiences is that he has bound himself to a lifestyle that is slowly destroying him. I'd argue he's grown opposed to being viewed as a sexual object, but he doesn't know how to be anything else, so he stays in the cycle despite himself. He's tied his worth to his promiscuity, but he's coming to understand that he wants more than that.

SandRay

Similarly, Sand brings a mirror to Ray's issues, but not with the negative bluntness that Mew seems to. Sand's illuminating the harm that Ray is bringing to himself through his addictive habits--not only to himself but to others as well. It is a mirror, but it is also a call to action. There's an encouragement there that Mew's own lectures have been lacking in. What's so fascinating is that Sand has been able to bring out these issues in a healthy way in such a short amount of time. It got me thinking...maybe that's the point. Sand could bring out these flaws precisely because he hasn't known Ray before now. (@bird-inacage does a great job describing the parental love and support that Sand offers Ray here).

Looking the other way, all the drama with Ray is reminding Sand of his values. It's reaffirming to Sand just who he is and how he thinks of himself.

TopMew

I'm not sure how much they realize it, but Mew and Top are mirroring each other's insane superiority complexes. Top illustrates Mew's own fixation with boundaries, while Top has notably grown out of his previous promiscuous lifestyle (not to admonish him for this in any way, because it is not inherently wrong, but we've seen Top become more empathetic and tender as a result of his feelings for Mew). Top has learned what it is to be committed to someone, which I think he will carry with him even if things with Mew end on a bad note. I can't say with certainty yet, but it seems like Mew is learning the deep ties between love and forgiveness. He's also learning to interrogate his rigid values and lifestyle, much like Top has. In that way, I think Top and Mew are much more similar than they might think.

The question is, will Top and Mew maintain their superiority complexes? Or will breaking free of them be part of their growth?

~ X ~

Not sure if I really contributed much to the conversation here or just let myself ramble, but I'll tag the ephemerality squad for the references to transient relationships leading to long-term growth: @ranchthoughts @chickenstrangers @twig-tea @distant-screaming @lurkingshan @neuroticbookworm @wen-kexing-apologist @clara-maybe-ontheroad @kayatoasted

#only friends the series #only friends #ofts #sandray #raysand #topmew #bostonnick #only friends meta #ephemerality squad #only friends episode 9

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bad-traffic-smp-ideas · 1 year

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watcher!grian, but he’s like michael from the good place. he’s not a fully-fledged watcher yet, and he created the life series to prove his ability to his superiors. his task was to create and control an compelling server where the players fought eachother until one remained. traditionally, grian shouldn’t have ever been a player in his own game. he was only ever meant to watch. but he thought that it would be a better way to stir up drama from the inside, and the watchers allowed him to try his experimental idea. once.

things goes wrong, and grian accidentally kills scar while trying to give him the fair fight he deserved. he wasn’t supposed to win. so he resets, hoping the watchers won’t be aware of it.

grian creates the second world with some minor changes and improvements. but his control over the game begins to slip. scott resists the boogeyman curse, refusing to play by grian’s rules. reset.

scott remains a thorn in grian’s side in the third attempt, rejecting his soulbound until the very end when he gives up the win to her. grian suspects he knows more than he lets on. in the end, the game is too short. the watchers won’t be satisfied with it. reset.

grian knows that sooner or later, either the players or the watchers will figure out what’s going on with the resets. he’ll fail his trial if he doesn’t get it right soon. with every iteration of the game, the other players seem to be more aware of their previous lives. there are patterns emerging, unintentional curses, and too many callbacks to the other seasons for it to be purely coincidence. he is running on limited time. maybe that’s why he decides to set a time limit instead of a life limit in his fourth attempt. maybe that will work.

THIS IS SO FREAKING COOL?!??!??

SOMEONE PLEASE WRITE THIS RIGHT NOW.

PLEASE.

OH MY WATCHERS.

#GET OUT ANON YOU'RE A GENIUS!??#THAT'S-#I. I'M-#this is probably one of my new favorite asks holy heck #bad traffic idea #ask #trafficblr #good idea #watcher grian

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medicbrainrot · 11 months

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it all feels the same with your eyes closed (deep end, part 1)

A/N: This mini series needs a content warning for suicidal ideation, domestic violence, and excessive alcohol consumption. (I told y’all I was gonna throw some angst at ya.)

Things had been tense around base since the return of Task Force 141 after an unsuccessful mission. Mistakes had been made, resulting in the loss of personnel and vital intel.

The main core personnel of the Task Force were currently in a meeting, discussing information for an upcoming mission. The meeting was already tense, but it escalated as Simon and Juliana were arguing back and forth about protocols.

“I AM YOUR SUPERIOR OFFICER. I’M THE ONE IN CHARGE HERE.” Simon yells at Juliana before backhanding her across the face so hard that she stumbles back.

The room goes silent, shock spreading among everyone as they stare at the couple.

Simon throws a vicious glare at Juliana before spitting out the final piece of the argument. “Get the fuck out of my sight.”

She doesn’t bother to grab her things before sprinting out of the room.

Simon stares at the door she left through for a brief second, before turning to the rest of the room. Tensions were high, but he was trying to remain calm after his outburst. “I’m sorry you had to witness that. I’ll handle this. We’ll continue later.” He says gruffly.

He sighed internally. What was she so upset about anyway? Simon doesn’t like fighting with her, but lately it’s been happening more and more.

“Witness that? Simon, you just hit your girlfriend, not to mention you just assaulted a fellow soldier, IN FRONT OF WITNESSES.” Captain Price roars.

Simon flinches at Price’s reaction, and tries to defend his actions without being rude. “I wouldn’t have hit her without reason. I had to do what I did. It’s not like I’m proud of it. I’ll handle it, and apologize to her personally.”

“Good luck getting her to hold still long enough to do that.” Soap mutters under his breath.

“Soap!” Simon whirls on Johnny, glaring at him intensely. “Are you insinuating what I think you are right now?”

“It depends, sir,” Soap addressed him mockingly. “What is it you think I’m insinuating?”

Simon’s voice became harsh, as he spoke quickly. “I want a straight answer, Soap. Are you implying that she’s going to be so furious, that she’s going to fight me?”

“I’m implying, sir,” Soap mocks again, “That you’ll be hard pressed to even find her and get her to listen long enough for you to say the words ‘I’m sorry’, without her bolting. There’s a reason we call her Bambi.”

Simon sighed, he knew Johnny was right. She would disappear the minute she saw him. He had to do something.

His mind raced, trying to think of a plan. He didn’t know where she’d run off to, he just knew she was angry. Very angry.

“I’ll find her. I’ll make sure she hears me out.” Simon huffs.

“You’d better get this sorted out, and fast Simon. We’re getting deployed again in a few weeks, and we need this team 100% together.” Captain Price says sternly.

Simon nods, still pissed that this even became a fight in the first place. “She’ll come around. I’ll make sure of it.”

He then turns to Johnny and Kyle. “You two keep your mouths shut about this. Especially you, Soap. We don’t need anymore drama. Are we clear?”

Johnny looks him squarely in the eye. “If she wants to fill out a SHARP violation report against you, I’ll happily sign as a witness.”

“Soap…” Simon sighs. He doesn’t want any more trouble. He just needs Juliana to understand her place in the chain of command. He needs her to understand why he did what he did. He can’t afford to lose his job because of one stupid mistake. He needs to not let his temper get the better of him. He needs a break.

He looked at Johnny, then Kyle, then Price, then back at Johnny. “Soap, don’t force me into doing something drastic over this. Understood?”

“What, are you gonna hit me too? Beat me into submission? No wonder Bambi is so banged up all the time.” Johnny spits venomously.

Simon growls angrily. He was already on edge, and now this? He had a serious urge to hit something, but he held it in.

“You think it’s funny, making jokes about this?” He clenches his fists, setting them down harshly on the table. He lets out a deep breath, trying to get himself under control. “I’m warning you, Soap. For the last time, keep your mouth shut, or I’ll make you. Got it?”

“It’s not a joke, not this time.” Johnny growls. “This had to have escalated from somewhere. You make a regular habit of hitting your girlfriend to get what you want?”

Simon’s mind goes blank. A regular habit of hitting her? A sense of shock went through his system. He didn’t know Johnny could think of him that way.

“Don’t assume you know anything, Soap.” He says coldly. “I don’t go around hitting her all the time. I’ve only done it once. Just this one time. One. Time.”

“That’s what they all say.” Johnny sneers at him.

Simon took a deep breath trying to keep everything under control. He couldn’t believe Johnny was saying all of this.

“Soap, I swear to God, I only hit her this once. It was my fault, but I’ve never done it, and I won’t do it again. You’re only making this worse. We are supposed to be a team. Remember?”

“Yeah. Teammates are supposed to protect each other. They don’t backhand each other during arguments.” Soap retorts.

Simon knew he was in the wrong for hitting Juliana. He felt bad for hitting her, but he felt like he couldn’t admit that in front of Johnny, he was already digging himself in way too deep.

“I’m sorry, okay? I shouldn’t have done it, you’re right. I let my anger get the best of me. It won’t happen again.”

He stared at the floor while he tried to figure out what to say next.

“Please, let’s just try to work through this. Don’t go around telling anyone else about this.”

“Fine.” Soap scoffs. “I won’t say anything. But if I catch even a hint that something is off, I’ll file the damn SHARP report myself.” Johnny stands up to leave, pausing in the doorway. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she was halfway through writing up a unit transfer request already.”

Simon watched as Johnny left the room. What had he done? How could he let his anger take control of him like that? Would Juliana really file a transfer request because of all this? Would he lose everything over this? And why was Johnny so defensive of her?

“Damnit.” He muttered. “I really need to talk to her. Now.”

Why had Johnny been so protective of Juliana? What is going on here?

Johnny must have known something Simon didn’t, something he wasn’t telling Simon. But that wasn’t important. He needs to go find Juliana and fix all of this.

Unless… unless Johnny really does know something. Maybe it will help Simon figure out where it all went wrong.

“Fucking hell.” Simon swore. Johnny might be the only one who might know something about what’s going on, or where Juliana went. As much as he hated the idea, asking Johnny was worth a shot.

He made his way to Johnny’s room, and knocked on the door. He just wanted to talk to the man and hear what he had to say himself.

Johnny opened the door. “Come to take a shot at another teammate?”

Simon glared at him. “You know what, Soap?” He growled. “Quit your bullshit. I know that you know where Bambi is, and I know you know why she’s mad. So tell me. Now.”

Johnny leveled him with a cool stare. “I don’t know where she is.” He said plainly.

“I don’t believe you. Why were you defending her so much?” Simon asks. He knew there was something happening that he didn’t know about. He could feel it, he just doesn’t know what it’s about. “I need the real reason, Soap.”

“Why wouldn’t I defend her!? I’ve had family go through what she has, and I’m not about to let her go through it alone again.”

‘Had family members go through….’? What the hell? Simon’s eyes widened a bit. When it clicked, Simon was surprised to hear that Johnny had a family history of domestic abuse. He hadn’t realized that that was the reason Johnny defended Juliana so much.

Johnny thought Simon was abusing her…

“So, you know something about her past, then?” He asks.

Johnny’s eyes widened. “You… you mean she hasn’t told… you?”

Simon frowned. Why hadn’t she told him anything about that part of her past? He was confused.

“No. She didn’t. And now I need to know, Soap. What happened?”

He ran his hands over his balaclava. Maybe this was the reason she got so upset? If this was the case, then he needed to tread very carefully, at least until he figured out more of what was going on.

“I don’t know the whole story, just bits and pieces, but enough to know that it was bad. Like, really bad. Almost career ending bad.” Johnny explained.

Simon was slightly disturbed by that description. He couldn’t imagine what might have happened for her to be reacting like this. He couldn’t imagine what she had gone through. What did Johnny mean by ‘almost career ending’?

“Can you at least give me some sort of basic idea? Anything, Soap, please.” Simon never pleads, ever, but right now he is. He looked at Johnny, worry and concern evident in his eyes.

“Juliana had gotten into a relationship of sorts with someone on her team, and when the guy got promoted, he outranked her, he became her superior officer.” Johnny begins. “He started getting violent with her behind closed doors, especially whenever she’d disagree with him about missions or protocols.” He pauses. “I know at one point, he hurt Jules so badly she was in the ICU for six days, and she almost got medically discharged from service. That’s when she finally put in for a transfer.”

Simon’s face paled under his mask. His hands shook slightly, but he wasn’t sure if it was from anger at himself or at the guy who hurt Juliana. This was too much for one person to carry alone.

“And… she went through all of that…. Alone? She never said anything to me, ever!” Simon sighed. “I need to find her and make sure she’s okay. I’ve fucked up, and I’m the only one who can fix this.”

Johnny shakes his head. “The only reason she told me was because she overheard me talking on the phone with my sister about a similar issue, and she offered her help. Otherwise, I don’t think she ever would have said anything.”

Simon ran his hands down his face. “So… if she hasn’t told me anything about it… I guess she doesn’t want me to know… Did she ever go into any detail about what happened, or about who this person might be?”

“She never specified, she just said someone from a previous unit. Refused to say when or where.” Johnny explains.

Simon nods. “Alright. Well… thank you for at least telling me this, Soap. I would’ve never known.”

He couldn’t believe that he hadn’t ever noticed something like this. He had always known Juliana as one of the most gentle, kind-hearted people he had met. He would never have dreamt that she had gone through something like this before.

But it also made something clear. Simon could never allow anything like this to happen to her, ever again. He would have to protect Jules - no matter what it took.

Sometimes, the people with the brightest smiles are the ones who have gone through the most oppressive darkness.

“I need to find her. I have to make sure that her past won’t define who she is in the future.” Simon sighs deeply.

“It might already be too late for that, Simon.” Johnny says cautiously.

“Do not tell anyone else about this, Johnny. You got that? We can’t have rumors spreading around right now. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.” Johnny rolls his eyes.

“Good. I appreciate it.” Simon turns to leave, and makes his way across the base, going through different areas in search of Juliana. “God damnit” He swears. “Where in the hell is she?”

A/N: Thanks for reading! Likes, reblogs, and feedback are appreciated!

Masterlist

#simon ghost riley #simon ghost riley x reader #simon riley x reader #simon riley x oc #angst #there will be angst #'deep end' by i prevail #was the title inspo #and the song on repeat for this mini series #the original version i sketched out was way way darker than how im going to write this version #let me know what you guys think #pls #i dont think i could see simon being a toxic abusive boyfriend #considering his personal history and trauma #but its an interesting concept to explore some of the darker aspects of his personality #honestly im curious to see what happens #cod mw2 #simon riley angst #i feel like i can finally use that tag lmao

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