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#I have no self control & I think I’m Hilarious
theearnestonion · 2 years
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HELP
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yourpsicodelicbitch · 4 months
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Mars/mars pc astro observations bc yes
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jjk
*birth chart + tropical
I’ve noticed you can spend more time with people who have the same sign mars as you or you can feel more comfortable, daah.
mars trine saturn are so fucking loyal to what they’re archiving, they take their time, they could be fucked up on following other things but when they have something in mind, they’ll do it.
scorpio mars could be synonym of transformation, sadly this people could have had a special person in their life who was going through a rough time and they were by their side, scorpio mars not knowing what to do with all that amount of energy, feeling guilty and desperate. they could have been used to an anxious environment.
aquarius mars stop being so concerned and furious when you don’t understand others behavior, not everything is logic. I get it, you’re aware of how people act and how things work but that doesn’t mean you have to act like that to feel accepted -don’t take this seriously-. also, you look cute when you’re feeling yourself💋🎀
6H mars ik it’s daily for you, being mad and everyone noticing but you, or you’re not mad and everyone thinks you are? don’t get mad if I don’t left something you let me in the same way you gave it to me!! -exaggeratedly-. Don’t get mad if we’re not as organized as you!! don’t put your energy on those things, being mad on little details
mars at 5°, 17° or 29° (leo degree) STOP WITH THE PRIDEFUL ATTITUDE, you can’t even apologize wisely
mars at 9° or 21° (sagittarius degree) YOU CAN’T TAKE THINGS SERIOUSLY when they’re confronting your unserious attitude or EVER. you look like a little kid trying to scape, STOP. “You thought..”, then look at the consequences. too chill for my patience. -thinking of someone while typing-
3H mars why do they have to have the same taste in music as you so you’ll immediately find them attractive? or them having the same interests as you -same favorite movie, series, etc-. also they could be dorks 🤓☝️
mars opposition jupiter makes people who have this aspect feeling they’re stuck on their process of their goal/dream, they could feel they’re constantly in the process and not identifying their progress or the positive aspects. they could feel really insecure/have a low self stem, comparing themselves with others. they could be seem as too idealistic.
when you’re mad with libra mars they can have a “I did nothing incorrect/wrong” attitude, they could even ask “when did I did that? Prove it”, like you remember every detail like them 😒
8H mars are MOODY, they have to do what they want and often base their decisions on how they feel. they don’t force things, they do how they feel. when they were children, they could have been seen as aggressive or unstoppable? unpredictable
sun square mars screams issues with your dad or the opinion of your dad and how he does things has/have had a lot of impact on your life and identity, way of proceeding. impulsive and gets excited like a kid when you give them a candy, oh but when you take it away…RUN.
as a mars at 10° or 22° (capricorn degree), yes I feel the need to be in charge -boss around-, I’m learning to not want/understand I don’t have to be in control every fucking time 😏 In every aspect. 
I’m still thinking virgo mars is the most resentful of all of them. they’ll do ANYTHING to protect their loved ones, they do everything they can to try to understand them, they’re so DEDICATED. it’s an honor to be one of their few special persons.
mars at 3°, 15° or 27° (gemini degree) LOVES, NEEDS to receive affirmations about how good they’re, in bed. a “I love your ass” will be a motivation to do more things…again, if it’s not in bed, they need to know how they’re doing things, they need communication to feel secure or that they’re doing it good.
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mars persona chart*
gemini 5H in mars persona chart indicates is fucking hilarious/fun for you to tease people. how, when and what you talk, you do it on purpose, to see how far someone patience can last or to analyze their reactions. in every aspect. you can have a way with words that helps you to initiate things easily in bed.
cancer 6H in mars pc can mean you have to feel you like the sport you’re about to do to actually have motivation and be constant with it. for example, I started going to gym bc a friend was practically asking every day if I could be her gym partner, I didn’t want to and when I finally went was bc principally she was gonna be there, I emphasize with her and had to do something for my mental health -everyone was mentioning I had to-, not bc I like to do sport? Or going to the gym? I like how I’m feeling?😭 idk how to explain it.
aries venus in mars pc yes we know people who are horny makes you horny. you love how focused are on their life and how much they think on what they can do next, that they’re not wasting their time. it makes you wet 😝 that they get mad over little things and that they’re direct and a little idiots to process things.
taurus mercury in mars pc are so possessive, they want to know if you’re about to come and to affirm it, to tell them they made you feel so good to then choke you. they want proves on how good they’re doing it and how they can be better.
cancer mars in mars pc can be turned on whatever has to do with a mother figure 😭 or what’s seen as feminine? But more on a mother way. for example, if someone is taking care of them unconditionally and has this cancer aspect -big boobs, round face, innocent eyes- they’ll imagine being taken care in another way later
mars-uranus aspects in mars pc is attracted/turned on to people who are rejected by society, someone who is seemed as rebel or does change. not necessarily they have to be part of a social movement but since little details. for example, what’s rejected by conservative people, piercings 😝 an unique way of standing for themselves, etc.
neptune 1H in mars pc: you feel yourself with the unexpected. you even get horny?😭 your personality could be even unexpected.
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♡ Based on personal experience and what I’ve analyzed in my surroundings.
♡ English is not my first language.
♡ I’m not a profesional astrologer.
Thank youu. baibaiii🫣🫶🏼💋
Do not copy. Please give me credits
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rendezvouz-fling · 1 year
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Astro Observations #20
• Is it just me or do most saturnian moons (Aqua/Cap) tend to grow up with single mothers who only care about making money and having multiple boyfriends? Lmao.
• I feel bad for Gemini risings with Aries mercuries because they’re so genuine and they might be very chatty but it’s their biggest love language.🤎 I think this might also apply to just about every other Gemini rising too!
• I feel bad for Aries moons with Libra mercuries/risings because yes they can be a little hot headed but they won’t be flat out bold and they might beat around the bush a lot! On the other hand though when they’re really arguing with somebody they might switch to intellect and surprisingly demolish that person.✋🏽
• People with mercury at a Fire degree (1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 23, 29) love to exaggerate things! Calling myself out too, chile!😩😂
• Virgo suns with Cancer venuses and Leo mars can be very sweet and caring but also very scorning, abrasive and wants themselves/their partner & kids to look/dress their best almost all the time! Pretty much the always picture-ready type moms.
• You better believe that even if a Sagittarius moon won’t say it they might feel hurt and start detaching until they’re completely gone out of your life and you’re left wondering what went wrong.
• Tbh idk why but Libra mercuries also be out here saying mean, out-of-pocket stuff just not normally in people’s faces so maybe that’s why their friends might not take them seriously.
• Whereas Aries mercuries probably have a reputation of arrogance and downright disrespectfulness but they can also be very nice especially if you’re close with them. You’ll notice they just like to cuss for fun lol.
• Scorpio mercuries need to stop being on interrogation mode!😭
• Gemini mercuries be telling some of the funniest stories and their facial expressions/hand gestures make it even more funnier than it has to be.😭🤣
• Dear Cancer mercuries, you guys are so thoughtful and caring Ilysm!
• Capricorn mercuries, you’re not boring and I love how also detail oriented you are!
• Can I just say Cap mercuries so be out here clowning too! 😂 I have a close friend who’s a Cap sun & mercury and she says funny things often, she just has a very articulate way of speaking but besides that she’s hilarious!🤣
• I recently noticed people with Air/Earth placements tend to have speech impediments and other stuff. E.g. my little sister is a Virgo sun/moon & Libra stellium and she can’t pronounce the letter ‘R’. I have a Gemini rising at 23 degree, Capricorn mars & other air placements and I used to have a speech impediment and developed selective muting. 💀
• Having Air/Fire placements can be such a challenge! 😭 My Aries mercury just be saying anything along with the super chatty Gemini rising but then later my Aquarius moon has a pep talk moment and makes me say “Why the fuck did I say that? Now they’re going to think I’m—” 😂😂😂
• People with harsh aspects between the sun and pluto might be known as open books but they might become self-conscious about it and have the urge to remain a mystery yet they can’t help but overshare!😭
• They might also think about it often! Like it might haunt them.💀
• Gemini venuses are soo fun!! I’d literally take these people with me if I was to go on a road trip because they’d keep me entertained and we could just goof around & talk about anything lol.
• You might also find yourself attracting/being attracted to people who’s venus sign is your rising sign!
• Pisces venus, for the sake of your own life please stop staying in toxic relationships because you fear being abandoned and think it isn’t worth it because you’ve been with this person so long—LEAVE. ✋🏽
• Cancer venus, you know I love you but sometimes you gotta stop trying to control people. 😭
• Scorpio venus, with you I feel like we’re always on the same page and see eye to eye in most things/interests.
• Capricorn venus you are literally one of the most giving venus signs! I literally love you!!<3
• Sagittarius mars men having a thing for smacking their girlfriend’s butt.🤣
• Leo mars want only the best of the best especially if there’s Taurus in the mix!
• While Libra risings might develop people pleasing tendencies, Gemini risings tend to develop social anxiety.
• I’ve seen so many Gemini suns always point out that they either have or think they have a mental illness. Especially ADHD.😨😰
• Yes Earth suns are normally very chill and grounded. But add some Air and especially Fire in the mix and they’ll be the most erratic, short tempered people you’ve seen!🙃
• Fire mercuries/mercuries at Fire degrees, how does it feel to get shouted at your whole life then gas-lighted and blamed when you turn out to be a sharp-tongue individual?
• Gemini moons and their many 1-3 Am shows in their rooms.😭 Same for Aqua and Libra moons but Gemini moons do it more often lol.
• If somebody is very generous, bold, funny, and gets pissed off/defensive very quickly then they’re an Aries dom.❤️‍🔥
• Taurus moon, why are you so stubborn?
• The best thing to hear is “Okay fine.” From an Aquarius/Taurus moon when you’ve finally got them to change their opinion that they stubbornly wouldn’t let go of lol.
• 9H moons tend to be very attached to their ideas/opinions/beliefs. I can testify😂
• I’ve noticed some 2H moons tend to stress eat?
• 7H moons looove music and fashion!💗
• 9H Aquarius moons are normally cultured people.
• Fire moons are the loyalest friends hands down. I said what I said.✋🏽❤️
• Scorpios suns with Sagittarius moons/mercuries somehow be coming up with the funniest life-stories??😭🤣
• I’ve noticed Sagittarius mercuries tend to be awesome yet underrated songwriters! E.g. Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe who wrote most of their songs😩🖤
• Say what you will but some Leo risings literally exude not only a very charming but bright aura! David Lee Roth is literally your typical Leo Rising!🦁🌞
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dizzycheetah96 · 1 month
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i’ve had this post in the drafts for like two months but with the release of poor things on hulu has come an uptick in really really bad poor things takes so here I am clocking in for the poor things discourse!!
while art is obviously subjective and can be interpreted like literally however you want blah blah blah etc. etc., I think a lot of the criticisms of poor things are pretty surface level and in the name of like performative anger and not genuine criticisms. will be addressing and commenting on the two biggest criticisms I’ve seen:
1. poor things portrays the born sexy yesterday trope
ultimately I think the film does enough to subvert the trope, and actually utilizes the trope as a vehicle to subvert it. what I think poor things is really doing is critiquing and commenting on how men seek out infantile and docile women as a means to exert control and assert their own self importance. these men then become disillusioned when said women gain intelligence, perspective, and experiences that don’t center them.
godwin, max, and duncan all sought to control bella in some way. they sexualize her, view her as an object, property, and an experiment. at the beginning of the movie, prior to bella leaving god’s house and exploring, we do get a bit of the traditional born sexy yesterday trope. but bella being who she is, she wanted more and she wanted to explore the world, grow, etc. this fundamentally changed the way these men interacted with her, and they were no longer infatuated by her innocence and curiosity, but saw her as threatening and something they needed to reign in and control.
first, when bella asks to leave the house and see the world, she is met with pushback from both godwin and max. when bella expresses her frustration, godwin fucking chloroforms her to get her to stop talking and fighting him. this pattern continues until bella leaves.
we saw this to an extreme with duncan. he noticed that bella was gaining intelligence and perspective, was threatened, and resorted to locking her in a trunk and literally fucking kidnapping her as an attempt to regain control. but after that, she continues to learn and grow. she meets new people who introduce her to philosophy and reading and intelligent conversation. this essentially brings duncan to his breaking point and he begins to mentally deteriorate.
2. all the sex was super gross bc bella developmentally had not yet reached the age of consent
people not grasping that bella having sex with all these men is SUPPOSED to make us uncomfortable is baffling. the depiction of this kind of relationship cannot be equated with endorsement. I actually think it was important that the audience know that at the beginning of the movie that bella had the brain of a child because it allows us to see how much duncan takes advantage of her. it also just further hammers home the critique of men preferring underdeveloped infantile women they can control, rather than independent intelligent women who challenge them.
I don’t necessarily have any problem with the movie depicting that bella enjoys having sex. discovering sexuality it is an ordinary part of adolescence (when she first starts masturbating I’m assuming she was like 12-14 developmentally) and ultimately what makes the lisbon scenes with her and duncan so uncomfortable is that we know that he knows he’s taking advantage of her. I do think it was intended to be uncomfortable for the audience to watch. she does not have the knowledge and understanding to know that the dynamic between her and duncan is very very bad, but she gets there eventually. I can’t fault her for in the moment not realizing what was happening to her.
but this is where my personal criticisms come in — once bella does learn how these men took advantage of her she does not fight back against them like I wanted her to. she isn’t outraged, she doesn’t tell them how violated she feels. duncan does get his comeuppance (which was hilariously played by mark ruffalo) but I think that max and godwin got off too easy. especially max who agreed to marry her when developmentally she was a child. I just don’t think she should have been so quick to forgive them.
I also just want to take a moment to discuss the common critique that “it’s so obvious this movie was made by a man like duh this is how men perceive what female empowerment is” etc. etc. this was actually addressed by emma stone in a conversation she had w olivia coleman — emma was a producer on the film and really feels like people are taking away her agency in deciding how to tell this story. she was an integral part in the production of the film, no one was demanding her to portray bella in a certain way, and ultimately what we see on screen is a product of her involvement in the filmmaking process. by reducing this to being a movie about how men perceive women you are completely removing and invalidating the women that actually had a say in how this story was told.
tldr; idk like obviously you can think whatever you want about it, but just don’t mistake depiction for endorsement and understand that sometimes the point of the movie is to make you feel uncomfortable. stories and narratives in fiction are complicated bc people are complicated!!!! we are messy and difficult and exploring certain topics in a fictionalized world allows us to better understand the world we live in. sanitizing ourselves of engaging with this kind of material will only hurt our ability to analyze and form opinions about contentious areas of life.
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ratskinsuit · 2 months
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can I request a adhd!reader x any character (pls not Valentino or vox..) any gender
Hazbin Hotel Characters With An ADHD!Reader Headcannons
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A/N: Since I don’t get much info (I’m so sorry) I just decided to do heacanons. Now I don’t do mental disorder specific readers because I don’t wanna mess things up, but I personally have ADHD so I can do this. Although these may be self projecting a bit with my experience so I’m so sorry if it’s not okay.
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Charlie: Also has ADHD (Its just my personal headcanon, it may not be your personal one and that’s okay)
You two honestly can’t be together when you have something to do
Like you won’t get anything down when your together
Because the two of you just feed off each others energy and get distracted the entire time
Vaggie has to physically separate you two so you can focus
Forgetfulness
You could misplace you phone and ask her “Hey Charlie can you call my phone, I dunno where it is.”
And she will just be like “I don’t know where mine is either.” 😭
You two honestly share one single brain cell and switch it every other day (as an ADHD person I can confirm we do this with friends)
Vaggie: Keeps you focused
Okay so If you get distracted a lot she will be there yo try ti get you to focas
Mrs girl has fidgets and things to help you stay on tasks if they gel, if they don’t however,
Well she will try her best
Literally like the mother to you and Charlie so you two don’t do something stupid and he introuble
Melatonin is her best friend
If she can’t calm you down and it’s important, melatonin (unless you take medication)
She makes sure to keep track of all your stuff just incase you forget where you placed it
“Hey Vaggie, do you know where my-“
*Holds out your phone* it was on the kitchen counter
If you take medication (bcs for some people it lowers you appetite) she will remind you to eat.
Alastor: Doesn’t really understand; teases you
When you first tell him you have ADHD his old ass is just like
“Erm, my dear what’s that?”
Thinks you might be crazy till you explain
He honestly finds your energy and do-before-think attitude amusing
Does get pissed when he’s talking to you and you get distracted or forget what he was saying though
Finds it hilarious when Vaggie tries to get you to focus on things
Will finds diff ways to distract you, making it harder for Vaggie
Just enjoys the chaos of your energy
If you take medication for it he may or may not hide occasionally it just to see the chaos unfold (Before you come at me: he . Is . In . Hell . For . A . Reason)
Unless HE needs you to focas
Then you better be focused
Angel Dust: Loves hanging out with you
You two are probubly best friends fr
LOVES your energy because he finds it so fun
You two just go hang out and wander the streets, laughing and giggling together
He’s fine with the distracting and forgetfulness part, he knows it happens
Makes sure you eat. Eat or he will make you.
Honestly he’s just really understanding and knows that it’s hard for you to be able to control it
(Plz send best friend requests for him I did headcanons and I love writing best friend Angel)
While he does understand and love your energetic-ness, he also makes sure that you don’t act ok impulse TOO much
Like, stops you from making rash decisions that could hurt you in the future
Late night sleepovers
You two on the couch packing yourselves full of sugar and watching movies
Husk: Dies on the inside, also designated babysitter (Jkjk. Also I do realize that people with ADHD arnt children or stupid, this is just a reference to the energy)
Giving depressed dad energy
Like he’s just sitting at the bar cleaning up and your just talking at 50 miles per hour
He does however listen to the random things you say, he’s used to listening
Sometimes if you a bit chiller he will be able to follow along better and will input into the convo
Let’s you ramble and doesn’t mind the little quirks you have like interrupting him
He’s delt with worse
He has a alot of different stories, so if you have a lot of energy expect to be dropped off at the bar
His stories are exciting and can surprisingly keep most people’s attention for a while
He knows what it is but not the knowledgeable on it
But understands the basics on what it does and blah blah blah
Generally doesn’t mind the energy or the getting distracted, or the forgetfulness
Once again he’s delt with worse
Velvette: Somewhat gets it, gets pissy sometimes though
So she gets some of the “quirks”, like having a lot of energy, fidgeting, forgetfulness and getting distracted
If your her friend/partner she’s fine with it
She can deal with high energy and talking, she also talks very fast so she can keep up and keep a conversation
Finds different ways to keep you entertained so she can work if she can’t be in the moment
During parties she finds it hilarious
Doesn’t do the best with impulse control, she likes seeing what will happen and where it will go
Doesn’t mind the distractions unless she’s talking to you, then expects you to listen
However if you are one of her models or workers
She takes no excuses
You better pay attention and pay attention well
We all know she’s very demanding of her employees so you better hope she doesn’t notice you
Becwuse if she’s talking to you and get distracted or arnt paying attention…
My guy your fucked
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A/N: So this person asked for anybody but Vox or Valentino. But if anybody wants or if this does well I’ll make a pt 2 with them and more characters.
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wreckedandpolemic · 2 months
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forgive me? - matty healy
prompt: lovers' quarrel
(mdni) and we continue ahead with valentine75!! ok pls do not look too closely at the argument here i suck so hard at angst i cant even half ass it as a setup for porn lol
warnings: oral (f receiving), hand stuff, idk there isn't huge amounts to this
The silence in your flat is deafening, stretching between you and Matty like a chasm, your anger welling so deeply at the bottom that you want to drown him in it.
“I’m sorry?” he ventures, and you whip around to face him. The sheepish grin he wears is, admittedly, distractingly adorable; usually, it’s enough to melt you at least a little, but this time you can barely see it through your blinding anger.
You scoff. “You’re sorry, huh? Oh, well, I guess that makes it totally fucking fine, then!” You kick off your shoes with more force than necessary, sending your expensive heels skittering across the floor. “Tonight was important to me, do you even realise that? Are you so up your own arse that you think everyone wants to be on the Matty show twenty-four seven, or do you just not care?” A sense of sick satisfaction spreads as he processes your words, expression crumbling for a split-second and reforming into a sharp sort of anger that warns that Matty isn’t going to make this easy for you.
Which suits you just fine. You’ve never been one for an easy win. Never been much for losing, either. You fold your arms as Matty rounds on you. “I’m up my own arse? That’s fuckin’ rich, comin’ from you, treatin’ me like a fuckin’ toddler all night!” He’s gesticulating wildly, accent thickening through his frustration, and it takes a tremendous amount of your self-control not to laugh. “Matty, don’t touch that. Matty, don’t talk to him. Matty, come back here.” He puts on an affectation of your voice and accent that’s equal parts insulting and hilarious, and you’re lucky he doesn’t pick up on your quiet snort of laughter. “You actually said come back here! Like I’m a damn dog!”
“Dog would’ve been better behaved, probably,” you mutter. “Wouldn’t have got belligerently drunk and accosted the press, either.” Matty steps closer, breathing hard, tongue darting out to wet his lips tantalisingly. Your traitorous eyes flicker down to his mouth, soft and pink and wet and tempting, and it’s a mission to haul your mind back on track.
“I didn’t fucking ‘accost’ anyone. I told them to get the fucking cameras out of my face, ‘cos I wasn’t gonna give them a fuckin’ story at your fuckin’ event.” Matty defends, and, okay, the sentiment is there, but he had just made everything endlessly worse.
Groaning, you bury your head in your hands. “I told you. I fucking asked you, one time, just nod your head, smile, say you’re proud of me. Was that so fucking hard for you?” You hadn’t meant to admit that part. That it stung not to have his approval.
“Don’t be fucking stupid,” Matty snaps. “Of course I’m fucking proud of you. You’re a fucking star. Just wish you weren’t so embarrassed of me,” he adds, and whatever part of your anger that had crumbled at first sharpens in your chest again at his attempt to guilt-trip you.
He’s not being fair — of course you’re not embarrassed by him, but his behaviour fucking embarrassed you! “You told a fucking crowd of journalists that Jamie, who I have been on a fucking months-long press tour with, and I quote, ‘acts like a massive wanker.’ And he fucking heard you!”
Matty shrugs. “Well, he does. Don’t like the way he talks to you. Could’ve called him a rude cunt, too. Would’ve been even more true.” he mutters sullenly, scowling at the ground.
“God, Matty, you are so— mmph!” You’re cut off by him surging forward, crushing your lips together in a bruising kiss. You pull his lower lip into your mouth and bite down on it, iron spilling over your tongue as the skin tears beneath your teeth. After a long, indulgent moment, you force yourself to shove him away, gasping. “You never fucking listen! You can’t just kiss me ‘cause you don’t wanna hear it,” you snap, pushing down the heat that wells instinctively between your legs.
He’s flushed, breathing hard, unfairly gorgeous like this. “You look so pretty when you’re mad, baby,” he murmurs, tucking a wisp of hair behind your ear, the gentle touch making you shudder. He’s a master at this; resolving your arguments with doe-eyed pouts and wet, needy kisses.
Your resolve is crumbling. “Matty, don’t,” you warn feebly, lust spinning dizzily in your mind and swelling until your rational thoughts are dissolved. Matty grins, predatory — he has you pinned, and he knows it.
”My pretty girl,” he murmurs against your lips. “My little star. Forgive me?” His eyes are wide, faux-innocence shining down at you as your last thread of self-control breaks. It isn’t lost on you that he hasn’t actually apologised, but as his lips press against yours and his tongue sweeps into your mouth, you can’t remember why you care.
His mouth doesn’t leave yours as he walks you to the sofa. Your stomach swoops as he pushes you down, desire thrumming in your veins. Every last thought falls out of your head as it knocks against the armrest, your back arching up towards him. “C’monn,” you whine, reaching out to him where he stands above you, his gaze hot as it roams eagerly across your skin.
Matty climbs over you, adjusting your legs so he can kneel between them, goosebumps breaking out where he slides a hand up your thigh, agonisingly close to where you need it. “Lift your hips for me, love,” he instructs, sliding your dress up your body until a puddle of satin pools around your waist, cool and slick against your heated skin. His warm fingers crook around your panties and he drags them down your legs, exposing your dripping cunt. A soft moan escapes you as he rubs a slow circle into your clit, pressing a gentle kiss to your inner thigh. “So much better than fighting, hm?” he teases, and a flash of annoyance cuts through the lust as you remember exactly how you got into this position.
”Don’t push it,” you hiss, raking a hand through his curls and tugging harshly. He whimpers deliciously against your skin, a pulse of heat spiking deep in your bones. “I’m still mad at you,” you warn, searching your rapidly-blurring mind for your long-foregone anger.
“So take it out on me,” he murmurs, eyes fixed on your cunt, your body tingling under his gaze.
”What?” Your mind is already hazy, the sight of his head low between your thighs infinitely distracting, the promise of his tongue unfathomably tempting.
“I’m going to put my mouth on your sweet little pussy, and I’m going to listen to everything you have to say until you come. Call me names, if you want. Tell me everything I’ve ever done in my life that’s fucked you off, and I won’t say a word.” It’s such a Matty way of resolving an argument that you can’t find a response. “You get to yell at me and you get to get off. Pretty good deal if you ask me.” Matty’s smirk splashes you with a bucket of cold water, latent frustration blooming under your skin — a sudden need to slap the smugness off his face overtakes you.
You beckon him, waiting until his eyes are closed and his lips are parted, a gentle breath brushing against your mouth. He relaxes, expecting a kiss, expecting to be off the hook, and you crack a hand hard across his cheek with a grin. “God, that felt good,” you say as he recoils, rolling your eyes theatrically at his punched-out moan. “Such a fucking slut. Put your mouth to better use before I change my mind.” He shouldn’t make it so easy for you to take back the upper hand.
It’s almost comical how quickly his tongue is buried inside you, a thick pulse of heat sent kicking in your cunt. Unwilling to give him the satisfaction, you swallow a moan as you bury a hand in his curls. “Wish I could fuck your pretty mouth. Shut you up proper for once.” Matty moans into your cunt, the sound deliciously gratifying as it vibrates through you. “That’s your problem, you know,” you continue, the effort of keeping your voice level monumental against the waves of pleasure rising inside you. “You never fucking shut up. You’re— mmh, so fucking arrogant. You act like— ah!” His teeth scrape over your clit and you cry out, grinding your hips against his face as heat throbs sharply under your skin.
”Go on,” he says, grinning up at you with wet, slick lips. He hisses as you yank his curls harshly, dragging his mouth back to your cunt. He licks at you like a starving man, heat pooling in your belly, your limbs trembling and toes curling.
”You act like the fucking world revolves around you,” you continue, struggling to drag the words to the forefront of your soupy mind. “You’re so fucking— God, Matty, fuck!” you whimper, the rest of your sentence lost in the mind-numbing pleasure swirling through you. Matty isn’t playing fair, licking and sucking and kissing at you sweetly, your world blurring around him.
He pulls away and quirks an eyebrow at you, like he’s waiting for your surrender. As fucking if. You take a moment to catch your breath, fingers digging into the edge of the sofa to anchor yourself before he dips his head again, licking a broad stripe along your cunt that makes you whine pathetically at him. “You’re ridiculously pretentious,” you bite out, gasping as his tongue fucks into you in an obscene, glorious rhythm. Ecstasy coils in your limbs, your body heavy at the edge of oblivion. “Disrespectful. And you just. Don’t. Fucking. Listen.” You punctuate your last words rocking your hips against his face, your cunt fluttering around his tongue.
Matty presses wet kisses to your thighs, sweet and teasing as you whine. “Are you done?”
“Repeat it back to me,” you order as he licks his lips, framed prettily by the V of your legs. “So I know you were listening.”
“I’m irresponsible.” He kisses your inner thigh. “Arrogant. Inappropriate at the worst times.” He licks at your clit and you buck your hips against his face, fighting to hold at bay the flood of heat waiting to overwhelm you. “The people you work with think I’m white trash.”
You fist a hand in his curls, tugging hard enough that you feel him hiss in pain against your skin. “Don’t be a smartarse.”
You can sense that he’s about to argue, but thinks better of it at the last second. “I’m pretentious. Disrespectful,” he continues. “And I just.” He laps at your clit. “Don’t.” Heat floods your body as Matty slides two fingers into your sopping cunt and crooks them at an angle that has molten pleasure spilling over you. “Listen.” He sucks gently on your swollen clit, the pleasure enough to pull you over the edge, ecstasy coiling deliciously around your insides. You whimper, grinding down against his face as you come, your cunt fluttering around Matty’s tongue.
You sigh contentedly. “Good boy,” you murmur, savouring his shudder. “So good when your mouth’s full of my cunt. Like you so much better when you’re not talking.”
Matty looks up, eyes wide and face soaked with you. “Forgive me?” he asks, wearing the same sheepish grin that had failed to sway you before.
You sigh dramatically, the seeds of an idea taking shape in your mind. “Come here,” you say, a fond smile tugging at your lips. It’s a struggle to keep it from turning cruel as he takes the bait. “Silly boy.” Eagerly, Matty climbs over you, cupping your jaw and pressing his lips to yours, gently at first, turning hungry as you swallow down the taste of yourself. He moans into your mouth, grinding his clothed cock against your sensitive core. “Needy, are you?” you tease, a faint edge of danger lacing your tone. “Want me to get you off?” Glassy-eyed, he nods down at you, sweet and pleading. “Use your words.”
He swallows thickly, blinking hard. “Want you to make me cum,” Matty murmurs, casting his eyes down like he’s ashamed. You raise an eyebrow when his gaze lands back on your face, and he adds a reluctant, “Please.”
Sliding out from under him, you lead him into your bedroom, laughing derisively as he strips out of his jeans and boxers before the door even shuts. “God, you’re pathetic,” you scoff, smirking as his eager expression falters slightly with the realisation you haven’t let him off the hook.
“Mhmm,” Matty agrees, switching tack and plying you with sweet doe eyes.
“Get on the bed,” you order, kneeling in his lap when he obeys. His hands wander to the hem of your dress, brushing over your thighs as he starts to lift it, and you swat him away. “Think you deserve to fuck me after the way you acted today?” You glare down at him, pulling at his hair to tip his head up towards you. After a long moment, his internal war clear on his face, Matty shakes his head mutely. “No. But you’re being good now, so…”
Matty inhales sharply when you wrap your hand around his cock, flushed and sticky with want. You pump him slowly, spreading precum over him, and he trembles with the effort of holding himself still, sweetly pliant under your hand. “Thank you,” he mumbles, swallowing thickly.
You lean down to press your lips against his, swallowing his needy, suppressed moans. “It’s okay, baby. Being so good. Can fuck my hand if you need to.” You’re being cruel, now, knowing how you’re going to leave him, but it’s sickly thrilling having him in your power like this.
Murmured thanks fall from his lips between sweet little whines, his hips bucking into your fist as his cock leaks over your skin. Languidly, you press your tongue into his mouth, trading long, sloppy kisses broken up by Matty’s pleasured moans.
Taking Matty apart under your skilled hands is easy, now; you’re practised in everything he likes. You dig your thumb into his slit, twist your wrist just so, swallow every sweet noise he makes. His body tenses, his groans deepening, turning rhythmic, signalling his orgasm. You let him chase his release up until the very last second, pulling away and smirking meanly down at him.
Confusion clouds across Matty’s face as he looks up at you, reeling from his ruined orgasm as if you’ve slapped him. You let him catch his breath before you take him in your hand again, working over him, pulling him to the edge again. “Do you have anything to say, baby?”
Matty’s mouth falls open, the struggle to pull any meaning from your words plain on his face. “Please?” he tries, face falling when you shake your head, a moan escaping him as you flick your thumb over his slit. “Thank you,” he mumbles thickly. “I love you.”
You cock your head, appraising him. “That’s nice. But not quite. Try to think a little bit harder, yeah? I know that’s tough when I’ve got you all stupid for me, but try,” you croon, tone sympathetic and deriding all at once.
Matty’s face scrunches in concentration. “‘M sorry!” he chokes out, whining when you press a kiss to the head of his cock.
“That’s it,” you breathe, kissing him softly in reward. “Good boy.” Arousal coils in your belly at the sight of him, breaking into a thoughtless mess under your hands. You stroke over his cock a few times more, watching his stomach tense and relax as his orgasm builds. Then you stop, letting him whine desperately into your mouth.
He hasn’t wised to your game, still hopeful through his lust-hazy gaze. “You embarrassed me today,” you chide. “Why?” You dip your head, lapping over the tip of his cock, letting him thrust into your mouth, a spit trail connecting your skin for a brief moment. You kiss the salt of him back into his mouth, devouring his desperate moans as you stroke him. “I asked you a question,” you murmur against his lips.
There’s an answer forming on his tongue, you can see, watching him struggle to swallow it down. You pull away, lifting your hand to lap the taste of him off your fingers, giving an exaggerated moan. Matty whimpers, desperate, hips rocking against nothing as you batter against his defences. A burst of pleasure licks up your spine when you drag your fingers through your still-soaked cunt. Matty’s answering moan as you wrap your wet fingers around his cock is nothing short of pathetic, low and thick with lust. Clicking your tongue disapprovingly, you repeat your question, the ensuing silence thick with the unsaid. You know the answer, but it’s no fun not to pry it out of him. “I was jealous, okay!” he gasps out. 
He won’t meet your eyes, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “Aw, I know,” you croon sympathetically. Your touches turn tender, coaxing. “It’s okay, baby. Don’t need to be jealous. Don’t want anyone but you. I’m yours, yeah?” you promise, lifting his head to deliver your words into his shadowed eyes.
“Mine,” he echoes faintly, rolling his hips up into your hand and whining. Your thighs clench at his possessive tone; you love being his, being the only one who gets to have him like this. “Gonna cum, fuck, please let me cum, fuck!” The last syllable crumbles into a sob as you pull away, ruining him for the final time. “‘M sorry, ‘M sorry, please let me cum,” he whimpers, so sweetly pathetic that you almost want to let him cum.
Almost. Matty’s chest heaves, struggling for breath and sanity as you climb off him, smoothing your dress down nonchalantly. Pouting down at him, you click your tongue condescendingly. “Poor baby. You don’t get to cum tonight, okay? How are you gonna learn a lesson if I give you what you want now?”
He gasps, chokes, twitching as he fights to stay still. “Please?” he murmurs, so quiet that you aren’t sure whether he’s addressing it to you or subconsciously voicing his need.
Either way, you shake your head at him with a shrug. “Get control of yourself and we can watch a movie, yeah?”
Matty gives a shuddering nod as you turn to leave, squaring your shoulders so you don’t look back at him.
After a few minutes, Matty slopes into the living room, dressed but still looking fucked-out, hair wild and eyes downcast. You rest your head in his lap when he comes to sit beside you, smiling blithely and uncaringly up at him.
“Are you still mad?” he ventures, petting your hair tentatively.
“Depends,” you answer, feeling his body tense at your words “Are you gonna pull that shit again?”
“No,” he replies without hesitation, shuddering at the thought of what you just put him through
“Then no,” you grin, and Matty relaxes under you. “But you still don’t get to cum,” you can’t resist adding.
He pouts down at you, but his eyes are shining with mischief, any lingering tension fully faded now. “Can I make you come again, then?”
Sitting up, you climb into his lap and kiss him for a long, luxurious moment, heat swelling between you as his tongue slides against yours. “Say please.”
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perotovar · 5 months
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into the beat of the night (ch 3) "self control"
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moodboard by the lovely @hellishjoel, gif by me
pairing: frankie morales/enby!oc!river price (they/them) rating: 18+ (minors dni) chapter warnings: fingering, one (1) handjob, discussions of sexuality/gender (in an... interesting way), goth stereotypes abound, swearing, more cute shit word count: 3k dividers by @saradika beta: @scenaaario (ily adrienne ♥)
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series summary: frankie thought he had himself figured out by now. he liked both men and women, had dated both in the past. but when someone that challenges what he thinks that means comes into his life, in an unlikely place, he truly learns who he is, and more importantly, who he loves.
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“What’s their name again?”
“River. I already told you, Benjamin,” Frankie chuckled, taking a drink from his beer.
“Right, sorry. I’ve just never met a non… what was it again?”
Frankie, Benny, Will, and Santiago were at their usual bar that night. It was in a different part of town than The Night Owl, with a completely different vibe, but it was cozy. The four of them had become regulars and knew the staff by name.
“Non-binary person,” Will said, shoving Benny on the shoulder. “Are you listening at all?”
Benny shot his brother a look and stuck his tongue out, because apparently Benny was still five. “Of course I’m listening! Non-bi-nar-y,” he sounded it out, tapping his finger on the table with each syllable. “What does, uh… What does that like, mean, Fish?”
Frankie furrowed his brows and took another drink. “I haven’t actually asked yet. All they told me is that they’re like… both, and neither, at the same time.” He hummed thoughtfully. “I was a little distracted after that and didn’t get to ask.”
Santiago grinned, slapping Frankie on the shoulder. “Good for you, Fish.”
Frankie rolled his eyes, but smiled, thinking about the kiss he shared with River the other night. They kept texting, and he’d even asked River out on a real date, which brought the guys to the bar. It had been a year or so since his last date and he needed advice on where to take someone like River. He wasn’t as familiar with the goth subculture and thought maybe his brothers would have experience. At the very least Ben, who’d been with a few different kinds of people.
“I did look it up that night after I got home, but I’m still a little confused,” Frankie shrugged.
“Just ask them, man,” Will offered. “They seemed cool with your first question.”
Frankie nodded, a look of determination crossing his features. “You’re right. It couldn’t hurt, right?”
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Frankie was sweating. Marisol was with her mom this week, so he hadn’t had to worry about having that conversation yet. He was planning on telling River about her tonight. He checked his hair in the mirror again before he left, deciding to go without his hat tonight, but worried all his nerves would deflate the work he put into it. He sighed as he messed around with the unruly curls again. This is why he stuck to hats. Frankie’s phone vibrated on the bathroom counter, startling him.
ok im ready, eddie 😉
River still thought it was hilarious that Frankie had worn an Iron Maiden t-shirt to a goth club, claiming that it fit his “old man aesthetic”, whatever that meant. This led to River referring to Frankie as “Eddie”, after the band’s skeleton mascot.
Yeah yeah i’m coming
Frankie saw the typing dots appear and disappear a couple times before disappearing completely. He sighed to himself and checked his hair one last time before leaving his apartment. 
When he got to the neighborhood of the address River had given him, he checked his phone again, making sure he was in the right place. He slowly crept up the hill towards the last line of apartments and immediately his heart started pounding. Frankie really liked River. He didn’t want to fuck this up, and hoped him being a dad wouldn’t ruin that. Or his big dumb mouth.
River was standing at the bottom of the staircase of the apartment complex and waved, a huge grin on their face. Frankie stopped the truck and leaned over to open the passenger side door for them to climb inside. The scent of bergamot, clove, and sandalwood filled his nostrils again as the truck door shut. Frankie calmed down, and smiled, leaning over to give River a kiss on the cheek. “You look amazing,” he breathed, taking in River’s outfit; they had a collarless shirt buttoned up all the way, tucked into plaid pants, and nice dress shoes. All black, of course. They wore no lipstick today, their makeup was simple, and their hair was perfectly straight. It looked like they’d freshly shaved the right side of their head as well. River’s look was so new for Frankie, he couldn’t help being captivated by them every time he saw them.
“Thank you,” River smiled, heart skipping a beat. “Where are we off to?” They rested their ring-clad hand over Frankie’s larger one in between the two of them on the seat. “When you said it was a surprise, I admit I got a little nervous.”
Frankie placed his hand on the back of the truck seat and looked behind them as he backed up to leave the apartment complex. River’s eyes were glued to Frankie’s neck and subtly licked their lips at the sight of the thick muscles and veins. Their eyes moved up to Frankie’s side profile and they swooned.
“How come? Don’t trust me?” Frankie smirked, making eye contact before his eyes moved to the road, and started heading toward their destination.
River shrugged, even though they knew he couldn’t see them. “Maybe. Maybe not,” they smirked. The red light of the clock on the console caught River’s eye; 7:30pm. 
“Well, that’s a shame. I had a nice dinner planned and everything,” Frankie showed them an exaggerated pout, a twinkle in his eye.
“Oh, well, in that case.”
The restaurant Frankie picked might’ve been a little more… casual, then he remembered. The last time he was here was with Jackson. He shook off the memory. He was here with River now. The place was actually more like a diner, with vintage photos of women in pinup-style outfits and poses.
Frankie reached for River’s hand and laced their fingers together as he found them a table, letting River sit first.
“Such a gentleman,” River teased, squeezing his hand before getting comfy in the booth.
“I try,” Frankie smiled bashfully as he joined them on the opposite side. The light shining down onto the table lit River beautifully. He noticed that River’s button-up was actually a dark green, with subtle velvet roses all over.
They ordered their food and made easy conversation. River talked about their job as an architect. They were working on designing a building that was be built in the next couple of years in the city. Frankie found it fascinating but couldn’t focus on the words, too distracted by their calming voice and watching their mannerisms. River talked with their hands a lot whenever they got excited about something, and Frankie thought it was adorable.
“Sorry, I know I’m rambling now,” River shook their head, cutting themself off. Frankie frowned,mouth full of french fries.
“Please, continue, I don’t mind listening.”
So River did. They talked about anything and everything. Frankie interjected here and there, but was more than content to listen to River talk. When there was a lull in the conversation, Frankie’s palms started to get sweaty. Their plates were empty now, but River still had half of their milkshake left.
It was now or never. Frankie took a deep breath.
“So… I’ve been meaning to tell you something,” he started. River raised an eyebrow and rested their chin on the palm of their hand, listening. Frankie cleared his throat before continuing. “Um, so I know this is a dealbreaker for some people, so I won’t be offended if you want to stop things after tonight. B-But I would like to stay friends if that’s the case.” He rubbed his sweaty hands on his thighs. “I’ve got a daughter.”
River was quiet for a second before a small smile appeared on their face. “I’m actually not surprised. How old is she?”
“You’re not?”
“Of course not. You’re an incredibly handsome man of a certain age–”
“Hey.”
“And any woman would be stupid not to make an honest man outta you,” River winked.
Frankie blinked a couple times before chuckling softly. River continued to surprise him. “Well, her mother isn’t in the picture, at least not with me. Marisol, my daughter, sees her half the time, and stays with me the other half of the time,” he explained, crossing his arms comfortably over the table. “Oh, and she’s four.”
“Aww, can I see a picture of her?”
Frankie’s heart fluttered as pulled his phone out, opening the album of photos devoted just to his little girl. He slid his phone over to River and they started scrolling through the photos with a smile on their face.
“She’s adorable, Frankie,” River hummed, returning his phone back to him. “I can tell you think the world of her. I won’t lie, I’m not really… uh, a kid kind of person. I always just planned on being the cool cousin and not a parent,” they muttered, resting their chin on their palm again.
Frankie nodded in understanding. “I totally get that. I just figured it wouldn’t be fair to you, or to Marisol, to keep her a secret, y’know?”
“Absolutely, and I appreciate you telling me,” River nodded back. “But I like you. A lot. And I’m willing to give this a shot with you. So I don’t think Marisol is a dealbreaker.”
Frankie’s heart soared at River’s words. “I really like you, too,” he grinned like an idiot, cheeks warm. “C’mon, we still have another part to this date.” He stood up and held his hand out for River to take.
After paying, the two found themselves back in Frankie’s truck heading down the highway. It was starting to get darker and the roads were clearing. They pulled up to a drive-in, but there weren’t any other cars.
“What is this, Grease?” River teased. “A diner and then a drive-in movie?”
Frankie snorted and reached out his window to pay for their tickets before finding somewhere to park. “I happen to like drive-in movies and diners, thank you very much.”
“That’s because you’re old–”
“I’m only a few years older than you,” Frankie deadpanned.
“Details.”
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About a third of the way into the original Halloween, Frankie put his arm around River’s shoulders and pulled them close. River happily cuddled into Frankie’s side, loving the warmth and softness they found there.
Halfway through, River’s eyes started wandering elsewhere. They looked down at the crotch of Frankie’s jeans, and wondered what lay beyond the tight denim. They looked up at Frankie’s face and kissed the little patch in his beard that refused to grow hair. Frankie looked down at them, deep brown eyes looking over River’s features. He went from their dark-rimmed eyes, to their collarbone, and back to their plush lips, his heart pounding. He didn’t need any further convincing and started kissing River deeply, holding the side of their face.
River hummed into Frankie’s mouth and slowly crawled into Frankie’s lap. They grinned as Frankie huffed a breath against their lips, holding River’s hips in his large hands. River kissed the corner of Frankie’s mouth before moving down to the side of his neck and sucked a mark where his neck met his shoulder. Frankie shuddered, moving a hand down and squeezing River’s ass. They lifted their head and looked at the far-away expression on his face.
“Are you one of those guys that doesn’t like to fool around on the first date?”
Frankie blinked up at River, thinking about it. “I mean, no, but–” “Good,” River growled, latching back onto Frankie’s neck and sucking hard.
Frankie moaned openly at that, but pulled them away. “Wait,” he breathed. River tilted their head to the side and didn’t say anything, letting Frankie continue. “Um, I had another question.”
“Okay.”
“Well, uh. I don’t mean to kill the mood, because God, I really wanna get back to that, b-but I was curious,” Frankie swallowed, not making eye contact again. “I looked up what non-binary was after you told me and I was a little confused, and basically I just– Um, I wanna know like, how… this would… work,” he trailed off, gesturing between the two of them and at the bulge in his jeans.
“You’re asking what I have so you know how to proceed.” It was a statement, not a question, said softly in understanding. River played with the curls at the back of Frankie’s neck.
Frankie nodded. “If that’s an invasive question, I’m really sorry, and–”
“Shh,” River chuckled, pecking Frankie on the cheek. “It’s okay, I promise. I’m not offended. You’re actually being really sweet about all of this. I know this is new for you.”
Frankie smiled shyly and shrugged, but let them continue.
“I was raised as a girl. ‘Assigned female at birth’, is typically what we call it,” River looked down, playing with the collar of Frankie’s shirt. “You were assigned male at birth. The doctors looked at your parts and decided that’s what you were, and you never felt like it was incorrect, right?”
Frankie nodded, listening carefully.
“Right. Well, it felt wrong to me. I didn’t really know what the feeling was growing up. It’s actually kind of a recent development for me.”
Frankie chewed on his bottom lip, one question still buzzing around his head. “How do you… How did you know? And did you… have any… surgeries? To um–” he didn’t know how to word any of this.
River laughed softly. “Yeah, I had top surgery. I no longer have breasts, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. Everything below the belt is still intact,” they grinned, moving their crotch closer to Frankie’s. “The complicated answer, especially for someone so new to this, is that gender is a societal thing. How you’re perceived, presented to the world is just through the eyes of society. How you see yourself is what actually matters, though. And when all that societal bullshit doesn’t affect your life, the roles you’re ‘supposed’ to play don’t matter anymore.”
“I’m River. River is me. I don’t care how people see me. I did all of this,” they gestured to their body. “For me. Not for anyone else. Because if I didn’t, I would be unhappy. And my own mental health and happiness matters more than some so-called church-going do-gooder’s opinion.”
Frankie looked at River in awe. Their confidence and respect for themself was one of the most attractive things he’d ever seen. “You’re amazing,” Frankie breathed, surging forward to kiss them deeply. He gripped River’s ass again and pulled them closer, grinding his hardening cock against them.
River moaned softly, grinding back, and tangling their fingers into his hair. Suddenly, Frankie pulled back, catching his breath.
“Wait, does that, like…” He thought for a second. “While I was doing my research, I came across a couple other terms I didn’t know.”
River chuckled and kissed down Frankie’s neck softly. “Go on.”
Frankie’s breath hitched, speaking shakily. “Um, I’ve always considered myself b-bisexual– oh– a-and if non-binary people are technically a th-third gender, then does that change?”
“No,” River hummed, licking underneath Frankie’s ear, before taking the lobe into their mouth and nibbling.
“It doesn’t?”
River shook their head. “Bisexual is more like an umbrella term. People interpret it differently,” they reached a hand down between them, trailing their fingers to Frankie’s belt buckle and undoing it. “For example, you’ve always assumed it just meant you were attracted to men and women, right?”
Frankie moaned softly as the pressure was relieved from his hard cock, and nodded.
“Exactly. Another way you could see it is you being attracted to people that are like you,” they gripped Frankie’s cock tightly, making him gasp sharply. “And people who aren’t.” They grabbed his hand and placed it onto their crotch, grinding against him.
He was so hard he was throbbing, and so turned on his head spun. He started undoing River’s dress pants and slipped his hand down to their panties, finding their pussy impossibly warm and wet. 
“Fuck,” Frankie groaned, rubbing at their clit through the fabric of their underwear. River moaned sweetly and bit their bottom lip, moving Frankie’s boxer briefs out of the way so they could grip around his cock.
“You’re so hard,” River grinned, rubbing their thumb over the tip. They started stroking him slowly, watching as the head of Frankie’s cock appeared and disappeared underneath the foreskin. 
Frankie was breathing heavily, resting his head on the back of his seat and looking at River through his lashes. He moved the tips of his fingers in small circles for a few moments before he moved his fingers beneath their underwear and touched bare skin. River gasped at the contact and nodded, giving him permission.  Frankie slowly sunk his middle finger inside them and started pumping in and out. His thumb rubbed in time against their clit. River started moaning louder, throwing their head back to expose their throat to him.
Frankie saw an opening and latched his mouth onto their neck, marking them in return as his free hand held the back of River’s head. “You’re so fucking sexy,” he groaned, biting at River’s skin.
River shuddered at the praise, rocking their hips against Frankie’s hand. “‘M close,” they whined, panting down at him. They started to lose their rhythm on Frankie’s cock and squeezed him tightly in their fist. Frankie nodded in understanding and started moving his fingers faster, adding a second one as the slick sounds coming from between River’s legs filled the truck. 
“C’mon, baby. You gonna come for me?” he breathed against their neck, leaving soft kisses against their skin. The contrast between what his mouth and what his hand were doing was overwhelming and River wouldn’t change it for the world. 
River nodded, their brows moving downward in pleasure before stilling above him as they came. Their hips rocked back and forth over Frankie’s hand as they came down, moaning and biting their lip. 
The sight of River coming was enough for Frankie and his cock twitched hard as he erupted all over River’s hand. He grunted and hid his face in their neck as his balls emptied messily. He whined softly, twitching in the aftershocks. 
River giggled quietly and held him close after licking their hand clean. “Gonna have to blow you next time,” they hummed thoughtfully.
Frankie groaned as his oversensitive cock twitched between them. “Don’t say shit like that while I’m still vulnerable, you menace.”
River bit his cheek, then kissed it softly. “You love it.”
He did. He really did.
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a/n: please enjoy this meme that inspired the scene above
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gilbirda · 3 months
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Friendly neighborhood vigilante. Chapter 22
BatmanxDP crossover. JasonxJazz
[Read on AO3] [Read on FF.net]
Based on this post
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“Forgive the mess,” Jason murmured as he carried Jazz into the room. “They did leave everything just like I left it, huh.”
Jazz lifted her head from its hiding place in the crook of Jason’s neck. She didn’t expect to be carried in his arms, and even if she should find it funny given how she got injured in the first place, she couldn’t deny it made her heart flutter a bit.
Jason’s childhood room was… what you’d expect from a teenager. It wasn’t messy, but clutter was everywhere — books, comics, more books and what she assumed was a handheld gaming device. Her eyes roamed over the Wonder Woman posters and pictures on the wall, spying a signature in a big one placed safely far from the window and sunlight.
Jason had always been a nerd.
She giggled.
“Cute.” She said, rubbing her cheek against his when he blushed.
“‘m not cute.” He contested halfheartedly. He huffed softly and walked closer to the bed, letting her down on the mattress. “Cass left some clothes for you.” he reached for the neatly folded pajamas and handed them to her. “Do you need help, or…?”
Jazz rolled her eyes. “I have a twisted ankle, I’m not unable to dress myself.”
“Well, I’ll leave you to it, I’ll change in the bathroom.” He walked towards the drawers, opened one and cursed.
“What’s wrong?”
“I was fifteen years old when I last stepped into this room,” he pulled something from the drawer to show her, “and I was a small child.”
Jazz tried really hard to contain her laughter, but the tiny rock band t-shirt over his broad chest was just hilarious. She threw back her head and gave a hearty laugh, not worrying about if he saw her fangs for once.
He chuckled with her, turning back to check the rest of the drawers, rummaging around for a bit.
“Nothing?” She asked softly.
“Nope. And I’m not going to go back out and ask for clothes if I don’t really—” He stopped in his tracks, his cheeks blooming a bit of a blush.
Jazz picked up what he didn’t say. “Do you usually sleep naked?”
She watched his shoulders tense and how he consciously relaxed them before answering. “Yeah. Or just with some boxers or shorts on.” He pointedly wasn’t looking at her.
Okay.
Jazz hummed, controlling her thoughts and what to say. Was this one of those situations she had to be careful to navigate? She didn’t want to send the wrong signals and make the situation more uncomfortable than it needed to be — she knew he was not happy with their sleeping arrangements and Bruce’s pushiness was not welcomed.
“I don’t mind if you want to sleep in your underwear.” First step: vocalize. Don’t leave things unsaid, since not-saying things usually lead to misunderstandings, as she had come to learn.
Jason turned with a confused frown, finally looking at her in the eyes. “Okay?”
“Yeah. It’s okay.” Second: appear calm and collected, safe to be around. “It doesn’t bother me.”
She fiddled with the soft fabrics of the provided pajamas, distracting her hands as she waited for his reaction. What was he thinking? Did he consider this as her making some kind of move? They were going to share a bed for the first time, and she was trying very hard not to feel too self conscious about that fact.
“If you say so…” He finally nodded and walked closer to the desk on the other wall, picking up his stuff from his pockets — keys, wallet and phone — and placing it next to a book pile.
Jazz took this as her cue and picked up the pajamas, quickly hopping towards the ensuite bathroom before Jason caught her and told her she shouldn’t walk on her injured foot. When he finally realized she had made a run for it, she had already closed the door.
Jason dramatically sighed, making her giggle.
She made quick work of the clothes and put on Cass' pajamas, admiring how they flowed over her skin. She suspected some kind of silk blend, but didn’t recognize the brand; not that she expected to recognize it, since she always bought clothes on sale and never worried about stuff like if they were in season or their fabric blends.
She splashed her face with cold water, noticing that the soap brand name was French and with fancy letters. She knew the Waynes were filthy rich, but she guessed that it kind of took a second place in her mind the whole evening. She was more focused on making a good first impression.
Jazz finished getting ready for bed and walked back into the room, her folded clothes in one hand, and hopped towards the same desk Jason left his things. On top of the book pile was Mansfield Park.
“Interesting literature for a fifteen year old.” She picked it up, opening it in a random page, admiring the same sticky notes and annotations she had seen in the books he kept at the apartment, confirming he had always been such a nerd.
“Austen is hilarious,” Jazz could hear the shrug in his voice, “what can I say.”
She put the book back down and turned, finding her boyfriend watching her with those intense blue eyes. He was sitting on the bed, but hadn’t gotten under the covers, opting to rest against the headboard to comfortably watch her every move.
Was he trying to make her self conscious on purpose?
“What?” She confronted him.
“Nothing.” He quickly said. Too quickly.
When he didn’t add anything else, she shrugged and hopped towards the free side of the bed. If he didn’t want to comment on it, she wasn’t going to push the topic. If this was about being self conscious about sharing a bed, or about his nakedness, he didn’t have anything to prove or worry about.
Also, she was very sleepy. Whatever it was, it could wait until morning.
Of course, the bed was gigantic and very comfortable, a wild contrast to her shitty single back at the apartment. Maybe she should invest in a good bed, like she did with her couch.
She turned on her side, careful to not upset her injured ankle, and smiled at Jason, the “good night” on the tip of her tongue.
“Do you…”
“Hm?” She encouraged when he stopped.
Jason cleared his throat and tried again: “Do you not… find me attractive?”
Oh.
Hm.
It was time for that conversation? Well, not the time she would have picked, given that they were sharing a bed in his childhood room; but it is true that one does not pick where conversations happened.
Jazz shuffled around so she was sitting against the headboard too, and picked the hand that was closer to her. She played with his fingers for a moment, admiring how rough his palms were — vaguely remembering when she thought he was an athlete — thinking how she was going to approach this.
“Do you know what an asexual person is?” She tested the waters.
She saw him nod in the corner of her eye. “Yeah. Some of the working girls at the Alley once explained to me.” Jazz nodded. This would make it simpler. “Are you that? Ace?”
Jazz hummed, tilting her head. “I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Never actually cared about labeling things. I just know that there are things others care about that I don’t.”
“So you never…?”
“Being ace and having sex are not mutually exclusive.” She finally looked up at him. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but his intense blue eyes made her blush and look away. “But no. I haven’t slept with anybody before.”
“Not interested?”
His voice was soft. And didn’t let her guess what he thought about it.
Jazz wasn’t going to lie, she had never considered that her lack of experience in sex, or lack of interest whatsoever, could become an issue in their relationship. She wasn’t looking for a relationship in the first place, so she didn’t plan for the scenario that her partner thought her disinterest in sex would be a dealbreaker.
Would it be for Jason?
“I don’t know,” she admitted out loud. “I’ve never— I was always too busy, and investing time in something I don’t actually need always felt like a waste of effort.”
He snorted. “Nerd.”
“But it’s true!” She giggled, letting her shoulders relax. She resumed playing with his hand. “It’s not that I wouldn’t have sex, ever; but more like I don’t… care? Sexual attraction was never in my priority list when looking for a partner.”
He hummed, considering her words.
“But I guess if you are interested I wouldn’t mind it? If it’s with you it’s fine.” She shrugged. She knew there were names and labels for the nuances of how she regarded sexuality, but she didn’t research a lot. Once she understood what she felt was normal and had a term, it was enough for her.
He gently dislodged his hand from her to move his arm around her shoulders, trapping her into a half hug, and squishing her face against his naked chest. She placed a hand on the skin, admiring how warm he was, and vaguely tracing a few of the scars she found there. Mostly healed cuts and barely visible scratches, but she spied a gunshot wound closer to his shoulder.
“That’s enough for me.” He finally said, his voice rumbling in her ear. “And if that changes let me know.”
Warmth bloomed in her chest, making her cheeks burn and her eyes water. Any worry she managed to amass since the conversation started had completely vanished, washed away by those simple words. Fearing rejection over something so simple felt silly after what they have already been through, but the confirmation that he cared hit her like a freight train.
“For the record,” Jazz said, her voice a bit choked from emotion, “I do find you very attractive.”
He squeezed her a little, his soft chuckles vibrating under his skin. “Of course, I’m such a catch.”
“A complete snack.” She smiled up at him.
“A straight up hottie.”
Both giggled, faces close. Jazz was leaning more onto Jason, relishing on his warmth — seriously, this man was a furnace — shuffling a little bit so she could reach his lips.
They kissed softly, not really in a hurry to take things anywhere else.
“I’ve been wanting to do that the whole afternoon.” He said when they parted.
Jazz smiled, readjusting herself so she could kiss him more comfortably, grabbing his hair with her free hand. “Me too.” She said against his lips. “You look so cute when you are annoyed.”
“I’m not cute.” He bit her lower lip. “And you should warn me the next time you go all Dracula on me.”
Jazz groaned and moved away, back to her place under the covers, flustered. “I already said I’m sorry!”
He followed, also getting under the blankets so he could pull her body closer to his chest, successfully trapping her in his arms.
“Just saying, if you need to bite someone I’m game but I need to be mentally prepared.”
He was ready for her fight to get out of his arms, so he trapped her lips when she turned to retaliate. Jazz made angry noises against his lips, but eventually caved and kissed him back, relaxing a little.
“I hate you.”
“No, you don’t.”
And she really didn’t, she thought, deciding to drop the topic and let herself be distracted by what he could do with his mouth.
***
Saturday morning in Wayne manor was peaceful. Jason was having shapeless dreams he wouldn’t remember when he woke up, comfortable in the warmth provided by the body in his arms.
And then that peace and quiet was completely shattered.
“What the hell?”
Jason opened his eyes, already cursing himself for sleeping so deeply he didn’t detect the presence in the room.
“I haul my ass as fast as I can because of a worrying and cryptic message,” the voice continued, getting angrier and louder as he spoke, “to find you like— Like— ugh!”
“Danny?” Jazz sat up on the bed, rushing to get out of the covers.
“And he’s naked. Great.”
Jason tried to make his brain work, but it felt like it had been replaced with cotton. He reached for the night table, but of course he didn’t have his knife. Because this wasn’t his apartment. Right. They were at the Manor.
“Do you have any idea how worried I was when I couldn’t find you?” Jason turned to look at the new person, finding Jazz's brother standing there. He was shorter than he expected, and also scrawnier. “I thought— Jazz, do you know where you are exactly?”
“Danny—” She stood up, yelped, and immediately fell back to the bed.
“What happened?” He pointed at her very obviously bandaged foot.
“I fell.”
Danny looked unimpressed. He raised one eyebrow. “And it hasn’t healed?”
“It’s a long story.” Jazz sighed, turned towards Jason. “He is—”
“You know what? I’m not awake enough for this.” The brother interrupted, raising his arms to make a statement. “See you downstairs.”
With that, Danny stomped towards the bedroom door, walked outside and stomped down the hallways without caring about closing the door behind him.
A few tense seconds passed.
“Charming.”
Jazz huffed. “He’s not usually that cranky.” She stretched her arms over her head, sighing. “I guess it’s time to face the music.”
Jason nodded and told her to wait on the bed as he got dressed again.
Weird. Last night he felt like his skin was going to burst when he got undressed, waiting for Jazz to come out of the bathroom. Maybe it was the conversation they had, or maybe it was how easy things became when Jazz was with him; but right then he couldn’t see how sharing a bed with her managed to make him so nervous. It felt silly and childish to care about something like that, especially when he had been intimate with people before.
Jazz felt different. Like he had more to lose. He already had decided he would do and would be whatever she needed and if that meant not ever sleeping together he was ready to accept it.
He knew the conversation wasn’t over regarding the topic, and he had a million more questions, but they could wait for when they weren’t about to walk down for breakfast in his childhood home.
Once he was ready, he picked Jazz up in his arms like the previous night, enjoying her red cheeks and sneaking kisses just because he could.
She mostly stayed put, but right before he made the turn towards the kitchen, she grabbed his head and pulled him down for a deeper kiss, her tongue teasing his lips briefly before she let him go.
“Whatever happens,” she whispered, “please remember I'm the same person.”
Huh. Ominous.
The kitchen was the same as it always was — Alfred's personal haven, where he only allowed the worthy to enter or even assist with cooking.
Right then, the old man watched, entranced, as Danny made wide gestures and huffed and paced around the enormous kitchen, one of Tim's gigantic coffee cups in hand.
“ — and I told him he could shove it where the sun doesn’t shine!” Danny took a sip of the coffee. He looked stressed and not really aware of his surroundings. He probably just picked a cup and got absorbed into his monologue. “But guess what, there’s no sun in the Realms! So he just looked at me like I was an idiot!”
Alfred hummed, a smile teasing his lips.
“I know right?” Danny grumbled, looking at his cup. “Hey do you have a refill, Mr… oh crap I forgot to ask for your name.”
“Alfred Pennyworth, mister.”
“Alfred.” The young man nodded enthusiastically. “Very british. I’ll remember that.”
Someone snorted, coming in from behind Jazz and Jason frozen at the door. This made Danny turn towards his new audience, grimacing when he saw his sister in Jason’s arms.
“You!” He shouted, pointing a finger at his sister.
“Me.” She answered, letting Jason place her on one of the stools at the big kitchen island.
Danny stomped towards the other side of the island.
“You!” He growled. “Don’t you ever do this to me again!” He slammed the empty coffee cup on the marble surface. Miraculously the porcelain didn’t even crack. “I thought another crazy billionaire had kidnapped you to make you fight me to the death, and I find you canoodling with this— this— this guy!!”
Jason didn’t even take offense. The display was entertaining enough. Also, what was that about “another” crazy billionaire kidnapping Jazz? To fight to the death?
“Hello Danny.” Jazz said calmly. “As I was trying to tell you before, this is Jason,” she made a gesture towards him, but didn’t tear her eyes from her brother, “and he’s my boyfriend.”
The younger man’s face went through the five stages of grief in a matter of seconds. His eyes flashed green for a moment, before he closed them and swallowed. When he opened them again, he was glaring at Jason instead.
“Jazz.”
“Yeah?” She answered, giving her thanks to Alfred when he placed a fresh cup in front of her.
Jason accepted his own cup, vaguely registering Dick taking a seat next to him. Or Bruce choosing to become as invisible as he could and shuffle around the kitchen toward where Alfred observed the showdown from a safe distance.
“Jasmine.”
“Daniel.” She sipped her cup, grimacing a bit. She wasn’t a huge fan of coffee. “Hey, did you bring my medicine?”
Still glaring, he reached inside his chest, casually pulling out a little white box. There was something made of glass inside clinking when he slid it across the island for Jazz to catch. When she opened it, six fresh vials of Lazarus Waters glowed inside.
“Six?” She noticed. “They look really good.”
“Had a good batch this time.” He nodded, his glare losing intensity under the praise. But immediately glared at Jason again as if remembering he was supposed to be mad. “And don’t change the topic.”
“What topic?” Jazz ignored her brother while she picked one of the vials, uncorked it and poured the contents in her cup.
Jason crossed stares with Bruce, speechless as both watched Jazz drink the whole thing in one go. She made a face.
“It’s better with tea.”
“Oh don’t you start.”
“Start what?” She winced. Her eyes started glowing a bright green. She looked in pain for a moment, but as quickly as it came, it was gone.
“Jazz.”
“Danny.” She checked her cup was empty, turning it upside down over her waiting open mouth. A few drops fell on her tongue.
The younger brother slammed his hands on the marble. “Stop ignoring me!” He complained. “And explain yourself. What’s with Mr Muscles over there? What the hell have you been doing?”
Jazz softly placed the cup on the island. She folded her hands, and finally looked at her brother. “I told you. He’s my boyfriend.”
“Jazzy, Jazzy, we talked about this,” Danny grabbed his hair in despair. “You have terrible taste in men.”
“Excuse me?”
“Is this going to be like Johnny? Is that it? A bad boy with a motorcycle and leather jacket makes eyes at you and that’s all it takes?” Danny glanced at Jason. “No offense.”
“None taken.” He wasn’t sure he was supposed to speak, but did anyway. Danny was hilarious.
Dick choked on his coffee.
“He’s not like Johnny.” Jazz defended herself. “Jason is—”
“Or maybe like the other one?” Danny interrupted. “What’s-his-name— David! Yeah. Is this a repeat of that one?”
It was Jazz’s time to slam her hands on the marble. “He is not like him!”
Danny bristled, a soft hissing sound blooming in his throat. “Are you sure? Because that one— what was the report? Dislocated shoulder and a shattered hand?”
“I told you I didn’t need your help!” Jazz bristled as well, exposing her fangs in an angry hiss. “And he is not the same!”
“That’s what you said the last time!!” Somehow Danny became taller. Was he floating? His pitch black hair moved like hit by an invisible breeze, too. “No offense.”
Jason didn’t know if he should laugh or intervene. “None taken.” He assured again, controlling his smile.
“And you the one to talk?!” Jazz’s hands tensed. “Should we talk about your horrible taste in women? Huh?”
“Don’t you—!”
“Paulina!”
“It was in highschool!” Danny growled. “What are you—”
“Valerie!” She growled back. The sound wasn’t animalistic, but still not quite human. Jason had never heard something like that, even less coming from the chest of his sweet girlfriend.
“What about her!”
“She tried to kill you!”
“But she never succeeded!” Danny bared his fangs. “And we are cool now!”
What was even happening?
“Sam!”
“Hey!”
“She killed you!” Jazz’s hair started to float, too, right the moment her eyes glowed green again. “Twice!”
That was apparently going too far. Danny’s growl escalated to a full on roar, his body now floating closer to the ceiling. They could see his tapered ears and sharp fangs on full display.
Jazz glared at him from her seat, her hair rising and falling on beat with her heavy breathing; fangs bared and clawed hands raised, ready to fight her own brother. She opened her arms and exposed her chest, making Jason wonder what was about to happen.
In a blink of an eye, all hostility was gone from Danny as he floated towards his sister faster than the human eye could follow — one moment he was on the other side of the island and close to the tall ceiling, and the next he was hugging his sister like his life depended on it.
“I missed you.” His voice was choked and muffled, but the emotion in it was obvious.
“I know.” Jazz circled her arms around Danny like it was the most natural thing in the world. She pressed him tight against her body, her head on top of his, rubbing her cheek against his hair. “I missed you too.”
Everyone held their breaths, waiting to see what Danny would say, but the young man was out cold. Soft snores resonated in the otherwise silent kitchen.
Jazz cleared her throat. Her smile was radiant and warm, like they usually were, as she turned to look at Jason. “Can I put him in your room? He will probably nap for a few more hours.”
Dazzled, Jason just nodded and watched as she hopped down the stool on her — previously — injured ankle and quickly made her exit from the kitchen while easily carrying her brother.
Bruce cleared his throat when they stopped hearing her soft steps. “So…”
“Yeah.” Jason licked his lips and decided to take a sip of his own cup of coffee. It was lukewarm. “That’s, uh... That’s her brother.”
He looked down to where Jazz slammed her hands, finding a crack on the marble. It wasn’t enough to compromise the structure, but it wasn’t small either.
Choosing not to bring attention to that fact, he just sipped his coffee and ignored the barrage of questions from the others. It wasn’t like he knew the answers anyway.
---
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What Was Missing Review
Finn is revealed to regularly have alone time with the wad of Princess Bubblegum’s hair she gave him in “To Cut a Woman’s Hair”. It’s essentially a PG version of a guy still holding on to their ex’s underwear for personal use. The allegory is pushed forward with Finn checking to make sure he is alone. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t exactly shocking behavior for a thirteen year old boy, but it’s the first big sign that Finn’s crush is getting unhealthy after “Too Young”. It’s time to move on! Unlike “Wizard Battle”, I like the incorporation of Finn’s feelings, despite the arc feeling like there’s nowhere to go after “Too Young”. It’s not the main conflict in the episode, and serves to build to a climax in the season finale.
The Door Lord steals Finn’s gum, Jake’s blanket, and BMO’s controller. It’s hilarious that he only speaks in loud mumbles. He’s supposed to be related to Key-per from “The Enchiridion!”. The Door Lord steals a toy from a candy person and Finn reassures him “I’ll get your kid back, toy!”. The episode wasn’t originally written this way. Adam Muto misspoke when he was pitching the episode and they thought it was funny to keep it like that. Door Lord steals something from Bubblegum and attempts to steal Marceline’s bass axe. With Maja being in possession of Hambo, it makes sense for her bass axe to be her most important item. Finn, Jake, Princess Bubblegum, Marceline, and BMO have to team up to solve the riddle of the door. It’s great getting to see this group of characters together for the first time. It’s the entire main cast minus Ice King, and they get so few opportunities to all be together before Stakes. Their group dynamic is so fun too. The episode is set in Red Rock Pass, which is a really pretty setting to choose for a (mostly) bottle episode. 
Marceline chastises Bubblegum for not executing the door lords, as they kept breaking out of jail. I’m not sure if PB is really above just killing them, considering all the fucked up stuff she’s done in the past. But, killing might be a bridge too far for her. I know she committed robot genocide, but I argue she didn’t see them as sentient beings. Jake decides to pretend to be the jerk in the band. Since Jake doesn’t have a grand emotional arc, this is a funny role to put him in. Marceline starts singing “Just Your Problem”:
-“I’m gonna drink the red from your pretty pink face”. This pretty much gives the game away about PB and Marcy not being platonic. She’s singing about kissing and biting PB. 
-PB calls it “distasteful”, causing Marceline to accuse her of just not liking her. This ties into PB not liking Marceline’s behavior when she got more and more consumed with her princess duties. Marceline became well aware of this by their first mission to the Glass Kingdom (“Oh c’mon, you love it.”). 
-“Sorry I don’t treat you like a goddess. Is that what you want me to do?” She’s calling out PB’s god complex. Marceline assumes Bonnie thinks she’s better than her, like how she sings “you’re self-obsessed and all the rest” in Distant Lands.
-“Sorry I don’t treat you like you’re perfect, like all your little loyal subjects do. Sorry I’m not made of sugar. Am I not sweet enough for you?”. Marceline thinks Bubblegum demands absolute loyalty from everyone as she does with her citizens. She thinks PB would prefer Marceline to be a dum dum juiced moron that never questions her. We don’t know if Marceline is aware of the dum dum juice, but I like to think that she’s partially referring to that. It also relates to Marcy viewing PB as a dictator as she sings in “Woke Up”. She thinks PB wants her to turn down her edginess and be sweeter, like when she wasn’t taking the situation in the Glass Kingdom seriously, something I’m sure wasn’t an isolated incident. 
-I’ll lump together “Is that why you always avoid me?” with the later line “I forgot what landed me on your blacklist.”  Some people question why Marceline wonders this considering her singing “Woke Up” is the obvious answer. I think she’s partially referring to PB’s actions before their breakup. Bubblegum grew more distant as her responsibilities grew, something that confused and hurt Marceline. PB talks about this in “Varmints”. She’s also referring to PB being cold to Marceline for centuries after their breakup. Even when they were around each other in “Power Animal” and “Video Makers”, we don’t see them talking. Bubblegum was very dismissive of Marcy in “Go With Me”. This is partially Marceline’s fault, as she can be really rude and mean to Bonnie, as seen in this episode. 
-“I shouldn’t have to justify what I do.” Marceline doubles down on acting the way she thinks people perceive her. If people think she’s a monster, it's less painful for her to embrace it. This is something she picked up on from thinking she scared her mother away.
-“I shouldn’t have to be the one who makes up with you so why do I want to…” Marceline thinks that since PB is the one who pushed her away, PB is the one who should take the initiative of making things right. There is some truth to this, but as we see in “Obsidian”, they are both more at fault than Marcy is willing to admit. The faces on the door glow brighter and Marceline gets closer to the truth. The truth is she wants to at least be friends with Princess Bubblegum again. That’s the real reason she joined the group here. Reconnecting to PB is something we’ll see her try to do in episodes like “Sky Witch”, “Princess Day”, and “Varmints”. 
The song itself slaps. “Just Your Problem” is super popular, so much so that tons of non-fans know the song. A big reason being that it’s probably the most relatable Adventure Time song ever. A lot of people have friends and lovers that drifted away from them or became downright cold to them due to their differences. Rebecca Sugar even based the song off of her experience with a roommate. Princess Bubblegum’s face during this is also pretty telling. She was definitely having flashbacks to the last time Marceline humiliated her with a song. PB’s face turns to shock when Marceline is on the verge of revealing she wants to make up with her. I don’t blame Bonnie for not realizing this. Marceline’s general nastiness towards her, and of course what she said about her while singing “Woke Up”, would give PB the opposite impression. 
Finn doesn’t fully grasp the tension between PB and Marcy, but is able to diffuse the awkwardness and get everyone (besides Jake) to have fun together. I also like how sweet Marceline is to BMO, gently calling him “baby”. I like PB’s quirky attempt at a science based song, which is more fitting for her than singing her heart out like Marceline and Finn. Her song fails and Marceline uses it to antagonize PB. She fixates on Bonnie’s failures as she feels insecure in her presence. The words “monster trash” are definitely echoing in her mind here. Marceline is still really nasty to PB. A lot of it feels like unwarranted bullying without the context of future episodes, but even with the context, it still feels that way to an extent. Spitting on PB is pretty inexcusable and Bubblegum is totally right to walk away after it. Their conflict boils down to Princess Bubblegum’s ego and Marceline’s insecurity clashing. I also like the detail of Shelby slithering back into Jake’s smashed viola. 
As a final effort, Finn sings “My Best Friends in the World” after realizing the key to the door is the truth:
-“Am I a joke…?” Finn worries that Marceline doesn’t respect Finn, and perhaps only hangs around him because she enjoys messing with him. This is an understandable fear with episodes like “Henchman”. It’s still fundamentally untrue, squashed by the end of “Henchman” and in “Heat Signature”. There is no denying, however, that she loves trolling Finn. She likes messing with everyone, Finn’s young mind just makes him an easier target.
-“...your knight…?” This could be taken to mean Finn wonders if PB only keeps him around, and entertains his advancements, just to use his service to the kingdom. It’s true that Bubblegum employs Finn a lot, and isn’t above manipulating him for her benefit (“The Other Tarts”, “Too Old”, “James”), but she still genuinely enjoys his company whether they are working or just hanging out. He might also just be referring to this positively, as her knight in shining armor.
-“Do you look down on me because I’m younger?” All of Finn’s closest companions are older than him, and it makes sense that this weighs on him. Even Jake, who is often close to Finn’s level and acts as a best friend, also often acts as his parental guardian. This line applies most of all to Bubblegum, given how recent “Too Young” is. The events of that episode are still raw for Finn, and PB’s behavior to him after her age was restored came across as condescending and dismissive. 
-“I just wanted us together and to play as a band. Last night was the most fun I’ve ever had.” Finn loves getting to finally hang out with everyone he loves together and feeling like part of a family.
-“Even liked it when the two of you would get mad at each other.” Finn prefers honesty between friends, and appreciates seeing their more vulnerable side as they are usually more closed off from their true emotions in front of him.
-“You are my best friends in the world. And that’s right, I’m talking about the two of you girls. And you Jake.” With his parents dead, the three of them are by far his closest companions. He’s even grown very close to Marceline in recent times. It’s kinda mean to exclude BMO, who’s right there, but BMO becomes more of a part of Finn’s family over time than he is here. 
-“I’ll forget that I lost a piece of your hair. I’ll remember the pasta that we shared over there”. Very sweet line about how the wad of hair doesn’t really matter, the time he spends with PB and getting to be her friend is what’s meaningful to him. I like how the pasta has a double meaning. He obviously just shared pasta with her, but he also had a pasta dinner with Bubblegum when she gave him the hair. 
Finn’s song is my favorite moment of the series so far, and one of the best scenes ever in the series. I thought “Just Your Problem” was Adventure Time’s best song up to now but it’s then immediately topped. I love everyone participating in the song, especially Marceline singing along with Finn for parts of it. Finn’s song causing even PB and Marcy to harmonize together is great symbolism for Finn helping to bring them back together. Even Jake finally breaks character, he’s too caught up in the moment! Rebecca Sugar drew on her feelings of being a young newcomer when she joined the Adventure Time staff to write this song. Worrying about how your friends see you and if they respect you is another very ubiquitous concern. 
The group realizes that the Door Lord showed them that the real treasure is friendship. It’s very cheesy but the contents of the episode does enough to justify it. It’s cool how well the episode ties two themes into this episode: friendship and honesty. The quick cut from the Door Lord happily seeing they got the message to him being bruised and tied up is hilarious. They get their items back, including the famous rock shirt. It’s not at all PB’s style, going to show how much its pure sentimentality means to Bubblegum. The reveal that PB kept the shirt comes as a shock to Marceline. She realizes that Bonnie doesn’t see her as just her problem. Marceline blushing and PB revealing she wears the shirt all the time as pajamas are heavy hints to their romantic pairing. Their interactions in this episode are very queer-coded, even though they aren’t hitting us over the head with it like they do in season 7 onwards. The episode itself gives enough to figure out the broad strokes of Marceline and Bubblegum having a past and a falling out without giving the details, and it’ll be a long time until they are willing to explore it more at all. It’s revealed that Marceline only joined to hang out with them. Beyond reinforcing the theme of friendship, Marceline and PB now know that the other is interested in reforming a connection again, even if Marceline will have to be the one that ends up instigating it. 
“What Was Missing” is a fan favorite for good reason. The two musical numbers are the biggest draw and they are incredible. Rebecca Sugar using her own personal experiences to write them makes them feel so raw and personal. It’s some of the most direct the series ever is about Marceline and especially Finn’s thoughts and feelings, with them explicitly singing them. It’s refreshing to get some clear cut insight as the show is usually much more guarded. I wouldn’t want the series to always be this direct, but it's nice to have moments like these every once in a while to help provide insight into their other appearances. The episode is essentially a precursor for Steven Universe. You could slot in Steven for Finn, Pearl for Bubblegum, and Amethyst for Marceline quite easily. I also really like PB in this one! Despite “What Was Missing” having not one, but two characters that are in love with Princess Bubblegum, she gets to shine. It’s definitely more Marceline-heavy, but I like PB standing up for herself, getting to see her side of the conflict, and the return of her quirks with her scientific song. PB and Marceline also have pretty great outfits here, and it’s definitely their most iconic looks besides their default outfits. 
Rebecca Sugar has since stated that she wrote PB and Marcy as exes in this episode. She felt their interaction in “Go With Me” read that way. The episode does a great job extrapolating from that brief interaction. According to Rebecca Sugar, she pitched this idea to Adam Muto, who she boarded the episode with, and he approved. They ran this by Pen who also liked it. Cartoon Network forbade the crew from being explicit with it. They still did a good job making it as clear as they could with the restrictions and the fandom picked up on it. Rebecca Sugar wanted to include LGBTQ representation and felt that exploring it through the lens of two exes with a past was the best path to getting it in. Despite it only being subtextual, it was a big deal for 2011. 
This episode stirred up quite the firestorm. It’s possibly not a coincidence that it would take almost two years for PB and Marcy to interact again. The Fredator associated Youtube channel Mathematical! posted recaps after the airing of Adventure Time episodes. After the airing of “What Was Missing”, their recap speculated on the possible romantic pairing between Princess Bubblegum and Marceline, interlaced with overtly romantic drawings of Marceline and Bubblegum from character designer and storyboard revisionist Natasha Allegri. As a result, Fredator fired Mathematical! producer Dan Rickmers, deleted the video, and cancelled the Youtube series. Times were different then, but that’s no excuse for such an overreaction. Fred Seibert offered the following explanation:
“Well, I completely screwed up. There’s been chatter on the internet recently about our latest Adventure Time “Mathematical!” video recap that we created, posted, and removed here at Federator. I figure it’s time to clear up the matter. In trying to get the show’s audience involved we got wrapped up by both fan conjecture and spicy fanart and went a little too far. Neither Cartoon Network nor the Adventure Time crew had anything to do with putting up or taking down our latest re-cap. The episode ”What was Missing” remains a terrific short and will be shown again and again just like any other Adventure Time episode. I let us goof in a staggering way and I’m deeply sorry it’s become such a distraction for so many people.” It’s a really weak reasoning as Mathematical! had always been a fan oriented show and that’s what the entire fandom was talking about. Still, I’d expect this from an executive. What was unexpected were Adam Muto’s comments: 
“If it was just a fan video there would be no problem at all. The problem was that it was made by a production company actively involved with the show. The video took something that was a possible subtext and declared it, in effect, text and made it seem like the production was actively seeking out input on plot development. That's all there is to it.” Considering Sugar said that Adam Muto agreed with that interpretation, it would have been for the best if he just stayed out of the situation. That’s what Pen Ward did ("It’s hard to comment on that, because there were so many extreme positions taken on it all over the Internet, and it happened so quickly. I don’t really want to comment on it because of that, because there were so many extreme sides taken. It was a big hullaballoo.")
Now that we know Bubbline was in fact the crew’s intention, and it’s since been explicitly canonized, the situation is just even dumber. Dan Rickmer is definitely owed an apology. But what’s really important is the series no longer having to keep their relationship a big secret.
Grade: A+
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salemcantupdate · 8 months
Text
Ok
Baldurs Gate shipping and who I am actively in love with
SO, currently romancing Gale because Astarion rejected me, full one said “I don’t wanna have sex with you, UGH, EW, imagine.” But Gale is so cute??? I don’t get whenever I see hate for him, especially cause we had astral projection sex which was absolutely fantastic. Wyll kissed me but I said “haha nah Gale” and I think I accidentally romanced Karlach??? I don’t know. Oh I also hugged the Guardian love him.
Now for shipping
SHADOWHEART AND LAE’ZEL IS SO FUCKING REAL TO ME OH MY GOD THEY GOTTA GET DOWN RIGHT NOW
They ARE rivals to lovers
Wyll and Karlach… they’re best friends. I’m sorry but all the women look like absolutely lesbians to me and I love that for them
But Wyll is so sweet and so cute and I do adore him, he’s so fun, but I built him so badly haha. Anyways, he is a WHORE, he flirts with EVERYONE, SLUT BOY, and he needs a happy ending. Don’t know with who though. And Karlach needs a short woman to peg.
Astarion is 100% asexual and I love him cause he’s just like me frfr which means he needs to be with me and only me. But also genuinely I think Astarion can only be happy with a redeemed Durge??? Like I think that’s the best path for him. Two monsters learning to be good together… GAH ITS SO CUTE. Either way, he’d need to be with someone who isn’t overly horny
Also once again I absolutely adore Gale. Gale is so good and so loving and he also absolutely loves body worship like he is hozier he was on his knees and worshipping his Goddess Mystra, loving her and now HE CHOOSES YOU IN HIS ROMANCE. HE BDKDCJKWHCISJDKWJD. I love him, so who should he be with? He’s more on the basic side overall, easy to get approval from, but also extremely romantic and loving, and autistic just like me frfr. So… actually maybe Wyll??? Wyll has some self worth issues especially after going all devil and Wyll is also a romantic? But ehhh… I dunno, it just doesn’t feel right.
Anyways, Halsin. I love the daddy bear man like YES he is absolutely fantastic and I love him so so so so much I want him carnally. But also I can’t really see him with most people haha. Maybe Gale though, imagine the astral projection scene but then Halsin is a bear, that’d be hilarious. But nah, I honestly like Halsin/Astarion/Reformed Durge Throuple. Essentially, finishing Astarion’s personal quest before initiation with Halsin will ensure that Astarion doesn’t get any self doubt. They are all on different parts of their journey for improvement, both Halsin and Astarion have severe issues with self doubt along with sexual trauma, and all of them have a “beast” inside. Durge with the Urge, Astarion being a vampire, and Halsin with his difficult-to-control wild shape. Plus Halsin to me is one of the most respectful and consent-focused characters, which I think would work well with what Astarion needs.
Ok so I wanna ship Karlach with some cute bard girl or something, someone just as fun and nice as she is. And you know what? Wyll and Gale is starting to grow on me. They’re both characters who try to “woo” Tav before doing anything, Gale with the Weave and Wyll with his dance.
Imagine, Gale teaching Wyll the secrets of the weave, likely Wyll has never interacted with it properly as his magic comes from a devil. This could help unlock Wyll and on some level separate him from Mizora. Oh wow, both these men have been manipulated and abused by extremely powerful non-humanoid women. They’re both self sacrificing gits who want to be the hero, both sacrificed much for power. I think it would start when Mizora first appears in camp, maybe. Gale would go to comfort Wyll over the transformation, maybe even compliment his horns. During the night of celebration Gale would see Wyll by the beach and offer to show him something magical, aka the Weave scene. They make some jokes and Wyll mentions the dancing, Gale prods, and Wyll says maybe another time.
GAH
I FEEL LIKE A FUCKING GENIUS
Alright, so, summary
Lae’zel and Shadowheart
Karlach and cute girl (if Alfira survived Durge I’d choose her but oh well)
Durge, Astarion, and Halsin
Gale and Wyll
EDIT: This post is no longer accurate to my views or feelings on the matter! I will write another one eventually since I actually know the characters a lot better. This was legit written before I even got to act 2 and I barely did anything in act 1
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sipsandfables · 5 months
Text
Unfiltered Thoughts While Reading: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
⚠️⚠️⚠️ BEWARE! SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Chapter 1
If I were Violet, I’d be like “Forget these biscuits and EXPLAIN YOURSELF SIR” 😂
If Brennan survived, then why did Tairn’s old rider die? 
“Stop bringing logic into an emotional argument.” Hahaha love Violet
I will say though that if she’s going to be mad at Xaden, she can be mad at Brennan for the same thing
Chapter 2
is this foreshadowing? Will Violet or someone else learn the art of ward building to save them all?
“Weapons are the only things that can win this war” for someone so intelligent, I’ve never heard Brennan say anything more foolish than that 
Andarna is a teen 😂
will she go through an emo phase? Hahaha
At least it sounds like her mom wasn’t in on this murder plot 
“Fucking Dain.”
Lol agreed
Chapter 4
I love how Dain acts like nothing happened. Like, wtf? Why are you surprised Violet hates you?!
Unless he didn’t know about the plan somehow and we all just assumed he did.
Also, maybe another mind reader read his mind and he didn’t actually tattle? But even if that’s the case, he still read Violet’s memories without her permission this whole school year
Chapter 5
“I’m pleasantly fuddled but not entirely sloshed.”
Lol I’m using that the next time I get drunk
Chapter 6
Violet has more self-control than me. She should have let Xaden stay the night lol
Chapter 7
I knew it! So, less dragons are bonding because of the war and the venin. I wonder if they are bonding with the rebels or just staying out of it completely 
Chapter 8
so Aaric is the kings son?! Bold move 
And now Liam’s little sister?! This series is going to kill me 😭😭😭
oh shes angry lol 
“What in the angry-Mairi was that about?”
Lol I love Rhiannon
“I've danced with Malek more than my fair share over this last year and told him to fuck right off every single time. ”
LOL
Fuck this dragon and fuck Varrish. What. The. Hell.
I’d be so pissed if someone ran after that because that stupid dragon is killing people in the way anyways. Hide ya kids, hide ya wife, they’re flaming everyone up in here.
“If Solas comes near you again, he knows I will devour his human whole and let him rot within me while his heart still beats, and then I'll take the eye I so graciously left him." "That's...graphic."
Tairn has the best threats lol he and Violet were made for each other
Chapter 9
I knew Imogen would grow on me!
Omg I bet the person they’re interrogating is Xaden. He never made it out to his post and it’s why he hasn’t come to see Violet. I just don’t know how they can keep the dragons from each other 
“"I can take her," Sloane fires back, white-knuckling her knife, "From what your letter said last year, her joints pop right out. How hard can it be?" "Seriously?" I shoot a reproachful look at Imogen. "I can explain." Imogen puts her hand over her heart, "You see, I didn't like you last year, remember? You're kind of an acquired taste."”
hahahaha I love the banter in this series
OMG!!! Nadine!!! I am NOT okay with how fast characters be dying in this damn series!! 😭😭😭
Chapter 10
I knew this dude was sent by Aetos. So freaking sloppy! And the more this book goes on, the more I think Dain didn’t know about the War Games thing. He’s an annoying prick but I don’t see him being malicious enough to let Violet walk to her death. Plus, I actually don’t recall him shitting on people with a relic. He just seems to hate Xaden lol 
Welp, there goes my theory about Xaden being tortured lol
I find it hilarious that Xaden is so obsessed with Violet’s hair lol
Chapter 11
“Coconspirators with a vested interest in keeping each other alive.”
Lol love Imogen. She’s giving me Ron Swanson vibes here with his “work proximity associates” speech 😂😂😂
Banning people from knowledge in order to keep their corrupt secrets from the public is not sustainable. Sure, it drastically slows the distribution of information but the truth always comes out - it’s just a matter of when!
I wonder if the Scribes are translating everything from the old language in order to hide more lies
 Varrish grinning at Violet saying “dragons don’t take orders from humans” does not bode well. Has he found a way to control dragons? Or at least influence them with blackmail or something else?
Varrish is such a dick. Like, get a life dude. 
Chapter 12
That comment about a blade of grass sticking to Violet was so random. 
Chapter 13
This Varrish guy is the worst. He’s like Miss Umbridge from the Harry Potter series
“You wish you were my type. I’m phenomenal in bed.”
Hahahaha I love Imogen. SHE BETTER NOT DIE
Oh no, I bet it’s that freaking survival class test! They’re getting kidnapped!
Chapter 14
Tairn is so sassy and I love it
Obviously, the water is drugged! Have they never read a fantasy novel?! 
I adore Ridoc 😍
HE BETTER NOT DIE
You would think there would be more crossover activities and exercises between riders and infantry if they have to work together so much and infantry are expected to work alongside dragons
Chapter 15
Rhiannon is responding to Violet keeping secrets way better than Violet is to Xaden lol She’s like “hey, you’re hiding something and that’s fine but don’t lie about lying” with Violet. And Xaden is like “Honestly, I have secrets I can’t tell but here are all of the intimate details of my life.” Come on Violet! Quit trippin' and get back with Xaden lol
I don’t like the rift going on between Rhiannon and Violet this book. They need each other and it’s annoying lol
Alright 2 things that annoy me about this book so far:
1. The lack of Xaden and Violet scenes  2. Violet being mad at Xaden for keeping secrets from her in order to protect others
 Chapter 16
Yesssss, Imogen is spitting facts!!! Hopefully this will convince Violet to let him back in
“I’m still speaking.”
Okay Imogen 👀 She could get it 😏
Oh man, I really hope nothing happens to Rhi’s family and she blames Violet for keeping her in the dark
Of course she misses the interrogation technique class!!! Bad move man
Chapter 18
Theory time: Omg is death what’s powering the wards??? Is that why so many more people are dying at an alarming rate? They need more students to die to power up the wards? And maybe daggers work because they are an instrument for causing death?
“I want you.” All day. Every day.
LOLLL
Omg I love how ride or die Rhiannon is about Violet lol 
Who’s soul is Nolon mending?!
Chapter 19
Theory time: Solas’ orange is off and Dain’s dragon's breath stinks because they’re giving the dragons some concoction. Maybe it’s to control them? 
“Humans have the memories of gnats. Dragons hold grudges.”
Pearls of wisdom from Tairn lol
Damn it Tairn lol while I love that he put Varrish and Solas in their place, things just got a whole lot worse for Violet 😬
Chapter 20
“Ugh. Let’s go throw knives at shit.”
😂
Has Mira met Imogen? They’d be two peas in a pod lol
I’m also shook that they kill civilians. Wowwwww
Chapter 21
Man, this is starting to feel like Final Destination since all the Resson survivors are dying one by one
“History and current events are tied because one influences the other.”
Interesting foreshadowing 
I like Devera and I feel like she’s trying to do the right thing while the rest of leadership goes to shit. Like Professor McGonagall does when Dumbledore is no longer headmaster 
“That’s what we’re not going to do.”
You tell em, Devera!
I bet Varrish will be in charge of the torture lessons given his background and he’s going to try to kill Violet 
I was JUST wondering where Dain has been. Haven’t heard his holier than thou whining in a while lol
omg I called it in the last book! Her mom gave Xaden those scars! I also still think I’m right about Dain being guilty of being a prick but not of sending his best friend to get murdered 
Rhiannon is so smart! She reminds me of Bree from Legendborn 😍
I knew I liked Aaroc/Cam for a reason! Hope he doesn’t die….
Chapter 22
It’s strange that Violet is so bad at remembering names when she studied to be a Scribe her whole life lol
Chapter 23
For some reason, book 2 reads a little more like a YA novel than the first book
HAVE THEY LEARNED NOTHING?! Don’t  eat or drink anything!!!
Okay, you didn’t drink but did you eat the jam?!
Ridoc and his snake confession had me cackling
lol I totally thought Ridoc broke first but he was lying haha
I knew fucking Varrish would somehow weasel himself into this training
They’re using Dain? Well hell.
Also, isn’t his signet supposed to be a secret???
Chapter 24
Wait, they’re practicing on civilians?!?! At what point do people wake up and think “hmmm, we’re the bad guys”?
"We should consider quitting the quadrant." Ridoc jokes as we walk over the door and out of the chamber, "We'd be kickass thieves." "With dragons," Sawyer agrees. "Unstoppable," Ridoc says with a grin.
This is giving Six of Crows and I. Am. Here. For. It.
Unlocking doors? hmmmm interesting 
Chapter 25
I know exactly who did this! A scribe! It was the person walking in the hood earlier that Violet noticed. I wonder if it’s her friend or someone else
Those statements have to be true - Markham is acting too squirrelly about them
FUCKING JACK IS BACK?!
Idk how I feel about this book now lol like really? 
Hundreds of cadets die every year and they spent valuable resources and time to mend him?! What happened to “we let the weak die”?! This is utter bull
Also, Nolon mentioned how hard mending a soul is….it doesn’t sound like Jack has a soul 
Chapter 26
I love the nonchalant way Sawyer and Ridoc are ready to murder Jack lol
Chapter 27
Territorial Xaden is the best lollll he’s like who the hell's jacket is that and why isn’t it mine?! 😂
Well, that escalated quickly 👀🔥
Chapter 28
Oh that has to be his ex. The one that Bodhi mentioned
I knew it!
Chapter 29
“Pull yourself together”
Tairn with the tough love 😂😂😂
“I will already know, as I am continuously with you,” he grumbles. “Forced to bear witness to the awkwardness that is twenty one year old humans.”
💀💀💀
I forgot who Professor Kaori is but I love them!!
Chapter 30
FINALLY Violet realizes how hypocritical she was being about Xaden when she tells her friends part of the truth
I bet Andarna is sleeping longer than expected because she’s going to be powerful as hell lol
Holy shit. Too many people die too often in this series. I don’t even remember who Eya is!
Ridoc better not die
Chapter 31
Freaking JACK saved her?!?! What is this rouse?!
I 👏🏾 don’t 👏🏾 trust 👏🏾 him 👏🏾 
Let’s go Aaric! Sidebar, I need a novella about him. He sounds hot
Chapter 32
I thought Aaric ‘s brother died in Threshing! Well I guess Xaden could have killed him then lol
There’s no way Nasya sleeps through his post every time. I bet he’s spying on them
Oh Imogen has it taken care of lol good. Also, that’s a badass signet!
Chapter 34
“The birth of iron rain” !?
That sounds ominous
OMG LADY STOP DRINKING THINGS FROM OTHER PEOPLE
Fucking hell. I honestly can’t even feel anger for Nolon’s betrayal because I’m too annoyed with Violet rn lol
Chapter 36
So Dain is finally choosing the right side!
I’m so glad Varrish is dead! He’s the worst lol. Violet will definitely have to watch her back from Solas
Yay! Devera came through!
The secret is out! Finally!
Chapter 37
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Chapter 38
Andarna is back!!! Yayyy!
I bet this “blood magic” means sacrifice! they have to kill people to build a new ward
I knew Mira would punch Brennan after seeing him for the first time haha
Chapter 39
The 6 strongest riders: Caden, Felix, suri, bodhi, violet, Brennan - I’m surprised Mira isn’t one
Chapter 40
I do think Violet is a little slow on the uptake when it comes to understanding her power which is surprising since she’s so smart
I’m excited about this sibling trip lol
Chapter 41
“Fuck it. We don’t need a luminary.”
Mira is a whole vibe lol
Cat is the worst and Violet is annoying me by listening to her lol Xaden is obsessed with you girl - ignore this jelly belly lady
Well that explains why Violet was trippin' hahaha wasn’t her fault
Chapter 43
yeah I agree - allowing people to die on the parapet is unnecessary lol
Holy shit ! This entire hike is stressful as fuck!
RIDOC!!!
Chapter 45
“The problem with mankind is we too often find our souls to be a fair price for power.”
Chapter 47
I hope Violet kicks Cat’s ass and makes it embarrassing for her lol
Chapter 48
Well that was hawt lol
Xaden talking shit about Dain will never get old lol
The way Xaden feels about Violet reminds me of Rowan to Aelin because his love isn’t conditional and based on if she’s “good” - “If you’re a monster, I’m a monster” (Queen of Shadows)
Xaden is very swoon-worthy lol
Chapter 49
I feel like it’s always Sawyer pitching the idea to just kill an annoying enemy (Cat, Jack, Varrish) and I’m here for it 😂
HE BETTER NOT DIE
oh no….am I starting to find Dain not so bad? Lollll
Chapter 52
Theory time: I really think these nightmares are real - somehow the Sage is communicating with Violet through her dreams Theory Time: I bet she gets captured or agrees to go to the head Sage by the end of this book to set up the next book
Oh god, I really hope an attack doesn’t occur while they’re on this training mission and then Violet feels responsible for not putting up the wards sooner 😬
Chapter 53
Violet must be thinking of Xaden and how he might go mad since his dragon was previously bonded with someone in his direct line
Fucking Solas. I almost forgot about this enemy!
Chapter 54
Honestly I’m surprised she doesn’t have more enemies since if you kill her, you essentially kill 4 beings in one swoop
Andarna is a badass
Chapter 55
No lie, this fight between Xaden and Violet is a little silly and getting exhausting
Ah, I came to the wrong conclusion about Xaden and his bond with Sgaeyl 
Chapter 56
Omg is Xadens second signet mind reading? That would explain a lot. It would also explain why he’s scared to share since they execute people with that signet
Called it!!! I’m glad her response was not immediately “I don’t love you anymore”
Now I need to reread these books to see when he reads her mind. Oh man, I hate to say it but it kind of sounds like what Dain did to her last year
hmmmm, that was too easy lol
Ugh, we’ve been here before - Violet discovers a big secret about Xaden right before some war conflict and they’re fighting in the midst of chaos. Not sure I’m a fan that it’s a repeat of the last book lol
Chapter 57
well I’m glad Cat has stopped being a twat and decided that focusing on saving the continent is the way to go over petty squabbles over an ex lol She reminds me of Lysandra but in a good way lol 
I think the trouble with the writing of their relationship is that Xaden is so amazing and their relationship is so magnetic that their conflicts feel forced. The obstacles they face within their relationship are hard to develop when Xaden is always saying the right things after they fight lol Not that I’d want it any other way - but I think that’s why I’m struggling with not rolling my eyes when they get into arguments. Violet deserves to be angry about the betrayal but then it just feels like her decision on what she’ll do next about them takes FOREVER and it feels like it’s dragged out across a whole ass book.
Omg did Brennan come?! Is he announcing his “undeadness”?!
Violet immediately wants Xaden to use his secret signet on the others? I don’t disapprove at all but that better mean she will forgive him swiftly lol
It isn’t in Violet to NOT help innocent civilians if she can.
“I love you enough to bear the weight of your disappointment.”
Total mom sacrifice right there!
I need a novella of their mom and dad and how they got together lol
Chapter 58
If I were with the Rebellion, I’d agree to help Navarre on the condition that they make it public knowledge that Venin are real and they’ve been lying to citizens for centuries in order to keep a specific amount of citizens safe - that way, they’re not leaving innocents to die AND if they all survive the battle at Solstice, the rebels will walk away with an additional win (the entire continent knowing the truth)
am I the only one who visualize white walkers from GOT when I read about the venin in this book? Lol
Alright let’s go!!! Way to not turn into the enemies! 
Chapter 59
What is with Andarna’s scale colors?! Their changing colors have been mentioned all book - I wonder what’s the significance? Is she a rainbow dragon?! That would be dope lol
Jack's dragon's eyes are weird? Another reference to dragons seeming off! I bet they’re controlling it! But who would want the wards to fail? Who is Jack in league with if Varish is dead? IS Varish even dead?! Did freaking Nolon bring him back to life like he did with Jack?!
What the heck?! Did Jack become venin?! Why did he slaughter his own dragon?!?
Chapter 60
I knew he became venin! But didn’t realize it was for SO LONG!
Well, everything is going to hell in a hand basket 
“Fucking Jack.”
Ain’t that the truth lol
There���s no way this battle is in this book, there’s not enough pages left!!!!
Chapter 61
Can Andarna turn invisible??!
I’m so stressed lol
Chapter 62
Omg is Andarna a chameleon?!
Chapter 63
Theory time: Andarna is head of the seventh den of dragons! This is why she’s so unique. She’s not actually black like Tairn . I bet she’s one of one making her the head of her den. It would make sense since she’s an orphan 
Add-on to the theory: I think both journals are right but describe it differently. Warrick says six AND the one that combines all which must be what Andarna is since she’s always changing colors. Lyra’s journal says seven because it combines the six and the one
Good thing Andarna can make fire now!
Chapter 64
Not a Liam letter 😭😭😭
This heartfelt moment between Andarna and Violet is everything. 
The way that Andarna looks up to Tairn gives me all the feels
What about Sloane?! Can she somehow reverse her power and GIVE instead of siphon?
Ah yep, apparently she can.
Her mom is going to sacrifice herself! 😭😭😭😭😭😭
Chapter 65
I’m honestly surprised Xaden killed the main sage. I figured he’d be a bigger part of the storyline 
Don’t tell me Xaden is also now Venin?! 😭
NOOOOO 😭😭😭
Sgaeyl is pissedddd
Chapter 66
OMG WERE THOSE XADENS DREAMS THE WHOLE TIME?! 
I can’t recall if Violet only had the nightmares when she slept near Xaden 😭😭😭😭😭😭
I am unwell.
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saltwaterandstars · 15 days
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I mentioned in a little comments conversation with @bookhobbit that over the last year I've worked really hard on changing my relationship with my body (which had become totally medicalised after I developed long-term health problems). I said I'd write something about how I've gone about this, so here it is - a long post with brief medical details under the cut. This is not a post about what I think anyone else could or should do - I don't know what would be possible or helpful for anyone else. It's just a description of what I've been doing in response to a challenging aspect of my life.
Some background. I have several long-term health conditions, the most problematic being an autoimmune condition that causes muscle damage. If you can't get it into remission then it becomes a progressive disease, causing damage to the muscles that are needed to walk and lift things, and to control swallowing and breathing. So yeah, you want to get it into remission. I'm lucky in that I've responded to the immunosuppressants and the condition stays in remission or near enough as long as I take the meds, so my muscles are not getting massively damaged at the moment. But the meds have wrecked my stomach lining and intermittently do bad things to my liver, and the multiple muscle biopsies I needed to get a diagnosis have done other damage, and because of the meds, even in phases when the autoimmune condition is in remission, I still regularly have unpleasant symptoms. And when I take a break from the meds, the muscle damage starts again.
Relationship to my body. Since all this started a few years ago my life has felt like an endless stream of MRI scans, medications, biopsies, blood tests, injections, and rehab. And my body has come to feel like a collection of broken parts, just a heap of systems that don't work and feel bad and are frightening and exhausting. About a year ago I recognised that my relationship to my body had been completely changed by all this. I had come to see my body, to experience my body, as just a collection of medical problems and nothing more. And of course, that was being reinforced by the regular conversations I have to have with doctors about it all—dispassionate, diagnostic conversations about whatever bits of my body are currently failing to perform normally. I had come to experience my body as a bag of broken medical objects—and that is absolutely not the relationship I want to have with it. So, I decided to do what I could to change that relationship.
How I went about changing my relationship with my body. What I can’t change is the fact that I have long-term health conditions and that means symptoms and treatments to varying degrees for the rest of my life. I can’t change the fact that there are parts of my body, whole systems, that just don’t work well. But what I had to recognise is that my body is not merely that; I am not merely that. And knowing intellectually that I am more than a collection of symptoms was not enough. I needed to retrain my attentional habits to notice more than just medical stuff. And I needed to start treating my body as more than just medical stuff.
I’m lucky that I have some personal resources that I could lean on to do this:
I’m a (non-theist) pagan and I’m used to using ritual to turn towards painful experiences and explore them and set specific intentions about them
I have a decades-long history of mindfulness practice
I am a determined, obstinate creature!
This is what I did.
1. I made a ritual about the issue. I cast a circle and lined the circle with objects and pictures that represented my imaginary gang (Patti Smith, Kate Bush, Natasha Khan, Mary Oliver, and Hilary Mantel, in case you’re wondering!) I sat in the middle of the circle and told the ladies the story of what had happened—of how ill I was and how medicalised my body had become and how sad and lost and frightened I felt about it all. I stated my intention to the gang: to reclaim my physical, animal self—to relearn how to experience my physical self as more than a selection of medical problems; to treat my physical self as more than a medical problem. I listed some of the ways I could view and experience my body that were not about it being a broken medical object. I made a commitment to myself and to the gang to weave this practice into my daily life, and then to show that I was serious about the commitment, I acted on it in the ritual by putting on lots of temporary tattoos and jewellery—treating my body as something to be adorned and celebrated rather than just medicalised. I finished by having a little feast, thanking the gang, and closing the circle.
For me, a ritual like this acts as a clarifying lens and also as a crucible in which to form new behavioural habits. And I use the memory of the ritual as a support when I’m trying to act on my commitment day in, day out, and maybe struggling.
2. I put myself on an attention training programme. By that I mean that following the ritual, every time I noticed that I was focussed/fixated/ruminating on a symptom or some other aspect of my body-as-a-medical-object I would ask myself two questions:
Is there any reason why continuing to focus narrowly on this medical issue/body part right now is going to be helpful? (It was rarely helpful). I would then wish the body part well and would shift to the second question:
In addition to this medical issue/struggling body part, what else is my body right now? I’d make myself broaden out my attention to include the whole of my body (including but not limited to the body part or symptom I’d been fixating on), to be able to respond to this question based on direct, sensory experience: This is a body that’s wearing yellow socks with puffins on them. This is a body that’s feeling the breeze coming in through that open window and enjoying the sensation. This is a body that smells of pears from my favourite shower gel. This is a body that’s tired. This is a body that’s feeling hungry. This is a body that feels restless. This is a body that's listening to Chaka Khan and has an urge to dance.
Over the last year I have intentionally, thousands of times, acknowledged my body’s struggles and symptoms and then I've widened the field of my attention to notice what else my body is, what else it can experience, what else it means to me, what it is as a whole. I have trained myself, one tiny practice at a time, to reconnect with a wider, fatter, richer sense of what my body is, of who I am as an embodied creature. Of course, my attention is still pulled to pain and nausea and symptom-focussed worry etc. but I don’t get caught up in those things for as long as I used to, and I notice the non-medical stuff quicker and more frequently than I did.
3. As per the commitment I made in the ritual, I have begun (again) to treat my body as more than just a collection of medical problems that need treatment. Specifically, I have worked on changing my role/behaviour towards my body from that of merely nurse/physio. For me this has included (at different times) adorning it with temporary tattoos that make me smile, feeding it foods it really likes, wearing perfume, wearing clothes in colours I love, singing round the house, massaging my hands and feet, seeking more cuddles etc. from my husband, dancing when I feel able to, and really importantly to me, starting to have massages every six weeks or so that are utterly non-medical in nature. I still have to give myself injections and book blood tests and make myself have naps etc. but that’s not all I do in relation to my body now.
Given that my health conditions are going to be around for the rest of my life, I think these practices will also need to be around for the rest of my life, or at least for as long as I find them helpful.
This is already very long so I’m going to stop here, but I’m very happy to answer any questions about any of it - if anyone gets to the end and it's of interest :-)
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callmebrycelee · 11 days
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9-1-1 REACTION
After last week’s 100th episode, I am back with a reaction to our latest episode. I do want to acknowledge my last reaction got a bit wordy so it’s my goal to keep things nice and tight. Like Lou Ferrigno Jr.'s body. Okay, focus! Ahem. This reaction is for the season 7, fifth episode “You Don’t Know Me” which originally aired April 11, 2024. The episode was written by Lyndsey Beaulieu and Taylor Wong and directed by Brenna Mallow. Spoilers ahead!
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“I’m the boss of me.” – Terry and audience
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We begin the episode in a hotel conference room where speaker Terry (played by John Milhiser) is talking to a small audience about the importance of having self-control. He tells his captive audience the secret to self-control is one simple thing; however, before he can reveal that simple thing, his right hand seizes up and starts going all Devon Sawa in Idle Hands on Terry. The audience is aghast as Terry starts beating the shit out of himself. It would be hilarious if it wasn’t so horrifying. 
Cue title card.
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“Get it off!” – Eddie Diaz, to anyone who will listen
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The 118 arrive on the scene and find Terry slapping himself. Hen reminds us that once upon a time she went to med school and suggests Terry is suffering from something called alien hand syndrome. Eddie doesn’t believe such a thing exists but Hen schools him by explaining that it’s a rare neurological condition that causes a person’s limbs to act out, seemingly of their own will. This condition usually indicates urgent brain danger. Bobby tells Buck and Eddie to restrain Terry while Hen and Chimney prepare to administer some lorazepam and lidocaine. Buck and Eddie struggle to restrain the guy which is funny considering they’re both big dudes and this guy doesn’t seem like he would be that strong. Hen asks Terry if he’s recently been treated for epilepsy or blood clots. He tells her no and Chimney asks if he’s been treated for an irregular heartbeat. Terry tells him he had an operation four weeks ago for his AFib. Hen thinks it’s possible his heart has grown a blood clot that went to his brain. Basically, Terry is having a stroke and it’s imperative they get him to the hospital immediately before there’s any brain damage. 
Terry’s hand reaches for Buck’s throat and starts choking him. Bobby manages to pry his hand off Buck’s throat, but it immediately grabs Eddie’s (ahem) privates. Yup, you read that correctly. Terry’s hand gropes Eddie’s package. Eddie is basically S.A.-ed in a room full of people. Bobby pries his hand off, again, and Eddie collapses to the floor. The hand goes for Buck’s throat again and Chimney sneaks in to administer the lidocaine which numbs Terry’s arm and hand. At this point, Buck’s face is beet-red, and his eyes are bulging out. Terry goes to apologize to Buck and Eddie, but neither are very receptive to his apology. 
“How perfect is this little face?” – Karen Wilson, to Maddie Buckley
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We head over to the Buckley-Han residence where Maddie and Chimney are giving some of Jee-Yun’s baby clothes to Hen and Karen who are excited about the arrival of a new foster child. Karen gets a call from the social worker asking to meet with them. When they meet with Dierdra (played by Andi Chapman) she tells them the little girl they were planning on fostering is being taken in by her grandmother. What I like most about this scene, it shows how much Hen and Karen have grown since the whole Nia situation back in season 3. They’re disappointed about not being able to foster the little girl, but Hen says that at least the girl gets to stay with her family. 
Dierdra tells them there’s another girl who needs a home but she’s older. Both the girl’s parents are deceased and she’s currently living in a group home which is not an ideal living situation for a 9-year-old. Dierdra tells Hen and Karen that this girl is very special, and she wants her to have a fighting chance at having a good life. She believes her best chance is with Hen and Karen. Hen looks at Karen who gives her a look that indicates her interest in giving this child a home. Hen asks Dierdra when she and Karen will get to meet her. 
“I’m an ally. Every Pride Month, I put a rainbow on my Instagram.” – Evan Buckley, to Tommy Kinard
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Meanwhile, Buck and Tommy (played by Lou Ferrigno Jr.) go out on their first date. While Tommy pays their bill, Buck asks him what time the movie starts. Tommy tells him the movie theater has 18 screens so they can pick a movie when they get there. Buck glances around the restaurant, nervously, and Tommy assures him that no one is looking at them. I love that Tommy is one of the only characters in the show who calls him Evan. Tommy reminds him that no one cares that they’re having dinner together. Buck, of course, plays coy, and Tommy tells him he’s a little tense. He tells Buck that he gets it. The two of them are in a pretty macho line of work,. He tells Buck that he’d be surprised by how accepting most people are. 
Buck asks Tommy if he’s always been out at work. Tommy tells him ‘no’ and says that the 118 was a pretty regressive place back when it was under the leadership of Captain Gerrard. Tommy says that back then he was still figuring himself out. When he transferred to Harbor, he stopped lying about who he was. Buck says he’s not lying about who he is and Tommy says he didn’t say Buck was. He was talking about himself. Buck tells Tommy this is his first date with a guy but assures him he’s not weirded out. I cackled when Buck told Tommy he was an ally and that he posts a rainbow on his Instagram during Pride Month. Tommy says that it must be him that makes Buck nervous. 
“Evan, I think you’re adorable.” – Tommy Kinard, to Evan Buckley
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Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Eddie and his girlfriend, Marisol (played by Edy Ganem). Eddie greets them both, very loudly, and is excited to see his two friends hanging out. Tommy tells them they just had dinner and are on their way to see a movie. Buck says that afterwards they’re going to go pick up hot chicks because women like firefighters. Eddie, of course, is oblivious and makes a comment about Marisol being a hot chick and finding her firefighter. I don’t know who’s cringier in this scene – Buck or Eddie. Eddie tells Buck and Tommy that Marisol agreed to move in with him and they both tell him congratulations. Marisol makes a comment about moving her armoire into Eddie’s house and he says that you can never have too much closet space. Tommy says, ain’t that the truth – right, Evan? I hollered!!!! Buck looks like he wants to disappear. Eddie and Marisol leave, and Tommy asks if Buck’s ready to go. Buck says yes. Outside, Tommy orders a Lyft just for himself. He tells Buck he’s going to skip the movie. When Buck asks why, Tommy tells him that he doesn’t think Buck is ready. Before he gets in the car, he tells Buck he’ll see him around. I felt so bad for Buck in this scene, but I totally understand where Tommy is coming from.
“Can we go back to the pronoun?” – Maddie Buckley, to Evan Buckley
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Dierdra introduces Hen, Karen, and Denny to a Mara Driskell (played by Askyler Bell). Mara is non-verbal and seems withdrawn. Hen tells her to make herself at home and Denny gives her his favorite teddy bear. Meanwhile, Buck goes to see Maddie and tells her about his date. He describes his date in vague terms which leads Maddie to believe he’s seeing a married woman. Buck says he’s not seeing a married woman and tells her he feels guilty for lying to Eddie. Maddie asks him why he did it and Buck says he doesn’t know. Buck tells her that his date left him standing outside the restaurant. Maddie picks up on the specific pronoun he used to describe his date and to Buck’s credit, he tells her he was on a date with a guy. 
Maddie is so supportive in this scene which I knew she’d been. In fact, I don’t think anyone is going to have a problem with Buck being interested in men. Maddie asks him how long it’s been since he’s been leaning in the other direction. He tells her he hasn’t been leaning in that direction; however, he will, from time to time, check out a hot guy’s ass. Buck considers this normal behavior, and you know what, I agree with him. We should all, regardless of who were are attracted to, take the time to check out a hot guy’s ass. Buck tells his sister about Tommy. I thought it was so cute when Buck lists all the things he finds attractive about Tommy Kinard. He’s confident, interesting, and no one has a swell cleft in his chin like Gaston Tommy. Maddie asks if this is the same Tommy who is Eddie’s friend. Buck gets defensive and reminds her that Tommy is a recent friend that he and Eddie most definitely met at the same time. I love when Buck gets jealous. Maddie tells Buck that she doesn’t think he’s a fraud and she follows that up with some amazing, sisterly advice. She reminds him that he’s still processing these new feelings and when he’s ready to tell Eddie the truth, he will do it in his own time.  We end the scene with Maddie asking Buck to tell her more about the hot pilot.
“You’re not gonna spank me with a ruler, are you?” – Eddie Diaz, to Marisol
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We next head over to the Diaz residence where we see Eddie and Marisol in bed together presumably after sexytimes. I found this transition jarring because we haven’t seen this side of Eddie since season 2. It’s so funny to me that Ryan Guzman is one of this show’s sex symbols, but we rarely get intimate scenes with his character. In fact, all of the other characters have been shown to have very active and satisfying sex lives within the show. Even Bobby and Athena like to mix it up with some roleplay from time to time. Anywho, Marisol heads into the bathroom to take the world’s fastest shower while Eddie snoops through her things. He finds a crucifix and a photo of her in a nun’s habit. He asks her when she was a nun for Halloween. Marisol exits the bathroom wearing a towel and tells him the photo was taken when she was with the Sisters of the Holy Order. She passes off this information like it’s the most normal explanation in the world before heading back into the bathroom. He asks he if she was really a month and she lets him know she only made it to novice and never took her final vows. Eddie tells her he’s having flash backs to being back in middle school. He asks if he she plans on spanking him with a ruler and she jokes that she’ll only do that if he asks nicely. When Marisol leaves the bathroom this time, Eddie sees her dressed in a habit with a celestial glow around her. Yeah, Buck may be dealing with his sexuality, but our boy Eddie has some good old-fashioned Catholic guilt.
“Is something wrong?” – Karen Wilson, to Mara Driskell
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Back over at the Wilsons, Karen helps Mara get ready for bed. As she goes to leave the room, she finds the bear that Denny gave Mara lying on the floor with its head ripped off. Karen is rightfully disturbed by this and quickly exits the room. Later on, Karen wakes up to find Mara standing at the end of her bed. She wakes Hen up and they ask if something is wrong. Mara just stands there and glares at them in the creepiest way. Hen gets up and tells Mara she will go back to her room with her. When she goes to put her hand on Mara’s shoulder, the child starts screaming bloody murder which wakes Denny up. Hen and Karen exchange horrified looks.
“So, she dropped out of nun school?” – Evan Buckley, to Eddie Diaz
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The next day, Buck walks into work, looking nervous and trepidatious. He sees Eddie at the bench-press and heads over to talk to him. He starts things off by telling Eddie he’s there early. Eddie says he’s been there since 6:00 even though their shift doesn’t start till 9:00. Eddie tells Buck he left the house early to avoid having sex with Marisol. Eddie asks Buck if his family was very religious when he was growing up which, no offense to the writers, seems like a conversation they would’ve maybe had by now considering how close they are. Buck says they were Episcopalian so basically no. I laughed at this line because I’ve always thought of Episcopalian as diet Catholicism. Many of the same rituals without all the pomp and pageantry. Eddie says he comes from Latin Catholics which apparently is even more hardcore than regular Catholics. Rosary beads. Catholic schools. Confessions. Mass every Sunday. He tells Buck he went until he was old enough to let tell his parents it wasn’t for him. Eddie calls himself as a Manchurian Catholic with a reservoir of Catholic guilt lying dormant just waiting to be activated. 
Eddie goes on to say that everything was going great with Marisol moving in until he found out she was a nun. Buck’s follow-up question to hearing all of this is asking if she wears the outfit meaning the nun’s habit. Eddie explains that she’s not a nun currently, but she was once upon a time. Buck asks if she dropped out or was expelled. Eddie says that Marisol left of her own volition. Buck asks him what the problem is. Eddie says the problem is that he can’t look at her without wanting to do the Sign of the Cross instead of … other things. Eddie says he hasn’t been able to get a boner since she told him which explains why he’s so pent up. Buck tells him that Episcopalians don’t have guilt which is something he doesn’t exactly feel great about and suggests that Eddie appeal to a higher power. Eddie asks Buck if he thinks he should go to confession. Buck tells him ‘no’ and says he thinks he should go talk to Bobby since he’s a practicing Catholic. Eddie thinks this is a good idea since Bobby has never made him feel judged. He tells Buck that’s good advice. He goes to leave but pauses. He turns to Buck and says that it looked like he wanted to tell him something when he walked in. Buck lies and says he was just going to see if needed someone to spot him. 
“One minute, Denny’s setting the table and the next, he’s bleeding.” – Karen Wilson, to Hen Wilson
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Upstairs, Bobby brings Hen coffee. She tells him she need a handful of ibuprofen. He asks her if she has a headache, she tells him she has an everything ache. He asks her how thing are going with Mara, and she tells him that something happened to her. Before she got to Hen and Karen. Hen tells him that Mara had an episode the previous night. A night terror. She tells Bobby that she’s been with a day and a night but so far hasn’t spoken a single word. Bobby tells her that once Mara feels safe, she will eventually open up. Hen gets a text from Karen with a photo of Denny. Denny had a bruise over his right eye and the two of them are at the emergency room. Hen gets up and tells Bobby she needs to call Karen.
She learns that during breakfast, Mara chucked a coffee mug at Denny’s head. Hen asks if Denny is okay, and Karen says that he swears he’s fine. Denny tells Karen and Hen that Mara didn’t mean to hurt him which is awfully mature of him to say. Hen starts freaking out and asking about x-rays and stitches and checking for a concussion. Karen lets her know she is handling things. Hen apologizes and says she wishes she was there. Hen asks how all of this happened and Karen tells her she thinks it’s because Denny moved her blanket. Hen tells Karen that she’ll be home soon and when she gets there they have a lot to talk about. Karen agrees. When Hen gets home, the two of them make a phone call to Dierdra.
“I’m not gonna tell you how you feel about Marisol, Eddie. Only you know that.” – Bobby Nash, to Eddie Diaz
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Meanwhile, back at the 118, Eddie shows Bobby a photo of Marisol wearing her nun’s habit. Bobby says that Marisol doesn’t look like any of the nuns he had back when he was in Minnesota. Bobby tells Eddie he understands why he’s unnerved by the knowledge that Marisol used to be a nun. He says that the imagery from their faith is very powerful. Eddie says he’s not sure if he can say that it is their faith. He tells Bobby he doesn’t know what he believes in anymore. Bobby reminds him that a lapsed Catholic is still a Catholic. He wonders if Eddie’s reaction is just him having second thoughts about Marisol moving in with him. He says that Eddie hasn’t talked about Marisol in a way that would make Bobby think he was considering cohabitating with her. Eddie tells Bobby that he really likes Marisol. Bobby tells Eddie he remembers the last time he said something similar. It was about Ana and he tells Eddie that shortly thereafter he started having panic attacks. Eddie asks Bobby if he thinks he’s a commitment-phobe. Bobby says he doesn’t think that’s the case considering Eddie has no problem committing to other things like the military, being a firefighter, his son, and Shannon. Eddie tells Bobby that the Church is a lot of the reason why he and Shannon got married. When she got pregnant, they both felt pressured into getting married. Eddie says that he’s never regretted marrying Shannon. Even when things got really bad, there was a part of him that loved being married to her. Bobby tells Eddie that only he knows how he feels about Marisol. Eddie asks Bobby what he would do if he were in his position. Bobby says as a practicing, confession-going Catholic he would go to confession because he wouldn’t want to piss off Marisol’s ex … the Lord. 
“I was supposed to take care of her. She was finally supposed to be safe with me.” – Cynthia, to Hen Wilson
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In our next scene, the 118 respond to an emergency involving a structure fire and a firefighter named Brunson who has been bitten by the homeowner’s dog. While Chimney sees to Brunson (played by Anthony Starke), the homeowner Cynthia (played by Sandra Thigpen) explains that the dog is a rescue who was once used for fighting. She is more upset about the dog being trapped inside her home which is currently on fire than she is her home. Brunson says he’s sorry he couldn’t get the dog out of the house and Cynthia apologizes for her dog biting him. Hen, being an avid animal lover, goes to check on the dog after she’s carried out of the house by another fireman. She detects movement and begins administering compressions to the dog. Okay, so maybe I’m late to the party but I didn’t know CPR worked on dogs. The dog regains consciousness and Cynthia is so happy. Brunson says to Hen that she doesn’t give up and Chimney tells him that giving up is not in her vocabulary. 
“Everybody’s given up on her. I don’t want to be another name in a long list of people who have failed her.” – Hen Wilson, to Athena Grant
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Hen goes to see Athena who has done some digging into Mara’s background. They learn that Mara’s parents were high school sweethearts who have criminal records going all the way back to when they were teenagers. They were both into drugs which ultimately led to their demise. They both died on the same night due to an opioid overdose. They’d been dead several hours by the time paramedics arrived. Hen asks Athena how the paramedics found them. Athena tells her someone called 911. 
Hen and Karen head over to the 911 dispatch center to see Maddie. I love how we keep getting more scenes between these Maddie and Hen. I would argue that we’ve seen Hen and Maddie together more in just this season alone than the other seasons combined. Maddie plays the 911 call from the night Mara’s parents overdosed. At first no one responds to the dispatcher but eventually Mara starts talking. Mara tells him that her parents went to sleep and now they will not wake up. It was absolutely heartbreaking listening to Mara tell the dispatcher that she couldn’t feel her parents breathing. She tells him that sometimes her parents take pills that make them sleepy but they always wakeup. She wonders why they aren’t waking up this time. She begs for them to wake up. When the recording ends, Hen realizes aloud that Mara wasn’t just watching her and Karen sleep. She was worried they weren’t going to wake up. Karen says she was trying to protect them. I mean that still doesn’t make what she did to Denny okay but at least we have an explanation as to why she’s acting out and not speaking to anyone.
Eddie heads over to Buck’s to avoid going home to his own place. Buck tells him he’s going to have to go home at some point. Eddie asks if he has to. Buck reminds him that’s where he and his son lives. Eddie says that Christopher is away for the next couple of days. Speaking of Christopher, I was hoping that with him being a main part of the cast now that we’d see him more this season. Maybe he’ll factor in towards the latter half of the season. Anywho, Eddie is worried that if he goes home, Marisol will want to have sex with him. Buck tells him he’ll get through it. Eddie is worried about God watching them knock boots and Buck asks him if God was watching before Eddie learned about Marisol being a nun. Eddie says that he’s going to have to break up with her. Buck asks him if that is what he wants. Eddie says no and reminds Buck that he just asked Marisol to move in with him. He tells Buck that he and Tommy have the right idea staying single and hanging out with the boys. Oh, Eddie. You don’t know the half of it. 
“This doesn’t change a thing between us. Okay?” – Eddie Diaz, to Evan Buckley
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Buck finally comes clean and tells Eddie he was on a date with Tommy. Eddie is shocked that Tommy’s gay which is funny to me because one would think his first thought would be, wow, Buck, you’re bisexual? Buck figured that Tommy’s sexuality would’ve come up at some point while they were hanging out. Eddie says Tommy hasn’t said anything to him, not that it would matter. Buck says that Tommy doesn’t volunteer his sexuality, but he doesn’t hide it. Buck asks Eddie if it’s weird that he and Tommy were on a date and Eddie says absolutely not. Eddie tells Buck that nothing will change between the two of them and Buck is visibly relieved by hearing this. Buck tells him that Tommy dumped him but then remembers that he can’t be dumped if they were never together. Buck tells him that Tommy doesn’t think he’s ready to be in a relationship with a guy. Eddie asks him what he thinks. Buck says he can’t stop thinking about Tommy. Eddie tells Buck he needs to call Tommy. Eddie reminds him that Tommy doesn’t know he’s an idiot but once he does get to know him, he’ll love Buck – like they all do. But what if he says no, Buck asks. Then he’s an idiot, Eddie says. Eddie tells him not to walk away from something before he even knows what it is. Buck echoes what Eddie said earlier in the episode and tells him that’s good advice. Eddie agrees and tells Buck he needs to talk to Marisol. He gets up and heads to the door. Before he leaves, he tells Buck to come here, and the two besties hug it out. This scene was so precious. I love the chemistry between these two. I’m still not 100% sold on them being anything other than friends but I can see why others would see a scene like this and ship these two romantically. Before Eddie leaves, he reminds Buck to call Tommy. If only you could be as good of a boyfriend as you are a friend, Eddie. You would be as close to perfect as a person could get. 
“Because no man has ever looked at me the same after they found out.” – Marisol, to Eddie Diaz
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Eddie finally makes it back to his house right about the same time Marisol gets there. He apologizes for not coming home sooner. He asks her if she’s had anything to eat and she tells him she ate with her brother. This made me laugh because I’ve seen people on Reddit and Tumblr joke about how Marisol has more chemistry with her brother than she does with Eddie. Anywho, Marisol tells Eddie they should talk and he agrees. She tells him she have told him sooner about being a nun. He asks her why she didn’t, and she tells him that whenever she tells a guy about her past, one of two things happen. Either they get freaked out or turned on. Eddie suggests there may be a third option – the kind of guy who just needs a minute. Marisol tells him if he’s not ready for them to cohabitate, she understands. Eddie tells her he doesn’t think he’s ready for them to leave together … yet. He tells her something about him. He confesses that he has the tendency to move too fast in his relationships. He goes with his gut and lets his head catch up later. Marisol asks if that usually works out for him and he tells her no. However, this time he would really like it if it did. Eddie asks Marisol if they can start over, and she says yes. This time he wants them to take time getting to know each other. They kiss and Marisol says she can’t wait to move out. Eddie says he can’t wait either.
“Night, night.” – Mara, to Karen Wilson
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At the Wilson residence, Karen goes into Mara’s room to talk to her. She says she can’t imagine how hard it is for her being in a new house with strangers. Karen says she would be scared all the time which is how she knows Mara is a very brave girl. Karen tells Mara she doesn’t have to be brave all the time. She tells her she is safe there with her, Hen, and Denny – even if she doesn’t feel like she is. She gives Mara a monitor so she can see that Karen and Hen are there and know that she is safe. She tells Mara goodnight and tells her goodnight. Hen and Karen are delighted to hear this.
“I don’t know what I’m ready for, but I am ready for something. And I think maybe that something could be with you.” – Evan Buckley, to Tommy Kinard
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The next day, Buck meet up with Tommy. They exchange hellos and Buck thanks Tommy for agreeing to meet him. He tells Tommy he got him a coffee. He didn’t know how he took his coffee, so he just guessed. Tommy takes a sip and says, not like that. I love how honest Tommy is. It’s what I find so endearing about him. They both laugh and Buck says there’s a lot of things they don’t know about each other. Tommy says practically everything. Buck wants to change that but first he apologizes for how he behaved on their date. Tommy assures him he has nothing to apologize for, but Buck says he does. Tommy tells him no again and explains that he didn’t cut their date short because Buck behaved badly. He cut it short because he didn’t want to pressure Buck. Buck admits that how he acted is not one of his proudest moments. Buck brings up how Tommy said he wasn’t ready. He tells Tommy that he doesn’t know what he’s ready for but he is ready for something. He believes that maybe that something could be with Tommy. Tommy says that Buck already knows he’s interested. Buck invites him to come to Maddie’s wedding. Tommy laughs but quickly realizes that Buck is serious. Buck tells him that he wants him to be his date. When Tommy said Evan, I swooned. Buck tells him that he already knows half the people that will be at the wedding and says that Maddie is eager to meet him. I love how Tommy is always checking to make sure Buck is okay with everything they are doing. He asks Buck if he’s sure and Buck says he is. He tells Tommy he’ll need someone to dance with. Tommy says okay. They hold hands and Buck looks so happy I could just scream.  “What was it, pastel and puke?” – Maddie Buckley, to Evan Buckley and Eddie Diaz
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In our final scene, we flash-forward to Maddie and Chimney’s wedding. We see Athena looking absolutely radiant seated next to Bobby. We see Maddie in her wedding dress freaking out over Chimney, Buck, and Eddie being a half an hour late. Maddie’s dad (played by Gregory Harrison) is trying to call Buck but keeps getting his voicemail. Hen arrives in looking absolutely stunning in a black tux. She tells Maddie that Buck’s car just pulled up. Maddie is relieved and asks if Chimney is with them. Hen tells her she isn’t sure. She didn’t see. Buck and Eddie arrive looking like something the proverbial cat drug in. I love their pastel blazer. Eddie’s in a pink suit with no shirt on for some reason. Not that I’m complaining. Buck has on all white with a green blazer. Maddie asks them why they’re dressed like that. Buck says they were at a themed party. Eddie says the puke on his jacket isn’t his. Maddie tells them to get changed and asks them about Chimney. Buck tells her it’s complicated. 
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Wow, what another incredible episode. I like how the theme of not knowing someone carried out throughout the episode. This season continues to deliver on the character development front. Some have complained that there’s not enough emergencies this season, but I don’t care. I’ve always preferred the drama of the characters over the actual emergencies. I think the show does a good job of balancing those two things. Hell, it’s only been five episodes and we’ve dealt with a drunk driver, an airplane crashing into a house, a cruise ship capsizing and a guy going ape shit on himself. That’s plenty of emergency for me. 
Speaking of balance, I think the show is doing a good job of balancing our main characters’ storyline. The first three episodes dealt with Athena and Buck. The last two episodes have been about Buck, Hen, and Eddie. I feel like the next episodes will deal with Maddie and Chimney. Speaking of Buck, I am very pleased with the direction his character is going. I was watching an episode from season one and it’s remarkable how far he’s come since then. The same goes with Hen. In season one, I wasn’t sure if her relationship with Karen was going to go the distance but here we are seven years later and they’re still together, better than ever, and fostering kids in addition to raising Denny. Then we have Eddie. I am so happy Bobby called him out on his bullshit. I’ve watched people online make excuses for Eddie’s behavior while pointing the finger at Shannon. I’ve never understood how people could be so angry at Shannon for leaving Christopher but turn a blind eye to the fact that Eddie has openly admitted to signing up for another tour of duty because he wasn’t ready to deal with being a husband and a father. Having Marisol move out is a good decision although I wish he never asked her to move in to begin with. It creates more baggage for her. Hopefully, Eddie will take additional steps to figure out why he sucks at relationships. It's so funny to me because I see so many folks online who swear up and down that Eddie and Buck are going to be together by the end of this season. Yet, none of them have ever taken the time to consider that if Eddie is bad with Shannon, Ana, and now with Marisol, why would things be any different with Buck? Also, I do not want Eddie to interfere with Buck’s bisexual awakening. In fact, outside of them being just two friends supporting each other, I would like to see them embark on their separate journeys alone and maybe rely on others for advice. 
Well, unfortunately it looks like we will not be getting a new episode until May 2nd. I checked my calendar and May 2nd isn’t as far away as I thought. Having 9-1-1 on a brief hiatus will allow me some time to revisit some older episodes and rewatch the five episodes from this season. The thing about 9-1-1, much like Golden Girls and Schitt’s Creek, it will never get old to me. So, maybe I’ll start at the very beginning (again) so I can better appreciate how far our beloved characters have come. Until next time …
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arcielee · 1 month
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Interview With a Writer
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Thank you again @inthedayswhenlandswerefew for continue the Maggie's Suffering Sundays tradition with a behind-the-scenes on her latest story! As always, here is masterlist to my Interview With a Writer series and the other talented individuals who allow me to continue this self-indulgent series! 💜
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Name: inthedayswhenlandswerefew
Story: Napoleonville
Paring: modern Aemond Targaryen x female!reader
Warnings: 18+ mature themes. Be mindful of chapter warnings.
What inspired the plotline for Napoleonville?
I’ve always thought that bayou country (and the Deep South in general) has a fascinating, slightly unnerving, ancient sort of beauty, and I had a vague idea that I’d use it as a setting for a fic one day. I actually wrote a short story in college that took place in rural Louisiana (it involved fraternities and murder, sounds like me, right? 😂) and really loved the experience of mentally living in that setting for a while.
One day I was thinking about this preoccupation I have with Louisiana while listening to You’re Wrong About, a podcast I really love. They have a 5-episode miniseries about Princess Diana that is super informative and also hilarious, and I go back and re-listen to those episodes a few times a year because I enjoy them so much. So the plot of Napoleonville was a marriage (pun intended) of these two seemingly random, disconnected inspirations!
I think I imagined the story as taking place in the 80s primarily because of the Princess Diana connection, but also I’m super obsessed with 80s music and fashion, so I’m sure that was a contributing factor. 😁
My Pinterest board for this series was called "Swamplands" and featured a LOT of retro 80s photos, as well as plenty of alligators and baking recipes, of course!
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I sadly did not yet exist in the 80s, so extensive research was necessary.
Explain your interpretation of Aemond. What drives him? Why is he the way he is in Napoleonville?
To me, Aemond seems a lot like Prince Charles in the 80s. He’s very image-conscious and dutiful, but also deeply insecure and unhappy, and he has a secret scandalous life that serves as his escape from the emotionally devoid reality that has been chosen for him.
Aemond is at peace when he gets to feel like he’s in control, but he’s also just fundamentally starved for genuine affection, and those are things that he needs—even in secret, and even in small doses—in order to survive the stifling, relentless demands of being the heir to the Jade Dragon Energy dynasty.
Did you already have an idea of how you wanted the Targaryen family dynamic to be in Napoleonville?
In most of my fics, Viserys is either dying/dead or super distant, so I liked being able to get a sense of how the family would function if Viserys was alive and well and at least somewhat present.
He’s this dark cloud of a patriarch whenever he jets into town from his latest business trip, reminding every member of the family how they’ve disappointed him: Alicent is an unlovable wife, Aegon an embarrassment of a son, Aemond an overlooked middle child always trying to prove himself (at the risk of both his mental and physical health), and then Helaena and Daeron are barely even on his radar.
When Viserys is away, the family seems a bit happier, lazing around the pool and distracting themselves with a variety of hobbies and substances. I think the fact that Aemond picked up smoking Marlboros from Alicent—and then she shared them with Christabel as well—is very indicative about how a dynamic like this is generational. Parents suffer, and then their children develop maladaptive behaviors to survive in that environment, and then they grow up to recreate it because that’s all they know.
With Viserys still around, Otto became a different character, and this version of Otto Hightower was really fun to write. I imagined him as someone who was once a determined social striver and now—burned-out and somewhat aware that all his ambitions led to nothing but misery—has become a bit of a nihilist and is content to spend what remains of his life on a beach in the South Pacific.
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Can you give us the "dad dynamic" comparison of Aemond and Willis?
Aemond, while emotionally kind of clueless, is definitely aware that he had a bad childhood and doesn't want any other kids to have to feel that way.
Also Aemond, unlike Willis, is socially open-minded. He has this fascination with scrappy underdogs who manage to take bad circumstances and make something meaningful out of them, undoubtedly because that’s deep down how he’s always felt: like someone harmed and overlooked, yet a constant striver.
When Aemond first meets Cupcake, there is a level of chemistry and attraction that he didn’t expect (although he certainly has always hoped for it), and he realizes almost immediately that this will be more than a one-time hookup and treats Cupcake accordingly. Then as he begins to learn more about her, his admiration and affection grows.
Cupcake is unassuming and yet nontraditional and defiant in the face of adversity, exactly the sort of person that Aemond respects most. He feels that—like himself, although in very different ways—Cupcake was also robbed of the agency she deserved and wronged by people who should have had her best interests at heart. Viserys was responsible for Aemond’s lost eye; Willis—in Aemond’s mind—was responsible for Cupcake’s loss of control over her body, and the loss of her educational opportunities as well. Aemond doesn’t hate Willis because he used to be married to Cupcake. He hates Willis because he consigned Cupcake to a life that was less than she deserved.
Aemond gets along so well with Cadi because, simply put, he treats her like a human. He is intrigued by her obstinate personality and pays attention to her interests, even if she’s just a kid; Aemond remembers being chronically ignored as a child, and he sees children as being fully sentient in a way that a lot of 80s parents didn’t. Since he isn’t much of a traditionalist, Aemond doesn’t care if Cadi has short hair or dresses primarily in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirts. Similarly, Aemond is not fazed that Amir is gay, and I’m sure the fact that Aemond is European has a lot to do with that. Aemond is definitely not a rural Louisianan at heart!
Willis, by the standards of the time and place, is actually a relatively decent dad; he cares about spending time with Cadi and has negotiated a schedule where he has custody three days a week, which is (sadly) way more time than a lot of dads spend with their kids! We learn in Chapter 10 that a huge source of anxiety for him has been his fear of Cupcake meeting someone who will take her and Cadi far away from Napoleonville, and thus from Willis. He also invests in certain activities that he and Cadi enjoy doing together, like boating/fishing. Willis may have a very traditional, conservative view of gender roles—and life in general—and he doesn’t always take Cadi’s interests seriously, but he isn’t an awful guy.
Although his mullet is definitely awful.
What was your favorite moment of this series?
The first vivid scene I envisioned for Napoleonville was Aemond asking Cupcake to marry him under a massive southern live oak after abandoning his wedding to Christabel—the Princess Diana of this story—but I’m not sure if I can call that my favorite moment. I was really excited to write Chapter 6 because of Aemond jumping into the alligator-filled water to rescue Cupcake, but as much as I loved it I don’t think that’s my favorite scene either.
My favorite scenes tend to be small, quiet moments, probably things that don’t stand out to anyone else. I think my absolute favorite scene of Napoleonville is in Chapter 7 when Cupcake is in bed with a migraine—sad, stressed, missing Aemond but also furious with him, reflecting on never feeling chosen, fearful of Cadi one day leaving her—and Aemond shows up and is just super gentle and kind and apologetic for the way he was the last time they saw each other.
They’re two people who are both in a lot of pain, both physically and emotionally, and they desperately want to help each other even if they aren’t sure how.
Speaking of Chapter 6, do you have an idea how it went between Aemond, Aegon, and Willis on the boat once they realized Cupcake was overboard?
Oh yeah! It all unfolded within a few seconds, so it was super quick. How I saw it happening is that Cupcake goes overboard, and all three men hear the splash and then turn around to see she’s gone.
Aegon is thinking “RIP cake lady,” because he certainly has no idea what to do about it and would sooner chew off his own arm than jump in that water. Willis scrambles to grab ropes, etc. to at least try to help her back into the boat. And then Willis starts giving Aemond orders and as he’s shouting, Aemond just dives into the bayou and Willis and Aegon are left staring at each other like “???” 😂
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Aegon was so much fun in this story. I loved the relationship between him and Aemond.
I think we all know by now that I'm an Aegon girlie, and so of course Napoleonville Aegon had to have an opportunity to shine!
This is the first series since my HOTD debut (Have You No Idea That You’re In Deep?) that Aegon and the protagonist have no romantic relationship, but they still develop a friendship and fondness for each other that I think is really healing for Aegon. He has resigned himself to being the failure of the family, and is an afterthought in the Targaryen household (and to his wife, Princess Stephanie of Monaco).
Even Aemond, who Aegon loves and admires (even if Aegon is not very good at expressing this), is oftentimes preoccupied and emotionally closed-off. But Cupcake remembers Aegon and tries to make him feel included when she starts showing up at the mansion. She can't resist a sad, maligned outcast!
Were there any other characters in your story that you enjoyed writing?
Of course I loved writing Amir, Willis, and Cadi, but I think the character I grew the most unexpectedly attached to was Christabel.
She's so young and idealistic, and although she is Cupcake's rival of sorts, she is pretty impossible to hate because she never does anything wrong. Christabel is an Aemond fangirl who expresses emotions openly, even when no one around her does. She wants a real relationship with him and does everything in her power to please her fiancé and make him proud of her. And Christabel is aware on some level that things aren't right, but everyone else in her life is trying to gaslight her into thinking that all courtships and marriages are like this.
All these details are true for the real Princess Diana as well. Even years into her marriage when things were clearly dire, Diana would still choose outfits based on what Charles might think she looked good in. She spent so long trying to earn her husband's love, but it was an impossible (and agonizing) mission. Fortunately for Christabel, she didn't have to endure 15 years of torment before breaking free.
Do you feel Reader and Aemond complement one another well?
Absolutely! On a superficial (and kinky) level, Aemond likes being in control and Cupcake likes being able to rely on someone else to make trustworthy decisions, so in that sense they're a perfect match. But they also just genuinely get along well and are able to understand each other.
From the very first meeting, Aemond can tell when Cupcake is nervous, and she can tell that he's wearing his authoritative confidence like armor, and they both adjust to try to make the other feel at ease. Furthermore, Cupcake might be a high school dropout, but she is not dumb. She lacks academic training (and is often self-conscious about not knowing certain words or references), but she's a naturally clever person who can keep up with Aemond intellectually and pick out inconsistencies in his logic (as there are MANY!).
Finally, the life Cupcake has built for herself in Napoleonville is simple but has true warmth and love, something that Aemond needs.
Was there anything in specific that inspired your Reader portrayal?
So I very rarely write a Reader with a specific inspiration in mind, but I do have one for Cupcake. You'll probably think I'm insane at first, but Cupcake is inspired by my grandma.
My grandma was born in rural Western Maryland in 1945, and her family was so poor they didn't even have indoor plumbing. She was considered very beautiful and very clever and she had all these dreams about what she wanted to do with her life. Then when she was sixteen, she got pregnant and had to drop out of high school and marry my grandfather, because that's what people did back then. She wasn't given any other options.
They ended up moving to an urban area and my grandma became a real estate agent, and by any outsider's perspective she had a normal, happy, all-American existence. But my grandma also endured decades of domestic violence, substance abuse, and profound dissatisfaction with her life. This environment was not good for the children, both of whom (my aunt and dad) developed severe mental illnesses that they still struggle with to this day. My grandma was a very tenacious, passionate person and open with me about how she felt she'd never been treated right by a man, and I was a little too young then to fully understand what she meant. She passed away in 2018 after a long battle with cancer, and I think about her a lot, and I wanted Cupcake to be someone who broke free and got the fairytale ending that my grandma (and so many other women) never had.
What is next for Maggie's Suffering Sundays?
I am delighted to say that there is a new series on the way soon!
I'm not sure EXACTLY when it will be ready, because I want the rollout to be a little different this time (you'll see what I mean... 👀), but I've already begun writing. I believe there will be 12 chapters total, and 12 is a significant number! In terms of vibes, I think this new series is most similar to Now I’m Covered In You.
I hope you love it. 🥰
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reanimatedheart · 2 months
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AHHH this is my first time asking something on here so am nervous sorry~
I’d love to know how our romancable companions would react to hyper expressive auDHD MC? You know, theatrical kind of manner, not really much of a filter in terms of what’s proper to ask or say, lots of stimming and incoherent noises. Very energetic but can get quiet and dissociate easily. (Totally not asking to self-insert better before working on fanarts haaaa haaa haaa)~
Also I need you to know how much I ADORE this game. The lore, the world-building, the characters and the choices that actually MATTER. THE WRITING! THE SOUNDTRACK AND THE ART AUUUUGH!!! It’s so good, it’s officially my newest hyperfixation. Thank you for making this piece of art, I’m buzzing and can’t wait for moooore! And the gnome scene really was hilarious, I was choking on air and saliva, xoxo
Thank you for the nice compliments! I'm so happy you like it. :D
This is an interesting question. I try to avoid specificity with the MC because I want people to be able to immerse themselves in them as much as possible, but I do have a lot of thoughts about this scenario.
Black would honestly find it refreshing. I don't think he's accepted it himself (he doesn't believe in therapy LOL), but I'm pretty sure he's autistic. Esp if the MC is very blunt or makes their thoughts and boundaries very clear. Black is the type of person that misses a lot of social cues, and people make fun of him for it. He takes things people say very seriously. If the MC just tells him their thoughts, he'll remember them and act accordingly. And I think this would make the MC feel safe too, because they would feel like he's not playing games with them.
This scenario is interesting with Crux in particular. They aren't in the game yet, but actually, his bio dad and favorite little sister are like this, and he would be able to tell immediately. He won't make a big deal out of it, but he'll be adjusting around the MC. Take them to quieter places, make sure their seat is comfortable, etc. The MC will just find this out that oh, he's always playing obnoxiously loud music in the car and smoking, but he never does it around them.
I also think in a weird way, he'd be way more honest around the MC, but he won't let them know he is. Like Crux is the type of person that keeps his real feelings and thoughts close to his sleeve, because he has a whole complex about being "weird" in ways he can't control, so it's made him a bit of a liar. But if it's the MC, he'd just say his real feelings, because he suspects they won't judge him for it.
Vincenzo is complicated because he is very mentally ill and neurodivergent, but for most of his life, he was in an All Boy's Catholic Boarding School. He was bullied for being weak, weird, effeminate, etc. If he notices these traits in MC, he'll degrade them for it, and in a fucked up way, see this humiliation ritual as actually beneficial to MC, because it would teach the MC not to show strangers their neck.
But I feel like, if the MC gets closer to him, that he'd be able to face aspects of himself that he's tried to suffocate for years, and it would be liberating to him.
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beaker1636 · 2 months
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P is for Pearl Necklace - Vinny
AN: What's that? Double update today! Happy Smutty Saturday!
The next day at band practice the guys are all laughing at Chris, finding it hilarious that it was an accidental thing that made him lose his round.  Rick cracking a joke about how you’d think that Chris was the youngest member, the one who still lacks self control, earning him a water bottle thrown at him by Chris.
Vinny laughs watching the scene unfold, but refuses to pitch in with making fun of his singer, not wanting to make the man upset with him because it’s his turn to get a letter and he doesn’t want to make him go any harder on himself than he already could be.  He knows that sometimes it's better to shut his mouth, to keep quiet and that right now is one of those moments. Plus he’s focused on everything that is happening right now, the practice they are supposed to be having despite the fact that half the group is goofing around.  They haven’t played together in a couple weeks and need this before their performance at the festival tomorrow.
He is so glad when he hears Chris say something about focusing on practice, getting everyone back on track so that they can continue to work through things before tomorrow, luckily the festival is in PA so they don’t have to travel far for it, and can all spend the night in their beds.  In fact it has become a little thing, all of the girls have decided they are going to go as well so that it can be a fun little trip for everyone together.  
And now they are practicing again, Vinny in his element as he focuses on what he is currently doing, something that makes him comfortable.  He honestly just wants to get this done so he can go home, rest before they are stuck on the road tomorrow.  Luckily they finish running through the set list and feel comfortable enough to end it for the day, helping the crew load up everything on the trailer and now they’re just sitting around, having something to eat before they all leave.  
Chris stops after taking a sip of his water before glancing towards Vin.  “I’m in a decent mood right now so I’ll go easy on you, Pearl Necklace. Nothing that crazy or hard… mostly so you are well rested tomorrow.”
“Why does everything I get always have to do with oral? I swear to god, altoids, face sitting, now this…. “ Vin grumbles, looking down at his box of chinese food with a grimace. “I mean I guess it could be worse, it’s not like she’s never blown me but”
“You’re complaining all you have to do is get head.. Are you fucking nuts?” Ryan asks with a grumble, unable to believe it.  Why would Vinny complain he got something easy, what the actual hell is wrong with him?
“No, I’m just… I am glad I haven’t gotten anything crazy but I feel like I am missing out on some of the fun I guess..” Vinny answers honestly.
“Be glad….” Chris says with a grumble, thinking about last night again as he takes another bite of his food with a sigh.  “Okay, anyway, tomorrow just show me a photo of her necklace, yeah? You can hide her face and shit like just a close up but I want to see it to know you did it.” 
“Of course that is how you want me to prove it you pervert,” Vinny says with a groan, moving to throw his empty containers away before walking out for the night, ready to just head home.
Later
“Hey Lot,” Vin says as he makes his way into the house towards you, glad that you may not have officially moved in but you are pretty much living with him regardless.  He loves getting to come home to you at night whether it be your apartment or his.
He gives you a kiss, one of his hands resting on your cheek for a moment before he looks at you with a smile.  You still have your makeup on from work, look so pretty right now to him.  You always do but right now more than usual, maybe it's because you look so happy right now compared to how you have been lately, he isn’t sure but he loves it.
“You look beautiful tonight Lottie, I-I’m not sure what’s different about you today but you do look great tonight,” he says, leaving a kiss on your forehead while he pulls you into a hug for a moment, wanting to be close to you. 
“You sure you’re not just sucking up for your next letter?” You tease, knowing that isn’t what this is.  Here lately the two of you are closer than ever and it is honestly nice, the little trip has seemed to help and allowed both of you to express your true thoughts and feelings, brought you even closer together. 
“Well that too, but no, you genuinely look wonderful today.  I like it when you look happy, you always look beautiful but more so when you are happy.” He says with a smile before pulling away from you, leaving a slight squeeze on your ass through your jeans with a chuckle when you look annoyed.
“Go take a shower sweaty, then you can tell me your letter and we can get started yeah? Considering we all have a long drive tomorrow it’s probably better than waiting okay?” You ask, glancing at him for a moment. 
When he nods and starts to walk away you smile at him, happy that he seems to be in a good mood, that he is happy himself.  You were worried practice might not go well after a few weeks off, but it must have because he seems to be having a decent day. It makes you happy to see him in a decent mood, he looks cute when he's happy. 
You settle in his bedroom, taking a seat on the bed, reading while you wait for him to finish his shower. You get distracted while you wait, not realizing that he has finished his shower until he takes a seat next to you.  
Damp hair, in a clean pair of boxers and nothing else… fuck, your boyfriend is attractive like this. Or is that just the fact the romance novel you were reading just had a really smutty scene you just finished… or both?  Either way you shamelessly check out your boyfriend where he sits next to you, not caring if he notices.
“Like what you see?” He asks, a smirk playing on his lips as you look over at him.  Catching you in the act as you let your eyes run over his body. Instantly making you flush and glance away, caught.
“Maybe I do, have a problem with that?” you ask, trying to sound more confident than you currently feel.
“I’d say do something about it… wait, I never told you what our letter is.  Chris was pretty generous, it's just a pearl necklace, and I know you know what that means because of the books you read.  Thing is.. After I give it to you I have to take a photo to show him.” He says, fingers ghosting along your thigh that is barely covered by the shorts you have on.
“Hmmm, okay.  I’m game,” you respond, settling yourself on your knees in front of him.  Looking up at him as you slowly ghost your hands over his little bit of the bulge that is starting to grow.  “It’s me paying you back for our letter F huh?”
You tease, lightly slipping your fingers underneath the band of his boxers enough to feel it but not enough to actually touch him, wanting to toy with him a little bit.  You’re feeling confident for once and it definitely shows.  You decide to lighty run your fingers along his length as you slowly slide his boxers down his thighs, your eyes watching his as you do.
You smile, realizing he's already hard for you and you’ve barely touched him. He’s always really responsive, ready to go for you and you love it.  Love that you don’t have to try that hard to make him want you.  You can feel his eyes on you as your hand wraps around him, lightly stroking him to bring him standing the rest of the way before you lower your head.  You tongue leaves teasing trails down the length of him before you then circle the head with it a couple times.  Happy when you hear him groan softly as you tease him, letting you know that you are getting to him, which is your goal.
“I’m getting to you aren’t I?” You ask, watching him as you continue to tease him.  
“Fuck baby, yeah you are,” he says softly, one of his hands threading in your hair to pull it back from your face so he can see you easier.
You finally wrap your lips around him as you slowly take more of him, moving a bit lower along his length as you slowly bob your head, not quite giving him enough and knowing it.  You want to see how far you can push him before he gets rougher with you, gets annoyed and takes over.  
The answer is not much, because he slowly uses his hand that is in your hair to gently push you down further, making you take all of him as you try to relax around him, gagging slightly but trying to control it the best you can for him as he slowly uses his hold to help you move along his length, but not enough to make it uncomfortable.  You still have a majority of the power here as you do as he wants, him not taking control from you quite yet but you hope that changes soon.
“Can I?” He asks you, you know exactly what he is asking and nod.  Backing away from him slightly so he has room to stand up and do what he wants to with you, you are just as excited about it as he is.
This time when you take him back in your mouth his hand in your hair holds you in place as he starts to rock his hips, working himself as he sees fit in your mouth, slowly at first but then going harsher.  Knowing that you can take his cock like a good girl and let him fuck your face with it as he sees fit.
“You look so pretty like that, tears running down your face as you try not to choke around me,” he praises, his thrusts getting harsher, finding himself growing closer.
There's something about seeing you down on your knees, so willing to let him use you for what he needs, how he sees fit that makes you that much more attractive to him.  Makes him want this that much more.
Eventually he stalls when he pulls you all the way down on him, able to feel your throat swallowing around him on instinct for a moment before pulling back, watching you closely as you choke on him.  Knowing that he has this power of you right now, you’re letting him do this.   That’s all it takes for him to fully go for it, now chasing his high as it grows closer and closer as he uses you, thrusting rather harshly now as he hits his end.  Quickly pulling out of you and holding your head back so that he can finish against your throat, meeting his end of the deal as he watches it slowly start to run down your body. Realizing he still needs his photo as proof he quickly takes the photo and then runs off to find you something to clean yourself off with, helping you do so as you move to sit on the bed. 
He also has a second damp washcloth that he uses to help you clean up the makeup that's now running down your cheeks from when you eyes were watering while you worked him over.  He gently takes the rag and does it to help you, wanting to help take care of you like you did for him. 
Sometimes it amazes you when he does this, how he can go from being rather harsh with you to so gentle in just a few moments but that is a part of why you love him. That he can go back and forth with you and keep you on your toes, be harsh with you and then remind you that he loves you. 
When he’s done cleaning you up one of his hands settles on your thigh again, slowly tracing patterns on it as he trails it up, glancing at you.
“Your turn.”
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