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#Like literally I directly remember this it's so insane to me that no one ever brings this up when talking about the shipping in this fandom

mako-neexu · 23 days

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going insane over dantes and ordeal call chapter 2 post #234098 the way he says his flames burn hotter/more poisonous than in his normal Saint Graph and you literally remember he made a new Spirit Origin for guda and his NPs are literally ABOUT guda, the color choice in the 3rd ascension with blue accents on his stars and eyes said to be the color of guda's SOUL time and time again,　

and he also literally looks like goetia because "MY DESTINY" (istfg im going CRAZY. im going crazy!!! my desiny??? MY DESTINY!!?!?!?!?) and both him and dantes had that one on one to guda, goetia also made a hilariously BAD set up against himself so like dantes and guda became partners in crime in prison tower like goetia unintentionally played MATCHMAKER and created the worst duo ever im shitting tears. the probable reason as well why he looks like that in the 3rd ascension is because dantes viewed goetia as "an ultimate enemy guda overcame" which he positioned himself in as well so he could be defeated which was his goal in the first place i think im going to break from so much info bro. theres also the fact that prison tower and pseudo-tokyo are basically the same (that also required huge amount of mana) -> guda was dropped into prison tower, (directly/indirectly) helped by gankutsuou, stuck in chateau d'lf/becoming an Avenger by giving into temptation->bad end || overcoming the trials each floor/understanding the Avenger class, overcoming the flames-> return to chaldea. dantes positioning himself once more as both that tiny light of hope and that enemy who has guda fall into a trap likei am so. n.lromnal. I think i hauve covid

and thinking about. "my destiny" "my radiant one" "my one good thing" "my star" like- to be loved is to be changed. man. to be loved is to be!!!changed!!! and the blue and pink-purple flames that symbolize GUDA having been so special to him in this life that it changed him, BECAME SO SPECIAL TO HIM!!! (you can literally see it in his EYES??? his 4th aascension art where his flame is BLUE AS WELL??????????)

that he is still Avenger, Count of Monte Cristo, he who enacted vengeance and the greatest seeker of it, he who continues to hate and burn eternally yet chooses to love!!!!!!!!!!!!! becoming that tiny light of hope to an innocent soul and now here they stand, that tiny light he continued to protect now shines more radiant than anything else, and because of that love, his flames burn much much more fiercely than his previous saint graph and like he has you stay away bc you might evaporate to nothing and he explicitly says theyre stronger in his Monte Cristo alt!! while hes also trying to distance himself from you again bc he must still hold guilt in his heart for making you go through the Avenger ordeal and as well as the fact that you literally need to leave the flames/Avengers behind due to their conflicting nature with the wall bc being attached would be sooo hard to let go and especially considering what you and dantes went through together like what is this?? its like a giant slap of I LOVE YOU SO MUCH against my face????????? theres literally nothihg left of my remains????????????

dantes is also basically so stupidly even more overpowered here have you seen his skills??? Count of Monte Cristo Mythologie became a skill along with the fourteen relics/14 jewels and he can jUST cassually!???? activate that!?!?!?????? meanwhile WHAT HE CONSIDER AS HIS NOBLE PHANTASM IN THIS SAINT GRAPH IS O STAR/O YOU WHO, CONQUER THAT BRILLIANT PATH??? THAT VERY ONE ABOUT GUDA???? IS THIS REAL????? his NP dmg and effects are so crazy too???? LITERALLY POWERED BY LOVE AND BACKED UP BY AGE OF GODS LEVEL FUCK YOU ENERGY ?? im plagued by dantes and OC2 thoughts since last month someone free me ajdkfgk

#fgo #fate grand order #why whyyyyyy whyyyy did they have to make this chapterrrr #MOOTS JUST IGNORE ME OKAY??#edmond dantes #MAN WHAT IS WRONG WITH MEEEEEEEE #guda

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elsweetheart · 1 year

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the request got deleted by mistake :( so here is:

abby anderson x ball of energy gf

for the lovely anon who requested💕

• okay, first and foremost i think abby would be so unphased. like you’d literally be bouncing off the walls and she just wouldn’t even bat an eyelid at it. she honestly finds it useful, knowing you have lots of energy to be helpful, run and climb if need be. that’s why she likes taking you on patrol, you can keep up with her without trying whilst providing her with some entertainment.

• if she needs you to be quiet whilst you’re rambling, she’ll just turn around and give you her full attention — caging you in slightly with her wider muscular build before calmly bringing her finger up to her lips in a shushing motion. it usually distracts you from what you were talking about and you quietly trail off, staring up at her and copying her motion silently. she rewards you with an affectionate scratch behind the ear, before continuing listening out for what she needed to hear. she doesn’t like to directly tell you to just “be quiet” unless it’s urgent, as she doesn’t want to catch you off guard knowing how intimidating and blunt she can sometimes accidentally be.

• abby finds it super easy to entertain you. if you’re on a supply hunt (etc) with her, and she can feel you getting antsy / understimulated, having a lot of built up energy inside you — it’s a totally easy fix for her. she’ll simply turn to you with a “bet you can’t run and jump up on that wall.” if she deems it safe enough. it’s simple, but effective and before she’s even blinked, you’re sprinting off giggling out a “bet you’re wrong!” she gets creative with all her little challenges, and by the end of the day you’re exhausted, calm for once as you curl up in her arms. you’ll be half awake murmuring “i had so much fun on the supply run today abby. you’re so much fun. i don’t wanna do a hunt with anyone else ever.” which melts her lil heart 🫶🏼

• the only time it’s really difficult, is when you’re on a long car journey together. you can’t burn off energy by running around, and you can’t climb all over her because she needs to concentrate on driving. all this means, is you’re very very chatty— firing tons of hypothetical questions at her such as “would you still love me if i turned into a cat with no legs and one eye and blue fur?” (insert abby fumbling for an answer, trying not to seem dumbfounded by the insanity of the question.) she likes to play “i spy” with you, and finds it helps calm you down a bit more.

• everytime you see her, it’s like you’ve been away from her for weeks. she’ll come back from a two hour patrol, and you’ll spot her across the room — running over and jumping on her, wrapping your legs around her. “abby! i missed you! guess what i saw, so remember the rocks i was collecting? well—” and launch into a full update. abby always wonders how so much manages to happen in the small amount of time she was gone, but it always puts a smile on her face no matter what kind of mood she’s in. she can’t resist your bubbly and energetic ways!

• she’s so used to you, that she doesn’t even consider that other people might be taken aback by your high energy spurts. you’ll sprint out the door past owen, who stops in his tracks with a raised eyebrow. “whats up with her?” he’ll ask and abby’s expression won’t change, if anything she seems a little irritated at some a dumb question. “she’s having fun. can i help you?”

• late night energy bursts can only be cured by one thing, abby letting you bounce on her strap as she lays back and watches. she might be tired, but she’d give up sleep anyday to watch you bounce on her cock like a bunny, straddling her with your knees up, moaning and whining as she lazily rubs your clit with one hand, the other rested casually behind her head. “i know baby, that’s it. get out all that energy. someone’s gonna sleep good tonight, huh?”

• on a supply run, the two of you acquire batteries that were on your list, and you find some that have The Energiser Bunny logo on the pack. from then on, abby jokingly nicknames you her energiser bunny. it’s funny, of course — but something about the way she’ll come up behind you and hug you with her arms around your waist, kissing just below your ear saying “theres my little energiser bunny.” makes you embarrassed to admit that it does something to you.

#abby anderson hcs #abby anderson prompt #abby anderson smut #abby anderson drabble #abby anderson x reader

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ezziefae · 3 months

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Thoughts on Chap. 3 of The Prisoner's Throne (SPOILERS)

hello readers, forgive me for the typos, there are so many things about this chapter that had me screaming. Enjoy my thoughts!!!

“I want—” he begins.

“No,” she tells him. “By the power of Grimsen’s bridle, get on your knees and be silent.”

Wren has to be one of the scariest characters ever written by holly black.

Her mouth curves into a smile, but it isn’t a nice one. “By Grimsen, I command you to do exactly as I say from here forward. You will stay on your knees until I say otherwise.”

Oak should have left when he had the chance.

Nahhh! I knew since TSH that we were gonna see Wren use the bridle on Oak, but now that i'm READING THIS it's still INSANE that she's willingly using it to CONTROLL him fully, it makes me think of Jude and Cardan, and how Jude kind of sorta had control of Cardan, but only by Pledge. Jude also had a power to command Cardan whatever she wished him to do, but she never ordered him to do something like THIS. Wren seems to have no mercy on Oak. She could legit make him kill or hurt anyone, she could make him jump off a bridge or say anything. Kind of also reminds me of when Locke ordered the ghost to betray Jude and the court of shadows, and how the Ghost had no control over his actions, and how in TQON he asked Jude to kill him because he'd rather die than be controlled by anyone. Wren did not come to play. This is so scary!!!

He finds her fascinating. He’s always found her fascinating, but he is not foolish enough to tell her that. Especially not in this moment, when he is afraid of her.

Oak is literally being controlled and is bridled and these are his thoughts…he's so downbad that it could actually get him killed.

“I am already bridled,” he says, feeling a little frantic. “You don’t need to lock me away. I can’t harm you unless you let me. I am entirely in your power. And when I did escape, I came directly to your side. Let me kneel at your feet in the throne room and gaze up adoringly at you.”

THE LAST LINE!! IM DYINGGG!! THIS MAN NEEDS TO STOPPPPPP, OH OAKKKKK YOURE SOOOOO DOWNN BADDDDD FOR WREN

“I have to occupy myself somehow,” he says. “When I am between moments of gazing adoringly, of course.”

I have no words…Not Oak trying to use his charm on her, like dude, i dont think thats gonna work.

The door opens, and Fernwaif comes in, a single guard behind her. Oak recognizes him as Bran, who occasionally sat at Madoc’s dinner table when Oak was a child. He looks horrified at the sight of the prince on his knees, wearing the livery of a guard beneath a stolen cloak.

I absolutely LOVE that we’re getting past memories of Oak when he was a child. It also helps the readers feel nostalgic from reading the folk of the air series. When Jude, Taryn, Vivi, Oak, Madoc, and Oriana lived in peace.I hope we get so many of these moments…even though i have to say this paragraph is a little sad, how Oak recognized the guard as one of his fathers friends..

“You don’t know me as well as you think, Greenbriar heir,” she says. “I remember your stories, like the one about how you used a glamour against your mortal sister and made her strike herself. How would you like to feel as she felt?”

NOT HER USING THIS AGAINST HIM!!! Love how that moment keeps being brought up. (And i predict that Oak will apologize to Jude about it in this book)

“I’ll slap myself silly willingly, if you like,” he offers. “No need for a command.”

OAK STOPPP IM DEAD

“What if, instead, I force you onto your hands and knees to make a bench for me to sit upon?” Wren inquires lightly, but her eyes are alight with fury and something else, something darker.

Wren.... I don't think that sounds like a punishment to him sweetie…

“Crawl to me.” Her eyes shine, fever bright.

GUYS ITS THE LINE!! THE LINEEE!! SHE SAYS THE LINEEE HOLY SHI-

Again, Oak’s body moves without his permission. He finds himself writhing across the floor, his stomach against the carpet. He flushes with shame.

SHES SO WRONG FOR THAT. SHE'S HUMILIATING HIMM! Not even Jude did these thing to Cardan *sobs*

When he reaches her, he stares upward, rage in his eyes. He’s humiliated, and she’s barely begun. She was right when she said he didn’t understand what it would feel like. He hadn’t counted on the embarrassment, the fury at himself for not being able to resist the magic. He hadn’t counted on the fear of what she would do next.

This is actually very sad. Wren is treating him somewhat in a way that she had been treated. She's hurt, and I guess it's very understandable, I just wish she didn't have to inflict that pain on Oak.

Oak cuts his gaze toward Bran, who has remained stiff and still, as though afraid to draw Wren’s attention. The prince wonders how far she would go if he were not present.

Two things!! Number one I literally FORGOT the guard was still in the room and he had to WATCH oak crawl to her. Number two, That last line…..what kind of things would she has ordered Oak to do if the guard had not been in the room……(side eye)

Wren turns to him. “Perhaps I ought to have you sent to the Great Hall tomorrow and command that you endure ten strikes of an ice whip. Most barely get through five.”

Oh my god, she really is EVIL DUDE. I've never seen this kind of evil in a holly black book. Now I'm scared.

Oak looks directly into her eyes. “Why are you keeping me at all, Wren? Am I a hostage to be ransomed? A lover to be punished? A possession to be locked away?”

“That,” she says, bitterness in her voice, “is what I am trying to figure out myself.” She turns to the guards. “Take him back to his cell.”

OH IM VERY EXCITED TO SEE WHAT SHE'S PLANNING. Remember that Jude and Cardan are on their way to save Oak, if anything I believe Wren is somehow going to use Oak against elfhame. Maybe she’ll order him to hurt jude or cardan. THIS BOOK IS GOING TO END ME AGH I NEED IT NOWWW.

“Good night, Prince of Elfhame,” Wren says as he is led from the room. He manages a single glance back. Her gaze locks with his, and he can feel the frisson of something between them. Something that might well be terrible, but that he wants more of all the same.

I'm very curious to know how Oak is going to handle this mess. Like he's absolutely F*CKED. He's so down bad for Wren that he would do anything to stay by her side and protect her, YET he also wants to protect his family members who are on their way to save him and to kill wren. He cannot save BOTHHHH, meaning he will probably have to choose sides. Holly Black why are you torturing us!!!

MARCH 5TH HURYYY UPPP!

49 more days till this book comes out. stay strong.

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autisticlancemcclain · 6 months

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fic rec friday 45

hello and welcome to fic rec friday! where, on friday, i rec five of my favourite fics.

Pieces by zenstrike

Five times Keith found comfort with Lance, and one time he tried to return the favour.

look i know i talked about zenstrike last week and im here to do it again. i know what the secret relationship trope is, i know there are so many great fics but like. zenstrike reaches something in my chest and fucking twists it. i read something of theirs for the first time like two years ago and i remember being actually fucking struck dumb on my bed and clutching my phone because the way my stomach churned and my heart pounded and i well and truly FELT every fucking emotion!! when keith nervously pressed his palm to the junction of lance's neck and his breath sharpened mine did too!! when the swirling dread of fear and nerves turned in lances belly it turned in mine too!! idk what it is about zenstrike but they have touched me in a way no other author ever has in my whole life and i cant always read everything they write in one sitting, sometimes im consuming it all in a frenzy and sometimes one fic takes me days. anyway keith loving lance with every goddamn molecule but being physically unable to say it but determined to show it will always make me insane sorry for the goddamn essay

2. when you're here loving me by orphan_account [EXPLICIT]

“’Look at me, I’m Keith,” Lance muttered, “’I run directly at Galra sentries and don’t even think about the big, glowy thingies in their hands. What are those called again?’” He tightened the gauze, gently despite his trying to act angry, “’Right! Guns! Can’t possibly hurt me, right?’” Keith scowled, “I know what a gun is.” ✦ they come back from a mission, gross and in love.

this one is kinda porny lol but its pretty goddamn funny. of COURSE these two are the massive losers who play rock paper scissors after they bone 💀💀

3. The Samurai and the Sharp-Shooter by orphan_account

It's tough going on missions when you have to pretend you're dating your rival. Tougher still when you're actually not even rivals but lovers forced to hide that fact for the sake of the team's greater mission. Not canon, but still in space and everyone's there. Fluffy with zero angst.

this fic makes me CRY with laughter bc why are they fake dating to hide that they're real dating on a god damned assassination mission 😭😭 they're actually so goddamn stupid

4. Headshot by @angelwithaknife

“Guys,” Lance grunted, lying down behind a couples of rocks and aiming at some soldiers again, “I appreciate that you appreciate me but please stop waving at me after I save you, I’m sick of running around trying to find new spots, I specifically chose a long-range weapon so I could lie down all the time.”

this is so CUTE the team loves lance so bad. and as they should!! bc hes so smart and amazing and cool and wonderful and talented honestly i just love him so bad

5. What's Something You've Never Told Me? by @fondaboo

The lady drops a slice of lemon into it and slides it back towards him. “You’ve got pretty good taste kid,” she says. Her cordial smile turns wicked and teasing, as she jerks her chin to the dance floor. “And it's not just limited to drinks, I'd say.” Keith follows her dark gaze, before he can help himself, biting down on a groan when he sees where she’s looking. Lance. Jesus, he can’t even go to a bar without someone calling out his—blatant and painfully obvious—crush on Lance. “Friend of yours?” She croons. He drags a hand down his face, maybe he needs something stronger than whiskey. Ketamine maybe. “Best friend actually,” he squints through his fingers, glaring darkly, “not that it’s anyone’s business.” Or the author overuses em-dashes while trying to make Keith talk about his damn feelings! OR ace Lance has to deal with a smitten Keith and just wants to watch disney

ACE LANCE ACE LANCE ACE LANCE ACE LANCE ACE LANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!! god i love him. also fondaboo literally never misses

that’s it for today!! i’ll see y’all back next friday for the next fic rec post!!!

#i will never ever stop being annoying about secret relationship #vld #voltron #lance #lance mcclain #keith #keith kogane #klance #established klance #bamf lance #bamf keith #bamf klance #soft klance #fic rec friday #fic rec #frf #longpost

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redmelawashere · 1 month

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Alright I got woken up at like 3 AM with FORBIDDEN MEMORIES™️ and remember that MelloNear literally had a fandom video game. What other fucking fandom has SHIPPING VIDEO GAMES.

I think it just hit me since recently I've been thinking a lot about how fandom spaces shift over time (especially as we have re-boots, live-actions, or other media that helps reinvigorate fandoms like currently with A:TLA) and honestly, MelloNear has had so many ups and downs and like…as someone who was in this fandom WAY too young and grew up with it I want to see how many people on tumblr, who were there in ye olden wild west days, remember the stuff I do and also for those of you who weren’t around back then but are big now, here’s the insane history that I remember:

1 - LiveJournal (LJ) and the LOST FICS LJ was initially one of the better places to find fics – but a lot of authors jumped ship when FF.NET started to take over and for other reasons that were before my time. Finding fics on LJ that haven’t been deleted was/is hard and their UI is trash I never could get a grasp on it. (The irony of FF.NET now being dead and people jumping ship to AO3 and Tumblr lol.) Astyzia_ii used to write really fucking good MelloNear stuff there. She was one of the first people I ever read that had insanely good Near characterization. Unfortunately, her account no longer exists. But some of the things she wrote were things like:

Near being a total brat (at the time, no one else was really writing Near like that. Including Near lying to Mello about being assaulted by other children at Whammy's, just generally putting him in his place, etc.)

Mello painting Near’s nails black (then this trope just went off on FF.NET and everyone was writing fics like that - I really like when stuff like this comes out of fandom)

Mello finding out that Near, despite being in love with him, thought Mello was so unapproachable he had sex with someone else (implied Giovanni) and Mello is basically confronting Near about it at a time when Near was treated as a prudish virgin in fandom

Finding each other in the apocalypse AU

Mello and Near being like high school sweethearts (salthearts?) and Mello wanting to go to a University in the BIG CITY but would ignore the offer if it meant staying with Near (and super tragic fic too. They pull over on a freeway after an argument about it and then Near just straight up gets hit by a car after pushing Mello out of the way 💀 and you don't know if Near survived)

And obviously, many more really creative AUs

2 - KurosakiAkane and VIDEO GAMES Akane, as Spanish artist and the original “cursed moons” drew some of the most viral and prolific MelloXNear doujinshis and EVEN MADE FANDOM VIDEO GAMES. Like I can’t believe I forgot about this. Akane literally made fandom yaoi video games and they were SO GOOD. What other fandom has shipping video games you’d think it’d be the norm I can barley wrap my head around it

Pretty sure her website (www.cursedmoons.com) is down so you can’t download them directly from there or see her full doujinshis anymore

Her DeviantArt account is still live so you can see some stills and teasers from her doujinshis.

Her LJ account is also still live but more so as an archive.

Her first game “D.nD Poisoned” can be downloaded here if you scroll to the bottom (but I haven’t checked the link so be wary…) but it was basically taking place during Whammy’s days, and yes, Mello has a knife cause he’s unhinged since those were just the times ig.

“D.nD Infection” was her second, unfinished game, which would have been when they were mid-Kira investigation post Mello blowing up the base. I found a website that hosts the short demo she released.

Her games literally inspired a new wave of AUs for the fandom in the fic department and she was just a titan who kept everyone together on all corners of the internet. When she decided to leave the fandom in like 2011 after 2010’s great FF.NET purge of M rated fics it kind of felt like the beginning of the end.

3 - Doujinshis (fandom comics) Most doujinshi artists had their own websites and MANY were Japanese / Chinese translated into English (pretty sure Akane was the first one to create them exclusively in English...). There are so many archived on YouTube that I used to watch all the time. You can even still find some of Akane’s doujinshi’s on Youtube like:

January

Lost Innocence

The Last Birthday

Game Over

Chocolate Kiss

One of the ones that was most impactful on me was this one that I cannot remember the name of, and it wasn't by Akane, but basically Mello, freshly 16 trying to stay alive, resorts to prostitution, and the big revealer at the end is he’s just kind of left there, alone, opens up his hand and there’s a little white puzzle piece he stole from Near and pretty sure the last line was something along the lines of “no one else” and I just 😭

4 - Lost Art and the Famous Water Colours

A lot of that water-colour MN art you see floating around was from, if I'm not mistaken, a Chinese MelloNear artist and their website I think was just "w" or something and she had created 100s of MN art.

5 - ForbiddenSoul562 and FF.NET Beef and Fan Fic Rap Battles

Soul was one of the BIGGEST creators on FF.NET (and luckily, she’s still active both on FF.Net and here on tumblr!) I remember when she had like a fic battle with another creator FragilePuzzle (who is also on tumblr and active – but they post M-ll-M-tt stuff now and pretty sure they deleted all their MelloNear fics... Their active handle on tumblr is mizzmellos I think? Anyways, they’ve also switched from writing to art and its really good!) And there was like a whole “vote who you think wrote the better fic” and it was like Clash of the Titans. Shame that Fragile, as they used to go by, doesn’t like MN anymore since they also wrote a lot of really good stuff. When Fragile stopped posting and Soul went on an extended hiatus that also felt like another beginning of the end loooooool (pretty sure Soul and Mzz had an interaction here on tumblr reminding each other of each other and I had so much social anxiety I was like headbanging watching this interaction go down and if I'm remembering correctly it started cordial but didn't really end well but I could be 100% misremembering the tone of the interaction but if you dig through Soul's tumblr you can probably find it or mzzs for that matter.) 6 - Kids Writing Dark Tropes

I feel like I should make another post and just…describe how Mello and Near were portrayed individually and in a relationship during that time since it was honestly insane. Very toxic, very star-crossed lovers who revolve around each other but are devastating together and are healthier a part, and so much more. I’m much happier with where their characterization and how the fandom has evolved currently from those times lol. But I think over the years I’ve also realized how fucking young all of us were (I was literally like…13 consuming all this media which retroactively, I’m like YIKES 18+ is 18+ for a reason and I even realized some of my favourite authors / creators who I thought were way older than me or like “cool teenagers” were also close to my age and not that much older so no wonder we were all writing crazy unstable relationship shit like that - which can be fun! - but this was literally all. the. time.).

Honestly that’s all I can remember for now but what a wild ride. I know FF.NET is like, a super hard platform to use now (and just gets worse every day 🙃) but if anyone wants some MN fic recs from the vault lmk and I’ll make a post about it.

-Redmela

#redmela screams #redmela rants #death note #mn #mellonear #meronia #cursed moons #like shit I wish Akane could have at least finished Infection I can't even begin to grasp the talent of writing/scripting/drawing/codding #ALL BY YOURSELF #FOR FREE #FOR THE FANDOM AND THE PEPOLE #mEANWHILE I have like 50 WIPs for multiple fandoms byeeeeeee #Mello | Mihael Keehl #Near | Nate River #D.nD Poisoned #D.nD Infection #Fandom video games #fandom culture #fandom history

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revolutionaryfiction-is-pain · 2 years

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Steven Hall might have the most heartbreaking portrayal of Grantaire I’ve ever seen. It was such a complex portrayal of the character that felt so much more alive and like an actual person than just someone playing a character in a theatre.

He started off in red and black with the most drunken behaviour ever. He was constantly falling of chairs and climbing on peoples laps. Poor Marius was sat on like five times, it was almost amusing especially on the line “Grantaire put the bottle down” when he was snuggling into marius’ shoulder while sitting across his lap and hugging his wine bottle. He also climbed on the tables and made it everyone’s problems, yet still maintained the feeling that he didn’t quite fit in with his friends even though they were laughing. He constantly stood off to the side and collapsed against the wall. Alongside this, he was almost always with Gavroche and acted like a big brother (all though he did make Gav take a shot of alcohol at one point). He also conveyed the enjoyment of annoying Enjolras and kept giving him shiteating grins and almost pouty expressions. Enjolras, as well as being annoyed with Grantaire also maintain the feeling that he enjoyed Grantaire’s presence throughout the whole show which towards the end evolved into concern and worry for him. Grantaire’s connection with Marius was also really interesting, it felt like they were more friends (which I thought was better) than Enjolras and Marius.

At the start of the Barricade scenes he still maintain the drunken confidence that mirrored his friends actual confidence, with lines like “let’s give them a screwing they’ll never forget” that were delivered in cheerful drunken agression. That confidence quickly changed when he realised the reality of the situation and that they were all going to die. Enjolras and him exited the stage after the first load of fighting but Grantaire came back before Enjolras, who someone went and got when Eponine was dying. The horror at seeing Eponine’s death (which I think he was the first one to properly realise after Marius) felt so real, he looked like his mind was driving him insane but he was unable to move, instead frozen to the spot. It planted a seed in my mind that kept making me think “this is so unfair, why do people have to die so they do not suffer?”.

For the rest of the barricade he radiated pain. There were times when he looked almost wild with this unfathomable desperation from the fact he couldn’t stop/control what was happening around him. He acted like it was almost too painful to even watch what was happening at the barricade, almost as if he didn’t want to be a part of the Revolution because he didn’t want his friends to die and be left alone.

Steven Hall’s acting was phenomenal, the emotions in facial expressions conveyed were masterful (by far the best acting performance of anyone that night). During drink with me, he tried to shove Marius out of frustration on the lines “will the world remember you when you fall?” and Enjolras had to hold him to stop him from hurting Marius. He then sang the lines “Could it be your death means nothing at all? Is your life just one more lie?” directly at Enjolras and tapped Es chest on “nothing at all?” with a transfer from aggression to mournful frustration.

During the second attack, after drink with me, he clutched Gavroche like the world was literally crumbling around him. It came across as both fear and mental exhaustion, everyone else was fighting on the barricade and Grantaire was breaking down and Gavroche was holding him up off to the side.

I have never seen such raw emotion on stage, which was present across his whole performance. The way he shouted Gavroche’s name when he realised he had gone was gut wrenching. And when Gavroche fell into Enjolras’ arms after he was shot, Enjolras look so pained by it and concerned for Grantaire as he passed Gavs body to him. By this point I was properly crying, and Grantaire looked so lost, like he had been through so much emotional and mental pain and he’d finally reached the point of numbness as he held Gavs body.

Just before the climax of the final attack, Enjolras mouthed to Grantaire “are you okay? Your going to be okay.” as he was slumped against the wall. During the final attack, R stood in the middle of the fighting as everything happened around him. When Marius fell after getting hurt, R was immediately there and then the normal Enjoltaire hug happened which was heart breaking, before Enjolras returned to the barricade. Grantaire died last after running to get to the place Enjolras fell from the barricade.

Throughout the show he also had such amazing intricate body language. A few examples were when Eponine was dying his hands where fidgeting like he didn’t know what to do with them and digging his fingers into his palms like he was trying to physicalise the pain. He also was playing with his cuffs throughout the barricade scenes. Even in red and black he was moving his hands. They never stopped moving. Every part of his body language and posture were immaculate, where other people were standing completely still (which I’m not criticising) Grantaire felt more realistic and had an unrest-less energy about him - but only if you paid attention to him - which furthered his disconnect from the rest of the amis as no one noticed except maybe Feuilly [the actor (Harry Chandler) who is cover Enjolras. He radiate Enjolras energy without even being him so now I’m going to have to try and see him as Enjolras cause his vocals were also amazing] at the beginning and Enjolras at the end.

There was never a moment when Grantaire wasn’t wild with emotion whether drunken rowdiness or heart wrenching desperation. There was also a sensitivity to Grantaire that felt so young but not naive, that was just perfection. I think it’s safe to say that Steven Hall has mastered the character of R and is insanely talented at acting. While other actors have also nailed the character of Grantaire, I’ve never come across a portrayal who had so much underlying jittery energy and was so mentally taxed by the end.

Also, shout out to Noah Morgan as Gavroche. The kid was so extremely talent and was the definition of Gavroche throughout.

Les Misérables Uk Tour Norwich 09/09/22

[Grantaire - Steven Hall, Enjolras - Samuel Wyn-Morris, Feuilly - Harry Chandler, Gavroche - Noah Morgan]

Sad news: Steven Hall has now left the uk tour cast. However, I look forward to seeing how Raymond Walsh plays Grantaire as the new member of the national tour.

#grantaire #Steven Hall #les miserables #les mis #enjolras #enjoltaire #les amis #les misérables #musicals #musical theatre #i’m crying #feuilly #victor hugo #les mis uk tour #steven hall

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eriexplosion · 2 months

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I might be able to finish tonight so I'm doing The Summit. We're getting closer to The Episode.

I haven't rewatched this episode since it aired so this should be interesting knowing the ending of it.

I'm curious about Echo's contact specifically that apparently knows what Hemlock is doing but doesn't know where Hemlock's base is.

The thing is that I didn't realize at the time obviously but this whole thing is a complete side mission, it doesn't need to happen in order to move the plot. They don't manage to complete the mission, so it didn't need to happen to find Mt Tantiss, it literally is a two episode side trip dedicated entirely to dropping Tech off a tram car and injuring Omega, so the whole 'there had to be consequences!' simply doesn't hold up to me.

Also I just don't think we're going to validate Hunter's opinion that they simply shouldn't go

Love how aggressively NOTHING gets resolved by this moment with Phee and Tech. If they had spoken to each other about their feelings and decided that they felt something and wanted to explore it when he gets back that is evidence that he would be doomed immediately.

"Don't run off with any pirates or smugglers while you're gone" come on this feels like the most heavy handed foreshadowing ever. But the way that they had a full bit to... NOT resolve the narrative line they started with him is insane to me.

Also still remembering how much people lost it over this extremely tame scene because no one can just be normal about Phee.

"Just like old times" Wrecker it's been probably a couple months not 5 years

Every part of Eriadu that we actually see the ground of is covered in trees, so it's probably similar wherever Tech landed - notable mostly because we saw that Hunter slowed down significantly when he fell due to the tree cover.

This is I think our only glimpse through the clouds and most of what's directly underneath them is obscured by... more clouds. Looks rockier down there but they could have some further trees down there.

"We must be precise" *EVERYONE LOOKS AT WRECKER* I love when some of the most devastating plots have the funniest moments.

Love to see them infiltrate when they know there are no clone troopers because suddenly they begin to MURDER INTENTLY.

GOD I HATE HEMLOCK. HATE. THE WAY HE TALKS ABOUT CLONES.

I admit it is a little harder to watch this episode knowing all they accomplish is tossing Tech off a tram car.

LOVE ECHO'S IDEA OF A DIVERSION and also Wrecker stomping that poor mouse droid

Saw time!

One thing I find interesting is in Aftermath the only two that Saw talks with directly are Hunter and Tech, and here Saw only encounters the two of them. I really am growing more and more attached to the idea that Saw somehow found and got a hold of Tech, leading to Hemlock only finding the glasses. Saw challenges their viewpoints, but Tech could challenge him back I think.

Interesting that Saw's view is 'sacrifices are necessary for the greater good' too given what Tech does shortly after. Literally I want to see Saw and Tech throw things back and forth without the imminent risk of death or capture.

Human shield is fine but again, can't show Tech's body, because kids, sure.

We do see Saw blow the place from the shuttle but I don't think we see where the shuttle goes from there, not in this episode at least.

It's getting late so I guess I'm actually doing Plan 99 right after work tomorrow, which is probably a good thing I do need to sleep tonight.

#the bad batch rewatch

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sports-character-tournament · 4 months

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Semi-Finals

Tooru Oikawa (Haikyuu!) vs Michael Kaiser (Blue Lock)

Tooru Oikawa

64.media.tumblr.com

Sport: Volleyball

Appearance: (1): brown hair, brown eyes, japanese (2): Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Brown Height: 184.3cm (pre-timeskip), 185.5cm (post-timeskip) Nationality: Japanese --> Argentinian

Propaganda: (1): Now you might have heard of Oikawa Tooru. The so-called "Great King" of volleyball. An exceptional setter. An unbelievable player. He is one of the most talented players in the series. On the surface, that may just sound like "Oh so he's just really good at volleyball big deal." But we have to take into account HOW he got good at volleyball and how that interacts with the others around him! Let's take into account one the most famous lines regarding his character: "Talent is something you make bloom. Instinct is something you polish." This is a very huge line in the series. Oikawa, like many of us, is very aware that anywhere you go, there are "geniuses." These are people who appear to be naturally gifted, those who are better than their peers effortlessly. Oikawa is not one of those people as it has been directly stated that "Oikawa Tooru is not a genius." He sees the value in his own training, improvement, and dedication. And it is that mindset that propels him to be one of the best. (2): Oikawa Tooru has had a great passion for volleyball ever since he was a child. After watching a professional setter play, he has followed his dream. He's described as someone who would continue playing volleyball for the rest of his life, by his childhood friend, and it's exactly what he does! He traveled across the world to play volleyball on a world stage as during his school days, his team could never make it to a national tournament (due to very strong opponents in their area preventing them from participating in a country wide competition). He got to play in the Olympics! Isn't that great!!! He's someone who is attuned to his team and brings out the best in the other volleyball player teams!! He works hard!! Has learned not to push himself too much, and ultimately remembers that the sport he loves is fun :)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael Kaiser

(Image by @variabels here I was given permission to use the image, please do not use it without the artist’s consent)

Sport: Soccer

Appearance: Blonde hair with blue streaks, light blue eyes, German

Propaganda: Kaiser is a character that most people hate at first, only to later reluctantly accept how amazing he is. He is arrogant, but he has every right to be so. He’s a prodigy forward in the under-20 division and is regarded as one of the top 11 best players in the world in his age group. He has amazing spatial awareness and great shooting skills. In one chapter of the manga, he literally kicked the ball in midair with a bicycle kick (where you’re upside down), and the ball then passes under a defender before landing into the goal. With strength like that, you can’t help but close an eye on him being an asshole. But although I keep roasting his personality, he also has his good points. He is quite charismatic when you’re on his side, and this is best displayed in his relationship with Ness, his partner midfielder. In one match, Ness was on the verge of breaking down in fear of losing, but Kaiser easily pulls him back up. He tells Ness to just move like how they practiced and leave the rest to him. And seriously, who wouldn’t feel relieved when someone offers to remove the pressure off their shoulders and tells them, “And believe. For me, nothing is impossible.” Kaiser is such a complex character that even my feelings for him are complex. I hate how he treats Ness like trash most of the time, I hate how he keeps getting in the protagonist’s way, and I hate how he’s always so full of himself. But at the same time, like Ness, I can’t help but be drawn to him. Aside from being an insanely good player, he’s also a very compelling character. We are yet to get his backstory, so I really wonder how his superiority complex came to be. Right now, I am following the manga, eagerly waiting for the moment I see him break and lose it.

#character tournament #tournament #sporty character tournament #tumblr tournament #blue lock #haikyuu #tooru oikawa #oikawa tooru #michael kaiser

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doroinoue · 16 hours

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okay so i've been listening to the dorohedoro manga soundtrack for a while now, and my morning has been a little hectic so i decided to just ramble about all the songs and what/who i associate them with, and also which songs from the anime ost they remind me of (since the anime ost is very much inspired from the manga ost)

WARNING: DIABOLICAL LEVEL OF YAPPING BELLOW, PROCEED WITH CAUTION!!!!

you can listen to the songs Here if you haven't, and i'll be going by this order, since thats the official one

Redacted, Recalcitrant, Repressed - khost: this one in my head is literally curse/risu theme and you cannot convince me otherwise Ever. Man Inside The Mouth from the anime ost is im pretty sure inspired from this song too so it All just makes sense. also the title itself reminds me of risu and the way he is and whatnot (im so shit at explaining good lird) also this is me just being insane but i think the voice of the guy singing KINDA fits risu more (the deeper more monstrous voice sounds like curse in my head too), like i love his actual voice too but when i read the manga i definitely dont imagine him with it i expected something more raspy(?), meanwhile aikawa being the one with the smoother voice (his raspy voice fits too giving that Kaiman and yadda yadda) Dont ever let me talk abt risu drhdr bro i dont stfu

Blaka Smoko - VOODOOM: i love this song so much but kai's stupid fucking face pops up in my head when i listen to it and i DONT KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH IT!!! though yeah uh this is pretty much either his song or the cross eyes in general since the lyrics are "i sell black smoke"..though the deranged laugh really reminds me of him solely. imagine a version of the drhdr manga where black smoke is like weed and they smoke that shit and get high i Think thats rlly funny i dunno what else to say tbh i think me associating the song w kai is preventing me from having too many thoughts about it. However i hope when he like shows up fr (not just in flashbacks) the anime ost makes a remix of this song cuz it genuinely fits (also i just love how this song directly mentions nikaido and kaiman, although a bit nonsensical given the context)

Dorohedoro Zombie Slushi - Candie Hank: im so certain 1000手観音 and another song (i cant remember which one) from the anime ost sampled from this one lmfao. anyway this one just reminds me of zombie ebisu, or ebisu in general. not even like living dead day, literally just zombie ebisu. its probably the vocals tbh, someone in a youtube comment was complaining abt them and another person replied "just imagine ebisu singing it" and i cant get it out of my head now. i can totally see her sing this song, especially knowing shes canonically interested in the manga ost album (you can see her read the songs of it while checking it out in like episode 4? i think? the one where they follow doll risu around and end up in some cheap clothing store)

Eating food and fighting Wizards - Shitwife: this one makes me very nostalgic, i like how its one of the few songs that isnt just pure nonsensical chaos. like i love those too, infact im bummed out the anime ost doesnt have more chaotic songs given the manga is literally incomprehensible sometimes, but i like how this song kinda shows the more coherent and cheerful side of the story. of course this is just kaiman theme to me, i mean the title and all. i think kaiman would really like this song, he would def listen to it. it also reminds me of that scene where him and nikaido are driving in their motorcycles, it gives the vibe of a drive in the middle of the night to me anyway, not much to say for this one too, i just think its really nice (also the drums go crazy hard)

Enter the Hole - NAH: lovely magic predecessor LOL. perfect for me honestly cuz lovely magic is my fav song from the anime soundtrack. This one just reminds me of hole, i dunno. the brief ethereal part reminds me of the past of the hole though, before the lake of refuse was created (i forgot what they called that shit in the official translation forgive me..lake of refuse sounds cooler either way). thats all tbh

She is a devil - Hanali: devil nikaido theme song what can i say...i literally want this song beat for beat to play at the scene where nikaido grows her devil tail and gets devil high (if they even animate season 2 that far) either that or when theyre selling gyoza at the department store and she goes devil high again and starts beating ass. its so perfect for those scenes also i like to think the distorted singing at the very beginning is like what humans hear when a devil sings, i know it should be more ear bleeding giving the reaction everyone has in canon but whateva!!! also also i like to imagine nikaido was probably hearing something similar while her tail was growing and she was going crazy, i think maybe hearing the singing of devils in your head while slowly turning into one is a cool idea

LIZARD HEAD - Dr. Das: i cant lie this ones...a little boring for me. like the beat is cool and all, but i think this is the one song i have the least to say abt. to reference another youtube comment, they said smth abt imagining kaiman fucking around in hole to this song, and yeah. i see it. i think if the anime animates that little bonus(?) comic abt how kaiman spends his day in hole, they should use smth similar to this song

Transformations - Shackleton: ok i lied this is the one i have to say least about. i dont mind 10+ minute songs, but damn this ones even more boring to me. the pissing sounds arent helping either LOL. though i think if they had to play this song somewhere, or a variation of it, maybe it fits best at the part where kawajiri is making nikaido do the devil exam in his house or whatever...idk....

Dorohedoro - Igorrr: ALRIGHT BACK TO YAPPING. this song is so fucking good, dare i say its my favorite of the whole ost. and im not the only one, everyone seems to love this one. its literally just TIC TOC predecessor but even better. the classical music and opera singing inserted into this absolute chaos is insane and i cant think of a song that fits shin more honestly. like this is literally shin theme. it perfectly mixes his calm and rational self with the deranged outbursts he has. ive heard people say shin is a boring character and i genuinely cant wrap my head around it like HELLO...not only is his design just cool as fuck, but he has such interesting personality? my boy went through absolute hell and grew up from an aggressive and snarky kid to a calm and if i may say, empathetic guy. like he cares about the people around him, he was carrying three guys (one with his fucking mouth mind you) that passed out because of the rain flooding the underground basement. he refuses to kill people who are weak with magic, and generally doesnt really like going on killing sprees unless its a life or death situation (which since kid has made him go crazy, i like to think its probably cuz it increases his heartbeat and being a human+sorcerer maybe doubles the adrenaline this way). also the way he has inhumanely high pain tolerance, he can have his guts splattered on the ground and still manage to walk, to the point it even weirds EN out. like you gotta be some freak to get en concerned for you (or be kikurage lol). sorry this turned into a shin rant more than the song itself, i just cant believe so many people dont see how cool shin is. like hes not even my most favorite character but i will protect all the drhdr characters i like (which is most of them). anyway moving on

The Hole - Ghengis: alot of ppl say they think of hole (the place) when they listen to this song, but me personally?this song screams hole the entity, and artificial devil kai. like this song FEELS like its oozing with the sludge and that feeling every sorcerer that gets in contact with hole "magic" feels. i like to think the headaches they get is equivalent to the beat of the song LOLL. like just super loud and painful pulsing headache that can leave you paralyzed on the ground. anyway, i dont have that much to say, i just want this song to play at the central department store arc, OR. when artificial devil kai is first shown thas all

Don't Think, Just Kill - Roly Porter: i lied again this is the one i have least to say about. sorry. literally my only thoughts are that one of the songs playing during the living dead day episode is inspired by it but i frogor which one

Kaimans Head - Dead Fader: to compensate the fact i mightve lied once again im gonna ramble about something mildly related. so the one youtube upload i found of this song uses this one fucking risu fanart that legit makes me shit my pants. its honest to god the scariest freaking fanart ive seen of a character i like. its not like Shiver me timbers scary, its just so unsettling to me, like WHO COOKED THIS UP. WHO DREW THIS. i know hayashida would love it. she wishes she made risu this scary and not the catboy babygirl beautiful princess with a disorder she created (/J). anyway uh, this song goes pretty hard, i like it, i just dont have much to way besides that i like the beat maybe. also heres link to the youtube upload with the picture if u wanna know what im talkin abt

Radio 538 - Dow Jones Brotherhood: because the first time i listened to the songs was on youtube, i found this song pretty much last and uh. i dunno its cool! for some reason it reminds me of the cross eyes? ive no clue why it just does. it reminds me specifically of how all of them are basically just worshipping some guy half (if not most) of them havent even seen the face of. i like how the whole thing is basically just a cult. people built statues of the boss, tattooed his face on their hands so they never forget it, And the elites...oh those poor little guys. closest to the boss and got psychologically tortured with killing thousands of sorcerers daily and left to deal with the incomprehensible shit their boss does, while slowly building suspicion and disgust towards him, but unable to do anything because of how far theyve gone into this. like can you imagine how miserable dokuga and tetsujo must feel knowing their devotion to kai led to all their friends killed. id just die bro this is so fucked... anyway, kewl song👍 i love the cross eye elites

Stay down zombies! - Ed Cox: i honestly love how lowkey dramatic this one is. ALSO the accordion tune from el corazon is im pretty sure taken from this one! which makes two shin references yippee!!! i like how this one kinda mixes calm music with breakcore (do not erm akshually me on this one i dont care), just like how igorrr does. i dunno its just a cool song, though PERSONALLY i dont think it fits living dead day, it reminds me more of that scene where shin remembers his mothers death, and then slowly turns into a zombie. it gives off that vibe giving how the song progresses from dramatic and a bit somber, while the beat starts creeping in, accompanied by the accordion that i literally will never not associate w shin in general

ANYWAY WOW THATS ALL!!!! if even one person bothered to read all this, thank you. i love yapping about dorohedoro i love silly manga about a bunch of freaks and freak stuff and i am obsessed with hayashidas taste in music, knowing she picked all those artists cuz she likes their music makes absolute sense considering the kind of art she makes. i love you q hayashida im your biggest fan. also if you notice any grammatical errors pls remember english is not only my second language, but i also barely slept last night so that's my excuse

#dorohedoro #drhdr #ドロヘドロ #q hayashida #i dont know what to tag man #risu dorohedoro #shin dorohedoro #nikaido dorohedoro #ebisu dorohedoro #i alread forgot who else i mentioned #dorohedoro spoilers

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flame-cat · 1 year

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hey fellas so @boyswillbeboxes and I have been cooking a fun concept for a few days and I thought I'd share it with you along with some Images I doodled. the post we're talking about at first is this one right here but if u don't feel like looking at it tl;dr its kim glaring at jean and being possessive of Harry. synopsis under the readmore! tws for suicide baiting and suicidal actions

rat: THAT FUCKIN COMIC WITH KIM GIVING JEAN THE SIDE EYE I'M SCREAMING

GET HIS ASS KIM

me: DLFJFKFKF IM SO GLAD U SAW ITTTT

rat: I JUST DID

me: thought of u makin that

rat: 😭😭

I'm so honored

God lmao you're right tho

Listen listen if Harry fails the check for the karaoke and Jean is there and doesn't clap for Harry, Kim swears a VENDETTA

That's CANON

He brings it up at the tribunal he's so petty

The second one

He says some really backhanded shit I don't remember the specifics but he's basically like Enemy Sighted

me: he took one look at this man and went "is anyone gonna become harshly overprotective of that" and didn't wait for an answer

rat: NO FOR REAL

IT'S INSANE HOW QUICKLY KIM WOULD DIE FOR HARRY

I LOVE IT I LOVE THEM

me: like in my head it literally is just. jean is minding his business. he doesn't even do anything. and Kim is just glaring daggers at him from across the room. in my head it's a sitcom bit where every time Harry leaves the room with Kim and Jean left Kim threatens Jean's life and as soon as Harry comes back in hes Normal again and jean is like GET YOUR FUCKING DOG BITCH

rat: Nobody ever believes Jean when he says this is happening

"No he's so even-tempered he's really polite maybe you just misinterpreted?"

Or even worse it makes Jean look crazy

me: like jean comes back to his desk and there's his mug which is now filled with dirt and a sticky note that says "bitch"

he looks over at Kim's desk and Kim is staring directly at him with murder in his eyes

and then a couple seconds pass and he looks away like nothing happened and jean is like "oh its ON motherfucker" (it is not on. jean can't hope to fight back against the wrath of kim kitsuragi)

jean fills Kim's coffee with salt? Kim just drinks it all. completely straight face. doesn't flinch once

kim comes over later and is like "thanks for the coffee" even tho jean was SURE no one saw him do that

he goes to fucking pryce about it eventually and he's just like "I don't appreciate you spreading rumors about the newest member of the 41st. he's done exemplary work. far better than you. maybe you need to go through that sensitivity training again?" and he blows his fucking LID over that.

challenges kim to a fucking brawl in the middle of the bullpen and Kim is just like. officer you're embarrassing yourself *eyebrow*

his reputation never recovers. even more of a joke than Dick Mullen now

rat: Kim being so so SO careful never to do this when anyone else is around. But then one day Jean is in the bathroom, and then the door opens, and it's Kim. And Kim just stops. Looks at him. Smirks a little. Then reaches behind himself and locks the door

And Jean feels FEAR

Kim never actually touches him. But it's very clear he's more than capable of following through on his threats.

Getting in his space and grabbing his chin to make sure Jean is Paying Attention

me: jean starts looking over his shoulder on his way home. one time Kim tails him just to fuck with him. jean thinks he loses him but when he gets onto his street kim is standing outside of his building, having his one cigarette

jean is stood frozen. Kim locks eyes with him as he puts out the cig on his boot. walks away

jean i think starts to try and play dirty as well but idk how he'd go about it. he's too... hm. stupid

rat: Yeah yeah yeah for sure like. He tries to "trick" Kim into a fight but Kim is five steps ahead at all times, he never takes the bait

And god help him if he tries to antagonize Harry to get to Kim

That's when Kim gets SERIOUS

That's when Kim finds him in a dark alley outside of work

Grabs a handful of his hair, smashes his face into a brick wall, puts him into a hammerlock hold

Whispers in his ear if he ever catches him trying that shit again, he's not getting a warning next time

me: I think it'd be hilarious if Jean tried to threaten suicide and it just. doesn't work. I think it'd make sense for him to bait kim like "okay well what if I killed myself and framed YOU for my MURDER" and Kim is like officer don't be dramatic get over yourself please

rat: Kim just staring at him like "Okay then. Do it. Right now."

Maybe Kim even hands over his gun

Jean trying to turn the tables by pointing it at Kim

Kim never flinches

"Go ahead. Pull the trigger. Unlike your idiotic plan, I'll be missed. And we both know Harry never stops."

me: I just think that scene in the alley could end up with Harry intuiting whats going on, that an officer is in danger, so he goes to stop it and- hey JEAN IS POINTING A GUN AT KIM??? AND KIM ISNT??? STOPPING HIM????

rat: HARRY PUTTING HIMSELF IN THE WAY OF THE GUN

Jean having to reconcile the fact that Harry is no longer his, insofar as he was before

me: after a tense second of not moving. jean actually considering doing it.

rat: GOD Jean being like I could just do it. Shoot him, maybe have time to reload and shoot myself after. That might be the only way to truly Hurt Kim

me: kim catches on to that. and for the first time he IS afraid

hes fine losing himself. but losing Harry? he couldn't bear it. he would sooner die

then. all at once. jean drops it

he can't do it. too much of a coward. "GOD FUCKING DAMN YOU!!" punches the wall etc. definitely crying. meanwhile kim GRABS Harry by the shoulders. he's shaking with fury and also something else. "what the FUCK are you thinking-" and Harry cuts him off with "what are YOU thinking? what the fuck was that? what HAPPENED to you?"

Harry means "you two" but kim feels that in his soul

they leave jean to talk after that. and that conversation is not a pretty one

smth smth "I was trying to protect you" "that was too far" "he went too far first. he was hurting you" "so your solution is to hurt him back?" "he wasn't going to STOP" "then let me deal with it!" etc etc

no idea what jean does from there. maybe he actually fucking thinks and reconsiders things and idk grows as a person

anyway after that we get the dinner from hell

harry invites them to a get-along dinner. christ

GOD. THE TENSEST DINNER EVER. TO RIVAL ANY FAMILY DINNER

im just imagining them trying to throttle each other on top of some takeout

harry is yelling TIMEOUT TIMEOUT

composure failure

rat: Harry like "can't we all just get along??" and Kim and Jean say NO at the same time

me: they both point at each other at the same time and go HE STARTED IT

harry actually passes an authority check and scolds them and they both realize how petty this is and its all very embarrassing and Harry is treating this very seriously. fully goes "do you have anything to say?" and they grumble sorry and he's like "not to me. to *each other*"

rat: He only passed Kim's authority because Kim hates seeing him sad

me: slow look at each other. jean holds out a hand. Kim grabs it so tight you hear joints snap.

they still hate each other so so much but Harry is Determined to make them friends

its like. harry is their get-along shirt

rat: Harry like the power of love and friendship will prevail and Kim tries he really does but every time he sees Jean he hears the Kill Bill sirens in his head

He makes an honest effort to threaten his life less but that's all he can manage

me: I do think this could get resolved eventually tho. like harry being put in some sort of crisis situation where his life is on the line or something

rat: Wouldn't it be funny if the situation was something Harry put himself in though

Like getting himself kidnapped by a gang

Like "wow this will really bring Jean and Kim together! ♡"

Meanwhile he's literally tied to a chair with his face bloody and nose broken

And Jean and Kim HAVE to team up. They can't take on a gang ALONE

Jean pretends not to care but he cares so much it makes him look stupid

If Harry actually dies what the fuck is he supposed to do

me: it works but not in the way he intended cause it actually touches on the heart of the conflict is that Jean wants to blame Harry for everything ever and also he does care so much it makes him look stupid so when they find out it was actually sort of on purpose they BOTH GET MAD AT HIM FOR THE SAME REASON

a horrible, deadly pact is formed. harry is now in grave danger

rat: Harry wanted them to be friends. And now, unfortunately, they are

He's never getting let out of their sight again

me: I like to think eventually they do chill out and become friends about it. like outside of all that. maybe jean finally gets over himself and Kim and Harry have a talk about being posessive- lol I'm just kidding those two are codependent to the fucking grave. but still I think they could end up being civil and the death threats just become banter

the competitive streak never dies tho. constantly trying to one-up each other. functional kismesistude

#in the life #disco elysium #harrier du bois #kim kitsuragi #jean vicquemare #harrykim #kimharry #my art #pheo doodles

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bonnieisaway · 1 year

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hi scissor seven fandom. i still have not watched season four and i'm going insane in the membrane so i'm here to discuss how we dont talk about this scene enough

anyway so i was editing again and i got put off because i found this specific screenshot again

and i was put off about it because he smiles here. he smiles. this like absolutely mortifying, fucked up smile. and i went back and now i think it's really fucking cool (atleast by my interpretation)

ANYWAYS: to jog your memory Redtooth just fucking MAIMED Dai Bo and Xiao Fei and now Seven is next- and he has this internal dialogue with 'his past self' in his head. A few episodes before this, Seven says to Dai Bo that he has "An idea" of how he used to be- though, "My memory is still choppy." And this scene, when he looks to talk to his past self, I think illustrates what he can remember now:

We see an unnamed woman dying, and then Seven standing at, presumably, her unmarked grave. Then we see Seven approaching the Killers League- or another building in Xuanwu- and after that, the day the girl in white stabbed Seven. The last 'memory' (though, this one might just be more of a conceptualization of what he thinks he was,) is Seven standing on top of a pile of broken swords and bones, and this is the last 'memory' we see

These, and what Seven has been told by others like Captain Jack, are what Seven uses to form this concept of his past self. Notably, in Captain Jack's nightmares, past Seven is also depicted as smiling- when in reality, he had only ever smiled once, with the girl in white.

'Past Seven' approaches the current him and asks, "You've been looking for me, haven't you?" Which, more literally, would mean Seven's been searching for these memories, and the remnant of who this person was in himself today. The first time we see this Seven's face, he is smiling. This massive, terrifying grin.

fucking christ bro put that away

Seven tells himself that he cannot escape this- he will never escape the Shadow Killers, and he tells himself that he has to let this part of him 'take over.' To be clear, this is not to paint Seven as having a split personality, but more to represent that he is at war with himself. When Seven smiles and slashes Redtooth, that is not a different person, but Seven, what he thinks is, regressing to that person that he used to be.

But notably, I think, this is not the Seven that he used to be. This is, by no means, who he was in the past. Seven, in the past, never smiled, nor had shown any emotion indicating that he took pleasure in these things. The only times Seven is painted this way is from other characters who are inherently unreliable narrators, because they themselves do not know the full story of who Seven was. Season 3, with the help of 'Two Heroes' from Season 2, paints past Seven as somebody who was going through to motions: he did what he needed to do, and that was it. And sometimes, through this, he is compassionate or merciful- though only in a way that is obvious when you have the bigger picture. Beyond this, the 'past Seven' we see here says something that directly conflicts with what he had truly believed: "You cannot escape your past."

Younger Seven does not speak enough to actively say he does not agree with this, but I think he did believe he could because of what happened with the Girl in White. Seven here, in his scattered memories, sees her entirely as a catalyst for him to put his emotions aside. Seven in the past directly betrayed the organization and fought every killer in Xuanwu for her. If Seven believed that he could never escape his fate, that he would never be able to run far enough from the organization, I don't think he ever would have risked everything for the Girl in White. If he never believed that, if his emotions had never won, he never would have walked into what he KNEW was a trap to save her- he never would have done anything and everything for her, because he would have believed it would've been pointless in the end.

This 'past self' that Seven forces himself to embrace, the one that smiles when he draws his sword against an enemy that logically, he should've known was nigh impossible to beat, was never Seven. This was the ideal of who he was, and he himself can hardly even try and stick to this: Not even moments later, he stares down at his sword once again and thinks in silence, questioning who he is.

This past Seven, the ideal of who he was, once again tells him that his emotions will weaken him, but even if that's what Seven had been taught all his life, somehow, through the Girl in White, this belief had began to unravel. And beyond that, objectively, he is wrong about this- this ideal Seven tries to force himself to embody does not stand a chance against Redtooth, and his forced apathy gets him nowhere. Redtooth- who did not even recognize this Seven who smiled at him, but when he stood the same way he did before- directly says Seven's sword must be weaker than he thought.

Green Phoenix says "He's out of practice- that isn't how you use the blade." And, originally, I took this line to sound a bit snooty, because technically, this looks no different than how Seven has used the sword in the past, and fuck if Green Phoenix knows how to use the thing, but I think this line is a lot better when you read it as "That isn't how Seven used the blade." I don't know if that's really how it was meant to be translated, or if I'm looking to deep into it, but it's a nice touch.

Seven does not stand a chance in defeating Redtooth until he forgets what he's told himself, and reaffirms to himself once again: he is not that person he (thought he) once was.

Seven, evidently, still loses here: he nearly pushes Redtooth to his very limit, but this is the closest he gets to defeating him, this is where Seven is his strongest, when he uses his emotions to reaffirm who he is today.

I think Seven is still very much stuck exploring who he once was: and he may not ever truly know that he's never actually been this cold, unfeeling villain, but this episode goes so far to show how Seven learns that he will always choose the island, his friends and his emotions above all else, and the small ways it shows us this isn't even who Seven really was, and it's so so fucking cool and I absolutely adore it.

if i watch season 4 and it actually just smacks me in the face and contradicts everything i say here i'm going to blow up a building also i still haven't watched it so let's pray i dont get notes that spoil it

#scissor seven #killer seven #meihua shisan #wu liuqi #seven #plum blossom thirteen #redtooth #uhhh tags #is it blue phoenix or green phoenix #fuck it the phoenix is a phoenix #thirteen #spoilers #im running out of tags again #analysis #i guess? analysis works? yea? maybe?#i have autism #lol #ok goodnight guys this totally wasnt an excuse to rewatch some episodes

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dadsbongos · 2 years

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the geekification of chrissy cunningham

phase one - weed and puppy love / phase two / phase three

8.2K words

warnings - weed smoking, internalized queerphobia of some form or another (polyamory wasn't a coined label in the 80s but yeah, internalized hatred of that), emotional cheating (on both ends for the same person)

summary - Following her public break-up with Jason Carver, Chrissy Cunningham finds comfort and affection in two of Hawkins' most renowned freaks. Coincidentally, you and your boyfriend, Eddie, both seem to have a crush on the poor girl.

The news was out mere minutes after it happened. Chrissy Cunningham and Jason Carver broke up - for good. In the parking lot before school, the two called it splits and some freshmen from band overheard the whole thing; immediately spreading it like wildfire on dry grass.

“Did you hear?” Mike was staring at you and Eddie with eyes bugging from their sockets. Dustin and Lucas trailing after him, equally (if not more, depending on which one you looked at) shocked.

You and Eddie were in the secluded area of the theater room that was exclusive for set design - organizing for the campaign later that night.

“Hear what?” you turn to the boys, a brow raised.

“The queen of Hawkins High just broke up with her boyfriend,” Mike reaches out to shake you by the shoulders.

Eddie knocks the boy’s hands off you and shrugs, “Okay? I don’t know if you noticed, young paladin, but we aren’t exactly the audience to care for that.”

“But you do see how it’s insane, right?” Lucas stresses, stepping forward.

“I guess, if you didn’t know that Carver was a total dick,” you reach back so your hands support you against the table, “but we all did. Especially you, Sinclair, you were on the basketball team.”

“It’s just crazy that it finally happened,” Dustin looks between you and Eddie, “Isn’t it crazy?”

“Yeah, two people broke up, totally nuts,” you shake your head.

“We would never do that,” Eddie leans over to kiss your cheek, “We’re too powerful.”

“The freak power couple,” you take his hand in yours and squeeze, “I wouldn’t wanna be with anyone else.”

“I’m talking about real news here and you’re making it about yourselves,” Mike cringes, “You two are gross.”

…

“You two are gross.”

You remember muttering that about Chrissy and Jason. Not directly about Chrissy, she hardly looked like she’d been enjoying herself, but if you were referencing a couple then it would be more accurate to address both parties.

No. Now that you think about it, it’s entirely accurate to address solely Jason.

You sigh and flip your eyes up to the clock, a mere three minutes left of class. When you look up, though, you notice something actually bizarre.

Chrissy Cunningham herself - looking unnaturally stressed, and you can’t help the way your heart tugs at the sight of the poor girl.

“Uh, you okay?” what a dumb question.

Chrissy’s eyes widen before falling to you and she forces a grin, “Yeah, sorry… just spacing out, I guess.”

“My boyfriend,” you lean in closer to whisper to her, “I’m assuming you know because I’ve literally seen you buy from him but I’m just reminding you: he sells.”

“I don’t have much money on me today,” she murmurs.

“I can talk him into a discount,” you shrug and lean back before any student could get suspicious, “Just something to help you feel better after… you know.”

“You heard about that?” her eyes skip down to her hands. Fingers scratching at her rose pink nail polish.

“I think everyone in school has, to be honest,” you rub the back of your neck, “If it makes you feel better - I’m not one of the kids that thinks you’re crazy.”

She chuckles, but it feels absolutely hollow, “Right.”

“I’m serious,” you lean forward and rest your chin in the palm of your hand, “Even if I hadn’t sat next to you this entire year and learned what a sweetheart the queen of Hawkins High could be - I’d still just assume you were doing the right thing.”

“You mean that?” she looks up at you again, brows pinched and blue eyes less lively than you’ve ever seen.

“Duh,” maybe not the best way to phrase that, “I mean, even if it’s not for a specific reason, it isn’t like you can just stick around if you lose feelings or whatever. Plus, I’m more than 85% convinced Jason Carver is capable of murder.”

She gasps and slaps your arm, but it’s in good humor as she starts giggling, “Oh my God!”

“I’m just saying, man, he has - like - this Tom Cruise aura.”

“Tom Cruise?” she’s beaming at you now, broad-lipped and easygoing.

“Have you seen his movies and interviews?” she nods and you throw up your hands, “Does he not have a weird aura? Like, he’s got such an intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes.”

Whether Chrissy actually links the two now or not, she’s laughing at your jokes and it’s got you feeling better than when you got to join Corroded Coffin. And that was saying something.

Chrissy’s smile slowly fades until it’s left completely faint, the corners not quite meeting the eyes, “Sorry if I worried you, I was just trying to think of what to do after school. Usually, when there’s no practice I stick around for basketball and get a ride home, but…”

Before you think out the logistics, you blurt out, “You can hang out with me and my boyfriend and we can drive you home,” then the reality of where you have to be hits you, “I mean, I have to sit in his Hellfire meeting and it’ll actually be my boyfriend driving, but - hey, it’s something.”

“Hellfire?” she thinks for a moment and then her eyes light up in recognition, “Oh, Dungeons and Dragons?”

“Yeah.”

“You play?”

“Nope,” when she shoots you a puzzled look, you shrug, “I don’t play, but Eddie and I make tapes and shit with sound effects and ambient music. I play them when I’m not doing a snack run. It sounds boring, but it won’t be that bad, I promise.”

You shouldn’t promise that because now that you say it out loud, the anxiety is realized that it actually might be worse than boring.

“Sorry, nevermind - I’m realizing how insane I sound.”

“No!” she croons, almost pitying (you’d rather just be outright rejected), “I’ll go.”

“You’re serious?”

“Yeah - why not?” she rolls her eyes good-naturedly, “You’re fun.”

“I am?” you pull back, “No way.”

“Yeah,” she nudges your shoulder with yours, “I like you. I’m glad I got to be your seat partner.”

“You’re talking like the year’s over,” you tease, “Plan on moving, Cunningham?”

“No,” the bell rings and she stands to swing her bag over her shoulders, “Now that I have an invitation to watch the Hellfire Club, the only way you’re getting rid of me is in a body bag.”

“Your dedication will surely be appreciated,” you nod, pulling your own bag over your shoulders to leave.

In the passing period between third and fourth hour, you and Eddie usually meet in the janitor’s closet right next to your U.S history because his economics class is directly across the hall. It’s always for a quick kiss that can’t be interrupted with cackles and whispers, but this time you’re almost suffocating him with the tight grip you have on the collar of his shirt.

“Remember that no-watchers rule?” you say as soon as the closet door shuts.

“Yeah,” he tilts his head, eyes narrowing in his confusion, “What’d you do?”

“I invited Chrissy Cunningham to hang out with me and she actually said yes.”

He’s silent - very peculiar behavior for Eddie Munson - for a while. Then, he shakes his head, screws his eyes shut and blanches, “You what?”

“Chrissy agreed to hang out with me during the Hellfire campaign,” you cross your arms, “I didn’t think she’d even take me up on it - she was just talking about having nothing to do and I felt really bad. Also, you have to give her a ride home,” when his jaw drops at your words you look away, “I’m sorry, I totally freaked.”

“Yes, you did,” he nods, laughing - actually laughing! - at you, “You freaked, sweet angel.”

“Please, just help me with this,” you sigh and bury your face in the crook of Eddie’s neck, “I wanna be her friend so bad, now.”

“Really?” his chest moves with his laughter and you have half a mind to swat him for it.

“Yeah, she laughed at all my jokes and now I can understand why you’re friends with freshmen.”

“You know what? I was going to help you, and then you said that.”

You mock gasp and whine, “Nooooo, wait. I’m sorry.”

“I have to go,” Eddie pulls away and leaves a kiss on your forehead, “And, yes, she can stay at Hellfire and I’ll give her a ride.”

“Thank you.”

“You knew I was gonna say yes,” he huffs, sending you a final smile before slipping out of the closet and towards his next class.

And it’s true. You ask to get it out there, but you already knew what his answer would be. Not out of entitlement, but because Eddie is Eddie and he does whatever he can to help you out of being awkward. Even if it means spending more on gas than usual because you accidentally volunteered him to drive a girl home without his knowledge.

Not that he’s complaining. He’s only spoken with Chrissy a handful of times, mostly when she's buying weed and she can’t help but be friendly. He thinks she's pretty. She's nice. He likes her in a more general way, though - duh. Where you have no reason to dislike a person and they’re too nice and you’ve known them too long for you to feel neutral about them. For a cheerleader, she’s pretty cool.

…

Eddie has a certain motion he makes when he needs the ambiance. His hand shoots up and he shakes a fist in the air to the vigor of his words and you hit play. It’s easy and it came from a guilt-ridden boyfriend who thought it cruel to make you focus from the sidelines when you could be doing something else (another thing you loved about him, he was always worried about you not being bored - despite his own hyperfixation on the game). So, he does that for you to see while reading or working, not that you do that too often when you can just let the overly theatrical party be your entertainment.

But now that you’ve got Chrissy sat beside you on a wood table at the far side of the room, you’re surprisingly grateful for the motion.

You two have to be quiet so as to not break the boys’ concentration, and your eyes dart to the table every so often just to make sure they didn’t overhear you.

“I hope Hellfire is everything you hoped for,” you whisper, feeling the stray hairs from her framing bangs tickle your cheeks.

“It definitely is,” she whispers back, eyes filled with genuine wonder despite your teasing, “I never thought there was a game like this,” then her gaze flicks to you, “Like, I knew that D&D existed, but not that it was so roleplay heavy.”

“What were you expecting?”

She seems hesitant until she registers your honest curiosity, “More board-game, I guess. Like a fantasy Monopoly.”

You press your lips to keep from laughing at the image, “Be sure you don’t say that to any of the guys - they’re insane.”

“Do you ever join?” she whispers and you shake your head in response, her brows draw worriedly, “Why not?”

“The guys don’t like me in their party ‘cuz I roll like shit and Eddie’s got a stage four case of favoritism,” she covers her mouth to prevent audibly giggling, “It’s fucking terminal. He lets me attack when I roll 1’s and those are literally the lowest you can go.”

Chrissy leans closer to you when she’s laughing - or rather, withholding her laughter. Her head tosses back and you feel that sense of pride from earlier resurface.

Eddie’s head comes up and he shakes his fist, “And thunder - " you hit play without even looking away from Chrissy, “crackles!”

You let the sound run through the theater room before pausing again, you angle yourself to whisper in Chrissy’s ear again, “Wanna hear a secret?”

“Of course.”

“I wanna get punched,” she immediately pulls back, eyes wide and mouth hanging open, “like, in a high school fight. I feel like it’s a vital high school experience.”

Chrissy returns to your side and slowly nods, “Not the weirdest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever heard?”

“My little brother tried explaining the reeking weed smell in his room on a burnt microwave dinner,” she grins, eyes shooting to the high ceiling before returning to you, “If it’ll help you fulfill your violent fantasy, I can definitely think of people who need beating up.”

“Wow, you think I could beat them up?” this time, your brows raise, “I look scary and talk big, but I don’t actually fight anymore, Chris.”

She seems to light up at the nickname, more so than the staged reaction you’d seen her give Jason.

“I believe in you,” her hand lays on your shoulder and you can see her pink nails glimmer in the dim lighting, “You’re tough.”

“I’m a poser, actually,” you admit, returning to your lean so you’re pressed against her, “I don’t even hate the world that much, just some of the people. Totally not the hardcore metal everyone expects.”

You’re disturbed by the fact that every time you lean in to whisper in her ear, you have the strong urge to lean just a little further and bite her neck. Not in the vampire way people would assume of you, but in a way you’re sure should be reserved for your boyfriend.

“I think it’s pretty metal,” her hand takes yours and she starts playing with the emerald ring Eddie got you for your first anniversary, “You’re pretty badass.”

“I’m nothing of the sort,” you murmur, “Haven’t even egged someone’s house and that’s, like, the right of passage to being cool. That and eventually getting lung cancer from all the chain-smoking.”

“Well,” her pink nails pick at your ripped black stockings, “I think you’re mighty metal, if it’s any consolation.”

“It absolutely is,” you bring your own fingers to drag gently across the hem of her cheer skirt, “As long as I can intimidate the general population while being a total wimp, I’m happy.”

“You’re not a wimp,” you see Eddie raise his fist again and you hit play until the silence of a finished track rings through the room, “I think you’re brave for not trying to be someone you’re not.”

“You do?”

“Yeah,” she grins and you two lean even closer, “Even cooler than your boyfriend.”

“Wow, that’s definitely something hard to be.”

“I think you’re both super cool. You’re just a little higher on the scale.”

You two grow closer. Her breath flutters faintly across your lips and she smells like the bubblegum you saw her chewing at lunch. You’re giggling - you both are.

And then Eddie claps from his throne at the head of the D&D table.

“Piss break, losers and dweebs,” Eddie stands and stretches, “Don’t need another accident.”

You and Chrissy have snapped apart by now, but you can see the way she’s staring at you - wide eyed and squirming.

She clears her throat and hops off the table, “Did he say ‘another accident’?”

“You don’t wanna know,” you follow her lead and wander over to Eddie.

“My sweet princess,” if he noticed the closeness between you and Chrissy, he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he cups your cheeks and squeezes them, kissing your squished lips, “Would you be an absolute doll and please get us snacks?”

“Who would I be if not the loyal snack squire?” you run your fingers up his sides and relish in the way he shivers, “Gonna give me money?”

“I taught you where to hit the glass,” he grins, pinching your cheek, “Have fun.”

You bat his hand away and begin out the door, pausing only to look at Chrissy - who’s nervously fiddling with the sleeve of her varsity jacket while staring at her shoes - and calling to her, “Hey, princess!”

She jumps and turns, “Me?”

It’s almost as though she doesn’t know how precious she is.

“Yeah,” your head jerks towards the hall, “wanna come get snacks for 9-year-olds with me?”

“Sure,” she cheers and bounces to your side, “Do you do this every time?”

“Not every time,” you shrug, “Just when I’m feeling charitable, I guess. Or when there’s a nice girl to keep me company.”

Chrissy’s lips pull up in a smile and you like the way her gloss shines under the dark hallway’s emergency lights.

“You and Eddie are cute,” she remarks. It’s soft. Tender.

“Thanks,” you stop in front of the vending machine, “We try,” you turn to her as you copy the specific hits to the frame and glass that Eddie had indeed taught you to get free snacks, “It’s actually a huge act to win cutest freaks in the yearbook.”

“Stop,” she protests quietly, a frown on her lips. Chrissy kneels on the hard linoleum and picks out what treats fall to the pit of the machine, “You guys aren’t freaks.”

“Well, you might be the only one who thinks so,” you join her and the two of you come to a stand with armfuls of student council approved junk food, “It’s okay, Chris. We’re definitely used to it by now.”

You don’t tell her about how long it took to get used to, though. You don’t wanna break her little heart - certainly not when she just got out of a relationship.

She doesn’t have to know about the fights you used to pick or the late nights Eddie spent clutching to you and tearfully asking if you thought he was a freak too. She doesn’t have to know about how you and Eddie used to pretend to laugh just so that nobody noticed the tears beginning to form.

Yes, you two got used to it, but it took time before the shell grew.

She doesn’t tell you that she used to find you two as intimidating as she did fascinating. With black clothes and shirts for bands she was told were sent by the Devil and heavy eyeliner for when you were feeling especially outgoing. She used to think you two were mean and scary, but neither of you are anything of the sort. She was as enamored as she was frightened.

The only scary thing about you and Eddie is the idea of never seeing you two again. And that realization terrifies her.

You and Chrissy dump your combined loot on the table and you look around the room to see everyone except your boyfriend at the table.

The boys amble to where you and Chrissy are stationed to grab something, Dustin looks at you as he snags a bag of chips, “Your boyfriend's taking a leak.”

“‘Cuz I totally didn’t gather that,” you roll your eyes and Chrissy snickers behind you. Dustin’s lips press thinly and you tousle his hair, “Thanks, Henderson.”

“Eddie seems like a good boyfriend,” Chrissy mumbles and you assume it to be a lament of her own past relationship.

You turn to the girl and sigh, “You know, he seems dreamy, but for my birthday, he got me kids’ 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner.”

“I never would’ve guessed he was that kind of guy. With that hair?” she shakes her head, arms crossing over her chest, “I’m shocked and surprised.”

“Yeah? Stunned, even?”

“Aghast,” she steps closer and lays her hand over yours on the table, “Horrified, now that I think about it.”

Eddie claps a hand on your shoulder, “Thank you, my dear princesses.”

“Of course,” you meet his lips with yours and he retreats to his throne.

Chrissy’s hand slowly retracts from yours. Her hands clasp and you slide onto the table - an awkward exchange of tight-lipped smiles passes between you two.

Princess is a term of endearment Eddie reserved for you - and you alone - and you’re confused as to why him using it with Chrissy doesn’t make you jealous. If anything, it sweetens something inside you.

An ideal - where you and Chrissy and Eddie-

You shake your head. Brows pinching.

What the fuck?

“Are you okay?” Chrissy asks softly, hand hovering over your shoulder.

“Yeah,” you wave off her sweet concern, “I’m fine.”

Girls think girls are attractive - that just happens, but you’ve never had thoughts like that. Three people dating at once?

You’ve never seen that anywhere. Nowhere good anyway.

“Are you sure?” she leans in and you wanna brush the hanging hair behind her ears. You wanna smoothen the skin that wrinkles at her brows. You wanna make the frown on her lips disappear.

“Yeah,” you whisper as Eddie picks up his character as narrator, “totally.”

Totally.

…

“Shit,” Eddie huffs as you three come upon his van, replacing his keys into his pocket, “I’ve got deals. Shouldn’t be too long.”

Normally you go with him when he has to sell after school, but normally Chrissy isn’t hanging out with you two.

“Chrissy and I can just sit in the car.”

Eddie hums and shakes his head, already starting to walk towards the woods lining Hawkins High, “I think it’s illegal to leave babies in hot cars!”

“We’re both eighteen!” you grumble, but trail after him with Chrissy in tow.

“It’s also spring,” she points out.

“We never know what could happen,” Eddie says once you’re both on either side of him, “What if you magically transform into babies and the magic makes the van boil? Then what?”

“Then you’ve started taking hard drugs and are hallucinating,” you take Eddie’s hand in yours and grin when Chrissy laughs at your joke.

You and Chrissy end up leaning against one of the big trees while Eddie talks one of the jocks (that throws pencils at your head and calls you a witch) into overpaying for a gram of weed.

“I don’t mean to intrude,” Chrissy’s voice is light, just enough to where she could pretend to not have said anything if you didn’t hear, “but if you and Eddie don’t have anything going on, can we… hang out more tonight?”

Chrissy can feel her heart in her throat. She’s almost petrified at the knowledge of why she’s so desperate to cling to you both. When she’s with you and Eddie, she feels like herself. No, she feels bigger. Like a firework. Big and showy and demanding of attention, attention that you two gladly hand over in groves - certainly more than Jason ever did. But more than that, she knows what realization is swimming beneath the surface - she’s attracted to you. Both of you.

“Uh, might need to talk to Eddie, just to make sure there’s nothing else,” you watch the jock walk away fifty bucks out.

Your hand brushes her shoulder comfortingly as you pass and Chrissy’s heart thrums at the contact.

She’s known for a long while - that she isn’t like everyone else. She couldn’t tell a soul, but she surely knew. Girls don’t fantasize about Tanya Roberts while having sex with their boyfriend unless there’s something behind the straight and narrow persona. She doesn’t know exactly what to call herself - she likes girls and boys and she’s come to terms with that.

She’s come to terms with the fact that she has a crush on you and Eddie. It was easy to fall for you two despite your differing social status once she actually met you both, not that she ever cared for that bullshit in the first place.

You were easy to get along with and while you could be awkward, she found it endearing how earnest you were in trying to be friendly with her - not for her standing as “queen” but for her personality. Eddie was charming and boisterous and unafraid to be himself in a hellish place like Hawkins, jumping to make her comfortable when he noticed her getting nervous during their deals.

But while you and Eddie are talking, she sees how delusional she is.

You three can hang out, sure, but there’s barriers between her fantasy of joining your couple and real life. For one - she’s never seen anything good said about three people dating at once and it never seems to end well. And two - she doubts that you two would want to date someone like her. She’s part of the crowd that wounds you and your friends so deeply, no matter how different she may be, she’s still in that circle.

People would hate you two even more. Or call you charity cases. Either way, rumors would spread and she’d hate to ruin your lives even more.

“Good news, princess,” Eddie calls as you start walking back to the tree, “Council has decided that you can bum it with the freaks.”

“He’s being dramatic,” you whisper to her, “All I did was suggest you hang out and he agreed. Like immediately.”

Chrissy giggles as you roll your eyes.

A cheerleader pulls up to the bench this time. Her eyes bug out when she sees her dear captain standing by you.

“Chrissy?” the girl points as she sits, “You… with them?”

“Uh,” Chrissy freezes up and she feels your eyes slide from her to the floor - Eddie is silent for once as he gets a bag from his lunchbox. You’re both radiating disappointment.

Like you’re already expecting her to deny - to come up with an excuse.

It hurts her that you’ve both accepted this - and she wonders how many popular kids have done what she has, just to stab you in the back.

“Yeah,” she grins and her arm slithers over your shoulders, squeezing you close to her side (she likes the mix of your sweet perfume and Eddie’s cologne that clings to your skin, and she’s sure it’ll be distracting her when she’s alone in bed later), “I’m with them.”

The deal is quiet and the cheerleader walks away without anything other than weird stares.

“You’re committing social suicide, by the way,” you mutter.

“Huh?” Chrissy’s eyes search yours, “How?”

She knows exactly how, but maybe by pretending to be clueless, you two won’t feel so bad.

“Hanging out with us,” Eddie continues, he lays a gentle hand on her shoulder, “It’s nice ‘n’ all, but you don’t have to if you don’t want your buddies judging you.”

“Yeah, we get it,” you say that, but the way you start nervously twirling your ring around your finger tells her otherwise, “It’s fine.”

“No,” she takes Eddie’s hand and grabs yours, squeezing both, “I want to hang out with you guys. I’m having fun. I don’t care what the others think.”

“Then enough sap shit,” Eddie turns away and guides you and Chrissy to the van by your connected hands, “Some rich boy didn’t wanna be spotted at the bench, so we’ve gotta go to Lovers’ Lake.”

God loved teasing Chrissy Cunningham, she supposes.

Going to an infamous make-out spot with her two crushes - no matter how childish she feels calling you two that. It should be a dream come true. In another world, maybe it is.

It’s a quiet ride (aside from you and Eddie in the front seat arguing whether Ozzy Osbourne was better alone or with Black Sabbath) and once the van is parked, you and Eddie both get out. You pull open the back doors and motion for Chrissy to hop over the seats into the bed of the van. You climb onto the quilt laid down as Chrissy follows your instructions.

“Be back soon, dears,” Eddie grins wildly and pats the doors before wandering off.

The sky is beginning to wash in pink and orange and you look over at Chrissy. Her skin is shining in the sherbet hue and her hair has begun falling messy out of her ponytail. She sits with her legs tucked underneath her, green skirt falling over her smooth, soft-looking thighs.

You have to look away.

You regret doing so because as soon as you do, you see him. Andy Johnson - Jason’s best friend and your technical first boyfriend.

“Ew,” you huff and lean forward, slamming the van doors shut.

You press the bulb in the van’s roof to on and Chrissy is already looking at you. You can read the question on her lips before she even asks it.

“We’ve got…” you gesture loosely, “history…”

“Aw,” she leans in and places a perfectly manicured hand delicately over yours, “what happened?”

You try to laugh but it soaks in dismality, “He Pretty in Pink’d me - but without the cool, happy ending,” she only leans closer and raises a brow, “In middle school, he asked me out, and then after our date, he just avoided me completely. Then after school, he asked me to homecoming as an apology but would still totally avoid me in public. So, when I confronted him in the hall like a week later, he just acted like I was crazy and had no idea what I was saying.”

“Oh my God,” she cups a hand over her mouth, wildly offended on your behalf, “why would he do that?”

You two had gone to the same school - but even she never heard about that. She sat next to Andy for months. She laughed at his jokes. She spoke with him like a friend. She was a friend, to at least some degree. She never once heard your name out of his mouth.

“Because I was a freak. Am a freak.”

“No, you are not,” Chrissy sits up on her knees and takes your face into her hands, her eyes alight with passion, “You didn’t deserve that. It’s unfair what he did to you.”

“Yeah, well,” you swallow hard and try not to show how nervous she’s making you, “what can you do?”

“I’ll never let him do that again,” she promises, her palms press your face and you can feel your lips scrunch the way they do when Eddie’s trying to be funny before he kisses you, “Never again. Not to you, not to Eddie.”

“Thanks, princess,” your hands come over her shoulders, gently pushing her so she’s sitting again, “but we’ll be okay. Worst that’s happened to us has been someone throwing produce at the windshield while we’re driving.”

She gasps and you chuckle darkly.

You two are from opposite worlds and it shows in how she’s so troubled by what you’ve shared. You push the doors open and peek out at where Eddie now sits alone. He’s returning his lunchbox to order - something you insisted on making a routine after every deal so he doesn’t forget or lose track of supply.

You never imagined it’d be like this. With you and Chrissy Cunningham sitting in the back of your boyfriend’s van while he finishes up a deal. You never imagined she’d actually be tagging along with you two.

But it’s odd, she doesn’t feel like a third wheel. The tension isn’t there. It’s like she’s meant to fit into the fray - a part of a three-piece tux, the missing link in the chain, the longest fry found at the bottom of the box.

And under the shitty bulb light in the back of Eddie’s van - of which, flickers and dims at its own will - Chrissy looks simply divine.

Eddie returns, stuffing stray bills into his pockets as he watches you and Chrissy chat.

Something is there - deep in his chest. There’s no jealousy, oddly enough. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t see her as a threat - Chrissy isn’t the type to overstep.

And that’s fine.

But that doesn’t erase what is there.

It’s love, he knows that. Love for you, of course. His beloved girlfriend of just under two years, the only person who he’s ever felt really believed in him, the only girl he ever brought home that Wayne liked (not that he brought girls home a lot but still). The angel who stooped so low as to join his band of misfits and smile with the brightness of a thousand suns and beauty of a million moons while doing so. Deeper down, however, there’s more affection.

Not quite love, but not weak enough for mere friendship. And it’s for Chrissy Cunningham.

It terrifies him, the idea of feeling that for her. He’s never heard of liking two people at once (unless they were described as an asshole) and it makes him feel more freakish than usual. Like he’s worthy of the wary stares and the pointing fingers.

It also terrifies him because he’s scared that if it grows larger, he’ll lose you. There’s no way he could fall out of love for you and he’d cut off his own feet before cheating, he knows that like he knows the color of the sky, but he also knows that if it does grow, he would have to tell you.

Because there’s no way that three people could date at once, right? And you’ve never so much as whispered anything about being interested in girls.

He feels disgusted with himself.

It’s new. Freshly revived over the course of this afternoon. A crush from before you two started dating that maybe he didn’t stuff deep enough into his closet.

He just does what he does best and pretends nothing has changed.

Eddie coaxes you two from the back of the van, “What do you say, Chrissy? Sweet elvish queen; wanna go home or continue this night of convivial trouble?”

Chrissy looks up at Eddie and you watch her bat her eyes while clutching your hand, she grins and lifts her stone blue eyes from him to you, “Convivial trouble.”

“Bewitching the queen of Hawkins High,” you say aloud, “Never thought we’d be doing that, Eds.”

…

The three of you end up back at Eddie’s trailer. You and Chrissy are sitting thigh-to-thigh on the living room floor, a joint passed between you as Eddie finally sets out to undoing his chunky boots.

“I never get to smoke at home,” Chrissy admits, “My mom would literally murder me.”

“Where do you go?” you’re not nearly as buzzed as Chrissy, that much is evident by her slower movement speed and bloodshot eyes, but you still feel it beneath your skin. Gentle slugs that you’ve grown somewhat fond of.

“The woods.”

“That’s dangerous,” you shake your head.

“It is dangerous,” Eddie is quick to agree and steps closer to the two of you, he kisses your forehead and gestures around the cramped trailer, “You’re always welcome to my castle, Elvish queen.”

“Oh, I dunno…” she twists the hem of her skirt nervously.

“You should,” you insist, “It’s nicer than the woods. And safer.”

“Much safer,” Eddie stands and pats his pockets, “I’ll be right back.”

“Where’re you going?” Chrissy pouts and you snatch the blunt from her fingers to take your own hit.

“Just getting more stuff, Chris,” he pulls his pockets inside out, “Seems I’ve misplaced mine.”

“You can have this,” she points at the roll between your lips, “You gave it to us, ‘s only fair.”

“No, you two have fun, I won’t be long.”

“He’ll be an eternity,” you shake your head and pass Chrissy the joint as you exhale, “Sweet Eddie loses all his shit.”

“Aw, you call him ‘Sweet Eddie’,” she giggles and inhales the smoke, slowly sliding to the floor as she releases it, “That’s adorable.”

“Yeah?” you take the joint and snuff it out in a nearby ashtray. Already half gone - guess you two smoked more than you thought.

“Yeah,” she beams.

You slide to the floor with her - the two of you staring up at the dreary, mildew-spotted trailer ceiling. Only the sound of Eddie shuffling through the mayhem he calls a bedroom (not that said mayhem ever stops you from going in) can be heard.

Chrissy’s social consciousness is always shot when she’s high. It’s something Jason hated and picked on her about when he found out she smoked - absolutely leading to their break up.

Although, without that consciousness, her tongue’s free to blurt out questions she can only hurt herself by asking.

"How long have you and Eddie been dating?"

"Uhhh," your eyes narrow up at the ceiling, "God. Almost two years," you turn your head, cheek to carpet, "We started dating at the end of his first senior year. He was seventeen and I was sixteen and we were joking that I'd get popular after he graduated because I was dating someone in college," you press your lips, "When he got held back, he started joking that I would graduate before him. And then…" you gesture generally around the room, "here we are: third try. Both seniors."

She pouts but then it lifts and she's smiling as she asks, "Do you think he'll get it this year?"

"Fuck yeah!" you cheer, "Eddie is, like, the smartest guy alive. Do you know how smart you have to be to deal drugs?" then, as if you think she doesn't believe you, you begin to explain, "School grades don't fucking matter like that, it tests memorization, not intelligence. Eddie is a super genius who can create the most engaging and awesome narratives, who gives a fuck if he can't name all the U.S presidents? They're all dickheads anyway."

"You're a good girlfriend," she mumbles, eyes falling closed, "Eddie's really lucky to have you."

Normally when one of your mutual friends would say something like that, the response was always something simple.

"We're lucky to have each other."

"Yeah, he is."

But this time you're not so compelled. This time you want her to know she's a catch, too.

"Jason was so lucky to have you, you know," you don't even know why you're saying this, but the words are flowing and won't stop, "I'm sorry he was so awful."

Her lips purse and she shrugs, "I'm happy now, so… it's fine."

"You can be pissed. Don’t hafta pretend with us."

"I'm pissed, but in, like, a 'why-did-I-date-him' way. Like now I'm realizing how much he sucked and I feel a lot better for when I wasn't super into him during the relationship."

"God, that is so cool of you."

“You really think so?”

“Hell yeah, it’s super cool.”

“You know what I think is super cool?” she grins and you just shoot her a quizzical stare, “You.”

“Ew.”

“Stop, I’m being serious,” she half-asses a swat to your arm, “I’ve actually been obsessed with you since seventh grade.”

“No way,” you gape, “Why would you do that to yourself?”

“I always just thought you were super cool, you always took what people said and didn’t let it bother you. I looked up to you.”

“We didn’t even talk…” you look at her skeptically.

“No, we didn’t,” her eyes - stone blue and filled with wonder - shoot to the ceiling, “September 30th, 1980, I remember it so clearly. You and I had lockers on opposite sides of the hallway and I was just coming out of art when I saw it. Do you remember?”

“From a specific date? Couldn’t recall if you paid me,” you shake your head.

“You opened your locker,” she’s whispering, and it’s somewhere just between melancholy and admiring, “and out fell animal guts and pelts and the word ‘witch’ was painted in blood on the back wall. And I remember feeling so bad and I was about to go over when I saw you whip around and sock two boys in the face for laughing. And then you asked who did it and started a fight with Sally White because she was behind it,” she sighs, almost dreamily, “Ever since then - I’ve been in complete awe at you.”

“Wow,” your hands come to rest on your tummy, “I didn’t know you were watching little ole me.”

“Yeah. I’ve always wanted to be more like you because of that. Because of how you didn’t take shit like that.”

“Well, if it makes you feel better, I thought you were cool, too. I still do, I mean.”

“What?” her eyes widen and you nod, “Why?”

“You’re cheer captain and the most popular girl in school and you can handle that so well. I don’t know how you could run those routines, I’d be so nervous I’d puke over myself. And you’re so genuine and you’ve never done anything like…” you shrug, “putting animal gore into people’s lockers.”

“I feel like that’s the standard, though.”

“Well that’s the thing, it is, but when kids get popular they forget that. You never did and you’ve been popular since freshman year. You’re the nicest person I’ve ever known. I really wanted to be your actual friend, not just the girl you talked to in U.S history.”

“What a coincidence,” she mutters, “I always wanted to be more than the girl you talked to in U.S history, too.”

“Good for us,” you hold up your fist and Chrissy meekly bumps her knuckles with yours.

Turning on your side, you lay down your hand and Chrissy copies the motion - her soft palm settling over yours.

“I had a dream in sixth period,” you rub your eyes, “that we met in, like, second grade.”

“What’d we do?”

“We played house,” Chrissy stares at you and you stare at her, you worry your lip between your teeth.

“Then what happened?” she rolls to lean herself up on her elbows and look down at you.

You roll onto your back and you can feel her arms brush against your side.

Then what happened?

You two grew up and started dating. You moved away from society to be gay in a cottage in the heart of the woods. Then a knight that, despite never clearly seeing his face, you knew was meant to be Eddie took refuge in your home. A night of refuge that did, in fact, end in long-term love-making.

But you can’t look Chrissy in her precious eyes and say that, so you lie instead.

“Your face melted off and I drank it,” you grin when she gasps.

Not technically a lie, it’s just that you actually had a dream like that about Nancy Wheeler in junior year.

“Oh my God, I didn’t know the mind could dream of stuff like that…”

“It’s all the Satanism music and dating the D&D kid.”

Chrissy leans forward and it’s almost dangerous how close your lips are, “Do you think I’ll start getting messed up dreams like that by association with you two?”

“Hmm, maybe,” you tilt your head so your faces are even closer together, “Better watch out, princess. We just might infect you.”

There’s a stiff silence. Tense but not in the awkward way you felt around other popular kids. You feel safer - appreciated, even. This tension is like the moments before a firework goes off.

Her eyes are half-lidded and you can just make out the way her pretty pink gloss shines under the orange fluorescents of Eddie’s trailer. For a split moment, you wonder what it’d be like to kiss her. Then, the thought returns and you let it linger.

Until you hear Eddie - the boy you swear you’re gonna marry - and his heavy footfalls root around his room. And you sit up as Chrissy scoots away.

What the fuck is your problem?

"So," Chrissy looks up at you through her lashes, "what's metal about?"

"Huh?"

"Your ‘Satanism music’,” she chuckles, as though you two weren’t about to kiss, “Like, what's the deal? What's it mean?"

"Honestly? No idea, I just like the way it sounds," you watch her lick her glossed lips, "Although - when you're in the middle of a crowd of rejects who feel just as angry about being rejects as you do and the music is so fucking loud you can feel it in your ribs? It's like you're on top of the world."

"Isn't that overwhelming?" she looks so concerned and your heart wrenches at the sight.

"Oh, absolutely, but I think that's what I like about it. When it feels like you're about to lose your mind because it's so loud and your whole body is vibrating, I like that."

"I guess I'll just have to go to one someday."

"Eddie and I can take you," you wanna reach out and hold her hands, but you stop yourself, "so you know the good one to go to. Going to concerts alone can be fucking awful anyway."

Her smile only widens at the proposition, "I'd love to."

Eddie doesn’t end up finding his weed.

…

Chrissy is passed out in the backseat of Eddie’s van. His radio is quiet - certainly much quieter than when the boys would pass out in his van.

“We tuckered her out,” you mutter, glancing in the rearview mirror.

“Yeah,” Eddie glances at the girl in his mirror, “I wasn’t expecting her to like us so much.”

“Me neither,” you lean your head back so it thunks the headrest of your boyfriend’s van.

“What’s your bet?”

“Huh?”

“C’mon, baby,” he smiles but it isn’t like the usual sweet ones he saves for you, it’s bitter, “people like her don’t hang out with people like us. It was nice to pretend, but really. What do you think it is?”

“I think she’s being serious,” you pout and tilt your head, “She’s really nice, Eds.”

“I know she is, but I’m just saying. Nobody that popular slums it with us.”

“Well, it can’t be a dare. The other cheerleader seemed surprised and there’s no way she’s that good an actress. And there’s no way she wants a discount, you already practically give it away. Your favoritism leaves no room for want.”

You two were used to that. You and Eddie actually bonded over it when you first met. Both of you are filled with stories of having people ask you out as a joke. Having kids insist on hanging out with Eddie only to find out they wanted free stuff from him. Jocks and preps inviting you out to things only to overhear their bet on who could sleep with you first.

Everyone wanted you two as a game. A twisted joke. And then they’d laugh and convince themselves you two deserved it and that you two were the evil ones in town. As if sitting in Eddie’s trailer all March and learning how to play Master of Puppets by Metallica was an act of the Devil himself.

But Chrissy seems different. Is different.

Eddie nods slowly, lips pressing, “Alright, sweetheart.”

“I’m serious,” you start playing with your ring out of nervous habit, and like the attentive boyfriend he is, Eddie notices immediately.

“Hey, I’m sorry,” he glances at you, swallowing the retorts he could spit, “If you believe her, then so do I, sweetheart.”

He flashes you a smile and before you even think about it - your lips are returning the gesture.

You love Eddie. He’s loud. He cares. He’s loyal almost to a fault. Where you go, he follows and where he runs, you run. You two are in it for the long haul. If not forever, then until one of you grows sick of the other - which, in total honesty, is just something you say to appease your parents that hate Eddie.

You’re in it forever.

And Chrissy complicates this. Not because you want to leave Eddie, not at all, but because you want her to join you two; you have no idea how to even begin bringing it up to him.

The van comes to a careful stop outside Chrissy’s house and you turn to wake her - only to find that she’s already coming to consciousness.

“We’re here, princess,” you coo.

“Did I really fall asleep?” she huffs, rubbing at her eyes, “I’m so sorry, guys.”

“Don’t even worry about it,” Eddie would’ve at least teased if it was one of the boys.

“Want someone to help you to your door?” you only offer because you’re not completely certain how sober she is at the moment.

That’s the only reason.

“Uhm,” she dry-swallows and nods, “yes, please.”

You end up with Chrissy’s arm in yours as you guide her to her front door. She only stumbles twice so you’re confident she can at least make it to her room without suspicion.

Before you can leave her at her door, Chrissy looks up at you with those big, sweet eyes, “Will you and Eddie really take me to a concert?”

“Of course, we will,” then, suddenly, the remembrance of what tomorrow is fills your head, “If you really want a metal concert experience, you should totally come see us,” you sardonically grin, “The Hideout. Tomorrow. Corroded Coffin: live and in person until ten.”

“Wow, really?” Chrissy plays along, “And what do you play?”

“Ah, only the most important part,” you say like it’s obvious, “I’m the very loved and very known bassist to our other three guitarists. It’s a real once-in-a-lifetime show you’d be missing out on.”

“You don’t sound so enthused about all this.”

“Corroded Coffin is great,” you relent, “I do think we’re, like, good. I just… you know,” you sigh, “Getting big in metal is like a one in a million thing and we’re in Nowhere, Indiana.”

“Well, how about I be your first number one fan?” she suggests, “I’ll go tomorrow.”

“For real?”

“Yeah, why not?”

“An angel in disguise,” you sing, stepping back to leave, “The Hideout, okay? Don’t forget!”

She waves you off as you go, “I won’t! Promise!”

You clamber back into the passenger seat of the van and kiss Eddie’s cheek, “I got us a fan for tomorrow’s gig.”

“Ah, my marketing genius,” he takes your cheek and pinches it, “You should be our manager.”

“As if. Now, take me home, Van Halen.”

“Anything for you, sweet princess.”

#the geekification of chrissy cunningham #tgcc fic #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #chrissy cunningham x reader #chrissy cunningham x you #chrissy cunningham x eddie munson #eddie munson x reader x chrissy cunningham #eddisy x reader #eddie.🍓#chrissy.🍑#eddissy.🥭#eddissy x reader

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whymustyouhurtmeinthisway · 1 month

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Well that’s the 13th volume of Soul Eater and its Noah arc (ha) done, I thought it was pretty good. It’s a shame to see Giriko go out like that, he was super entertaining, but his death was a cool metaphor for how unending hatred crushes your soul (shoutouts to him for keeping it up for 800 years though, if only he hadn’t choked at the finish line). Kid and Black⭐️ Star’s fight scene in the Cthulhu void was pretty damn good, and the fight against Noah was also fun (though I wish Kiriko got to contribute more, as always).

This isn’t really directly related to anything that happened in the volume, but I realized after reading it that it’s kinda insane how fast the power level and antagonists ramped up from volume 1 to volume 13. Remember when the story was about fighting witches? Like regular witches in that coven that seemed important? Obviously there are several individual witches still relevant in the story, but witchkind as a whole kinda dropped out of the story and been replaced by chaos (which they seem to have no inherent relation to).

Don’t get me wrong, I like Asura and the concept of chaos just fine, but I really wish the story took a bit of time near the start (maybe between the Remedial Lessons arc and the Experiment arc) to have the gang fight some lower level, more individual foes. That’d be a great way to

Ease the insane ramp-up in villain power level/importance a bit. As things are right now, the Masamune arc (where an individual swordsman threatens the safety of one singular town) and the Big Bash arc (where one of the most powerful witches on earth attempts to free the mad god of chaos from his eldritch bindings and use him to rend the world asunder) are SEVEN CHAPTERS APART. Shit goes by fast and I would’ve appreciated a few buffer villains (preferably other non-Medusa-related witches) to ramp up the power level more gradually as the series progresses. As things are now, that prerequisite of “99 human souls and 1 witch soul” to become a Death Scythe kinda seems like the easiest shit ever (especially with Mifune demonstrating that one human soul can be strong enough to be worth 99 average human souls so time investment isn’t an issue, and Angela and Kim demonstrating that witch souls are inherently different from birth and have nothing to do with alignment or power level, meaning a meister could kill a literal newborn witch and that’d count towards becoming a Death Scythe)

Establish the characters a bit more. Soul Eater’s character’s are obviously very distinct and memorable, but when I was reading the first couple volumes I had trouble telling a few of them apart, it’d be nice to get a few more defining character interactions and dynamic, especially earlier in the series. In addition, this would be a great time to better introduce the B Team (Kiriko, Pot Siblings, Ox, Harvar, Kim, and Jackie), because they were kinda just thrown into the fray as “main characters but not really” midway through Brew, and as much as I love them they could definitely stand to get a bit more characterization and story. Like where are each of them from? Why’d they enroll in DWMA? How’d the weapons and meisters meet? Who gets along and who doesn’t? What are their individual goals and aspirations beyond graduating and beating the bad guys? What’s that stuff about Fire and Thunder being shamans? Is it similar to witch magic, thus giving them a potentially interesting dynamic with Kim as she sees the difference in societal acceptance between shamans witches despite their similarities? Jackie doesn’t seem to be a witch herself, and she probably wouldn’t have known Kim pre-DWMA if she’s not, so how’d she react to learning that Kim is one? (that’s probably answered in Soul Eater Not isn’t it) Does Harvar have even a single personality trait beyond being Ox’s nerd buddy who’s slightly more cynical than he is? These characters deserve better introductions than what they got (and answers for at least some of these questions)

Some other third thing

I did not realize how long this rant is. Oh well. Fun volume, can’t wait for the next.

#soul eater #soul eater spoilers #rant #me

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o-uncle-newt · 5 months

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Cabin Pressure Advent Day 8: Helsinki

OK, so Helsinki doesn't get the ultra-enthusiastic "HELSINKIIII" that I've been giving to episodes like Fitton and Gdansk because, well, it's just not a favorite of mine particularly. It's been a while since I listened to it, and there were a BUNCH of things that I noticed that really surprised me on relisten.

Like, it's significantly nastier than I'd remembered! I was expecting Ruth to be horrible and Kieran to be an annoying little shit, but I didn't expect Martin to actually hit Kieran (I remembered a contretemps and Kieran beating Martin up but couldn't remember Martin's precise role) and I also, less flashily, didn't expect Douglas to directly call Arthur an idiot while addressing Carolyn, and her basically being okay with it. I guess in the context of a defense of Arthur's zealousness in trying to find Carolyn a present for her 63rd (that very significant birthday...) she let it go? But I feel like that's a lot.

(Also, as one of four children... Arthur is the onliest only child I have ever heard of. Like, everything about every one of his plans and interactions this episode... wow.)

I was also kind of surprised that the plot felt a bit weaker than usual- it's hard to really understand why Carolyn was okay with paying for a whole flight largely on the strength of Douglas's ulterior motives. I can't decide whether the Northern Lights viewing is meant to have been one of those ulterior motives and is therefore worth it for her... which is sweet, but doesn't really explain her taking him at his word for what would seem to be, on the surface, literally no reason with every reason to reject him (the cost, the fellow passengers...). Maybe this is me not being subtle enough or something, but I was really surprised when she agreed to do the flight, it felt under-justified. Idunno, YMMV.

It's interesting- I REALLY can't decide whether I think that the Martin and Kieran scenes work better alphabetically or as aired. Is it funnier to listen to it in Helsinki already knowing that Martin isn't paid, or is it funnier to take this scene for granted as written and then only the next week in Gdansk have it be suddenly retroactively funnier? I'm not really sure, and I welcome all opinions on the matter.

The episode as a whole was definitely on the darker and bitterer side, and I can't decide what I think about it. Martin hitting Kieran is pretty insane, though of course after Arthur LITERALLY MANSLAUGHTERING A GUY it's tame relatively speaking, and while Kieran is annoying as fuck the storyline is fine. I did feel, though, like I would have liked just a bit more of a throughline for the Carolyn and Ruth storyline. It's SO vitriolic and angry, and I feel like, in order to be entertaining and not just discomfiting it needed to either have a clearer emotional throughline OR to just be funnier/sillier. Them leaving Ruth and Kieran behind, and Philip hiding away on the plane and turning out to not be deaf, is very funny, but it doesn't really change, for me, that their fight felt very bitter but in a bit of a pointless way. We learn a bit about Carolyn and her past and some of her sore points, but Ruth herself as a character is basically just there to be nasty and I wish she could have been there for just a bit more than that. (NOT that I think that they should have reconciled or whatever- just that their interactions felt kind of pointless except for the sake of being mean. And she was right that the fact that Martin hit Kieran is nuts, and ideally to be funny a character like that shouldn't be right about anything...)

Helsinki has some super funny bits (obviously- the fact that I keep saying that feels a bit redundant at this point- it's Cabin Pressure, obviously there are funny bits- so I'll point out that Arthur celebrating his numbers winning the lottery is precious), the birthday celebration at the end is sweet and a sign that they're simpatico with each other by now, and of course this is the episode that launched a thousand and one Douglas-centered ships. So it's fine- but not really the kind I go for.

Unlike tomorrow... when we go to IPSWICH!

#cabin pressure #cabin pressure advent #cabin pressure advent 2023 #john finnemore #helsinki

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