Tumgik
#aka my comfort show i watch perhaps a little too much
incorrectskywalkers · 9 months
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[anakin, ahsoka and some clones are stood before a burning building after a mission went terribly]
Anakin: ...Anyone else have the weird urge to lecture themselves?
Anakin, imitating Obi-Wan: "Anakin, what are you doing?"
Obi-Wan, appearing from behind them: Anakin, what are you doing?
Anakin: I conjured him.
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The right mindset for an exchange year abroad
There's no singular correct mindset or way of thinking when it comes to planning and preparing for a year abroad. However, there are some aspects that can make life a little easier so here's what you should consider doing.
Accepting being an obvious foreigner If you're doing a year in a country such as China, then be prepared to be the odd person. Yes, chances are you will get stared at. You may hear "waiguoren"!, especially if you got travelling outside of the more international areas. Yes, you will sometimes feel like an outsider, like you'll never fully integrate. And that's ok. A reality that I had to accept is that whilst I may be welcome to stay here, I will remain an obvious visitor here.
Trying new things An obvious one, but don't just stay in your dorm watching tv-shows all the time. Get out and explore the city. Even if you decide to talk a stroll in the local park, that also counts. Obviously there wil be days when you need to recharge and spend some time by yourself, but going out and leaving your bubble can be the greatest kindness that you show yourself.
Break out of your shell Similar to point #2, but this one can be tricky. Trying new things e.g. trying a new dish at your school canteen vs going to a local restaurant by yourself are a tad different. This one takes time, and even the most outgoing person can struggle with this in a foreign place. Baby steps are the way to go here. If you feel anxious about going to the restaurant, try a cafe in a student/university area first. You can order your drink and if you feel comfortable enough, you can find a spot there and do some reading/studying. In time, you'll feel confident enough to try other places that you may have previously found intimidating. Breaking out of your shell takes time, so don't push yourself too much.
The local customs will endure long after you have left My professors back at my home uni always said "the local way trumps your way", and they were proven right time after time. Certain things are done a certain way, and whether you like it or not they will continue. The best thing to do, is to research in advance and try to adapt to them. Who knows, maybe in time they'll grow on you (aka me almost forgetting how to use a fork after using chopsticks for so long).
It's usually curiosity, not malice Sometimes you will get stared at, or you may be asked odd questions that in your culture would seem bizzare or perhaps a tad offensive e.g. how much do you/your parents earn? are you married? do you have children? Usually it's asked out of curiosity, rather than to cause offense or malice so try to keep that in mind.
Overcome the feeling of temporariness This is an odd one, but the fact that I'm here in China only for a while sometimes gets to me. Like why bother decorating my dorm room if I'll leave in the end? Why buy an extra blanket if I'll have to donate it if it doesn't fit into my suitcase? Forget this mentality. Yes, you're here for only a year, or maybe even half a year. But. This doesn't mean that you should neglect yourself and your living space. If its affordable and if it'll make your life much more easier and comfortable, then get that thing! If you don't have space in your suitcase, then either ship it back home, sell it, give it to a friend or donate it.
Don't forget about your life back home Keep in touch with your friends and family. You don't necessarily need to call them everyday, but do sent a message every once in a while. A simple "good morning!" text can be enough to reassure your parent(s) that everything's ok. Make sure to keep in touch with your home uni academic advisors, and to make sure that you're meeting all the necessary requirements. Mark the application deadline for those summer internships in your calendar, and don't forget to send your auntie that happy birthday message. You have your current life, but please don't neglect your relationships with your loved ones back at home.
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shytastemakerthing · 2 months
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I saw your matchmaking was open! No pressure but, I'm looking for an MHA match up! I'll put some info about me.
I have blond hair to my armpits with bangs, blue eyes, I'm 5'4. I typically dress in more dresses or hyper feminine. I like to wear my hair in bubble braids or pigtails, sometimes both.
I'm going into film and directing, and I am a cheerleader, on the dance team and in track for extra curriculars. I like being theatre kid too, I love putting in shows for the crowds and playing a character.
My biggest passion really is films, I love creating new videos, to me it's an art form and I've loved it since like junior high. Though I can go on stage and do a play or give speeches, I am more on the shy side when one-on-one, I struggle to know what to say when I'm not going by a script, afraid I'll say the wrong thing. I play the guitar, mainly rock music, since rock and metal are what I listen too.
I have IED(Intermittent explosive disorder) and I struggle with night terrors, so I'd love someone understanding when it comes to that.
I'm not sure what else to put, but I'm an extrovert, I like being in crowds, just need a little time to warm up. I like going to the gym and working out. But I really do mostly spend my time doing anything with directory(ect, watching films, coming up with ideas, making mini-movies)
My biggest pet peeve is like-people who are constantly on their phones. Like always taking pictures or videos to post and not actually enjoying what's happening. Or people who brag about how high their snapscore is and how many followers they have.
No pressure to answer this!
Hello and thank you so much for your request! I am sorry that this took so long to get too but we are finally here! I do so hope that you like your request! I wasn't sure if you wanted romantic or platonic so I went with a romantic request!
Tw: None
I match you with........
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Sako Atsuhiro (aka, Mr. Compress)
He was the very first person that came to mind as I was reading over your information and he stuck like a leech with all of the possibilities that would come from this stunning man.
Sako is a showman, that much is very known as we have seen throughout the episodes that we have seen him in.After he hears of your love of film and creating your own mini-movies, oh he was beyond thrilled.
You wouldn't mind him shadowing you right? He could provide some very helpful insight.
On a serious note, he absolutely loves this talent of yours. Oh how creative you must be when you come up with all of these ideas.
(He gets you a nice little journal to pen down your thoughts when they come to you)
His quirk comes in hand as well when it comes to your hobbies. He will merely compress down what would be needed and carry it around with him, bringing it out when you need it and once finished, it is back to being compressed and into his pocket.
With your night terrors, he is certainly there the moment that he hears anything is wrong.
Being a villain, he has had his fair share of them after everything he has seen, but right now, his attention is on you.
After having your permission, he will lay down next to you, gently soothing you. You can tell him what plagues you or not, whatever you are more comfortable with, it will not bother him. All he cares for is your well being.
On days where there are no missions that he needs to be on, he will don a disguise and slip into the city with you, perhaps to take you shopping for more of those beautiful dresses that you love.
Overall, he is a very attentive partner. One who encourages what it is that you love with such a passion in his voice and a fire in his eyes. You are his perfect muse and he will forever protect and cherish you.
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Thank you for your request!!
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jackals-ships · 10 months
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kore, kore, fauna and flora (how'd you get your throne?)
is it technically kidnapping if the person being kidnapped is actually rlly down and other questions the author will Not answer because what are you a cop???
aka the jackal zinyak meet cute <3
content notes tho that jackal IS initially Fairly Freaked Out my man is having An Experience today and is the equivalent of a feral kitten you picked up trying to bite your hands off before you give it pets and it calms down like :o
Jackal doesn't remember much of it's childhood but it remembers clearly the first time it visited the local animal shelter. The way the restless pacing and whimpering pulled at its heartstrings.
The sight was similar in even the larger shelters, the ones with more workers, more toys, more wide open yards for play. It had confused it on some level, even without full time homes the animals should have been happier there.
It isn't confused anymore.
The room has a door. The door will not open for its hands, a notification lighting up in red alien script that it cannot read. But the message is clear regardless; you will not leave yet.
There are no windows. Truly that…bothers it less. It remembers bits of several hours ago, bits that tell it windows would only send it into a panic.
There is a vent. It is too high for it to reach even when it climbs onto the bed, contemplating if the wooden canopy will hold it's weight. (it was always fond of canopy beds. but now the sight sets its hairs on end. did he know? how? how, how, how)
There is no bonus to being traumatized. To living a life constantly on edge. But in this moment perhaps there is.
Because there is a noise, its hindbrain registers as the door opening and it is whipping around unconsciously, flattening against the headboard. (there are multiple ways to respond to threats, for humans and dogs both. all depending on what your nervous system decides to do. it feels more like a dog in this instant.)
(ill bite it's posture says, i am showing you my belly and im whimpering but you can see my teeth. don't touch me don't touch me im scared.)
But he just stands in the doorway (is that rude? its brain hands it. are we being rude assuming the gender binary applies to the aliens?) (because that is what it needs to be focusing on in this instant, aliens and gender. not the kidnapping. no, that is much less important now.)
He is standing and then he is moving just a step closer, enough the door can shut behind him. The action makes it crush against the headboard even harder with a high whimper. (it's mouth is dry. dogs lick their lips as an appeasement. i am small, i am small, don't hurt me.)
He doesn't come any closer, just crouches down, head tilted down at an angle. (you have to make yourself smaller, she'd said, like this. turn away from him a little, you're less scary to him that way.)
His voice is low and soft, softer than before. He'd been loud then but everything had been so loud. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. Are you alright?" (it was always curious how and why it all worked. instinct apparently. it's muscles start to loosen but it stays pressed against the headboard.)
(i am watching you it's posture says i am watching you and i will bite if you scare me.)
Jackal opens it's mouth to speak, stops. Starts again. Has to wrangle all it's willpower kicking and screaming into making the sounds come out. (took until it was twenty to learn what it was, when it just can't make the words come out. made it feels like less of a liar then.) "Wh-ere. Am I."
He perks up, almost imperceptibly as it forces the words out. But still he keeps his distance. "Ah, you're on my ship dear," (dear, dear, makes it blink. deer in the headlights maybe?) ,"more specifically in your room, I wanted to give you somewhere comfortable to be-"
"Why."
A pause, a beat. "Why I wanted to set you up somewhere comfortable? I feel as if I should be concerned you're asking-"
It cuts him off again, pointing at its chest for emphasis now. "No. Why."
Another pause, he seems to be thinking then. (thinking of a lie thinking up lies unsafe unsafe scared) "The details of the matter are…complicated. But for you in particular?" A shrug, a glance away from it that seems almost bashful but surely that can't be correct. "I found you charming. Cute."
cute?
The words cut through all the tension it still held, making it slump like a marionette with no more strings. He makes an alarmed sort of sound until it starts giggling. "C. Cute?"
Jackal giggles harder, curling in on itself and covering its face with its hands. The fear is gone, replaced with a giddy sort of glee. It wants to flop back on the bed and roll around like it did when it was younger, when it had too many feelings in it's body. "I. Cute? 'M cute?" (cute! aliens are real! and one of them thinks it's cute! two delights! fuck!!)
Peeking through it's fingers, Jackal can see the stranger smiling, chin propped on one hand. "You act like you've never been complimented before. Oh don't tell me if you have, I want to pretend otherwise."
If it giggles much more it might pass away. So it does it's best to calm it's breathing, sure its face is now flushed. But the stranger is still smiling at them, soft and fond and…it should be more frightened. Like before. But it's harder to be now.
Slowly, and carefully, it slips off the bed. Posture still stiff in some ways but considerably looser as it approaches. (i will still bite, it says, i shall and will.) And it mimics his crouch, a few paces away.
It holds out it's hand, tiny in comparison, but he's gentle when he takes it in his. Holding it like a piece of the most delicate glasswork. "J. Mm. Jackal."
"Zinyak." He lifts it's hand to his mouth, making it squeak as he places a dainty kiss to the back of it. "It's a delight to meet you darling."
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tendouluvr · 3 years
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not telling them you’re pregnant [2] - f!reader
- little angst, hurt/comfort??, fluff
- characters: iwaizumi, atsumu, kageyama
- warnings: pregnancy, cravings, morning sickness aka throwing up, some cursing, mentions of sex, “mad” iwa makes out with your neck, atsumu pretends to faint and reader jokes about him dying :0
- wc: 1.4k, 1.3k, 1.7k (jfc thats a lot)
a/n: thank u guys for all the love on the first part <333 ily all and ty to the nonnie that requested tsumu and kags
f!reader cuz pregnancy but no specific prns/gendered terms used
[1. suna, sakusa, semi]
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IWAIZUMI
#! you were planning on telling iwaizumi the big news that night
#! you missed your cycle this month, thinking it was probably just late so you didn’t care and waited for one more week to pass before worrying
#! it was almost two weeks now, your period tracker repeatedly sending you notifications to remind you to log your monthly cycle
#! but you had no cycle to log
#! thinking that you should go buy some tests, you did just that and came home to see them all turn positive
#! you were in the kitchen cooking a quick dinner when iwaizumi came home
#! he entered your home mumbling under his breath about some kid while putting up his jacket and shoes
#! “welcome home, haji!” you greeted him from the kitchen
#! “hey.” he briefly said back making you turn around to look at him
#! “you alright? what happened?” you tried starting a conversation in hopes of getting his mind off of whatever it is that seems to be bothering him
#! “some fucking kids came into the gym today, acting all obnoxious, trying to taunt me and the team because they wanted to impress some girls who probably didn’t even know them. would’ve knocked them out if it wasn’t against the fucking law.” he harshly explained his day while looking through the fridge for his protein drink
#! you tried not to laugh, turning around so he couldn’t see your face and tightening your lips together to contain yourself, but it was so funny you couldn’t help but imagine it
#! iwaizumi heard the giggles coming from you causing him to roll his eyes, “what’s funny?”
#! “nothing, should’ve just knocked them out, babe.”
#! “yea? sounds like you want to start visiting me in jail,” he makes his way over to back hug you while you continued cooking at the stove, “well then, i’ll keep that in mind next time some dinky teenager get in my face, baby.” he mumbles against your neck before giving you a quick kiss there
#! “hajjj, i’m cooking. go be horny elsewhere!” your upper half shuddered when he continued making out with your neck
#! “whatever you say, your highness.” deep chuckles come from him while he lets go of you to walk to the bedroom
#! “don’t call me that!” his laugh getting louder at your exclamation
#! later that night, you both laid in bed on your sides staring out of the window in front of you
#! “hey haj,” your voice a gentle whisper as to not wake him up if he had already fell asleep
#! “hmm?” he hums from behind you, rough, warm hands under your shirt rubbing itself on your bare stomach
#! “do you ever want kids?”
#! he was silent as he thought about what to say to you
#! “i don’t if they’re just gonna turn out like those dicks from today.” his answer wasn’t meant to be taken too seriously, he just hoped you didn’t interpret that as him saying he doesn’t want kids at all
#! “so if they don’t?”
#! “.......sure.”
#! you noticed his hesitation before he gave you an answer, trying to ignore it so your brain didn’t start analyzing too much
#! “hm, ok. goodnight, haji.”
#! “goodnight, i love you.”
#! “love you too.”
#! you told yourself that you were gonna reveal the news to him that night, but seeing that he was worked up over those kids and his slight hesitation when he answered you made you change your mind at the last minute
#! you laid awake thinking about what to do while iwaizumi peacefully slept not knowing his hand was caressing his future child
#! a few days have passed and you were still thinking about when to tell him
#! should you just say it? how would you say it? “hey, i’m pregnant.” no, that’s too blunt. “what if i told you i’m pregnant?” eh. “i’m preggo!” maybe.
#! you both never brought up the topic about having kids again ever since that night
#! but what you didn’t know was how occupied iwaizumi’s mind has been ever since you popped that question
#! he’s been imagining what it would be like to have a little him running around the house, maybe he’s a crybaby and dramatic like his uncle oikawa — who definitely would like to be the godfather, and he promises daily facetime calls everyday despite iwaizumi’s obvious displeasure — or perhaps he also finds entertainment in the godzilla franchise like his father
#! iwa thinks it would be neat to sometimes watch godzilla with someone else besides you, preferably his own kid
#! the night you asked him that question, it took him a while to answer because he couldn’t believe what he just heard. getting lost in his thoughts, he didn’t realize he forgot to answer you, giving you a quick, “sure.” once he came back to reality
#! you didn’t know this so you took his moment of silence as a sign of hesitation
#! the minor miscommunication causing you both to go into your own heads
#! you were currently looking in the full body mirror, observing the way your stomach looked and how much it’ll be changing soon to accommodate a living being inside you. your hands were moving around, curving itself against your stomach naturally when iwaizumi walked in on you
#! “babe, have you seen my hoodie? the black one, i think you were wearing it-,” his sentence cut off when he looked up from his phone
#! “what are you doing?” he asked seeing you pull your shirt back down
#! “looking at my stomach.”
#! “why? are you okay?” his voice softened at the second question wondering if you were feeling bad about yourself
#! “uh no, wait- yes, yea i’m okay. um, can i tell you something?”
#! before he could answer, you continued, “well, by tell i mean show. i have something to show you.”
#! “uh, yes? why are you so nervous?”
#! “ok, wait here.”
#! “babe-,” and you ran off leaving iwaizumi and the rest of his sentence in the room. a few seconds later, you came back holding something in your hand
#! “here.” grabbing his thick fingers to open his palm before stuffing the item into it. his eyebrows furrowed and he slowly unravels the piece of paper. you analyzed his face for any signs of anger or discontent while his eyes scanned the pictures from one corner to another
#! “w-what is..... you’re pregnant?” he whispered out, mind and body in shock as he stares at you wide-eyed
#! you nodded knowing that if you opened your mouth to talk you were probably going to cry. he falls onto the bed, sitting at the edge, then buries his head into his hands
#! “haji?” your voice lower than a whisper
#! he didn’t answer
#! but you saw it
#! you saw his shoulders starting to shake
#! “haj?” you tried again, this time lightly walking towards him
#! his cries became audible when he felt your smaller hands wrapping around his shoulders
#! “hey.. why are you crying?” you tried comforting him because it didn’t seem like his tears were going to stop any time soon
#! “shit, yn, fuck me.” he said through his cries
#! “oh?”
#! he rolled his eyes at your implying tone before grabbing you by the waist to lay his head on your chest. his breath staggered from crying, he was still crying just not as hard
#! one of your hand gently going through his hair while the other one rubs his back. the action soothing him enough to calm him down and eventually his tears stopped. “why didn’t you tell me?” his voice pouty and his sentence breaking between every other word
#! “i thought you didn’t want kids. i was scared.”
#! he raises his head so his chin is now resting on your chest, “why’d you think that?”
#! “you.. hesitated... when i asked you, remember?”
#! his eyes drifting to the side as he tries to think back on the last few days. you knew he remembered when his eyes slightly widened and his lips formed a small o, “i’m sorry, the question made me imagine things and i got lost in my train of thoughts that i forgot to answer you right away.”
#! “oh.”
#! “yea..”
#! “then, i’m sorry for assuming things and not telling you.”
#! “no, it’s not your fault.”
#! “it’s not yours either.”
#! “so.. truce?”
#! “idiot! why are we making a truce?!”
#! he giggles as he stuffs his face back into your chest but not before he bent down to give your stomach a loving kiss
ATSUMU
#! atsumu was huffing with his arms crossed across his chest, lip in a pout and eyes squinted as he focuses on the television in front of him
#! “stupid ‘samu and his stupid food. i don’t need it. if he doesn’t want to give me any, then i don’t need it. i can make my own food. stupid. stupid, stupid, stupid.” he childishly mumbled under his breath as his eyes squinted even more, shooting his glare directly at the television
#! “‘tsumu, can you come help me with this?” a voice called from the bedroom. your voice. his beautiful, lovely, awesome sweetheart
#! “c’ming.” he mumbles, slowly sliding off of the couch to trudge over to you
#! “hmm?” he hummed when he got to the entryway of your shared bedroom
#! “can you hold this up a bit, i need to get something in here.” you were in the walk-in closet organizing some things
#! he was happy to help, but you could tell from the way he was pouting and his eyebrows still furrowed that something was bothering him
#! you sighed, “what’s wrong?”
#! “nothin’.”
#! “‘tsumu....,” you gave him a knowing look
#! he was gonna have to tell you at some point, “‘samu, that food hogging pig!”
#! “oh, hey! don’t call him that! it’s mean.”
#! “dun care, his fault for not sharing. our mom taught us better than that.”
#! “you don’t share, get off his back.”
#! “i do!! why are ya siding with him?! i’m yer boyfriend! yer sweet, loving, ethereal boyfriend!”
#! you raised an eyebrow at the way he described himself, “y’sure ‘bout that?”
#! his mouth opens as if he was going to gasp but no sound came out, he just pretended to faint
#! “oh no, did you die?”
#! no answer
#! “about time, thought i was gonna have to endure it for a few more years.”
#! “hey!!” he bounced back up when he heard you say that ridiculously offensive comment
#! “fine, i’ll leave then. don’t come running back to me when ya miss yer oh so handsome future husband.”
#! you snorted before going back to organizing the closet, “hold this for me, please.”
#! he groaned from the back of his throat but went over to help you anyway
#! recently, the twins’ mom gave you guys some boxes of clothes she had put away for some time. not wanting to throw them away, she gave it to you guys and osamu to take whatever you could
#! while looking through the boxes, you dug up some baby clothes that belonged to atsumu
#! “oh my god.”
#! he swings his head over to look at you, “what? hey! that’s mine!”
#! “it’s so ugly.”
#! “i’m telling my mom you said that. she’s gonna hate you sooooo much.”
#! “‘tsum, she set you up.”
#! he faked a wail and then turned back around to ignore you
#! “y’think we can keep some?”
#! “what for?”
#! “i don’t know..what if we have kids later?”
#! “that sounds nice...but we might have twins. i don’t want that.”
#! “huh? you can’t control who and how many we get, ‘tsumu.”
#! “then, let’s not risk it!”
#! “so, you don’t want kids?”
#! “precisely, yah.”
#! you stared incredulously at him while he continued sorting through stuff like he didn’t just tell you he made up his mind on not wanting kids
#! you found out two days ago that you’re pregnant, not yet telling atsumu because you just couldn’t find the right time to sit him down and talk
#! you didn’t expect to find out now that he for sure didn’t want kids. you guys talked about it a few times throughout the years of being together, but he never gave a definite answer
#! it was usually just him teasing you, or he was running around the answer. you never pushed him to answer, you didn’t want to pressure him or anything of that sort
#! “good to know, i’ll keep that in mind.” you mumbled, distracting yourself with folding the clothes
#! atsumu gave you a hum to acknowledge your words. no one says anything after that
#! a few days passed and the topic wasn’t brought up again. you secretly stashed some of the baby clothes while cleaning, the baby was gonna come at some point whether atsumu wanted it or not
#! but what you didn’t know was that he kept a stash of the baby clothes as well. he cleared out a space in his sock drawers by stuffing everything to one side, placing a stack of clothes inside because deep down he knew that there was going to be a mini him one day
#! it was currently morning, you both having the day off so you slept in. your back was curved to mold against his well defined chest while you slept. atsumu was snoring but you learned to block it out over time (he claimed you snore as well, but was never successful on proving it)
#! your eyes shot open, feeling the familiar bile crawling up your throat threatening to come out without your permission
#! quickly throwing the arm that was wrapped around you off, you ran towards the connected bathroom
#! your disappearance making atsumu’s sleepy eyes blink open, “babe? it’s still early.” his rough morning voice whispering out because it wasn’t capable of being louder than that in the morning
#! he heard the gagging noises from the restroom, eyes shooting wide awake in concern. he trips over the comforter trying to get out of bed, hurriedly running to you
#! atsumu acted fast and was holding your hair back, warm palms rubbing circles on your back. he wasn’t sure what to say, choosing to stay silent until you were finished
#! you wiped your mouth with the back of your palm, gasping for air over the toilet seat, reaching out to hold the hand that was on your back, you whispered out an, “i’m pregnant.”
#! initially he didn’t hear you, but once he heard it in his head he gasped. “how long?”
#! “not sure, almost a month?” your voice rough from throwing up
#! atsumu was confused. eyes darting everywhere, not really sure where to exactly focus on. his mind was racing, trying to think of why he didn’t know anything for so long, “ya didn’t tell me?”
#! “how could i when you said you don’t want kids?”
#! “i’m...oh..sorry, i’m sorry, i didn’t mean for it to be taken too seriously. i only said that because of the thing with ‘samu so i thought ya could tell it was a joke.”
#! “no ‘tsumu, i couldn’t. i was already pregnant at that point and hearing you say that about having kids really affected me. i didn’t know how to tell you after you specifically said to not risk anything, how was i suppose to know it was meant to be a joke?” your voice still groggy and tears were building up in your eyes.
#! he lightly sighs then brings his hand up to cup your head, rubbing it to calm you down. “i’m so sorry, angel. i do want kids, specifically with ya. what i said was a bit dicky, but i was just being immature, i promise. i won’t joke about serious things like that again, i’m sorry.”
#! you sniffed and brought his hand up to kiss him on the palm, but he quickly yanked it away making you look up at him in shock. “ya just threw up.” he pointed to the toilet.
#! you laughed at that and quickly apologized, he carried you up so you both can stand up from the bathroom floor. atsumu gently washing your hands and around your mouth, then you swishing some water in your mouth to get rid of the throw up aftertaste
#! “wanna know a secret, babe?” he blurted out while helping you walk back to the bed
#! “what?”
#! “i kept some of the baby clothes.” a shy smile on his face as he winks at you from the side
KAGEYAMA
#! you’ve been feeling a bit sluggish lately, you weren’t sure why because it came out of nowhere
#! you decided to ignore it, but as time passes, you didn’t get any better and you even started to throw up
#! thinking back to the talk your mom gave you when you were 10, you went out to buy some pregnancy tests
#! the timeline made sense, the last time you both had sex was a few weeks ago
#! kageyama’s been caught up with practice, you were stressed, so naturally you both thought it was a good idea to let it out
#! but what you didn’t expect was having to buy pregnancy tests because there was a possibility you’re pregnant
#! granted there wasn’t any protection used and you stopped taking your pills a while ago because you guys just didn’t care anymore, so nevermind, you do see how you could be pregnant
#! but damn, one time. all it took was one time
#! shaking your head, you took your phone out to text kageyama
#! you’re not telling him over text, just letting him know you have something to tell him tonight so he can know to prepare for a talk
#! you: tobiii
#! you: i have something to tell you
#! you: tonight tho
#! you: after you come home
#! him: ok love
#! while waiting for him to come home, you lazed around and scrolled through social media for a bit. checking twitter, you were reading some tweets from kageyama’s fans, finding some funny, some adorable, and some just...weird
#! but one tweet you saw was from someone who had met kageyama at one of his previous games. the person was talking about their experience getting to meet him and they even wrote out a part of the conversation they had with kageyama
#! kageyama’s gf (real) @K4G3B10 tweeted: omfg i just met kageyama fucking tobiiosdfjdf
#! it was a thread so you clicked on it to continue reading
#! kageyama’s gf (real) @K4G3B10 tweeted: he’s so sighs dreamily
#! kageyama’s gf (real) @K4G3B10 tweeted: so fucking tall. i’m 5′3 and mans all the way up there 👆
#! kageyama’s gf (real) @K4G3B10 tweeted: OH OMH wait lemme type out one part of our convo omfg i think he has a partner?????? like an actual s/o guys not me
#! kageyama’s gf (real) @K4G3B10 tweeted: ok i asked him smtg along the lines of what he thought abt having so many fans who are children ykk bc i was thinking he knew i was implying that these kids look up to him and stuff
#! kageyama’s gf (real) @K4G3B10 tweeted: but this man.....is so...UNAWARE why is he like this but he said smtg like he doesnt understand how kids can be fans of him bc how can they understand professional volleyball like that and i was like ???mf didn’t u grow up playing vball
#! kageyama’s gf (real) @K4G3B10 tweeted: so i was like oh ok :D and then asked him abt his thoughts on his future kids following in his footsteps bc i was thinking his answer would be wholesome or some shit
#! kageyama’s gf (real) @K4G3B10 tweeted: he told me,,,,, i dont have kids and i dont want any... !!!! why does mr kagman not want kids w me :(( /j
#! kageyama’s gf (real) @K4G3B10 tweeted: ok so like all of this happened v quickly i was like in and out in 10 seconds lmao but WAIT after he said he doesnt want kids i saw him scrunching his face up
#! kageyama’s gf (real) @K4G3B10 tweeted: im not mind reader nor body language reader but idk he looked .. hrm sad?? FUCK IDK DONT TAKE M E SERIOUSLY IM DELUSIONAL
#! being an adult, you knew you shouldn’t be taking twitter threads of his teenage fans too seriously but you couldn’t help but reread the part where he said he didn’t want kids
#! did he actually say that or is this person rewording what he said? you now realized how you guys never really talked about having kids
#! sure, it was brought up once or twice but it was just because you were having baby fever. kageyama himself never directly told you he wanted kids or he was fine with having kids of his own
#! you sighed to yourself as you lock your phone, closing your eyes to take a nap until kageyama comes home
#! you felt yourself being shaken awake lightly, a familiar presence hovering over you on the couch made you open an eye
#! “tobio?”
#! “who else would it be?”
#! “i don’t know, a murderer?”
#! he scoffs at the slim chance of a someone breaking in to hurt you, but quickly turned his attention back to you when he remembered you wanted to talk
#! “so what’d you wanted to tell me?”
#! “oh, can you sit down?”
#! “o..kay?” he stiffly walked to sit beside you on the couch
#! “i’m uh,” think of something, “honestly, i forgot. yea, i forgot what i was gonna tell you. sorry.”
#! he raises one eyebrow to gaze at you curiously
#! “are you sure? it sounded important when you texted me.”
#! “mhm! yup, i forgot. sorry if i worried you, heh, are you hungry? there’s leftovers we can heat up.” you quickly tried to change the subject, getting up to walk to the kitchen
#! luckily your boyfriend didn’t question it further and got up to trail right behind you
#! you figured giving yourself some time before telling him after what you read was a good idea
#! are you aware that you were overthinking some tweet by a stranger on the app that is twitter? yes, you were. but you’re also human and overthinking is in human’s nature
#! it’s been three weeks and you still haven’t told kageyama the news. a part of you was ready to tell him, just let him know and you guys talk it out, what’s the worst that could happen
#! but the other part of you was scared. scared he actually didn’t want kids. scared he was going to leave you because going through with the pregnancy would drag him down. scared he would get mad at you for not being more careful when he was equally at fault
#! you know how kageyama gets when his emotions get complicated, he can’t deal with it so his one outlet is anger
#! he has no filter and says whatever comes to mind, all logical thinking leaving his brain
#! and that part of you is the stronger one
#! obviously you were going to tell him at some point, it’s not like you can literally hide the growing baby inside you
#! just not yet, not until you’re ready
#! you’re currently a little over a month, bump not really showing, but it’s there and it’s growing
#! kageyama can be a bit dim when it comes to.. most things beside volleyball, and usually you tease him about it but for once you thank whatever god is out there that he hasn’t noticed any big changes on your body yet
#! that was until you were showering, and he made the decision to enter the shower with you without your knowledge
#! humming to yourself while scrubbing your arms, you scooted back away from the water so it wouldn’t wash off the body wash you were trying to use
#! the action causing you to lightly hit kageyama’s chest making you jump from where you were standing
#! “tobio!” you screamed, turning around to throw the foamed body wash at him
#! he chuckles at your surprised expression and didn’t mind the soap you threw onto him, which was now sticking to his defined chest
#! “why were you just standing there, creep?”
#! he was still giggling when he answered you, “did i scare you this time?”
#! “what do you think?” you lightheartedly roll your eyes before going back to scrubbing your body
#! he picked the loofah out of your hand to continue for you
#! you both enjoyed the relaxing sound of running water and quiet echoed hums as he takes his time washing you when he suddenly stopped
#! opening your eyes, you looked up at him, “what’s wrong?”
#! he was just staring at you, blinking very slowly
#! “why do you look- your stomach feels- you look very-,” he sighs, “you look pregnant.”
#! now it was your turn to blink at him
#! you totally forgot that you were naked at the moment and he could easily see every inch of your body
#! blinking once more, you took a deep breath before telling him, “that’s ‘cuz i am.”
#! “y-you are?!” he jumped from his spot
#! “yea.. do you have a problem with that?”
#! “i...why didn’t you tell me?”
#! “do you have a problem with that?” you repeated
#! “n-no..so why didn’t you tell me?”
#! “you’re not mad?”
#! “why would i...?” his voice slightly turning high pitched as he dragged the i out
#! “i thought you didn’t want kids.”
#! “who told you that? when did i say that?”
#! “twitter.” you murmured under your breath
#! “what?”
#! “twitter..” you said a bit louder, still murmuring and choosing to turn away from him
#! “twitter?! why didn’t you just tell me, your real life boyfriend?”
#! “because!.... i was scared.”
#! “s-scared? baby, why?”
#! “i was scared you were going to leave. i don’t want you to leave. that night i told you i had something to tell you, that was when i found out. i backed out when you came home and i’m sorry. i should’ve just told you, i’m sorry, tobio-,” you were crying at this point, both of you standing under the water
#! “shh, shh, it’s okay. i’m sorry for not noticing earlier. you’re alright, babe. it’s okay. it’s okay to not feel ready, you don’t have to feel pressured to tell me anything, alright? whenever you’re ready, you tell me,” you meekly nodded as he pulls you into a hug, “whenever you’re ready..”
#! you both stood hugging each other’s bare body for a few minutes under the warm water
#! “that was probably the smartest thing you’ve ever said, tobi.” your voice sounding congested from the crying
#! “hey. mean.”
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absolutebl · 3 years
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This Week in BL
Sept 2021 Wk 5
Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs.
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Ongoing Series - Thai
Don’t Say No Ep 9 (Line) - It’s my corny af hurt/comfort soap opera that I watch at 1.5x and skip all the sex scenes and Fiat crying, but I like it that way, so there. Yes I am one of those people who only eats the outside of the peanut M&Ms, why do you ask? Episode recaps here. 
Bite Me Ep 5 (Viu & Viki) - sometimes I feel like this show is skipping all the important bits, or having them occur off screen intentionally, like some ancient Greek play. Still, the depth of the feeling understood between the two leads is clearly transferred to us despite that. Are they dating? Sure seems that way. Without anything being actually said about it. It’s oddly magical. I talked a bit about the north/south divide and food as a love language with regards to kao soi in this post. 
7 Project Ep 5 The Breakup Zone (iQiYi & YouTube) - another het installment, so I skipped it. Nash. 
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Ongoing Series - Not Thai
Peach of Time Ep 10 fin - A Korean BL (maybe not BL tho) featuring Thai talent that really went beyond a lot of tropes into interesting territory and allegory in a way only Korea does. I hope we get more collabs like this, perhaps happier than this one next time? RECOMMENDED only if you are prepared for The Sad. Because it is quite sad.  
x Friend or Lover (YouTube) Ep 6 - still waiting on the final of this Taiwanese indie series.  
Love is Science? (BL sub plot on Viki) Ep 14 (aired ep 15) - Taiwanese drama finally got subbed yesterday, so those of us who are waiting seem to be on a week’s delay. The BL couple actually has the most interesting story arc and the most unusual character growth. I’m enjoying how unpredictable these two are. Honestly, they could have gotten their own series with this much story - and now I really want that for after the baby comes. I’m a little sad we didn’t get the coming out in the skate park sequence (LOOK I love coming out drama, especially with sporty friends, it’s a THING), but I also get why the writers are doing what they are with these boys. And the actors sure can handle it. Taiwan at it’s finest.  
Love Is the series (YouTube) Ep 5 - continues to be fine for a V-BL but not all that actually good. 
See You After Quarantine? (Viki) Ep 6, 7 - Taiwanese gameboys with Japanese talent stuck in, what more could we ask? AND THEN they gave us some *thirsty boi* action, great kisses, and charmed the pants off... well... everyone. Taiwan, we don’t deserve you. Honestly, you spoil us. Turns out Aaron Lai is the best wingman any gay Japanese man in quarantine could ask for. Everyone should be watching this. It’s utterly charming. 
The Tasty Florida (Viki) Ep 3 & 4 - this Korean BL so fucking cute. Look it’s formless and too short but simultaneously aching and kinda special-sweet. But Korea has got to settle into something a bit longer for their BL for everyone’s sake. It’s time. Light On Me proved it was possible. I’m not asking for much, just 15 min+ of fresh content with at least a 10 ep arc. 
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In Case You Missed It
Someone dropped K-BL movie cut of 2015′s The Lover series onto YouTube. The series was about 4 different couples all living in the same apartment complex, one of the 4 was a BL plot about a sunshine sweetie Japanese tourist who ends up roommates with a hot shy tsundere Korean boy. It’s 1.5 hours, proving Korea and stretch its BL when it wants to. 
Read more about it here. 
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GOSSIP!
Rumors of OhmFluke to star in new Thai BL Oh! My Sunshine Night. It’s from Newsinfinity Entertainment who announced the casting and showed the couple in workshops. This is this (small) production house’s first BL and they aim to “appeal to to general audiences* with a “broader view of BL that everyone will watch.” Which is code for LOW heat, light gay, soft boys. If this happens I think we can expect this to be Thailand doing Korean-style BL. 
* GENERAL AUDIENCE? Let’s be clear no piece of media will EVER appeal to everyone. Here is the USA “general audience” is code for “families with socially conservative values and children who are still minors” AKA what used to be prime time TV watchers AKA suburbia. 
 The concept is analytically old fashioned and so fractured at this juncture (socially economically spatially politically) that “general audience” is actually impossible to target and it doesn’t really exist. But try telling that to the publicity department. 
We also call this the “Disney live action demo.” (Think Pirates of the Caribbean.) I occasionally refer to them as “the Simpsons.” And they’re about as realistic. All that to say I am VERY suspicious of Oh! My Sunshine Night‘s production house. 
To My Star does seem to be getting a second season, same director, same mains. Korea is much better about executing on its promises than Thailand, but until I see proof of filming or an honest trailer, my favorite boys are staying in the gossip section. I don’t wanna get my hopes up. (Honestly now, how many of you also want an alt reality with these two as a couple but Kim Kang Min playing his long suffering cardiologist intern character from Hospital Playlist? Just me?) 
I reported on Unforgotten Night a while ago. It seems to have been fully cast now, I still think the publicity stills make it look like a joke. But with this line-up I guess it’s even more of an alt answer to KinnPorsche. 
You know that thing that happens in media when suddenly we get multiples of the same style of movie or show at once? It’s now happening with BL. Love triangles. Restaurants. And now mafia. 
Cutie Pie (our arranged marriage Thai BL staring Zee) dropped some wardrobe fitting photo ops. Also... fancy pants sexy suits that fit, so that’s exciting. 
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Starting Soon
My Mate Match from Starhunter should be starting on Line TV next Saturday. Usually, Line has subs relatively quickly and is available internationally. However the fact that the trailer is not subbed and the show is not listed on Line’s site has me nervous. No idea on length of run either. 
Starhunter studio doesn’t have a great track record in general for narrative arcs and this one is not based on a y-novel so could get waffly. This is a roommates love triangle BL about a boy who is looking for one roommate and ends up with two vying for his home and his heart. Stars Jet as the uke lead which I’m pretty happy about as he’s got great comedic timing and is accustomed to BL. He’s opposite two friends/co-actors from Gen Y and other projects, so we know they’re comfortable with each other. They could do great things... if they get a decent script. 
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Next Week Looks Like This:
Some shows may be listed later than actual air date for International subs accessibility reasons.
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Upcoming 2021 BL master post here.
Links to watch are provided when possible, ask in a comment if I missed something.
This week’s best moment?
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heresathreebee · 2 years
Text
Kinktober Day 19 IMPACT PLAY
Takeshi Kovacs (Elias Ryker Sleeve) X Reader
Tags: +18 | 2k words | mentions of canon typical violence, mmm I'm sure theres some kind of fetish for fucking while sick, kinda dysphoria like?? Reader had a new sleeve, unprotected sex
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AN: unedited need more Kovacs in my life
While you weren't overly fond of your last sleeve, you still hate the feeling of being stuffed in a new one. Plus you just had your face removed by some wack job merc so you have some hard feelings about that. 
You barely blinked when Louis told you about your new sleeve. 
"Look, things were not supposed to go that way," he said, "and I know I owe you a lot for  what you've done for me so far, sooo–" 
Louis gestured with open palms at you and said "tada!" as if you were supposed to know what he meant. 
He quickly realized his mistake and cleared his throat in embarrassment. "Your current sleeve– while most certainly not your birth sleeve– is actually very similar to it as a token of my sincerest apologies." 
You glanced sidelong at Louis' new associate– a stoic fellow wearing the face of a cop who once arrested you. He gave what may have been a sympathetic raised eyebrow and said the unsaid, "you can't look in a mirror yet but that is how I would describe it, sure." 
You flopped backward onto the edge of the bed and sighed. Louis probably had a picture of your birth sleeve since you've known each other for forever and you wonder why he showed it to this stranger. He's not a complete idiot– he knows this guy is dangerous, right? 
Like last envoy aka former terrorist dangerous. 
You examine your hands. They're the right color this time– pretty damn close from what you remember actually. Your hair was braided but the texture seemed familiar so far and Louis must have gotten the Envoy to pay extra to have your migraine implant installed as well. 
Who the fuck was this new guy with money like a Meth? 
"Whelp," Louis clapped his hands, "I have some research to do: can you stay and watch her while I'm gone? Thanks." 
"Not a babysitter– " but Louis was already gone. 
Silence fills the room as the two of you linger in your own little worlds. You link your fingers over your heart and ask, "so tell me the truth– is it anything like my birth sleeve?" 
Kovacs is silent for a while, but then you hear his footsteps approach before he appears above you. He turns his head left and right, examining your face before he answers. 
"Pretty damn close, yeah." 
It is so weird to see a familiar face with a different person behind it. "Gimme a mirror, would you?" 
Kovacs scratches his chin. "... look–" 
"There's a method to my madness," you offer. "Get me a mirror and… help me out a little." 
Kovacs raises an inquisitive eyebrow at you but acquiesces. He finds a handheld mirror in your bathroom and comes back to find you laid up proper in your futon bed staring at the ceiling. He sits down on an open spot beside your elbow and hands off the mirror. 
"Easy, tiger," he warns. 
You meet his eyes and take it with the reflective surface facing away from you. You touch your face– feeling over the bridge of your nose and the shape of your lips. There's so much you barely remember about your original face that the painful nausea in your gut doesn't intensify too sharply. 
Don't think Tak didn't notice your underwear laying at the end of the bed. He wonders for a second if you're just more comfortable without them, but his intuition tells him it's more deliberate than that. An invitation perhaps. 
You frown deeply, flipping the mirror to examine your collarbone. Louis dressed you in whatever he could find– you're sure he had his own sentimental reasons for picking your old sundress and heart shaped locket necklace. Maybe you were wearing it in the picture he had of you. 
You tilt the mirror a tiny bit and feel a little vertigo. It's just your chin, part of your bottom lip and your ears at this angle. All familiar things you've always had. You change the angle and loom fully at your lips and nose. You poke and prod thinking maybe your lips are a slightly different color but the bow and curve is similar enough. 
Your nose is fine, you suppose. 
Your hands are shaking as you maneuver the mirror around your eyes carefully to examine your hairline. Definitely not the same but it is cute! It's here you put the mirror down and try to take deep breaths to keep yourself from vomiting. 
"You ok?," Kovacs asks, "you can stop for now. Get some rest… try again later." 
You shake your head and it makes you dizzy. "No… No, I can do this." 
You set the mirror aside and close your eyes. There is a retractive mirror in your ceiling and you use voice command to pull it up. You know it shows you the whole bed and you've used it before but never for this specific reason. 
In order to adjust to your sleeve, you need reassurance that you are still, in fact, you. 
It's now that you take a real risk and brush your leg over Takeshi's back. "About that other thing I need you to do…" 
Takeshi's calloused hand catches your calf and lifts your leg higher until it's over his head and he pulls it down into his lap. Already in step with your thoughts and very quickly between your legs. You like eager-to-please partners. 
"Come here." 
Takeshi repositions himself so he's leaning over you on his hands and knees. You have to bury your head in the pillow briefly as you catch a glimpse of your new face in the mirror behind him. When the stabbing nausea abates, you wrap your legs around his hips and draw him closer. 
"You know you are pretty," Takeshi purrs into your ear before nipping the diamond earring stud. 
Takeshi plants a string of kisses down to your bust and sucks a clothed nipple into his mouth. You gasp and rock your hips asking him for more. You've got your eyes screwed shut hoping you won't pass out from sleeve sickness. 
The man continues his trail of kisses down to your navel as he pulls the skirt of your dress up. His tongue dips in and it's so hot it feels like fire. You readjust your legs to sit atop his shoulders and nudge him lower, biting your lip playfully. 
Takeshi sucks marks into your inner thigh, touching everywhere except where you need him the most. He's keen to take things slow it seems, which doesn't displease you but isn't quite what you need right now. 
You stare at your reflection and almost wretch. Your thighs lock around Tak's head as you roll to your side over the edge of the bed, struggling to regain control of your spasms. Tak waits patiently for you to relax again, stroking your outer thigh until you unlock your legs from around his neck. 
"Sorry, sorry." You're out of breath and panting, "keep going." 
It's his sleeve– he's wearing that fucking asshole cop's face. You know yourself– your weakness for people who are probably bad for you. The sleeve is that of a sworn enemy and the man wearing it is a stranger. 
Kovacs buries his face between your thighs and swipes his tongue over everything. You grab his hair and shove his nose into your clit, begging with your words too. 
"Please, fuck, need you inside me…" 
You almost don't let him pull away. Tak sits back on his haunches to unbutton his shirt. The whole time he watches your chest heave and he swallows as he watches you finger yourself. 
You're two fingers deep and trying to stretch when Tak takes his member out from the confines of his pants– he hears you gasp as you look at the curved and veiny thing between his legs. 
"Jesus…" 
Tak laughed. "Had a change of heart?" 
You glare at him for a moment before spreading your legs further. "Nope, I'm all yours. Don't be gentle because I won't be with you." 
Something dark flashed in his eyes. Damn, if you knew officer Ryker was packing the night he arrested you, you might have got off with a slap on the 'wrist'… 
Tak grabs your ankle and drags you down the bed. He dips his long fingers into your heat and uses it to lube his cock. There isn't much time to think before he's sliding that almost coke can thick beast into you. 
"Fuck!" You lock your ankles in the dip of his back and pray it doesn't kill you. The stretch burns and then he bottoms out inside you and lets a few curses of his own fly. It takes a moment to relax around the intrusion, he's thicker than most people you've had and you're in a new body. 
You lock eyes with yourself in the overhanging mirror. This is your new face, a lot like your old mug and it's certainly not a clone but if you saw this sleeve in the street, you would probably do a double take. 
Tak presses his nose into your cheek. "Ready?" 
You answer by squeezing his ass. A pert, round white thing that contrasts like fire and ice against the black fabric of his pants. Tak starts to rock his hips to make sure you're not in pain at first, then he repositions his legs to actually thrust inside of you. 
The first time in a new sleeve always feels like heaven– there's no high quite like it. 
"Feel good," the envoy moans in your ear, "look good, too." 
The nausea that dominated you from before is losing as you gain control of yourself. You watch the mirror as Tak pushes the neckline of your dress aside to expose a breast and kneads it with his hand. You keen, wrapping an arm around his neck and angling your hips for more friction. 
Tak keeps his thrusts short and fast, his pubic bone stimulates your clit and you think you might come just from that. Your sickness comes back with a vengeance and Tak hisses as your pussy strangles his cock. You put your hands on his chest to push him away for a second– you need space as you become suddenly feverish and a wet burp signals another close call. 
Tak sits up and tries to give you space by hovering over you on his hands. His head blocks your view of the mirror and he looks concerned. You know you need more… 
Maybe you should have warned him because he was not prepared to receive a slap to the face. You see the shock register in his features before it settles into something dark. 
"What–" 
You slapped him again and he pressed you down into the cheap mattress. Master of every body he's ever been in and trained by Quellcrest Falconer herself… you know he only allowed you to do it. 
Because he liked it. 
Tak pins your wrist down and goads you on. His other hand hooks around your thigh to let him pound a little deeper into you, breath picking up and eyes like a predator. You slap him again, this time his cheek turns pink and you can almost make out the impression of your fingers near his ear. 
Tak switches the hand he is restraining and his thrusts become rougher. He has of course freed your other hand, goading you to hit him again. You make sure his cheek matches the other in color and he groans. 
Every thrust becomes harder and harder, forcing the breath from your lungs and your moans rise higher and higher. 
"Oh fuck, Kovacs!" 
You wrap your arms around his neck and drag him down, hugging him to your chest so you can look in the mirror as you come. Your pleasure washes over your sickness and you come screaming. 
Your head is spinning, but the nausea from before is completely gone. This is your face now. You don't remember your partner coming but he's stopped thrusting and is simply resting lightly on top of you. 
Tak lifts his head with a smug look. "Feel better?" 
"I do," you cuff him over the ear and let him sit up. "Louie can fuck off with that dangerous underhanded job shit, but you are more than welcome to fuck me like that anytime you're in the area." 
Tak chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind." 
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sweetchup · 3 years
Text
Bi•valve
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Noun
an aquatic mollusk that has a compressed body enclosed within a hinged shell, such as oysters, clams, mussels, and scallops.
AKA
The Most Common Seashell in the Ocean
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Vol. 1: Just Keep Swimming // Ch.1
Type: Poseidon x reader
Word Count: 1,800+
Masterlist
————————
“Ok… ok… is there anyway you could—… no? Wait please don’t—…” You let out a sigh as the other side of the phone line goes dead. “Another miss…”
You crumple to the floor of your bedroom in a heap. The storm was still in full swing outside even though hours had gone by and it was now dark. It seemed the storm had caused quite the ruckus in Athens—the capital where you were staying at—and most emergency services were busy.
They even ignored you at the police station you went to earlier, though it likely didn’t help your situation that you couldn’t even speak their native language of Greek…
—.—.—
“No, no. Lost. Child. Not mine.” You explained once more to the officer in front of you, the only one in this place that knew of the slightest hint of english.
The officer only shakes his head once more at you before walking away, turning his attention to the other patrons here that needed help. You wished it was just that they didn’t understand you—that they didn’t understand that you had found a lost boy struggling at sea—but it was slowly becoming clear that they just didn’t believe you.
Tan skin. Brown hair. Brown or green eyes. That was what the average greek boy here looked like. A big contrast from Triton, the pale skinned blonde haired blue eyed boy who you were currently holding in your arms. They just simply didn’t believe that he was a Greek child that had gotten washed away at sea during the storm.
It also didn’t help that no one had called in a lost child that had a similar description to Triton. And, with no other option and too much to do, the police just chose to ignore the glaring problem right in front of them.
“Miss (Y-y/n)?”
At Triton’s call, you looked down at the boy and realize that the more that you look at him, the stranger he gets. Soaked from the rain and sea, you would have expected him to be shivering like a leaf but he was as still as stone. As if he couldn’t even feel how cold his skin was right now. As if he was used to being soaked with the coldest depths of the ocean.
“Miss (Y/n)?” Triton calls again, snapping you out of your thoughts.
“Ah, sorry, I spaced out. Yes?”
“I-I…” You watch patiently as the boy begins twiddling with his thumbs. As if he wanted to tell you something but was quite embarrassed to be so.
“Is something wrong, Triton?”
“N-no!” The boy shouts out, the loudest you’ve heard him speak so far, before instantly realizing his tone and caving in on himself. His shoulder and back slumping forward as if to hide himself from your sight.
“It’s alright. You can tell me, I don’t mind.” You reassure the boy. You can’t help but sincerely wonder what happened to him. What happened to the little boy, who looked no older than 10, that made him so scared and skittish? And you doubted that getting lost at sea is what caused it.
“I…”
A loud growl cuts off Triton and not the animal kind either.
“Oh… are you perhaps hungry, Triton?” You ask the boy as he bashfully ducks his head into your shoulder out of embarrassment.
“Y-yes.”
You can’t help but let out a small chuckle at Triton’s antics. Even though he was quite strange, he was still a cute child at heart.
“Well let’s go grab something to eat. It seems there’s no one to help us here anyway.”
—.—.—
As you reminisce about Triton—who you soon find out after that is a lover of raw fish, extremely strange if you had to say so for yourself—you can’t help but wonder where he went.
After you took him back to your place, a small, only two rooms, one bath apartment you rent near campus, you allowed him to take a shower and borrow some of your clothes. He should still be sitting in the living room watching some cartoons and eating after you left him to take a shower and make a couple of phone calls, all unsuccessful by the way, but it had been well over an hour. You wonder if he could have perhaps gotten bored by now.
Deciding it wouldn’t hurt to check up on the boy, you sit up from your spot on the floor and make your way out of your bedroom.
“Triton, is every—“
You stop mid sentence as you take in the scene in front of you. Water…. Water was floating. Triton was floating as well.
It was hard for your brain to rack around what you were seeing. Triton, the strange boy that you had saved from the sea, was floating in your living room on top of a bubble of water. He didn’t seem surprised in any way either as he was in the middle of playing with some tiny bubbles of water himself. Separating and un-separating them at will.
“T-Triton?” You call out again, this time catching the boy’s attention. His face turned to one of surprise and shock as he released the bubbles of water allowing it and him to crash to the floor. Even though your living room floor was now soaking wet, that was the least of your worries.
“M-Miss (Y-y/n), how long were you…?” Triton’s voice trails off as he realizes the question was not needed, you had already seen enough. He begins to pale at all the possibilities. Even though he was in fact a god and could not be hurt by human weapons, there were still many things that could happen to him. He was still a child after all, no were near his mother’s and father’s level of strength.
“Triton…” Your voice calls out again causing Triton to flinch as you draw closer to him, “Are…are you okay?”
Triton, whose gaze was locked at the floor, turned his head upwards in surprise to look at you. Your gaze was not one of disgust or anger. No. Nor was it cold, a gaze he had come to know that his father often wore, or of disappointment, a look his mother often glared at him with. No. Your gaze was kind. Sure, it looked confused but it was also filled with warmth out of concern for him.
Triton felt the hot bubbling feeling of tears in his eyes. He would normally try to hold it in, forcibly stop himself from crying as he knew if his mother found out she would surely beat him. But, he didn’t.
He let the tears spill out. Tears that felt hot against his cold marble skin. Marble skin that was an aching reminder that he was a god, a perfect being. That he shouldn’t be feebly crying in front of a human like this.
Yet, as you wrap your warm arms around his shaking form, he finds himself not minding his warm tears. Warmth reminds him of you, the only one who dared to comfort him. Not his father, nor his uncles and cousins, or the servants, and never, never, his mother.
Triton finds himself crying again. Instead of out of fear, it is out of misery this time. He wished he wasn’t a god, he wished he didn’t eventually have to go back to his terrible mother, he wished that his father would pay more attention to him and show him something… anything. He wished he could just stay like this in your arms. A stranger that was more of a mother to him in less than a few hours, than his own mother was in his hundreds of years of existence.
“It’s okay, Triton. Everything will be okay. I’m not angry.”
Triton couldn’t help but think how he never doubted you in the first place.
—.—.—
As you run your hands through the Triton's hair, who was curled up on your lap, you think about what he had told you.
“So you’re a god…The son of Poseidon and Amphitrite…”
“Yeah…” Triton whispers out, his voice slightly strained from all the crying he had done.
A god. Triton was a mighty Greek god. Even though you couldn’t wrap your head around the situation, you knew you had to. Especially after all that has happened up til now and if you were—
“Are…are you angry?”
You pause for a second, shocked slightly at what Triton had muttered out, before finally answering, “I’m not. Not at all. I just…”
You wondered how you should phrase it.
“… I don’t know how to get you home, Triton.”
The silence is overwhelming after. You didn’t know if you should have told the young boy that but it also wasn’t right to lie to him. You feel Triton shift under your arms and you loosen your grip as he slowly sits up.
“I…” Triton starts before pausing. His gaze shifts from his hands to your eyes, the first time the boy had ever locked eyes with you since you saved him. It reminded you how icy blue his eyes were, a blue that you now realize is not possible for a human to obtain. At least not naturally. A firm reminder that Triton wasn’t one, he was a god. “I… I don’t want to return home.”
“What…” You say startled, “Ok, then how about one of your uncles or—“
“No. I…I want to stay here. With you Miss (y/n).”
Stay here… with you. You didn’t know what to think. You were a struggling college student who spent hours upon hours studying every day. Could you even take care of a child, nevertheless a god? What about his mother, who Triton explained was a horrible being? Or his father, the king of the sea? Could you protect Triton from them? From a god, a being so much stronger and powerful than you?
“I…” You started before abruptly stopping. You wanted to protect Triton, help him. You had to find a way. You couldn’t abandon the child before you like this. Not after hearing his anguished cries for the last hour. As you held him, you felt as if he was made of glass. Like if you even squeezed him too tightly he would shatter into a million pieces in your arms.
“I…I can’t assure anything, I am just a human after all. But you can stay here for as long as you want Triton.”
As you watch the young boy before you smile and collapse in your arms, it was then that your mind had decided. You would protect Triton for as long as you could,
…no matter the cost.
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Author Note: Oooo things are heating up. It seems Triton and Zeus have opposite plans for the reader and that could spell trouble. Hehehe. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, I am immensely thankful for all the support that got shown on my prologue chapter of this series. Please contunie to give your support and tell me your opinions about my work. It really does help as it shows what I can improve on in future chapters and works. Till next time 💕💕
Taglist: @angeli-fucking-cat @marixxhq
277 notes · View notes
wizkiddx · 3 years
Note
Not sure if you are taking request at all but if you do, do you mind writing something about Harry agreeing to be the birth photographer at the birth of his niece (tom and reader’s daughter) 🥺🤍
this was so interesting!! personally I am way too self conscious to have a photographer when I *eventually* have a kid aha, but I hope this is what u were looking for x x p.s. coming at my brand w the white hearts :)
tomholland x reader
summary: harry gets terrified by toms request about the birth of his child, but the reader smoothes it over
Having just had a round of golf with Harry, Tom invited him back to yours for a cuppa and a catch up too. After all the years of living and travelling with Harry by his side, Harry in particular was massively important to TOm. Especially since he’d moved in with you, Tom constantly made a super special effort to spend as much time with him as possible. Harry had a key and had no quam with letting himself in uninvited. Though since he had walked in at *the wrong time* a bit too frequently, and then the announcement of your pregnancy - he had cut down the unexpected visits.
“So, I actually wanted to ask you something.”
“This does not sound good” Harry furrowed his eyebrows together, looking suspiciously at his brother as he poured the kettle into the two matching ‘Brothers Trust’ mugs.
“Since when? I only ever ask you to do good things?”
“We both absolutely know that is not true.” Harry deadpanned, pointing to the palm of his right hand which carried a large scar. Scar in question had been sustained during one of Tom’s incredibly ‘good’ aka stupid ideas.
“Right fair… I’ll allow that.” He receeded, placing the two mugs onto the counter in front of Harry. All it took was one look at the pale brown colour for Harry to turn his nose up, shooting Tom a look as though he’d just murdered a puppy. The elder of the two sighed, knowing exactly what his brothers snobbiness was about.
“Seriously?”
“It’s not your fault your awful at this, some people just aren’t born with it.” With a sarky pat on the back Harry rounded the counter, pouring the freshly brewed but slightly too milky tea down the drain - before flicking the kettle on to make his own brew… properly this time.
Tom knew his brother well enough to know not to argue or protest, instead perching on the counter as he watched Harry work his ‘magic’.
“But seriously me and Y/n have been talking about the birth cos you know, it’s not too far away now.” This was true, you were now only 3 weeks from your due date - but going by the size of you, you were ready to pop. Quite literally, you didn't know how much longer you could last.
“I’d be concerned if you weren’t mate.”
“Well yeh and I basically um …  had the idea to get a photographer for the birth right? It’s quite an American thing but I don’t want to forget anything and I’m sure it’s gonna be magical.” In response, Harry slowly turned around, empty mug in hand and eyes fierce.
“Are you fucking stupid?!”
To be fair to Harry, that had pretty much been your reaction when Tom first suggested it - word for word. He’d got the idea from one of the crew he’d filmed his most recent projects with, the guy had been raving about how beautiful it was and once he’d shown the pictures to Tom - he had to agree. Eventually Tom had worn you down to it and actually the idea of being able to save the moment you met your kid for the first time didn’t sound too bad. You had firmly set the boundaries of no photos of your ‘labour face’ and absolutely nothing from the ‘other end of the bed.’
The worry for both of you, as it always was given Tom’s reputation, was privacy. Especially the birth of your child, having a stranger there had you straight refusing, even a friend seemed still a little invasive. It was only when Tom had remembered he had a brother (who you were also incredibly close to) who was handy with a camera. Even if he had no experience with this particular type of photography, Harry was a pretty safe pair of hands for a camera in any situation. God knows he’s had enough practice at it.
“No hear me out, Y/n agreed too-“
“Of course this was your idea! So she’s totally fine with me staring at her fanny through a camera lens?”
“Harry” That was a warning tone, which the frizzy haired boy chose to completely ignore.
“No I-I mean, you want me to stare at your finances bits? Isn’t that some sort of weird incsest?”
“Shut the fuck up about Y/n’s body. You OBVIOUSLY wouldn’t be taking photos of that end, more like when the baby gets handed to us you know?”
“When its covered in gunk that came out of Y/n?”
“I’m pretty sure they clean it-“
“Not properly!”
Thankfully perhaps, the conversation was interrupted by the kettle clicking off, the water coming to a boil. With a huff Harry turned round, pouring and then stirring the tea as Tom watched his back from a distance. Neither spoke till after Harry finished, returning the milk to the fridge and then leaning against the counter top.
“Look I get it if you dont want to but your the only one Y/n trusts to do it and it means a lot to me.”
“Y/n wants me to stare at her fanny?!”
“No calm down you div. But you are the only one she trusts to be in the room when our first child is born. Will you just think about it?”
Harry opened his mouth to reply, probably protest, but before he could the front door opened and you called through the house.
“Tom? I’m home!” And becasue the boy was whipped he instantly trotted to the front door giving you a peck on your lips. He murmured to you that Harry was there, his lips moving against yours and you nodded with a small smile. You knew, instantly, that Tom in all his idiocy hadn’t handled it well.
“Would you mind getting all the shopping from car? Pregnant and all, so I’m not allowed to lift a finger.” You cocked your head, laughing as he rolled his eyes with a nod.
“I’m excited for when you can't play that card.”
“But then I’ll be the women who pushed a baby out for you… the mother of your child.”  Winking, you then quickly moved through the house before he could protest, just knowing he was pulling a pouty face as he watched you sway away.
Once in the kitchen you saw Harry nursing his mug like it was the last drink on earth, hunched over it from where he was sitting on a stool on the breakfast bar.
“ You lose at golf?” Opening the conversation, Harry instantly shot his head up, looking slightly terrified to see you.
“Wha- no, no I didn’t actually.”
“Tom asked you huh?” He nodded, seemingly not wanting to commit with words. “I had exactly the same face when he first told me. It’s weird right?”
“Yeh no shit.”
“He’s really keen on it though, I mean he’s like an excited puppy about the whole birth.”
“But you want it too?”
“Sort of. What I do want is for him to be happy though. And I’m fairly certain he’s gonna be terrified throughout the whole birth while I won’t be in a position to help himl.”
“You’ll probably have other stuff on your mind to be fair.” You laughed, at that, nodding in agreement with him.
“Just a little. I did think though, who is a person who I can trust to look after him too during that... and even I draw a line at your dad… Look if you don't want to, I totally get it and I can’t promise that I won’t be screaming at you during if you do. But it would comfort me to know you were there, with or without the bloody camera.”
“Seriously?” Rather than exclaiming it, Harry whispered in shock, not expecting this sort of a revelation.
“Course H! You're my little brother too.”
“I might pass out.”
“So will your brother, at least he won’t be on his own then.”
“I’ll do it.”
“Thnakyouthankyouthankyou!” You squealed, running over to hug him from the back, arms round his shoulders as he squirmed on the stool.
It was at this point Tom walked back in after unloading the ridiculous amount of baby clothes shopping you had done. Big strong Tom had to take 2 trips up and down the stairs to the nursery. Of course, all it took was a few words from you and Harry was falling at your feat. He was hardly surprised. Annoyingly you seemed to have this power over all the Hollands. They never stood a chance.
It wasn’t till later than evening, long since Harry had left and the dishwasher had been put on after Tom had made a mess cooking you dinner. Only then did your phone ping with a text message from Sam.
Sam H
‘I dont know what you’ve done to Harry but I’m scared, he’s binge watching one born every minute.’
Immediately you cracked up, knowing that it was his nervous energy and need to ‘be prepared’. Tom, who was lying behind you on the sofa whilst his hands caressing your stomach, jerked his head up intrigued as the what the ‘ding’ was. You showed him and he snorted in laughter too, whilst nuzzling his nose into your neck.
“How did you bring him round by the way?”
“Oh you know, I’ve got all of you wrapped round my little finger when I want.”
“That you do… do you think I should be worried?”
“Nah your just all softies.” Laughing softly, you pulled his arms tighter around you, wiggling back into him a bit more.”
“You didn’t tell him about the godparent thing though?”
“Course not… we can give him a separate heart attack about that.”
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butwhatifidothis · 3 years
Text
Tumblr is starting to VERY MUCH dislike how long the other reblog chain is getting, so this will be Reblog Chain 2 of my jotting down notes of this fic. Here is the first reblog chain for Chapters 1-20
But it appears as though I was correct in sleeping off Chapter 20, because Chapter 21 is. Hm. bad. Very. Not good.
Chapter 21:
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Transcript under the cut:
Chapter 21: It's Called Scars so it Gonna Be Ass
- To be blunt, the constant need to reaffirm that yes, Edelgard went through terrible experimentation and that yes, they were very horrific, is tiring. This is chapter 21. The experiments occurred in chapter 2. Every single chapter between now and then have, at some point, mentioned that INDEED, Edelgard DID in fact go through horrific trauma. It is tiring to the reader to constantly have to reread the same thing - we know it happened. We know it was terrible. There's no need to constantly say so; we already understand as readers.
- "Every time the spark of life broke through Byleth’s blank face, it brought a flickering hope to the Flame Emperor’s heart." ->
- Firstly: Awkward use of the Flame Emperor epithet (its usage is on and off with how appropriate its been - this is off).
- Secondly: Once again, Byleth's face was rarely if ever blank. She was never the Ashen Demon, as even the last chapter showcased. The author is mistaking reservation with emotionlessness, which is simply wrong
- "There had been so many empty days and nights, without friendship, love or joy. With nothing to hope for, except someday, the peace of the grave." -> Suicidal tendencies: another trait that Edelgard doesn't have... (strikes against canon: 89)
- ...but Dimitri does. Counter: 12
- "Dimitri, too, was troubled by the thought, grasping the side of his head and frowning. As the spasm passed, he turned to Edelgard and smiled warmly." -> It seems a little callous to so casually toss Dimitri's symptoms into his interactions with others when such things simply don't occur in the canon interactions. It's not impossible, or strictly against canon, but it does not feel natural; it's more as though the author is shining bright neon signs that say DIMITRI HAS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES than a genuine attempt at writing Dimitri's mental health issues. This is not the first time this sort of seemingly thoughtless showcasing of symptoms has happened (Noted separately: Dimitri having drastic mood swings)
- "No, this world must be ruled by humans…not cruel gods who ignored the prayers of little girls." -> This statement follows Edelgard internally chastising the actions of not gods, but the Children of the Goddess. This is a weaselly attempt at dodging Edelgard's racist beliefs that Nabateans should not be allowed positions of power by shifting the belief to apply to miscellaneous gods instead. While not inaccurate per se - she does also canonically believe that gods should have no power in human affairs - it is not honest
- "Byleth nodded with childlike simplicity. “We should all try to get along.”" -> Again describing Byleth as childlike and/or innocent. Counter: 3
- For those curious: yes, the rat scene is implemented, yes it is sloppy, yes it is out of character for Claude - so much so that it is being noted separately - and yes it is forced to all hell
- What will be noted here, however, is that this is yet another instance of a man being demeaned/humiliated for the honor of a woman. See quote: "Byleth was on him in an instant, a tempest forming in the sea of her blue eyes. “That isn’t funny.” She crossed her arms sternly. “Jokes are about bringing people together...about making them smile. Right now, the only person laughing is you.”" with Claude reacting awkwardly. Once again, Man Bad Woman Good
- In a showcasing of a complete lack of self-awareness within the fic: "“Maybe if you’d have taught the Deer instead…but since you seem to have no ambitions outside of cleaning up Edelgard’s messes…”" -> This is Claude being portrayed as the bad guy, not the one being completely and utterly right
- " She slapped Edelgard on the back, and smiled heartily. “I agree, Dimitri!” Edelgard grimaced, trying to hide the fact her teacher had just struck the wound she had received during the mock battle." -> As well as where undoubtedly countless scars would be, yes? Scars that still cause Edelgard pain? In fact, Edelgard has been slapped on the back by Byleth and Jeralt numerous times before, and yet expresses no pain or discomfort.
- Another thing, that I had not noted though ought to have: Edelgard, a victim of sexual assault (in this fic), rarely seems to mind people touching her. She gets a little surprised if someone tries to get her attention with touch, yes, but Byleth's constant unprompted and random touching of Edelgard is never said to do anything but bring warmth and joy and comfort to Edelgard. It seems as though Edelgard suffering through sexual assault is just another source of trauma for the author to dump onto her for nothing more than pity points
- This is incredibly harsh to say, yes, and I would usually refrain from attributing such harshness onto a piece of text, but remember that Edelgard's scars only cause her pain when it's convenient, that she only experiences headaches when it's convenient, that she experiences PTSD episodes (when Claude mentions the rat) when it's convenient (note that in this fic he does it outside of battle, where her getting triggered wouldn't compromise her chances at victory). Edelgard not being touch averse and being a victim of sexual assault are not inherently something bad - survivors react to trauma differently, after all - but it is another in a steadily longer line of instances where Edelgard is simply given trauma for the sake of making her pitiable to the reader and the love interest, not something that Edelgard genuinely has to struggle with.
- "As Claude and Dimitri looked at their classmate expectantly, Edelgard was wracked with another bout of guilt. Deep in her soul, the princess knew these peaceful days would end soon. When that happened, no feast or vows of friendship could make up for the chaos and horror she would unleash. It would be better to pull away, close off her heart, rather than fuel the flames of her inevitable betrayal." -> Aka, "Feel bad for me, I feel guilty for planning to cause the death and ruination of countless innocents' lives all because I convinced myself that my way is the only way to get things done my way without ever actually trying to see if more peaceful ways could have worked. I'm going to orphan children, force families to fight each other, have the land be rampaged by banditry, and overall bring chaos onto these days that I ADMIT ARE PEACEFUL all because I feel that my way would be better. Wah wah pity me but I don't wanna be pitied I promise wah wah."
- "Byleth shrugged with a characteristic blend of innocence and spirit. “I guess I just like winning.” She began to blush and grabbed Edelgard’s hand. "It's so exciting! I’ve never had anyone other than Papa to celebrate with before!”" -> Byleth = innocent/childlike. Counter: 4
- The fic likes to reaffirm again and again that Byleth is "now" only acting like this due to Edelgard's presence in her life. Note also these statements written previously: "Every day, [Edelgard] was watching the person she loved grow and change. Become who she always was supposed to be." This, perhaps unintentionally, again enforces the "Lesbian Love is Pure and Innocent" trope; these wlw are only allowed to be their good girl, innocent selves - who they were always supposed to be - due to the pure lesbian love they have found with one another
- Count Bergliez didn't know of the experiments initially, but he eventually found out and did nothing to stop them, fleeing from a young and tortured El who was pleading for him to save her - Unnecessarily painting Count Bergliez as a spineless coward too afraid of Duke Aegir to save a child in pain
- Once again, a man fails to save a woman and further traumatizes her
- It should be noted that Bergliez is fearful not for his own life, but for that of his children, who were the ones Duke Aegir threatened. He, very similar to Ionius, cannot save Edelgard, except Bergliez (unlike Ionius) has a tangible, physical, explainable reason as to why he couldn't, and yet it is him who is painted as the bad guy, not Ionius. He is worthy of Edelgard's scorn and hatred, but Ionius only receives a begrudging feeling of betrayal from Edelgard that she feels guilty for harboring, even though he failed her far more than Bergliez failed her.
- "Daughters must always be loyal to their fathers" trope
- "No decent person thought the things Edelgard did. Just as her body had been twisted and shattered by the experiments, her mind bore terrible scars. Scars that the monster kept hidden, so she could walk in the world of men." -> Dehumanizing oneself as a monster as well as having violent thoughts (that specifically stem from trauma) one feels guilty for harboring are not traits Edelgard shows in canon... (strikes against canon, 90, 91)
- ...but Dimitri does. Counter: 13, 14
- "world of men?" Did the author perhaps mean "world of man," as in mankind? Keep note of
- The reason as to why Bergliez is said to have witnessed young El's tortured state and did nothing to help her is revealed: in canon, he dislikes her. It is blatantly and objectively said that he and Edelgard share a mutual displeasure in the other's company. What this fic had him do will be used as an excuse as to why he doesn't hate her, since no one is allowed to dislike Edelgard on the "good" side
- Edelgard, upon being asked if revenge is the reason she is doing what she's doing (reuniting Fodlan): "“No.” Edelgard put her hand to her chin thoughtfully. “I think for a long time, it was…but after a while, I realized that revenge wouldn’t satisfy me.” She looked at the blue sky above. “After you go through that much suffering…when you beg for help, day after day, and no one cares...you realize that nothing will ever truly make you feel safe again. The only thing I want is for this madness to end.”" -> This is internally inconsistent. See chapter 15 note: ""You know why they created me in the first place.” / “To reunite Fódlan,” spat Hubert. “It was all my father talked about.” / “And I will give it to them. "" This directly connects Edelgard's want to reunite Fodlan to the wants of her tormenters (as this states she is doing it out of spite). Note how Hubert spits at the idea of reuniting Fodlan, and how it was all his father - portrayed as a villain - talked about. This is not what this Edelgard wants, at least not of her own independent want. Earlier in this very chapter, Edelgard internally states a want to hurt Bergliez for leaving her behind. To say that she now no longer thinks vengeance would satisfy her, or that none of the reason that she is doing everything she does is out of a want for revenge, is ridiculous
- Edelgard to Bergliez, upon being asked what will happen to him and his family should Edelgard rise to power: "“All those who distinguish themselves will be rewarded. Given your history, I have little doubt you will be among them.” She nervously played with her white gloves. “All I ask is that when I seize back control of the throne, I can count on the military’s support.”" -> Yes, all who distinguish themselves to Edelgard, for Edelgard's cause, that Edelgard can see and/or know of. How likely is it that a poor farmer who is exceptional at fighting will actually be noticed by Edelgard and be given the credit he deserves, when others who may not be as meritable but do have some merit have the connections to show themselves directly in front of Edelgard? What means will Edelgard give the poor soldiers (that she or Byleth aren't already friends with, notably Dorothea and Leonie) that will allow them to be able to be seen by her and have their merits recognized? Edelgard is the one who says who gains power after all, so it is her they must prove themselves to, but how can they realistically do that?
- What about professions that are not immediately beneficial to Edelgard's cause, such as the arts? How will they fare in Edelgard's society, when their works and talents yield no tangible, objective results (such as, say, farming)?
- Something the fic will address?
- Edelgard does not nervously do anything in front of those she is trying to negotiate with in canon, not even Thales. Strikes against canon: 92
- "[Bergliez] could only laugh in response. “I think we’re going to get along rather well, my lady…and the other?”" -> Except Bergliez and Edelgard don't get along well, ever. Pre ts they are stated to dislike each other, which continues even onto post ts with Bergliez being the only noble Edelgard couldn't bring to heel. Strikes against canon: 93
- As predicted: No one is allowed to dislike Edelgard on the "good" side
- Literally forgot Hubert was with Edelgard and Bergliez lmao
- Ionius tried to consolidate power to be rid of the consort system due to his unending love for Anselma -> A ridiculous idea, plain and simple. Ionius was Emperor. If he wished to be rid of the consort system there was no need for him to try and take away all power from the other Imperial houses.
- If Ionius truly loved Anselma, why did he allow her to be exiled from the Empire? Why didn't he step in and use his influence as Emperor to help her?
- Edelgard, when she is Emperor - passed down a supposedly empty crown, at that - showcases the all-encompassing power the title of Emperor truly holds to one willing to use that power. That Ionius supposedly wanted to do all of these reforms and yet nothing at all was done, ever (save for ruining Houses Hrym and Ordelia, something even this fic has as canon), if Ionius did want to make these reforms, means that he was too spineless and cowardly to truly go through with trying to pass them. This again unintentionally showcases how awful a ruler and weak-willed a person Ionius was when he had power when trying to paint him in this righteous light.
- Lambert was stated to be trying to pass reforms before he died in canon, not Ionius. From parents to the children, the author is attributing traits from Lambert onto Ionius just as he (author's confirmed gender is male) attributes traits from Dimitri onto Edelgard
- " Her father and mother…she had thought their romance a fairy tale-a story from her father to make a motherless child feel valued. But…they truly had loved each other." -> Edelgard does believe Ionius when he told her of the story of when he and Anselma (supposedly) met each other. There is nothing to indicate that Edelgard thought it to be a lie: in fact, in canon: "But I choose to believe there was genuine love between them." Strikes against canon: 94
- It seems as though finally, after around 18 chapters, Edelgard's scars will finally cause her genuine inconvenience due to her complex about them as well as her trust issues. She has a gash on her back from the Battle of Eagle and Lion, but will not have it treated if Manuela isn't the healer, and yet the woman is occupied dealing with the rest of the students who were injured. How will this fic deal with this?
- Ingrid, referring to her and Sylvain: ""We just switched from Felix lecturing us all day to listening to Edelgard moralizing, didn’t we?"" -> The author is trying to compare a childhood friend whose friends have had years to get used to their barbed tongue to a stranger that directly insults the dreams of one of them. Something which Ingrid canonically hates having be done to her, even from Felix, a childhood friend. Once again, Ingrid being so casual about Edelgard being so disrespectful of her dreams is out of character. Strikes against canon: 95
- "Sylvain shook his head knowingly, ignoring Felix’s truly alarming scowl. “You should have seen his face, Edelgard. Dimitri would go on and on about this girl he met when he was a kid…and Felix would complain about her for hours!” He looked at Felix and smiled. “For all his whining about the “Boar,” nobody loves Dimitri more than him.”" -> Oh? A romantic gay male relationship presenting itself within the fic?
- Another vision of SS experienced by Edelgard. Word from a nameless guard: "The woman, Byleth, leading their forces... She’s not human! She killed half my battalion with one swing of that sword of hers. She didn’t speak, she didn’t shout, she didn’t even change her expression!” The panicked man was teetering on the edge of hysteria. “All those people rallying around her, and it’s like she doesn’t care at all. Like she's a walking corpse!"" -> Obviously saying that Byleth becomes the Ashen Demon if not allowed to be with Edelgard.
- Unintentional statement: Byleth can't be the pure innocent (lesbian) woman without Edelgard's (lesbian) love granting her purity, reverting her to a monstrous, corrupt demon incapable of humanity
- See chapter 20 note: "Implying that choosing SS - aka, choosing the Nabateans - makes Byleth less human. Intentional?" Confirmed to be intentional. Also false: in canon, even when accounting for CF's lesser chapter count, Byleth emotes far more on SS than on CF, which matches with CF having Edelgard call Byleth detached in their A support. Strikes against canon: 96
- The same nameless soldier, same context: "And those Faerghus kids…” / Edelgard leaned forward in her chair. “Ingrid…Sylvain…what of them?” / “They…they were animals. Screaming and ranting about revenge for the King.” -> Is the author really demonizing Sylvain and Ingrid for (potentially!) being mad at Edelgard for murdering one of their childhood friends? Is that really the depths the Edelgard worship will sink to, that friends becoming enraged at a friend's unjust murder from a warlord is being portrayed as something sad for the warlord? Just what else should Edelgard be pitied for?
- "The scared girl desperately tried to drown out the thoughts that reverberated incessantly. / They’re going to despise us…it’s destiny. And how could they not? If we were truly good, the Goddess would have saved us…protected us. But She didn’t. The Goddess took Mother. She took our family. And soon, She’ll take everything else we love. She hates us. / It’s what we deserve." - Now confirmed that Edelgard hears multiple voices in her head tormenting her. That trait that, once again, Edelgard does not have... (Strikes against canon: 97)
- ...but Dimitri does. This is the third time this chapter that this has happened, and far from the only chapter to display such baffling characterization of Edelgard via Dimitri's traits. It is nonsensical.
- " Why had [Edelgard] even been born at all? Nonexistence would have been preferable to watching every faint dream be dashed, to suffering alone over and over. She was just…so tired of being alive." -> Once. Again. Suicidal tendencies/thoughts is not a trait Edelgard shows in canon... (Strikes against canon: 98)
- ...but Dimitri does. The fourth! The fourth time in one chapter the author desperately wanted to just write Dimitri!
- If the fic wanted to take Edelgard in a different direction than canon does and has her display some of these traits, it would be more passable, but this fic is under the delusion that it is in any way following canon closely, especially in regards to Edelgard, and so this can only be seen as a desperate attempt from the author to have Edelgard be sympathetic by donning the skin of an actually sympathetic character such as Dimitri
- "Edelgard looked at herself in the mirror. The back of her academy uniform was stained red, the rhythmic, soft dripping of blood assaulting the princess’ ears." -> And no one commented on this? No one was worried? Not Ingrid, Sylvain, and Felix, who were sitting right by her? Not Lysithea, who saw her take the blow to her back and never get it healed? Not Dimitri, who delivered the blow? It just so happened that literally no one at all noticed this?
- Byleth literally slapped Edelgard on the back earlier? Wouldn't her hand come back red with blood if it were seeping through the uniform?
** The scene that follows the previous note is too long to quote, despite how truly terrible it is. Long quotes, even extremely long quotes, have been presented in these notes before, but the length this quotation would be if the full extent of it were written here would be a mess, and quite frankly, at that point it would do one better to simply go to the fanfiction itself and read the text from there. With the context received from these notes, if one wishes to see the words for themselves, go to chapter 21 of The Emperor and the Goddess, enter Ctrl + F (or Find in Page on mobile devices), and enter the phrase "Byleth crossed her arms, clearly frustrated" verbatim. The following note will not be quoting the entire scene from the fic (merely summarizing it), though context is needed to understand how truly bad the scene is. **
- To have hope in this fic performing anything correctly is proving to be a fool's dream, for it has yet to do anything right; that includes the aforementioned gash upon Edelgard's back. As stated, it did not draw the attention of those who were sitting around her nor did it draw the attention of the one who witnessed the injury itself, nor of the one who delivered the injury itself, so no one commented on the gaping, bleeding wound Edelgard was "hiding" from everyone as she turned her (bleeding) back to them and left for the baths to clean up (it must be heavily stressed: immediately after leaving it is revealed that the blood is seeping through her uniform). As she was washing - naked, of course - Byleth just so happened to step into the baths with only a towel wrapped around her "for modesty," much to the horror of Edelgard, for she does not want Byleth seeing her scarred body. A slight argument arises between the two over Edelgard getting her injuries checked, before Byleth warns Edelgard that she will go to Rhea and force her to go to the infirmary should Edelgard continue to refuse treatment, which drives Edelgard past the brink. She raises her arms from the bathwater and presents her scars (""Fine!... If you want to see so badly, here!""), to the horror of Byleth ("Byleth Eisner was not a woman given to strong emotional reactions, but she staggered back, hands over her mouth."). Edelgard cries in hysteria, fear of her beloved teacher running away in disgust over her ugly, mutilated body overwhelming her. But Byleth, childlike in her innocence, shared that she too is scarred in strange ways, and that she too is scared of failing those around her - that she has no ambitions save to help and protect those around her. Byleth reveals that it is Edelgard whom Byleth looks up to for always being so strong and always moving forward, and shows that without Edelgard Byleth wouldn't know how to handle the pressure everyone else puts on her. The exchange ends with Byleth reassuring Edelgard that she is beautiful and not the monster she thinks she is.
- There is no nice way of putting this: this is a classic example of how not to write someone opening up to another about something. Edelgard views herself as weak, ugly, repulsive, a monster, shameful, but it is Byleth's love and affection that gives her comfort and warmth, that gives her hope of something more. It forces Byleth to behave wildly out of character (the author can try to excuse this with "well she wouldn't normally behave like this!" all he wants, it doesn't matter when it goes against the base, canonical Byleth. Strikes against canon: 99) in order for Edelgard's scarred body to be seen as something that is repulsive, that is ugly, that is stained, so much so that the pure, childlike, innocent Byleth couldn't stand to see something so tainted. And yet it is that same pure, childlike, innocent Byleth's pure, innocent, childlike love that pushes away the pain of Edelgard's scars for just that moment. Other characters become suddenly blind and/or forgetful of Edelgard's obvious, bleeding wound so that it is Byleth who can be the one to save Edelgard with her pure, innocent, childlike presence and her pure, innocent, childlike uncertainty about her own insecurities (but only when it is convenient for Edelgard, as even Byleth didn't noticed the gaping, bleeding wound until she was alone with Edelgard where no one could interrupt their bonding moment). This scene is inorganic and forced, ham-fisting Edelgard and Byleth in the same room - the wash room, where both are either naked or nearly naked - so that Byleth is the one to find Edelgard, no one else. No one was worried enough about the sudden exit Edelgard took from the conversation she was having to follow her and make sure she was alright, and Byleth just so happened to enter the baths right after Edelgard. The scene is, to be frank, insulting.
- There have been a couple of joking references to a book titled Stones to Abigail in these notes, but in all seriousness, this scene plays unsettlingly similar to a scene in said book, where a scarred girl who is naked reveals her "ugly" and "revolting" scarred body to the love interest, who goes on to soothe and comfort the naked girl as best they can. The resemblance is uncanny
- Byleth described as childlike/innocent. Counter: 5
- Edelgard, in canon, never expresses feeling herself to be ugly, or repulsive, or a monster. Strikes against canon: 100
- Again, Edelgard's scars are only important when they are convenient - this time, in helping develop the romantic relationship between her and Byleth
- There are ways in which scars can be utilized without being problematic, but certainly not when this much focus is placed on them and yet they are only truly present when they cannot hinder Edelgard.
- Perhaps particularly insulting is this phrase from Edelgard: "Did she actually love Byleth at all, or just being saved by her?" Yes, Edelgard, you do simply want to be saved by Byleth, because that is precisely what the narrative has been drilling into the reader's heads ever since Byleth showed herself. Byleth is Edelgard's light, Byleth is Edelgard's hope, Byleth gives Edelgard back her humanity, Byleth is Edelgard's one source of joy, Byleth is Edelgard's entire life, and nothing, absolutely nothing in this fic has shown this to ever be a bad thing. This dependence on Byleth to bring Edelgard joy at the near complete expense of everyone else has been propped up as something romantic, and yet it's now, 21 chapters and over 85K+ words in, that we're supposed to believe that this was actually Edelgard being unhealthy? Even though the author himself said that this was what he enjoyed about their relationship, how much they found each other in each other? Even though we see what the author thinks would happen to the two of them should they separate - Edelgard, lonely and afraid without her beloved teach, and Byleth, the Ashen Demon who cares for nothing without her beloved student - in her visions of SS? This is a joke
- It cannot be overstated that Byleth came to the bathhouses completely independently of Edelgard. She did not come to specifically see her because she followed her out of worry for Edelgard due to her injury - she only knows that Edelgard's injured in the first place due to seeing bloody bandages that Edelgard removed in the bathhouse, before Byleth arrived.
- Author's notes: "On Bergliez, we find out very little in-game, but he 1) offers himself for execution so his men can go free in SS and 2) seems to be actually competent at his job. I thought a nuanced portrayal was more interesting, since I've been writing Aegir as the absolute worst person in the world." -> Note: this is what the author believes to be a nuanced take on someone. Someone who likes Edelgard entirely and does nearly whatever they can to help her, but they did one thing that's morally gray (leaving a child behind to save his own children from the same fate) that is portrayed as objectively bad, so now they are nuanced. While perhaps this sort of character would be truly nuanced in better hands, as it is with his actions being portrayed as something that is obviously so completely and utterly wrong and him someone who deserves complete and utter condemnation - and yet Ionius, who does far worse for far less understandable reasons, gets a comparative slap on the wrist - it causes confusion as to Edelgard's lines. Bergliez seeing her the one time and never helping her is enough for her to want to hurt him as she was hurt, but her father repeatedly coming to and "being forced" to watch her actively be tortured and doing nothing does little to invoke similar depths of resentment? Even granting the idea that "she gives more slack to her father," Ionius is objectively and far worse than Bergliez, down to doing hard things to protect their children, and yet it is only Bergliez who is shined in this unpleasant a light
- To be clear, Bergliez's decision was not a good one, but understandable. It is a gray decision to make. But notice how he is called "gray" and "nuanced" and yet Ionius is nearly completely innocent, as described by the author himself, despite their being no given explaination as to why "he was a figurehead" should be a good enough reason to wash him literally standing there and watching as his children - some of whom aren't even teens yet - get slowly tortured and killed.
- "There are many localization changes I understand (Byleth wanting to get drunk after the battle is one of them), but Treehouse's decision to remove Ionius' entire reason for power centralization (eliminating the consorts) was a big, big mistake." -> Given the history of this author's grasp on the Japanese language, this needs to be checked, as he cannot be trusted as a source as to whether this is true
******* Notes of Claude mischaracterization: Chapter 21, section 1, paragraphs 1, 21 & 23, 27 *******
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munsnz · 3 years
Text
Sand — Steve Harrington
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TW: Cussing ??
Summary: Where plans were canceled with your best friend, bringing along you and her ex together aka Steve Harrington, remembering the huge dick he was in high school. Perhaps in the span of one day, you catch feelings for him but during a fun activity leads you and Steve together.
Pairing: Steve Harrington x Fem! Reader
Lydineo Radio: Let The Sun In — Wallows
Masterlist — Requests are open!
“I thought Nancy was coming,” You mumbled as you walked towards Steve Harrington’s car, where he wore a pair of his black sunglasses along with a summer blouse, leaning against his car. You and Nancy both planned to head on over to the beach, somehow convinced that Steve was going as well, even if they broke up. It had been a year since the mall burned down due to a mysterious cause, now it was another boring summer all over again.
He smiled a little as he saw you trudge over to him, “Plans were changed little one.” Steve pat you on the head, making you feel like a child and you smacked his hand away from your head.
”Ew don’t touch me,” you groaned and crossed your arms as you stepped away from him. He laughs at the funny gesture and takes his shades off to show his chestnut colored eyes into the open. “So what are we supposed to do?”
”We can......” Steve trailed off, looking at you, “I don’t really know, we can both go?”
You cringed at his words and statement, giving a funny expression playing at your face, “Steve...... I hope you’re kidding me. I don’t even know you much. All I know is that you’re Dustin’s friend and you worked at the mall.”
”I see you’ve watched me huh?” He chuckles at your response and cheekily leans over closer to you, “Guess my beauty- Ow!” He groans to see you step over his shoe, to make him shut up.
”Look, Harrington,” You snap at him, while you take his glasses away from his hands and put them on your face, “I cancelled all my shit plans to come to this little stupid trip Nancy told me and I’m still going, but I’m not gonna let your dumb ego stop me.”
Steve rapidly shakes his head at your orders and ruffles his hair a little being in front of you, a sort of tint of pink welled up on his cheeks. Was he blushing? Seeing him at such flustered state, you rolled your eyes to walk inside the passenger’s seat of his car.
“So are we going-“
”Get in......Asshole,” You smile at him as you shoot a glare at him, making him follow your directions to sit into the driver’s seat next to you.
He sighs a little and turns to you while he turns on the car, “You know Y/N...... you’re a little scarier than I thought.”
Scoffing at such remark, you punch his shoulder, making him laugh nervously, “I’m sorry but I’m not usually this scary.”
”Oh thank-“
You shot a glare at him again, he jumped and turned to the steering wheel. “So where we off to? Maybe we could grab a bite before we go?”
”Sure that’s fine,” You crossed your arms and huffed, this trip was going to be one shitshow for sure knowing you had to be stuck with Steve Harrington.
-
”How come I’ve never heard about you at school?” Steve asks as he sips down the last of his milkshake, watching you, fidgeting with your fingers.
Looking up at him, you claimed while laughing, “Well, you were too busy with popularity. I was just a shadow!” You noticed his eyes turn away from you and you sighed, “I hope you’re not like that anymore. Or are you?”
He shakes his head at your question, being able to express that he was no longer that douchebag he was in high school, “No not anymore. Not everything is about popularity.”
”You learned it the hard way huh?”
Steve nods his head at your claim. It seemed like you could read Steve by his expressions and words he spoke. You had never and I mean never have spoken to Steve Harrington prior to the school you both attended to. Just click. It did.
”How do you know me so well Y/N?” He pondered, while getting up from the table, sliding the money onto the bill for the waitress, “We just met and you read me like a book.”
”I don’t know,” You get up along with him, and both walk outside to find that it was already 4 pm, “Oh shit, it’s late.”
”It’s really intriguing to talk to you,” He blurts out, while walking to his car. You looked up at him, with widened eyes, “I-I mean we took around two hours talking to each other.”
You glanced at him, shuffling over inside his car to avoid any eye contact with you. As you came inside the car, he turned it on, driving to the south where the small beach was near.
-
The wind blew on your face, sending your hair all over the place as you got out of Steve’s car. Somehow a bit of hair got into your mouth and you began to choke but calmed down, whipping the bit of hair out of your mouth. You watched from afar the tides came in and out at the sandy beach located a few towns away from Hawkins. The air began to cool, meaning the sun was going to set anytime soon.
”I guess you’re not much of a beach or summer person right?” Steve calls out from behind you, making you look at him.
He read you correctly this time and you joked, “It’s my job to read you, not yours.” Both of you grabbed a picnic blanket from his trunk and began to walk to the beach area. You slid your shoes off, to place your feet in the thick, warm, sand as Steve followed the same thing like you. In the windy silence, you both laid the towel under you. Getting comfortable, Steve turned on the radio, faintly playing Higher Love by Steve Windows (coincidence? I think not), there wasn’t that much people at the beach that same day. A couple of kids who were playing in the waves from afar, but that was only it. Another driven silence began, but bored out of your mind, you decided to take off your crew neck, where your bathing suit was under and head to the water.
Doing such action in front of him, Steve felt flustered watching you slide your sweater off your body, “Something bothering you Harrington?” You laughed at him, to stand up and lend your hand towards him.
”I.....” Steve trails off, grabbing your hand to stand up and run towards the water, “Last one there is a rotten egg!”
”You’re such a child, Steve!” You giggled and followed him to the tide running in and out. You were sadly the last one that got there, being splashed water at your face by him, “You’re gonna regret that Harrington!”
“I’d like to see you try Y/N!”
-
Who knew you were chasing Steve Harrington across the water to see him being thrown by the wave crashing, sending him underwater. He comes back to the surface to find you next to him, splashing water in his face, getting back at him.
”I told you I’d get you,” You paddled your feet to keep you at the surface, smiling at him to find his ‘perfect’ hair ruined in front of you.
But as you watched him squint his eyes because of the water in them. You felt something touch your leg, making you quiver, “Ah!” You shouted as you rapidly threw your arms around him, unaware of who you were holding on to. Caught off guard, Steve feels his heart skip a beat, feeling your skin on his, sending you both underwater and back up to the surface.
”What’s wrong?!” He exclaims, blabbing out the salty water that accidentally went into his mouth, while grabbing you too.
”I felt something on my leg,” You look around at the body of water around you, still latched onto him. Freezing in your position, the only sound you both heard was of the ocean, nothing else happened. But slowly realizing who you were hung onto, you watch him awkwardly to find him holding you as well, bringing a whole feeling of nervousness. Letting go, although you didn’t want to.
“Karma,” He chuckles silently, and covers his mouth. Realizing your stupidity, it was just seaweed roaming around. You move your hair out of your face and begin to swim away from him, but felt a slight tug by your waist, guessing who it was you paddled away faster and giggled even more.
Now here was the place you were going to have a lifetime with this guy you barely know. This new friend of yours seemed like someone you have known for years on end. Just something about it, clicked.
-
After a shit ton of messing around and unintentionally flirting with each other, you grew exhausted. The swimming and running all over the place drains one out. Now you were splurged onto the warm sand, with a ton of mixed emotions everywhere, eager to try something different.
”This may sound weird but you’re cool.”
”I know I am,” Steve scoffs, laying shirtless under the towel and crossed his legs while you sat up, dusting the sand away from the seashells you both found lying beneath the sand. Another silence grew, the sound of the waves become louder, you were in the reality instead of that pretty daydream with him. You weren’t attracted to Steve. Correct?
Of course you were though, shockingly. But with such courage you sighed, watching the sunset turn into a deep shade of orange and purple, “Wanna do something weird?”
”I like weird,” Steve sits up, placing his arm onto his bent knee, “Tell me.”
You had never been such an outgoing or confident person, it seemed like you were more into the shy part of things. As you breathed out, you mumbled, “How about if we talk about the person we like the most? We write it down in the sand, and run away.”
”That’s weird.”
Whilst you were annoyed, you furrowed your eyebrows at him, “Steve I just said it’s weird-“
”I know I know,” He says, standing up and grabbing a stick from far away, “What are you waiting for?”
-
Scribbling an S, then a T and E, V, E, you finished, but panicked slightly knowing he probably didn’t like you. And no, it wasn’t a cliche thing. Or was it?
”I’m done,” You hear Steve’s voice make you jump nervously, signaling this would most likely be the end of your friendship. Wow, just one day in and poof! There goes another bond away from your life.
“Let me look at it first!”
Fear in his voice, he almost shoved you to turn away from the only letter you saw, “Hey! No I go first!”
”No let me!” You pushed him a little and jumped to look over his shoulder, but he was too quick and moved enough to block your sight to see the name.
In a fight, you still couldn’t see the pair of letters, and pushed each other around, in fear to know the other’s reaction of it.
“Asshole just let me-“
Oh God.
That boy knows.
He saw his name written, from behind your short height. Oh shit you were doomed for sure. It was surely impossible to love someone by day one. But this, this was different. Feelings were all over the place, as you noticed his eyes widened at the sight of the letter that spelled his name out.
You clicked your tongue and flinched a little before you would usually get rejected, “It’s a prank I’m kidding! I’m so funny right?”
Steve awkwardly looks around, putting his arms behind his back and stepped away for you to see YOUR NAME. Oh god you knew it was some prank. You watched and still saw his serious face driven by the silence, perhaps he wasn’t joking.
”Oh man,” You cross your arms, watching the letters printed on the sand being destroyed by the incoming wave, washing it away from existence, “We’re just pranking each other right?”
“Uh-“
”Just say it!” You walk over to him and spin away from him, “We should just go home, it’s getting late anyways.”
”I-“
You continue blabbing more nonsense about your summer and how this idea was just one big mistake. Steve knew you wouldn’t stop anytime soon so he stops you by grabbing your shoulders, catching you off guard. Wide eyed, and flushed face, he mumbles a little, “It’s not a prank, I wouldn’t play with love like that.”
”Love?”
”Yeah......” He trails off, watching you intently at the somewhat attraction he had for you, “I-I uh....I know this is fast. I don’t expect you to say yes which is totally fine I’m sorry I’m rushing this I-“
“I like you too Harrington,” You confidently move away for him to see the letters clearly written STEVE on it. Shocked, Steve snaps out of his thoughts to find you put an arm around him and look at him. “So is this the part where we admit our true feelings then realize we are actually in love after getting to know each other in the span of a day and we kiss under the sunset?”
Steve watched you cheekily grin at him, and nodded slightly, “I suppose-“ He was cut off by your lips pressing onto his, automatically bringing his hands on your waist, holding you closer to his body like glue. Both of you continue to move your lips in sync, realizing, maybe this boring and mistaken trip was all written in the sand.
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jojoboisimagines · 3 years
Text
Johnny Joestar x Reader :: Wait for It :: Chapter 7
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Summary: Gyro is hospitalized, and now Johnny has no one to turn to. That is, until a former female rider shows him a little compassion. 
..::..
The atmosphere out in this grassy field felt much better to say the least. Probably the most comfortable you’d been throughout this whole race. No fighting, no people, and plenty of roaming space for your horse.  
You and your riding partner, aka Johnny, had mostly eaten your leftovers in silence. He had devoured the meal a lot faster than you thought he would. He’s still growing, you guessed.
Laughing to yourself earned a side-eye from him, before wiping his hands of all the leftover crumbs. Johnny heaves a content sigh, staring at the empty to-go box. The man did a couple of arm stretches, seems like the food really wore him out. Or made him sleepy.
Now that you had a chance to unwind today, you couldn't help but realize how calm he was around you. He wasn’t wary or suspicious of you as far as you could tell, and he wasn’t really pushing you away when having conversations. He was just..doing his own thing.
Perhaps he was too busy missing his riding partner to even attempt to start any real conflict on his own. 
Before you knew it, Johnny was back on his wheelchair, wheeling himself towards Slow Dancer to mount again. You were pretty much done with your own food as well. It was good, but not nearly good enough to start a bar fight for. 
Standing on your feet, you dusted any excess grass from your pants. You knew you were probably gonna miss this spot, but it was better to go ahead and move on. There was still a lot you needed to learn, according to your ‘mentor’.
A cool, satisfying breeze passed by as you walked back up to your horse Soarin’. It really was a nice day out. You glanced over to Johnny, but he wasn’t on his horse yet. Actually, it looked like he was a bit angry. Furious even, if his face getting slightly red was any indication. 
You looked up to see a familiar face, yet one you haven't seen since the beginning of the race. 
What was his name again, you thought...DJ...Damon...oh, Diego.
You had practically no idea who this guy was, aside from the fact he was British and had stolen the lead for the majority of the race. You didn’t particularly know him because he was a foreign racer, you mainly focused on the popular riders in your own country.
Yet it seemed like Johnny had some prior business with him, evident by him almost literally seething in his seat.
"The hell do you want, Dio, leave us alone!" He pointed at the taller man, hoping itd emphasize how he wanted him to back off.
"Hmm..Where is the Italian idiot anyway? It's almost strange seeing you without being latched to his side like a Chihuahua." Diego said, dismissively of Johnny's threat.
The ex jockey gripped the handle of his wheelchair so hard his knuckles might turn white in a matter of minutes. Though his face said something different, like he was trying to keep his cool but his body couldn't help but demonstrate his frustration.
He swallowed a lump in his throat.
"None of your business. Don't you have anything other to do than bother me?"
The Brit opened his mouth to say something else, before you caught his eye. The blue orbs quickly scanned you before looking back at Johnny.
"Oh? Having other racers aid you? Are you that desperate for help since you can't do anything alone?" 
Johnny sneered. Did this guy get off on confronting someone just to insult and degrade them? There was nothing stopping Johnny from punching Diego in the face (except for onlookers, which he could care less about honestly) so he wasn't sure where he thought his hubris would get him, but if Jojo has any say in it, it'll get him in the hospital.
He had been so far in his own mind after that remark that he hadn't even realized your presence beside him now. You had already spoken up before he got the chance to tell you it wasn't worth it.
"Actually, I'm not helping him, he's helping me." You corrected the arrogant man. 
Raising an eyebrow at you, he places a hand on his hip in a way that implies he really didn't care about what you said.
In that case, you wouldn't hold back either.
Dio puts his hand on his chest like a petty rich girl in high school.
"Who are you again? In all my time in this race I haven't seen you."
You knew that was a subtle jab about him being first and you being so far behind you were barely noticeable. Fists almost automatically balled up at that, but you'd control yourself for now.
"I'm sure you hardly look at anyone except your mirror. By now it's probably been splotched in horse manure by now, so really it's showing you what you've looked like all along."
Johnny snickers, and it's probably the cutest thing you've seen all day.
..in a friendly way of course.
His lip twitches, showing his teeth, a fang pointedly sticking out. Weird, you thought. You hadn't seen anyone with a fang in years.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Dio tried to interrogate, but you weren't scared at all. In fact, you were just getting started on this guy.
"It means you look like horse shit, duh." Johnny answered, folding his arms. A small smirk still on his face.
“Watch it, Joestar.” Diego sneered. For someone who dished it out like second nature, he sure couldn’t take it. “One wrong move and I can ruin your standing in the race, AND your reputation--or at least, what’s left of it.”
You roll your (e/c) eyes. You’ve had enough of this guy, what was this, a playground?
“Dude shut up, if you want to prove anything then win the whole damn race and stop talking like you already have.” One more retort and you’ll fly off the handle at him.
Diego stays silent for a moment, before leaning in to your face, his nose inches from yours.
“I already have. You’re welcome to join me when you’re done playing in the mud with poor Jojo.” 
Before you could reply, he reeled back and turned on his heel. You wanted to punch him so bad, how dare he talk down to you and your friend like this..
“Don’t do it (y/n).” You hear Johnny behind you. “As much as I wanna see it happen, he’s not wrong about being able to sabotage both of us.” 
You grunted. “What could you possibly care about our ‘reputations’, Johnny? That was pure disrespect, and I can’t let it fly!”
“...”  He was looking at the ground now, seeming like he was trying to find whatever reason he could to prevent you from firing off. Johnny sighs.
“Look, I’ll be straightforward with you. I’m not in the race for money or status.”
You turned around at that, fairly confused.
“I’m in this race to..learn a technique from my friend, Gyro. I could care less about the stuff Diego desperately wants me to so he can have ammo to bug me with. However, you seem pretty set on trying to prove yourself that you can do this. I’ve seen it when we train.”
“..Seen what?”
Johnny pauses.
“Your determination. This is probably gonna sound dumb, but your eyes, they’ve been different. Like there’s some kind of fire in them now. Honestly, since joining this race, I can relate. Its part of why i’m still deciding to help you after you’ve..” His eyes become sarcastically half lidded. “Gotten me into almost two fights now.”
A scoff escapes your lips. What on Earth was this man saying anymore? Though you wouldn’t deny, it was a bit encouraging to hear.
The scoff was a bit off-putting to him, and he took another pause. He looked a little...flustered? You weren’t sure what that meant. Did you make him feel stupid on accident?
“That’s why...I’m not letting you take the chance to have Diego potentially ruin all your chances. This training would be for nothing.”
Something inside you suspected there was another reason, but you wouldn’t question it. Walking forward to him, you bent over to meet his eye level in his chair.
“Fine. I’ll beat up Diego after the race is over. Let’s get to our horses.” You take the wheelchair handles and starting walking towards Slow Dancer.
You couldn’t see it but, Johnny had a faint smile on his face.
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lokiondisneyplus · 3 years
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Sophia Di Martino was launched into the pop cultural consciousness thanks to her role as Sylvie – AKA the Loki variant on Marvel Disney Plus series Loki, where she trades barbs and shares background stories with Tom Hiddleston's God of Mischief.
Episode Three of the series found Loki on a wild adventure with Sylvie, after he accidentally sent them both to the doomed moon Lamentis-1, on a collision course with a planet. Facing an apocalypse, the pair hatches a plan to find the escape vessel that some of the moon's wealthier residents are hoping will carry them to safety and, while on the train to the ship, they discuss everything from the nature of love to their respective magical abilities.
When the opportunity arose to talk to her, we naturally jumped at it, so here is part of Chris Hewitt's conversation with Di Martino, who was frank and funny while chatting about getting the job, Loki's sexuality and more.
The last two weeks in particular must have been a heck of a whirlwind for you. What's it been like being at the centre of the storm?
It's been a strange one. Because I feel like I've been waiting in the wings for quite a while. And I haven't been able to talk to anyone about this until today. So, it's been a really strange few weeks, just watching the show start and listening to people's reactions, but not being able to talk about it. I don't feel like I've been in the centre of the storm at all. I feel like I've been watching it play out.
Have you been able to say anything to anybody, family friends... Postmen?
Absolutely no-one! My mum has no idea where I've been for the past two years. It's been really difficult. But to be honest, I'm actually really good at keeping secrets. So, I've perhaps been too good and haven't told anyone, anything. My agent, no one knows anything! I’m taking it really seriously, maybe a bit too seriously!
You and director Kate Herron have worked together in the past. Is that how it began for you?
Kate and I worked together on a short film of hers a few years ago now. And we stayed in touch, we're mates, we'll go out for coffee and do a bit of improv. We exist in the same circles in London. I'm trying to remember how exactly it happened. I was shooting another film in the UK, and I think I got a message from Kate saying, “I'm on this show, I'm not allowed to talk about what it is... There's a role, we'd like to see what you do with it. I can't tell you any more. Just wanted to give you the heads up...” A really vague WhatsApp message. So, then I got a request for a tape through my agent. But obviously, my agency also couldn't know anything about what was happening and what it was or anything. I was given a really short scene, made a tape of this scene and just had to guess what it was about. I think it was actually what ended up being the scene from Episode Three, which is Loki and Sylvie on the train. I think it ended up being that scene, but it was very different when I did the audition tape for it.
Did it have the word Loki in the script at any point?
No, no, no names! I think it was Bob and Sarah or something completely different. I didn't have a clue what it was.
I was really interested in how angry she is and how sort of laser-focused she is on this mission that she's given herself.
At what point did the penny drop? At what point did you realise that you were auditioning to play a Loki on Loki, and then this incredibly complex character?
I can't remember what happened first. It might have been the news that Kate was directing the new Loki came out. And then I was like, “Oh, maybe that's what I read for...” Or if it was that I was just offered the job, and they told me what it was. But yeah, it was a surprise. And I had a chat with Tom on FaceTime because he was in New York. I never actually met anyone because I was nine months pregnant, I couldn't fly anywhere. So, I was in London, everyone else is in the US. So, it was just that tape, it was all based on that. And obviously, I've worked with Kate before, so she knows that I'm not some weirdo. And she must’ve convinced them to cast me!
Let’s talk a little bit about Sylvie as we now know her. What's clear is that you're not doing a Tom Hiddleston impression. This is not your take on a Tom Hiddleston Loki, this is a very, very different iteration of their character. So where did you start?
Well, probably exactly there, making that decision that I didn't want to go in and do an impression of Tom, because that would have been awful. I'm really bad at impressions for a start! Sylvie’s very different to Loki in a lot of ways. There's the chaos and there's the mischievous, which are very, very Loki traits. But for me, I was really interested in how angry she is and how sort of laser-focused she is on this mission that she's given herself. And I think that plus the playfulness really helped me get into the character. And, and so that was the way I started.
The stunt training and the fight training really helped me with her physicality, and we were all really keen on her being a really strong, sort of street fighter, almost. She's not as elegant as Loki. She's fit and rough around the edges, she's had a harder time, in a way, she's been on the run for the majority of her life, getting into scraps. And I like the idea that she really enjoys fighting. And she'd really get something out of it. Because she knows that she's probably going to win. Right? And that's where her cockiness comes through, maybe. And so that was part of it as well. And then as soon as you put the costume on, you're there.
What was that like? Because the costume says so much as well. There's the headpiece, which obviously has a missing horn, which says a lot about the scrapes that she's gotten into in the past. And also says that this isn't the Loki we might be expecting.
We were really keen on making the costume look like it's been through the wringer a bit. And she's sort of gathered bits of it from places that she's been throughout her journey. We didn't want it to be too clean and shiny. And it was also important to me that it was a really comfortable costume and that I could actually fight in it, and I could kick in it and just do things that I needed to kick not have to worry about breaking it or being uncomfortable. And then Christine Wada, the costume designer, was amazing at just making it super comfy. But I still felt like a badass when I put it on.
The train scene has that wonderful moment where you’re talking about your romantic pasts, and Loki confirms that he is bisexual, which has been received rapturously since the episode came out. Did you get a sense of how momentous it was when you were filming it?
I knew how important it was, yeah. And I'm just so pleased that it's been received so well. And people are super happy to have seem that scene. And like I said, the show is inspired by the comics, and the comics for a long time have alluded to Loki being bisexual or pansexual. And his sexuality is not straight. And even back to Norse mythology. So, it was important to Kate, and it was also important to me and Tom, that this was represented in a six-hour story about that character. Because representation is important.
It's such a beautifully written scene. Can you just talk about your memories of filming those exchanges? Because we've only just met Sylvie, and we haven’t seen Loki consider the idea of love or falling in love or being frail or vulnerable in that way before.
It’s a super important scene. And it was interesting to shoot it because it's the first time that you see Sylvie vulnerable. And it's just a really important moment for the two of them to understand each other in a different way, and not just be miffed by each other for the first time. And when we were filming it, it is quite a long scene. And it just felt really good to do a long, talky scene. It didn't feel long when we were doing it. But it was nice to get into those characters, and it sort of felt like doing a play, when you go a bit deeper and it’s great. It's just another way of understanding the character that you're playing. And listening to Tom singing was also an experience! Didn’t he do such a good job of learning all those words? I was just amazed that he could learn a song in a different language. And he did it so quickly! Like, one day he got the words and the next day he was fluent in Norwegian! That’s Hiddleston, isn’t it? He’s just so smart!
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letsperaltiago · 3 years
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somewhere only we know
This is my entry for the B99 Summer 2021 Fic Exchange and it's for lovely Johanna aka. @amyscascadingtabs <3 I picked the prompt: "Jake and Amy going on a babymoon and enjoying some time together before everything changes for good."
It's very simple and just pure good, happy parents to be-vibes so yeah :) I initially wanted to add smut but didn't have the time to write it :(( If you feel like it's something you'd like, then feel free to lemme know! I can always add a chapter two heh. Anyways, enjoy!!
Rating: G
Words: 2.7k
Read here or on Ao3
“Jake, this is… amazing.”
This seems to be all Amy can come up with as the hotel room presents itself before her. Better or bigger words seem to be lacking from her otherwise excellent vocabulary but she blames it on the fact that she’s been carrying a tiny human for the past 35 weeks - not that she’s complaining. It’s been hard, both physically and mentally, and there are a few more weeks to go but by the end of it all, she’ll be holding her little baby boy. 
She’s tired and every inch of her body swollen and/or sore, but more importantly she’s eager and excited. Jake is too, if not even more than her, and this has resulted in the current scene: their babymoon. 
“You like it?” 
The way Jake asks her, eyes shining with innocent expectation and voice laced with childish excitement has her imagining just how their little boy will turn out to be. She can’t hold back her smile. This man will walk to the end of the earth to make her happy, essentially already has during this pregnancy, and the babymoon is just as much for him as it is for her. 
She turns on her heels to face him, showing him the bright smile that’s plastered on her makeup-free face which has gained some freckles during her pregnancy. 
“You could’ve planned a trip to a dumpster and I would still love it.”
Hands cupping his scruffy cheeks she pulls him in for a short but tender kiss that even so many years later, after thousands of kisses, has his toes curl in excitement. She truly would’ve stayed anywhere as long as Jake was with her. Although she does appreciate the fact that she’s standing in a beautiful lakeview suite at the LakeHouse Inn. 
“Should we reassess how much we refer to dumpsters and other gross locations when we declare our love for each other?” 
She chuckles at his comment, lips resonating against the corner of his grin. 
“Should we?” She slowly slides her hands to the back of her neck, entangling her fingers to keep her latched onto him even as she pulls away to flash him a pretend contemplative expression.  
Eyebrows cocked in playfulness, they share an indicative look in silence, only for them to break it in unison. “Nahh.”
“Right? It’s what makes us us.” Jake pulls her in by the hips which are carrying their son. 
Everything about Amy reminds him of their little miracle and makes him feel all tingly and excited. One look at her, one touch, and he forgets about the rest of the world and its crappiness. He has Amy and together with the tiny human in her belly, she is his entire universe. 
“Exactly.”
She closes the gap between them (as much as she can with the full-blown balloon shape of her stomach). 
“So,” she mumbles against his lips, “what are your plans for us?” 
Sadly, the 3-hour drive from home didn’t do wonders for her heavily pregnant body and even though she won’t admit it out loud, she hopes her husband’s plans for tonight will demand the bare minimum of her. She feels his lips and body withdraw, prompting her eyes open however the mischievous smile that meets her has a dimmed anxious feeling creeping over her - he does remember she’s 35 weeks pregnant, right? 
“I know that look, Peralta.” Her voice is distrustful, and after 7 years together she should know better than giving in to his teasing, but her suspicious air only fuels his fire and desire to mess with her. 
“In honor of my incredible and always so organized wife, there’s a tightknit schedule waiting for us.”
Tightknit schedule? Amy would usually be beaming at these words but right then and there, swollen legs, hungry and feeling everything but hot and fit after the drive, she aches to fall back onto the bed and sleep for days. It’s huge, king-sized, with crispy white sheets and the fluffy pillows are definitely calling her name. Although, the fact that Jake has everything planned out for their last vacation together, just the two of them, does pull on some heartstrings. He loves her so much and she loves him so much too. So much that she (almost) doesn’t turn a hair when he proudly starts listing their schedule for the evening and following day. 
“So right now it’s 4 PM which means unpacking-time. At 6 we have a dinner reservation at this cute little restaurant in a little town nearby so we’ll need to leave at approximately 5.45. At 8 there’s a showing of Die Hard at the local movie theater, which I thought we could attend?”
Okay, maybe her left eye flinches at this but very discreetly (or so she chooses to believe). 
“Then tomorrow there’s breakfast at 7, which is perfect because we have canoeing on the lake at 8.30...” 
She zones out after this. Hormones, tiredness, the fact that she can’t feel her feet- there are a thousand reasons but Amy can feel the most is tears prickling, threatening to spill. Not because she doesn’t appreciate her husband’s efforts and grand gestures, all for her, but because she can’t stand the thought of doing any of these sweet things he’s planned for them. She can’t cry though. He’s going to think something is actually wrong.
“Babe?”
However far gone she was, the sound of Jake’s voice pulls her back in and there’s a confusing mixture of mischief and pure adoration shining from these famous deep brown eyes. Why is he almost smiling when she’s having a tiny meltdown?
“Are you crying?”
“No?” she scoffs although she’s proven wrong upon touching her cheek where her fingers are met by a thin wet streak. “I’m just,” she clears her throat in hopes of avoiding a strained voice, “so overwhelmed by happiness and everything you’ve planned for us. It all sounds… great.”
Silence dawns upon them as Amy’s fake smile tries to convince him. On his part, Jake is biting his lip in an attempt to hold back a laugh, but his wife’s panicked look and teary eyes have him failing to last and after a couple of seconds he breaks the quietness. 
“Honey, I’m messing with you,” he chuckles and quickly pulls her back in for a tight hug, as tight as the belly allows, pecking the top of her head. “I know you love a good schedule but the only plans I have for us are: staying in bed, ordering room service, and watching tv.”
“Oh, thank God.”
The moan of relief flies out of her before she can even consider how it must sound to Jake, a great deal of embarrassment hitting her upon realization. She just made it sound like she wouldn’t appreciate her husband’s effort to make this weekend of theirs the best. 
“Jake, I’m so sorry! I didn’t-”
She pulls back to look him in the eyes, ready to offer a sincere apology for her blunt exclamation. She never gets to. Instead, she’s met with a huge grin and her husband looking everything but mad or hurt. Almost as if he knew. He knew how she’d react. He wanted her to react.
“You sly sneak! You knew you’d freak me out!” 
Only her husband can trick her like this, and, on one hand, it’s very endearing... Jake Peralta is more than just a good cop; he’s excellent. Brilliant and bold, maybe even too much sometimes, although he usually gets away with it. Usually, she’s always on his heels and she hates to admit it, but her mommy brain and restless hormones are making it much harder, if not impossible, to keep up with his always upbeat pace. 
“Of course I knew, babe.”
No matter how hard she tries, she can’t even find it within herself to be genuinely annoyed with him. He’s pulled her back into his arms and is looking at her with that mischievous smile that can both infuriate and enchant her. Tonight it’s a little bit of both although mostly the latter, she has to admit and the last bit of annoyance melts away the second he leans in, offering her a soft kiss that lets reminds her of the fact that he’s the best thing in the whole damn world. 
“I love you,” she manages to mumble against his lips before he can pull too far back, her swollen fingers cradling his jaw to emphasize her words. It tampers with any kind of reasoning and her ability to remain miffed. 
“I love you too...” her husband mumbles back against her lips. 
Pulling away isn’t an option, he’s too addicted and he enjoys feeling the air coming from her nose when she chuckles. “How much?”
“At the very least enough to not make my heavily pregnant wife canoe around a lake.” 
“Peanut and I appreciate that very much.”
Although after all these months there’s a comfort and familiarity in being able to rub her belly and know her son is in there, safe and sound, knowing he soon enough will be out here in the real world with them has butterflies fluttering in her chest. Jake’s hand joining hers in stroking her belly only causes the number of butterflies to multiply, explode all over again, and her hormones are making her question whether she wants to cry or laugh - or perhaps do both. After such a long wait, from the second they decided to start trying, there’s no blaming her impatience. There’s so much to expect and patience has never been her strongest asset. Only when it comes to Jake and their son. She’s impatient to see, hear and feel it all. The life and adventure she’s created with the man she loves the most seems scarily close yet torturously far away. 
With no reason to leave in sight, Amy finds herself bundled up in a hotel bed sent from heaven, wearing nothing but panties and her favorite nursing bra. Jake is on an errand run to grab her the creme cheese-filled pierogis and Arroz con Leche their son and she are very much craving. Although she does prefer her abuela’s homemade version of the latter, even a pregnant Amy can come to terms with the fact that there are limits to Jake’s super husband-powers. He can and will get her almost anything as long as physically possible - or within a radius of 20 miles which Abuela Dolores at this given time for good reasons isn’t. 
Amy had insisted on the hotel’s room service menu being more than fine, but her husband knows her all too well and could tell she wasn’t content with the ravioli and créme brulée she’d originally settled for. Before she could even begin to protest his offer to run out and get it for her, her husband had pulled on a pair of jogging pants and a hoodie, grabbed his keys, and left her behind with a peck to the top of her head and a promise to be back in not too long. 
In all honesty, the ravioli and creme brulée would’ve been fine, and she would’ve preferred Jake to be here to cuddle her. Nonetheless, there’s no denying how loved and important Jake makes her feel. Especially when he suddenly walks in the door, multiple plastic bags hanging on his arms and car keys dangling from his mouth. The view is hilarious, to say the very least, and she wonders: how did she ever get so very lucky? 
Perhaps she will never know the answer to this. Luckily when you’re cuddled up in a soft hotel bed eating pierogis, fries, grapes, and Arroz con Leche with the love of your life, it doesn’t really matter how you got there. Being too busy talking, eating, and making out, the documentary about the history of paper Amy’s been dying to watch is mostly just background noise. 
“Can you believe we’re having a baby?”
Her husband’s mouth is filled with fries and before she can even think of answering his question, she has to reach over to wipe ketchup from the corner of his mouth. 
“Yes… but also no. In a good way.”
It’s true. She always knew she wanted kids but wanting is one thing; actually outliving it still seems surreal to her, even as she runs her hands around the curve of the skin encapsulating their very own little human being. What makes it so much more surreal is the fact that Jake Peralta is the father. Jake Peralta, the guy who she 6 years ago could only pine for. Now she’s lying in bed with him, watching him smile at her with those soft, brown eyes and warm rosy lips that she not so secretly hopes their son will inherit. He swiftly wipes oil and salt off his fingers before reaching over to place his hands on top of her belly. Placing hers on top of his happens like a newfound reflex of hers. His hand is warm and feels like home.
“This is probably the last getaway we’ll have, yanno, just the two of us.”  
His soft voice has her looking up from their joined hands on her belly to see him looking directly at her with glistening eyes, the blue light from the television casting a blue hue on the side of his head. He looks so handsome, pensive, so perfect and she can’t come to terms with the fact that he’s her’s and she his, and together they’ve created new life.
“Yeah. More likely than not.” 
“How do you feel about that? Are you scared? You know- of giving birth and how life will be after that?”
A few beats of silence go by, only the dull sound of the tv filling the otherwise silent room. His hand never slips out of from beneath hers. Does this question maybe reflect some worries of his? 
“Not scared, per se...”
She quickly makes sure that there’s no food in-between them before scooting in closer to him. Her hand slips off of his only to slide up his arm, all the way up to cup his face. There’s close to no room between them. Her thumb dances across his cheekbone. 
“... Excited, maybe a bit anxious, but I know it’ll be alright and so very worth it in the end. And yeah, our life nd dynamic might have to change a bit but it’ll always be us. But I’m not scared,” This seems to put a damper on his running mind. “And you know why?”
“Hm?”
“Because I have the world’s best baby daddy.”
As hoped a wide smile lights up his face, pure unadulterated joy so obviously present in this little moment of theirs. Worries seem irrelevant and non-existing. 
“Are you worried, babe?” 
She sees his smile fade a bit but not enough to genuinely worry her. Just like everyone, he has his thoughts and worries. With care comes worries. He wants to do his best, she knows. 
“Maybe a bit, you know? Like not genuinely worried like I would’ve been a few years ago, but just… averagely worried.” 
“That’s okay,” she comforts, her thumb still tracing smooth lines on his cheek. “It’s normal. It just means you care and want to do good, which is all I can really ask of you.” 
“I do care. A lot. So so much,” he chuckles shyly. 
“Which is also why you’re going to be fine, I will be fine and everything will be fine.” 
She doesn’t give him the time to agree nor protest but instead leans in to place a long, tender kiss on his lips, inviting him to join in on the moment.  It’s just a simple kiss, soft, like the one they had a Shaw’s after agreeing to stop trying (which eventually lead to more trying, but that’s beside the point). With every breath, they take the kiss grows deeper, longer. It’s as if their bodies are aware of the fact that this will be the last time they get to do this without a child to get home to; without the responsibility of being a parent. All at once, it’s frightening but also, more than anything, exciting. Their lives might be on the verge of changing forever. Although lying there in bed together, feeling the soft touch of their spouse, it feels like they’ve never changed and never will. They’re always going to be Jake and Amy. 
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skamamoroma · 3 years
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I Promised You The Moon - Episode 1 Thoughts - aka did John Hughes direct this and not tell us?
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Oh I had to wait so long today to see episode 1 as I was working but I am so very happy I waited till I was in bed and with a cup of tea... which I then cried into four times. So that’s where I’m at. This is going to be long, I’m not even sorry in the slightest!
For ITSAY, I made so many posts about this show and how moving and beautiful it was, how the symbolism and writing was exceptional, how the music was absolutely incredible and how much I adored BK and PP’s chemistry. P’Boss’ work is special and the feel of Part 1 was a delicious kind of awkward, indie movie full of metaphors, fraught pain and emotion and pretty breathtaking storytelling of love and growth. I fell absolutely in love with Teh and Oh and their story, obsessed with Teh as a character (as I see a lot of myself in him and I love when he spirals) and I just felt utterly moved by the whole show. So I never needed Part 2. Part 1, for me, is perfect. And I certainly didn’t expect to love Part 2 as much or feel as much emotion because I just thought it wouldn’t be possible especially with a change of director and city and storyline... but I genuinely think that was a good idea after seeing Episode 1.
I just finished it and I’m kinda tear stained and the first thing I couldn’t get out of my head was just how much it reminds me of the late dear John Hughes movies from the 80s. Those of you who are a little old like me born right at the beginning of the 90s, will have been brought up on those movies filled with 80s synth music, stories of growing up, artsy camera work and filled with colour and emotion. Those movies are some of my all time favourites and I absolutely felt their influence on Episode 1 and maybe the rest of the season, I don’t know! I really wonder if P’Meen used them or was aware, hahaha. Anyway...!
But first off, I cannot, and I mean CANNOT handle the music. Part 1 really did floor me with the use of the score and how it was such a huge part of the reason it was so beautiful. Phuket Dreams has me in tears about 3 notes in... so cue me crying at the remixes of the old score with 80s synth sounds and almost Dream Pop echoy sounds. That right there is my jam, my absolute favourite music and the way IPYTM is so clearly going to be full of it makes my heart very happy. Especially those last scenes with Oh, that sweeping 80s style music taking him from heartbroken pain to dancing to forget had John Hughes all over it and just felt so impactful. So I will bang on every week about the music I’m sure.
As for the beginning and the casual buying of condoms (yesssss god damn Nadao, thank you for safe sex lessons for LGBT+ youth and a nod to actual sexual expression, I’m mega proud) leading into the way Hoon and Suri were involved (they didn’t give me Tuty 😭) in transferring Teh, it felt like such a gorgeous transfer from ITSAY vibes to IPYTM... watching Teh’s mamma so proud, Hoon watching over him as always and then gently leading into the first moment that made me cry...
How dare they put a remix of the old score over Teh being told by his mamma that she accepts him as he is so casually and softly, in a way that not only lets Teh know he’s loved but welcomes Oh as someone she cares about deeply and is happy being someone her son loves. It was beautifully done and I couldn’t help but think of Teh’s teary face on the Cape at the end of Episode 5 and thinking how proud I am of him. The way Hoon stroked his hair - help.
Teh. Now I made no secret of the fact that I loved every moment of watching Teh go through it in Part 1, how his very physicality and struggle played out especially him writhing all over his rug! But we had to see him grow. He isn’t the same boy he was but he still feels like Teh, just a little more comfortable, a little more mature in some ways and just READY for life. He feels tentative but also prepared to grow more and I just adore him. Oh, on the other hand, the one who was much more secure in himself in terms of his self and sexuality in Part 1 is now absolutely thrown into the unknown and isn’t handling it well.
Oh was established so beautifully as a Phuket boy. His name is rooted in his home, he lives in shorts and by the sea, he’s shaped by that place and what it means to him... his signature scent is coconut! He literally embodies Phuket... so it doesn’t in any way surprise me that we are watching him flounder and feel lost. It feels so human and so many moments felt so moving. When he told Teh that the best part of his day was seeing him, when he imagined the waves on his mind, when he listened to his mamma talk about the coastal weather... it’s hardly surprising that he cried as he was asked to explain his name. That was the second moment that got me. I was a wreck. Watching him break down and fall to pieces infront of total strangers just because he was recounting the meaning of his name, the foundation of who he is, the thing he misses to very much... he doesn’t fit, he doesn’t feel at home and he didn’t feel himself. It was beautifully done, for me. I caught my breath the second he started crying because it was so utterly human and raw. I have felt the way he does and recognised every second on his face. PP has come so so far with his acting.
Then we get the mention of Yongjian. NOW SOMEONE TELL ME IS THAT TEH AS YONGJIAN IN THE TITLES? If so, how dare they spoil it?! I am going to weep uncontrollably if Teh gets his dream. But the way Teh spoke of their future, the way he tried to recreate their past with Yongjian’s speech. Their entire history as friends and boyfriends is rooted in that story, that character, the idea of being Male protagonists... and Teh is so sure of their future. Also, you cannot also avoid the meta of it all with BK and PP. That moment and their words felt so personal to them too and their own real lives!
Do not even start with how their first kiss in Phuket was underwater and arguably their first kiss in Bangkok is the same albeit in public. DO NOT LET ME THINK ABOUT THIS TOO MUCH.
The issue is that, Part 1 set out for us how they ended up where they are. Oh fell into acting, it was never his dream from the start. Then it all became a fight, a thing to win from his rival and in the end a thing to prove. We haven’t really ever see Oh show a passion for the stage and acting, not really. He worked so hard to get his place in Uni but there’s so much irony at play. Their entire story of rivalry has actually caused this current situation. Oh “won” the coveted Uni spot (helped in part by Teh) and Teh “lost” and was making do. But we see how that’s not how life goes. Oh never really felt he knew what he wanted and so he just ploughed on. He’s now in a situation where he has to start deciding, has to be his own person and he’s just... lost. I can’t wait to see him find it whatever it may be! The difference with Teh is that he may not have got his number 1 desire but his passion is ENOUGH. He loves what he’s doing and that moment where Khim (is that her name, I forget now, it’s so late, but Goy’s character) was explaining the lights was gorgeous. Teh’s passion was ignited, you could see that “oh wow” moment... and you can see the difference in how they’re going to progress, Teh didn’t need the top Uni because his passion can carry him and will help him succeed whereas Oh doesn’t know what his passion is and perhaps he’s where he is for the wrong reasons after all. The story telling is lovely to me, if completely heartbreaking.
The tears came again at “but I’ve already given so much of our time to other people”. Oh the tears. The boat scene from ITSAY is my favourite scene of the show and that line is one of the most beautiful bits of writing I’ve encountered for a long while... and to see Teh use it and remember it and effectively set out the issue they’re facing was heartbreaking. They made that promise on the boat and they’re breaking it. Oh-aew is trying to be what he thinks Teh needs and Teh is wide eyed and filled with this new world and getting to indulge his passions. They’re both so human and both trying the best way they know but they’re so young and so unsure and have so little life experience that they don’t know how to be adults or how to manage all of this stuff. They know they care and love and are each other’s person but they have such a lot to learn.
So the introduction of Q and the boys... and let me say they’re glorious... feels both beautiful and tragic because they look like they will be accepting and also potentially LGBT+ themselves or maybe Q (I see your gorgeous painted nails, sweetheart and the way you didn’t question Oh saying “partner” for a second)... but also they’re what Oh is using to fill the time he promised to Teh. It’s not Oh’s fault. He deserves friendship and a world of his own too but he was relying so much on the familiarity of Teh and Teh’s presence to keep him grounded and comfortable but he can’t do that all the time. He is trying so hard to be good and thoughtful and kind that he’s not telling Teh the truth. He’s doing what he said he wouldn’t do on the boat, but we can’t blame him in the slightest, he’s the sweetest boy.
I have so much to say but I guess that’ll do for now. I really loved the episode. Yes, it’s different but I think I realise now why it needed to be. In a way I’m kinda of happy about it because ITSAY stays sacred!!!! It stays as that beautifully fraught and emotional indie movie of my heart filled with metaphorical depth. It can’t be touched as far as I’m concerned but with IPYTM it feels just as moving, just as emotional, just as impactful but in a different way that reflects maturity. I don’t think it would have worked if it still felt fraught and characterised by ITSAY vibes. They’re not kids, they’re not insecure about who they are anymore in terms of their sexuality and they are moving into adulthood.
I know it’s going to break me. Episode 1 had me genuinely crying into my tea but I also know that it had the potential for its own special brand of symbolism and meaning. We can already see some special moments which seemed to be saying way more than the words themselves like the speech on light and how we see things and the way Oh even used it himself to see a different perspective at the end. That felt really very meaningful. They’re going to need to be able to see different view points as they navigate what will probably be a shit ton of pain! They will need to adjust to the light, to their circumstances to be able to survive and for their bond to be what is important without allowing other stuff to pass into their line of sight. Oh saw nothing. Empty stage, no Teh, not even himself... he opened his eyes too soon. He needs to learn to adjust and learn how to see the world and his place in it so that when he opens his eyes he sees what he desires and has worked for and made for himself rather than emptiness.
The last thing for me is the chemistry. What more can you say other than they’re perfect? They have the most natural, enigmatic, intense and sweet chemistry. They work so beautifully together. They sell even the smallest of moments and they absolutely destroy with emotion. I just feel every second of Teh and Oh’s emotion and that is such a damn skill. Their talent, man.
So I loved it. I am going to be dreaming tearstained in 80s synth music tonight! I can’t wait for the rest to emotionally destroy me a little more.
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sttngfashion · 3 years
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5.26 and 6.1 - Time’s Arrow
Oh my god. Y’all. It’s a new Fashion It So post. In the year of our Picard 2020. Yes.
For literal years, Charlie and I have been like UGH WE NEED TO DO TIME’S ARROW PARTS 1 AND 2 BUT IT’S JUST SUCH A MONSTER.
Well, I’m doing a complete rewatch of the series with my partner and we just got to these two, so IT IS TIME. 
We open in a cave in San Francisco, where Data and Picard are checking something out:
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Rent for the cave is $6,000 per month
Showing them around is this guy in a Science Outfit:
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He’s ready to go night biking
We’ve seen this look before in both Silicon Avatar and Devil’s Due, and it’s functional, yet cute. Basically a windbreaker in jumpsuit form. 
They find a couple of items in the cave, including a pocket watch from 1889 and also:
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I left my head in San Francisco
IT’S DATA’S HEAD!!! And it’s been there for FIVE HUNDRED YEARS. What could have caused this? And why is Data’s head so absolutely terrifying?
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Is that fondant
This head is, in a word, haunting. The 2020 of heads. 
Data and Geordi chat in Ten-Forward about what the presence of Data’s head in the cave means. Data says it means he’s mortal; that someday he will die, and that’s comforting. Spoiler alert: that’s not what it means. But it’s a nice conversation.
Also, Guinan is here!!!
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Merlot My God!! 
Or maybe: Burgundy-lightful!! Or perhaps: De-Crimson-alize Sex Work!! Okay that last one was a stretch but I really think I missed my calling as a nail polish shade namer. 
Anyway, she’s here in her classic look of a pizza-sized hat and a flowing gown/coat/top/robe. The collar here is a little too close to a mock turtleneck for my liking and honestly - this is a little staid for our friend Guinan. I want a TEXTURE or a SWEEP or some WIDE RIBBING or some PLEATS. Don’t worry, though...she will get plenty more later.
Then there’s some plot which frankly we DO NOT HAVE TIME to get into but let’s just say: the away team goes to a planet, there’s a temporal disturbance, and Data ends up here:
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Huge mood
Where are we? Or should I say WHEN are we??
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Well that old-timey font is a good clue...also the horse
Are we in the Old West land of an off-brand Disneyworld? Are we going to ride something called Large Lightning Mesa Train Tracks? What colorful characters will we meet here?
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Winner of 1893’s Mustache Medal
This type of ‘stache is called a Fu Manchu, after the character Dr. Fu Manchu. It’s not...a great look? But it is memorable, which is sometimes enough. He’s also wearing a simple black cap, probably made of silk. He’s keeping it cazh.
So where are we?
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SAN FRANCISCO, OPEN YOUR GOLDEN GATE / YOU’LL LET NOBODY WAIT / OUTSIDE YOUR DOOR
Yes, it’s San Francisco. And it’s *eyes popping out of head like a cartoon wolf seeing a busty babe* 1893!!!! That temporal disturbance was...disturbing.
So who else do we have hanging out?
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Please check out our Vaudeville act, Knit Cap ‘n’ Bowly
These dudes understand those famous Bay Area MICROCLIMATES, amirite? We’ve got a Henley. We’ve got a buttondown. We’ve got a vest. We’ve got a coat. No matter which way the thermometer decides to go, THEY ARE READY. Also loving the pop of forest green on Knit Cap’s knit cap. 
We also have a 49er:
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No, it’s not Steve Young. I googled “famous 49ers” to complete this joke so if there is a more famous 49er please let me know
It’s a literal 49er. Since it’s 1893, this guy’s been hanging around in town for a while, and he’s also familiar with the layering techniques one must master if one is to conquer the Bay Area’s climate. He also has a kicky Colonel Sanders-type tie. He asks Data for money and gives him a few panhandling tips. He’s chill. We like him. But don’t get too attached if you know what I mean!!!!
Data decides he needs somewhere to stay, so he finds a hotel:
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Brian.
Why is this so funny to me. Brian. Why would you name your hotel Brian. Brian!!!! I know it’s a last name but like...Brian. HOTEL BRIAN. 
This bellhop’s name is not Brian:
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Where’s your hat, bro
He’s giving us a classic bellhop look, complete with too many buttons. He gives Data the very important information that there’s a poker game happening in the back of the hotel, which means: Data is about to be RICH rich. 
The poker game includes a few good looks:
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Louie Anderson IS Wolverine IN a Lands’ End barn coat
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Two plaids? Sir...I salute you
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Colonel Sanders Goes to Carnaval
Data, of course, wipes the floor with them so hard that he wins their clothes:
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Didn’t get that barn coat tho
Yes, that’s the actual vest and the actual hat of those guys from the previous scene. Oh, I love it. I love Data in a vest over his uniform and I love Data with a feather in his cap. Let’s call it macaroni.
Meanwhile, out on the street, the plot is happening:
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Beige: inescapable
This is our first taste of the decadent 1890’s sleeves that appear in this episode, and these aren’t even the best sleeves!! These are an amuse-bouche of sleeves. An armuse-bouche, if you will. 
Anyway, these two are aliens disguised as humans who are here to steal the 49er’s life energy. 
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Pew pew pew
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I told you not to get attached!!!
Back on the Enterprise, Guinan is doing mixology:
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She would never call it something as stupid as mixology though
She tells Picard that he needs to go check out the temporal disturbance, too, even though captains don’t normally go on away missions, and then she gives him this look:
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It’s that serious
When Guinan looks at you like this, you do what she says. 
Now this outfit is much better than the earlier one. We have some pleated sleeves, which I didn’t even think was a thing you could DO. We have some sort of functional(?) strap(??) across the front. We even have matching fingerless gloves which always make a look A LOOK. And if Picard wasn’t sure whether he needed to go on this away mission, she then gives him THIS look:
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Okay now it’s REALLY serious
Back in 1893, Data is making something:
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It’s actually just a really complicated and large music box that plays “I Left My Head in San Francisco”
He’s gotten his hands on some more period-appropriate clothing, including a bow tie and a vest. Since he’s not wearing arm garters and his sleeves appear to be the correct length for his arms, we can conclude that the shirt was custom-made, not ready-made, because Data is now a baller due to his poker earnings. 
Then, Data sees this in the paper:
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I know her!! From work!!!!
Yes, it’s Guinan. In 1893. In a hat!!!!
We cut to the literary reception, which is honestly not as well-attended as I thought it would be, considering it got a GIANT photo of Guinan on page THREE of the paper, but okay. And who should we spy there but:
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You’ll love my secret blend of 11 herbs and spices
No, it’s not Colonel Sanders. (Sorry, I really have Colonel Sanders on the brain because of that Lifetime movie.) It’s Samuel Clements, AKA Mark Twain. I had an English teacher in high school who explained the origin of his pseudonym (it indicates a mark of two fathoms, aka twelve feet, on a steamboat) and for some reason she shouted MAAAARK TWAAAAAIN when she told us that story so now her delivery of that line is in my head until I die I guess.
Anyway, it’s Mark Twain.
He’s wearing his iconic white linen suit with a black bow tie, and he’s also wearing a lot of prosthetics, because the actor playing him (Jerry Hardin, AKA Deep Throat from The X-Files AKA Melora Hardin AKA Jan Levinson-Gould’s dad) (was that too many AKAs) (you get it, right?) didn’t look enough like Mark Twain, I guess? In conclusion: what if eyebrow wigs were a thing?
Twain is having a chit chat with “Madame Guinan,” who is wearing what can only be called a sumptuous gown:
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It’s 11:30 and the gown is sumptin’ sumptin’
There are so many ELEMENTS to this look! First of all: the color. Royal purple. Fit for a queen. Appropriate. 
Then: those sleeves! These sleeves are known as “leg of mutton sleeves” because they KIND OF look like a leg of mutton. Have you ever seen a leg of mutton? I haven’t. I’ve only seen these sleeves. Plus they have a stripe?? No, I don’t know why, but I LOVE IT.
The cuffs and the cravat bring this from “dress” to “lewk.” Top it all off with this hat and you have a true 1893 mood.
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What bird is that feather even from
We get a few good extra looks in this scene as well:
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Pink Lady is NOT wearing a corset
Look, sometimes you don’t have enough period-appropriate undergarments for all the background people and that’s fine. But I WILL notice.
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Is that Loretta Lynn
I am loving all of this! That purple dress is fantastic, those stripes? I die. Military man has some fun flair on his shoulder, and there is a dude in a beautiful turban back there. Plus, another Black lady in addition to Guinan and That One Ensign Who Is On The Bridge Sometimes.
Data rolls in to the literary event in a different suit with a CRAVAT:
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Craving a cravat
Data is like “we serve together on the same starship in the 24th century” and Guinan is like “huh” but then she’s like “okay” which...I’m not sure if I would believe that? But let’s just say it’s fine. 
Over in the 24th century, the literal entire bridge crew is checking out the temporal disturbance and I DON’T LIKE THIS AT ALL:
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Blue Man Group...on ACID
These beings are like ghosts but also like Dr. Manhattan but also like pure energy. 
Then everyone goes through the temporal disturbance AND THE SEASON ENDS. 
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Fortunately for you, this post will continue...right now.
Okay, so we’re back in San Francisco in 1893. You can tell by the horses:
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Also the fruit carts
Samuel Clemens is strolling around with a reporter, telling him that he has a great story for him that involves time travelers and, like, protecting the nation.
Here’s the thing about this episode’s version of Mark Twain: he’s kind of a dick. Was the real Mark Twain kind of a dick? I just feel like Mark Twain should be JAZZED about meeting time travelers and not acting like a fuckin’ time cop* and trying to put the Enterprise crew on blast. 
Anyway I love his double-breasted vest.
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See my vest
The reporter’s hat is technically period-accurate, but that style is SO associated with the 1930s-1950s that I would have gone with something else. He looks cute though.
Meanwhile, Data is wearing a three-piece suit:
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My positronic olfactory synapses are interpreting something as...a fart
I hate brown, but this is fine.
Additionally, the beige baddies from before are back and this time, they’ve got a SNAKE CANE:
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Love the snake cane, hate how they suck the life out of people
But we are not here for them, we are here to see our faves in period clothing. Our first look is at Riker, who is dressed as an actual cop, not a time cop like Mark Twain:
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The past just had...so many buttons
I guess if you’re a time-traveling white man there are worse disguises than a cop. But WHERE DID HE GET THIS UNIFORM? I choose to believe that he found a cop with a similar large handsome body to his own and beat the shit out of him and stole his clothes. Now we can all enjoy imagining a cop being beat up.
The badge that Riker is wearing is a great historical detail; the SFPD started wearing them in 1886 and are reportedly the first law enforcement agency to have worn the seven-pointed star, which is now a common shape among sheriff’s departments across the United States.
But let’s move on to a better look: Dr. Beverly Crusher:
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Curlz MT
Okay, now I have more questions. Beverly obviously wouldn’t beat someone up for their clothes, so where did SHE get HER outfit? And who did her hair? Did she do her OWN hair? Where did she get a curling iron? Does she know how to use a curling iron? Was it one of those ones that’s actually made of iron that you have to heat up in a fireplace? 
We will get answers to zero (0) of these questions.
We actually get a much better look at her dress later, so let’s focus on that cloak!!! I love it and I also love her hat. Okay, I guess I had less to say about those than I thought.
Bev and Will, along with the rest of the officers, have somehow procured a room/apartment in some lady’s lodging house. It’s cute!
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They gave it 5 stars on AirBnB
This also raises questions. How did they get this room? How many bedrooms does it have? Are they sharing one large bed? If so, who has to sleep crossways at the foot of the bed and why is it Geordi? We will get zero answers to these questions as well, so let’s move on to arguably the hottest costume in this two-parter:
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I’ll be in Holodeck 4
Whewwwwwww. He’s giving us a rolled sleeve. He’s giving us a casual tweed vest. The pants? They’re perfect. And he KNOWS how that slouch is working. It’s working VERY well. But the Irish landlady? She’s having NONE OF IT.
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Absolutely NO nonsense
She needs the rent, but Picard charms her and she leaves. So I guess that’s how they got the room. Her look is knitwear-forward:
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Eileen Fisher does sound like an Irish name
She’s got a shawl AND a cardigan! The cozy factor is OFF THE CHARTS. She also has a brooch, because a touch of fancy is always welcome. I will say that her hair is a little more fashion-forward than I’d expect for a woman of her age and station. This is straight up 1890s hair, and she would probably still be rocking an 1860s look, which isn’t as sweepy and would likely involve more braids. Still, she looks lovely. 
Geordi is also here looking dapper:
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Make the collar as high as you can. I want to be sliced open by my own collar
You CAN go wrong with a three-piece suit, but it’s difficult to. He can’t wear his visor, so he has some kicky shades which we’ll get a better look at in a sec.
Back at the Hotel Brian (lol), the bellboy (who we learn in this scene is Jack London, inspired to be a writer by Mark Twain [citation needed]) lets Mark Twain into Data’s room and allows him to look around unsupervised. This is very bad hotel management. 
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Great Scott
Then Data and Guinan show back up, and Mark Twain hides in an armoire.
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One short day in the emerald brocade
I think one reason I love Guinan’s looks so much, both in the 24th and the 19th century, is that our color palette is very similar. We’re both winters. Bold jewel tones are the vibe. This one is in a beautiful deep green fabric with what looks like a velvet flocking pattern on it. The collar is also velvet, and I love that sleeve with a flounce on top like there wasn’t already enough fucking fabric on the sleeve so they just added a random piece to be like “yes, bitch. I’m a sleeve.”
Naturally, the hat is also jaunty af:
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San Francisco’s hottest milliner is: Madame Guinan
This hat has everything: feathers, netting, a brim, an angle that makes you think it’s going to fall off but it doesn’t. We stan.
Meanwhile, Picard is setting up a sensor in a hospital while wearing a hat:
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I’m bowled over
We haven’t even asked where Picard got these clothes, but I would like to point out that he’s dressed as a lower-class guy, while Riker is a cop, and Geordi looks like a gentleman. Was there even a discussion they all had about how they would disguise themselves? Was Picard like “I just really want to wear a beat-up bowler hat” and since he’s the captain, they extrapolated from there? This episode is NOT CONCERNED about any of this. They all have clothes, end of story. 
Bev even has TWO outfits!!
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Hello nurse!!!!
I love this look. She still has her unlikely hairstyle happening, which means her nurse’s cap is sitting atop her voluminous hairstyle. (Not very practical, but realistic!) She’s sporting a simple striped dress and a button-on apron. (Look closely and you can see the two buttons holding the apron to the dress.) The fabric underneath might be cotton seersucker, but it’s likely a lightweight cotton or linen twill. You can see how closely her look matches these nurses from a similar time period:
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Hello nurses!!!!
Deanna is also in this scene and this episode, but you wouldn’t know it from what she’s given to do. HUGE SHOCKER: TROI NOT GIVEN ENOUGH TO DO IN AN EPISODE. 🙃
She still looks beautiful:
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Why aren’t capelets more popular
We never get a really GREAT look at her whole outfit, but I can tell you that it has a capelet, it’s in the red family, and the hat has a lot of business going on. For those reasons: approved. It has a flounce in the back too:
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More fabric = more wealth
Sometimes I think about just how much fabric it took to make these old-timey dresses and I’m like...how did anyone get anything done?? It takes me like 4 weeks to finish a pair of leggings and those have like 5 seams and I own a serger. These historical bitches were sewing whole ass dresses in no time at all. 
Okay, so Bev is in this hospital and here come some more energy-stealing aliens, disguised as healthcare professionals this time:
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I cannot take a medical professional wearing a LIGHT BROWN TOP HAT seriously, sorry
Bev AND this energy-stealing alien have BOTH managed to get their hands on the SAME nurse’s uniform?? I guess in the case of the alien, she is a shape-shifter, so she got her clothes from...that. And her hair. 
I hate this light brown top hat. If you’re going to wear a top hat, don’t DISRESPECT IT by making it BROWN, but if you’re going to make it brown, make it a good brown, like chocolate. Stupid energy-stealing aliens.
There’s a skirmish, the energy-stealing aliens disappear, and the real cops show up:
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MOUSTACHE
Of course, the cops showing up is bad, because when has a cop showing up ever made a bad situation better? Never. Defund the police, but don’t defund handlebar mustaches. Those can stay.
Fortunately, Data has gotten a ping on that machine he was building before and shows up on a motherfucking HORSE:
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Brent just wanted to show off
He’s back in his brown striped suit and red tie. Okay.
Everyone returns to the boarding house to suss out the situation, and we get a look at what Riker is rocking underneath his cop jacket:
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Suspend me daddy
You can see very clearly here how the collar is not actually attached to the shirt. This was a thing people in the olden days did so they could wear their shirt for multiple days in a row and just switch out the collar and cuffs so they looked clean. As someone who is wearing the same sweatshirt for the third day in a row, I support this method. (If you’re interested on more info about collars, here is a very enjoyable article about them.)
We are also blessed with a better look at Deanna’s sleeves and bodice:
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Black lace cuffs? Decadent!!!
You can also see Geordi’s shades, which suit him really nicely. One thing I’ve been enjoying on this rewatch is just how well LeVar Burton can act without having his eyes visible. He’s great. Let’s just all think about how great LeVar Burton is for a second
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And also Bev’s dress:
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I legitimately want this dress
I don’t think those buttons are functional. Can you imagine how annoying THAT would be? But I am absolutely in love with this dress. Two paisleys, Beverly???? A goddess. I’m also dying for that brooch with the chain. A+ look all around, great work.
Finally, FINALLY, Guinan meets the rest of the crew:
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When you meet someone you won’t actually know for 500 years
She is wearing a hat that looks like a toilet paper cozy. Did your grandma have one of these? They’re so stupid and I love them so much. 
Picard and Guinan meet for what is the first time for her, but not the first time for him, and honestly it is...sensual?????
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If I got a m’lady from P. Stew I wouldn’t even mind
Patrick and Whoopi truly do some nice work in this ep. But we are here to yell about clothes, so: LOOK AT THIS DRESS ON AN EXTRA:
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Gimme dat dress
I just want that dress to wear around my house. I legitimately bought an 18th century costume dress to do just that, so don’t think I won’t literally do this.
OKAY, WE ARE ALMOST TO THE END. 
The crew, plus Guinan, go back to the cave where this all started:
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Cave Club, the only club that meets in a cave
We get a nice look at the bodice of Guinan’s dress here and guess what: MORE BUTTONS. Buttons on the lapels, and also buttons on the front panel with the pointy top. I wonder if she has multiple front panels for that dress in different colors, like a Swatch watch. 
Unbeknownst to them, Mark Twain followed them!! Then there’s a scuffle with the energy-stealing aliens during which a few things happen:
Data’s head flies off
Mark Twain gets sucked into the temporal disturbance
Guinan gets hurt
Picard stays behind to make sure Guinan is okay
So we end up with Mark Twain on the Enterprise, where he sees Worf, and he’s like:
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Buh-WHAT
Worf is also confused:
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This is...extremely perplexing
We have a few more looks back on the Enterprise, including Regular Guinan:
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ShoulderSpreads™: The Bed Spread for Your Shoulders
I love love LOVE this outfit. The color is perfect, the shoulderspreads are perfect, the front draping is perfect. It looks like a velvet housedress from the 1960s except FANCY which is kind of my ideal aesthetic. And it’s red (my fave). 
We get a quick glimpse at the barber uniform:
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Bitch let me pass, idc if you wrote Huck Finn
This barber does. not. give. a. fuck!!!! 
Geordi reattaches Data’s head, the one they already had, which means this whole thing was a ding dang closed loop. The reattachment also kind of diminishes the whole conversation they had earlier about how Data’s head in the cave meant that Data could die someday, because...he didn’t. He still might, but his head is back and he’s fine now.
Meanwhile, Picard is still back in 1893 and they have to go get him, but only one person can come back through the temporal disturbance, so Mark Twain is like “duh I’ll go get him.” 
And finally Guinan and Picard can talk about how their friendship spans 500 years!!!!
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Hey girl
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Hey
YOU’RE WELCOME
*abolish the police
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