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goldenhypen · 7 months

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→ ENHYPEN’S RED FLAGS !! ⚠︎

PAIRING | ot7 x fem!reader

GENRE | crack

WORD COUNT | 1.3k

WARNINGS | mentions of food; reader is referred to as “girl”; i’m pretty sure it’s fine but it is possible i made mistakes w the tenses (i’m still tryna get used to writing more in present tense T-T)

DISCLAIMER | THIS IS NOT IN ANY WAY A FORM OF HATE TOWARDS ENHYPEN (pls i love these boys w my entire being how could i) this is a joke so don’t take this too seriously lol

A/N | had the time of my life choosing pics for the moodboard btw they had me out here cackling at 3 am (first red flag: i’m out here losing sleep bc of them !! smh)

이희승 ! HEESEUNG

too handsome… how can you stand to look at that devilishly handsome face without ever passing out due to lack of oxygen in your lungs when he’s always taking your breath away?! also y’all become way too popular; people are always staring at you two (not only heeseung but you too obviously 😏), it’s tiring being so famous yk 🙄

good at everything… it’s lowk invigorating sometimes bc he’s always outdoing you in everything. when you play games, he’s beating you; when you’re having fun at karaoke, he’s always out-singing you or showing off with his fancy riffs and harmonies; when you’re playing sports together, he always has a way of beating you, no matter what the sport. he even manages to do better at the simple task of making ramyeon. and we all know that’s only to list a few. it’s just so tiring having such a perfect bf 😔

박종성 ! JAY

jawline is too sharp… you cup his jaw as you kiss him then suddenly you hurt your hand on his sharp jawline !! it’s not fair that you have to sacrifice your hands every day just because he looks so good.

cooks for everyone… because he cooks so much, you can’t just be hanging out watching him be all hot and sexy as he cooks for everyone all the time !! you’ve had enough of back hugging him, cheek pressed against his firm back muscles (they’re so strong, it hurts your face !!), or smelling and eating all the delicious food,,, you just wanna spend alone time with your man, without the kitchen as the third wheel :’D your bf is just so husband material, and being able to provide for everyone aside from just you and him is just so, totally, very much, rlly unattractive (that’s sarcastic btw i actually couldn’t come up w any negative points to this why would anyone hate that about him-)

심재윤 ! JAKE

always has his tongue hanging outside of his mouth or his teeth sunk into his bottom lip with a smirk… no wonder my man always has ulcers lol jk i have no idea how that actually works,, but you can never kiss him cuz his mouth hurts !! but he’s too hot for you to handle anyways so- sometimes he’ll be all seductive with that smirk after swiftly swiping his tongue over his lips and you have to literally take a moment to compose yourself before he wraps his hands around your waist, biting his bottom lip before leaning in to kiss you,, oh my heart :’>

loves his dog too much… sure, loving layla taught him ways on how to love on his own future girl, but you didn’t realize how long it would take him to transfer the title of his most favourite girl from layla to you. you were always competing with a dog and yes, she’s cute but how was this fair?! so let’s just say it took many years of hard work and determination until you finally stole that hard earned title.

박성훈 ! SUNGHOON

doesn’t hang out with enough girls… so he has no experience when it comes to dating you. even before dating you, he was basically a total clutz. not being around girls enough made him feel nervous whenever he was around them due to lack of experience. and so whenever it came to you at first, he was always a nervous wreck and super awkward. and even after dating you, though he is so much better and confident, he still has his slip ups and tends to get super shy whenever you make him flustered (which occurs a lot more often than you’d imagine)! alexa play ‘super shy’ by newjeans 👖

too funny… he randomly comes out with these stupidly funny jokes or comments that make you laugh so hard, it makes your tummy, cheeks and lungs hurt. whenever you tell him you’re gonna die of laughter, you’re not joking.

김선우 ! SUNOO

too sassy… like why does he always have to react with his eye rolls or side eyes whenever you tease him, with that snarky scoff. and then when he’d tease you back, he’d just take the remarks to a whole other level. but occasionally this sass would be used in your favour; whenever a friend would tease you, he’d always get very defensive and have the best comebacks. actually depending on how close you two are with the friend, he once in a while would take the side of your friend and just tease you harder.

perfect figure… he outdoes you all the time. like sunoo give us ladies a chance to shine?? he’s always stealing the spotlight, it’s annoying sometimes !! 🙄 like yes, you (y/n) are always hot and super attractive (self confidence!!! you deserve to love yourself 😌) but for some reason people are always complimenting sunoo’s body instead of yours. but let me let you in on a little secret… it’s only because it’s obvious you’re the one who’s clearly more physically attractive. and who states the obvious these days anyway? hmph 😌

양정원 ! JUNGWON

too loveable… in other words,, there’s nothing to ever (playfully) hate on him with or tease him about !! so boring 👎👎👎 like you just constantly wanna love on him. he can be teasing you about an embarrassing moment of yours that happened just a couple minutes ago, and then you try to think of a comeback but then you take one glimpse into his eyes and suddenly you’re melting on the spot as your mind is wiped of everything you could’ve ever thought up in one quick moment. and suddenly you can only think about the things about him that give you warm, fluffy feelings. HE COULD BE DOING THE BARE MINIMUM AND YOURE FULL HEART EYES FOR HIM he’s just perfect. so unfair and so not fun 👎👎

duality… DOES HE EVEN UNDERSTAND THAT HE SHOULD HAVE YOUR HEART TO LOOK AFTER ???? like what about your well being ??? how about YOUR FEELINGS ???? like you’re constantly being emotionally pulled this way and that cuz one second he’ll be the cutest bf ever with his bread cheeks and fluffy smile when all of a sudden he has a dance to practice and all of a sudden he’s in performance mode, and his duality is just insane !!! is that even the same jungwonie that was with you just a second ago ???? i think not !!! smh

西村力 ! NI-KI

too tall; doesn’t stop growing… (if he’s a lot taller than you) how are you gonna kiss him?? how is he gonna kiss you?? no but even if he isn’t a lot taller than you now, this boy doesn’t stop growing. you won’t admit it but it’s actually really romantic and hot the way he’d do things to match your heights, such as the other day when he carried you onto the counter, stood between your legs, and pressed his lips against yours in the hottest kiss you’ve ever shared. it’s simply not okay ???

too good of a dancer… outdoes you in every dance game. like riki at least give us a chance??? i mean sometimes he does, but the competitive side of him always wins and he just ends up beating you anyways like always 🙄 also getting to watch him on stage is like seeing a whole other riki. you mostly know him for his goofy personality, but whenever you get to see him perform, he switches that off and enters his alter ego and it has to be the hottest thing you’ve ever seen. so you get the best of both worlds… which obviously isn’t healthy for your heart ???

A/N | it takes only two seconds and a click to make your favourite writers’ day with a reblog. and if you want to take 30 extra seconds of your day to add even just the smallest comment, even just a few nice words of encouragement in your reblog or in the comments, those put the biggest smiles on our faces. let us know how you liked what you just read by telling us and showing us so we can continue putting out content that you can enjoy! thank you! <3

M.LIST | TAGLIST FORM

TAGLIST 1 | @seroriis @raimbows4u @beibybtch @sultrybaby @kpop-nct @ajayke-reads @wccycc @enhacolor @enhasfever @nokacchan @yizhoutv @xiaoderrrr @soobin-chois @tyunni @shinsou-rii @softkpopplace @belle643 @nar-nia @rapmonie2047 @pshchives @sunjakes @ethereal-engene @exohclipse @yeosayang @forjaeyun @koishua @4ri-ki @sunoksunny @kookielover29 @jaeyunjakesim @whoschr @enaus @hoes4hoseok @1unxtic @palajae @clarakyunisageek @annoyingbitch83 @wonswondrland @malarign @rcrystallocks @stepout-09-15 @zeraaax @enhasengene @ktttwwn @pistachiophobia @svnoofy @sweetjaemss @vatterie @majesticallymark @mnsnts

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peach-and-bugs · 10 months

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hii, jackie anon again back with another rq ^^ could you do dialogue 18 w/ jackie taylor if it's not too much trouble?

🐇Unadulterated Loathing - Jackie Taylor (1996) x fem!Reader🐇

Fanfiction master list

disclaimer: don't repost my work. I only post on Tumblr and on Ao3. anything else is stolen and should be removed immediately

Summary: You could never understand why everyone in your school seemed to hold sweet Jackie Taylor up on some gold-plated pedestal. After all, she was just like every other pretty, popular, well-off teen girl, right? And highly doubt you're opinion of her will change after you're stuck working on your big Ap bio final with her...

Warnings: angst, but a happy ending, mildly suggestive yet tame humor

Word Count: 3,875

A/N: wow, this was way longer than I planned for it to be. Quick note: So I'm headcanons that Wiskayok High School/school district is kind of like how my school district works, where there is more than one elementary school, but the kids all come together and go to the same middle school. so y/n and Jackie didn't know one another till middle school. As always, feel free to leave questions or comments in my comments or ask box, and happy reading! 🐇

Jackie Taylor Tag List:

Yellowjackets Tag List: @frasersgf @minimickzy @damagnificentcookie

General Tag List: @summergeezburr

-🐇-

Ap Bio had become both your favorite and least favorite class in you’re schedule. On the one hand, You’d always had a fondness for science, but there was just something special about biology. It clicked in a way that no other subject did for you. You also loved your teacher to the point of often staying behind during lunch to continue talking about whatever you’re class topic had been. But now, the problem of your lab partner has arisen. Jackie Taylor, Wiskayok High School’s sweetheart, has been assigned as your new lab partner for the last quarter of the year. You were stuck with the queen bee for the entire final quarter working with her on your big bio final, and you were ready to slam you’re head into a wall.

Jackie had never done anything to you. You had no idea if she knew you existed till now. But you couldn’t help not liking her. There was just something about that shiny smile and the way the curls in her hair always laid perfectly over her shoulders that got under your skin. But she hadn’t done anything to make you not like her, and that alone just made you more irritated with her.

She didn’t start a conversation right away when she sat next to you after you’re new assignment together. Your group was assigned to look into the effect of different types of hormones on gene expression, which wouldn’t be too difficult, and if you’d like, you could probably do all the work on your own. That would be good in case Jackie turned out to be one of those girls who expected you, the class nerd, to do the project anyways. You’d had that happen a few times now in group projects, so what’s one more time, right?

You were listening to your teacher go over the guidelines for the assignment and show you examples from the past few years. You periodically scribbled down notes for future reference. After a bit of time, you began watching the clock, leaning your cheeks against your palm with an unintentionally pointing lip as you waited for the bell to ring. You wanted to leave class today, unlike most days. Maybe you’d hide in the library with your lunch and read up on your topic to get a headstart on the project. You decided it was better to assume you’d be doing it all on your own from the jump than to be blindsided, right?

But as you waited for the bell, watching the hands of the clock tick away, your gaze began to wander. First, you watched the jock at the table next to the door, trying not to fall asleep. Then you moved on to the girl behind him reading a romance novel behind her textbook till you faltered again to Jackie sitting at your right. She was scribbling away in her notebook, honey-blonde hair obstructing any meaningful view of her face. The lined paper of her notebook had notes written in curly, clean handwriting, yet the margins were littered with doodles of flowers and bunnies. She was currently scribbling away at one of her doodles, having grown tired of notes the same as you.

She only caught sight of your staring when the bell rang. Startled out of your haze by the clanging sound you'd waited for, you blinked, swallowing hard when you’re suddenly met with her bright hazel eyes as she brushed that hair that had been in her face out of the way and behind her ear. You felt your eyes widen as you sat frozen, but only for a second before you frantically started packing away your things into your backpack like the rest of your classmates. You could feel her stare, but she said nothing. That is, till she shook out of her daze.

“Uh, hey-” she started as you began to leave. You’d hustled to the door but stopped at the sound of her voice, leaving you standing awkwardly by the door, hands clutching the strap of your backpack tight. “Do you wanna plan to meet up and work on the project?” she asked as she packed her notebook away into her bog, periodically looking up and back at you as she undid the zipper. You were surprised by the offer, and it delayed your response.

“Um. Yeah, I guess we can,” you mumbled, feeling fidgety under the attention. She gave you that sparkly smile that she gave everyone when she looked back up at you, bag hung over her shoulder.

“Great! You free this afternoon?” you were surprised she seemed so eager to get working. You awkwardly nodded and felt your heart begin beating faster as she walked towards you.

“Don’t you have soccer practice, though?” you said quickly, shuffling ever so slightly away from her. She now stood right across from you by the door. Having her attention like this was strange, and you could only describe it as anxiety-inducing.

“Shit, you’re right. I completely forgot about that,” she laughed, and you felt your stomach drop. “Well, we could always make Saturday work as long as-” she began babbling on about something you didn’t feel like you needed to know about to the point that you began feeling nauseated.

“Hey, can we plan this tomorrow, maybe? I’ve gotta go,” you interrupted, lying through your teeth with your skin itching to get away. Jackie stopped what she was saying, and for a fleeting second, it looked like her smile had faded.

“Oh, yeah. We’ll talk tomorrow then,” you'd already begun leaving before she could finish calling goodbye, which you knew was rude, but all you could think was how you had to get away. Which was even stranger considering she had been acting so nice! Jackie had never been nice to you. Well, Jackie had never been anything to you before. Why was her being nice so startling? You wracked your brain over it all as you hustled into the library to hide among the bookshelves.

You could finally take a real breath when you found a secluded table tucked away in the corner of the library, nestled in with all of the books but by a window, which let a nice stream of light bask down onto the table. You arranged your things, found a few books on your project topic, and got to work, reading and periodically scribbling down notes as you ate the lunch you’d packed that morning. You’d stay there through lunch and into your free study hall period. Getting your study hall directly after lunch had to have been some kind of godsent.

You’d gotten into a real groove or taking your notes. By now, you had to have nearly three pages, front and back, filled with different tidbits you could mention in your project. You’d lost track of time and your surroundings as you listened to your walkman while working. You were only shaken out of your little bubble when you heard a strong, purposeful throat-clearing beside you. You looked up to see Jackie standing over you with a few books in hand. You stared wide-eyed, forgetting about your headphones. That is, till the blonde scrunched her brow and gestured for you to take them off. You did, muttering your apology as the headphones hung around your neck.

“I see you got started,” she chuckled again. You felt yourself grow embarrassed, like you’d been caught with your hand in the cookie jar after saying you’d had enough sweets for the day. Your eyes faltered away, down to your notes, as the grip on your pencil tightened.

“Uh, yeah. I have a free period, so I thought I might as well,” you mumbled, fidgeting with the corner of your paper, folding it into itself.

“Oh! Me too” She paused, looking around as though someone might see despite the table being tucked out of most people's way. “Well, mind if I sit? You could share what you’ve started, and we could make a gameplan,” She suggested. Given your current situation and the way you’d practically run from her earlier, you had no reason to decline, so you nodded, moving some of your things out of the way. She sat down at the other side of the table, but not directly across from you, more so diagonal. Maybe she could feel your apprehension about working for you. It wasn’t like you were trying to hide how you felt, but thinking she might know didn’t help the nauseating feeling in your gut.

Calling the following interaction awkward would be an understatement. You had zero desire to integrate with Jackie outside of class, and she couldn’t seem to get the hint. Or maybe she did and was just choosing to ignore what you thought was your evident desire to be left alone. She started reading the books she’d picked up and writing her notes like you had been doing. But every time she read something that seemed noteworthy, she’d double check if you’d read and written that down already. It got to the point that you eventually just gave her your notebook to write in so she could read what you'd written down already and stop interrupting your reading.

She seemed disappointed by this, but she didn’t voice it or argue. Unsteady, you spent the rest of the hour sitting at the same table, silently reading over textbooks. She didn’t attempt conversation till the bell rang, and you both had to pack up and go to class again. She started by offering you your notebook back, but she pointed out something she’s specifically written down when she handed it to you.

“It’s my address. How about we meet up tomorrow at noon? My dad will be out golfing, and my mom’s got book club, so we’ll have quiet to work on the project. If that works for you, of course,” she seemed rather eager at the idea as she patiently waited for your reply. You paused for a moment, staring at her annoyingly near handwriting and her address till you relented.

“Yeah, sure. Noon tomorrow” you agreed with a nod. She seemed to smile slightly more and nodded quickly.

“Noon tomorrow,” she repeated, taking a step back as she moved to leave. “I’m already looking forward to it,” You watched her go with her little wave and had to refrain from rolling your eyes. You had a bad, nauseating feeling about tomorrow already.

-🐇-

All you could do was stand outside the Taylor’s house, staring up at the two-story with wide eyes, regretting ever letting yourself get into this situation. Something felt so wrong about you walking towards the house, so much so that you contemplated turning tail and leaving. That is till Jackie opened the door, beckoning you inside. It was too late to back out now, so you begrudgingly made your way up the lawn.

“I’m glad you made it,” she began as you walked into the house, you noticed her lack of shoes, so you took yours off, leaving them behind by the door. “Oh, thank you for that! I completely forgot to mention it, and my mother would kill me,” she joked. You forced a smile and hummed but gave her no reaction beyond that. She paused and took a breath, murmuring a quiet ‘right’ before taking you upstairs.

“I thought we’d work in my room unless you'd rather go in the living room since no one's home,” You shrugged, eyes glancing around the house as you followed her.

“Doesn’t matter to me,” you dryly said as she sat down on her bed, pulling out her schoolwork as she sat with her legs crossed against the pillows. You hesitated, standing in the middle of your room with your bag in hand.

“You can come and sit over here if you like,” she chuckled, patting the space in front of her on the bed. After a pause, you did as instructed, sitting at the foot of the bed with your bag beside you. You began to rummage around, pulling out your notebook, pencils, and textbook.

“I can get you something to drink or a snack if you like,” she offered. She was fidgeting with her pencil and notebook open over her lap, but she hadn’t started writing anything yet.

“I’m alright,” you began flipping through your notes, not looking up.

“Ok, well. Do you have any thoughts on how you wanna do this or…”

“I thought I’d write the paper, and you do the visuals,” You replied as though this was the most obvious course of action. Jackie stared at you for a moment till she nodded.

“Yeah,” her voice cracked as she tucked hair behind her ear, looking around the room. “Yeah, tha works for me,” looking up from your notebook, you noticed the way she bit the inside of her cheek.

“Y’know what? I’m gonna get something to snack on anyways,” she said it more like she was telling herself than she was you. You watched her leave like she was in a rush, leaving you alone in her room. Immediately you felt uncomfortable with the situation, so you pulled out your Walkman and began listening to that while you scribbled away in your notes, getting yourself started on the final paper.

Jackie didn’t return for some time, but when she did, she was carrying a big bowl of popcorn with her that she set on the bed after sitting down again. She watched you expectantly but didn’t say a word till you took your headphones off.

“You want some?” she gestured to the bowl. You shook your head.

“No, I’m fine,” you turned your attention back to the paper. “But thanks,” you remembered to add at the end. The next hour was relatively quiet as you both worked. You’d made a decent dent in the paper, and Jackie had started sketching a mock-up of the visual display. She’d handed you her notes to get your opinion, and you simply nodded, telling her it was good and to go ahead. In all honesty, after that, you saw little point in working together anymore. You could easily write the paper at home while she worked on the presentation, right?

“Hey, I think I’m gonna get going,” you started. She looked up, confused.

“But we only just got started,” she began to argue. You felt yourself grow uncomfortable with her seeming eagerness for you to stay.

“Well, I can work on this at home. We don’t need to be together after all,”

“But isn’t it good to work together? Like, to have a soundboard or whatever?” She stood up suddenly and began rummaging for something around the room. Growing alarm clawed at your throat, and you turned around in your seat on the bed to keep your eye on her. “It’s a group project, after all!” She was growing more impatient, and you couldn’t distinguish why.

“Yeah, but it's not a huge deal-” she turned around to face you again, her hair aggressively swishing as she faced you with a distressed look.

“You really can’t stand me that much?” she yelped, genuinely sounding hurt. You froze, paralyzed with no idea what to do. You’d never imagine that Jackie, of all people, would care about what you thought of her. You didn’t think Jackie cared about anyone’s opinion, let alone you!

“I never said I didn’t like you-”

“Well, it’s obvious you don’t!” she interrupted. She looked like she might be on the verge of tears as she began pacing the room. You started to panic.

“No, it isn’t!” you knew it was a terrible retort, but what else could you say? So you got onto the defensive. “But why would you even care if I didn’t like you? I’m nobody!” your voice faltered, and you cringed with embarrassment. You had no idea what was going on or how you even got into this situation. Jackie was nearly and tears, and you found you were too, and you thought you might throw up on the spot from the grinding, nauseating feeling twisting your gut. Jackie sniffled, wiping her nose. But at least she’d stopped pacing and now stood facing you. The sound and motion drew your attention back in.

“You’re not nobody,” her voice was almost pitiful. She sheepishly met your eyes, biting her lip. She was considering something, but you couldn’t tell what. You felt afraid under her gaze.

“Yes, I am,” was all you could say back. You picked at the skin of your thumbs, hoping the motion could calm your racing heart. “I doubt you even knew my name before we had this class together,”

“Well, I did, actually,” there was a heavy pout in her voice. She caved and walked back to the bed, sitting in the space you'd previously occupied but scooted from when she’d stood up. She was almost unbearably close. “I’ve known about you since seventh grade,” only when she said that did you look up at her. Her gaze was soft yet almost timid. It seemed unnatural for her, given her constant air of confidence.

“You got that writing award at that assembly we had with the whole school at the beginning of the year. Most people who were getting awards were eighth graders,” she seemed to recall it fondly. “But I remember how you walked across that stage with that huge smile to take that award from the principal. You didn’t look nervous or afraid. Just happy to be getting that award,” you were stunned she even remembered that day. You barely even remembered it yourself, now that you thought about it.

“But so what? What about that makes me liking you matter so much?”

“I dunno, maybe because of your nice or something?” She was getting upset again. Her face was red with frustration, and she kept dramatically sighing and scoffing. And you weren’t sure what caused it, and you knew it wasn’t the right thing to do, but you laughed. It started as a chuckle, but then it turned into full blow, hysterically tear-inducing laughter. You knew it was wrong, and you expected her to slap you in the face, but she didn’t.

After her initial shock, you heard a snicker, and then she, too, laughed. And as you heard her laugh ring you, you realized it was like a song that you wanted to be stuck in your head. And unlike what you may have anticipated, it didn’t scare you anymore. You managed to quiet and subside your fit of giggles, thumbing away tears that brimmed your eyes from the pressure, a smile still waving over your lips. Jackie appeared the same, but she looked away again, that shy blush water-coloring her cheeks as she smiled.

“I just really want you to like me, but I can’t explain why,” she managed to say finally, looking back up at you. She’d gotten closer again when you were distracted. You could almost feel her breath fanning over your face as she bit her lip in silent consideration.

“I do like you,” you managed to say, eyes unconsciously wandering down to her lips, then flashing back to her eyes out of fear of being caught. But though you expected scorn, you were met with excitement in her eyes, followed by a tilt of her head, and then all at once, her eyes shut, and her lips were on yours, tentative and curious. Anxiety told you to pull away, but frozen in surprise, you found you couldn’t. Instead, you sat, eyes wide as you practically vibrated in anticipation, though you dared not move. It was the same kind of excitement and anxiety you’d feel trying to get close to a wild rabbit. The slightest wrong move, and it would surely run.

But Jackie didn’t run. She did pull away, but she didn’t stray. She watched with a squeezing apprehension on her face, expecting to have a mess to clean up on her hands. You were left completely speechless, terrified she’d regret her actions immediately and make you leave, and she’d never speak to you again. But again, Jackie didn’t run, and she didn’t make you either.

“Say something,” she tried to state, but it came out more like a plead. You scanned her face and did the only thing you could think of in your hazy state. You took her hand, which sat behind you, holding her up as she leaned into you and took her lips as you squeezed your eyes shut. As you kissed her, you felt her smile, with the sound of a muffled chuckle.

Her fingers from her free hand eventually grazed over your cheek, tucking hair behind your ear before wrapping wound the small of your neck to toy with the baby hairs that grew there. When you pulled away, she adjusted so she was practically in your lap with how close she was. Her arms looped lazily over your shoulders and around your neck as she played with your hair, looking you over dreamily.

“My mother would end me if she found out about this,” she giggled, clearly enjoying her little silent rebellion.

“You like girls?” was the only thing you could think, and of course, that’s what your big mouth had to blurt out. You immediately cringed, squeezing your eyes shut and resisting the urge to slap yourself in the face. But fortunately, she laughed that lovely laugh you’d begun to grow fond of.

“It seems like I do,” she attempted to sound coy in her reply. “And it sounds like you look like girls, too,” she added. You looked at her again and relaxed with a smile, rolling your eyes.

“I thought that had been obvious since freshman year,” Jackie shook her head.

“I mean, not to me,”

“Oh, so you didn’t pick the gay girl to try out kissing girls?” You'd grown confident out of nowhere and smirked. Jackie’s cheeks flushed again, and her jaw dropped in mock shock as she tried suppressing a laugh in her throat. In a moment of mock irritation, she shoved your shoulders, gently knocking you onto your back, meeting the duvet cover of her bed in a fit of amused giggles. Without a fleeting consideration, she sat on top of you, her thighs on either side of your hips as her hands pressed against your chest. You couldn’t stop yourself from grinning as you looked up at her. Her brows raised, eyes wide as she realized the position she’d put herself in, that pink blush in her face turning bright red.

“Well, look who’s miss confidence now, huh?” you couldn’t resist the tease. Your restraint had gone out the window with this new understanding of your feelings. Your irritation and avoidance of Jackie Taylor had only been a poorly placed front for your real feelings. You’d been smitten with her for years now but refused to look at it in the right lighting. She scrunched her nose and tried to frown, but the corners of her lips kept flickering upwards in amusement as you grinned, which only egged her on more. So she did the only thing she could think. She leaned in again, wiping that smirk away with her lips.

#◛⑅·˚ ༘ ♡ kay's at it again♡#yellowjackets #yellowjackets fanfic #yellowjackets x reader #jackie taylor #jackie taylor x reader

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nozomijoestar · 3 months

Text

LIFTING THE SPOILER WARNING ON THIS POST FOR LAUNCH DAY

Here's my initial analysis and thoughts on Asuka's ending (character episode) in Tekken 8

caught yearning in 1080p

handsome

thinking abt getting students now that the Zaibatsu ate shit (btw you don't find out the Zaibatsu is pretty much on track to being done with no leader again, which is why they continue the tournament presumably after the final battle unless you look through the character episodes, not the main story, for some fucking reason)

Asuka finally smiled at her accepting her and the feeling is mutual, this ending had great role reversal in the sense instead of previously only getting clear insight into Lili's feelings and thoughts now we're openly getting them from Asuka in response- she also felt tempted to give in to her old reaction first think later ways but here she's finally thinking before deciding it doesn't matter why, she enjoys fighting Lili and she finally seems to recognize what Lili's schemes are about on a level (wanting Asuka's attention and getting back at her for having lost), this is the closest so far we've ever gotten to a "I like you too"

this is on top of the teasing and compliment she gave Lili's ability in the same scene, and also correcting Lili on the Kazama Motto Asuka learned, which only Asuka could have told her at some point suggesting further closeness

"Softness overcomes hardness" you two are (HOPEFULLY) starting to change your relationship to be softer (also the hilarious hypocrisy of Asuka BARELY being a person living by any softness in practice)

I love that she even refers to Lili as "That noble (rich) girl", an ojou-sama, which is far better than calling her by nothing or using a rude form of You (anta) as in the past (and generally she's given up calling Lili by rude terms be it in the story mode or otherwise including Shaheen's ending, which is honestly more about AsuLili than him lol, it's also incredible seeing Asuka glad Lili's life was protected and joking about Lili being a handful with someone else)

And despite provoking Asuka in a very shitty way reminiscent of Feng, the premise of this ending is Asuka beating Lili at the tournament so Lili will honor her word of putting Asuka's dojo back the way it was before she bought it- which Lili does after losing rather than refuse out of spite, even if she then uses taking it in a fight to provoke Asuka again, it's nice that she IS willing to listen to Asuka when it comes to promises

honestly if you cut the entire scene into only my screenshots here it still looks so fucking gay

Video source ( @ 1:03 )

This is the de-facto best Asuka ending yet, at last she's happy, hopeful, not confused, and at some form of peace and connection in her life

ALSO ASUKA DIDN'T CALL LILI A DINGBAT SHE CALLED HER AHOU (Idiot/Moron) LIKE ALWAYS AND IT WAS SOFT THIS TIME 😭😭😭😭

Plus Asuka might finally get the dojo back up and become the next leader with Jin's image being fixed and thus how people would see Asuka since they're related, as well as the current war being over- though Reina's new devil bullshit will probably ruin this in the future

EDIT: I FORGOT TO MENTION

PAIR OF BIRDS; BIRD MOTIF FOR KAZAMAS RETURNS

I doubt these are Jun's birds specifically it's more likely just symbolic of Asuka and Lili if it means anything at all. Also doesn't have to specify meaning lovebirds, in general their characters will always be put together. But it is funny how Jun's birds always appear to show her connection to someone she loves, so there could be a parallel here that Asuka's bird imagery would represent the same sense of connection. If it is a visual metaphor for lovebirds though by the time we get Tekken 9 then, the cinema of it all.

ALSO Harada has said Jun attracts animals because of her spiritual mastery over martial arts. She's at a level of power where animals don't run because of sensing her aura; she can suppress her fighting spirit. With how at peace AND in control of herself Asuka is in this ending, maybe the birds imply she can move in a similar direction from here on. And it makes sense too because Asuka has returned to a state of equilibrium now that she doesn't have the stress of the world being in chaos affecting her. As a person who prefers being in control, she's back to feeling some control over her life.

----

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE:

1. It's great that the tone of their relationship is now friendlier, but like in story mode and other places they appear as a pair, we're never shown anything on how they started transitioning from fighting all the time to agreeing to listen and partner up in general, nevermind during a global war they're supposed to have their own personal stakes in beyond not wanting to die (those personal stakes ended up being entirely irrelevant anyway which is it's own problem)

There's a problem present where you're shown the end result of an emotional shift with none of the journey or even a simple scene explaining how they got there, much like the main story and other characters in general many plot points and character changes are resolved off screen showing only the results with no explanation the majority of the time. In the main story this gets even more egregious because even how a character knows specific information usually doesn't get explained at all either unless it relates to Jin understanding the devil gene. This writing makes a lot of things simply happen like it's checking off a list.

In essence, WHERE is a scene connecting Asuka who did nothing but fight Lili and get pissed with her to the Asuka who's tolerant of her, is more catty and accepting than outright angry, is now willing to joke and play around with her, who taught Lili the Kazama Motto she learned (though I guess this one you can say Lili found it while looking up Asuka's family, something we ALSO don't get Asuka's thoughts on beyond surprise) and so on

2. The fact this scene ends with provoking another fight, as much as I like that it's friendly now, isn't the best direction. This fits again into problem 1; there's no on screen room to let these characters breathe and illustrate what made them change now to the viewer. There's no fresh angle given about their relationship outside fighting or even a new approach on their relationship within it. There's no pause in the formula which many people are tired of (and people are already back to calling Asuka a useless piece of shit who's a complete fucking joke, and I can't really blame them entirely because on a surface level all they see is the exact same situation as it's been for twenty years of cutscenes).

Also the logic of having this scene exist is confusing in itself. Nothing in the game story clarified if Asuka sat the tournament out or did participate but was eliminated and decided to follow Lili's progress in Rome as a spectator. A scene explaining either of those would give better weight and context to this one.

3. Zero mention of Asuka's father or his current condition

4. Having Lili imitate what Feng Wei did to dojos like Asuka's is the cruelest way she's ever provoked her. Whereas before it was often ridiculous, silly, and teasing, involving an event that led Asuka to spiral adds something uncharacteristically spiteful toward her from Lili's end. Insofar as what Lili has previously used to get her attention anyway. Keeping Asuka's trauma out of it has always seemed to be a line Lili was willing to respect. And it's off too because this is happening when they're supposed to be becoming friends/are friends now. It's too personal to be brushed off the way it is.

The only way I can rationalize it is if Asuka has let go of her anger towards what Feng did in part (but she still has a special intro where she wants to attack him on sight saying they finally meet so, I don't fuckin know, that may as well have been included as an easter egg if they're gonna do nothing with it) or she never really gave enough of a shit about the entire thing in the first place. You can make a loose argument using prior games to show Asuka never really cared about the revenge aspect as much- but her behavior sorta contradicts this at the same time. So really who fucking knows. Based on how she reacts here I guess it's not a big deal at this point cuz she doesn't get mad and jumps into messing around with Lili like a friend anyway.

Maybe this could be explained too by whatever made them act friendly now in the first place, but again we never saw that. So instead it comes out worse than if we knew.

5. WHY THE FUCK DID THEY MENTION THE ENTIRE MAIN KAZAMA FAMILY WAS ELIMINATED BY OGRE IN THE STORY MODE THEN HAVE THE NEWS NOT IMPACT ASUKA AT ALL

We also never see them discuss what Lili knows about the family in any depth between themselves

Viva le sex gay I guess but now I have more questions than answers and that's a problem when the game acts like I've been given answers it never provided. I got something I wanted but with nothing to show for it.

EDIT 1/27/2024 : However that won't discount that I do love what I received and the potential it represents; I adore this shit.

#tekken #hey gorilla. just say you care already. like actually say it not imply it.#i like this ending more than i dislike it but the parts i dislike still suck lol #asuka kazama #asulili

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sailtomarina · 10 months

Text

They think we're in love

The incident started with whispers.

Whispers of curiosity, whispers of jealousy, whispers of hope.

“Do you think they’re together?”

“There’s no way they aren’t shagging.”

“Hate is just the flip side of love.”

Hermione slid her eyes towards her coworker, barely stifling the upward curl of her lips as the stares and murmurs continued. He flicked an amused glance back, the soft weight of his palm coming to a rest at the small of her back, ushering her forward in line.

“How much longer do you want to keep this up?”

She could barely hear his question over the noise in the atrium where they waited to order their afternoon pick-me-up. The heat of his touch permeated the back of her sweater in pleasurable waves.

“I don’t mind having fun for just a bit longer.” She didn’t want their charade to stop.

“I’m pretty sure they think we’re in love.”

‘They’ in this instance didn’t refer to the gossip surrounding them, but to their would-be partners, family members, and friends.

“Then we make sure they know it and give up on us.” The words had barely left her mouth before she twisted around to face him, winding one hand into his platinum locks, the other pressed firmly against his chest, fingers twisting at the buttons.

Draco’s eyes widened at her proximity even as his face naturally lowered towards hers. They hadn’t kissed in all their weeks of pretending, sticking to suggestive touches and joint appearances. The dark spice of her perfume grabbed at him now, usually only a hint at an appropriate distance.

She hesitated a hair’s breadth away, eyes seeking permission.

He gave it to her, closing the sliver of space between them and drinking her in for the first time. This kiss, or this pretend kiss, whatever it was, had none of the awkwardness of so many other kisses, first or otherwise. Heads tilted just so, lips parted, tastes were taken in languid ease, every part as real as the arms winding around her back or the nails scraping the back of his head.

Draco was drowning in a sea of Hermione, inhaling deeply in need of air but finding only more silken heat and pressure he now desperately craved. The ambrosia surrounded and filled him, buoying him to heights from which he never wanted to fall.

“Sir? Miss?”

The timid call of attention dragged them out of the vortex, and they turned as a unit to stare at the barista twisting nervously at the towel tucked into his apron. Draco turned back to the lips he wished he had never left, expecting her face to be flush with embarrassment. Instead, her swollen lips had turned up into a glittering smile that did not meet her eyes.

“Taylor?”

“Yes, miss?”

“If you plan to continue working here for the foreseeable future, it would be in your best interest to know when and when not to interrupt your customers. Seeing us preoccupied, you could have called forward the customer behind us. Instead, you chose to pull me out of the best snog of my life and I am half tempted to vanish your entire cart and go find my beverage from someone with even a smidgen more awareness.”

Draco agreed with her, but also took pity on the trembling man. “Love, you know Taylor makes your drinks exactly the way you crave. We shouldn’t have gotten in line if we were going to hold everyone up the way we are.”

Salazar, even the way her brow furrowed and eyes sparked was adorable. She’d light him on fire for such thoughts. He tightened his hold on her when she tried to pull away, never removing his eyes from hers as he continued speaking, “We’ll have our usual along with our apologies. You can charge them both to my account.”

Taylor breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. And I am sorry, Miss Granger. One small flat white and one large dirty chai coming right up.”

“Malfoy—”

Draco cut her off with a swift tug to the side to allow the next person in line to move forward. He kept his voice low in her ear, continuing to hug her close. “This isn’t really the place for it, but I’m honestly tired of playing.”

She blanched at the confession. Hermione had thought their kiss was the sign of something more, something worth pursuing. She sure as hell knew she’d never felt that way before and instinct told her such discoveries were rare. His confession meant her feelings were one-sided, and the realization was unbearable.

“I…I…” For all she had ripped poor Taylor apart, now her words failed her like they almost never did.

“I want the real thing.”

It was as if they were under water again, the five simple words echoing through her mind distorted and in slow motion. I want the real thing. The real thing. Real.

“What do you want?” he asked.

Hermione shuddered at the heat of his breath ghosting her neck. She repeated his question to herself. What did she want?

“I..want…”

What happened next was both unsurprising given earlier threats and completely shocking.

“Malfoy! Granger!” Taylor called out their names sharply as he slid their drinks onto the takeout counter.

Seeing the look on her face, Draco tried to stop the impossible. “Wait, Granger, the drinks—” His arms dropped and he reached for the cups in vain.

One moment, the cart was there. The next, it was gone, leaving only a bewildered barista and an atrium of caffeine-deprived Ministry employees. Hermione breathed heavily with her wand brandished in a stance that would picture beautifully in the report to follow. Her curls waved uncontrollably around her shoulders in clear agitation. The image also perfectly captured Draco at her side, frozen mid-reach towards emptiness.

Nobody doubted their love anymore, even if their impulsive kiss was overshadowed by what became known as the Granger Coffee Incident. Future drinks from the atrium were purchased solely by Draco, who earned himself back into Taylor’s good graces with a complete upgrade of the previous cart, complete with updated tables and seating. The older man, however, did not lift the two-year order ban placed on Hermione Granger.

WC 1038 I wrote this over the course of two days, losing steam at the end of each session. I’m still not quite happy with the ending, but it’s time to move on!

#dramione #dramione prompt #dhr fanfiction #harry potter fanfiction #draco malfoy x hermione granger #hermione granger #draco malfoy

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gen-is-gone · 7 months

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Doctor Who and 2 for the fandom meme?

2. My three favorite characters and why I love them so much.

Hello hi would you like to hear about the best TARDIS team you've never heard of, right as I've fallen back hard into special interest fixation on them :D :D :D

So there's this book series.

After The Enemy Within, aka Doctor Who the TV Movie, premiered to an astounding lack of enthusiasm in 1996, BBC books decided to steal Virgin Publishing's idea to write novels about dr who, and promptly yoinked the license so they could cut out the middleman and do just that, this time starring Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor instead of Sylvester McCoy's Seventh. This novel series was called, aptly enough, The Eighth Doctor Adventures. So entirely skipping over almost three decades' worth of entertaining intrafandom drama and also how nu!who shamelessly stole basically every good idea the EDAs ever had (the biggest being of course the Time War, tho tragically nowhere near as well done), my favorite TARDIS crew:

The Eighth Doctor (as you may have guessed), Fitz Kreiner, and Anji Kapoor.

I love them, I adore them, they're my best friends. All three of them are amazing in their own right, but they're absolutely phenomenal as a team.

Eight, and the EDA version of them specifically, is my favorite doctor bar none. They're flighty and giddy and tactile and deeply affectionate, they're extremely weird and have a number hyperfixations and special interests and other very relatable neurodivergent tendencies. They are very prone to amnesia in a way which starts off as kind of a running gag and ends up being a huge plot point for the entire second half of the series. They're easily the most genderfluid the Doctor ever gets before textually being played by a woman and going by she/her, which is a big part of why I like using they/them pronouns for the Doctor generally. They kiss people often and canonically date people of multiple genders. Being played by (or at least written in reference to) Paul McGann, they are extremely pretty. They also go through the absolute fucking wringer, both in the sense that their arc plots are really dramatic and complicated and dark, and also in the sense that some of the folks writing for the series are pretty unapologetic whump fans lol. Best Doctor. No notes.

Next up is My BoyTM. The ur-blorbo himself, Fitzgerald Michael Kreiner. He's the best and I hate him. He's the worst and I love him. He's a musician from 1963 with appalling fashion sense and truly awful luck. He's canonically bi and in love with the Doctor (and their kiss in the novel Dominion in 1998 was the first kiss between the Doctor and a man in the history of Dr Who). He's a clone of himself because Eight lost the original Fitz 600 years in the future and then he joined cult of shitty time traveling mall goths. The original Fitz lived 2000 years and was filled with hate and wanted to kill the Doctor for abandoning him but never actually stopped loving them. He's a massive idiot. He's genuinely embarrassing so often but also despite thinking of himself as a coward and an asshole he's very brave despite his constant terror and very kind despite his pretending that he's only out for himself. He is such astoundingly perfect tumblr bait it's not even funny. He's one of the longest running companions in the franchise by number of consecutive stories.

Last of my darlings is the myth, the legend herself, Anji Kapoor. The first Asian companion in the history of Doctor Who, she's a stock futures trader from 2001 and to this day the only example I can think of off the top of my head of a woman of color having her white boyfriend get fridged for the sake of her emotional pain and character development. On the surface, she's the one with braincell, but she's so much more than just the white boy babysitter stereotype. She's a massive closet nerd who loves Star Trek but won't admit it, she's got a very weird thought process that makes her jump to the most absolutely batshit decisions while justifying them to herself as being perfectly reasonable and logical and not at all insane, she thinks of Fitz as a brother and the Doctor as a sister, she once called the Doctor a useless otterfucker, literally what can't she do (other than get back to her own time and planet rip).

The three of them have such a wonderful dynamic together. They're best friends and close family despite them being thrown together entirely by chance. They banter and joke and snark together, they riff off each other and enjoy each other's company, all three of them would catch a bullet for each other and all three of them more or less have. They're in a run of I think 25 books, which is a pretty significant time to spend together, and while there are some clunkers in their run ngl, they've also got some truly amazing books together, including one of my favorite books not just in the EDAs or Dr Who, but as a whole, The Year of Intelligent Tigers. I love them so so much I can't even.

I'm... not sure how accessible anything to do with the EDAs is give I fell off the DW deep end solidly a decade ago and at this point I just have to admit I'm in for life, but I have observed that most people who do read the EDAs tend to put 8&fitz&anji in at least their top five TARDIS teams, if not their first pick. Anyway, I love them, thank you so much for letting me gush about the best TARDIS team in all of Dr Who :D

#mihrsuri #eighth doctor #eighth doctor adventures #fitz kreiner #anji kapoor #megan whines into the empty abyss of cyberspace #listen my love is so strong that I was willing to type this whole mess on my fucking phone that tells you how much I care about them

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mlchaelwheeler · 2 years

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The party's dnd games as foreshadowing for S5

After seeing this post by @bylertruther yesterday, I started theorizing about possible scenarios for the end battle of S5 and how the party's dnd games throughout the seasons foreshadow what might happen.

The very first scene we see of the party in S1 is a dnd game, in which Will rolls a 7, and his character is attacked by the demogorgan. It’s quite clear throughout S1 that this move foreshadows exactly what happened to Will when he got taken to the Upside Down later that same night-- he even tells Mike right before this happens: “the demogorgan, it got me.” We’ve all been over this fact a million times and we all know how blatant the foreshadowing is, but this is important setup for the rest of this analysis, so just keep this scene in mind.

After Will gets saved and as Christmastime approaches, the party gets together for another dnd game. Mike has spent lots of time planning it, and wants it to be perfect because it’s supposedly Will’s first time playing dnd again since being in the Upside Down and being hunted by the demogorgan. The game ends in victory, with Will rolling a 14 and defeating the new enemy Mike has cooked up: the thessalhydra.

Here's where things get interesting. Even though Will defeats the thessalhydra, the party isn't happy with the outcome of the game. They question Mike about plot holes and loose threads that never got addressed (which led to lots of plot theorizing pre-S2, but even after S2 a lot of this didn't make sense-- but that's because it was meant as foreshadowing for even later). The questions asked didn't make sense back then, but they could make sense in the context of S5.

The "lost knight"? Mike is the paladin of the party: a knight in shining armor who bravely protects his friends to the death. Could this be foreshadowing to Mike becoming trapped (or lost) in the Upside Down in S5? Or is this perhaps a reference to Mike being "lost" in regards to his feelings towards Will and El and how to accept deep truths about himself?

The "proud princess"? I originally couldn't come up with anything for this one, but @bylertruther brought up the fact that Max is going to be a damsel in distress of sorts in S5, while waiting for her friends to save her from Vecna's clutches. She also has the princess imagery going while stuck in her coma-- think of Sleeping Beauty or Snow White. True love will be what saves her in the end, either romantic (Lucas) or platonic (El).

The "weird flowers in the cave"? It's pretty self-explanatory that the demogorgan's/demodog's faces are flower-shaped. As for the caves, the Upside Down as a whole has tons of cave/rocky imagery, what with the tunnels, the cliff Henry climbs after first seeing the mindflayer, and the stalactite-looking spires in the mindscape. I'm guessing that this points towards the final battle taking place not in Hawkins, but in the actual Upside Down for a change.

Let's talk about the thessalhydra itself for a second though. Because where have we seen something similar before? That's right: the three-headed dragon in Will's painting for Mike. Yes, they're not identical monsters, but there are similarities here. Will's art has been foreshadowing before (see: the entire plot of S2), so is it that much of a reach that the painting could be foreshadowing to the threat posed to the party in S5?

It's clear that there will be a monster of some sort in S5-- a monster worse than a demogorgan. In 4x08, Vecna shows Nancy the past (his past) and the future. He shows her a monster, her whole family dead, and four gates opened. This was before Max was captured and put into a coma, so Vecna was showing Nancy the true future here. Could Will have seen this same future through his connection to Vecna and subconsciously added it to his painting?

In S2, Will's connection with the mindflayer (or Vecna, as we now know) allowed him to see what the mindflayer was seeing. His "now-memories" allowed him to see somewhat into the future. Will was able to predict Hopper being in danger based on what he dreamt the night Hopper entered the tunnels. He was even able to pinpoint the exact location of Hopper's car-- just from the now-memories alone! It's completely feasible that Will would be able to also see things Vecna is seeing in S4/5.

Furthermore, Will acquired true sight from his time in the Upside Down (or possibly related to latent powers?). This is important because true sight means he can see the reality of what's occurring in the ethereal plane. He's not seeing visions of what might happen, he's seeing the truth. This is different from Vecna's visions, where he causes people to see their worst fears and trauma they haven't dealt with-- truth as a basis, but exacerbated by lies and illusions. Will is seeing the reality of the Upside Down, which can probably extend to Vecna'd mindscape as well, giving him a way to see Vecna's thoughts and what could happen in the future.

Mike said it himself in S2: Will is a super spy. Sure, the mindflayer was spying through him for a time, but Will was spying right back. Since this connection is still as strong as ever, I'm willing to bet Will may need to take on the "spy" role again in S5. Will can already feel what Vecna is feeling, and see what Vecna's seeing. I'm sure he's also privy to Vecna's motivations and tactics for choosing his victims, so this could be very valuable in the fight against Vecna in S5. If Will can sense who will be targeted and how, it could protect his friends and family from ending up like Max (for now).

So how does Will's true sight and connection to Vecna connect to the dnd games, the thessalhydra, and his painting? The second-last and final rolls are always very important in foreshadowing what will happen later in the season, and with the "every ending has a beginning" tagline for S4, it's important to first look at S1. During their dnd game, Will's role of a 7 got him taken to the Upside Down. But in the next game, he rolled a 14 and defeated the thessalhydra. I think this is pretty clear foreshadowing to the fact that Will is going to be the one to defeat Vecna/the mindflayer for good.

El's already had her chance, and did her part in S4. Yes, she got out of Vecna's clutches and hit him with her powers, but she still wasn't able to save Max. I'm guessing El's arc will be geared more towards saving Max in S5, rather that directly confronting Vecna again. She's already done that, so it would be somewhat of a waste to just do a repeat of their battle.

What would be a better alternative? Will being the one to face down (and destroy Vecna). It's Will who Vecna has been targeting since S1, Will who shares the same similarities to Henry growing up, and Will who has the seemingly unbreakable connection to the mindflayer after all these years. Remember, back in S2, the mindflayer wanted to kill everyone except Will. Why? He obviously has a special connection to him that remains to be seen until the big reveal in S5.

Whatever happens with Vecna though, I think Will's painting is clear foreshadowing that the party will be facing down a threat from the Upside Down. The Duffers said that the characters will be back in their original S1 groups in S5, and Will is going to be the main focus, so having the party together as a whole (the original four boys, since El will likely be off saving Max) would be the perfect culmination of this.

If we look at their dnd characters, Mike as the paladin is front and center, leading the attack. It's also important to note that it's his shield which has the heart on it, pointing to the fact that it's Will's love that will ultimately protect Mike. Perhaps since Will is a cleric (and has healing powers), he will have to heal Mike from a bad injury suffered during the battle.

In the dnd game in 4x01, Dustin first rolled an 11 (a miss), which failed in defeating Vecna-- clearly foreshadowing the fact that El wouldn't be able to defeat Vecna on her own. That fact was backed up by how the "final" battle went down in 4x09, when El stopped Vecna briefly (in order to somewhat save Max), but ultimately didn't defeat him-- he managed to escape, and will likely gather his strength to become stronger than ever for the next confrontation in S5.

A 20 was rolled later (by Erica), which was the final blow that defeated Vecna. It's important to note that Erica was the underdog of Hellfire-- the one who was somewhat overlooked because she wasn't originally from the club. This same concept can be applied to Will (even though he is an original member of the party): he is an underdog in the sense that he hasn't showed obvious signs of manifesting powers yet, plus, he was overlooked and forgotten by all his friends (and family) in S3/4.

It's very likely, given all this foreshadowing, that Will is going to be the lucky break that the party needs in order to defeat Vecna once and for all. Will feels different, but Mike makes him feel like it's ok to be different. Similarly, Mike feels like he has to be needed in order to be worth something, but little does he know Will needs him in the exact way he's hoping for.

Mike's love makes Will stronger, and Will's love protects Mike. Together, they have the strength and ability to defeat Vecna. It may be a cliché, but love does overpower hate and evil. Once Mike and Will realize the love they have for each other is true and pure, they'll be unstoppable in the fight against Vecna, mainly because they won't be able to befall any of his tactics of manipulation. Vecna can't hurt those who are at peace with their inner turmoil and are at the happiest moment in their life. Together, Mike and Will are a force to be reckoned with. Vecna should be scared. El's powers, he understood because he has observed them and manifested similar ones. Whatever Will has hiding away though, Vecna won't see coming, which will be the way to end him once and for all.

#thanks for reading if you actually made it to the end!! hopefully it made sense 🤪🤪#denise i hope this lived up to your expectations after you had to put up with me screaming at you in the dms all day yesterday <33 #byler #stranger things analysis #stranger things theory #s5 theory #sarah.txt

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burstfoot · 2 months

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SARIA BLAST

List for reference:

Saria x Gladiia x Kal'tsit (you can break this up into its constituent ships)

Saria x Penance

Saria x Whislash

Saria x Ho'olheyak

First up is Saria and some women older than her.

Sariia (Saria x Gladiia):

I like the idea of an intelligent, strong, hypercompetent, silver-haired, nigh-indestructible woman falling for an even more intelligent, hypercompetent, silver-haired, nigh-indestructible woman. Also they’re both over six feet tall, there is no way they’re both under six feet according the the game. You’ve also got that sweet Land x Sea dynamic going on.

I think it would start as months or years of them staring at each other intensely at formal events until one of them cracks.

You can also put some Saria x Kal'tsit in there for some Calcium x Calcite action. Also the smartest silver-haired polycule on Terra.

And of course, I’m assuming that Gladiia/Kal'tsit is happening at all times.

Anyways, more Saria ships:

Saria x Penance. Two women in positions of moderate power, in roles designed to protect people, kept from that role by the meddling of other forces which has gone ignored by those supposed to provide oversight. Also middle-aged woman yuri. (Saria is canonically 34, but I refuse to believe she is younger than 40. Well, Kristen is canonically 34 and they went to college together.)

Also, because Kristen isn’t confirmed dead, Penance could advise her on the divorce. Apparently Saria only needs to make it public knowledge and have a reasonable chance of Kristen seeing it, according to a quick search on divorcing absent, living partners.

Oh yeah, throw Kristen x Saria in there, but we know that’s pretty much canon.

Next is Zoria (Whislash x Saria). This one started out as a typo when trying to type Zofia. They’re both women who had days they look upon with fondness, now torn from them, with no way to go back. Also Zofia is single and Saria is… newly single. I haven’t read much regarding the Nearls. This ship is my least thought out.

Finally: Saria x Ho'olheyak. This one started when I saw the CG of Ho'olheyak grinning widely as Saria pinned her to the wall by the throat (same), but there’s actually something there.

If you interpret Saria as a woman haunted by her past (like in DramaticGaze’s “A Dance”), Ho'olheyak could either provide a strange comfort as a woman who has quite literally had her future torn from her for the sake of the past or they could end up in manipulative toxic yuri. AND it’s middle-aged woman yuri!

Saria/Gladiia: Sorry, don't see it. They're kinda similar, but from such different worlds and not in a way that interests me like Susie/Gladiia... and the thing about Land/Sea applies to Gladiia and 90% of the cast. Saria/Kal'tsit: Didn't really get sparks between the two of them when they talked in the manwha. Similar missions, but live in entirely different worlds, can't see it. Saria/Penance: In terms of crack ships I am more interested in this one, I think there's a bit more chemistry there but I'd need to see like, a story around it to be convinced.

But I do have to say (and no hate when I say this): Penance is not middle aged, it's never been confirmed she's middle aged, and I know saying 'she doesn't look middle aged' in a gacha game means nothing, but she doesn't! I don't think her age is elaborated on anywhere, but she's treated as the new generation in Siracusa alongside Vigil (who is like early 20s at most), so I don't know where this idea of her being in her 40s came from. Realistically, I think she's around early to mid-30s (has spent 10 years as a judge after school) but I wouldn't be surprised if we learn that she's like, 28

Kristen x Saria: Wrote a fic about it, it's the core of Lone Trail and the Manwha, it's absolutely heartbreaking, I love them. Whislash x Saria: Self-admittedly not much here. They were meant to co-star in a sportswear skin line together though

Ho'olheyak x Saria: Oh Saria had one really unfortunate night shwants to forget about while still trying to move on from Kristen on the landship after Lone Trail and Ho'olheyak won't let her forget. Love it

#i have nothing against middle aged women I just hate fanon that everyone treats as canon #thanks for the ask anyways!! this one was kinda harsh LOL #arknights #ask game #burstmail

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adashofniallandasprinkleoflunacy · 1 year

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an AU where the reader played drums for Harry during the first half of Love on Tour in 2021 and they ended up in a secret relationship but things went south after that leg of tour finished bc she wanted to pursue music on her own, while he has his own busy schedule to attend to, so they called it quits to avoid future complications.

Her solo career starts taking off and everything’s going well— she has performances coming up, an album that just dropped, interviews waiting— and she’s managed to keep their past relationship under wraps like they agreed they would, but things take a turn when Harry releases hs3 with songs she can tell are about her. She shrugs most of it off, but what tips the scale is that he ends up releasing a deluxe version with Baby Honey and Complicated Freak as bonus tracks (in this AU, he wrote them about her after they broke up instead of in 2017) and the trivial punches aimed at her in the songs are what make her act on her emotions.

She knows how petty he can be, which is one of their shared traits that would sometimes cause a clash when they were together, so in turn, she releases one of the songs she wrote about him as a single (which she had planned to keep private, but he threw the first punch so fair is fair) and basically the song is the female version of 5sos’s English Love Affair. And in the lyrics, there’s obvious digs that confirm they had a relationship together, so everything’s out in the open now.

Felt somebody looking at me

Playful condescension

Feeling the connection

///

Before I knew it, it was serious

Dragged me off the stage

Cold rings burned and left a trace

Drinking wine, forgetting our names

Honey’s getting naked

“Love how good you take it.”

///

Every single step had me begging for the next

Before I knew it, it was serious

Dragged me up the stairs, kissed me hard and made me swear

Aside from the revealing title, the lyrics about being on stage, his signature rings, and the line about making her swear to keep their relationship a secret being pretty telling to the public, the references she makes to some of the songs in his new album (the wine lyric related to Grapejuice, calling him “honey” as a nod to Baby Honey) just about confirms all the speculation that could rise up. This also causes her album to be analyzed from a completely new perspective, and listeners obviously begin digging through her music to find more connections between her and Harry, which only inflames the situation.

As a result, Harry ends up reaching out to her over the phone in a fit of disbelieving anger, which she obviously responds to with the same attitude since he was the one that started it all.

“How can you accuse me of making you swear to keep us a secret when you wanted our relationship to stay behind the scenes just as much as I did?!”

“You’re right, I did. But you’re conveniently leaving out the differences in our motives. I wanted us to be a secret so it wouldn’t cause any problems in our relationship and wouldn’t fall back on our friends and family. You wanted to keep us a secret so it wouldn’t interfere with your career. See the difference?”

“That’s bullshit and you know it.”

“Is it? Because here you are, airing out our entire lives for a fucking Grammy.”

“Are you fucking serious? I don’t write music for the awards or the money and you know that! I write it for myself!”

“Yeah, because making childish comments about my post-breakup dating life must be so healing for you.”

After that unsuccessful (and frankly, pretty violent) phone call, their managers end up being the ones that strike up a compromise pertaining to the messy press situation at hand. They order both of them to get together privately and talk this out, because fighting will get them nowhere and fix nothing. After they resolve their differences, they should try to evade any questions about their relationship as much as possible in the media, and if they have no choice but to answer, they should regard each other with neutrality and respect. Y/N and Harry agree, and they settle to meet at his place in London since she’s traveling there the following week to do some promo.

The tension and feelings are running high from the second she sets foot in his house. They regard one another as calmly and cordially as they can, with Harry welcoming her in, offering her a drink, and telling her to get comfortable. However, it’s difficult for her to feel at ease in a place that holds so many heavy memories. After some awkward small talk and pained silences, she takes it upon herself to drop all formalities and steer the conversation towards what they’re both avoiding.

As they dive into all the rocky details of their relationship, both the unresolved issues and the heartfelt passionate moments neither of them can forget, things get heated once again. They’re all but yelling and screaming at one another, while also trying to hide how hurt both of them truly feel; despite whatever front they put up, they can’t deny that having to separate due to circumstance was more hurtful than either would care to admit. Both of them had dreams they wanted to fulfill, and being torn apart by those hopes caused a deep wound that neither had ever really healed from. Sacrificing love for ambition is a choice no one should ever have to make.

Y/N winds up crying, and seeing her in such a sad state drains any resentment Harry could ever possibly hold towards her. He comforts her and apologizes for the way he’s acted, both personally and within his career, and she returns the sentiment. And then in a moment of vulnerability and truceful clarity, they kiss.

They do more than kiss, actually. More than once. In different places and on various surfaces, with whispered love confessions strewn amidst dirty moans and desperate whines.

And after they’re done and they’re laying there sweaty, panting, and tangled in their emotions, there’s at least one thing they can both agree on with absolute certainty: they’re about to give their managers a run for their money all over again.

#I’ve been thinking about this scenario for months actually #drabble

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yukidragon · 1 year

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Hey Yuki!

Remember when you create the story where Ian gets Alice (M/C) pregnant and Alice was tied in the relationship with Ian despite him cheating on her a second time also trying to excuse himself and marry Alice?

Well I actually really likes that idea beacuse how did you described the situation but i would like to know more about this AU if you excuse me. I want yo know who Ian feels when he held her daughter for the first time, their first meeting after Alice given birth to her little princess. How the family environment develops with the girl? Especially with her paternal grandmother, How the mother of Ian react when she had the little princess around?

This AU is a really great idea for you fanfic of Sunshine in another world, you're the most perfect person in this fanbase, the most created AND the most lovely person. Love you Yuki ^^

Oh gosh, you really flatter me with such praise! Thank you so much for such kind words. I don't know what to say. I'm a little overwhelmed. You're just so sweet.

Now onto the tone whiplash from flustered happy feels to dark drama and yandere horror, hahaha. I'm glad you found my previous post about Alice having Ian's baby and how things get all twisted between them to be engaging. Since you asked for more so kindly, I don't mind dipping back into this dark little AU to explore more of the drama.

I'm going to give this post the same warnings that I did for the last one. Content warnings for unwanted pregnancy, cheating, toxic relationships, discussion of abortion, chronic illness, risk of miscarriage, manipulation, yandere behaviors, gaslighting, self-destructive behaviors, self-harm, and the like. Remember, this series is for Adults Only so things can get pretty mature, and not just because of the spice!

Let's start things off on a lighter note - the baby. Funny thing is while I'm still debating about names for the kids of my OTP with Alice and Jack, thinking about this AU again gave me the perfect name for Alice and Ian's sweet princess - Lily.

As a a quick aside... those who saw my previous post about the King family might remember that Lily was one of the names that I was considering for Mama King. While it would be cute to name the baby after her grandma, I've actually decided to go with Lycoris for Mama King, so I guess both names are going to be used after all, just in a way I hadn't originally intended!

The name Lily comes from happier times. Before Ian cheated, he and Alice would talk about their future together, which included marriage and children. They even had a sweet afternoon of coming up with names. It was a lighthearted moment between them, well before she ever got pregnant. There was plenty of playful banter and joke names thrown out, including anime and video game references. In the end though, they did come up with some names they seriously considered. One of them was Lily.

Ian's favorite flower is water lilies. He has a tattoo of them. Alice grew up in a home where flowers had strong significance to her family, so naming their daughter that felt very romantic.

Understandably, it's not quite so romantic in reality in this AU. Still, it was the name they chose for their future daughter once upon a time, when this baby would have been a blessing. It was still fitting, and regardless of what's happened between them, this child is both Alice and Ian's daughter.

The birth was rough on Alice due to stress. Though in so much pain, she cried happy tears the first time she held Lily in her arms. All the love she had for Ian, she tried to funnel completely into their child. Her mom was with her in the delivery room the entire time... and so was Jack.

With so many people around who don't know he exists, Jack was forced to pretty much fade into the background during the birth. With everything going on and their relationship so new, Alice wasn't in a state to really introduce her new friend even to her family. With how taxing it's been on her health and all the stress, she's less sure he's real, even if she tries to treat him as such. It's only after everyone else has left and it's only Jack, Alice, and Lily that he's able to remind her of his presence.

Jack, naturally, was his sweet, supportive, and reassuring self. Alice did such a good job. The birth was hard but she pulled through, and her baby is so beautiful. His kindness is just what she needs after such a hard delivery, and he dotes on her and the baby, silently feeling like a proud papa with his new family.

At least... until the father of the baby arrives.

It's after visiting hours, but someone suddenly barges in - Ian. He took the first flight out as soon as he heard Alice was in labor. He snuck past the hospital staff after figuring out what room she was in.

As soon as Ian sees little Lily, he freezes... and the tears immediately start. There's so many complicated emotions, but he just loves Lily even at first sight. Alice freezes as well, instinctively clutching Lily closer... but when Ian asks if he can hold her... Alice can't deny him.

Ian coos over Lily, introducing herself as her daddy. He's so happy, and he just loves her so much. He promises he's going to take care of her and Alice. Things are a little rough between them now, and it's his fault, but that's why he's going to fix them. He's going to make things right.

Alice doesn't want to fight with the baby there, especially when Ian is holding Lily. She's not in any state to fight after giving birth, and she feels so many unpleasant emotions around him... as well as something else she isn't used to. He seems... off in a way, stressed. His wrists are still covered in bandages from his suicide attempt. The sight of his wounds makes it so hard for her to say that there is no repairing this after he cheated on her twice and everything else, not when she can see how miserable he is. She took care of Ian for so long... it's a habit hard to break.

Though Ian insisting they're going to be a family and he's going to fix everything after everything that happened... it does make something else inside of Alice break just a little more.

Fortunately, Jack is there to help by whispering in Alice's ear, reminding her that she doesn't need Ian, and neither does her baby. Jack is there for her and Lily. He'll never leave them or hurt them like Ian did.

His words give Alice strength to tell Ian that they're not going to be a family. They're co-parents for Lily. That's all. She asks Ian to leave, since she's tired.

For a moment there's something scary in Ian's eyes, but then he looks like a kicked puppy and he apologizes, tears coming to his eyes. He promises again he's going to fix things. He brings up the past, how they need each other. The tension in the air is so strong the baby can sense it, so Lily starts to cry as well.

Jack points out the manipulation in Ian's words, and Alice insists Ian give her Lily and leave.

Ian almost doesn't, but eventually he reluctantly does. His hold on Lily lingers though, making it so that Alice has to hold onto his arms while she's waiting for him to transfer Lily to her. Leaning in close, he promises he's not going anywhere this time. He'll fix things. He loves Alice and Lily so much... He'll make sure that everything goes right this time.

Alice starts to feel a little scared, and she jolts when Ian kisses near her ear, when suddenly a nurse comes in. Jack hit the call button and got their attention. It's touch and go with Ian wanting to stay, but he's urged out since visiting hours are over and Alice wants him to leave. He does so reluctantly, promising he will be back tomorrow as soon as possible.

After Alice calms Lily down and does another feeding, the nurse takes the baby to the nursery to "give mom a break for a while" since Alice is barely keeping it together and visibly stressed. She's told to get some sleep until the next feeding.

Once left "alone" with her thoughts, all it takes is for Jack to gently ask if Alice is okay for her to finally break down in tears. He's by her side immediately, holding her close and encourages her to let it all out. He's here for her, whether she's okay or not. It's okay for her not to be okay. She doesn't have to keep forcing herself to be okay when she's not.

That fully unleashes the floodgates, and Alice lets out wailing sobs as she cries into his chest, just a mess of so many awful emotions that she feels like she's coming apart. She tried to remain strong for so long, even with her family, knowing that she has to be strong for her baby, to deal with the affair, to deal with Ian, to deal with pregnancy, to deal with giving birth, to deal with her new life that was nothing like how it should be...

Jack is there the entire time to hold Alice and keep her from completely falling to pieces. He encourages her to vent all her pent up feelings to him, promising no one else has to know. She can tell him anything and he'll never judge her. He'll be here for her no matter what. She can feel he means every word, and she just unloads everything, all of the stress and pain and just everything that was crushing her. Jack listens to every word and is gentle and reassuring the entire time.

His heart breaks for Alice... and his hatred for Ian grows ever stronger for doing this to his sunshine.

The good cry was something Alice needed in the end. Eventually she cries herself to sleep in Jack's arms. He tucks her into bed, cuddling up with her because she refuses to let him go even while sleeping. It's only a couple hours later when it's time for the next feeding that she pulls away from him, but Alice feels a little better. She feels so grateful for Jack, and he stays comfortingly close to her, stroking her hair as she feeds Lily, and telling her he's so proud of her and she's being such a wonderful mother.

Jack's love and reassurance is addicting while Alice is in this vulnerable state. After the breakdown, she's opened her heart to him more and tells him things she's reluctant to share with even her family. They support her and are kind and loving, but Jack quickly becomes someone special. He knows just the right things to say to her. It's almost like he can read her mind sometimes with how close they've become. He immediately can pick up when she needs a supportive cuddle or cry. He's so in tune with her emotions and needs. She's actually able to smile because of him... and able to find joy in motherhood.

Ian has difficulty seeing Lily much while she and Alice are at the hospital. During visiting hours there's always someone around, mostly her family, and they're no longer happy to see him. Even Coraline has stopped pushing for them to make up after he cheated a second time, though she does sympathize with him being suicidal. It creates an awkward atmosphere, and more often than not, he's taken out of the room, as someone wants to chat with him. Most often these conversations lead to him being tearful and insisting that he'll do whatever it takes, even if that means counseling or whatever.

Daytime at the hospital is a mercy, as Alice doesn't have to deal with Ian. At night though... he keeps sneaking by, when no one is around. She can't bring herself to say anything about it, though she knows she should. Strangely enough, the nurse's call button always gets pushed right as he's sneaking in, so Ian is barely there for a few minutes before a nurse comes by. His constant breaking in urges the hospital staff to add more security to that particular floor, making his attempts at after hours unannounced visits even harder.

Between all the attempts every day and night, Ian doesn't get much sleep, and what little he does is plagued with nightmares to leave Alice and the baby alone. It doesn't help his mental state, and unfortunately makes him that much more desperate to fix this broken family he created.

Alice can't bring herself to bar Ian from access to his daughter even after everything, though his constant gifts for her and the baby are painful. Though minimizing contact with him, she does send messages family members and friends, and they manage to set up an informal custody arrangement.

It can't be a 50-50 split with the baby, not while Ian is still at his school across the country, but he gets weekends whenever he flies back home to the apartment. Ian takes every opportunity to use the times he sees her to pick up or drop off Lily to remind Alice of the good times they had, how important she is to him... how he's not strong enough to handle life without her. He takes every chance to touch her when he can, anything to remind her of what things used to be...

Of course... Ian's mom does insist on "grandparents' rights" to see the baby. She would've seen Lily at the hospital if she could sneak past security like Ian did. She's loud and obnoxious, demanding to see Lily, and telling anyone who'll listen that Alice is unfit to raise the child. She berates Ian for having a baby out of wedlock, emphasizing how much of a sin it is, and how much of a shame that Lily had to be born a bastard. It's just another way he's a failure.

Needless to say, Alice insists on no contact with grandma Duff. Ian actually manages to resist his mother's influence as his sanity is crumbling, growing more resentful of her... and more desperate to make sure he won't lose Alice and Lily. He'll agree to anything to Alice asks of him... no matter what... even if that means finally standing up to his mother.

It's a shock to everyone that Ian is capable of doing so. Alice is certainly taken aback when he outright yells at his mother after being so meek around her for so long. He's actually taking his duties as a father and protecting his daughter seriously. He's stepping up like he insisted he would. He's still paying for the apartment and Alice could move back in any time. He has plenty of stuff for the baby there and he can take care of them both once he finally finishes college. They don't even have to stay in the same room, and Lily deserves having both parents 100% of time rather than only fragments at a time.

Shaun visits as soon as he's able. He's been away at school as well, and doesn't have as much cash to burn as Ian. He was there during the initial cheating incident to support Alice, but he had to leave for school when things spiraled out of control. They still talked online and over the phone, but it wasn't the same as in person support. At least she had Jack and her family to help her while he was away.

Alice wants to support herself and be independent, but raising a baby is hard, especially when the only job she can find is minimum wage at a clown operation that sells frozen yogurt. It's far, far from ideal. She has no choice but to depend on support from her family and the child support money Ian is sending her. She loves her family, but she wants to live her own life with Lily, to actually build something similar to the future she's been wanting for herself...

Alice does consider Ian's offer to move back to their shared apartment... but only for a microsecond. She doesn't need Jack or anyone else to tell her that's a very bad idea.

Alice's feelings for Ian are even more tangled up than in Sunshine in Hell. She's suffering so much because of him, and he's constantly making her feel worse because she keeps avoiding him. The worst part is she knows that she can't deny Lily her father.

To that, Jack suggests that Lily deserves a better father... one who isn't using her as a bargaining chip to pressure Alice into marrying someone who doesn't actually love her.

What Ian did to Alice isn't love, and Jack makes sure to let Alice know that. What he's doing to her is twisted and wrong. She is so kind to worry about him even after everything that he's done, but... is he really worth all this pain? What does he provide her that has actually made her happy?

Of course... Alice needs the child support money. It's a sad fact. Ian is providing something she needs, and Jack hates that. But there's more to life than money, far, far more.

Jack will be there for Alice and Lily no matter what, and has been such a good support. He helps with everything from feeding to changing to entertaining little Lily. He's endlessly patient with her, and he dotes on Alice as well.

At some point Alice wishes that Jack was Lily's father instead of Ian... though she feels guilty about it. Jack is absolutely thrilled when he picks up on that thought, and he latches onto it hard, gently guiding their conversation in that direction to get her to admit the thought out loud and accept it.

Why can't Jack be Lily's father? Why can't he be Alice's partner? He'll be whatever Alice wants him to be after all, and he loves her and Lily so much...

It's so, so tempting to Alice. Even if no one else but Alice and Lily can see Jack, that doesn't mean he can't make them both happy. It doesn't make him any less real.

Perhaps if Jack solved the money problem, then Alice won't even need Ian for child support. Then it won't matter if Ian just goes away for good...

Hooo... this post has gotten a lot longer than I anticipated. I think that's enough heavy baby drama for today, don't you? Let me know if you want me to continue talking about this or any other AU/headcanon I've made in another post. Thanks again for enjoying my stories, even if they can go into pretty dark and twisted territory like this!

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

#Sunny Day Jack #Something's Wrong With Sunny Day Jack #SunnyDayJack #sdj #swwsdj #Headcanon Ramblings #Ask

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besidesitstoowarm · 3 days

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"The Beast Below" thoughts

when i was in college i took a sci-fi class and once a week one of us had to find some movie clip/ep of tv/short story to make the rest of the class watch so we could discuss. stupid me, i thought watching this story, a bottle episode of the most famous sci-fi show in the world with a cool setting and interesting, debatable moral dilemma, might make a good topic of class conversation. instead it turned into mostly bitching about how much moffat sucks. anyway i love this episode

future spaceship london, some poor kid gets a bad grade and gets sent to what looks like an incinerator. amy floats out of the tardis w the doctor holding her leg, which makes for good trailer/promo imaging but also like, that's just amy. death wish amy. she does not give a fuck, she found her imaginary friend and she is riding him til the wheels fall off. figuratively but also literally

eleven tells amy they need to be like a nature documentary "i never get involved in the affairs of other peoples or planets" at this point my boyfriend goes "that's the only thing you do!!" eleven quickly deduces they're in a police state and says he's going to "stay out of trouble. badly."

amy goes to help a crying girl and gets almost attacked by a scorpion and abducted by the secret police. eleven investigates why there is no engine running and meets liz 10. amy is taken to a voting booth where "you have the right to know the truth....you may protest or forget" we see an evil montage in her eyes and she slams FORGET. the screen then shows her a video of herself saying to leave w the doctor immediately and don't let him investigate

he shows up and slams PROTEST cause he's messy like that. they go to the incinerator which is not an incinerator it's a mouth. and they get vomited. liz 10 reminds us that victoria knighted and exiled him on the same day and references the virgin queen debacle again "you bad, bad boy" so we confirm narratively she is in fact elizabeth the tenth, queen of this spaceship. she is so beautiful it makes me want to throw up. she's also basically just river song i must say

we go to the tower of london (dungeon) and learn the spaceship is on the back of a whale and they're torturing it to make it go. they can 1. keep torturing the whale, 2. free the whale which will doom the entire ship, or 3. lobotomize the whale so it's not in pain but the citizens live. eleven is FURIOUS at making this choice, they realize amy hit FORGET so that they could leave without eleven having to make this choice. it's rich. "you don't ever decide what i need to know" "nobody HUMAN has anything to say to me today" i don't know what i would do, in that instance!

luckily. amy remembers what liz said about the whale showing up. "it came bc it couldn't stand to watch your children cry" i want to cry just hearing this. "if you were that old and that kind and the very last of your kind, you couldn't just stand there and watch children cry" do you get it. it's fine they'll say it out loud later. she slams ABDICATE which was liz's version of protest and surprise, the whale does NOT abandon them! bc it loves them and wants to keep them safe! "you could've killed everyone on this ship" "you could've killed a star whale" i like that. eleven recognizes amy could have doomed a ship of people like herself, and she in turn recognizes he was ready to almost-kill an alien, the last of its kind. the same kind of agony, the same impossible choice

"all that pain and misery and loneliness and it just made it kind" Do You Get It. i like that amy was the one to have the 3rd-option-brain-blast, that was a very doctor thing to do. she fucked up and then she fixed it! i think this is a wonderful, empathetic story, and iirc the next one is pretty mid but i love the skittles daleks so lfg

#doctor who #besides its too rewatch #dw s5 #The Beast Below

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ilikereadingactually · 4 months

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The Mimicking of Known Successes

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older

i will happily admit that i had a long Sherlock Holmes phase precipitated by the BBC's Sherlock. that phase ended fairly abruptly when the Sherlock show and fandom simultaneously crashed and burned, or at least that's how it felt to me; i was so turned off by the whole thing that i didn't revisit ANY Holmesian books or media for years afterward, even though i liked quite a lot of it. i've dipped back in a bit since then (because it's hard to resist the charms of Enola Holmes), and am slowly remembering what i loved about the original stories.

this book has all of that charm and then some. honestly what could be more up my alley than wlw Holmes and Watson in a post-environmental-collapse-of-Earth future in space?? literally nothing, it's a perfect book for me. Malka Older really captures everything that makes the original Sherlock Holmes so delightful to me! the first person narrative, for one, which is pitch-perfectly Watsonian in vocabulary and tone, both nostalgic and totally readable. the excellent chemistry and dynamic between Mossa and Pleiti is also spot on, pleasantly messy and immediately fond and entirely satisfying. and the mystery! i loved that the mystery was driving the plot but that the emotional story was the more important arc, and i loved that i had a sense of how the pieces connected but didn't understand it all until Mossa put it together, which is just how a Holmesian story ought to feel.

a fantastic read, and a quick read too, and i'm DYING for the next one (already requested it on NetGalley even though it comes out pretty soon...)

the deets

how i read it: @digger1649 literally put the hardcover into my hands as i was picking up other books at the library and said "you should read this," and he was correct. thanks for all the absolute banger recommendations lately!!! this is one i will definitely buy for myself and recommend at work.

try this if you: are a Holmes fan of any stripe, dig a queer mystery, love sff that imagines what we'll do after running the Earth into the ground, or just delight in the interesting combo of old-fashioned gaslamp language/tone and a futuristic setting!

some bits i really liked: i just love them and also the references so much

Mossa waved that aside. "But you also know me, and how I work. Explaining it to someone else would take too long." I could not restrain a feeling of warmth as if that were praise or even affection and not merely a statement of fact. Believing in signs of affection from Mossa was a trap, because it led to expecting signs of affection.

---

"And you were saying about your specific project?" "Ah yes. I study the British Isles, in the mid-twentieth century. At the moment I'm working on a very useful book about rabbits and their adventures. There's a wealth of descriptions of the flora and fauna in a highly circumscribed, clearly-identified area."

---

Mossa's expression was like the one she had worn in theoretical forestry class when the professor had offered successively more difficult elimination problems until Mossa, alone, had comprehended the final paradigm: as though I were as fascinating and satisfying to grasp as her most difficult questions. But then she shook her head. "Pleiti," she said, "I haven't changed."

---

Mossa responded simply with a Classical quotation: "'Why are men?'"

#books and reading #book reviews #book recs #booklr #bookblr #queer sff #the mimicking of known successes #malka older

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likeadevils · 7 months

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Fave 1989 lyrics?

i had to be RUTHLESS about this like talk about killing your darlings jesus christ

“kaleidoscope of loud” kicks off my favorite lyrical motif in 1989, i’ve ranted about it so many times, the way she conflates and celebrates light and sound and then uses silence and quiet in moments of love is just. so good. i’m not gonna mention all of them in this post but just know everytime it comes up i’m screaming

“it’s been waiting for you” has made me cry many many times

“i can read you like a magazine” immediately established character in such a short amount of time

“keep you second guessing like “oh my god, who is she?” i get drunk on jealousy” is genius. i love how either the love interest or her could be saying “oh my god who is she”. it’s just. she’s so smart

“midnight, you come and pick me up, no headlights” just. works on so many levels. it sets the scene, it establishes character of a reckless couple who can’t see their future, it continues the metaphor of love existing in darkness and quiet, mwah mwah mwah perfect line

“i’ve got that good girl faith and a tight little skirt” WHEN THE ENTIRE SONG US DETAILING HER LACK IF FAITH? she has no faith in the future of the relationship, and she hasn’t been strictly faithful to the love interest— she’s been there too a few times, after all. like, it just so quietly encapsulates the theme of appearances vs reality

speaking of “i said i’ve been there too a few times” made my jaw DROP the first time i heard it

“two paper airplanes flying, flying, flying…” SHOULDN’T WORK ON SO MANY LEVELS. IT SHOULD JUST BE A CLEVER METAPHOR. AND YET!!!

“the monsters turned out to be just trees, when the sun came up, you were looking at me” IN A SONG NAMED OUT OF THE WOODS???

“let me remind you this is what you wanted (you ended it), you were all i wanted, but not like this” good line. absolute burn

“i miss you to much to be mad anymore” what if you just run me over with a car instead huh

“we’re a crooked love, in a straight line down” good metaphor

“his hands are in my hair, his clothes are in my room, and his voice is a familiar sound” is such a good way to express a relationship getting more serious. it’s like, the pinochle of show don’t tell

“you’ll see me in hindsight, tangled up with you all night, burning it down. someday when you leave me, i’ll bet these memories follow you around” she just. sings it like a curse it’s so good

“in silent screams, in wildest dreams” and “in losing grip on sinking ships” are just. i love it when lyrics reference other lyrics in different songs it makes the album feel so cohesive it’s so good

“when you’re young you just run, but you come back to what you need” was already one of my favorite lyrics on the album but i’m also pretty sure it’s referencing “while our bloods still young, so young it runs” WHICH COMES RIGHT BEFORE “won’t stop til it’s over” which is the treacherous secret message, and THATS right before “won’t stop to surrender” which is the line harry has incorrectly tattooed

just every lyric in clean. i can’t pick one they’re all good

“he keeps a picture of you in his office downtown, and you understand now why they lost their minds and fought the wars, and why i’ve spent my whole life trying to put it into words” is like. possibly my top five lyrics of her whole career. don’t ask me to do that it would be too hard but this would possibly make it

new romantics is another song that’s just like pick a line i can write an essay about why it’s so good i can’t believe this didn’t make the standard edition it’s a literal crime jail for ms swift

#asks*

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made-ofmemories · 1 year

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When Life Tears You Asunder, But You’re Not Alone

(Chapter 5/17)

General Warnings/tags: Found family, implied Wayne/Susan in future chapters, Max & Eddie have a sibling like relationship, fluff, hurt/comfort

Chapter specific warnings/tags: Nothing way too detailed but there is some talk of shitty parents, past childhood traumas and parental death, Billy’s abuse is also mentioned in this chapter

Word count: 2559

Summary: Billy was a pretty shitty brother, there was no denying it, but Max still finds herself mourning for the sibling relationship they never got to have. With him gone she thinks so are her chances of ever having the big brother figure she’s always wanted. Then in a turn of events that she never saw coming, Eddie Munson waltzes into her life. Or more like, almost runs her over.

Notes: A lot of the stuff about Billy and Max in this chapter directly references or was heavily inspired by the book ‘Runaway Max’

Co-written with the wonderful @ladydorian05 and crossposted on AO3. Updates every Friday.

Series Masterlist

——-

Max is in a bad mood and has been since the first period of the day, English with Mrs. Ross. By the time the bell rings at 3 pm and she’s stomping out of the building to where Eddie is waiting for her, she's long past hiding it. She spots the van across the parking lot. Eddie seems revved up, as usual, his hands on the steering wheel are drumming along to whatever song is playing on the stereo and he’s banging his head back and forth to the rhythm of it.

The entire vehicle shakes when she slams the van door behind her. Eddie flinches at the sudden noise and she feels a little guilty for startling him. He must pick up on her mood pretty quickly because he doesn’t make a remark about it like she would expect from him any other time.

“How was school?” He asks tentatively as they’re leaving the parking lot.

“Fine.” She grumbles. She really isn’t in the mood for small talk, she can feel a headache coming on and to make matters worse Eddie just had to be playing that song, “Can you turn this off?” She snaps, maybe a little too harshly.

“Uh- sure.” He sounds confused and Max can’t blame him. Usually, she loves anything by Metallica, just last week she had been shouting along to the lyrics of the very same song with him. Right now though, all it’s doing is dragging up memories she’d really rather not deal with.

He turns off the stereo and they travel in silence until Eddie stops somewhere that very much isn’t the trailer park. Max had been too caught up in her own head to even realize they had been driving the completely wrong way for the past 5 minutes.

“What are we doing here? I just want to go home.”

“I’m hungry, aren’t you hungry?”

“No. Eddie. Please can we just go, I have… homework.” It’s a lame excuse, unconvincing even to her own ears.

“It’s Friday, you have the whole weekend to do homework. Come on.” He’s hopping out of the van and heading towards the diner they’re parked in front of before she can get another word in.

She groans, throwing her head back against the seat. He’s impossible sometimes. She weighs up her options, she can either stay here in this freezing cold rust bucket of a van which is only going to get colder or she can go along with whatever the hell this is.

“This is technically kidnapping of a minor you know.” She complains when she catches up to him.

“Yeah yeah, add it to the list.”

She waits close to the entrance while Eddie orders to go. She’s skated past the building several times before, but it’s the first time she’s ever been inside. There are a few servers bustling around and one or two customers but overall it’s not too busy. Some old 60’s pop song is playing quietly on the jukebox.

Max insists that she doesn’t want anything. Eddie orders her a hot cocoa anyway and despite her grumbling, she has to admit that the warmth of the hot drink is appreciated. She takes a sip of it once they’re back in the van, it’s good.

“There used to be a place just like this near where I grew up.” Eddie says breaking the silence they’ve once again fallen into, “My mom used to take me there when I had a bad day and we’d eat ice cream and drink milkshakes until we both felt sick.”

He looks sad despite the faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips, a bittersweet memory Max thinks.

“She sounds nice.”

“She was. Things got hard, near the end, but sometimes she’d have a good week, manage to stay clean for a few days and I’d get my mom back for a little while.”

“What happened to her?” She asks cautiously. He’s never really spoken about his birth parents to her before and she’s more than a little wary of crossing some kind of line.

“She passed away when I was a kid. My dad had always been kinda shitty but he went totally off the rails after that and ended up in jail a couple of months later.” He taps his fingers against the steering wheel, his rings clinking against each other, “I was, uhhh about 10? At the time. I didn’t have anywhere to go so Wayne took me in and I’ve been with him ever since.”

"My stepdad, Neil, was kind of shitty too before he left. My real dad is… less shitty, but I don’t even know where he is right now. I lost contact with him when we left California."

“Shitty parents are the worst,” Eddie confirms. He starts the van which rattles to life with a splutter and they fall into another silence while he drives.

Max is less surprised this time when they come to a stop and it’s somewhere other than the trailer park. She has to admit Sattlers Quarry seems like an odd choice, but trying to figure out how Eddie’s brain works rarely gets her very far.

“Come on, let’s eat.” He grabs the paper bag containing the food as well as his own cup of cocoa.

Max follows when he hops out of the van and takes a seat on the floor beside him. They’re at the bottom of the quarry, next to the water. She hasn’t spent much time out here, but it’s kind of pretty when the sun low in the sky hits the water just right illuminating it to a vibrant shade of blue.

“I’ve always liked how quiet this place can be,” Eddie says, reaching into the bag to pull out a carton of fries. Max reaches over to steal some, she’d barely eaten at lunch and now that she’d calmed down somewhat the hunger was starting to creep up on her.

Eddie rolls his eyes but doesn’t say anything. He reaches into the paper bag and pulls out 2 burgers wrapped tightly in foil, he sets one onto his lap for himself and hands the other to Max.

“I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier.”

“Don’t worry about it.” He chuckles, handing her a paper napkin from the bag when she takes a bite of her burger and smears ketchup across her face in the process, “I can assure you I’ve dealt with worse just walking down the street.”

Max doesn’t doubt that it’s true, she’s heard the things people say about him even now after his name has been cleared. None of it is true, of course, but she thinks maybe that makes it worse. Eddie never seems to let it get to him. She’s not sure how he does it, her fists clench just at the thought of some of the awful things she’s overheard.

“Someone said something, at school,” Max says, picking up the disposable cup of hot cocoa from her side and swirling the remnants around in the bottom of the cup.

“Said something? About you?”

“About Billy.” She’s staring down at the plastic lid covering the cup in her hands, not able to bring herself to make eye contact, “And it’s stupid really because I thought I was over all that shit but turns out I’m not.”

“He was your brother, right?” Eddie asks and Max forgives him for needing the clarification. Just as he never talks about his birth parents Max doesn’t have a tendency to talk about her family either.

“Stepbrother, technically.”

“And the mall fire, I’m guessing that wasn’t a fire?”

“No. Not exactly.” She scoffs at the lame government-issued excuse, mall fire, sure.

She forgets sometimes that he’s been around for even less of all the crazy upside-down stuff than she has, usually they make an effort specifically not to talk about it. He wasn’t there for the demodogs, the underground tunnels, or the mind flayer versions one and two. All he knew from the pre-Vecna days was the very brief and massively oversimplified version of events given to him the day they had found him hiding out in Reefer Rick’s boathouse.

It sounds crazy, even to her own ears when she starts recounting the events of the past 4 years. She tells him briefly of the stuff Lucas had recapped to her from the year when everything began and Max was still back in California thinking the biggest problems in her life were going to be an asshole of a brother and a shitty step-dad. She goes into a little more detail when she gets to her own experiences with the upside-down after moving to Hawkins, but puts the most focus on the Summer of ‘85. She tells him about starcourt, about the mind flayer, the flayed, and what happened to Billy. What really happened to Billy, not the watered-down excuse that had been fed to everyone who wasn’t there to witness the truth.

“Well, shit.” It takes him a moment to process, understandably, “And you still miss him.” It’s more of a statement than a question, he’s expecting her to agree but she hesitates. She shrugs and her eyes dart to Eddie’s for the first time since she started talking. Eddie has never judged her for anything, but she’s worried this might change that.

“It’s complicated.”

“Complicated?”

“He was an asshole.” She states matter of factly, “I was so excited when my mom told me I was going to have a big brother. Then Billy came along. I thought he was cool at first, but that didn’t last. He was awful to me, and my friends. He hated me, I hated him. And Neil… Neil didn’t know how to deal with him and only ever made things worse. He thought all of his problems could be solved with a belt. Or his fists.”

She glances at Eddie. The hand resting on his leg balls up the fabric of his pants so hard his knuckles are turning white. She’s never seen him angry. Frustrated, or scared? Yes, but never truly angry. She thinks judging by the sullen expression on his face that this is as close as she’s ever going to get.

“He never touched me, didn’t think I was worth it, I guess. I was just some stupid little girl to him most of the time.” She’s quick to clarify and Eddie lets out a relieved breath, though he still seems tense. He encourages her to continue with a little nod when he realizes she’s paused, "I just- for a long time I would have given anything to have Billy out of my life and now that he’s actually gone, I don’t know. It feels like it was my fault, maybe if I hadn’t had those thoughts or if I’d done more than just stand there he’d still be here. And maybe things wouldn’t have changed and we’d have still hated each other and he’d have continued making my life hell, but I wish we’d gotten a chance to try to be real siblings. I didn’t want us to hate each other.”

She takes a deep breath and fixes her eyes on the cup of hot cocoa in her hands again. It stirs up a strange mixture of emotions talking about everything, the guilt she still feels over Billy, the fear she feels when she wakes up from a nightmare and isn’t sure if she’s still in her bed or trapped in the upside-down, and the longing she would feel for a real sibling bond on those rare occasions when Billy wasn’t terrorizing her and everyone around them. But she also feels the relief of finally getting so many years worth of bottled-up emotions off her chest. She’s barely even scratched the surface and still, she’s never shared this much before, not even with Lucas.

“I had no idea. Shit.” She hears rather than sees him lie back onto the crunchy dry leaves scattered around them. It’s a lot, she knows that. She doesn’t think she’d know how to respond either, “It wasn’t your fault. None of this was ever your fault. Not Neil, Not Billy being an asshole, and certainly not Billy’s death.” He says after he’s taken a moment to process everything. It’s said with a fierce tone, one that doesn’t leave room for negotiation, she’s only ever heard him use it a few times, usually when he’s arguing with Mike or Dustin about something.

She sniffles, managing to hold back the tears that are starting to sting at the back of her eyes. She doesn’t trust herself to speak so she just nods in acknowledgment, she’s done enough talking for now anyway, she thinks.

“I’m sorry that you never got your second chance with Billy.” His voice is softer this time and she peeks over to him and sees him sitting upright again, “Hey, you have Harrington though. He seems pretty awesome, surprisingly.”

It’s meant to lighten the mood and it works, the mention of Steve bringing a small smile to her face. Steve had shown her a kindness she never would have expected in those first few months in Hawkins. He had put himself right in the face of danger to protect her and the others without second thought time and time again. He’s a mother hen for sure and a good friend, but he’s not the first person who comes to mind when she thinks of the word brother.

“Yeah. He’s pretty cool.” Her voice wobbles just a little, but her smile grows wider, “If you ever tell him I said that I will end you.” She jokes, jabbing a finger in Eddie's direction.

“I’m sworn to secrecy!” He raises his hands in surrender. He gives Max a few minutes, before he asks, “You ready to go?”

They gather up their trash, balling up the foil from the burgers and placing their empty cups into the paper bag which Eddie then tosses into the back of his van. Max is slowly starting to understand why it’s always such a mess in there.

Eddie drops her off in front of her trailer, as usual. She grabs her things, says her goodbyes, and starts making her way inside. She makes it as far as the front door before the thoughts gnawing away at her brain finally win. She dumps her school bag and skateboard outside and turns to face the other side of the street.

“Eddie!” She yells when she sees that he’s just gotten out of his van and hasn’t made it inside yet. He stops in his tracks and turns to look at her with a confused expression when she calls him. He looks even more confused when she’s jogging across the street towards him.

“Hey, did you forget somet- oof.”

She wraps her arms around him in a hug so fierce it makes him stumble back a step or two. It takes him a couple of seconds to register what’s happening, but when he does he brings his arms to wrap around her and squeezes her back just as tightly.

“You’re a pretty great big brother.” She says from where she’s squished against his chest.

If she happens to glance back on her way over to her trailer and notice him wiping at his eyes, well no one needs to know.

#max mayfield #eddie munson #stranger things

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shadowsong26x · 1 year

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so i have now watched all of s1 of the new interview with the vampire tv show and i have Thoughts XD

((i don’t have amc+, but people i petsit for do, so i watched the first half of the season a few weeks ago and then caught up on the rest this week)).

first, some quick and largely nonspoilery stuff:

this is my absolute favorite incarnation of louis. he’s...admittedly not my favorite. i don’t dislike him, he just...doesn’t interest me very much. ((especially in the film; idk what brad pitt was doing but he certainly wasn’t making louis Interesting. jim stanek in the musical did his level best but even there.)) ETA: they do seem to have written out his pyromaniac tendencies, apart from that one time he lit a fire to make a Point in daniel’s direction, which is kind of a shame. but otherwise, definitely my favorite louis, as interesting as he can be made for me.

i really love everything they did with grace and the rest of louis’ human family. which quite possibly contributes to point 1? also, reverting to the backstory established in the book re: paul, where every other adaptation has gone in a different direction.

i knew going in that i was probably going to love everything they’re doing with daniel and i was not at all disappointed. all of the framestory bits, everything going on there, was Amazing.

i do have somewhat mixed feelings about aging claudia up to 14. i know it was done for at least partially for practical reasons, since they needed to cast an adult actress and 14 was as young as they could credibly go, and just barely young enough to still hit the same emotional/storyline notes, but...idk. (especially after watching some of the special insight/commentary things, with the emphasis on being Perpetually Going Through Puberty, it felt a little weird) bailey bass was incredible and i think they did really interesting things (for the most part), but that’s one of the choices i have mixed feelings about. (in the stage version and in the film, she’s 10/11; i think the actress on broadway was 15 or 16? but stage is different from tv is different from film. obviously there’s no adaptation that’s going to keep her 5/6, but.)

(almost) all the little bits and pieces of Lore scattered throughout. i have zero interest in the mayfairs, but them getting namedropped right in the beginning was pretty great. (i’ve read merrick and blackwood farm, and i think...lasher? one of the actual mayfair trilogy books; that was enough to tell me that it’s not for me) and, of course, marius, nicki and gabrielle, those who must be kept...just excellent.

some more detailed (and spoilery) stuff behind the cut. mostly relating to episodes 5-7, with the accompanying Warnings for domestic and sexual violence. as well as some speculation/thoughts on where things could go from here.

so, first, the obvious thing that Everyone Has Opinions About--the stuff at the end of s5, where lestat beats the crap out of louis.

this is...another thing i have kind of mixed feelings about.

i 100% understand what they were trying to do, and they did it well. it didn’t feel out of place or gratuitous; it was extreme but lestat is a pretty extreme dude. and the awkward tension of the pseudo-reconciliation/louis taking lestat back in episode 6 played out really well. and while i don’t 100% like the implication that there was never any affection or love between claudia and lestat, that scene on the train after everything had fallen apart was just. Incredible.

(also, the way lestat Clearly knew the attack was coming when he asked louis for that last dance, even before the antoinette reveal)

however.

my concern here is...there’s a limit, you know? a point at which, when we get lestat’s point of view (which we will; they already made it explicit that he didn’t permadie then and also the references to future plot threads/characters and the fact that amc+ has the Entire Series to make)...anyway, there’s a point at which him saying “that’s not actually what happened, here’s my version” stops being credible. at least in the ways it’s supposed to play out in terms of lestat being someone we like, someone whose love story we want to end well.

and i think that the show came right the fuck up to that limit, if not actually crossing over. we’ll see how they handle it in future seasons, but...yeah.

basically, taking s1 on its own, everything about that scene and the buildup to it and the aftermath of it works really, really well. but in the context of the larger story they’re trying to get into and tell...i’m not so sure it does.

second, the scene where bruce/killer sexually assaulted claudia. i know it was offscreen/the pages were ripped out of the diary/etc. but that felt gratuitous. i appreciated the continuity nod/reference, i appreciated the introduction of a relatively minor vampire who most people have forgotten, but...idk, it felt like Rape As Drama in all the Problematic ways to me.

third, rashid.

so, uh, a few days ago, before i actually watched these episodes, i reblogged a gorgeous photoset of the scene where louis cuts lestat’s throat. i added the following tags (among others):

#yeah i kind of knew but this being ep. 7 of 8 really does mean we're not getting my precious murder kitten armand until next season #ah well

SO THAT’S WHAT I GET FOR READING OUT OF CONTEXT SPOILERS AND MISSING THE BIG ONE XD

((also i was wrong about the number of episodes but that’s less important))

the funny thing is--after watching the first couple episodes, i actually considered the idea? i mean, lestat is the only character introduced so far who matches his book description (i think even daniel was described as a blond in the books but it’s been a while), and rashid has some of that--armand tends to have a fairly quiet affect until he goes apeshit, and sometimes even then, and rashid had the right Vibe. plus, he’s pretty much immediately associated with marius via the painting, also the Knowledge of his relationship with daniel in the books...So.

but i rejected that idea for reasons i cannot remember XD possibly because ‘why would armand play the rashid role’ or something along those lines.

all that aside, i am Thrilled. armand is and pretty much always has been my favorite. i think the only exception is the second movie which Does Not Exist anyway, but that’s mostly because he’s Barely Present and you wouldn’t know he’s even in it if you didn’t read the cast list, iirc. even in the stage musical, which is not my favorite version of him (because he gets a pretty significant villain upgrade/villain ball type stuff in ways that don’t entirely jive with everything else he is), he has probably my favorite song in the entire show. i rewound and rewatched the bit where he’s just quietly taking his gloves off for the Reveal and just. yesssss.

it also puts a pretty hilarious spin on all the prior scenes, since we know louis can carry on a telepathic and physical conversation at once. especially the one where louis is feeding on armand (which...like...yes, in this version vampires can have and enjoy sex unlike in the books so feeding off each other isn’t Quite as much of a metaphor as it is in the books but...like...insert ‘right in front of my salad’ joke here)

i am a little curious about what shifting all of that in the past sequence to the 1940s will do, but not necessarily in a bad way. we already know they get to paris probably after it’s liberated (i didn’t catch the date in claudia’s journal but i know it was 1945). i also know that the grand guignol (which the theatre des vampires is at least partially based on) was starting to fade at that point (after the horrors of the two world wars, that kind of macabre theatre du bizarre wasn’t really a Thing anymore, to much of it had happened in reality).

i also--having louis introduce armand as the ‘love of his life’ was certainly. a Choice. it makes me wonder exactly what went down in this version with claudia’s destruction; what kind of lies armand is telling louis (or louis, who in this version has a Truly Profound capacity for self-deception, has told himself). that’s something i’m reserving judgment on but cautiously kind of...mixed to negative feelings about it. louis and armand did spend a few decades together in book canon, but the way louis talks about him here is a bit More than that and i’m not 100% sure it works.

also noticed that his timeline was shifted--not by much, relatively speaking, but about 30-50 years. ((which i noticed earlier, since tintoretto was a bit later than marius is supposed to be in the books; marius in his renaissance painter guise is a contemporary of boticelli there, who died a few years before tintoretto was born)). which doesn’t really make a huge different, it’s just interesting. especially since lestat’s timeline doesn’t seem to have shifted much, if at all. except possibly expanding the time he spent in paris before magnus abducted him. louis also refers to him as being in his 20s, so presumably he was slightly older when he was turned (which would make sense given the way claudia was aged up--yes, there’s a World of difference between 14 and 17, and armand in the books can dress up or dress down to appear anywhere between his actual age and mid-twenties but still) that part matters even less, but it is something i noticed.

anyway, my precious murder kitten armand making a semi-surprise appearance in the frame story filled me with glee, even if i have some Questions. i am looking forward to seeing more of him next season.

a few other miscellaneous thoughts:

i am curious about what they’re going to do with gabrielle, if/when they get to her. she’s been referenced, very briefly, but while lestat seems to have told claudia and louis about nicki, gabrielle hasn’t been mentioned since that family dinner in the first episode. i love gabrielle, and while i understand the reasoning behind it (it’s like the Only major story change from the movie that doesn’t exist that makes any sense to me), i really hope they don’t cut her out.

also that movie theatre scene about the uniforms was...another thing that felt weird and slightly gratuitous? not on the level of the stuff with killer, but.

and curious about how they’ll handle those who must be kept. given some of the origin changes...iirc, akasha was originally babylonian, not egyptian, and came to egypt to marry enkil? i wonder if they’ll include that or cut it.

anyway, overall, i am Pleased with how this is going and looking forward to season 2 a lot. we’ll get to paris, and armand in the past, and claudia’s destruction, lestat’s (first) resurrection...while i have some quibbles and some Questions, mostly i am just Excite for what comes next.

(still probably won’t watch the mayfair witches, though i might check out other tie-ins if they do rameses or violin or servant of the bones or any of the others. oncle julien why.)

#interview with the vampire spoilers #iwtv spoilers #season 1 thoughts

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