#and then a lot of things that didn’t get covered in s2

[hawkinslibrary]

#this isn't anything new or particularly spoiler-y but. i tag everything anyway so #twitter #s5 #spoilers #st5 spoilers #as you can see i also voted s2 #bc it’s the only really happy one lol #but i love all the finales so much #they’re my favorite eps overall i think #the last 3 or 4 of every season where everything starts coming together #and especially in the end when the characters all team up <3 #but yeah they keep saying s1 vibes #which i think is just the adults-older teens-teens team ups #and then a lot of things that didn’t get covered in s2 #i’ve already said i know i’ll love whatever we get anyway so i’m just excited for anything #i'm very curious to know just what they mean when they keep bringing up s2 like this #also apparently the person behind this profile now is named pete and i have no clue when we found that out #remember when they just went by dart. #i'm gonna regret posting this probably

[avelera]

Man, there’s all these little beats in OFMD S2 1-3 where people keep EXPECTING Stede to be upset or horrified about Ed’s actions and then he’s just. Not. In a way that reminded me of how a lot of fanon kept softening Stede into someone who doesn’t swear and is horrified at Ed for setting those ships on fire when imo to my eyes he was horrified for Ed because Ed was still so clearly distressed about it.

- Zheng Yi Sao asks Stede how he’s doing now that he knows Ed did horrible things to his crew and there’s this beat and Stede just pivots to, oh yeah, sometimes Ed is troubled. Like it didn’t occur to him to be upset on the crew’s behalf he’s worried about Ed.

- Izzy keeps trying to spare Stede’s feelings and cover up Ed’s spiral, but Stede clocked what was going on with Ed immediately and wasn’t the least bit intimidated or bothered. The knives brought the room together. Of course Ed’s trying to burn the world down or die trying. Duh. And I genuinely don’t think the STUFF in the Revenge mattered even a fraction to Stede as much as the signs of Ed’s breakdown broke his heart. It’s just STUFF, who cares.

- Lucius had to SPECIFICALLY call out Stede for not being surprised or bothered by what happened to him. What Ed did. Stede has to almost consciously remind himself to express polite concern. He just doesn’t actually care, instinctively or automatically, about what happened to Lucius. Part of it is he blames himself more than Ed. Part of it is he just doesn’t care, Ed is the priority.

They’re little blink and you’ll miss it pauses in some cases. Micro-expressions. The absence of a reaction. But honestly, I will scream it to the end of time, Stede is not some nonviolent creampuff scared or upset by Ed’s evil ways. He wants to join Ed in the atrocities. The man ran away to become a pirate. He asked if Lucius was taking notes during a murderous raid.

Stede’s at least a little on some kind of whackadoodle pirate comedy neurodivergence spectrum to the point where he actually really actually struggles to empathize with people, even people he cares about!, if their feelings conflict with his hyperfixation (piracy) and the love of his life (Ed Teach). He’s always, ALWAYS going to pick Ed over Lucius or Izzy or his crew or even his own feelings, if the option is there. He will literally throw himself overboard to get to Ed’s side. No pause. No consideration of anyone else or even his own safety.

Stede sometimes seems to have to consciously remind himself things like, oh yeah, the crew, I need to see to them. Not because he’s heartless or doesn’t care, but because it takes a bit of conscious effort for him to see beyond the laser-focused spotlight of what and who he does care most about, he has to remind himself of social niceties and other people’s feelings (just see him running away in the first place!) when he gets an idea in his head. It’s as if he had to train himself to consciously care about some things other people care about and as a neurodivergent person myself, that felt very familiar in a comedically writ large sort of way. I’d even argue that’s where all his aristocratic social niceties come from. They were his guidebook for how to do things “right” in a world that otherwise made no sense to him outside his hyperfixations. He practiced being a person through the aristocratic training because it was all so foreign to him from the start, including caring, actually caring, about the needs of others. Not because he’s consciously evil or consciously a jerk. The instinct just isn’t there unless he practices at it until it becomes reflex to ask how others are doing, because on his own his brain just doesn’t really notice or care.

I just… hope the fandom notes and has as much FUN as I do noticing all the little moments where even people inside the story of OFMD expect Stede to act in a normal way and instead he remains unhinged, laser-focused on Ed.

Stede’s not just an Ed apologist, he truly doesn’t blame Ed for any of it. He blames only himself. He doesn’t always voice this but he really really only cares about anyone else including the crew as a DISTANT second and he has to consciously REMIND himself to do so. He is able to rally to take action, to care about their physical needs like safety during the rescue, but he still struggles, deeply struggles, to remember to show empathy in a non-performative way for anyone except his special person, Ed.

Stede’s not a creampuff, not a nice guy, not some emotionally or morally perfect angel. He has to consciously practice caring about literally anything else but what he wants to do and his special person. And to me that’s a thousand times more interesting than shoving him in a box labeled “the blond, pacifist do-gooder good guy” in their relationship.

#this rant requires gifs I don’t have but trust me those odd little beats are there #bless Rhys Darby for making Stede so very neurodivergent coded because it SHOWS #ofmd #ofmd spoilers #our flag means death #ofmd s2 spoilers #ofmd meta #sometimes fandom flanderization makes characters so DULL compared to canon

[queerfandomtrifecta]

I’ve seen a few takes on the whole “Is the writing actually bad or are you trying to order a milkshake from the hardware store?” genre expectations thing for OFMD s2 and I’m gonna add my own.

Yes, I know it’s billed as a lighthearted pirate romcom. And s1 was just that. But s1 also had some incredibly solid character arcs and thematic elements and layers and so much depth that were shaped by some more serious dramatic bits here and there.

I wasn’t expecting that going into it. In s1, I was expecting to go into the hardware store for hardware, as anyone would, because it’s advertised as a hardware store. But then I got there and discovered that this particular hardware store also happened to sell milkshakes. I didn’t expect milkshakes from a hardware store, especially not really good milkshakes since that seems like it might be a tough thing to sell together, but they were able to keep the hardware out of the milkshakes and vice versa, so it was great. You didn’t have to order a milkshake if milkshakes weren’t your thing and you never planned on ordering one since it’s ultimately a hardware store. You could just come for hardware. You could also really just come for the milkshakes if you wanted to, but it was still really clear that we were getting that milkshake from a hardware store.

And then s2 started and the hardware store spent three episodes really expanding on the milkshake sales. To the point it was like wow, if I hadn’t been told this was a hardware store, I’d almost think it was a milkshake shop. And since it was ultimately meant to be a hardware store, they clearly had to try and sell some hardware, but that seemed like it ended up being a little hard to make room for with how much of the store had been filled with milkshakes, so suddenly there are some milkshakes made with nails and screws, and there are toolboxes and lumber with milkshakes spilled on them. And idk maybe they should’ve served fewer milkshakes if they still were gonna try and sell that much hardware, because these things really don’t always mix and now we can’t really use either of them like that. But still, they just kept making more and more and more milkshakes until the blenders just exploded and there’s just this gigantic milkshake mess everywhere.

So at the onset of e4 it’s like okay, yeah, I have faith that this hardware store will definitely clean up the milkshakes because they’re clearly all over this place; it can hardly even be a hardware store til the milkshakes are cleaned up. But then besides a handful of paper towels that are used to clean up a little tiny puddle of milkshake, everyone just… resumes work selling hardware? Despite the fact that they’re still just walking around in the gigantic milkshake mess??

And that just keeps going til there’s only one episode left and it’s like geez idk why they still haven’t cleaned up the milkshakes I hope they can somehow. That seems tough with so little time left, but this place started as really great hardware store that sold quality milkshakes, so maybe they can pull it off.

But then instead, the CEO of the hardware store decides to unexpectedly murder one of the hardware store employees and says it was a kindness because said employee was just so sticky from the milkshakes that never got cleaned up. Which doesn’t seem like a valid reason AT ALL? and even in a messy, milkshake-covered hardware store, that WASN’T something anyone would typically expect to see?? Plus it still did NOTHING to clean up the milkshakes??

And a lot of us are left just asking “i don’t understand, why did no one clean up the milkshakes???” and for some reason, the response to that often seems to be “hardware stores don’t sell milkshakes”. No, they usually don’t, but this one did. None of us would have ever tried to order a milkshake if it hadn’t been established that this specific hardware store has always sold them, and we’re a little concerned that it’s still just covered in them.

It was also super confusing that the hardware store locked its doors and stuck an “out of business forever” sign up while also still planning to open again like usual but said that if they don’t, at least everyone got a happy ending.

Like… um I really don’t think they did and either way I’m a little wary about shopping at this hardware store again.

#I probably took the metaphor too far #ofmd spoilers #ofmd #ofmd season 2 #izzy hands #ofmd season 2 spoilers #ofmd critique #ofmd critical #media literacy #media analysis

[kurokoros]

actually really messed up over the way that Steve Harrington is a character that's desperate to be wanted by someone and the narrative repeatedly punishes him for it. he's a very metaphorical and literal punching bag each season, but it's Steve so it's always a haha funny in hindsight moment or whatever trauma he goes through simply isn’t addressed afterwards.

like, it's implied that his parents aren't around much and/or they have an unhappy and unhealthy marriage (his mom has to follow his dad on business trips to make sure he isn't cheating, which happens often enough that his friends can joke about it). his friends sucked and he obviously didn't agree with or like some of the things they did, but at least they paid attention to him so it was something. he has a reputation for serial dating (or at the very least sleeping around) by the beginning of his junior year in high school. S1 has Nancy blow him off, lie to him, and then spend the night with Jonathan Byers in her bedroom, leading him to believe she’s cheating on him (and despite the audience knowing that’s not technically the case, there’s no denying that the scenes between Nancy and Jonathan were meant to imply romantic chemistry between them). in S2, drunk or not, Nancy is extremely cruel in the way she blames him in part for the death of her friend and calls their entire roughly year long relationship bullshit (which she never really apologizes for), after which she disappears for several days, leaving their relationship ambiguously over, only to show up again a few days later with the new boyfriend she spent over a year pining for. S3 he pours his heart out to Robin just to be rejected when there were totally different ways to work her coming out scene into the plot that didn’t involve spending x number of episodes hinting towards them as a couple just to pull a bait and switch for the audience. and then in S4 Steve is both insecure about his friendship with Dustin, who has more in common with Eddie than he does with Steve, and he has several different people telling him that he's still interested in Nancy and that she's also interested in him (Dustin, Robin, Eddie), only to have his heart kind of broken all over again when she goes right back to Jonathan. 

and that's emotional pain on top of getting beaten or otherwise attacked every season. though arguably justified, in S1 Steve is slapped, punched, and shoved around. during his fight with Billy in S2, Steve is beaten to the point of being knocked out cold for an undetermined amount of time between roughly 10-30 minutes. this is treated like a joke in S3, but considering the number of blows he took to the head there should have been a very serious concern over him having a concussion at best and trauma to the brain at worst. S3 is the same, but the focus on him feeling “like [his] eye is about to pop out” implies ocular trauma. he’s then drugged and nearly has his fingernails ripped off as a form of torture. finally in S4 his bare back is dragged across the ground, he’s strangled, and he has chunks of flesh ripped out of his sides, which I can’t remember being addressed at all after the group returns from the upside down. 

that’s a lot to go through in the ~2.5 years that Stranger things covers. and what’s worse is that I can’t remember a single time where a character asks if he’s okay

#the way the fight with billy in particular is turned into a joke is just... really upsetting to me #steve tried so damn hard to protect the kids #and afterwards he's treated like an inconvenience for them to deal with. or him being beaten is made into a joke #steve harrington #stranger things #it's 4:30am as I'm posting this and I'm just EMOTIONAL

[aziraphales-library]

Can you suggest some heart-warming fics to soothe our souls after the S2 ending? Just some nice Canon compliant fics of them being hopelessly (and obliviously) in love?

P.s I loved Marriage Lines by Bil, it was so beautiful and fluffy.

You can check our #fluff tag for lots of soft content. Here are some fluffy and (at the time they were written!) canon compliant fics...

A Companion to Lonely Angels by eggheadwizard (T)

“I’m afraid,” Aziraphale says, attempting his stern voice but not quite managing to get it right, “of being lonely.” - Aziraphale's never felt so alone before. Crawley gives him a hug. (Set directly after A Companion to Owls.)

Beauty in the Everyday by stressedcat (G)

A fluffy little oneshot set on a rainy day just prior to S2 because I haven't been able to get Good Omens off my mind since July! They're clueless but I love them. Even though they don't talk about their feelings enough to know how they feel about each other, I think A & C bring each other a lot of comfort.

Of Poetry and Valentines by Aethelflaed (G)

Crowley can't stand what Valentines Day has become. If he has to look at one more heart-covered cake, he's going to be sick. But it wasn't always that way. Or: Aziraphale receives a series of mysterious, anonymous Valentine's Day cards.

Falling in love in Berkley Square by born_to_read (G)

“The 36 Questions that lead to love: 36 questions which will make two people fall in love with each other,” Crowley recited what was on the page, “Sounds like a load of hogwash to me”

Book of Love by Gorillazgal86 (T)

Love is written in the smallest moments shared, a glance, a brush of skin, a kindly spoken word. It is the simple everyday acts of affection that write the sweetest tales.

In Muted Tone by sobakasu & sssnakelady (T)

Breathing isn’t of much importance to their bodies. Crowley commands focus on it all the same. In, out, one, two, again and again. Breathing is something living things do and each greedy intake of air reminds him of it. He’d watched Aziraphale’s chest rise and fall too, the desperation in his eyes hidden behind his glasses. They’d enjoyed a bottle of wine on the way to Crowley’s flat, sat close on the bus so that they were touching from hip to knee to heel. Neither of them talked of it. Talked of anything much at all, but the solid presence against his leg had let him know he wasn’t alone. It is roughly ten thirty PM on a Saturday night. The night that Armageddon didn’t. They are three bottles of wine in and Aziraphale is rambling.

And the one you mentioned...

Marriage Lines by Bil (G)

Crowley said, voice very carefully even, “So, were you ever planning on telling me that we were married?” In which Aziraphale finds an unexpected surprise, contemplates parchment and copperplate, visits a picture framer, and eventually gets his happy ending.

- Mod D

#good omens #good omens s2 #ineffable husbands #fluff #short fic #canon compliant #mod d

[hugmekenobi]

S2: The Bad Batch (3)

Chapter Three: Undercover

Gif by @kamino-coruscant

Hunter x femaleJedi!reader

Series Summary: Some time has passed since everything that happened at Kamino and you and the Batch are trying to figure out your place in the rapidly changing Imperial galaxy. And you're having to do all this whilst figuring out where your relationship with Hunter fits into it.

Chapter Summary: A mission assigned to you by Cid sees you and Hunter make some grounds in your relationship.

Masterlist for S1

<Previous Chapter

Genre: Friends (idiots) to Lovers (we're in the lovers stage now)

Chapter Warnings: Not a Crosshair episode (his later episodes will be covered though)! No show plot here, Cid being Cid, bad flirting/flirting to manipulate, having to deal with unwanted advances, mentions of drinking, swearing, suggestive dialogue, semi-public moment of PDA (kissing in an alleyway), mild panic attack description, unwelcomed pet names, welcomed pet names (honey), protectiveness from both these two, doubts and insecurities coming to the surface, Hunter gets a bit carried away (but is a respectful king and stops), angst, fluff and feelings, hurt/comfort, implied mention of Hunter's advanced senses, SMUT (heavy kissing, biting/marking, non explicit descriptions of handjobs and unprotected PinV (be safe in reality please), mentions of oral (f) receiving and fingering, teasing, Hunter doesn't know how to be vulnerable but reader takes care of him this time round, body and general worship)

Word Count: 6.9K

Author's notes: Okay it's here! Apologies for how long it took, I really did struggle with this one but I hope you all enjoy it! Thank you @keep-calm-and-drink-caf cause your advice was very helpful! And thank everyone for your patience! I am on holiday with the fam so Ch4 may be a bit of a longer wait to but I will try to find some sneaky writing time lol

Things were peaceful in Cid’s parlour. Cid had reluctantly let you guys have fewer missions since Tech was out of commission, but you could tell she was waiting for the day he made a full recovery, a day that Tech had assured the rest of you would be very soon. Echo and Wrecker were at the bar and your head rested on Hunter’s shoulder- a more comfortable feat since his armour was off- and the two of you watched Omega and Tech play a game of Dejarik. The peace was soon broken though by a recognisable voice.

“I got it!” Lyra announced as she came through the door, case in hand.

You lifted your head and looked quizzically over at her. “Got what? What are you doing here, Lyra? Not that I’m not happy to see you but…”

Lyra stopped short. “Cid didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“Oh uh… I’m sorry, I thought you knew.”

“Knew what?”

“Your next mission. I’m tired of you lot just lazing around here. Time you made some cash.”

You all turned to face Cid as she came back into the main parlour from her office.

“Tech’s not-” Hunter started to say.

“He’s not essential. I’ve found a mission he can help with from here. It just relies on her.” Cid interrupted and she pointed at you.

“Me?” You replied, crossing your arms.

“I can come back…” Lyra said uneasily.

“No, we need that. I didn’t pay you for a social visit.” Cid said sharply.

Lyra walked over to you and handed you the case, an apologetic smile on her face.  

You opened the case and stared at the bundle of fabric, shoes, and jewellery with suspicion.  “What exactly am I supposed to be doing?” You lifted the dress out and your eyes widened.

“Cid, what is this mission?” Hunter asked warily.

“My client needs some intel on the… business activities of a man on the other side of the city. He’s having a party tonight and you’re the way in.” Cid said to you before she addressed the others. “You lot aren’t even needed. It’s easy money.”

“No.” Hunter replied instantly.

“Yeah, sorry, not really sold on that.” You said as you pushed the case away. “My social skills in that department aren’t exactly well developed.”

Cid just rolled her eyes. “All you need to do it get his attention and download his records. Clearly, you got some skill in that area.” She added snidely as she looked from you to Hunter.

You glared at her.

Cid raised her hands to pacify you. “Look, you got the gear right here and there are easy credits to be taken. Goggles can give you something, so he doesn’t even need to go. Right?” She directed her question to Tech.

“Technically… yes.” He replied reluctantly. He knew you well enough to tell you weren’t thrilled with the idea and the look on Hunter’s face also told him that he wasn’t either.

“Come on. I’d owe ya.” Cid pleaded. “You’d be doing us all a solid.”

You sighed heavily and ignored Hunter’s head shake. “Alright. Fine. Lyra, care to help me out with this get up?”

“You got it!” Lyra took the case from you and the two of you went into the back to change.

--

You shed your limited armour and got to work.

“I really am sorry about this. Cid just told me she needed you to look the part, she never mentioned the fact you didn’t know. I shouldn’t have assumed you did.” Lyra said as she kept her back turned.

“It’s classic Cid. She only told you what she deemed to be the necessary information. That often turns out to be manipulated truth or the bare minimum so don’t worry about it.” You appeased. You finished pulling on the dress. You glanced down and analysed your appearance. “Fuck me, Lyra. Exactly what part am I supposed to be playing?”

Lyra turned around and took you in. The floor length dark red fabric suited and fitted you perfectly and the slit was just high enough to grab attention but keep room for eager discovery.  “Okay, I know there was a bit of misinformation but damn I’m good at my job.”

“I want to catch his eye, not an STD.” You adjusted the straps self-consciously. It was a far cry from Jedi robes or civilian clothes and armour. You had seen the get up senators would don, and you were sure even they wouldn't go for something this bold.

“Well, I should hope actually sleeping with him is off the table. Plus, looking good isn’t an open invitation.”

You heaved an irritated sigh. “I know that and of course sleeping with him isn’t going to happen, but that’s not the point. No doesn’t always mean no to some people.” You said gravely as you passed her the necklace.

“It’s a good thing you know a thing or two about fighting then.” Lyra provided by way of comfort as she clasped it. “Plus, there’s no way your man is going to let anything happen to you if it gets bad.”

Her words, in a strange way, did reassure you. You knew you could handle yourself, regardless of the situation and yes, there would be no way Hunter would let you go it alone on this sort of mission, but you hadn’t realised that would be such an obvious conclusion for an outsider. “What makes you think he’s coming with me?”

Lyra just paused what she was doing and gave you a look that screamed ‘seriously?’

You half smiled. You figured the two of you weren’t as subtle as you thought when you were in the more public domain. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“You look the part. Embrace the role and you’ll be just fine.”

“This just isn’t something I’m used to.” You mumbled as you continued to fiddle with the fabric.

“Didn’t you ever have to attend any balls or play dress up as a kid?” She asked as she batted your hands away.

“It was never on the cards for me.” You muttered. You still hadn’t told her the full extent of your past and you intended to keep it that way. For her sake more than anything.

“Hmm well that’s unfortunate cause you’d fit right in. Final touch.” Lyra added as she handed you a small bag. She looked you up and down. “Anyone who doesn’t do a double take when they see you is an idiot. This is going to be your easiest mission yet.”

“I can only hope.” You muttered as you made your way back out.

“Your sergeant is going to struggle to control himself.” Lyra teased as she followed you.

“Shut up.”

--

“Oh wow! You look really pretty!” Omega exclaimed as she tore her gaze away from the Dejarik board.

Hunter, who had replaced Tech for the next match, turned around at her words and he practically gulped. Pretty was an understatement. You damn near took his breath away and he couldn’t find the words to express how beautiful you looked.

Wrecker sent a playful wolf whistle in your direction, giving you an encouraging smile and thumbs up as you looked over at him.

Echo nodded his head in casual agreement at the sentiments expressed already.

“Thank you.” You said, a tad bashfully before you wandered over to where Tech was sitting. “What do you have for me, Tech?”

“Here.” Tech said, not looking up from his datapad as he handed you the drive.

“Thanks.” You walked back over to stand by Lyra.

“What do ya think Sergeant?” Lyra called over to Hunter.

You’d been avoiding his stare for a reason but now you couldn’t help but look over to him as you heard Lyra address him. Your breath caught in your throat as you saw the way Hunter was staring at you and suddenly this mission seemed very low on the priority list and finding a private space became your brain’s main focus.

Hunter cleared his throat. “You’re perfect.” The quiet awe infused utterance was all he could manage because anything else would be inappropriate for general audiences.

“Told you.” Lyra whispered as she nudged your arm. The guy was staring at you like he was willing to get on his knees and worship you the second you gave the word.

You were too entranced by his gaze to pay her words any real attention.

“Good luck.” Lyra said as a farewell.

“Thanks for your help, Lyra.” You said distantly as you registered her leave your side, but your eyes never left Hunter’s.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re wearing a dress, big whoop. Can we get to the important part?” Cid said impatiently before she brought up a hologram.

Cid’s bluntness gave you the required shock you needed to focus on the task at hand. “Who’s the target?” You asked as you crossed your arms and stared at the image of the man.

“His name is Taryn Franco. He’s in the spice smuggling business and is doing remarkably well despite the Imperial presence in the regular smuggling channels. Your job is to find out how he’s manging to do so well.” Cid directed as she brought up a map of the location.

“You want me to get his shipping routes?” You clarified as you studied the map. It really couldn’t be that simple. 

“Yup. Told you it was an easy job.”

“I’m waiting for the catch.”

“The catch is you gotta make him notice you, other than that, the only thing you need to do is a bit of downloading.”

“Once you get a visual on the records, insert that drive and you’ll have the necessary information in two minutes.” Tech added.

“Got it.” You replied as you slipped the datastick into your bag. “How are we getting in? I’m assuming we’re not on the guest list.”

“You’ll have to figure that one out.” Cid said frankly.

You huffed out an irritated sigh. “An easy job would mean we had a way in in the first place.” You griped.

“Be resourceful, it’s not my problem. You better get going.” Cid said dismissively.

“Be safe!” Omega said as she gave you a hug goodbye.

Tech, Echo, and Wrecker waved you off, echoing Lyra’s message of good luck.

You didn’t even need to ask him. As soon as you walked away from Cid, Hunter stood up and followed you out the door and together the two of you made your way to the Marauder, the tension between you palpable and ready to snap at any moment. You just needed to keep it together for a little while longer.

--

“We can pretend I’m your guard as you look for the target. That way I can keep a look out.” Hunter said as you both walked down the ramp of the ship and moved towards the building all lit up and the one that had music blaring from the door and windows.

You grabbed his wrist and tugged him into a nearby alley. “You can’t come in with me.”

“Why not?” Hunter asked with a frown.

“Because the way you’re looking at me right now is making me want to ditch this whole thing and go back to the ship.” You said as you let out a shaky breath.

Hunter really didn’t see the issue with that. He knew you both weren’t enthusiastic about this. “Let’s go then.” He uttered as his hand traced the slit of your dress.

“Hunter.” You chastised as you pushed his hand away. You were having to use a considerable amount of self-restraint. It would be so easy to just blow this whole thing off and Hunter was making it a very tempting idea. He somehow looked even better without his armour on tonight. “Cid’ll kill us, and we need the money. I’ll be quick. In and out, there won’t be trouble but if you enter with me, that’ll make my job ten times harder because it wouldn’t take a genius to figure out our feelings towards each other.”

Hunter nodded in tentative agreement. He knew he would struggle to see you in this environment, and he knew you were right, but he wasn’t going to let you go it alone. He’d go insane. “Okay, I’ll leave you to it, but I’ll come in after you and keep my distance. You need someone to watch your back. ‘No trouble’ isn’t exactly how our missions tend to go.” He offered as a compromise.

“Fine.” You agreed. “I’ll deal with the bouncer to get us in, so we better get moving. Sooner we’re in, the sooner we can leave. And then we can have some time to ourselves.” You added with a sly grin as you nudged past him.

Hunter caught the top of your arm. “If you take less than 30 minutes, I’ll finally let you use the scarf.” He whispered, his lips ghosting behind the shell of your ear.

The tension chord had well and truly snapped. You released a heavy breath. You don’t play fair. With that, you turned your head and kissed him, and you both groaned in relief.

Hunter was quick to assert his dominance as he pushed you against the wall, his hand coming to rest behind your head so as to protect it before he moved it to your waist. Your appreciative moan only helped him deepen the kiss.  

The kiss was desperate, each of you hungry for more but you both were just about resisting the urge to give into what your bodies really wanted to do but the longer the two of you kissed, the harder it got to defy.

It was your hands that betrayed you first. Yours had started to wander down Hunter’s chest whilst the other tangled itself in his hair. His had stayed on your waist and the other had slipped under the fabric and had started to caress the inside of your thigh and was steadily moving upward. So, you really had to pull back before you did get too carried away.

You both let out disgruntled sighs as you broke the kiss first.

“I am going to get that information so fast.” You replied breathlessly as Hunter let you go. You knew that moment was a bad idea as it only served to rile you up more, but you really couldn’t help yourself. You smoothed your dress down to regain your composure.

Hunter focused on getting his breathing under control. “Be careful. I’ll see you in there.”

--

“Invitation?” The bouncer asked as he held his hand out as you approached.

You channelled the Force and covertly waved your hand. “You don’t need to see my invitation.”

“I don’t need to see your invitation.” He replied, his voice distant.

“Me and the man that’ll come after me can enter without one.”

“You and the man that’ll come after you can enter without one.” He replied faintly.

You opened the door. You’re good to go, Sarge. With that, you stepped inside where the sound of music and people’s voices talking over it greeted you.

Hunter made to move once he got confirmation from you that he was in the clear.

“Have a good evening, sir.” The guard said with a nod.

Hunter didn’t reply, he just wandered in and set about finding you.

--

Maker it was loud in here. And hot. And it reeked of sweat. Hunter thought as he pushed his way past people in his search for you. He was very uncomfortable, everything was too loud, including his own heartbeat, and he knew his breathing was growing unsteady. He found a slightly quieter corner and he took some calming breaths as he scanned the area for you.

--

It hadn’t taken you long to find to find your host. He was at the bar eye-fucking anyone that walked past. Before you could make your move, you sensed Hunter’s Force signature, but it was filled with stress and anxiety. You projected your own calm onto him. Honey, listen to me. I know it’s loud and I know it’s crowded but focus on your breathing, focus on my voice. Breathe in and count to 5 and breath out and count to 5. We’ll be out of here soon. If you need to leave, you can, I’ll find you when I’m done. You had to fight the urge to go find him and you wished with all your heart that you could comfort him properly, but this was the best you could manage.

You made yourself focus on the job at hand and swallowed down the bile that threatened to rise in your throat at the thought of having to interact with Taryn, but you knew it needed to be done. You straightened your back and channelled an alternate version of yourself that would be able to succeed at this.

You slid into the space next to Taryn and pretended to analyse the choices behind the bar. When you felt his eyes on you, you turned to face him. “So many choices, care to help a girl out? You look like a man who knows a good drink.” You simpered.

Taryn looked you up and down and he liked what he saw. “You got a good eye, doll. Stick with me tonight and I’ll make sure you get only the best. Both in drink, and in company.”

The look he’d given you was the same one he’d been giving everyone else tonight and you very nearly left right then and there but you needed the credits. You forced yourself to lay a hand on his arm. “How could I refuse such an offer?”

He shouted an order over to the droid behind the bar. He handed you a drink and held his own glass up and took a hold of your hip and tugged you closer to him. “Cheers, baby.”

Biting back your grimace, you gave him a fake smile and clinked your glass with his. This would definitely be unpleasant, but it would be very easy to get what you wanted.

--

Hunter released a deep breath. Your words had helped him calm down and he was ready to wait it out but now he was having to keep it together for different reasons. He had spotted you at the bar and had to witness Taryn’s hand crawling all over your thigh, squeezing it and tracing a path from your knee right up the slit of the dress and Hunter knew you and your body well enough to tell that, despite your apparent enthusiasm, you were hating every touch. He only hoped you didn’t have to put up with it for much longer. In addition to this, Taryn kept having people come over to talk to him and each one gave you an admiring stare and would start chatting to you too and you made talking to them look so easy. If he didn’t know you as well as he did, he would’ve assumed you were a regular here.

--

All the interruptions had been driving you crazy. You needed to get this done before someone else came over and you had to feign interest in their seedy business activities and entertain their creepy flirtations. You waved off the newest arrival before you turned your attention back to Taryn. “So, I keep hearing from you and all these people about how well you’re doing, and I must say it’s very impressive. From what I’ve heard, the Empire has been making people’s operations quite difficult. How are you managing to avoid them?” You asked, fake in your admiring tone.

“Well, when you know the right people and have a great business brain like mine, it’s very easy.” He boasted.

“Hmm handsome and smart. How’d I get so lucky?” You flirted.

“Wearing a dress like that certainly helps.”

You resisted the very strong urge to roll your eyes in disgust. “So, can I see how that business brain of yours operates? I’d sure love a peek of your records.”

Taryn shot you a quizzical look. “Why would you want to see my transactions?”

You had to think quickly so you went for the reason you figured would make him forget any lingering questions in his head. “It really gets me going.” You murmured in his ear whilst your hand toyed with the lapel of his jacket. You hated yourself for it, but you knew you wouldn’t be able to keep up the charade much longer.

“Say no more, babydoll.” He downed his drink and grabbed your hand and led you to his back office.

--

To say you were underwhelmed by what you saw would be an understatement. All he did was bribe certain Imperial officials and put his shipments out on the days they were on shift.

“How’s that for a turn on?” He said, mouthing at you neck whilst his hands started to pull your dress up.

You cringed away from his touch. “Before we do that, can you get me another drink?”

You saw the flash of annoyance on his face, and you figured he wasn’t used to people refusing his advances all that often, but you needed him out. “I’ll make it worth your while.” You murmured, batting your eyelashes.

Taryn practically sprinted out the room.

You wiped your neck in revulsion and got to work. “Great business brain my ass.” You said to yourself as you inserted the drive, and it began its download.

--

You managed to get out without being spotted by Taryn and you found Hunter in no time.

“You okay?” Hunter asked instantly, breathing in relief as he saw you in front of him once more.

“Feeling gross but I got the information and yeah, I’m okay. Are you?” You asked.

“He didn’t force-”

“No, I dealt with any attempt, and he didn’t get far.” You replied quickly, not wanting to even let his mind wander down that path. “Are you okay?” You asked again.

“Yeah, I got better after hearing you.”

“I’m sorry about this whole thing. I know it wasn’t easy on you.”

“Or you.” Hunter added. “You were put in an uncomfortable situation and did what you had to do. You were looking out for the squad by doing this. You don’t have to apologise for that. I’m just sorry this was the kinda job you were handed, it wasn’t fair.”

You gave him a grateful smile. “Wanna get out of here?”

Hunter nodded, but he wasn’t able to shake the voice in his head that was bringing up every illogical doubt as weaved his hand in yours and together, you snuck out the party and headed back to the ship.

--

You had scarcely boarded the Marauder when Hunter backed you into the wall of the hallway and began to kiss you. You dropped your bag that contained the stolen information and let out a surprised gasped which he used as a chance to intensify it. You were lightheaded when he pulled away, but he didn’t give you a chance to recover since he lifted your thigh and slotted himself in between your legs and started to kiss along your jaw and neck.

He breathed you in but the things that made you you weren’t there anymore. They were tainted with something wrong and unfamiliar, and he couldn’t stand it.

The way he nipped at your jaw and neck stung and his grip on you was sore and not the pleasurable kind. It told you there was more to this than simple possessiveness. Something was bothering him. The atmosphere between you now was different to how it was before you had entered the party. “Hunter, stop for a minute.” You said through a gasp as his fingers dug into your thigh in a way that was sure to leave bruises- and not the good kind- if he continued to do it.

Hunter stopped immediately and pulled away from you. Seeing the concern in your eyes snapped him out of whatever mood he was in. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“You didn’t.” You reassured him quickly. “But what’s going on? That was… different. You don’t usually get like that.”

“I know, I know. I’m so sorry.” He went to step away from you.

You assumed things had gone too far with Taryn. You grabbed his hand and tugged him back towards you. “He wasn’t going to get far. He doesn’t even hold a candle to you. I didn’t mean the things I said to him. I don’t understand-”

“It wasn’t just him.” Hunter interrupted quietly as his hand fell to your waist.

“What are you talking about?” You asked softly, running your hand through the hair at the nape of his neck to comfort him.

“Everyone there was looking at you. Everyone. And you fit there. You looked like you belonged. Not with criminals.” He clarified hastily as he saw your brow furrow. “But with people that have something to offer that isn’t just scraping by from one job to the next. And I think it all got too much. You- You could have anyone you wanted. You could have a life for yourself and instead you chose this. You chose us. You chose me. I guess… I guess I just struggle sometimes believing you’re still here. But it’s nothing you’ve done; I just can’t get the voice in my head to shut up and it’s not your fault or your issue. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you like that.” He turned away from you.

Your heart went out to him. You knew it would have taken a lot for him to admit that. So often he was a sergeant first and person with real emotions second. He rarely let his guard down like this. Clearly, your conversation after the last mission didn’t soothe all the insecurities that had built. You knew Crosshair leaving would have left scars, but you didn’t think they ran this deep. You cupped the side of his face and caressed your thumb across his cheekbone. “Well, I’m glad I seem to possess such an acting talent because I was fighting every instinct to not show my disgust at the people there.” You said lightly before you continued in a more serious tone. “Hunter, I am with you 100%, I don’t even think about what my life would be like if I didn’t meet you guys or if I didn’t fall in love with you because it gets too upsetting.” You pulled him in for a hug and held him close. “People leaving doesn’t mean you failed or missed something, sometimes people make decisions that hurt but the great thing about choice is that it can also leave room for future change, you just have to be patient.” You soothed.

He knew what you were saying about yourself was true and he could only hope that what you were saying about his brother was also true. “I love you.” Hunter murmured into your neck. “I’m sorry.”

“I know. I love you too and that’s not going to change.”

Hunter met your eyes once more.

You placed a delicate kiss on to his lips before you pulled away and rubbed your thumb tenderly across his jaw. “Now, to shut that voice up, here’s what we’re going to do.”

Hunter tilted his head at you.

“First, I’m going to take a shower which you are going to join me for.” You crooned as you pushed back part of the scarf and gently bit the skin by his pulse point and sucked a bruise into the skin.

Hunter stifled his groan but his hold on you tightened.

“Then...” You kissed along his jaw, pausing before you reached his lips. “I’m going to both show and tell you all the things that make me happy that I get to call you mine.” You whispered before you kissed him. It lasted for a few minutes before you broke away for air.

“Sounds good to me.” Hunter rasped as he got his breath back.

You smiled at him and began the process of undressing him, a task you took great pleasure and care in before you slipped off your dress and the two of you made your way to the refresher.

--

It wasn’t a completely innocent shower, he still had to work his emotions out, but he was back to his usual self in that regard, and it wasn’t lost on you that the marks he’d left on your thighs and neck were in the places that Taryn had touched you. When he’d used his mouth and his fingers to bring you that sweet release, not once but twice, you’d decided to wrap things up in there. You cleaned each other up and after you turned off the water, you grabbed his hand and led him out the refresher. You didn’t bother to dry off and neither did he. You tenderly pushed him down onto your bunk, so he was sitting but you made no move to follow just yet. Instead, you took him in, and the way he looked had you weak at the knees. Droplets of water were scattered across his tanned skin that were just begging to be kissed away, and his dark hair fell flawlessly around his face and the necklace you had given him sat just past his collarbone. “You’re the one who’s perfect.” You said, your voice barely above a whisper.

Hunter swallowed heavily. “Well, genetics had a helping hand.” He kidded awkwardly as he felt himself growing warm under the intensity of your stare and your words didn’t help. In these particular situations, it was usually him who was the attention giver. This was a new, more vulnerable position for him to be in and it wasn’t one he was used to. But he trusted you and that’s what really mattered here. He reached for you.

Sensing some unease, you let him pull you onto his lap. Your hands found his shoulders whilst his cradled the side of your neck and your waist. You brought your lips, so they were mere inches from his. “Do you know you only have to walk into a room, and I’m left thinking when I’ll have the next chance to be alone with you?”

A low groan left Hunter’s throat and he made the decision to close the remaining distance between you.

Your hands moved to tangle themselves in his damp locks and your slick bodies and lips moved together in perfect sync, the passion and intensity between you never faltered. You only removed yourself to get air, but you didn’t leave him wanting. You pulled on his hair slightly, so his head fell back and more of his neck was exposed to you.

“You did take less than 30 minutes today…” Hunter managed to choke out as you licked away the water on the side of his neck and nipped at the skin.

You smirked to yourself and trailed your lips softly across his collarbone. “Someone’s eager. I’m reserving that for a later date. I told you; we’re doing things differently tonight.” With that, you nudged him to lie on his back and you reached your hand between you. Your mouth hovered above his and you savoured the short, sharp breaths that left him at your ministrations. Focus on my voice. Focus on my touch. Nothing else matters. It’s just you and me. You need me to stop, tell me and I will, okay?

Hunter nodded.

So as things weren’t going to be over before you had said all you needed to, you were ensuring that your movements were enough to satisfy any longing he was experiencing, but it wasn’t enough to fully satisfy him yet. His mildly frustrated grunts and the way his hips were trying to buck into your touch told you though that he wasn’t quite getting the patience memo yet. You pressed your mouth against his. “Ssshh.” You ordered softly. “I got you.”

Hunter looked into your eyes, and he saw something in them that he knew was reflected in his every time he looked at you. The loving way you were looking at him had something so pure and unfiltered behind it. He took a deep breath and relaxed under your touch.

When you felt the tension leave his body, you began. You kissed his untattooed cheek and kept your voice low but there was no hiding the sincere way you spoke to him now. “I love how you look out for us and how protective you are.”

You nudged his nose with yours and kissed the bridge of it. “I love how kind and caring you are.”

“I love how you are with Omega.” You kissed his other cheek.

“I love when you let yourself be vulnerable and that wall comes down.” You kissed behind his ear.

“I love watching you track. I love how you capable you are.” You kissed right by his hairline.

“Your hair not only looks beautiful on you, but I love how you let me pull on it when you’re making me see stars and I need to be grounded.” You didn’t miss the deep groan that left him when you used your free hand to tug on it so you could leave more marks on the other side of his neck that had been without your attention since this had started.

You found his mouth once more and kissed him deeply, lovingly. I love that you know what to say to reassure me. You continued to kiss him, upping the intensity as you did so. An act you knew he appreciated due to the way he cradled the side of your jaw. You let him have a moment of control as he licked into your mouth, drawing a small moan from you. Plus, you know exactly how to drive me wild. You included and you grinned against his mouth as you pulled away slightly to allow you both to breathe. You started to pay his jawbone some care. You laid soft kisses along it.

Slowly but surely, Hunter was starting to forget the outside world for a while. You were being so affectionate and loving and he found himself believing all you were saying. That usual voice that would tell him he was failing, or he was losing you was starting to fade into the background. He caressed your sides and continued to do what you had said at the beginning. You were what he was focusing on now.

You started to kiss your way down his chest, gently biting and sucking the skin and your hand skimmed over the necklace that sat there perfectly. I love how good this looks on you and it means so much to me that you wear it and I love you for it.

Your hand trailed up and down his arm. “I love how secure I feel in these arms when they hold me. Or when you show off how strong you are.” You added playfully before you brought his hand to your mouth and traced your mouth across his wrist before you kissed his palm. “I love how these hands play with a vibroblade. And how talented they are in… other areas.” You teased and you increased the pace of the hand that was between you, relishing in the pleasurable sigh that left Hunter’s mouth.

Hunter knew he was reaching that point of blissful ecstasy. You had driven him crazy but in the best possible way, however, this wasn’t how he wanted things to end. “W-wait.” Hunter said hastily as he grabbed your wrist to stop you.

You tilted your head at him.

“I need-” He swallowed thickly. “I need to feel you.”

You gave him a warm smile and brought your mouth against his. “And what exactly do you want to feel?” You murmured against his lips.

You left him chasing your mouth and instead took his hand once more and brought his finger to your mouth and sucked, emitting a seductive moan as you did so, and your teeth grazed the tip of his finger. “Do you want my mouth?”

“Shit.” Hunter gasped.

“Or is there something else…” You trailed off and ground against him.

A strangled groan left Hunter’s mouth. “Pl-please.” He rasped.

“Please what, Sergeant?” You said alluringly, not letting up on the slow, steady grind of your hips. You kissed him and tugged his bottom lip between your teeth.

“Fucking hell.” He said through clenched teeth, his head fell back down onto the pillow. “I need- I need to be inside you.” He said, knowing he somehow sounded shy, but he was so desperate for you that he didn’t care.

Finding his demeanour rather endearing and as a sign that you’d done your job, his mind didn’t seem as preoccupied anymore and having pushed him far enough and not really wanting to leave him wanting, you lifted your hips. You quieted his groans with your kiss as you started to move with both of your breathing quickly becoming irregular. Force you feel perfect.

Hunter couldn’t help the noises that were leaving him. You looked positively ethereal, he couldn’t take his eyes off you, and you felt incredible. Your words and comfort had helped to ground him, and he knew he was so lucky to have you. He drank in the pleasurable sighs that were coming from you and they were tipping him over that edge.

You had teased him long enough and you could tell he was close by the low moans that left his throat and the way his hold on your hips had tightened that but that wasn’t a problem. Your priority now was his pleasure. His release. And you did everything you could to get him there. You kissed him. You nibbled his earlobe and his pulse point. “I love you, Hunter.” You whispered breathlessly and then you felt him fall apart beneath you. You worked him through it, and it was only when he lightly tapped your hip that you stopped.

You planted light, sweet kisses along his neck and jaw and admired the many love bites you had left in your wake. Still with me, Sarge?

Hunter struggled to find any words. You had made him seen stars and he was still coming back down from the surreal experience you had just provided him, but he was aware enough to know you weren’t taken care of yet, something he was not used to. “You didn’t-”

You stroked the shorter strands on his hair back to silence him as you laid down next to him. “I did. Twice. Right in that shower if you remember. This was about you.”

Hunter let out a disgruntled grunt but accepted it as he kissed your brow. “I love you too.”

“How’s that voice?” You asked quietly as you tossed a leg over his hip so as to get even closer to him.

“What voice?” Hunter whispered in reply as he rested his head on top of yours.

You hummed out a laugh and closed your eyes.

In all the peace, you both had forgotten about the group of people waiting on your return. Your abandoned comms chirped and then Echo’s voice filled the empty space. “(Y/N), Hunter, it’s been a while. What’s your status?”

You and Hunter both groaned but smiled at each other as you sat up.

You reached down and grabbed your comm. “Sorry, Echo. Took a bit longer than expected. We got the data and we’re heading back now.”

“Copy that.” He signed off.

“Kinda forgot the whole point of why we were here in the first place.” Hunter said lightly as he kissed the top of your shoulder.

“I mean, that was the idea.” You said with a coy smile as you angled yourself to face him. “We better get going.” You kissed him quickly once more before you grabbed your dress and slipped it back on with Hunter following close behind.

“If you don’t want any brotherly teasing or awkwardness, you’re uh, going to need to wear this before we get back.” Hunter said apologetically as he examined the marks he’d left on your neck. He hadn’t been too careful about his placements this time around.

You tutted playfully at him as you took his scarf from him and wrapped it around you. “Better?”

 “You make anything look good.” Hunter said by way of reply.

You grinned at him. “Let’s this ship in the air.” You started to walk to the cockpit.

“Hey, (Y/N).”

You turned back around to face him.

“Thank you. For all of it. I- I try so hard to be in control and keep it together. It was nice to not be for a change.”

You made your way back towards him and wrapped your arms around him, sighing happily when he held you tightly against his chest.

“We’re getting the hang of this relationship thing.” You said jokingly before you angled yourself to look at him. “You can share the load, Hunter. You’re not alone.” You said, your tone more serious.

“I know.” Hunter agreed, really believing it this time.

--

As the ship made its way back, Hunter felt a true sense of calm that he hadn’t felt in a while. There would still be uncertainties and he still had his squad to look after but one thing was now certain in his mind: you were it for him. He could face the unpredictable galaxy and protect what he loved with you by his side. He wouldn’t let that doubt creep in and take over like that again. He had you. He had his squad. That wouldn’t change. It couldn’t change. He wouldn’t let it.

Next Chapter>

Tagging: @noeasyisnoisy, @tpwkcalli, @fuckoffthanos, @arctrooper69, @graciexmarvel, @flyingkangaroo, @nightmonkeysstuff, @brujaporfavor, @a-streakofazure, @ladytano420, @dragonrider9905, @keep-calm-and-drink-caf, @yyourmotherr, @xxeiraxx

#the bad batch #the bad batch season 2 #the bad batch s2 #hunter x reader #hunter x fem!reader #hunter x femaleJedi!reader #hunter x female!reader #sergeant hunter x reader #sergeant hunter #hunter tbb #hunter the bad batch #the bad batch hunter x you #hunter x y/n #tbb hunter x reader #the bad batch fanfiction #star wars #friends to lovers #angst #fluff #smut

[anotherblblog]

Ok, so I came to Japan to watch Utsukushii Kare Eternal and I saw it today. I don't speak Japanese and there weren't any subtitles but I wanna recap what I remembered in case other interfans want to know. I also haven’t read the novels so I only know seasons 1 and 2 of the story.

Spoilers very much ahead.

The opening scene is like the last scene of S1 where HiraKiyo are naked with a fuckton of tulle. But way more tulle in the movie than season 1. They're both also literally blanketed by the tulle. They are also laying around Hira's camera, and Kiyoi's necklace, and the duck. Hira goes to kiss Kiyoi and Hira is woken up from his dream and he's at work. Hira and Kiyoi are both at work and they are talking to the mentor and Anna about the other and it's a lot of intercutting scenes of them in the present both reminiscing and flashing back to season 1. No scenes from s2 are in the movie as I immediate recall. A few s2 scenes are redone like Hira saying "Kiyoi (sans kun)" near the other fans but it's different than the s2 version.

The HiraKiyo A plot as I think I understand it - Domestic happy life. Hira’s cousin is moving into the house so HiraKiyo look for an apartment together. (I'm not 100% on if she's moving in but she shows up and she and Hira have a talk and then soon thereafter HiraKiyo are looking for an apartment together). HiraKiyo take a bath together and ngl it’s really hot. Kiyoi does his shy look away thing after Hira kisses his hand but Hira keeps kissing his hands and shoulders. Kiyoi is turned away from Hira and facing a mirror and Hira keeps kissing and moving up on him and the camera gets in close as Hira is kissing Kiyoi all over. The camera moves away to the other side of the tub while they smash and you hear Kiyoi moaning Hira’s name. And Captain Duck is swept out of the tub by the fucking lmao. I think Hira feels guilty about losing the house so he cooks a lot of food (part of this scene was the bonus scene at the end of the Utsukare Season 1 special edit version). Kiyoi does get Hira to feed him shrimp croquettes. Kiyoi hugs Hira from behind while Hira is cooking. The under the blue cover scene has Hira mounting and starting to go to town on Kiyoi but he stops himself and walks out dejectedly. Kiyoi extricates himself from the covers is looks super flustered/turned on.

B plot is their jobs. Hira’s mentor takes some photos of Anna and later Kiyoi. Hira is an assistant for the Anna photo shoot (which honestly was fucking amazing. It was literally the expression “make love to the camera” it was in waterfall/pond and it was so hot and erotic and fun. Didn’t expect it but it was cool.) Hira doesn’t show up on the day Hira’s mentor shoots Kiyoi and Kiyoi is looking for him. Kiyoi continues to work with Anna but Anna gets pap’d with her secret bf and it seems like Anna having a secret bf is a big fucking deal. The fans outside the Anna Kiyoi set find out via twitter or something and then Anna cries alone a lot and the Kiyoi agency staff look very concerned and sad. Kiyoi and agent/manager/not as flamboyantly dressed one go secretly to Anna’s hotel and they have a talk. Then Kiyoi gets pap’d leaving Anna’s hotel so some people were speculating Anna and Kiyoi were together. Kiyoi is also facing some reprecussions from this speculation and he's super sad in his office perched on a windowsill reading twitter comments and posts about himself and Hira texts him and Kiyoi cries. Like the engine of the movie is the b plot after Anna gets pap'd with her secret dude and then people thinking she and Kiyoi are together.

That leads to the C plot/act 3 Hira’s stalker friend kidnaps Kiyoi. But for some reason he calls Hira to tell Hira he's kidnapped Kiyoi. (there was a lot of villanous monologuing while Kiyoi was bound and then the guy pushes him down and also kicks Kiyoi a few times before making the call). Hira goes full dark crazy Kira mode and shows up and beats the shit out of the dude. Kiyoi is pretty damseled in this scene and mostly just screams for Hira to stop and then Hira flips into cute "I live to serve you" mode and gets Kiyoi out of those ridiculously loose ribbons. Then the stalker dude is getting up and Hira is flipping back and forth really fast between Kira and Hira modes and ends up having to shove Kiyoi down and tells him to run while Hira and stalker dude fight. And Kira becomes like the terminator and is following the other stalker dude and beating him down but then he flips back into Hira and is walking back to Kiyoi while cutely saying Kiyoi over and over and other dude attacks Hira from behind and then stabs Hira in the stomach. Then Hira hallucinates Kiyoi coming to hug him (trailer scene) and it’s cut between that hallucination and Kiyoi literally screaming and crying cuz Hira is dying and then fade to black.

End phase/finale - Hira survives lol. Hira and Kiyoi help Anna out of her situation by having Hira’s mentor do a photo shoot with this random j-pop idol looking guy who ends up being Anna’s secret boo thing. Cougar fr. Then the end scene is a wedding themed photo shoot for Anna and idol guy. Then they ask Kiyoi to join them. Then mentor guy tells Hira to shoot Kiyoi and at first Hira can’t but then Kiyoi tells/commands Hira in Kiyoi's Dom voice and then Hira does and then they have a long photo shooting sequence and that’s where Kiyoi shows off his body. Hira graduates and he and Koyama (who is barely in the movie) have a "I'll see you around" kind of goodbye and then Hira goes to the riverside where Kiyoi is, a cherry blossom petal falls on Kiyoi and he picks it off like s1e1 and Hira is taking pictures of him and Kiyoi calls Hira stalker and they chat and then Hira leads them back to the school. And Hira confesses/declares/has a lengthy monologue at Kiyoi - he definitely tells Kiyoi directly that he likes him, while Kiyoi is like crying but smiling and facing Hira's confession directly. And then they’re about to kiss (all of their mouth to mouth kisses are interrupted or offscreen) and the teacher from season 1 is there at the school (for some reason at this unspecified date and time) and he is chastising them and then chasing them and Hira leads Kiyoi through a long series of slow-mo runs through the school while they switch/flashback into their old wardrobes - their full formal blue uniforms and their causal white/beige school clothes. And then they end up outside and have another water hose fight and that transitions into then hooking up at home? mouth kissing for the only time in the movie in a lot of tulle again. The ending sequence is their most high heat scene. Hira is kissing Kiyoi's chest a lot and a lot of mouth and neck kisses.

other blurbs

all Hira narration

No Kiyoi narration but Kiyoi did have a handful of scenes without Hira

Hira had a lot of scenes with him at work with his mentor and the other guy

Hira and Kiyoi I think re-have their season 2 fight about Hira thinking himself more as a fan than a boyfriend. Hira sleeps on the roof of his work building and then cooks ramen for mentor guy.

I think mentor guy might have had a thing for Anna and was maybe sad she has a boo thang and maybe Hira tells mentor he's dating Kiyoi so Kiyoi for sure isn't dating Anna.

I don't know if Kiyoi or Hira told other stalker guy they're dating. But both Kiyoi alone and Hira and Kiyoi exchanged words with him during the kidnapping scene.

the scene where Hira gets the "I kidnapped your boyfriend call" was really fucking well done. Hira is walking up stairs away from the camera when he gets the call and they drop the lights and make it super dark and that pans up into Hira's bangs and his Kira expression/kubric stare-esque and it was super cool

I think Yusei wears a shirt for Kiyoi that he also wears in his other series. The cloudy white and blue dress shirt.

The end sequence of Hira shooting Kiyoi was really fun and hot. Kiyoi takes off his tie and has it in his mouth with his shirt unbuttoned but tucked in so it's framing his abs. Apparently Riku directed that scene and I would personally like to thank him for his contribution to the arts

Kiyoi's theme wasn't in the movie a lot. The movie has its own OST and the movie songs share some melodies with the s1 ost but it was a lot of new music

the color grading was blue af. A lot of blue in the lights, glass, wardrobe, sheets, etc etc

I think Hira has told his cousin that he and Kiyoi are dating.

Hira, Kiyoi, cousin, and nephew all welcome and greet Anna after her scandal and Anna might hide out at Hira's place for a bit until Hira and Kiyoi do their surprise with bringing the idol into Mentor's studio

Kiyoi looks hella fond and proud when Hira interacts with Anna at Hira's house. And right in front of Hira. Later when Kiyoi and Anna are alone, Kiyoi says something including that Hira is gross and Anna agrees and Kiyoi blusters at her and she fondly apologizes

Ok that's the majority of what I remember. I am gonna see the movie again, so I'll update if I remember or see a scene I didn't recap here

Updated: the family member that comes to visit is Hira’s cousin, not sister. Thank you @ltrllynbdy

#utsukushii kare eternal #my beautiful man eternal

[campbell-rose]

Helluva Fucking Rant: S2 E6 

OKay I’m a big fat liar and my pants are burning my ass rn, I know I said I’d do Rwby designs next but then the whole leaked episode drama happened and now it’s out and I need to complain. 

*Off the bat, I’m not going to talk pacing mainly because I have little experience with dealing with pacing (having never written anything more than comic strips lol). The episode didn’t feel too fast but anyway 

I’m going to organize this based on gripes I have per character. 

Fizzarolli: He is my baby. He's like kind of babygirl if that makes any sense. “Maybe I could burn the milk this time” 

I adore Fizz as a character. He’s not babified or infantilized like a lot of Viv’s other gay men. So far. Who knows, the writers have proven how adept they are at contradicting and retconning characters. But uhhhh what the fuck was he doing in Greed? Am I stupid? Like, it’s never spelled out. Is it for pr? Is it a deal with Mammon type thing? Is he promoting something? If he had somewhere to be why did he let his dogs run him all over creation??? Like, bit of an issue there as it’s only vaguely mentioned that he was practicing something. 

His backstory is like... acceptable I suppose. Not what I was expecting. I was expecting like, what we got, and a combination of some other theories I had personally. See, my issue is the fire and how imps have been shown in previous episodes to be, ya know, IMMUNE TO FIRE. Imagine if, and bear with me here huge stretch I know, imps are immune to fire and hellfire – but not holy fire. Like, shit straight from the angel’s burning halo type fire. That would make sense, since hellfire is a thing in pop culture and biblically accurate angels are all gold and flames! 

I do like the idea that fizz’s entire body is white from scars, however I think his scars need texture for the idea to sell. Maybe in full costume it’s covered with makeup, but come on people he was lit on fire, you ever seen a healed burn? Fizz being scared of the flames legit made me sad, I love him so much. However they’re trying to show he’s got like ptsd (maybe not exactly but still) from it, but it feels inconsistent to me for some reason. On a final note, he never should’ve forgiven Blitzo in any way, shape or form tbh, I would’ve preferred what Barbie did just straight up, I don’t like you, I can’t forgive you please leave me alone.  

Asmodeus: This cemented for me how much I fucking hate his design. His stupid head is so tiny and his body is built like a brick shithouse like, it’s so unbalanced and weird looking. I like his character here I suppose. No noticeable inconsistencies from his first appearance. His va is killing it tbh, love him so much what a king. 

I’m fine with his character, what I’m not fine with is the weird consent angle their going with. Like... he is the SIN of LUST??? Valentino is more of what I’d expect as the sin of Lust compared to Asmodeus. Also, the WEAKEST and most NON THREATENING SIN??? KESHADOG IS RIGHT THERE 

Crimson: He should’ve been hired by Mammon to get back at Asmodeus. Maybe Asmodeus has an unpaid debt with Mammon and has been shirking him so Mammon is like ‘i have your fucktoy now, give me my money or you won’t get him back’ 

Like his little video chat could’ve been context, like “You don’t know me, but you may know my employer – Mammon?” 

The paperwork would make sense then, Mammon is sending over contracts and bullshit Asmodeus has to sign. The importance of reading the fine print would be even more present because Asmodeus is dealing with someone on his level who can actually fuck him up, not some nobody imp he could kill with a glance! Crimson’s motive could be that Mammon offered him a share of Ozzie’s stock and would let him run some shit because Crimson has become a prominent member of higher society despite being an imp, which is the only reason Striker is partnered with him. 

Striker: Striker baby doll, please just fucking kill Fizz. Like, stop fucking standing there, kill the fucker. Omg I was so annoyed with his lack of action this episode. Both Fizz and Striker are incredible agile and snake like characters, this whole distraction song should’ve been a mix of striker trying to kill Fizz/Fizz avoiding him and Crim’s gang being just flabbergasted by the bullshit they’re witnessing. It’s been shown before that Crimson ony ever sits on the sidelines while his goons get killed so like????  

Anyway, Viv can try as hard as she wants to paint Striker as in the wrong and a bigot, but it won’t work on me. He’s completely in the right because imps are literally the slave/working class in this caste system. Fizz is (to imps in the slums and less fortunate) probably the epitome of a pampered lapdog plaything of the upper class. ANd that could’ve been something interesting to explore. Why not show the perspective of other imps that think like Striker, maybe have them be antagonistic to Fizz because he’s Asmodeus and Mammon’s pet, or maybe Fizz finds out that’s what people think of him and he’s horrified and that’s why he’s mad Blitzo calls him a whore. But no, because Striker is an evil bigot who sides with the evil woman Stella so nobody else thinks like he does. 

Also, his new va has the sexiest voice i've heard since live action Buggy or sub Crocodile so I'm not complaining about him taking up screen time

Him all disheveled is straight up working for me

Blitzo: Once again he gets away with being shitty and stupid and awful because he’s a woobie. Why the fuck was the crux of their hatred based on a birthday cake and the miscommunication trope??? I hate this so much.  

Was Blitzo in love with Fizz? Is that what that blink and you’ll miss it letter was? I’m getting very tired of this show having blink and you’ll miss it plot beats. That isn’t showing not telling, it’s like sweeping shit under a rug. Its like they think just because it was on screen for a frame the audience will catch it and be like ‘omg it happened’ or feel smart for catching something. Stolitz making up through text shouldn’t be a pause the video and read moment for fuckssake. 

I’m finding it very ahrd to tolerate Blitzo. On the topic of him though, I saw the leaked episode. WHY was Barbie taken out of the final flashback???

What the actual fuck???? Like... once again the women in this show are just shoved away and forgotten this is like Naruto level female character writing guys. Naruto had one good female character and she was still sidelined half the damn time. 

Also i fucking hate how this show can't be serious for more than five seconds like when Fizz and Blitzo hug and Blitzo is like 'haha wanna make out' i hate this but it isn't as egregious as having dildos during an abuse scene

Conclusion: Animation was amazing (also one of my fav animators KittenSneeze is an animator for Spindlehorse now like i love them so good for them), plot was whatever, characters are where the story falls, this won and I can’t anymore. 

Actually no, not conclusion. You know what really makes me hate Helluva Boss? It isn’t fair. I know that sounds childish and stupid, but who cares I’m childish and I’m stupid. Why is it that someone like Viv, who consistently doesn’t take criticism and is just a shit person all around gets rewarded for doing dogshit all the time. Yeah it’s a bit step for indie animation or whatever but she literally has Alex Brightman in her fucking pocket I don’t wanna hear it. Lackadaisy has earned it’s time in the goddamn spotlight, not Viv and her stupid creations. It’s so unfair. She got popular off of happenstance for her kesha sparkledogs and now she’s off bastardizing demonology and writing borderline backwards gay and female characters and she’s getting praised as the patron saint of queer rep and indie animation. Like, she doesn’t deserve it. Genuinely. I wish I could just post my demon story and people would just flock to it like flies to shit and shower me in praise and protect me from any criticism. But that’s not how real life works, but for some reason it is for Viv. Its just... I hate it. 

Anyway, baby rant over. This episode was like 7/10 tbh. It wasn't amazing but for Helluva Boss it was good. Sarcastic Chorus made a video about it that I'm gonna watch because honestly his takes could convince me this show is on Arcane's level lmao. Bye bye <3 

#Notice how i didn't mention Stolas because he had no reason to be in this damn episode #helluva boss critical #anti vivziepop #vivziepop critical #helluva boss critique #helluva boss criticism

[earthstellar]

Battle Analysis: TFP S2 Episode 18 - New Recruit

I like how in the beginning of Smokescreen’s introductory episode, we get to see a decent little battle which serves to emphasise how each character works well independently and together in a fight. 

it actually reminds me a lot of how my father (who was a field medic in the Army) used to tell me about how some of his casualty extraction missions went, in terms of how Ratchet is positioned with the others in formation etc.

Then I started thinking about it, and I thought it might be a good scene to go over in a little more detail. 

So, since I’ve never done a battle analysis before, I figured I’d try covering this one! :) 

The Situation at Hand 

It’s worth keeping in mind that the setup here is that a Cybertronian pod has crashed down to Earth’s surface, and the Autobots are unable to ascertain if it is an enemy pod or not. 

So Optimus asks Ratchet to bring his medical kit, in the event that it is a fellow Autobot who may need medical attention, which is a reasonable decision and places Ratchet in the field with good purpose. 

They leave without Bulkhead, as he is still recovering from prior injuries.

The order in which they arrive on scene via ground bridge is notable: 

Bumblebee is a scout, so he’s out of the ground bridge first. 

Arcee is supporting Bumblebee as spotter/additional firepower; Both her and Bumblebee are in “on point” positions, meaning they are the most exposed forward. 

Optimus is, in this situation, the heaviest hitter, so he takes a central position-- This also allows him to remain in reasonable proximity to all members of the away team, making it ideally easier for him to command. 

Ratchet is in the rear position, slightly offset to Optimus’ left, giving both Optimus and Arcee good cover of him if things happened to kick off immediately upon arrival on scene. 

This is a good deployment arrangement! 

Arcee and Bumblebee proceed forward and get to the crashed pod first, which makes sense; This is why they’re on point. 

But then the group spaces out a little bit, which isn’t ideal; Oh shit, it’s Decepticons!!! Mostly Insecticons. 

Immediately we see Arcee and Bumblebee close in together, something they’re probably familiar with and were possibly trained to do, given that they are in complimentary positions in deployment most of the time. 

But this leaves Ratchet exposed, and you can actually see in his posture here (sorry for the blurry screencap, this is a very short moment and the camera moves over fairly quickly) that Ratchet is wary of the source of enemy fire and appears to be trying to move closer to where Optimus is generally at. 

Again, this makes sense: Medics are, unfortunately, a huge target on the battlefield. (Geneva Convention treaties don’t apply here, and even if they did, most of the time they’re just ignored in reality. It’s not great.) You DO NOT want to be in the open anyway, but especially not when you are a very easily identifiable, highly desirable target for enemy fire. 

As a medic, you aren’t just charging in with any others, you’re constantly strategically trying to figure out the best way to provide support and not die while doing it. While Ratchet does have one of his wrist blades deployed here, keep in mind, Ratchet does not have a blaster or long range weaponry. He’s at a particular disadvantage in this situation. 

So Ratchet’s best chance for cover and his best position to provide support is with Optimus, who is more likely to be hit (owing to slower speed and larger size compared to Bee and Arcee). Thus giving him more protection and allowing him to serve as functional support. 

For those of you who have played TF2, this is probably the most obvious part of why the Medic/Heavy combo is so good. It provides maximum benefit to both people/players. 

(At the same time, the reason he didn’t follow Optimus from the get-go is likely because since Bee and Arcee have lighter armour, they might be at greater risk of injury from just one or two shots, compared to Optimus who’s a bit hardier. So he took a middle position, which unfortunately left him with no immediate cover.) 

Unfortunately, Ratchet is also old. So he’s instantly pinned by a fuck off huge Insecticon; There’s no way most could have reacted in time to dodge this, but especially not him. 

What I especially like here though, is that the impact of this hit appears to genuinely stun him. 

It happens quickly, but you can see how he’s looking straight forward here, his limbs are out to his sides-- It seems to take him a full second to recover and actually look up. 

While Ratchet is just about pinned, the Insecticon does actually leave a noticeable amount of space in between them, which makes me think this impact definitely hit Ratchet pretty hard; He has enough space here to take a swing with his blade, but he doesn’t. 

It’s interesting because this is a pretty good shot; The Insecticon has a fully exposed torso here, which would be a good area to target with a blade as their armour seems thinner to allow for greater range of movement and speed. 

But! Not taking the opportunity here was also a solid choice. 

Ratchet, being smaller in terms of height, may have been able to get a good jab into the torso and upward with his blade, which would likely have caused some decent damage in a sensitive area and may have even allowed for a large tear to form in the armour, leaving the Insecticon more vulnerable to blaster fire or any follow up impact to the chest/waist. 

At the same time, in the moment, Ratchet is now trying to recover rapidly from a hit that was hard enough to stun him while also having to evaluate if the risk of taking any action here would be worth it. The Insecticon could easily close in, especially with greater speed...

...And of course, the Autobots are experienced at working with each other in the field. Ratchet also likely understood that Arcee and Bee are still close enough to provide assistance, and might have made the call to depend on their aid rather than risk damaging his wrist blade-- Which is still a medical tool, and his primary purpose in the field is to assist others if/as needed. If his wrist blade is damaged or dulled while trying to puncture Insecticon armour, that would leave him less capable at his primary function here.

 Arcee ends up coming in from the side to take the opportunity instead, which is quickly proven to have been a good choice of action. And very good situational awareness on Arcee’s part, too! 

Arcee is grabbed by the Insecticon after giving it a reasonably heavy kick, but is able to get out of it’s grasp with a solid backflip-- Ratchet just does not have the flexibility or frame type to allow for this type of escape, especially not after just having been stunned by a full-body impact. 

It was the right call for Ratchet to leave it open so Arcee could land the hit. 

Sure, the Insecticon may not have been able to grab Ratchet in the same way, but Arcee has the reaction speed to match, and created a ton of distance in between her and the enemy almost instantly-- Something Ratchet could not have done if the Insecticon further advanced on him, as the boulder he was rammed into limits his movement options.

We then see that Optimus has also moved back over to close the gap between everyone, with Arcee next to Bee (although hard to see in this particular shot) and Ratchet now in a better position to provide support (behind and to Optimus’ right), even though he did not have to move himself-- Optimus moved over to him, instead. 

Smokescreen shows up, initially jumps over Bee and Arcee to take point position, then leaps back-- And firmly plants himself in front of Ratchet as well, while also maintaining enough distance to still remain on point. 

It’s worth remembering that Smokescreen at the very least went through boot camp for the Iacon Elite Guard (even though this seems to have mostly been a ploy by Alpha Trion and we don’t know what the actual selection process was like for any of this), so Smokescreen does seem to have some ability to know where to position himself in battle, even if he lacks experience and his tactics amount to “fire a lot at the enemy or in their general direction”. lmao he’s still learning though, it’s fine. 

As far as Smokescreen is concerned, there was a gap exposing their medic, and they only have one heavy hitter (Optimus), so he’s put himself in a position where he can cover Ratchet, easily move to group with the other faster, lighter weight bots if an advantage opens up for them to move forward, or move laterally to provide fire support for Optimus if need be. 

Honestly, not a bad position to take, it’s just the way he went about it and his “shoot everything” approach which is problematic, lmao. 

At this point, he ignites the energon fuel leaking from the pod by accident, which leads to a bit of an “oh shit run away” sequence-- But we can still see that they maintain a reasonable formation in falling back: 

Ratchet, in the rear and most defended position, is now first out. Arcee on the far left is running up ahead to get in front of or alongside him, to regain a more on point position. Bee is following her, slightly slower to keep the formation reasonably tight. Optimus is taking the right side, and Smokescreen follows suit slightly to the right as well but in a good position to turn around and take an immediate point position in the opposite direction if needed to provide some rear cover.

They successfully bail behind some rock formations for cover from the burning fuel explosion, and you can see the order in which they get there, consistent with the previous sequence. 

They land in the appropriate order: Arcee, Ratchet, Bee, Optimus, then Smokescreen last.

And that’s pretty much it, the explosion took out the Insecticons and Smokescreen proceeds to embarrass himself immediately. lmao 

This whole little scene is a particularly good example of the Autobots sticking to their roles in battle while also understanding how best to operate and work together as a team when deployed. 

Although it’s fairly short, it showcases everyone’s respective roles in battle very well! 

Bee is an excellent scout, and we know that, but it’s nice to see him actually handling things effectively in the field; Notice how he’s one of the few who didn’t get pushed around too much here! When the team had to close in together, they did so with Bee’s general position as their defensible point, and stayed more central to where their fire was being most effective. 

Arcee got to showcase her skills in a few ways here, speed and situational awareness both being critical. It would have been easy for her to fixate on what her and Bee were doing, but she knows better than to get lost in a single focus and came to Ratchet’s rescue very effectively. 

Ratchet was ready throughout to provide support if needed, and when he got attacked, he knew to rely on his teammates to assist him rather than risk taking additional damage as the sole medic. 

Optimus did a good job (as expected) being both their sole heavier gunner and their field commander-- Double duty, as Bulkhead’s still out of commission. He was clearly right to order a retreat when he did, and didn’t bother fixating too much on Smokescreen’s sudden appearance, instead remaining focused on the task at hand. Not that any of this is surprising, but it would be interesting to compare his field command style to Ultra Magnus’. 

Smokescreen did a good job of figuring out where to fit himself in during battle; He just really needs to stop fucking around, lmao, but he also just woke up after a fairly long stasis and he has very limited actual field experience prior to this, so that’s worth keeping in mind! 

---

Hopefully this was interesting; I just woke up so I’m still sipping a coffee lmao but I wanted to write this up while I had a little time. :) 

If you read all this, thank you so much!! :) <3 

#long post #analysis post #transformers prime #tfp #tfp smokescreen #tfp ratchet #tfp optimus prime #tfp arcee #tfp bumblebee #analysis #tfp analysis #maccadam #maccadams

[where-is-francis]

𝙏𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙡 𝙊𝙛 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 —♡-> 𝘽𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚

Before You Interact — Rules of My Blog

𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙩: Part of my Valentine’s Day 2023 blurb series

𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙨: They/Them — fem/fem aligned DNI, you have plenty of stuff

𝘼/𝙉: I dedicate this to my one and only Shrimp Punch *bows and tips hat* anyways just to make it clear I don’t support Billy’s actions/ideas from S2/S3 in any way, shape, or form — this is more of a “he lived after the accident and decided to try and be a better person” type thing. Which is pretty much the only way I’m willing to write for him.

𝙏𝙒: None!

The sight of 𝘽𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚 standing in the arcade used to seem foreign to everybody at one point, but now they didn’t pay much attention to him. You, however, made up for that by giving him a lot of attention. Pretty much anybody who was spending the holiday alone found themselves at the arcade, the only difference with you was that it was your job. Billy had just stomped out his cigarette in the parking lot and nudged the door open, effectively ringing the bell.

You turned from the back counter and leaned over the prize booth, shooting him a wide smile when you saw who it was.

“Well well well, if it isn’t my favorite devil. Where’s your DigDugging sidekick?”

“Had a date with Sinclair. Just me today.” He mirrored your pose against the counter.

It was surprising to see him like this. He was calm and fairly relaxed, but that seemed to become his new normal since the accident. Since he didn’t have to worry about Neil breathing down his neck anymore. Your eyes traced the hanging chain of the necklace he always wore and how it seemed to shine in blues and greens from the lava lamps behind you.

“To be honest, I’m surprised they’re not here trying to kick each other’s asses at skee-ball.”

Billy grinned at that. “Well, there’s always next week. Maybe Sinclair won’t leave with a bruise this time.”

“Ah, young love!” You sighed dreamily. “Speaking of which, c’mere.”

You flipped up the hinged section of the counter and led the blonde through a few loners and over to a new machine. It was dark red, covered in hearts, and had a flashing marquee sign on the top. Above the coin slot and at the height of your hips was a board with two large hand-shaped screens.

“‘Love Tester’? Yeah, looks like a real fun time.” Billy rolled his eyes.

The blue eyed male watched as you grabbed a quarter from the pocket of your work vest and slotted it in the machine. All of the lights came on and scattered a bit to show the main screen of the different ratings you could get. Billy couldn’t so much as think before you grabbed his left hand and forced it down to one of the prints on the board, following by doing the same with your right hand.

He watched, a bit stunned, as the lights climbed up and down at a rapid pace. It went from the bottom, holding the lowest score of ‘harmless’, all the way to the top where it read ‘hot stuff!’ in all caps. It wouldn’t have been a lie to say he liked you and the dynamic you shared, it was different to anything he’d had before. As much as his jokes and comments were biting and flirty, yours were just as much so. Billy had a strong sense of where he stood with most people, but you were unreadable.

The lights on the Love Tester slowed a bit before finally settling on your compatibility score:

The top match — Hot Stuff.

Neither of you said anything and instead just stood in disbelief, with Billy occasionally shifting on the wild and fluorescent carpet. Below the coin slot in a larger horizontal slot, a pink card had been printed out with the results. You grabbed it and began to read it off.

“‘Look out — these two have it all! Fiery hot love connection coming through!’ Oh my God, this is so dumb.” You were increasingly animated.

Without much thought, the blonde scanned the arcade to see if anybody watched what just happened. When no eyes but yours met his gaze, he visibly dropped the tension in his chest. It was new to him to be interested in somebody who wasn’t a girl. Even newer to be close to them. You flipped the small card over and continued to read the description in relative silence before passing it to your ‘perfect match’.

Billy took the card in his hands and smiled. He smiled. Not his usual cocky and taunting grin, but a sweet one, a genuine one. When he looked up, you had already started to maneuver back to the gaudy counter. He watched as you pulled a small box from the cabinet and grabbed a set of keychains. The loop slid over your finger and you waved it at him, silently telling him to come get it.

“So, what’d ya think?” You mused as he braved the counter.

“I think it’s full of shit. Just like someone else in this joint.”

The response earned a laugh. With your back to the blonde, you hurried and pulled the set of keychains apart. Anybody who got the top three rankings on the tacky machine would be rewarded with matching keychains. They were cheap and just as gaudy as the machine itself, but something about them made you grin. Billy was a bit confused when you passed one to him and eyed you suspiciously. It wasn’t anything super elaborate, just a black background with the two words printed in a flame font on both sides, but you still thought it was worthy of being added to the set of work keys you inherited.

“What? Anybody who gets one of the top three gets matching keychains if they bring the card up.” Your tone was ever so sweet.

His blue eyes avoided contact with your own as you watched him debate on grabbing the small piece of plastic. This territory was entirely new, foreign even, to Hargrove — a strange but welcome one. Meanwhile, any mask he used to have was gone for a mere moment. He could simply exist.

He picked up the keychain and gave it a once over.

“Nothing says ‘true love’ like a cheap piece of plastic.” Billy couldn’t help but smile.

“You’re such a romantic, you know that?”

After getting what he came for, and a bit more, he decided to leave and make the short trip back to the parking lot. The bell chimed but you stopped him before he could leave, passing the score card back to him. His dark brows furrowed in confusion before you turned it around, rolling your eyes, to reveal your phone number on the back.

“I get off at 6. You pick me up and we can go out, do whatever you like, hot stuff.” You grinned at him with your tongue caught between your teeth.

He couldn’t say much except give a small grunt and nod of approval — which certainly was boosting your ego — and you let him go once again. Billy jumped inside the Camaro and grinned down at the number on the card while simultaneously trying to think of something fun to do in the evening. The stupid keychain caught his attention for a moment, before he decidedly settled it on the small ring with his car keys.

You were going to be the death of him — and you were going to enjoy every minute.

Reblogs instead of likes. Reblogs help other people find my works. Comments and tags very much appreciated. 💕 More male and enby reader fics on my blog.

#x male reader #stranger things x male reader #x gender neutral reader #stranger things x gender neutral reader #billy hargrove x male reader #billy hargrove x gender neutral reader #jaws stranger things

[wibble-wobbegong]

S4 Wheelclair

Let’s talk S4 Lucas and Mike.

I really, truly do believe that people undermine their importance to each other because it isn’t given the same emphasis as Mike/Will or Lucas/Max. They aren’t in love so that’s a hard comparison to make, but they are best friends. Actual best friends. Dustin literally says that Mike and Lucas are closer than he is with either of them, and he’s right!

I’m gonna be covering their history, Lucas’ POV, Mike’s POV, and then their potential S5 arc. This is a very broad analysis, so I won’t be going into the grainy details in this post, or else it would be MASSIVE lmao

History

Most people are probably familiar with this, but I feel like I need to point out some things that often get glossed over. Keep in mind this is a brief summary.

In S1, there are two major things established about Mike and Lucas:

- They’re very close friends

- They’re both incredibly determined to find Will

We see them established as close friends through small things like Lucas’ teasing, having Lucas be the one to pull Mike away after the pissing incident, Dustin suggesting that Lucas is jealous, and their argument being resolved.

There is a ton of emphasis places on Mike and Lucas’ friendship in S1. One of the bigger of the side plots is this fight that Lucas and Mike get in because they’re disagreeing on the best way to find Will.

For Mike, when Lucas started going off on his own, I think there was a huge fear of losing Lucas too. We talk about how Mike only apologizes to Will, but he reaches out and apologizes to Lucas with that handshake. He does so teary-eyed, hoping Lucas will forgive him.

I think Lucas was frustrated with Mike because he doesn’t understand why Mike would do things that seem stupid when they have to be looking for Will. Lucas’ perspective isn’t stressed as much, but he was happy to shake Mike’s hand and move past their issues.

There are also moments like the end of S1 where we see Mike throw himself on top of Will and then Lucas throwing himself on top of both of them. That’s something else that connects Mike and Lucas, which nobody else really seems to have except the Byers family.

Mike’s relationship with Will is something we see heavily because y’know. He’s in love with Will. However, there’s also a fair amount of emphasis placed on Lucas’ relationship with Will. We see Lucas’ determination to find Will, we see them being close in S2 and S3 through their hugs and teasing Mike together. Lucas, Mike, and Will were put together for a reason.

In S3, there’s a lot going on for them. Firstly, Lucas was trying his hardest to be supportive of Mike. Yes, Mike was putting on a show and trying to win over Lucas’ approval by acting like a Straight Man, but Lucas didn’t know that. He was there for Mike and he tried to help him through his relationship problems with El.

From Lucas’ perspective, he saw one of his best friends struggling with his new relationship and was just trying to help. He and Mike were the only ones going through these sorts of problems, as Mike was trying to follow in Lucas’ footsteps in some ways.

From Mike’s, he was trying to put on a show in front of Lucas and Will — his closest friends at the time. He was trying to act as much of a typical Heterosexual as possible, and he was very much so seeking Lucas out to do this. He spent a lot of time looking to Lucas whenever he would act like an asshole because he was trying to be like him (not that Lucas is an asshole, but they were both trying to grow up and is resulted in them acting like dicks sometimes).

Essentially, Lucas and Mike are very, very close friends and we saw them heading down the same path in S3. They were as close as ever and their dynamic hadn’t changed much, but rather than butting heads they were much more agreeable with each other as Lucas tried to empathize with Mike’s struggles.

Lucas and Mike are best friends and their relationship is given a lot of emphasis considering their platonic nature (in comparison to their other weighted relationships being romantic).

Lucas’ POV

Lucas’ POV is something I find interesting, because we talk a lot about Mike feeling alone, but Lucas was also alone in his situation. When Lucas continued down the path of being normal, Mike started backtracking and returned to being a nerd and a freak. It left Lucas somewhat stranded, and when we have that confrontation between them in 4x01, Lucas was appealing to things he knows Mike understands. He says he’s tired of being bullied and that he’s tired of being made fun of by girls, which is something that is established that happens for Mike was back in S1 (he faces a lot of bullying and girls are grossed out by him).

For Lucas, he’s trying to be normal to escape the severe racism he faces as a black kid in the middle of Indiana, which was only made worse by being a nerd. Lucas goes on a journey in Lucas On the Line (LOTL) that heavily describes his experience with racism and his love for Max. He also wants Max to come back, hence the, “tired of being made fun of by girls.”

Something important from LOTL is Lucas getting to be friends with other black boys and seeing these qualities that are beautiful and unique in people like him, which was something Lucas definitely needed in his life. That’s not something Mike would see, as Mike only saw them as jocks.

These aren’t the same things Mike is going through, Lucas doesn’t know what’s going on with Mike, but he knows that Mike can at least understand why he’s doing this. He and Mike were on the same page in S3, and suddenly Mike is backtracking and is no longer trying to grow up and be accepted by the world. Lucas and Mike aren’t on the same page anymore, and Lucas feels alone and abandoned. We see it when he realizes he’s been replaced by his little sister.

Another thing in LOTL, Lucas gets annoyed by Mike thanks to his sudden rise in assholery after the Byers moved. Specifically, it’s around the start of school that the conflict between them starts to kick in a little. Mike’s dealing with stuff he won’t tell anyone, but Lucas doesn’t understand that and he doesn’t have to. As far as he knows, both he and Mike lost Will and they’re both affected similarly. He thinks this is about El. Lucas has never really been a fan of Mike’s relationship with El, and this is definitely adding onto that.

At the end of the season, we see Lucas complete his arc of realizing that he’d rather be a freak than a raging psychopath normal. He’s accepted that the life he thought would be good for him, that would make him happy, is one that ultimately rejects him and he learns to reject it in return. He no longer holds this need to be normal, which is important because Mike was trying to not be normal at the beginning of the season too. It’s what their conflict was about.

Mike’s POV

Mike’s perspective on his relationship with Lucas at this point seems a lot like he’s having an internal war. He’s finally learning to embrace himself and making steps to accept his sexuality, and in accordance he’s playing DND and hanging out with outcasts, which is the exact opposite of what he was trying to do in S3. However, there are some things that suggest that there’s still a part of him that wants to be like Lucas.

Like, I’m their confrontation, the way Mike reacts shows a lot more reluctance and that what Lucas is saying hits closer to home. He’s not being argumentative, showing that same complacency he had in S3 that differs from his stubbornness with Lucas in S1 & 2.

On the table at the cafeteria, we also see this book which talks about learning how to play sports. That doesn’t make any sense for any of the Hellfire Club members. Except for Mike. That part of Mike that still wants to be like Lucas has him reaching out to learn about sports and how to play. He’s torn right now.

As established in S1 & S3, Lucas’ approval in regards to Mike’s acceptance with his sexuality means a lot. Lucas was the one who initially pushed him to consider El as a romantic interest, the one to point out that girls don’t like him, and the one to walk him through a lot of relationship problems in S3. Assuming LOTL is canon, we also know that Lucas thought Mike was the “worst person to be around” right as school started after Mike’s isolation. Mike’s reaction to the move was deeply rooted in his feelings for Will, and I personally think this when he really came to terms that he was in love with Will (not necessarily the first time he realized he had feelings, though. I think that was the S2 monologue). Lucas reacting like that to Mike’s post-isolation probably felt like a rejection in some way.

Mike also doesn’t really understand the depth of Lucas’ need to be normal. Mike can never have the experience Lucas has. Mike won’t be able to realize that Lucas wants to be around other black people and people who will help him become normal/popular because of his experience with racism. That creates a divide, because Mike doesn’t see the motivation to become normal beyond what he and Lucas have in common, which is being bullied and being made fun of by girls. Mike is realizing that he doesn’t care about girls, though, and the bullying itself never seemed to bother Mike much. He only ever got upset when it came to his friends being targeted.

Games and being an outcast and DND are all important to Mike’s journey of self acceptance, but more importantly Eddie was important to Mike’s journey. Lucas didn’t seem to get along with Eddie, which was something that made it even harder for Mike to be on the same page as Lucas. Eddie’s heavy queer-coding (no not steddie) sets him up as a role model for Mike in a lot of ways. Mike is seeing someone like him be completely, honestly himself. Zero shame. That was something Mike needed in order to move towards accepting his sexuality.

At the end of the season, Mike has gotten over El. He’s ready to truly give up on being normal, just like Lucas has.

S5 Predictions

As for S5, I think Lucas and Mike are both starting off on the stance that they’ve finally given up on being normal.

Lucas thought Mike had accepted being an outcast already, but he doesn’t know about Mike giving up on trying to be straight.

Mike doesn’t even know that Lucas is against conformity now.

I think we’re gonna be getting a reconciliation arc between them in S5. Especially considering that we’re returning to S1 dynamics, I’m hoping we’ll get S1 callbacks as well. I think we’re gonna get a scene of them really talking it out; Lucas admitting that he was wrong, and that he’s sorry for leaving DND behind while Mike apologizes for not being a good friend. I hope that leads into a coming out scene between Mike and Lucas.

Mike coming out to Lucas is the ideal, in my opinion. Lucas is so heavily tied to Mike trying to be straight and he’s sought Lucas’ approval of that straightness, so for Mike to come out to him and be accepted would be the best way to satisfy Mike’s acceptance of his sexuality in words.

For Lucas, I want that conversation to lead to him getting his best friend back. He spent a lot of S4 feeling alone, and almost all of pre-S4 as well. Lucas deserves to have his friend back, for Mike to bring him back into the party (I know he never technically left but emotionally…). I need for Lucas to feel like he hasn’t been abandoned, that he hasn’t been replaced.

Lucas and Mike need to really accept each other, and I think their arc will play heavily into that idea in S5.

bywheelclair hug to end the post :) these three make me wanna bawl like a BITCH bro

#wheelclair #lucas analysis #mike analysis #byler tumblr #not beta’ed bc i hate beta reading #fuck it we ball

[shrinkthisviolet]

talk shop tuesday - outside of your active WIPs, what is/are your next big fic/fics on the horizon, even if they're just outlines for now 🎤?

Oooh 👀 interesting question! This got long, so under the cut:

So ofc the Morgan and Lucy AUs are my active WIPs but…within those, there are some fics that I haven’t written but have been at least vaguely outlined.

For the main Morgan AU, these include:

1x17 and onwards fic. I haven’t decided if this will include the finale or if that’ll be its own fic, but I’ll see how the flow goes

E2 rescue fic. I’ve gone back and forth about having Morgan help rescue Jesse, but I’m more and more in favor of it as time goes on. Her dynamic with E2 Barry is so sweet to think about 🥰 (and E1 Barry being a little jealous of Morgan calling another version of Barry “like her brother”, even tho Morgan would clearly only be saying that to mess with him 😂). Plus, her potential standoffs with Zoom compel me. I’d have to rewatch the episodes to add more detail. In any case, Morgan would definitely use the telepathy link as an excuse to come, hoping she can find some way to reopen it after Jesse accidentally (not that Morgan knows it was an accident) closed it in the last fic

Jesse POV fic. This covers the events of s2 up to [episode TBD] from Jesse’s POV. So we’ll get to see her get kidnapped, her interactions with Zoom, befriending the real Jay (which didn’t happen in canon, but the medallion says that’s dumb, so it happens here)…and the telepathy link. I originally thought of taking it up to 2x16, but…since Morgan’s likely gonna be part of the E2 rescue, I’ll have to fiddle with things 😅

2x16 fic. Eliza survives this ofc, and as I’ve mentioned prior, there’s no split personality. Taking inspo from the comics for this one, and blending it with show canon: she got powers from the accelerator and the constant defibrillation made her powers unstable. She thus created the drug Sharp to dampen her powers. She’s also a WOC like the comics, unlike the show. Beyond that, the rest is TBD 😂

Morgan & Jesse roommates fic! This is the “enemies to besties/sisters” fic. Jesse shows up at Morgan’s apartment when she runs away, and though Morgan is reluctant to help because of how she and Jesse rub each other the wrong way (they’re a bit jealous of each other, seeing the other as the best version of them, etc etc), she ofc does—she can’t let Jesse wander Starling City alone, especially without powers and with Zoom possibly able to find her if he’s hellbent enough on it. Over time, they get to know each other and become close! Exact timespan is unknown rn, but depending on which episode this needs to be wrapped up by, I might artificially extend the time to at least a few weeks

2x17 fic! I’ve thought about this quite a bit :D Barry time-traveling to 1x11, being furious at Thawne and guilty that he can’t help the others…and also also, using Morgan against him 👀 Eowells is a sucky father in so many ways, but if he knows Morgan is in grave danger, he’ll do anything to stop it (after all, she can’t be his treasure if she’s dead, can she?)

s3 arc. This is…vaguely outlined. I’ll have to sit down post-s2 and really go through it, and especially as I rewatch s3, but…I’ve thought a lot about it, especially how I’m gonna rewrite Savitar and his dynamic with Morgan. I’ve been inspired quite a bit by the comics lately, especially a certain blue speedster in them…👀

For Morgan AU spin-offs, these include:

the “daddy issues AU” is starting to be outlined! I’ve written a couple snippets to get in the zone too :D the first fic just covers Barry’s placement with Eowells and meeting Morgan…and it’s delightful to write. That’ll be the only fic from Barry’s POV, I think—the others will be Morgan’s. It’ll cover s1…possibly s2 but I doubt it

CF AU s1 has been vaguely outlined, even though that’s a ways from now 😂 it’ll ofc be Barry’s POV and cover him waking up, realizing Morgan and Iris are hiding something, and trying to uncover it while hiding his own secret. Don’t worry though, everyone is ofc looped in way sooner than canon

I am ofc currently writing the first fic of a soulmates AU, which should be done this week, and although it’s just the intro fic I’ve written (pre-s1), I’ve thought about how the s1 arc will go. Specifically…how Morgan and Barry’s interactions will go 👀 I can’t say too much because of spoilers, but needless to say, there’s a big mystery at the center of s1 regarding Morgan…and she doesn’t realize it for a while

For the Lucy AU…there’s a few:

post-ESB fic, pre-ROTJ. Covers the fallout of ESB, sorta bridges it to ROTJ. This will be when Lucy gets her Jedi training, while Luke is reeling from the Vader reveal and goes off on…whatever quest he goes on (I still need to read those supplemental comics 😅). Lucy is also, ofc, reeling from Lando’s betrayal—she can’t seem to shake it, even while Leia’s able to push through it. Leia gets Lando’s reasons on some level, even if she’s hurt…but Lucy doesn’t. Something else major also happens 👀 but…spoilers!

TFA fic! Which is jumping ahead quite a bit, but…vague outline and all that. Lucy is ofc raising Rey on Jakku, and there’s some growing pains…especially since Rey, unlike canon, wants to go out into the world, because she knows her family is out there. Lucy, however, believes everyone is dead and that they’re safest here. She’s tired of fighting, tired of losing people. They clash quite a few times about this…though ultimately, when Lucy finds out Leia is alive, ofc she and Rey both go. Also in this fic, there’s no fake Poe death, so the ST trio is established from early on!

OH ALSO:

PJO x Flash AU!! How the PJO trio gets to the Arrowverse is still up in the air, but they have their show appearances (their backstory is the books’ story, not the show, though there are a couple things from s1 I’m carrying over). And ofc the central conflict, besides the general events of the show, is that the more Team Flash finds out about these kids’ past, and especially about the Prophecy, the more reluctant they are to send them back. This causes a number of fights between Barry and Percy in particular, because Percy wants to get home to Sally and also take on the Prophecy so Nico doesn’t have to. Barry meanwhile is so angry that Percy has to make the choice between protecting his loved ones and keeping himself safe. There’s also, in s3, some fun Savitar & Percy interaction that furthers these themes…👀

That’s about it as far as vaguely-outlined fics go! Probably a bit of a longer list than you were expecting 😅 but I do like to bounce around

talk shop tuesday!

Taglist (send an ask or DM to be added or removed):

@arrthurpendragon @ocappreciationtag @raith-way @vexic929 @ironverseocs @thechaoticfanartist @goldheartedchaoticdisaster @negative-speedforce @dream-beyond-the-fantasy @starstruckpurpledragon @angst-is-love-angst-is-life

#talk shop tuesday #morgan wells au #morgan wells au what-ifs #lucy kenobi au #pjo x flash au

[pluckysidekick]

OK, bringing it home with Part 3 of my in depth analysis of Episode 2 of Nancy Drew Season 4, “The Maiden’s Rage” - Part 1 and Part 2 in case you missed them.

TW: I covered Bro-Nancy’s abusive behavior and the fight in Part 2, but I may touch on DV and emotional abuse in this post too.

Seeing Nancy in handcuffs (presumably Ace’s) is a dark twist from the Ace carries handcuffs scene in S3’s The Demon of Piper Beach, and his untying of the scarf with Amanda in S2’s Moonstone Island. There’s nothing sexual about this scene - Ace starts out as far back as he can be from Nancy, his arms crossed, only coming closer after Nancy’s had the ‘Clari-tea’ and is able to explain what was going on with her.

We get a little lesson on toxic masculinity, but I was a bit surprised they didn’t mention DV, which is what the show recreates so accurately as an outcome of the poison’s effect on Nancy.

Nancy explains how her feelings about Ace were locked away by the poison, leaving her with only anger. I like how they tied her real feelings to the poison. Nick then ties that anger to her wanting to dominate Ace, and Bess explains how it made Nancy aggressive. I’m not completely satisfied with that explanation as I feel there was more at work here, but I am glad they address it in some way.

If you didn’t catch it, Ace’s tiny nod to Nancy acknowledging her explanation is telling. He’s come closer to her, his arms now uncrossed, and he understands what happened, but he’s not over her treatment of him yet.

This scene is an instant classic. I could watch George and Nancy (even Bro-Nancy) investigating together all day. In handcuffs. It looks like George is a US Marshall with her surly captive. It’s the buddy movie we need! Also, George’s look is 🔥.

We get another gander at Tristan in this scene - he’s dreamy, shot in the most beautiful light. Nancy can’t help noticing and admitting how good he looks in that sleeveless shirt (he really does). We also get some more clues about him - he knows about his parents’ relic business but prefers the simple sea life, and he’s willing to get them the pump but needs collateral. Nancy giving him her necklace is a big deal. The fact that she trusts him with it - is that the whammy at work? Or does she already feel something more than idle attraction to the latest Horseshoe Bay heartthrob? Hmm…

Back at the (Drew) ranch, we finally get the context for the M3gan trailer scene. George’s rough handling of Nancy as she protests that her behavior wasn’t really that bad made me chuckle, but the process itself was unnerving - it felt like a scene from a steampunk sci-fi show (in a good but disturbing way). I actually love how S4 is exploring new realms of the supernatural and amping up the effects. Also put the stomach pump in the growing list of antique supernatural gadgets, along with the soul splitter and Nick’s ghost goggles. From the S4 trailer I think we’ll get lots more of them (yay).

We also finally have confirmation that Ace is present in this scene (although that “what did you eat?” line still sounds like a voiceover). He again moves from the back of the group to the front with a concerned expression once Nancy purges the poison. Nancy’s heartfelt ‘I’m so sorry’ is a good start in making amends. Ace needs more, but it will have to wait as they jump back to the case, with Ace back in his hacker role.

Notice the grouping on the couch - unlike S2’s Trail of the Missing Witness (still my favorite pre-S4 episode), Nancy and Ace are separated by Bess. They look nothing so much as the parents discussing something serious with their teen daughter, who’s sitting between them with a mixture of boredom and confusion on her face.

Nancy and Ace sleuthing again together makes me ridiculously happy. The energy isn’t 100% back yet - compared to say “We heard great things about your bathrooms” or “No sign of Tinkerbell?” But Ace’s “she brought these stickers” was a return to form, and this visit shows them in much better cooperation than their last visit to Logan’s when Bro-Nancy left him on the sidewalk.

George’s scene with Abbott in the hospital is so heartbreakingly good - seeing her hero fall is tough, but it helps her re-assert how important finding the truth is to her, and helping those who are affected. The intercutting of the story between Logan’s and the hospital was effectively done. Nancy’s scene with Maggie Lake is quick and gives Logan and Abbott’s victim some closure, but there are still many unanswered questions about how it all fits together with the poisoned water, the bodies, and how it fits in with Nancy’s history and the founders.

I was happy to see Addy and Bess on the same page and working together on the final preparations for the dinner party. I wished we could see a little of the dinner, but in the end the important thing was that the couple is a team, and her picky parents can’t break them apart. Bess’s heartfelt hugs to them were so adorable - her sunny energy is so key to the group and the whole show. Bess might not find familial acceptance in Addy’s parents (although I bet she eventually breaks them down), but she is building something good with Addy.

Nancy continues on the rounds of her apology/explanation tour. This scene with Tristan was…interesting. They are clearly building a bond. The huge clue that Tristan is adopted was almost expected, and softens Nancy toward him in a new way. I’ll have to talk more about my thoughts on his origins in a separate post. Note how Nancy gently lifts her braid for him - we’ll see it again in the Ace scene coming up.

This gesture of his putting the necklace around Nancy’s neck - it was surprisingly intimate. More so than the casual way Nancy puts the lanyard around Ace’s neck at DetectiveCon. The fact that this intimate scene, which includes more flirting over Tristan’s arms (grr) is followed by Nancy going straight to Ace’s - this season is trying to kill me, and it’s only Episode 2.

The George and Nick bonding is much more satisfying. They are building such a strong foundation - maybe it will always be friendship, maybe more. The maturity we see in George in this episode is such beautiful growth, and Leah is killing it.

Nick is ready and willing to get to know Jade better, and they are too. I detect some chemistry starting between them by the end of the scene.

(Spoiler alert):

.

I’ve spotted them in the final scene that Riley shared on the last day of filming, so Jade will be here for the long haul. They are walking through the door in the clip, and their real name (Arianna) is called. Nick and George are standing next to each other in the Claw baby shower scene - so interested in how this turns out.

The scene that we’ve all been waiting for. Ace’s hesitancy at the door, and his expression, make it clear he is still hurt. Nancy’s peace offering and her related joke, which of course harkens back to both the bagels from Temperance’s forecast, and the pickle jar she tried to open as Bro-Nancy, falls flat. The fact that she barrels in without an invitation makes me a little uncomfortable- the poison is worn off, yet she’s still taking a high handed approach with Ace. You can see he feels the same way in his eyes and his body language, and how he only begrudgingly closes the door behind her when Nancy offers to tell him everything finally.

Nancy’s explanation is heartfelt. But Ace feeling like he has to apologize for his anger at her shutting him out doesn’t sit right with me. He had a right to ask for more, and even now Nancy blew past him and into his space. Her joking “let’s call it even” - she says she tried to kill him under the poison’s influence because he rejected her, but I don’t feel like she fully addressed both the way she treated him before, and how degrading her behavior was toward him after she was poisoned. Just a few extra lines here would have gone a long way IMO to make this part of the scene more satisfying.

Ace’s “Yeah” and his lightening the mood by asking for good things that he can look forward to, and his “Well, everything” - swoon. Nancy’s toying with her braid as she gazes at Ace on the bed, separated by a visual divider line, gives such a “teenage girl with a deep crush” vibe. It’s such a sweet ending, and I am confident that Nancy and Ace’s relationship will grow stronger from this experience, and help them weather what I’m sure are going to be harrowing times, and possibly times where they can’t or won’t interact, and turn to others for comfort (ouch).

Overall this was an incredibly deep episode with a lot of nuance, along with amazing acting, comedy, and overall writing and production. I would have liked to see a bit more discussion in Nancy and Ace’s final scene before we got to the incredibly romantic ending, and I wish there was a trigger warning at the beginning of the episode - but I do appreciate how well the writers responded online to the feedback.

I am out of my mind for Episode 3 tonight. The show creators are hyping it up mightily. I’m expecting amazing progress and some heartbreak before the end. Talk to you on the other side!

#nancy drew #nancy drew cw #nace #ace [redacted] #ndcw #nancy drew season 4 #nancy drew s4 #nancy drew spoilers #4x02

[misty-caligula]

Unhinged S2 theories

Okay let’s get unhinged for a second. And take this to logical conclusions.

https://www.tumblr.com/misty-caligula/716477558946971648/this-is-my-big-one-for-s2e6-and-its-the-thing

I’ve already talked (a lot) about how I genuinely believe that someone is manipulating Lott, and that she’s been secretly taken off her meds.

So who? And why? At this point I’m leaning towards a theory that the cult is becoming self-aware, and is actively growing outside of Lott’s direction. I think there’s a inner circle below her (I think Lisa might be in it, I think that drum circle guy from ep6 is in it) that’s started to plot and scheme, that’s maybe more aware of Lott’s situation than we think, and is actively trying to push her to become the antler queen once more.

Do they NEED to know about what happened in the wild? No. Not necessarily. She could just be... an inspiring, powerful person they feel is not living up to her potential.

Or...

Did she blab? Did she break the oath? Did someone get access to her psych notes? Did someone learn things she’s said in therapy? Did she talk about specifics? While she was in Switzerland?

Or...

Did Adam ACTUALLY get more access to Shauna than we think? Was it a big misdirect to have Jeff blackmailing them... to cover the fact that Adam was genuinely a plant? DID HE ACTUALLY GET ACCESS TO HER DIARIES and we just ASSUMED it was Jeff???

Is moustache cop an incompetent idiot? Or .... is he not trying to get a conviction? Is he just trying to get into Shauna’s head? Is HE a plant??

Is WALTER a citizen detective who just wants to learn things about stuff...? OR is he a plant, a perfect connection for Misty, down to the showtunes.

THE SHOWTUNES THO okay so follow with me... Misty INSTANTLY picks up on the showtunes.

Misty’s SO sus on Walter from the first moment she sees him. She doesn’t miss much when it comes to like, facts and stuff, and she clocks him the moment she HEARS his voice. And he’s OBSESSED with her (like Adam’s obsessed with Shauna!) and okay so they’re so similar, so weirdly in tune, but Misty is uncomfortable because she doesn’t click with similar. The last time she did Crystal died.

Then they’re in the car and he brings out the showtunes and Misty smells a rat. She IMMEDIATELY clocks that he knows her too well, it’s just too much, too fast, and too big of a coincidence. And he tells her that he just really likes showtunes, it’s all just a misunderstanding, and she goes “Well I don’t even LIKE showtunes” and he CALLS HER BLUFF AND THEN SHOWS HER ONE HE KNOWS SHE WON’T LIKE.

HOW DOES HE KNOW??

It comes off as a good read, as a fun moment, but HE KNOWS HER TOO WELL AND SHE KNEW IT!

“Being a yellowjacket’s the least interesting thing about you” he says HE’S LYING HE’S A CITIZEN DETECTIVE, IT’S AN INCREDIBLY INTERESTING THING ABOUT HER!

“It was like 30 years ago” HE’S LYING HE’S A CITIZEN DETECTIVE HE DOESN’T MAKE THESE KINDS OF ERRORS, HE KNOWS IT WAS EXACTLY 25 YEARS AGO!!!!

And then and then he’s like, sending her messages after she’s already told him to go away which ISN’T LIKE HIM he didn’t even argue when she told him to fuck off AND the drum circle guy is like, PUSHING IT he’s like “Hmmmmm had a breakup??? hmmm?? what about that walter guy? hmmmm??” and like... as SOON as she mentions Nat they’re like “YOU KNOW NAT?? Please, tell us every tiny detail you know about this woman while we sit here and listen intently.”

*takes a breath*

I feel like I’m going mad. There’s too many data points and too many unanswered questions. Too many coincidences. And I think... that that is the point.

In the teen timeline nothing is as it seems, there is no solid grounding. You’re meant to be able to slip whatever your interpretation is onto the top of it, you’re meant to have your expectations both met and refuted all at once. You’re meant to question your own reality.

I mean....

Laura was ALWAYS going to die in that plane, right? Right? Then why did we think she wouldn’t?

The baby was NEVER going to make it. Right? Then why did we allow them to give us half an ep where we really thought it had?

Jackie was ALWAYS going to die and there were people who 100% were waiting for some twist to save her til the moment they ate her.

This show is just really really good at making us question what’s right in front of us in the teen timeline.

Why ... the hell... would we expect different in the adult? Why WOULD it be all just normal and easily explained coincidences? Why would it be just trauma responses and nothing more? Why CAN’T it be a malicious conspiracy? But then.. why WOULD it be a malicious conspiracy? Neither makes total sense, neither perfectly fits, I feel like we’re missing key information. And I don’t know about you, but it’s making ME feel paranoid. And I honestly think that’s the point.

Maybe the cult really IS a dangerous thing that’s going out of its’ way to destroy them all. Maybe its trying to bring back the antler queen, maybe Lisa is evil, maybe maybe maybe maybe maybe...

Or maybe it’s just putting 1+1 together and having trauma add another 1 without realising and getting 3. Because that’s the REAL shit, that’s the nightmare of being un-fun mentally ill, is that once you stop being 100% confident of your ability to perceive things accurately you’ll never get that certainty back. You’ll never trust another thing you think or feel ever again, and the moment you stop questioning your world it’ll make you panic and worry you’re missing something... Ask me how i know.

At this point I’m going to just say I do not know what’s Really Going On with the cult. I am 100% confident that Lott’s being manipulated. Beyond that? ... all I have is vibes and ideas and feeling adrift. I’m so impressed at this show for managing to throw me this hard and I’m unbelievably curious to see what else it has to offer.

#yellowjackets #screaming into a pillow #spoilers #they can't keep getting away with this!

[theclaravoyant]

AN ~ I'm sorry.

For @fictober-event’s Fictober 2023 prompt: “I can't wait for you."

Masterpost of my Fictober OFMD fics

S2 Spec Fic. Angst. SPOILERS FOR EPS 1-3 AND INSPIRED BY PUBLICITY TEASERS. I couldn't help myself, especially not after DJenks teased the Stede's dream coming back into play and "their fates are tied together."

Fandom: Our Flag Means Death Characters/Relationships: Stede Bonnet, Izzy Hands, Ed Teach. Relationship-wise it's canon compatible mess they've got going on, I'm flexible with however you want to see that. Tags: Canon Typical Violence, Major Character Death.

Love (~1000wd)

In the distance, Izzy signals from behind a cluster of rocks. Ed and Stede sprint for it. They’ve managed to put the English behind them, for now, but they don’t have long. Any second now, the jangle of pistols and cutlasses will alight over the horizon and then - 

Stede throws himself into the dirt to get behind cover. His heart is pounding in his throat as he looks around at the small, sheltered cove Izzy has found for them. It looks nice. It feels an awful lot like they have nowhere left to run.

Ed and Izzy are tucked up behind another rock together, conspiring away in hushed voices like they’ve been doing this their whole lives. Maybe they have. Ed lifts himself enough to glance over the rock face, out of the shelter and down the open beach at something. His face lights up.

“Izzy, you’re a lifesaver!”

He claps him on the shoulder and leaps out and runs down to whatever it is they’ve discussed.

Izzy smiles briefly, breathlessly, like it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to him. Then he lets it die - or maybe, drags it into the depth of his heart where he’ll hang onto it with everything he has. He’s going to need it, for what’s about to happen next.

Stede averts his eyes, and tries to give him the decency of pretending like he didn’t notice. There’s something heavy in the air.

Izzy clears his throat, and beckons Stede over. He pulls the pistol from his belt and hands it to Stede.

“Bonnet. Take this.”

Stede takes it, and checks it’s ready like it’s instinct now. Just like Izzy taught him.

“I’ve put something together,” Izzy explains. He gestures over the rock and Stede looks, just like Ed had. There’s a dinghy on the sand that Ed is readying, and Stede finds his face lights up in much the same way.

“Brilliant!” he declares, in a hushed tone. Maybe they’re getting out of here after all.

“There should be enough food in there for a week, used sparingly,” Izzy explains. “Did the best I could for water. With your luck, hopefully it’ll last long enough for the crew to find you.”

(Ed has dragged the dinghy into the water now. It’s almost up to his knees. He looks back for his crewmates and frowns. They need to move. Where are they?)

“When I give the signal,” Izzy instructs, “I need you to get down to that boat and go. Don’t look back. Don’t wait for me. Row for your life, do you understand?”

Stede does not. Then, he blinks, and the dawning realisation that Izzy has been saying you and not us this whole time starts to sink in. So this is the heaviness in the air.

“I can’t wait for you,” he repeats numbly.

Piled by Izzy’s feet, Stede belatedly notices, are a dozen or so pistols and a cutlass and a knife. It looks an awful lot like someone’s about to make a last stand. Izzy checks and prepares them effortlessly. Discards a few he doesn’t trust to be too damaged or empty. Maybe, probably, it might even be a comfort to have so much to do with his hands - so much tough, and familiar - while he speaks. 

“Edward-” Izzy sucks in a breath like he has to force himself to do it. “He’s not going to want to go. I need you to make him.”

“I will,” Stede vows.

“He’s going to hate himself. I need you to look after him.”

“I will.”

“And Stede-”

Stede.

“Tell him-”

Tell him.

“Tell him-”

Stede looks on with such a steady, solemn expression it makes Izzy furious. This is all so pathetic he can hardly stand the stoic admiration. The words die in his throat like they were always going to. Tears sting his eyes. He’s such a fucking coward.

Over the hill, shouts and the clanging of metal returns. They’ve caught up.

Ed glances up the hill, then over at the rocks. They’ve waited too long. He has to get back.

Izzy shakes his head. It’s too late now.

“Oh, fuck it,” he breathes, spitting bitterly at the universe who, it feels like, had to get this one last knife in. “He knows.”

In one fell swoop he pulls the first pistol from his belt and breaks cover. Stede is right behind him in the opposite direction; sprinting for the beach and waving Ed back into the water with the passion and desperation of a charging horse. He throws himself into the boat so hard it hurts and the oars give him splinters and he rows with everything he has.

“Wait- wait, Stede,” Ed begs, quietly at first in his confusion. “Izzy?”

He twists around in the boat, trying to see where Izzy went. It’s impossible he’s not here. Yet it’s all too likely. It’s a miracle they’d ever made it this far. There’s a tangle of bodies on the beach. Gunfire and swords flying. And in the middle of it all -

“Izzy.”

Stede can hardly look. He can’t speak. His eyes are filling with tears. He only rows. He can practically feel Ed’s heart breaking, can see it in the changed set of his shoulders. The way his breath shakes. Shatters. He howls.

“IZZY! IZZY!”

He can’t help himself lunging forward to the end of their little lifeboat. It sways dangerously and he freezes. If he fucks this up now they’re all dead. They’re all dead and this is for nothing. That bastard.

There’s nothing left to do now but bear witness, as the silhouette of the man finally falls.

#fictober23 #ofmd #our flag means death #steddyhands #izzy hands #ofmd fanfic #ofmd s2 #ofmd spoilers #clara's fic tag

[canarybell]

something something sequel and S2/S3 connection

(This is another mostly Ctrl-C Ctrl-V of my speculations from another place, because I don't have enough brains to rephrase it; and I want it to be here in case I make a post concerning my speculations about Archangel Michael and their role in S3)

We know S3 is based on the drafts of the unwritten sequel of the book!GO. We also know S2 is a "bridge" between S1 and S3, kinda tying in one knot the ending of S1 and the beginning of the sequel book. We can assume from Neil's recent post that most (if not all) important things that should have happened in the sequel, will happen in S3 and didn't happen in S2 yet.

So what can we assume based on this information?

The main difference between book ending and S1 ending is that in the end of S1 aziracrow don't work on their respective offices anymore. In the book it's might be not that clear, but with Adam promising they don't have anything to worry about, and with them trying to find out what their head offices actually think on Sunday and not hide from them, I suppose A&C still work for Hell and Heaven after the events of the book. There is also "Crowley & Aziraphale’s New Year’s Wishes" written by Terry&Neil in 00s in which aziracrow still work there while IPod exists (with book set up in 1990 it definitely happens after the Armageddon't).

I can't find a source right now, but I remember Neil directly saying (after S1) that archangels in the series were borrowed from sequel drafts. It's also worth noticing that in the book we never saw Heaven the way we saw it in S1, and also there were no angels in the book aside from Aziraphale and The Metatron (and Death, who called himself Azrael, but...well, I'm not sure it applies to TV series in any way).

We also know that the sequel dealt with a Second Coming and angels were acting like Jesus' bodygards (and lost him). We also know what Aziraphale was supposed to do in the sequel (watching some videos in the hotel), but I can't recall anything to be said about Crowley's occupation in a meantime...but maybe I just didn't search hard enough?

So, as I see it, the sequel should have been revolved around an Apocalypse initiated by Heaven this time (the way in the first book it was initiated by Hell). Crowley had a task to deliver an Antichrist in GO1, so in a sequel Aziraphale was ordered to do something concerning Jesus. I guess he even was supposed to be promoted (maybe not for the Supreme Archangel position, but still promoted) in a sequel too – because of his knowledge of Earth he could genuinely seen as the best candidate to be used in the “Second Coming” project in a book version. There were probably some insights into the Heaven politics – we saw some demons in the book 1 after all.

(It also made me make some assumptions about Archangel Michael role in S1/sequel/S2, as there are some interesting patterns, especially if we look into the cut scene of the bookshop opening in S1 script…but that’s a theory for another day. It also ties them with Muriel, however strange it might sound without a context)

The problem of implementing this into TV series is that, as I pointed above, TV!Aziracrow post-S1 are known traitors and outlaws (that actually would make a lot more sense if S1 existed without any continuation – there is a big headscratcher in a book for me called “Was Ligur revived and did anyone care about his murder post-Armageddon’t?”, which S1 covered). You need to set up a whole story so Aziraphale could just go back to Heaven and do whatever he needed to do there for the plot. Crowley, on the other hand…we’ll see in S3, but I suspect his role in the sequel didn’t require him actively work for Hell, especially if he needed to be on Earth most of the plot; and whatever interactions that he needed to have with Downstairs can be covered in the TV series by him interacting with Shax.

So the main point of S2 in this case was mostly to set up Aziraphale going back to Heaven. And maybe to get rid of Gabriel – I suppose he had a role in the sequel too, but if his main role in its drafts was to just be an annoying and stupid boss (as he was in S1 and wasn’t in a book, as he wasn’t present there), he couldn’t continue to just be one in the series, pretending that saying “Shut your stupid mouth and die” to Crowley!Aziraphale never happened. And getting rid of him was probably seen as a better/simpler solution than trying to come up with a story where he, with his story with Aziraphale, still had the same functions as his book-sequel version.

And yeah, other archangels don't like and/or trust Aziraphale too (okay, I'm hesitant about Saraquel, but they are a dark horse anyway). But they very visibly didn't like Aziraphale in S1 too, even before his...accomplishments. So that might be the point of their characters? Maybe in the sequel archangels simply didn't like their new equal/boss, and in S3 their dislike will just have more basis? Especially in Michael's case.

.....one thing that bothers me, actually, is how much the "S3 is based on the sequel, S2 not so much" might affect our theories about S3? Like, 25 Lazari miracle. If it wasn't in the sequel drafts (and tbh I'm not sure it could even happen there - what for book!A&C would do the joint miracle? If it even happened, it should have been something minor enough that it could be replaced by hiding Gabriel definitely-not-in-the-sequel subplot...), how much should we rely on it in our theories? Can we even make it a main point of our assumptions?

Although, the sequel drafts were just this - drafts, not a finished story. We don't know how detailed they were, and how many plot points weren't really finished back then. Like, idk, there might be "Aziraphale and Crowley get out of [some trouble] - we will think how they can do it later" note, and back then "later" never happened. But now "how" can be resolved with the use of 25 Lazari Chekhov Gun, and it would be legit for the TV series universe...

#good omens #good omens season 2 #good omens s2 #good omens meta #good omens theory #good omens speculation