#anyways we need more family bonding in musicals

[altaruwusmolboiz]

In my shucked era right now but Maizy/Lulu directly parallel Beau/Peanut in this essay I will

#shucked musical #beau walker #peanut walker #maizy shucked #lulu shucked #do maizy and lulu have last names? #but think about it #Maizy and Beau are both naive and openly heartbroken #While Lulu and Peanut are wiser and suppress their feelings #I’m definitely reading too deep into the corn musical but I can kind of see where I’m coming from #(both lulu and peanut have a crush on Gordy but so does everyone so yk) #anyways we need more family bonding in musicals

[hwangism143]

𓆩♡𓆪 how skz would propose to you. 𓆩♡𓆪

BANG CHAN

he would invite you over (or sneak, i should say) to the studio for a date cuz you both do this all the time

sometimes, he plays you snippets of songs he's working on, other times, you're just talking the night away while getting some work done

anyways, today he's playing you one of his songs

you're just completely immersed in the music and when it ends the lingering feeling of wanting more is left behind

how could it not? the song was about spending an eternity with you

you're about to turn around and profess your love for chan for the millionth time when you see him

he's on one knee and lets out a choked, "i meant everything in that song. i didn't know what love was before i met you, but you have shown me love and so much more. marry me?"

ofc you say yes (i mean, i would) and just end up falling asleep on his couch

LEE MINHO

you guys go to your favorite cat cafe, and bring the kids (cats?) along with you too

suddenly, soonie comes along with a note stuck to her back - "will you be our parent? i mean, for real?"

you look at minho who's playing with the cats on the other side of the room, confused, but he doesn't see you

(actually, he's blushing like crazy and is too scared to make eye contact lmao)

that is until you walk over to him and give him a nudge

he's beaming at you (this boy istg) and gets down on one knee

"we can't let our kids be a part of a dysfunctional family. they another parent, and they love having you around. actually, no, they love you. and they wanna grow old with you. so. will you, uhm, marry me? their father?"

(pls im giggling at this myself)

SEO CHANGBIN

you guys are out on a date at a fancy restaurant and changbin's acting extra giggly

now mind you, this is seo changbin. extra giggly is far more than what you would imagine

you're finally done eating and slump against your chair when the server brings another plate of food

you look at changbin with a "bro. i'm full." but the bro in question is just looking at you.

you look down at the tray placed in front of you.

"will you marry me?" it says with a ring in the middle?

"be my permanent gym partner?" asks changbin hopefully

and you say yes (bcuz who in their right mind wouldn't ???)

HWANG HYUNJIN

we all know how extra this man is, so when he insists that you two go to the bookshop where you first met, you don't protest

you're scanning the bookshelf, reminiscing about how you both bonded over monet and jane austen at this very shop

then you here a little gasp in front of you

naturally, your first instinct is to turn around and check on hyunjin

and he is down on one knee, a sobbing mess (but still cute, y'know)

"you have, and always will be my muse," he says, "so will you make me the happiest man alive and do me the honor of being your husband?"

he slides the ring onto your finger and pulls you into a hug and you're both crying and laughing and

(i'm sorry this is so cute, goodbye)

HAN JISUNG

you had made up your mind - is jisung wasn't going to propose to you, you would propose to him

(get it, queen or king or gender non-identifying reader!)

and so you're on your rooftop building when he goes "i need to tell you something" and funnily enough, so do you

(i wonder what that's about... hehehe)

after a series of 'you first', 'no you'. jisung admits defeat and slides you over the ring box

wordlessly, you slide over your box

the two of you just start laughing because, idiots in love

and then you squish jisung and start peppering him with kisses

LEE FELIX

it's a beach date!

absolutely perfect, all complete with bokkie's brownies

but felix is acting kinda nervous.

(and by nervous i mean his face is beet red and he's stuttering like crazy)

(what can you say, my boy is in love)

you're eating the last brownie when he says "close you eyes"

you do and you hear some shuffling.

you open your eyes to a sniffling felix propped up on one knee. "can I be your personal brownie chef for the rest of forever?"

who can say no to an offer like that?

KIM SEUNGMIN

you both were coming home from one of your numerous dates

it was the perfect night to be walking outside, but seungmin seemed really shifty

he was NOT enjoying himself

"are you cheating on me?" you ask jokingly

"far from it actually," he retorts, suddenly letting go of your hand.

you turn to find him in the middle of the street with a ring in his hand

"marry me. will you? please? i've had this ring with me for months and i didn't know when to propose but now i know, well like i always knew-"

you promptly shut him up with a kiss and a breathless yes

YANG JEONGIN

nothing was going according to plan for innie. you spent too much time picking an ice cream flavor and he knew that he was spending too much time at this clothing store

but they just got a new collection

and so he waits until you both are done so that he can take you to that really drmamtic fountain in front of the mall and propose to you

but watching you pick out your clothes, he realizes he wants to do this for the rest of forever

so this man promptly plops down on one knee in the middle of a department store and screams, "WILL YOU MARRY ME AND BE MY SHOPPING BUDDY FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE? WE CAN BE EACH OTHERS PROBLEMS"

you just look at him confused holding up a t-shirt, "UH OKAY I'LL MARRY YOU AND WE CAN BE EACH OTHERS PROBLEMS"

you both are so loud that you nearly get kicked

(later he makes you buy him ice cream because he's a baby who's done a good job and deserves a reward)

#skz headcanons #skz scenarios #stray kids imagine #stray kids x reader #skz fluff #skz x reader #stray kids headcanons #skz au #skz angst #stray kids fluff #skz imagines #stray kids scenarios #stray kids #skz #lee know #felix #i.n #seungmin #chan #han jisung #changbin #hyunjjn #- via's drabbles <3

[strawberrytalia]

siblings have different connections, and it doesn’t necessarily mean differing levels of closeness, but rather how that closeness is shown.

jason + duke = the most stereotypical sibling bond, a close friendship but like it’s obvious to anyone that they’re family, the type who randomly go out for joyride at 3am bc it’s a bad idea and also they’re bored, make fun of each other 24/7 but god forbid you do, it’s not so much just the similarity in backgrounds but rather how they both were shaped by them, always fighting for the aux and then they play blaringly loud shitty ass music anyways, literally the type to go for random walks at the worst times to inconvenience bruce, headlocks are a common thing, they’re both scared of getting one from cass though, make fun of tim and dick together, probably dare each other to do stupid things during patrol

meanwhile….

jason + dick = you represent my childhood, you remind me of a hard time in my life, i don’t resent you but i hate what circumstances have been for us, we are so close but distant, i think of you and i think of home, losing you felt like losing my right arm, i wish we had more time together, we have time now, please talk to me, or don’t it’s okay, this is bruce’s fault but also mine, i need you, i hate that i need you, you are so tied to all my past memories that seeing you is like walking into my childhood bedroom again, please stay in my future, let me in, god i wanna give you a smack sometimes, my anger isn’t directed at you but i can’t help feel like you don’t care, you’re my brother, we get each other in a way others don’t, i feel like you didn’t care when i died, i grieved for you so much my heart shattered into pieces, i will always blame myself, please don’t

#nuanceeeeee babyyyyyyy #batfam #dick grayson #jason todd #lady brothers #<- my dick and jason tag #duke thomas #once i make a jason + duke tag its game over!!!!!

[luffyvace]

SHOTO HCS FOR HIS DAY

THIS GIF IS SO CLEANNN 🤩 ANYWAY TODAY BABY SHOTO CAME INTO THIS WORLD AND WE GON TURN UP WITH SOME HCS‼️‼️

#turn up w shotoooo🤪

At the beginning of your relationship it was definitely giving awkward phase..

but don’t worry it definitely won’t stay like that forever

but for now he’s doing little gestures he knows you’d like

buying tickets/seats to any concert/movie you said was your favorite

Anime cons too

he likes to share his soba with you

yes typical, but he’s not self absorbed or anything, so if you want to share ‘okay!’

if not he will bring snacks he knows you’d like to school and give it to you during lunch

he likes to hang out in your dorm a lot

it gives him a warm sense of home

very comforting to him

he doesn’t really know what to do much in relationships but the amount of effort, time, thought and care he puts into it makes him seem so knowledgeable about them??

like shoto I thought you said you’ve never been in a relationship before?? 🤨

tbh the awkward phase doesn’t necessarily seem awkward it’s just, a lot of your time is spent in silence or quiet chit chatting

I mean unless your a extrovert who likes to talk

after you get out that phase though

he starts to be more confident

he likes to trace your hands (and face, in private)

he will kiss your knuckles, not because someone told him it was romantic, but because he really likes your hands

Soft, big, small, rough, long, short, slim, chubby, vieny, bro he just likes your hands!!

he doesn’t break eye contact much either

this might have intimidated you at first because he has a strong gaze (or maybe it didn’t)

but it’s more so of him observing every detail of your face

if feel like if shoto spoke his mind a little more he would be sooo romantic

like instead of the conversation going

“uhh need something shoto? You’ve been staring at me for a while”

“oh nothing I’m just observing your every feature so that even when I close my eyes I can remember the way whatever god that created you sculpted your ethereal face.”

it’s going

“Uhh yeah? Your staring, why? 😅”

”oh” *looks away*

LIKE WHAT??

that difference is TOO huge 🤦‍♀️

random

You love the way shoto softly smiles around you

it makes you feel special

btw shoto probably won’t introduce you to his family for quite a bit of time for two reasons

1: he doesn’t wanna get you involved with his mess

2: if you two don’t work out he doesn’t want his business on the streets

now of course he trusts you but you can never be to cautious, he doesn’t go around blabbing his business, why would he want you to??

the solidarity silence is real

like, he could be reading as your working on homework with music playing in the background

Maybe you occasionally ask him for help on some questions

and he occasionally sips some tea momo made

speaking of which momo is your biggest supporter

along with izuku

shoto likes to go to the beach either really early or really late for two reasons

1: not many people are there

2: you get to watch the sunrise/sunset together

3: he likes the feeling of walking on sand

And yes I said two and added a third one bc he really likes the beach

I’m gonna make the other half of these hcs about his day bc it is! <3

so all of class 1A gets up early everyday, weeks before shoto’s big day to start planning :)

you get up early and others start working on the decorations, others buy gifts and needed things, y’all even buy him a outfit!!

and your going all out because you told everyone shoto told you he never celebrated bc of his past :(

so your bigging it up this year!!

you bought him a soba maker to store in his dorm<3

and yes it was very expensive bc it’s high quality!!

it’s so worth it for him tho

everyone’s gift varies depending on what they bond with him on

although shoto is kinda to himself so you had to help out some people but that’s okay

some people set things up, others wrap gifts, another making a card, ironing his outfit, etc! Bright and early on his big day!

when he gets up that day he’s truly in shock

he doesn’t know what to say

”…….you guys planned this?”

he figures your the main instigator since he told you

and he was right :)

first you planned the amazing breakfast momo made for him, it was delicious

next you guys went rolled skating

then you all went out for lunch

after you guys came home and opened gifts, along with a party you invited friends to, such as class 1B, shiketsu, etc everyone! 💓

lastly you all eat dinner (soba) & party til midnight before hitting the hay ♥︎

and man I summed it up a lot bc it was epic!!

there were so many funny moments and you can bet Mina recorded every second of it!!

She sent it to the group chat and shoto saved it

he looks at it quite often

It was a ”brings tears to my eyes” experience for him 💖💖

He’s so happy about it, and he tells you all about how happy it made him, opening up to you even more as you cuddle in bed late that night

💛

ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE ENDING IM SO GLAD I WROTE THIS!!

I’m gonna try not to miss too many anime character’s days but i can’t guarantee..LOL!

#anime #anime and manga #luffyvace #anime headcanons #shoto todoroki #shoto x reader #shoto torodoki #todoroki family #shouto todoroki #todoroki x reader #todoroki shoto #shoto headcanons #shoto x you #x gn reader #gn reader #gn guys #gn <3 #gn s/o #gender neutral reader #mha x gender neutral reader #mha x reader #mha x you #my hero academia headcanons #my hero academia x reader #my hero academia #bnha #bnha x reader #bnha shoto todoroki #mha shoto #mha

[untitled5071]

your drabble of taffy meeting the creature earlier on the film makes me want to see those two being friends. but also taffy realising the creature likes lisa but lisa is too focused on michael to notice. catch her putting some colour on his face and painting his nails. she makes him watch romantic films to give him ideas on how to win lisa over

I'm glad you liked the last one! I have no idea of you meant for this to be a request but I took it as one anyway, please enjoy some Creature/Taffy bonding time!

🪦🪦🪦🪦🪦🪦🪦🪦🪦

“Okay, the next thing we have to work on is your nails, because no offense, but judging by these cuticles I can absolutely tell that you were in the ground for a century and a half.”

The corpse across from her grunted in indignation, but the effect was skewed by the blush that dusted his cheeks and the fluffy pink scrunchie that was currently holding his hair back. 

Taffy rolled her eyes teasingly and held out her hand, gesturing for the creature to give her his. He complied, and she grabbed the manicure kit she had gotten for Christmas the year before and got to work, pushing his cuticles back gently and cleaning up his nail beds as best she could while her TV announced the next music video it would be playing behind her.

They were sitting on the floor of Taffy’s bedroom; Lisa had gone out for a snack run and left her step sister alone with her secret undead companion, and Taffy hadn’t hesitated to use the opportunity to give the creature in her sister’s closet some much-needed pampering.

 He had protested the idea until Taffy had told him it would make him look more presentable for Lisa, and soon he was reluctantly sitting cross-legged in front of her on her bright teal carpet while Taffy tried and failed to find a foundation shade that matched his pallid skin. 

The process of applying makeup hadn’t lasted long since the creature wanted to remain as natural (unnatural?) as possible, and soon Taffy was taking his hand in hers and applying a base coat of nail polish onto his left hand while he watched curiously. Her TV was tuned into MTV, and she could see Creature stare at it for short bursts at a time before looking away, slightly overwhelmed by the colors, sounds and images he was being exposed to for the first time. 

Taffy hummed along as she fixed up his nails, and when she finished up the left hand she mimed blowing on it and told him to copy her, which he did as she moved onto the right hand, ignoring the stitches as she got started. 

A few minutes of silence lapsed between them; the creature was probably still a little unsure of whether or not he should be hanging around with her; they had a shaky introduction, but he seemed harmless enough to Taffy and she was just happy that someone was around for her sister in a way she herself had never quite been able to despite her best efforts, so he was okay in her book. And Taffy was clearly the family member that Creature had the least amount of disdain towards, so they had formed a tentative friendship, one that Taffy was currently trying to strengthen with this little makeover. 

Deciding to break the silence, she looked up into the corpse’s bewildered eyes and smiled, tearing him away from his staring contest with Billy Idol in the “Rebel Yell” music video.

“Don’t even think about getting bleached, buddy. Blonde would not be a good look for you.”

He grunted again, slightly offended, but she waved him off.

“Let’s rap. When did you first get the hots for Lisa?”

His grunt pitched up in surprise, and he gave her a look that was somehow sheepish, guilty and mortified all at once. 

“Dude, it’s totally obvious. You aren’t subtle AT ALL, I think everyone but Lisa herself can see that you’re totally smitten.”

His cheeks darkened under the artificial blush she had given him, and she nodded sagely. 

“Told you. So, when did it happen? When you got reanimated?”

The creature shook his head and pointed out an arched path with his left hand. 

“Oh, before? When you were still in the ground?”

He nodded, and Taffy whistled, impressed. 

“Damn, that’s some dedicated crush. Who knew grave tending was such a good way to meet guys?”

The creature snorted out a laugh, and Taffy raised a well-plucked eyebrow inquisitively. 

“So when are you going to tell her that you’re head over heels, huh? Frankly I think she should have noticed ages ago, but she’s always needed a bit more help in matters of love than most people and she won’t take my word for it, so you’re probably going to have to do some show and tell before she gets it.”

He hummed distractedly, his blush still very much present as he thought about ways to woo Taffy’s stepsister. She finished up his right hand and took his left again, his brow sill deeply furrowed in thought as she picked up the bottle of black nail polish that she had gotten for the Miss Tristate Teen Halloween pageant and began applying it to his now-dry nails. 

“I can practically hear the wheels turning in your head, you know. If you need any help we can go raid her VHS collection, I know she’s got some rom coms in there that you could get some inspiration from.”

He groaned in agreement, eyebrows still scrunched together. Taffy rolled her eyes fondly at the lovesick, oblivious idiot in front of her. 

“But you know, you probably don’t need much help. She may not realize it yet, but I can tell she’s got feelings for you, too. I don’t have to be an I.P. for that, I just know. I haven’t seen her talk or smile this much since I met her, and it doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that she’s turning heads in the hallway. That’s all you, and I’m sure she’ll realize it eventually. Just so long as you keep doing what you’re doing and practically worshiping the ground she walks on, she’ll figure it out. I promise.”

She switched to his other hand as the creature absorbed her words, and when she looked up he grunted, the words lost but the message clear. 

Thank you. 

She beamed at him. 

“You’re welcome. Just don’t break her heart, or else I’m going to put you back in the ground for good this time, okay?”

She said it brightly, but her eyes were anything but joking. Creature’s own widened in turn and he shook his head vigorously and with complete conviction. Taffy nodded, satisfied. 

“Now hold still or you’re going to mess me up.”

The corpse complied, letting Taffy get back to work. She hummed along to the music video playing behind her, and she was just about to put the finishing touches on his thumb when the front door opened and shut under them, and the sound of combat booted feet trampling up the stairs caught their attention. A few seconds later, Lisa poked her head into Taffy’s bedroom door, arms laden with candy bags and eyes bright. 

“Oh, hey guys! Are you doing makeovers?”

“Yep! Come join us, though I should warn you I require payment for my services in the form of Bottlecaps.”

Lisa smiled and walked into the room, handing the previously mentioned candy to Taffy before plopping down next to her corpse, patting the top of his head before taking a look at the spread of self-care items before them. 

While Lisa was absorbed in her examinations, Taffy absolutely did not miss the absolutely adoring eyes the creature was turning her way, nor the way his longing practically radiated off of him in waves. She grinned, and the corpse looked up and caught her eye. She winked at him and gave him a quick double thumbs-up out of Lisa’s view, and his eyes widened, before he relaxed slightly and gave her a shy, conceding smile. 

The moment was interrupted by Lisa straightening, her hands wrapped around the same bottle of nail polish Taffy had just finished using on the Creature. 

“Oooh, can you do mine? I didn’t even know you had black in your collection and I’m awful at doing my own right hand.”

Taffy smiled, utterly delighted at the idea of helping her sister out with a fresh coat of paint. She stretched out her hand and Lisa took it, fingers spread as she bounced a little. The goth looked over at her undead companion as Taffy began painting, and when she noticed his nails her smile widened. 

“Hey, look at that. We’re gonna match!”

He beamed at her in turn, his devotion lined in every crease of his face, and Lisa scooted slightly closer to him, their thighs pressed together. 

Taffy turned her attention to her work, just barely keeping the smile off of her own face. 

They’ll figure it out. Eventually. 

#lisa frankenstein #lisa frankenstein fanfiction #lisa swallows x the creature #lisa swallows #the creature #taffy swallows #my writing #writing request

[quixoticall]

This Could Get Ugly 6. Views from the Outside

Summary: It's 1983 and The Downsides need another lead singer and you just happen to need a band--it's a perfect match. The only issue? You have to pretend to be in a relationship with your bandmate, Steve Harrington, but you can't help but be drawn to the band's broody guitar player.

pairing: s.h. x fem!reader, e.m. x fem!reader, j.b. x n.w.,

warnings: Mention of French people, angst, fake relationships,

A/N: Hello! Once again, thank you to everyone who interacted with this in any way! I love to hear feedback and see that you're enjoying the work! Another thing: My goal with this story is that it's told over the span of 4 individual works, with "This Could Get Ugly" being the first one. What this means is that there's going to be a LOT of juicy drama to enjoy but I will be taking my time getting to it. It's been super important to me that I tell the story right and at my own pace so while it may seem like the romance is tilting to one guy over another--just know, that that's all part of the plan! My pet peeve when reading love triangle type of stuff is when you can immediately tell which love interest is the end game so my goal for this is to be as even as possible, offering romance for both Steve and Eddie (In my mind, this is less of a love triangle and more of a love different people at different points in time type of thing). Anyway, what a long note! Please enjoy the chapter!

wc: 4.6k

MASTERLIST🎸

Previous Chapter 🎹

Subrosa Article

***

JONATHAN:  I never wanted to be famous, I just wanted to play music and make enough money to support my family. I could do all of that and more with The Downsides.

I felt like the luckiest guy in the world then. We were finally starting to see some stability as a band and even though things weren’t exactly as we expected, things were good. I mean we were making music we loved with people we liked—back when we all still liked each other.

***

October 1983—Los Angeles, California

As the studio had predicted, the band’s single was a total hit, as were you and Steve in the press. The gamble Starcourt was starting to pay off.

Everyone was more relieved than happy about that news.

What followed was a few grueling weeks of rerecording the band’s nearly completed album while also strategically traipsing arm-in-arm with Steve around every romantic spot in Hollywood trying to bait the paparazzi.

Things had finally slowed down a bit since the album was in post-production, but Starcourt still had you on a tight schedule. You had transitioned into rehearsing for the band’s upcoming tour. That’s how certain Startcourt was that the Downsides were going to be a success—you were rehearsing for a tour that hadn’t even been announced yet for an album that hadn’t even been released.

You try not to think about what it would mean if the band didn’t meet the label’s expectations. Instead, you focus on figuring out how to adapt to the band you’re now a part of.

The obvious lack of familiarity between all of you was not as pronounced when you were re-recording in the studio, now that you’re all rehearsing together, it is impossible to ignore. The original members of the band share a bond that keeps them incredibly in sync, oftentimes leaving you and Eddie struggling both on and off the stage. You’ve been working to adapt though, and you’ve made progress, sometimes you’re even close to feeling like the band has accepted you as one of their own. But then something will happen that will leave you feeling like an outsider once more.

***

The last thing a hungover you needs to see at seven in the morning is a Subrosa article questioning your moral character and calling you a man-eater. The universe—in the form of one Nancy Wheeler—has a different idea.

“Have you seen this?” the keyboardist asks, indignation coloring her tone, as she slings the offending publication across your lap.

You hadn’t seen it, in fact, but one look at the grainy picture of you and Steve and you can assume what the article says.

You sigh tiredly in response, “Honestly Nancy, you shouldn’t pay attention to this shit. I don’t know why you let it bother you so much.”

“It’s just so unfair that they’re singing Steve’s praises and are still dragging you through the mud, even though you’ve done nothing wrong.”

“Exactly, there’s no winning with them, not for me. So why don’t we just say fuck them and do whatever we want?” You find it in yourself to waggle your eyebrows playfully at her earning a giggle from the otherwise serious girl.

You catch Eddie watching your exchange from across the large warehouse that is serving as the band’s rehearsal space with a curious amount of interest.

The two of you have barely spoken since your row outside of Starcourt. It’s not like you’re missing out on much though, since Eddie barely interacts with the band beyond rehearsal which makes his apparent engagement with your conversation unusual. Eddie, realizing he’s been caught staring, opens his mouth to say something but is quickly interrupted by a very late Steve and Robin.

“Hey, have you seen the latest issue of Subrosa?” Steve asks, harried and out of breath.

You try not to think about the fact that this is the third time this week that the two of them have shown up together and late.

“Yes, we were just talking about it, which you would’ve known if the two of you were on time for once,” Nancy jabs back with no real heat, just the annoyance of an older sister chastising her siblings.

“Hey, don’t blame me, Robin wanted to—” he stops short as soon as his eyes land on you and coughs awkwardly.

“I wanted to stop by the post office,” Robin rushes to say. “It’s Bastille Day and I needed to send a card to my French pen pal, Celine in honor of the occasion.”

“Isn’t Bastille Day in July?” You ask Robin.

She flushes scarlet. “Right, exactly, that’s why this is so important, my card was already like three months late. You know how French people are about punctuality.”

She then exchanges a meaningful glance with Steve and Nancy who seem to be having their own sort of conversation consisting solely of glances and eyebrow movement.

“Fine, whatever,” Nancy exhales after a few terse moments of silent communication, “let’s just start please.”

She stands and the others follow suit. You, however, remain sat, trying to figure out what exactly had just happened.

Steve, sensing you hadn’t moved, turns to throw you an apologetic look over his shoulder before beaconing gently with a nod of his head. You sigh but join him, nonetheless.

This happens a lot.

***

JONATHAN: When the whole staged relationship thing first started, I don’t think any of us had any idea what that meant.  I mean, sure, it started out as the gimmick that got us through the door but it soon became something bigger than that. Their relationship was synonymous with the band and it's success and I'm sure that resulted in a lot of pressure. 

I think for the two of them, though, the most difficult part was trying to keep things professional, especially when other people began to get involved.

***

None of the personal dynamics mattered when you were all playing together.

What you loved most about your bandmates was that they cared about the music just as much as you did. That had become clear from the very first rehearsal and even now, nearly a month in, you’re still in awe watching them all perform alongside you.

 Prim, soft-spoken Nancy turned into a wild thing on the keyboard, her whole body moving with the music, fingers flying over the keys like it was nothing. Ever the perfectionist, she would never miss a note, and on the off chance that she did, curse words you had never heard before streamed out of her mouth, causing your eyes to go wide every time.

Jonathan, too, became something else: full of bravado and fire, hair swinging wildly and even jumping around on stage. His playing had a smoothness to it, he knew when to show restraint and let someone else shine and when to bring it himself.

Argyle and Robin were the biggest transformations, though. Gone was goofy and easy-going Argyle the person and all that was left behind was the laser-focused drummer, who seemed to move on instinct to create a strong musical foundation for the rest of you. Robin, who normally was a bit erratic and all over the place, became the self-assured, quick-thinking driving force behind the band. It was like she knew exactly how the song needed to sound and what each person needed to bring to get there. She was the first to let anyone know there was something amiss and no one took it the wrong way because she was rarely wrong.

Steve and Eddie were exactly what you had expected, however, what you did not expect was how alike they would be. They both moved gracefully and with careless precision. Showmen in equal measures.

Once you had familiarized yourself with your bandmates, figuring out how you fit into the band’s onstage dynamic was easy.

Off-stage was a whole different story.

***

JONATHAN: I mean, yeah, I think it was natural that there was a bit of a divide in those early days between the ‘original’ band and our two new members. It’s not for lack of trying though, it’s just, well the five of us lived in a house together and had known each other for years, it was probably kinda intimidating trying to jump into that dynamic. I also got the feeling that the other two weren’t really used to having friends. They both seemed to have their guards up in their own way.

With her you could tell she was holding back, almost like she was afraid of doing the wrong thing and well, with Eddie… you know how he is.

I think it was that feeling of sort of being on the outside that first drew them together, honestly.

***

Your eyes scan over the small craft services area that makes up part of your rehearsal space. Most of the band starts at one table, chatting amiably over lunch. Before you can even take a step in their direction, though, your eyes zero in on Steve and Robin, whose heads are bent, close together, whispering to one another intimately and you falter.

As much as you enjoyed Robin and Steve individually, watching them interact with one another often stoked an aching loneliness in you that you struggled to put out and the more time you spent with them only made it worse. After six weeks, you were worn thin.

Deciding that you’d rather not foster any unearned feelings, you turn to the only other table where Eddie is sitting alone bent over a thick paperback.

Trying to play it as cool as you can, you reach inside your bag to pull out your own book, and casually sit down across from the long-haired boy.

He stares you down. You raise an eyebrow in response.

“Didn’t know you could read,” he says casually.

“Funny, I was just about to say the same thing about you,” you shoot back with no real bite.

He chuckles to himself, seemingly impressed before gesturing to your book. 

“Didn’t peg you for a Baldwin type either,” Eddie says, eyes scanning the cover of your book.

You shrug, noncommittally, “I found a copy Beal Street sitting with a bunch of junk on my neighbor’s curb and I’ve been a fan since.”

He barks out a laugh so loud it catches everyone’s attention.

Conversation halts and you feel your bandmates’ curious gazes fall on you all at once.

“Forgive me, princess, but I have a hard time imagining you digging through other people's trash for books from what I know of you.”

“And what do you know about me, Eddie? I mean, other than the stuff Subrosa prints.”

His face falls in response.

The two of you spend the rest of your lunch in silence, pretending not to notice the way everyone else is staring.

***

JONATHAN: They ate lunch together every day after that, barely talking, reading their books.  I don’t think they were friends or anything, but I did see them exchange books a few times.

It did stress Nancy out, I think, the divide. It made her think we weren’t doing enough to be “welcoming” to them. Argyle and I didn’t really care, and Robin was dealing with her on shit at the time.

***

ROBIN : Yeah, I was seeing this girl, and I was trying to keep it under wraps from well… everyone actually. Steve was a really great friend though; he would always give me rides to and from her place when I needed them.

***

JONATHAN: ...a nd Steve liked to pretend that he didn’t care but he definitely did.

ROBIN: Of course, Steve cared, are you kidding?

NANCY: We could tell it bothered him.

STEVE : Did I care that she was eating lunch with Munson and kept avoiding me outside of rehearsal? No! Of course not.

***

November 1983, Los Angeles, California

The Downsides’ debut album was released on November 6, 1983, to commercial and critical success.

People immediately took to the upbeat synth sound paired with the introspective and clever lyrics. On top of that, you and Steve were, quite literally the talk of the town.

There were entire articles in gossip magazines dedicated to parsing out details of your relationship from the song lyrics on the album and coming up with theories about what the lyrics were about.

And all of that just from a few pictures of you two holding hands. Starcourt was ecstatic, they had bottled magic.

As much as everyone wanted to celebrate, you weren’t out of the woods yet, there were still the press junkets.

A growing list of TV and radio appearances that the band was required to be at plagued Hopper who was tasked with making sure you were all present and willing at these appearances. And of course, that you didn’t make fools of yourselves or Starcourt.

The label had taken it upon itself to send everyone PR briefings—essentially a long list of things no one should say under any circumstances during interviews.

Normally, you would think a list like this was overkill but knowing some of your bandmates, it was definitely needed.

All the eyes (and the pressure) would be on you and Steve, though, everyone knew that. You two were the ‘It Couple’ everyone wanted to hear from, and you weren’t quite sure what you were going to say.

The pap photos were easy: it was just walking around or sometimes getting lunch, holding hands, and looking like you were enjoying each other’s company. Something that wasn’t difficult since conversation flowed easily between the two of you.  At first, you would talk music—Steve was incredibly dedicated and knowledgeable, you quickly found out—but eventually, the two of you had branched into other topics. You learned about Steve’s life growing up in Indiana, about all his likes and dislikes, and everything about the band. He managed to pull the same information from you and you let him.

Even the physical stuff was easy, with time. In the beginning, it was an experiment of firsts. While you were pretty well-versed in the practice of feigned affection, you were used to the guy always making the first (fake) move. Most of the guys you had been "set up" with were the "act first, ask permission later" type. Steve was polite and considerate to a fault, and it took you two full dates to convince him that he didn't have to ask before holding your hand and an entire week more to work up to the kiss on the cheek. After those conversations though, touching Steve, in one way or another, had become second nature.

So much so, in fact, that it had begun to bleed into your everyday lives. It was not unusual during the time of your re-recording, to be at the studio and have Steve come up from behind you to rest his hand in the gentle dip of your waist only for you to lean back as you inhaled that scent that was uniquely him: smokey sandalwood and hair pomade.

Right around the time rehearsal started you realized that perhaps the two of you were becoming too comfortable with that type of affection, especially given how much time he spent with Robin, and you had begun to keep a subtle distance between the two of you whenever you weren’t on stage.

Steve while intelligent in his own right, had never struck you as the kind of person to pick up on subtleties, so when he brings up this distance you realize that either you severely underestimated his abilities, or you were not as subtle as you thought you’d been.

It’s a few days before the first stop of the Press Tour—An early morning slot with Wake Up, USA! —that has the two of you sitting on your couch when he brings it up. You had invited Steve over to practice answering any possible questions you may have to field together and make sure you’re on the same page.

As it turns out though, outside of music, Steve is not much for rehearsing.

“Can’t we just wing it?” Steve asks as he lies sprawled on your couch.

You huff in response, “No, we can’t just wing it. This is a big deal! This is our first time out as a couple, and we have to be believable.”

Steve scoffs at this and you raise an annoyed eyebrow in response.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he shrugs in response, “it’s just hard to act like a couple when you’ve been avoiding me for, like, the past month.”

He doesn’t sound accusatory or angry when he says this, just matter-of-fact. 

“I haven’t been avoiding you,” you sputter out, weakly.

It’s his turn to raise an incredulous eyebrow at you.

“Really? Could’ve fooled me. Last time I checked you and Eddie weren’t the best of friends, but you’d rather eat lunch with him than the rest of us. You know, if you didn’t like us, you didn’t have to agree to be in the band, we would’ve understood,” he deflates as he says this last sentence and it crumples your heart just a bit.

 “I like you guys,” you say quietly, nudging his leg with your knee as you do.

“Then, is it me?” He asks, voice small and eyes low.

“No, no, it’s not you, Steve,” you rush to say.

“It’s just, I’ve never really been any good at this,” you mumble, shy under his gaze.

“Good at what?” He urges gently.

“At being friends with people.”

You continue, words clunky and difficult to get out, “At being friends with someone I’m also pretending to date.

“I mean, with the rest of the guys Starcourt set me up with, I only had to tolerate them for a few weeks, at most. With us, well who knows right? Plus, I actually like you,” you wince at this uncharacteristic display of vulnerability from yourself, “I like all of you and I don’t want to ruffle any feathers or cross any boundaries and hurt anyone’s feelings.”

He chuckles at this, “Trust me, you won’t hurt my feelings by spending time with me.”

You shake your head, “It’s not you I’m worried about, Steve. There are other people.”

Steve’s brow furrows in confusion, “I’m not following.”

You are not sure what to say, now. You don’t want to call Steve and Robin out, it’s clear that they’ve been trying to keep what they have going on a secret, and you don’t want to call attention to that. You’re also afraid that if you mention him and Robin, you’ll eventually have to explain how when you see them together, your chest gets painfully tight. Pivot, you demand of yourself.

“What I mean to say is, it’s easier for me to keep everything professional when I have a little more space because I’m not really used to this friend thing. I’m sorry if I made you feel like I didn’t like you or the band. I like you all a lot, actually and I guess I’m just worried about messing that up.”

You can feel yourself retract into yourself the more you speak and by the end, your knees are tucked under your chin. You can’t bring yourself to meet Steve’s gaze.

He doesn’t respond right away, but you feel the warmth of his palm spread over the expanse of your back.

“Listen, I think… if this is gonna work, we have to be on each other’s team and part of that is talking to one another, right?  And letting each other know when we're having a hard time. I want to be on your team, will you let me?” His voice swells as he asks, and you are so aware of his warmth next to you.

“Yeah,” you nod, finally meeting his eyes, “ I want to be on your team too if you’ll let me?”

He nods enthusiastically, smiling so brightly you question if the sun has ever been as bright.

“Great, now can we please practice some of these questions?” You demand, playfully. 

“Or, or, and hear me out, we could go get burgers," he offers back.

You end up doing both.

***

November 13, 1983, Sunset Studios, Los Angeles, California

Call time for Wake Up, USA! was insanely early and you don’t think you’ve ever seen an angrier Hopper than one that has to be dealing with Eddie Munson at 5 AM. Eddie is decidedly, not a morning person.

“Well, aren’t you a ray of sunshine today?” You deadpan to the disgruntled guitarist from your makeup chair next to his. You were not fairing much better: not only were you running on little sleep, but you were also wound tightly with nerves about your first live interview as a band and as a couple.

“Can it, Your Majesty, or we might have a case of regicide on our hands,” he warns with no real heat behind his words.

“Isn’t it a bit too early to be throwing big words like that around, Munson?” Steve asks, from his spot on your other side.

“Don’t even know what that means,” he mutters, mostly to you.

“It means the murder of a king or queen,” you respond automatically.

“Doesn’t have to be just one, either. You could always kill more than one monarch at a time,” Eddie raises his eyebrows at Steve as he says this, making his implications very obvious.

“Wow, look at us,” Steve exclaims, grinning, “already making veiled threats at each other. We’ve finally made it, honey.”

He says this last part exclusively to you punctuating it by reaching for your hand and giving it a squeeze and you laugh.

The lightness of the exchange distracts you from your nerves for a moment. And from the way Eddie’s eyes linger on your hand interlaced with Steve’s.

Your brief reprieve is interrupted by the soft thud of a heavy object landing in your lap.

“What’s this?” You hold up a beat-up paperback to the culprit.

Eddie shrugs, “The Two Towers, Dustin finally got it back to me, took his sweet time too, that little asshole.”

You nod. He had lent you the first Lord of the Rings book weeks ago, while you were still in rehearsal after you had shown up bookless one day and you had devoured the book. You had been needling him for the second one since, but he had lent it to the audio engineer’s son, a kid named Dustin who idolized him and Steve in equal measure.

“Thanks,” you say, surprise coloring your voice, thumbing through the pages, eyes hungrily scanning the pages.

***

EDDIE:  I dunno, she seemed nervous.  I thought if she had something to distract her, it might’ve helped.

***

You get through the first chapter of your new book before they pull you into wardrobe.

They outfit you in a light blue dress, with exaggerated sleeves and a belt around your middle to compliment Steve’s dark blue blazer and stripped t-shirt combo.

 You feel your nerves mounting as you are helped into your heels and given your mic pack. Suddenly, everything that is riding on this is suffocating you from all ends—a visceral crushing pain that you can’t shake.

Steve appears at your side and the band had been escorted onto the soundstage your hand has been tightly wrapped around his like a vice the entire time.

“Can you, uh, loosen your grip a bit, please,” Steve asks, finally.

“Right, sorry,” you say, letting go of his hand completely and instead focusing your nervous energy on straightening his lapels.

After the third time you’ve readjusted his collar, Steve grabs both of your hands in his, and pulls you close, giving you no choice but to focus on his face.

“Hey,” he says in a hushed tone, just for you, “you don’t need to worry, okay? We’ve got this. I’m on your team, remember?”

You swallow thickly, and nod, before adding, “And I’m on yours, Harrington.”

“That’s my girl,” he says sealing the exchange with a kiss on the cheek.

***

JONATHAN: That first interview, on Wake Up, USA! was what really sold them. I mean, they couldn’t keep their eyes off of each other the entire time.

And then, when one of the hosts asked them how they met, Steve told this story about seeing her for the first time from across the restaurant during our first lunch together and how he was sure he had made a total fool of himself because he was so nervous to be around someone so beautiful, of course, Steve Harrington would say something like that. The audience swooned. Hell, I swooned a little bit.

And then they asked her about all the guys from her past, which was totally fucked up by the way, but she handled it great. She said she was grateful for all the mistakes she had made in the past because they had led her to The Downsides and to Steve.

Between that interview and our live performance, the audience was hooked. 

***

“Good job, you two,” Hopper says gruffly, patting you and Steve on the shoulder as you're ushered off stage after your performance.

“Thanks,” you squeak out, all the tension slowly deflating from your body after hearing Hopper’s approval.

It was done, your first live appearance complete, and it hadn’t been a total train wreck.

Actually, thinking back, it had been pretty good. There was a good variety of questions; everyone had gotten to speak; and when it came to you and Steve, well, it seemed believable at least. And the band managed to preform the new single without a hitch, all of the kinks that had plagued you during the last few weeks of rehearsals ironed out. 

Maybe you could pull this off after all.

***

By the time the band had wrapped up the week-long press junket, you were exhausted.

What had taken more of a toll than the hours of sitting in makeup chairs, too-tight shoes and repetitive questions was having to pretend with Steve.

You realize now that your problem was never the risk of not being convincing enough, but instead of being too convincing.

You had spent the entire week so physically attached to Steve, that it was beginning to feel like you were one single being. Like he was an appendage you couldn’t move without.

And every kiss on the cheek, every look, every squeeze of your hand, felt like a jumpstart to your heart.

Then there were actual interview parts. Steve was good with the press. He would draw audiences and hosts alike, in as easy as if he was winding up a thread. There was never a question that would catch him off guard and he always came off boyish and genuine in his responses. Like the time he was asked what his favorite thing about you was and he told the story of you showing up at the recording studio with cookies and having the guts to change Eddie’s lyrics in the same afternoon.

You knew better than to ask if he meant it. 

The next day, Hopper called to let you know that your album was breaking all sorts of records, and the label was incredibly pleased. So much so that they were thinking of increasing the tour dates and they were even starting to plan for future projects—projects that they wanted you to write.

The news didn’t make you feel light with joy like you had once hoped it would, instead, it made you feel heavy like a sinking stone.

A few weeks later, when the band went their separate ways for the Christmas break, you all knew something big was coming, you just had no way of knowing what.

***

JONATHAN: Right after New Year, Hopper pulls the band into a meeting in his office. First thing he told us was that they were announcing a tour with twice as many dates as they had originally planned for, demand was that high. Then he said, “From this point on, everything is going to move really quickly, there’s no getting off the ride now.”

NEXT CHAPTER 🥁

Taglist: @rexorangecouny , @persophonekarter

#steve harrington x reader #eddie munson x reader #nancy wheeler #robin buckley #steve harrington #stranger things x reader #eddie munson #eddie munson x you #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things x you #stranger things imagine #jonathan byers

[desk-of-nekostar]

All right. WHERE are my petemacau girlies. Where is my vegaspetemacau fic where macau says “hia if you don’t marry p’pete I will.” Where is Macau saying “I will be p’pete’s second husband.” And Vegas saying “hey. Hey where the fuck am i in this situation.” Pete saying “we’re not even married. Wait. Are we?” And Macau saying “don’t even worry about it. Btw what do you think about a spring wedding?”

WHERE is the obnoxious Macau going “and my brother in law said this and then my brother in law did that and did I mention that my brother in law—“ Macau having the BIGGEST crush on p’pete and chay being like “wow you are more embarrassing than me about p’kim. Did you write fanfiction about marrying p’pete yet. Do you need me to beta it. Can you finish betaing my last chapter please. I’m so close to being sold to p’kim in it.”

Where!! is the childhood au where histrionic teenage Vegas constantly wants to throttle mini Macau bc hey did you know! Macau is going to marry p’pete when he’s older :) and teenage Vegas is like HES MY BOYFRIEND GET YOUR OWN (and then he cries on his rooftop and skips rocks on the pond while listening to emo music. And Pete CANNOT believe this but he is actually out loud saying the words “no Vegas of course I’m not going to marry Macau” before they even say ily to each other.) Macau gives Pete drawings and poems and flowers ripped from the gardens BECAUSE P’PETE DESERVES THEM HIA and now Pete has to pawn entire bouquets off on his grandma bc Vegas can’t stop himself from competing with his little brother.

Where is my martial arts au where Pete is Macau’s teacher and Vegas picks Macau up after class. And there is FLIRTING happening right in front of Macau’s salad!! And he has to beg “p’pete PLEASE don’t sleep with my brother everyone who does DISAPPEARS after!” And Pete is like. How do I explain a one night stand when I am just a simple martial arts teacher. And also I’m definitely going to sleep with his brother.

Every time Macau says hi or bye “I love you p’pete!” Immediately follows bc it makes Vegas SEETHE. and when Vegas calls Pete his wife Macau just judges him and is like “hia please it’s the twenty first century. What if p’pete doesn’t like that. You should say husband instead.” Pete leaves the room immediately bc Vegas calling him “my wife” is literally the the most tame thing he likes Vegas to call him.

Shit disturber Macau who’s like “hia you’re so old I think p’pete needs to trade you in for a younger model.” Macau who sits in between Vegas and Pete on the couch at any chance he gets. Macau who negotiates and somehow wins a date night every two weeks with Pete where Vegas isn’t allowed to come with them on the basis that ITS FAMILY BONDING TIME HIA. And Vegas puts up with it bc sometimes he needs to do creepy satanic rituals in some fucking peace and quiet for once.

Macau who doesn’t even realize he likes Pete!he just thinks Pete is the coolest fucking person ever! What the actual fuck is he doing with Vegas! (But he’s not going to say that out loud bc what if p’pete REALIZES and LEAVES and that means he’s not just leaving Vegas but Macau too!!!) Macau who dates a boy and is DISTRAUGHT when they break up and chay is like bro thank god he was way too much like p’pete I thought you were over that crush? And Macau is like WHAT CRUSH.

Anyway. I just think Macau having a crush on pete or pretending to in order to cause Vegas grief is great.

#vegaspete #vegaspetemacau #petemacau #kinnporsche #sorry y’all it’s 3am and I’m drunk #not!fic

[blind-alchemists]

sorry, Zagreus, I've had your sister for five hours and I already like her more than you.

anyway! I did treat myself and bought the game early and. it's just very good!

in somewhat chronological order, my thoughts after yesterday's session

the music! the music is even more amazing than in the first game and if I'm done, I need to listen to the whole OST on loop

the art!! also even better than in the first game!!

Melinoë is a great protagonist

it's incredibly funny the first god we encounter is Apollo, because Apollo is the guy people modded into the first game years ago

... boy, I wonder what the speedrunning meta will look like for this game (I have very obscure knowledge about Hades I speedrunning meta)

I love the little backgrounds that pop out with the art

oh, right, I jumped into the Hades I EA late, so I never saw the place holder graphics in-game before

the environments!! beautiful.

I shouldn't have played the first game last week. It's fucking with me. where's my second dash??? Why do we start with 30 HP??? where are my death defiances??? weapon mechanics???

of course there's a fishing mechanic again.

I like Hecate's design.

saluting??? what's the lore behind that?

OH. this tone of the story isn't ... quite what I expected. A lot more serious. a lot more severe.

Melinoë doesn't remember her family??? Hello??? what the fuck???

and she keeps talking about her task with such a dutiful determination ... no, I'm not crying. But. That's such an interesting conflict.

NEMESIS!! She's holding her sword aspect!! her design!! her resentment!! her vengeance!! her rivalry with Mel. how Mel calls her Nem. please. tell me she's a romance option. PLEASE.

oh, hi odysseus.

hey, there's hypnos! ... why's he sleeping??? (funny thing is, I got the Charon dialogue that implies he's more useful this way lol)

I cannot. Take. Skelly serious. It's worse because Mel does.

I like Moros' design. The long hair going over the horns? Yeah, that's good.

Mel gets an AXE??? a heavy, double-bladed axe??? (I love women wielding heavy weapons, and as long as the rail doesn't make a return, I'm good with anything after enough time)

I like the new art sprites for reoccurring characters!

ahhh, the good old "we don't trust Olympus so we're not telling them everything" line. understandable, but I figure that's going to blow up sooner or later.

I love Mel's bond with Artemis and Selene and the implication that both helped raise her.

... and I like the predominantly female cast so far

Nemesis can show up in Erebus???

BABY MELINOË omg

why does every chthonic goddess / titaness sound like they have a thing for Persephone. Nyx already had a few lines like that in the first game. Why does Hecate also have these kinds of lines.

the Hecate fight frustrates me to no end, because I'm very used to more dashes, more health, and more death defiances, and very different weapons :( (I have bet her twice in total so far)

unrelated, but I didn't know I needed a sheep in the Hades art style but it's so damn cute and I want a large art print of it

Archane!! I love how her silks change Mel's avatar

Oceanus is beautiful

... except for the traps. Really not digging the traps. or the maps.

CHAOS??? why are you holding your old form's head??? and why is there an embryo coming out of it??? why do you have wings??? why do you wear a suit??? the new design unfortunately checks all the boxes but upon reflection that is because it fits into that very niche character design trope I've seen in manwha recently and I couldn't put a name on it if I tried

on that note, I also adore Aphrodite's new design!!

not quite sure what I think of the gathering / farming mechanic yet

I do like the incantations, magic, hexes, and arcana though!

HERMES! I also adore his design.

wait, what? Mel's going to Olympus? You're telling me one part of the game is descending into the House of Hades and the other is climbing to Mount Olympus?? (that's my speculation, at least.)

god, I hope the cast of the first game is alright/alive. :(

I hope we also get to see Athena, Ares, and Dionysus at some point :(

on that note, I can't wait for Mel to meet her brother and realize he's the opposite of her lol. I love siblings and mirrors.

#hades 2 #hades 2 spoilers #rambling #i love this game and I'm not sure if I'm crying because it's so good or because I love Mel or because I keep dying to Hecate #btw all questions are rhetorical. I do not want them answered. #i want to experience this game as blind as i can.

[lightwise]

TBB S3 E11 Reaction

I’ve watched this episode multiple times already but honestly it doesn’t get any easier. Here we go I guess 😩

- This droid guy looks like the one from episode 4. They’re kinda cute

- The return of Mel! (And Phee 😁)

- Both of them are in a mood 😆. What trip did they just get back from to make them so cranky? Love the throwback to Skara Nall too.

- Noooo not CX-2 😭

- He’s a sneaky boi

- I knew that Phee would inadvertently be how the coordinates to Pabu would be found 🥺🥺

- I’m just now noticing that the back office is playing music and that’s probably why Phee can’t hear the alarm go off. That is hilarious and also very frustrating 😅

- Of course the droid thinks it caused the alarm somehow

- There’s no way downloading someone’s flight log goes that quickly but okay

- Ooooh my girl knows something is up! Her spidey pirate senses are going off. Aghhhh if only she had been a second sooner!!

- If CX-2 ISN’T Tech there is zero reason why he would have stayed behind to watch Phee leave before he snuck off. Also how is he so incredible at hacking into and decoding things 👀

- Ugh I just want a show of Phee and Mel adventures around the galaxy!

- Why is his ship so freaking cool. These maps are incredible.

- Reallyyyy wanna get CX-2’s helmet off 😭

- Aw Pabu is so beautiful in the sunset

- Ha! I knew the boys would try to leave after Ventress warned them it was too dangerous to stay on Pabu. Hunter might be slow sometimes but he’s not completely stupid guys

- Aw poor Wrecker just wants an ice cream

- Crosshair shakes his head at him 🤣

- The little clone cadets outfits are so cool!!!

- Not going to lie, the first time I watched this was the closest I had cried all season. Tech’s goggles and Lula being placed in the Archium is so heartbreakingly fitting 💔

- Wrecker and Gonky banter 🤩🤩🤩 Gonk is such a part of the family I love it soooo much

- Okay seriously how is CX-2 able to both know he’s tripped a proximity sensor AND turn it off?? Come on

- I just realized how he knows where the cave is too. If he tracked Phee’s flight log it must have shown exactly where she normally landed

- Ugh that gold and purple is just too beautiful. Can Pabu be a real place that I can go to?

- Hunter’s spidey senses are also on alert. And I love how close he and Crosshair are again, their pre-Order 66 bond has been restored and is even deeper. Crosshair is attuned to when Hunter’s senses go off. And their helmets sitting together on the cart is so cute 🥹

- No NO no NOOO Nooooo. This moment was ruined by the Star Wars marketing team so it honestly didn’t hit as hard as it would have otherwise, but 😭😭😭. RIP Marauder. You will live on in our imagination

- I still can’t believe that they somehow heard our outcry about what would happen to Gonky, Lula, and Tech’s goggles if they blew up the Marauder, and decided to save EXACTLY those three things 🤣 (and Wrecker. So glad Wrecker is “relatively” okay, poor boy)

- Hunter’s slooow helmet turn until we see the starship above the island. Phew. And the Imperial March coming in.

- Omega comforting Batcher 😭😭😭

- Having LAATs swoop down into a town like that would be terrifying

- Man, where’s Maarva when you need her. Fuck the Empire

- “Search every domicile until you find her” is going to go down in Star Wars quote history

- I was genuinely afraid they were going to burn the whole island

- I’m sorry but I just can’t take the backpack clips on CX-2 seriously

- Batcher baby no! (Also genuinely thought we were going to lose her for a second)

- Damn Hunter. Nothing makes him shine like hand to hand combat and other things 🥵

- He’s never been hotter honestly

- Alright how in the world is CX-2 so good at *everything*. I’m honestly getting a little annoyed at it.

- Crosshair’s face 😭💔😭 he’s never looked more scared and pleading than when he says his baby sister’s name

- I’m kind of surprised that they didn’t just burn down the town anyway. Either CX-2 is just trying to be super efficient/he doesn’t care past accomplishing his mission, or the Empire gets much more petty and cruel by Kenobi and Rebels

- It’s so interesting to me how touchy CX-2 is with Omega. Why all the shoulder pushes? Shoulder touches are very much a form of affection and communication among clones. Has that impulse in him just been turned to violence?

- Sooo…we basically will never get wet hair Hunter 🤣🤣🤣 I’ll take this much dripping and cute Batcher scratches compensation though

- Okay. I’m just going to say it. The way they chose to have Crosshair miss the tracking device was so disappointing to me. Not the fact that he missed, but how he missed. Having him be distracted and fend for his life and be late for the shot was great. But I wish they had brought his hand tremble into play here as the main mechanism behind why he missed. They’ve been building that up all season and it would have made perfect sense. Instead he rushes and like trips and just shoots too early? So out of character. I didn’t like it and still don’t :(

- Welp, Omega seems to be less worried than we are. We’re in the end game now folks 😳 this music is awesome too

#the bad batch #tbb #tbb spoilers #the bad batch spoilers

[ladyveravincent]

Oh, the Longing...

I found this scene that didn't make it into the final cut of the chapters, and thought... you know what. I like this!! Let's add this in. Will I ever be done editing this story? Probably not. Apologies, poor readers, I believe every time you read A Court of Bones in Bloom, it will be a different version. Anyway...

Excerpt from Chapter 7

“Elain?”

The music of laughter swelled then faded as the door to the River House was opened and then shut. 

Lost in thought, again. A state of being she seemed to find herself so often these days, either through restless dreams through the murky realm, or mindless days in the garden, or over lonely cups of tea. The twins were great company, and so were her sisters, but there was an incurable ache in her chest. 

“Nesta!” Elain blinked away the fog in her eyes before she turned to greet her sister. Early spring was a harsh time, but in Velaris, the stars still managed to twinkle despite the frost lingering at nighttime. 

“You’ll freeze in this weather, here take mine,” In a few short steps, Nesta’s shawl found its way around Elain’s shoulders, and her elder sister sat to join her on the stone steps of the veranda. 

“It seems that the edelweiss and bugloss will bloom in time for the ceremony.” A poor attempt to placate the silence. She had made a crucial mistake when Nesta and Cassian arrived at the family dinner. 

“Lainey!” Cassian chuckled as he glanced up from ravishing his mate. But those sharp gray eyes glanced at the disappointment on her sister’s face as she pushed past them out onto the lawn. Throughout dinner, Nesta’s gaze watched with utter scrutiny as Elain sat next to the empty table setting, and occasionally looked out the window, urgency in her brown eyes. 

“He’s not coming,” Nesta responded shortly as she helped her sister clear the dishes. When everyone went into the drawing room, Elain went to sit on the veranda to somehow try to hold the frustration and longing lodged in her chest. 

“Is that why you’re out here? You’re worried the flowers won’t be ready for my ceremony?”

“I just needed some air,” she replied tightly. A few tense moments passed before Nesta cut through the poorly veiled truth. 

“I’d like to think our relationship finally has healed over these past months, but the truth is, that I was absent from your life for a year. I missed out on a lot. But I’m still your older sister, and I know you. I can guess, I can gather, but unless you tell me, I can’t help you.”

“It’s not up to me.” 

“Fine. Just tell me when you’re ready.” The shawl was placed back on Nesta’s shoulders as Elain dashed toward the door. 

“At first I resisted it because the idea was just so… Fae. And no matter how many years we spend here, we’ll always be different.” 

An owl hooted in the distance. 

“It feels like nothing else like there’s nothing or no one else you’d ever want or need. That someone sees exactly who you are, and to your shock, you see them- all of them, too. It’s a connection that I often wonder what I did right to deserve it.” 

“Well then, I must’ve done something wrong.” 

“I always held the belief you’ll marry for love. And nothing, not even a mating bond, has changed that. And you know me, I’d never let you accept anything less.” 

Her fingers ran over the metal latch’s coolness to quell the fire in her throat. Could she tell Nesta everything? How far she was lost to him, and only him? Or did she suspect?

“I’ll bring the arrangements and pastries tomorrow around noon. See you then.” 

~

Azriel felt little satisfaction when his knife landed perfectly in the center of the wooden target. Another sleepless night spent in the training ring, somehow more favorable to the alternative, which was listening to his brother and his soon-to-be mate through the walls. Her gift proved useful, and whether or not it had, he would’ve loved it all the same. 

“I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you can’t kill a wooden beam.” Nesta stood on the balcony, arms crossed and her cold face painted with a glimmer of amusement. 

He threw the knife again and hit the target with deadly precision.

“You never know,” he shrugged.

Nesta scoffed and descended the stairs to join her friend. Azriel had always liked Nesta. There was an innate understanding between the pair. The icy rage within him recognized the cold sharpness in her, and to watch her learn to trust others again was nothing short of healing. As she passed, she briefly placed a sympathetic hand on his tense shoulder.

“We missed you at dinner.” The thump of the knife in the wood signaled another perfect target. Nesta leaned against the railing of the training ring while her long hair swayed in the wind.

“Cas and I placed bets about whether or not you’ll be at the ceremony.” Az eyed Nesta, removing the knife from the block with little effort.

“I’ll be there.”

“Will you?”

“Of course, Nesta.” 

“Oh good! Well, I’m now ten coins richer,” she said brightly.

“I’m surprised Cas wagered ten coins against me," he chuckled. Thump. Perfect target.

“He didn’t, he wagered five.”

“But you said you’re ten coins richer.” 

“Oh I did, didn’t I? Oh, well. I guess that means Elain owes me five, too.” The knife clanged on the ground, a full foot from its missed target.

“Lucky me,” Nesta whispered in glee. She triumphantly pushed off the railing to leave but stopped to pick up the knife off the floor.

“When will you say something?” Her cold face mirrored his icy one, holding their emotions so tightly to their chests. He said nothing as he rubbed the back of his neck, earning a sigh from Nesta for his silence.

“You know me, there’s nothing I hate more than when our family plays busybody. But, it's getting harder to watch my sister set out an extra plate every family dinner.”

Azriel’s heart stopped.

“Good night, Az.”

~ A Court of Bones in Bloom A03

#a03 fanfic #elain #elain x azriel #elriel #azriel and elain #azriel #acotar

[skylarsblue]

★Bittersweet Discussions★

✭Red Dead Redemption✭

★Fem!Reader, use of Y/N, mention of Isaac & Eliza's death, attempted mugging, mention of abusive family, trauma bonding(?), hurt comfort, mostly fluff though. Same universe as ★Sugar Cube★ because I'm stuck on them. Not proof-read.★

It was a bit upsetting leaving Valentine, it was a pleasant town with a lot of charm, but it was clearly getting a bit too hot. Rumors of Leviticus Cornwall and Pinkertons swarming around were cause for concern, so the time left in the area was limited, ticking down quickly. Which is what prompted Y/N to practically beg for more excuses to go to town, be it for simple errands or for theft. She wasn’t picky which.

Dutch wasn’t going to decline her want to contribute, not when she’d truly proved how good she was at swindling without bloodshed. But, he didn’t trust her all that much. She supposed it was fair, she hadn’t been around too long, and when they found her, she was essentially a damsel in distress. She wasn’t too concerned in proving herself to the man either. That odd, foreboding feeling he brought with him never left. Though, she managed to hide her skeptical glances whenever he’d get into a speech.

Arthur mentioned it once, and she felt what he said rang very true. Dutch had a gift for speaking. She held her tongue, but she couldn’t help but agree. He had the gift of speech, and that was really it. A lot of words that sounded relevant or full of purpose, but when she truly listened, it felt aimless. Walking in circles. It was a lot of mannerisms that commanded respect and big words of empty encouragement, things that made him sound like a level-headed leader. She’d met men like that before. Mostly preachers. Not that Dutch was a holy man, Lord no.

That aside, she’d managed to grab a few wallets and pieces of expensive accessories on the outskirts of Valentine. Mostly by acting like she needed help. She felt a bit guilty when a stranger was particularly nice, but it was a matter of survival. It went smoothly, but if it hadn’t, she could’ve handled it on her own. And even if she couldn’t, her shadow, a couple yards behind her at any given time, made her feel safe.

Arthur Morgan, on his dusty colored Clysdale mare, hand often hovering on his holster. Watching carefully from a distance. He’d had plenty of adrenaline spikes that day, watching her act so well. Maybe she’d do well in plays. He was sure she’d be quite the sight on a stage, perhaps with a musical element, under bright lights and dressed glamorously.

“Alright, I think we should calm it down now. We’ve gotten lucky but who knows how long that’ll last.” The man commented, leading the horse to walk beside her. Y/N chuckled to herself as she tucked a gold pocket watch into her skirt pocket. “Fair point, sir! We’re close to town anyway. What did we need again?” She questioned, tilting her head up toward him. 

Arthur sighed fondly, shaking his head. “You’re the one with the list, sweetheart.” He reminded, looking back down to her. Y/N gazed at him fondly. The brim of his hat left a heavy shadow over his eyes, eyes she found herself dreaming of more often recently. The warm sun radiating over his face, illuminating freckles and smile lines.

“Right, my apologies.” Y/N replied to him, looking for the paper on her person. She wondered if he was aware of how much she liked him. It had to be obvious by now, they had a whole secret language purely for asking for affection. He still asked her for sugar, almost daily. But whatever was between them, it wasn’t labeled. She wondered if it should’ve been, or maybe it would’ve been better to leave it be. It wasn’t like it meant much, putting a word purely to describe the emotions in the air between them. 

That, and she was far too nervous to ask.

“Here you go. You tell me where to go, boss.” Y/N held up the list to him, speaking cheerfully. Arthur smiled at her enthusiasm as he took it from her hand. A short list of errands and what to get. “The gunsmith, general store. Somethin’ bout talkin’ to the ranch hands, I guess to scope out if there’s any money floatin’ around the livestock.” He mumbled. He gave her back the list as they approached a hitching post, hopping off Dusty. He patted the mare’s neck and rounded to give Y/N the spending money. “I’ll deal with the ranch stuff, why don’t you try the gunsmith.” It was more a direction than a question, but she didn’t mind. Though her face did express a bit of hesitation. “He might not sell to me. I’ve had that happen before, cause, well,” She paused and made a gesture to her being. Not nearly as done up as when they first met her, but still rather put together. Flowy skirt in a pastel color, the little bow around her neck, hair properly twisted up. “If he gives you any trouble, I’ll handle it.” Arthur patted her shoulder reassuringly. “Right, I forgot. I have a big scary cowboy on my side, what was I thinkin’?” She teased, giggling as Arthur rolled his eyes with a sigh. She straightened out his shirt collar and patted him on the chest. “Let’s get these errands done, I wanna see if we have time to get some food that Pearson didn’t make.” She stepped around him to start toward the gunsmith.

Arthur paused for a moment, watching her walk away. His had raised to graze over his collar, as if he’d get to feel the phantom sensation of her hands. He scoffed at himself, tilting his hat down in a moment of embarrassment. He was growing soft, and the worst part was, he didn’t exactly hate it. It was different, and it was pleasant. Not that he thought this little…crush, or whatever it was, would be enough to completely change the kind of man he was. Wanting to be a gentleman to a kind young lady wasn’t going to make up for years of murdering and theft. It was those factors that made in wholy certain he wasn’t worthy of getting bashful over her attention anyway.

From the second he saw her, she seemed to be the opposite of him, even if time had shown they had quite a few similarities. Hell, she’d killed a man the second he met her. Yet, he couldn’t compare himself to her. Not when she seemed so soft and graceful. Not fragile, no, that wasn’t fitting at all. She’d proven several times to be quite the independent type, be it when it came to standing up for herself or problem solving on the fly. However, her atmosphere reminded him of so many sensitive things. 

The feeling of a light breeze on feverish skin, the fur of a kitten, the satisfying burn from a fancy whiskey; the kind that went down real smooth. It wasn’t even limited to when she’d actively interact with him either. Sure, he was particularly taken with her compassionate hands squeezing his shoulder reassuringly after the day had worn away at him. Finding some strange solace in her voice when she said his name so warmly, like it brought her joy to say it. But something about her existence as a whole made him feel that way, it was almost frightening.

Whether she came to him in thought or he watched her from afar, it didn’t matter. There was this anemoia with her presence. He’d never had much of a home, sturdy walls and the safety of a roof. But she felt like that, or, he thought so anyway. However a home was described to feel like, that’s what it was. Though he recognized he wouldn’t really know since he had yet to experience it, and he knew he likely never would. 

He’d felt fondness and love for women, and others, before. Some more brief than others. Each time, there was a familiar thread that connected the feeling, so he could recognize it.

This time was truly different though. Why, he wasn’t sure. He’d tried to think about it, weigh it to past experiences. He wasn’t keen on being left in the dark when it came to anything, much less his own feelings. He’d failed though. All that ended up happening last time was he’d zoned out and came back too having drawn her face in his journal. Again.

At the very least, he liked her, a lot. Arthur felt his cheeks burn, no doubt red, much to his dismay. He rubbed his face with both his hands, continuing to walk as he groaned quietly to himself. He wasn’t old per say, but he felt too old to be acting so callow. Like he was a teenager again. Easily flustered and giddy over the smallest things. He shook his head at his foolishness, dropping his arms, but keeping his gaze at the ground. He inhaled, steeling himself, raising his head.

“Hey mister!”

“Oh son of a-“ Arthur turned and was met with the sight of a gun barrel. There was no Irish accent from this man or his companion, though they didn’t sound local either. He sighed as the stranger pulled back the hammer, finger on the trigger. The one aiming the gun was a pale man, dark hair and eyes, clean shaven and probably not much older than himself. His accomplice seemed younger, still carrying some youthful glow in his cheeks that was oddly unmatched by an unkempt beard. Arthur blinked slowly, looking at the gun. He raised his hands, though his face portrayed an aloof expression, perhaps a bit annoyed.

“I ain’t lookin’ for trouble.” Arthur said. “Save it, cowpoke. You speak when spoken to, ya hear?” The gunsman spat. Arthur didn’t hide his face of disgust when he saw some spit leave the man’s lips with the conviction he spoke, thankfully not hitting him. Still gross though.

“I want everythin’ you got, or I shoot you where you stand. Got it?” The stranger demanded. Arthur gritted his teeth. “I ain’t got much to give.” He replied, much to the mugger’s annoyance.

“If you wanna do this the hard way-“ The man and his friend flinched when a woman’s voice broke through the air. Arthur felt his heart sink when he recognized the melodic sound. He looked over his shoulder, as did his adversaries. Sure enough, not too far behind him, the sugary-sweet rabbit he’d rode into town with approached. Her eyes wide with worry, her hands clasped in front of herself. 

“Don’t interfere, woman!” The younger man shouted. “We’re doing some private business here, so move along.” He pulled out his own gun now, clicking the safety off, 

Arthur felt his heart go from his stomach to his throat, blood rushing in quick bursts in his ears. She moved recklessly toward them, in front of him. Blocking him with her arm whilst shouting a protest. Of course, their gun’s aim went to her. That was when she used both hands to cover her stomach, and then pleaded again. 

Arthur was now just as confused as he was anxious. He looked over at her face. He’d seen her fear stricken face before, how her brows furrowed with worry, how her lip trembled when her eyes watered. Her face expressed worry now, but it was different. It dawned on him very suddenly that she’d pulled this kind of thing before when playing a trick. 

She was acting.

“Please, leave him be. Surely there are other people you could steal from!” Y/N pleaded with a whimpering tone. While the younger man didn’t seem to waver, the older of the two seemed to zero in on her defensive stance with her stomach. “We don’t want their money, we want his.” The bearded attacker hissed. “Please, my husband and I are already on hard times as it is. We need to save now more than ever. Just a little mercy, please.” She begged. If it weren’t for him knowing, Arthur would’ve bought the act fully. She really had a talent for it, even if she was using it for thievery. And, well, for saving his skin.

“Lady, what don’t you get?!“ The young man shouted. “Mason, quit!” The elder man sent a swift whack to the back of the other’s head, his gun lowered. Arthur took a step back when feeling Y/N push at him. She gave him a side glance, and it told him enough. He pulled her to him with hands on her shoulders, before wrapping one arm around her torso, turning her to face him. To shield her more.

“Wh- but, you said-“ “We don’t attack expecting mothers, and I ain’t havin’ you widow’er either.”

The act worked, clearly, but Arthur’s quiet demeanor made Y/N feel unnerved. He seemed disturbed in a way, but she couldn’t exactly take a second to ask why. He was playing along, at least, so she kept up her part as the two men holstered their guns. “We’ll be on our way. But I expect you to keep this between us.” Said the leader of the two. “Of course sir, I won’t say a word.” Y/N reassured. With a nod, the man grabbed his accomplice by the back of the vest and dragged him away to their horses. Soon enough, they were far away, and Y/N gave Arthur more space.

She was worried before because of obvious reasons. He’d almost been shot point blank, and that wasn’t great, but he seemed more uncomfortable than she’d expected. He’d had plenty of these situations happen before. She looked him over, his almost detached expression as he adjusted his hat. 

“Arthur?” Her voice spooked him for a moment, but he seemed to click back into reality. “Huh?” He blinked. She clasped her hands together, nervously fidgeting with a small ring she wore, twisting it around her finger. “Are you alright? I’m sorry if I messed something up there, I just didn’t know how else to help without shootin’ them.” Arthur blinked slowly before shaking his head and rubbing his eyes with his hand, letting out a long breath. “No, no. You did great. Just uh, the whole…” He motioned vaguely to her stomach and then around at the air, somewhat aimlessly.

“Oh! Oh, right. I figured that would make them back off. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” Y/N said. He’d started walking down the dirt path, she followed beside him. His mood had shifted rather dramatically. She’d seen him annoyed, stressed, downright angry. This wasn’t any of those, which was what made her so worried. He seemed borderline melancholy, and she didn’t know why, but to think she caused it made her a bit sick. “You’re alright. It’s just, an uh, sensitive subject I s’ppose.” He shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck while looking at the ground.

That felt more confusing to her, honestly. But she kept her mouth shut. It wasn’t her place to ask, she felt. But Arthur glanced up at her, catching curiosity in her concerned face. There was a lump in his throat that almost seemed to suffocate him. There were very few things he opened up about to most people, especially when it came to things that weighed so heavily on him. He didn’t like bringing up his past, not to others and not to himself. His mind was a stubborn thing and it liked to stick on regrets to the point of making him physically ill. Arthur never handled emotions well, so he’d learned to avoid them for the most part. Not for his comfort, but for his survival.

But she looked so worried, and the air around her was so warm. Arthur looked at her face again and felt his shoulders loosen. He inhaled, holding his breath for a moment, before letting it out in one big huff. The silence stretched a bit longer as they slowly meandered down the dirt path, the air a bit tense. Before he finally unclenched his jaw and opened his mouth to speak, without planning what he’d say. And out it spilled.

“I had a son once.” Arthur said plainly. Y/N’s eyes widened and she almost let her mouth fall agape. She held back her surprise though, not wanting to be rude. She stepped a bit closer though, but kept her hands to herself. “I was young, so was the girl. A waitress I met in a town, lovely girl. I was…reckless, selfish. I knew I didn’t want to stay committed to her but I got’er pregnant.” He explained. He kept his gaze down, whether it was because he was ashamed at the past or that he was admitting sensitive things, she didn’t question. Just listened.

“I wanted to do right by’em. Or, maybe I told myself that to make myself feel less guilty.” He shrugged. “I didn’t stick around, but I didn’t completely leave either. I’d come around when I could to help. Felt it was the least I could do, support’em. I helped make the boy, ya know?” The question was rhetorical but she nodded to show she was listening. This felt so intense and heavy, and she had the distinct feeling the story wasn’t a happy one.

Arthur ran a hand down his face and looked up at the sky before continuing. “At one point, I considered sticking around a little more permanently. Not get hitched to her or nothin’, she deserved better than me, obviously. But Dutch wanted to move further West and I couldn’t take them with me.” He cracked his jaw, clenched his teeth. His nose scrunched up. “Go on, son. Pick what life you want. You can settle down, go soft, force yourself to be a father. Or, you can come with the family who accepted you. Be my guest. That’s what Dutch said to me.” He huffed.

“That’s a terrible thing to say in that situation!” Y/N suddenly spoke, outraged at the callousness. Arthur found himself smiling faintly at her rage. It felt cathartic to have someone on his side, even if it was far too late. “Yeah, never quite got over that. But…I was barely twenty, and, I didn’t know what to do. Dutch raised me and I wasn’t exactly sure how to be a good man.” He grew sad so quickly again. He hit his left palm with his right fist a few times, a nervous tick she’d noticed he had. He seemed to have a lot of them, actually.

“I left, for a long time this time. I didn’t forget ‘bout’em. Though, I remember telling myself they’d be better off without me anyway. To make it easier on myself, as if I deserved that.” He whispered the last part while looking down at his feet. Y/N’s hand reached over to squeeze his shoulder reassuringly. They both came to a stop at a bench in front of the post office, the area barely populated and the sun on its way to set. She subtly guided him to sit down, still listening intently.

Arthur bounced his leg, leaning back to rest against the wall. He swallowed. “Well uh, I came back one day. The place was empty, but the backyard had uhm…two crosses.” His voice grew a bit hoarse. Y/N’s heart broke as she watched him force his face to stay as cold as possible, eyes facing the sky, as if trying to escape into it. “Oh Arthur…” She said in a hushed tone. He rolled the joint of his jaw again, biting his tongue. It weighed so heavily on him and it showed, that was precisely why he didn’t talk about it. 

He looked over when he felt Y/N’s hand gently grab his forearm, caressing the skin with her thumb. Her gaze made his muscles loosen, and while the ache of guilt and regret was heavy on his chest, he found himself able to breathe still. It wasn’t suffocating. 

“I couldn’t possibly understand what that’s like.” She let her hand fall back into her lap, not realizing how much he ached for the contact once it was gone. She looked around and searched her brain for what to say. It was something so heavy, so she wanted to treat it seriously. Though, she also knew a heavy atmosphere made Arthur itch to run away. He wasn’t a coward, but he wasn’t fond of the feeling. She patted her lap a bit awkwardly. “I mean, the closest thing I guess I could think of was realizing I lost my brother. But, he’s alive, not- I dunno, why am I even trying to relate? I just,” She awkwardly stammered. “I want you to know I hear you, so I’m trying to relate, but I- I can’t. And I shouldn’t be trying, I’m sorry.” She cringed.

Arthur let out a breathy laugh. “I get it. Thank you.” He reassured, watching her deflate in relief. She handled it clumsily, but the sentiment reached him all the same. She rubbed her hands together, still feeling timid about approaching the topic. She wanted to comfort him, ease the pain, but this kind of situation wasn’t something she could fix with a “good job” and a hug. The woman squeezed her hands together before looking him over, hoping her sympathy conveyed in her face. “I thought of something to say, but I don’t know if it’ll actually help as I intend for it too.” She admitted.

Arthur raised his hand in an encouraging motion. “No, go ‘head. I wanna hear what you have to say.” He nodded. She bit down on the inside of her cheek, inhaling slowly. 

“I think…I think you would be a great father, all things considered.” She whispered. It was genuine, truly. She believed it fully too, and she could only pray it came across. Maybe back then he was young and reckless, but she could see how well he’d do now. From the way he handled the gang, how he talked to Jack like the boy was his own, a leader and while he could be stubborn and gruff, he had the softness important for child development. He felt like a family man, a good one. She’d told him that before, but she wanted to make sure it stuck. 

Arthur rubbed his palms on the fabric of his pants as the words hit him in the chest. He clicked his tongue, allowing himself to smile slightly. “I ‘ppreciate that.” He replied softly. Y/N reached over and squeezed his arm again, smiling at him with so much kindness, it lessened the load of the world again. “I appreciate you trusted me enough to tell me, I don’t imagine it's easy to share.” Her words made him nod again. “It ain’t, and I usually don’t. But you…” He admired her face again. “You’re easy to talk to, I guess.” The woman lit up at that. She’d always enjoyed being told she was nice to be around, that her efforts to make those who cared comfortable to be vulnerable around her worked. It was rare she got an outright confirmation that it was working, it made her feel warm and fuzzy.

Arthur rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, well, the feeling is mutual.” She chimed in, making him look up, brow raised and prompting her to elaborate. “I mean it! I know I might seem naive sometimes, but I’m quite the good judge of character. And you,” She nudged him with her arm playfully. “You’re a good man. I think I’ve explained why before.” He chuckled at that, feeling blood rush to his face as he recalled the night at the hotel. It was a completely innocent night, but a powerful one, which he’d found himself thinking back to it often. Though, saying he wished to feel her dainty hands running over his skin again didn’t sound like something a gentleman would say, even if it was true. 

Arthur shook his head but he was smiling regardless. “I have a feeling you won’t let me argue.” He said, and she gave a confirmative hum. “I’ve met plenty of people in this world, and plenty that superficially act like you. But what makes you different is you feel, well, safe.” She explained. She’d felt awkward before, but saying this, she felt no shame. It was the truth and she wanted him to know it. She appreciated the shades of blue in his eyes in the warm sunlight as she spoke, truly adoring the little details she noticed. Every freckle and line in his skin. “Safe? Me?” Arthur challenged genially. “Yes sir, you. There aren’t many men in this world that have the feeling you do. Like…like walking into a blanket warmed by a fire, after a long walk in the cold.”

The outlaw scoffed and looked away, his elbow resting on his knee, hiding the lower half of his face in his hand. “I mean it!” She insisted, resting her hand on his shoulder. Had her hand drifted upward, just slightly, she’d be able to feel the speed of his pulse in his neck. Rapid and stuttered. Desperate to compose himself, he looked for a way to change the subject, lest he say something he’d regret or melt into the ground beneath him. “Well, I told you about me.” He sat up straight again, clearing his throat as he looked her in the eye again. “Care to share your own? You mentioned your brother. Wouldn’t mind lendin’ an ear, if you’re willin’ to share.” He said. 

Y/N’s mood shifted a bit, and Arthur regretted his attempt at removing the attention from himself, until she prepared herself to speak. “It’s nothing like what you went through, he isn’t dead or anything, just…different.” She explained. Picking at her nails for a moment, she recalled her past. Her father was a mean man, that wasn’t anything he hadn’t heard. But he wasn’t the only member of her family, just the head of it. Her mother was sweet, though, the woman seemed to favor the baby boy she’d given birth to over her daughter. That was a fact Y/N sometimes recalled with bitterness but considered herself mostly healed from. Her cousin came to stay with them later on in life, he wasn’t great from the start, but she didn’t exactly consider him family regardless. Even if others around her went to calling him her brother pretty quickly. But her brother, that always stung a bit more.

“Walter, my younger brother, used to be the sweetest boy. After he was born, my mother got sick, so she couldn’t really care for either of us properly. My father was no good at it, speaking from experience, so I tried to step up.” Y/N explained, shifting her position on the bench for more comfort. “It wasn’t easy, but, after my mother got better I didn’t want to just leave him to the two of them. I liked caring for him, and even though he was a baby, it felt like he actually appreciated what I did.” She laughed at the sentiment. It sounded far more pathetic out loud, seeking validation from the innocent clinginess of a baby. “From the start, he wouldn’t let go of me. Swore up and down I was his favorite person, the best sister to ever live! I held onto that a lot. Especially when he started having a voice of his own, he used to defend me from my father a lot. I know that wasn’t easy. A young man trying to get his father to respect a lady, his rebellious daughter no less.”

Y/N paused as she recalled the various instances of this. How conflicted it’d make her feel, watching the boy she practically raised have to defend her to their actual parents. He did it so valiantly too, even when it caused more grief for himself. Things she wanted to keep him from. Being a punching bag didn’t bother her as much as seeing her brother’s young face contorted in distress and anger. However, being defended after so long felt nice too. It brought a sense of guilt with the comfort, to know someone cared enough to stand up for her against at the expense of themselves, but that last part was what made her sick. 

She sighed. “Then, I guess as he got older, my father’s influence seemed more appealing. I mean, my father was a greedy man, but a successful one. Even if most of his earnings came from me.” Arthur watched as the air around her grew somber, and he felt a stabbing in his chest as her mouth formed a frown. For someone with a smile so sugary sweet, her frown put an acrid, bitter taste in the back of his mouth. “He started agreeing with my father more, pulling away from me. I practically raised the boy but as time went on, he seemed like a stranger. I held onto hope that maybe something would break, that he’d go back to how he was.” She shook her head. “Then one day, my father was goin’ on about how ungrateful I was. How I’d be sorry when he finally gave me away. My brother, fifteen then, came in after hearing the shouting.” She leaned back, staring into the ground with a solemn expression.

“For once, I looked and asked him to help. I had never done it before, but, I was so tired. I wanted someone in my corner and I thought, maybe if he saw how much it was hurting me, he would defend me again.” Y/N raised her hand to her hair, fussing with it a bit, something she did when she wanted to soothe herself. Arthur had seen her do it when arguments broke out between people in the gang or when Miss Grimshaw scolded her amongst all the girls for “lazing” about. “Then he said; “He’s right. And you should learn that by now.” And it hit me like a train, full force.” She let out a bitter, scoff-like laugh. It was devoid of any joy, and Arthur felt his heart break when she blinked back some water in her eyes. “He wasn’t the boy I raised. And I knew that the hope I’d ever see that little boy again was gone. Really sealed that when he did nothing but nod when my father told me he’d finally sold me off.” 

Y/N shook out her hands and pressed her middle finger to the corners of her eyes, sniffling. “Sorry, I went and made this ‘bout me. I didn’t mean to be so selfish.” She apologized. Arthur shook his head and placed a large hand on her back. She exhaled at the light pressure and the pleasant warmth that bled through her clothes. “Don’t apologize. I asked, and it seemed like you’ve been hopin’ someone would listen.” He replied. She hummed, squeezing her hands together. He noted how much closer she was now, practically tucked into his side, and it gave him a sense of solace. “It’s nothing compared to what you’ve been through.” She downplayed, and he let out a noise to cut her off. “That don’t mean nothin’. It’s still hard on you, clearly. Don’t go actin’ like my pain mean you can’t have your own.” 

Y/N fought off the urge to swoon under his caring eyes. It didn’t work very well. “Right, thank you, Arthur.” Her voice brought back that warm feeling in his chest, like he’d taken a swig of whiskey. She huffed and patted her lap. “Alright, ya know what, this day has gone sideways.” She stood up suddenly, full of energy as she pivoted to face him, her face bright and cheery once again. The sky behind her had begun to turn pink, the yellows & oranges illuminated her like a halo. “But, we still got time. I say we go enjoy ourselves with the time. I hear the saloon’s got a new dish they’re tryin’ out, and I think you’ve more than earned a whiskey, good sir.” She held out her hand, the other behind her back, standing straight and proud.

Arthur found himself grinning. He reached his hand out, following her guidance to stand up, even if she couldn’t have pulled him if he didn’t allow it. “What happened to those errands?” He questioned teasingly. “We say we ran into some trouble and try again tomorrow, obviously.” Y/N pulled him along, wrapping both her hands around his own to encourage him faster. “C’mon! I’ll pay!” She cheered.

#red dead redemption #red dead redemption 2 #red dead redemption x reader #arthur morgan #arthur morgan x reader #female reader #arthur morgan x female reader #rdr2 arthur morgan

[inchidentally]

this is so stupid and overthought and pointless but lol it's me sooooo

like I literally got into f1blr through videos of Lando following Carlos and Daniel around and finding them absolutely hilarious and just being their personal squealing little chew toy/satellite. so believe me I LOVE that. and god knows I've written enough about how Lando needed/sometimes still needs to hide behind these big bold alpha personalities.

but I think the ??? that transpired for some of us over the gradual blossoming of Lando's dynamic with Oscar had a lot to do with how much Lando opened up in front of our eyes bc of his new position w Oscar and how that developed. he literally said how much it felt weird for him to imagine himself in the older/more experienced position and you can see in the super early content how much Lando couldn't get a read on Oscar bc there wasn't the usual bromance stuff he's so used to. but Oscar also was so mature and calm that he didn't need Lando to do for him what Carlos and Daniel were for him.

and it seems so stupid but it's almost like Oscar hitting that growth spurt and his voice getting a little deeper sort of clicked things into place for Lando?? bc Oscar had been living alone and cooking for himself and in a serious relationship for years and he didn't need anyone to raise him or protect him like Lando needed as a rookie. and he had lived away from his family or a support system from around 14/15 so he was fully used to finding his way around and navigating new places largely alone.

but him getting taller and broader suddenly fit with his personality so much better. he didn't have his cherub Prema face clashing with how cool and confident he was anymore.

and obv Oscar has always said how much he learned just from observing Lando as one of the fastest guys on the grid, but also Lando has emphasized how much he has learned from Oscar about mentality and staying true to yourself. so again there wasn't any need for Lando to try and be big brother/mother hen.

but!! you know what Lando got to teach Oscar? and what Oscar had trained for years to be the most apt pupil about?

Lando!

bc we never really got to 'learn' Lando as a person before now unless it was on his streams, his content with Max F or his own social media content. his friendships with the other F1 guys are all a variation of bromance since they all love him - but all of them are based on Lando being the introvert among extroverts and bonding over shared activities and interests. not a lot of Lando personality stuff gets revealed around those guys bc he's Just Baby.

but w Oscar Lando came to realize he could roll whatever Mood he was in at him and Oscar would smile and laugh or make feeble resistance and give in anyway - and Oscar took all of it in. he literally already had a fairly encyclopedic Lando knowledge as we well know now but he just ?? never got bored of watching and learning Lando! whether it's Lando's music blaring through the shared wall or Lando not being able to open things or pronounce words or Lando specifically not liking something or not wanting to do something or Lando wanting Oscar to give a different answer or wanting Oscar to agree with him instead - Oscar smiles and patiently files it away.

which is exactly what Max does with Lando. at some point he clearly realized that the best way to get Lando to open up and trust - not unlike an outdoor cat - was to be part anthologist and part nature documentary narrator. Lando only opens up when he knows he has the space to. he gets so genuinely upset at how often the media or fans won't follow his original meaning or look past awkward wording or misuse his original tone. it's why he said he often loves being around people who will lead the conversation and not put pressure on him to talk.

bc for example, Carlos was only joking when he said that Lando needs to mature or how he'd "scold" Lando for being too silly and not paying attention, but to some people it's used as confirmation that Lando's immature. Daniel loved when he'd get Lando to laugh so hard that Lando couldn't do his to-camera work or require millions of takes, but to some people it's seen as Lando not taking anything seriously. it's so easy to take someone as vulnerable and unedited as Lando and slice out one video or one moment and create a false narrative around him. you can see the times when Lando has slunk away from social media and gone a bit mum or dull in his media work when that happens.

but Max and Oscar are there to act as interpreters for the audience at home! Lando drops off to sleep during a Quadrant shoot? Max explains that this is standard procedure wherever he is. Lando is far too hyper for a challenge and won't let Oscar breathe without giving him a hard time? Oscar laughs and gently ribs him back to let people know that it's all in good fun and Lando isn't actually on a tear. Lando winds Max up mercilessly or accidentally reveals that Max has a gf? Max makes sure everyone knows he's joking when he gets "mad" and later on says how much Lando looks out for him. Lando won't let Oscar make his own choices in a silly F1 quiz? Oscar feigns being hard done by but he also says how good Lando's answers are. they do this all the time with him and we see Lando more vocal and more loudly himself with them bc they translate what he can't.

it clearly isn't easy being someone bursting with about fifty different personality traits at once and just as many passionate interests all vying with dyslexia and hyperactivity mixed with introversion and sometimes crippling shyness. it's very easy to love that person - which is why the entire grid does - but it's not easy to understand them or what they need in any given moment.

so I feel like that's what we've gotten out of the Lando/Oscar dynamic that we haven't seen before with Carlos or Daniel. Oscar isn't ever going to be a big personality and he's self-described as "low frequency" - he won't be winding Lando up for fun or bringing energy that makes Lando bounce off the walls. he's also found Lando fascinating almost from his first year moving to the UK. so as fans we love seeing Lando get to have a teammate who loves the business of observing Lando - but we also love getting to see so much more of Lando as a result if that makes sense??

#inchidentallyanessay #so tired but brain going nuts so I'm sorry for whatev this is #f1 meta #landoscar lore

[poly-lights]

with iii17 announced to come out on december 1st, this means we're getting closer and closer to s2

so here are my funny s2 predictions + things i just. want

there is no prize. no money. no winner. everyone went through everything for nothing (but atleast they bonded!)

another musical segment? maybe?? they said we were gonna get more lyrical songs so i think it'd be super funny if we got a song with the final 4

either the final 4 + toilet being used for ransom by cobs + mephone x and having to bust out themselves, or we see them get just straight up attacked

mephone 4 never comes back and instead starts season 4 /j

please please please just give me found family final 4 i know it won't happen but im gonna cross my fingers anyway because i love this group of varying characters

lightbulb gets eliminated, her and paintbrush (+ baxter) meet up scene. baseball gets eliminated, him and nickel meet up scene. suitcase getsyou see where im going with these. i just want a meet up scene with any of these guys and their closest friends

BASEBALL AND SUITCASE MAKE UP SCENE. OR ATLEAST START TO BE ACQUAINTED AGAIN IF NOT FRIENDS. let them have the confirmation they need

everyone else finds out about taco. it's gonna happen at some point we just dont know when

in relation to the point above, suitcase is confused as to why the other 3 HATE her (or atleast mildly dislike her) for a short moment until she's told what happened (assuming she doesn't know)

mepad wakes up????????????? he's gonna at some point right. right ae. righ

there's more but idk what else to put. i just think these would be funny. oh noo apollo don't throw the dodgeball at my head ahahaha

if any of these have already been asked to the team and confirmed or deconfirmed lmk because i don't remember

#inanimate insanity #ii

[jacarandaaaas]

Here’s some revisions I did after seeing some of the ideas (there are obviously some flaws but I tried). Also, these ideas you guys had are amazing and my brain is BRAINING!!!

Season one - Centering the triplets as they grow up and Alma nearly losing her mind. The full season would be 20+ episodes and 20 minutes long. Also includes young Agustin and Felix. 

Season two - First ten episodes ending with the triplets (Pepa’s wedding) and the last ten with the grandchildren growing up. (And expanding on the changes that happened after Mirabel’s ceremony.)

This season and mid season three would expand on how some relationships dwindled and just different dynamics and such. Maybe some post-movie bonding.

Season three - First ten episodes ending with post-movie grandkids/ before Antonio’s birth month. The last ten centering on the actual healing through Casita’s collapse. Mirabel’s parents, sisters, and Primo's reaction to Mirabel’s disappearance. And the reaction to Bruno coming back and how they all felt. 

And more bonding among family members and an introduction to extended ones on Agustin and Felix’s side of the family. Like honestly, what about their other cousins? grandparents? Tias & Tios? Nephews and nieces? We need more of them too.

Over the course of the series a trading & transport system is created for people to safely get in and out of the Encanto to the nearest town. They do explore outside The Encanto/see how far the gifts go. Culture shock. 

Obligatory "the oldest granddaughters go out and shenanigans happen." also Camilo and Mirabel spy/tag along.

Season four - first twelve episodes are going to be character-centric and full of shenanigans. In every episode Luisa tries a new hobby in the B/C plot and it goes a different direction each time. 

Obligatory halloween episode where the grandchildren tell each other scary stories of the outside world. 

Episodes 18  could possibly surround the Triplets birthday. Episode 19 could be the Valentine's day episode with the yellow couple, blue couple, and Dolores’ relationship with Mariano.  Could also involve the other grandkids talking to their crushes or asking them out. Just a full day of wholesome love. 

Episode 20 could be a BIG family game night with extended family involved. 

Season five - Finale season (A few years into the future maybe?)

Mariano goes with the other granddaughters out of the Encanto to get the best engagement ring for Dolores (because only the best of the best is good for her). Camilo and Antonio tag along and they get into trouble. Dolores hears everything and goes to bail her boyfriend and cousins/brothers out.

Day of little candles themed ep where alma and the family go to the river and alma tells them all about pedro. Also flashbacks of before dos oruguitas and Alma telling her family how proud she is of them all. 

Mirabel (possibly seventeen or eighteen) looks back on how far the family has come while working on Dolores’ wedding dress. 

Season ends with Dolores and Mariano getting married! 

Notes: Yes, the theme song would be like the family madrigal, new outfits every other episode, in each episode a part of the diverse Colombian culture could/should be explored. (food, music, dancing, fashion, history, etc).  Songs are a must and Lin Manuel Miranda will be the one who worked on them. I won’t let anyone else attempt to mimic his style of music when he can just be hired. I’m sure he would like to work on the story anyway. 

I think 24 episodes instead of 20 would be a bit better plot and story wise. Maybe each could be 25 minutes each too? Also, if Disney is willing to not have a stick up their ass, I would like the series to be animated in Disney’s renaissance era style. Like the Hunchback of Notre dame, Brother bear, Lion king, Treasure planet, and Tarzan. I’m NOT accepting anything less. 

It could also be a Tradigital (both computer and hand drawn) style like Tarzan/Hunchback of Notre dame! 3D backgrounds painted to look 2D with the characters actually being traditionally drawn. This would especially be cool to look at in Antonio’s room and just Encanto in general. 

TONS OF DISNEY  EASTER EGGS! “Wish” kind of didn’t do it right at all so I think Encanto can do it better.  Honestly I should’ve just asked the Encanto community for help instead of just struggling by myself. YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING!!! If I’m ever able to pitch this to Disney and actually make this become true I will credit ALL OF YOU!!!

Also, I’ve noticed how poorly Disney marketed Treasure planet, Princess and the frog, and strange world (most are allegedly poorly marketed) and by god I WILL NOT let them poorly market this. 

Lastly, I think the series could have a full six seasons because there are so many ideas that I want to add and don’t want anyone’s idea left out. Plus, there’s just so much one can do...

thanks to @midcanto @mirabels-miracle @droppingdonkeys @slayyyysworld @teawizard and you of course for the ideas!

mirabel😭making😭dolores😭wedding😭dress😭

I love these ideas so much!!! in a better universe this exists and in the Number 1 fan!!! I love when this fandom is creative and all come together!!

#encanto #encanto disney #disneys encanto

[sindirimba]

a bit ago @nevermindirah and i had a very serious scholarly discussion about who among kiki and matthias' film roles should kiss. it's kind of difficult because both of them have played a lot of people who truly Went Through It in a way not conducive to frivolous nonsense, but we gave it our best try. i made a chart:

now it's true that kiki has not yet played storm and matthias escaped playing batman, but if you believe you can do anything, imagination is the key etc.

we don't know dandelion (dandelion) yet but the music connection makes kissing paul (a bigger splash) obvious. he seems loyal(ish, author is dead etc) and he cries, what more could she ask for

nile & booker is obvious and inarguable. i can't remember why there's a (2) there. comics booker? dirah help.

we went with margaret (don't worry darling) and peter (brothers by blood) because he's large and there'd be some interesting class stuff to explore. probably.

ellie (chip n dale) and gene (our souls at night) are some of the more normal of this group (even accepting the chipmunks), we envisioned them watching tv together and presumably making out on the couch. jane fonda probably approves.

meeka (coming 2 america) and vincent (disorder) is obvious. lots of sexually tense brawling and pinning down and such. the physicality is compelling. highly erotic.

bessie (native son) and gabriel (far from the madding crowd) is wholly a 'who can we give to bessie to give her a nice pleasant time. gabriel as the soft sheep boy seemed like the clear option. now there is some culture/chronology clash but they can work it out i think. note the sheep which is a highly important aspect. also less sensical but we decided to have bessie and roman (the mustang) be besties because i'm not sure i remember why. but i think it's cute. bessie needs hugs and in this fanciful little universe roman is capable of giving slightly horse-scented hugs.

tish (if beale street could talk) and olivia (veracity) are out of the equation here due to being happily partnered and into women respectively but they are on this chart anyway because. just because. gigi (le fidèle) is here for similar reasons, being an Xtreme Wife Guy.

matthias has a more extensive filmography than kiki sadly so we kind of went a little off the deep end at this point. django (django) and andré (a little chaos) are NOT from the same time period but are nevertheless paired because they fit into generically historical wig time, and they'd both benefit from some sweaty weird clone sex. probably. don't question it. it's true that andre is also happily partnered but something something libertine free love french hedonism something something. idk.

roman and ali (rust and bone) form a fight club due to being remarkable examples of meat and who (would) benefit from throwing their bodies at other men. it doesn't need to be sexual but can be if desired. jacky (bullhead) needs an incredible amount of care so why not let him hang out with a literal saint, st peter (the way of the wind). neither dirah or i know much about this topic but we went on the assumption that a literal heavenly being might be able to help the tragically in need of help jacky. the second peter is there for humorous name reasons but also he's had a lot of family related trauma so he and jacky could maybe bond somehow. not really romantic but if they want to i'm not going to judge.

#tog #kind of #we shan't speak of bathsheba at this time

[marvelmaniac715]

We all know that Love Never Dies sucks. Here’s how I’d fix it if Andrew Lloyd Webber had consulted me during the show’s development:

Almost the entire plot needs changing. For example, what sense does it make for a man who was abused in a freak show to own one? Why is Raoul suddenly so abusive? Why does Beauty Underneath sound so… awkwardly inappropriate? Why is Madame Giry a villain? Why is the Phantom negotiating a hostage crisis with Meg Giry, the nice girl from the first musical who Christine was genuinely friends with and is able to confide in? None of it makes sense, so this is my suggested plot line to fix all these issues:

After the events of Phantom, the Phantom flees to America in order to make something of himself and try to distract himself from his heartbreak. He goes alone, without the Girys, and instead of owning a freak show, he decides to make his name as a composer, never going out in public or revealing his face. Meanwhile, back in France, Christine and Raoul are married, and they have a son named Gustave. Gustave, unlike the original musical, is mildly deformed (just like his father). From the moment of the boy’s birth both Raoul and Christine know who the father is, and whilst this creates mild tension, Raoul doesn’t become a drunken abuser, but he does request that Gustave wears a mask to avoid stares in public.

When the Phantom has become quite successful, he decides to take a chance and contacts Christine. His reputation as an expert composer and his carefully constructed false identity as Mr Y allows him to convince Christine to let him compose a song that’s perfectly suited for her voice. Christine, with coaxing from Raoul who is a much more supportive partner, agrees, and the family travels to America to meet with Mr Y.

Of course, as soon as Christine sets eyes on him she knows who he is. But she is a professional, and she decides to honour their agreement. The Phantom pays for Christine, Raoul and Gustave’s hotel rooms, and whilst it is partly to be hospitable, he also uses the opportunity to eavesdrop on Christine and her family. He is immediately captivated by Gustave, with the faintest understanding of why he wears a mask. So he invites Christine and Gustave to Coney Island to spend a day together.

Whilst there, he learns a lot about Gustave, noting all of the similarities they share. He isn’t sure that Gustave is his son until he, Christine and Gustave pass a music store and the boy absentmindedly begins to play The Point of No Return from the Phantom’s Don Juan on a piano (as opposed to a random song like in the original Love Never Dies show). When asked how he knows it, Gustave shrugs and says that he heard his mother humming it once or twice and he’d memorised it. By this point, the Phantom pretty much knows for certain that he fathered Gustave, as this ability to immediately memorise then play music is an ability he also possesses.

To test his theory, he sits down and plays music with Gustave. It’s going well, they’re bonding, but then, to see what happens, the Phantom (ever so casually) takes off his mask. Gustave doesn’t notice at first, but when he does, he’s overcome with an overwhelming combination of emotions. He’s confused at what he’s seeing but he’s also overjoyed that there’s someone else who looks like him. Unable to process his emotions, Gustave runs to his mother without a word, and the Phantom mistakes this for fear.

Christine comes to reassure the Phantom that he didn’t terrify Gustave, but during the conversation she accidentally confessed that Gustave is not Raoul’s son. The Phantom is obviously overjoyed despite still believing that his son resents him, but who should overhear this but RAOUL, whose animosity towards the Phantom is reignited with a fierce passion, leading him to plot the man’s demise and plan to spirit his wife and (now confirmed to be non-biological) son away from America as fast as possible.

Anyway, Christine works with the Phantom to help compose his song for her, and during these sessions they grow closer once more. Whilst this plays out, Raoul purchases a gun and practices with it to ensure he has a good aim. The song is completed, and Christine performs it (still Love Never Dies because I still like it) at Coney Island thanks to the Phantom pulling some strings.

After the performance, the chemistry developed between Christine and the Phantom during the composing sessions reaches its peak when, in the heat of emotions and adrenaline, the two kiss. It’s immediately discovered after this that Gustave has gone missing. Turns out, Raoul tries to kidnap Gustave and take him back to France, starting to give up on Christine returning to him. When Christine and the Phantom find Raoul and Gustave, Raoul shoots the Phantom… thankfully, nerves make him miss and hit a wall, but Christine realised that Raoul is deeply unstable and she doesn’t truly love him.

Following a brief confrontation that would probably be a song, Christine and Raoul say their goodbyes as a sad slowed down instrumental of All I Ask Of You plays in the background. Raoul leaves, and Gustave learns that the Phantom is his real father. With newfound confidence, Gustave takes a deep breath and removes his mask, showing his father his face for the first time. Suddenly understanding, the Phantom removes his own mask as father and son embrace whilst Christine watches with pride and tears in her eyes.

It’s not perfect, I know. I’m not a scriptwriter, nor am I a composer; this was merely my attempt to try and make it more enjoyable. Would you watch Love Never Dies if it was more like what I’ve pitched?

#musicals #phantom of the opera #christine daae #raoul de chagny #erik phantom #gustave daae #love never dies