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#the AMOUNT of people i've seen who are into both shows is so surprising
dduane · 1 year
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Hello.
I've seen you posting detailed information about the WGA strike and wondered if you had any suggestions as to how those of us not directly involved can show our support for the Union?
Okay, bearing in mind that all this is entirely subjective at the moment (and so far lacking any more useful input from other sources): a few thoughts.
This will be my third WGA strike. (My first one was in 1988, just after I'd made my first live action sale—s1e6 of ST:TNG). And the thought keeps occurring to me at the moment that this time out, there's a potentially gamechanging player on the field that wasn't there before: truly pervasive social media.
(Adding a cut here, because this goes on a bit...)
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In 2007, social media as we now understand it was still in its cradle. Now, though, those of us who're striking can make our voices much more widely heard. And so can those of us who're not, but just want to show solidarity. Last time, the AMPTP was able to do pretty much what it wanted without the public noticing or having even a medium-profile way to make their feelings known. But this time? Not so much.
So as an otherwise uninvolved person who wants to show solidarity, I'd start with something seemingly low-value. If I was on Twitter, I'd start routinely tweeting about the strike and my support for it—not obsessively, just persistently, a couple/few times a week—using the Twitter hashtags that are gaining ground even now, such as #DoTheWriteThing (and of course #WGAStrike). I would make sure I was following @WGAEast and @WGAWest, to keep an eye on what's going on.
Additionally: I would start politely, but repeatedly—again, maybe once or twice a week at least, and not stopping—tweeting the various major players in the AMPTP, especially the streamers: Amazon, Netflix, Hulu et al. I would start suggesting that their current attitude toward the WGA's contract negotiations is not only unrealistic but potentially (for the AMPTP) bad for business. (And self-destructive, too, as if this goes on much longer in this vein, they'll be seemingly eagerly casting themselves as The Baddies.) I would suggest that their bad behavior, if not amended by them coming to the table to bargain in good faith, might start affecting both my interest in their shows and my willingness to keep paying unreasonable people for access to them.
I should emphasize here that so far there've been no formal calls from anyone for boycotts or subscription cancellations. For the moment, this strikes me as wise. The point for WGA-friendly observers, right now, would be to keep what's happening to the writers visible: to keep bringing it up: to refuse to allow it to be swept under the rug. The "They only want two cents on the dollar!" angle seems potentially useful the more it's repeated. The point is to keep the repetition going: to make it plain, day after day, that the other side's being not just unreasonable, but greedy. Day after day, and week after week, and (if necessary: please Thoth may it not be...) month after month.
And tweeting is hardly all that can be done. Email is cheap and easy. But actual letters, written on actual paper and mailed, can still create a surprising amount of attention in a corporate office. (The saying in TV used to be that for every person who actually writes in about an issue, there are ten, or a hundred, who feel the same way but never got around to it.) Write letters to all the AMPTP members' CEOs, and make your feelings on the WGA's core demands politely plain. ...Especially when those CEOs collectively made almost three-quarters of a billion-with-a-B dollars in salaries last year, when many of the writers working on their shows can't afford rent.
After that: here's another thought, a little more physical. If by chance you're in an area where one or the other of the Guilds are picketing: turn out and support them! Honk when you pass: and if you're interested, show up and offer to walk the picket lines with them. These things get noticed. (In 2007 a bunch of us, both Guild members and non-, caused significant astonishment by turning out to picket AMPTP members' offices in Dublin.)
...Obviously not all that many people are going to be positioned, in terms of location or their own work and time commitments, to show up physically. But online? Find ways to keep this issue visible. The AMPTP wants this to go quiet, wants people to get bored with it, wants people to find reasons to blame the writers. They've tried spinning the story that way before. Don't let them pull that shit. Find ways to back those who're calling them on that, publicly. They do respond to this kind of thing (though they may strenuously deny it). If enough attention continues to be paid by the general public, they will blink—if sometimes excruciatingly slowly, as Disney began to blink over the dispute tagged #DisneyMustPay.
As viewers, and as viewers who pay for subscriptions to things, we far outnumber them. Help be a part of making the AMPTP understand that this quest for a truly fair deal is not going to go away. And the longer they try to act like the Guild's negotiation positions are beneath their notice, the more it's going to hurt them, and the stupider and greedier it's going to make them look.
...That's all I've got for the moment, as I need some lunch. :) ...But I hope this has helped. And thanks for your concern, and your desire to stand in solidarity with us! It's so welcome. :)
ETA: here's a link to the Guild's social media toolkit, for those who'd like to change PFPs or icons, etc., to show their support.
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Can you write a one shot with Daddy Pascal? They have an age gap of 20 years and she’s super nervous to go public with him cause she’s afraid that his fans won’t like her? And he comfort her
A/n: hell yes I can, and hopefully you'll like this. Also this gif is freaking hot.
Pairing: Pedro Daddy Pascal x reader
second part || Masterlist
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"It's not that easy."
"It is." Pedro stood closer to you. "I just want to be able to call you mine in public."
You sighed, gnawing on the peeling skin of your lips, something you do when nervous. "I.. I can't."
"What?"
"I can't, I'm sorry.. I just.. I can't. Not now."
Pedro couldn't believe his ears. Both of you have been together for two years, and this has been the one thing Pedro wanted. But he kept it a secret for you, because of the age gap, because he knew you weren't ready.
But now after two years.. you're still not ready.. so what now?
---
That conversation was a week ago. Pedro got pretty upset after that, wouldn't really call you when he's on break, wouldn't tell you if he's coming home, wouldn't call you pet names -- but you understood. Pedro was justifiably upset, but you didn't think it was a good idea to go public at the moment. And it's all because of-
Pedro shut the door with a soft thud and was surprised to see you lying on the couch on your phone.
"Hey. You're still awake?" He asked, though you're obviously still are.
"Yeah, I was just browsing social media." You gave him a little smile.
Pedro nodded and proceeded to go to your shared room. The smell of alcohol and cigarettes did not go unnoticed by you, and the way he was walking tells you he was probably from a nightclub.
It's not like you two had to report your location or schedule at all times, but usually going to a nightclub is something you tell your partner.
You shook your head, not wanting to overthink it, but your thoughts kept coming back to it, and so you followed him to the bedroom and asked him.
"Were you out clubbing?"
Pedro sighed and undressed, ready to go shower. "Yeah, it was a last minute thing with some coworkers. Sorry I forgot to tell you."
"'S okay." You offered another small smile.
Ignored. Pedro walked past you to the bathroom.
As he was showering, you wondered how you should talk to Pedro about going public. It's not like you didn't want to, but have you seen the amount of fans Pedro has?
The amount of people that call him daddy, that make edits of his movies, his interviews? The amount of people who love him?
And if they find out that he's dating someone who's about 20 years younger than he is, what would happen to him? Would he be accused of grooming? Would his fans understand?
You didn't realize how long you've been standing at the same spot until Pedro gently touched your back after his shower.
"Cariño, are you feeling okay?"
Cariño.
You looked at him and exhaled. "Can we talk?"
Pedro had a feeling he knew what you wanted to say. He sighed and sat on the bed, with only his damp towel hugging his waist.
"So, have you decided I'm too old for you?"
You frowned, "what?"
"Let me guess, it's been fun but you want to find someone who's closer to your age? Or is it because you realized this lifestyle isn't for you?"
You felt a little hurt. Did Pedro really think you're going to break up with him because of this? "Pedro, I'm not breaking up with you."
"Then what is it? I've been holding back mentioning your name during interviews when they ask me if I have someone I love, and yes, I do - It's you! I love you, so so much. I want to be able to bring you to places, show you off - I know it's probably a lot to ask, but cariño... I.." he sighed, unable to finish his sentence.
He was obviously frustrated, and this was mostly the aftermath of the alcohol talking. You sat next to him and held his hand.
"I'm scared." You admitted.
"Cariño-"
"Do you know how many videos of you are out there? Ones that your fans make, some even edit them from interviews from years ago. Or how many fanfictions there are of you? Or just the amount of fans you have that worship you day and night?"
You looked at him, worry in your eyes. "They all love you and look up to you so much, and so do I. I don't want to.. to ruin your life because we're going public. We have a huge age gap between us, that doesn't normally sit well with people."
"I also want to show everyone you're mine.. you know how ugly jealous I get when I see some of your costars flirting with you on the red carpet." You placed a hand on his cheek.
Pedro chuckled, leaning into your touch. "I guess I hadn't thought about that part.."
He pulled you closer to sit on his lap, his arms around your waist, your hands on his shoulders. "But I still want to. If they're really my fans, they'll understand. And yes, our age gap is.. pretty big, but I've never loved anyone as much as I love you."
"You are.. mi amor, mi vida. And I'd do anything to be with you." He kissed you softly.
You ran your hands through his hair, and they rested on his neck. "Okay."
"Okay?" You could hear the excitement in his voice.
"Okay." You nodded, reassuring him.
He gave you the biggest grin he had as he hugged you and pulled you both to lay down on the bed, laughing while he was at it.
"Then it's decided. You're coming to the next red carpet with me. As mine."
----
A/n: my crush on this man is starting to feel dangerous.
second part
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xan-from-space · 2 months
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Damn, the Ember Island Players were actually kind of radical, weren't they? The more I think about it, the more it feels like the only way it makes sense in-universe is if being Fire Nation propaganda wasn't the point of their play at all. Aside from a barely tacked on ending where Ozai kills Aang, the play is remarkably sympathetic to the Avatar and a bunch of enemies of the Fire Nation, even framing them as being heroes. Even at points in the story where theyre literally killing Fire Nation soldiers, the narrative still seems to be on their side; they're the underdogs, the relatable ones. Its true that the Fire Nation values strength, but still, you'd expect that in a propaganda play they would be portrayed as at least a little bit more sympathetic... And sure, to some extent the gaang's characters could be seen as defamatory caricutures (the slander on Iroh specifically was probably intentional), but that also might be due to the Players getting a lot of their information from the cabbage man, someone who actively hates the gaang and only ever really sees the worst of them. (And notably, that also means that the Players had worked with an Earth Kingdom merchant to produce the play.)
Mocking the gaang is also just clearly not the point of the play or what people are there for. Sokka's actor says that he's constantly being approached by fans; people genuinely love these characters. The gaang have built entire dedicated fanbases in the Fire Nation because of this play. Honestly, the fact that they're on a remote island is probably the only reason they're able to perform the play the way it is. I imagine it would get shut down pretty quickly on the mainland. Considering all the propaganda in the Fire Nation that we've seen so far, I wouldn't be surprised if the ending was only written that way because it's illegal to write a story where the Fire Lord doesnt win. The play reads less like propaganda and more like 'we're doing the bare minimum to get this story past the censors.'
I'm really curious about what it's like behind the scenes for the Ember Island Players. Are their shows just simple, shlocky entertainment, or could they also be deliberate political commentary? With no recording technology, a play is easier to slip under the radar than something like a book: it's impermanent, stays in one theatre, and performances can be easily tweaked if, say, Fire Nation royalty happens to come by. It's interesting to me that Ursa seemed to like them, while young Zuko had a disdain for them, saying they 'butchered' the story of Love Amongst the Dragons; in all likelihood the version of the story Zuko grew up with in the palace was heavily propaganda-filtered itself. Although, to be fair, they're arguably just not very good playwrights. When it comes to the characterization, I do think some of it only seems bad because we know what the actual characters are like, but a lot of it is just bad writing clearly meant for cheap entertainment. For example, they sexualize Katara quite a bit (and there's other, better analysis out there I've seen that examines how they fetishize her as a Water Tribe girl). And, of course, all of the characters are reduced to shallow and stereotypical comedy.
Still, I think they're worth commending for doing their research and telling a story about enemies of the state that's both sympathetic and surprisingly accurate to actual events, if not the characters' personalities, amidst the Fire Nation's rampant propaganda and misinformation. From the little amount of information about them we can extract from the show, they seem like honestly very interesting people. They're walking this tightrope line between being very close to the heart of the Fire Nation but also separate from it; between being cheap, inconsequential entertainment and being a source of actual news for Ember Island citizens; between telling the underdog story about a ragtag group of children and still trying to make it look like Fire Nation propaganda. I'm not trying to make any big argument on whether they were 'actually good people' or whatever, I just want to know more about them. I kind of wish we could see their production of Love Amongst the Dragons now...maybe I'll write something about them someday
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thezombieprostitute · 3 months
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Dream Come True - Part 4
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Summary: The “Garbage Men” are the guys in the mob who get the dirt on others and clean up after the higher ups. They have many different ways of gathering intel by running legitimate businesses. One such business is Jefferson/Jensen’s cyber cafe where you regularly go to work. You’ve actually become good friends with Jefferson’s daughter and Jensen’s niece. You even volunteered as their after-school tutor. One day, there’s a robbery attempt where you get hurt protecting the girls. This is how you are introduced to Curtis Everett, the guy in charge of the “Garbage Men”.
A/N: Reader is plus sized, femme. No other descriptors used.
Word Count: ~2000. I think this is my longest chapter.
Warnings: Bullying, Fat shaming, Insecure reader, Violence mentioned and referenced but not written. Please let me know if I missed any!
Series Masterlist
Part 3 -- Part 5
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It figured. You had an interview in an hour and now Curtis had time to talk to you. You could probably catch a cab and still arrive on time, so long as you kept this conversation short.
As soon as he walked into the cyber cafe (your second home at this point) you stood up and got his attention. He looked a little surprised to see you standing but you remembered every time he's seen you so far it was in a hospital bed. It's been a few weeks and your leg was still stiff but you were diligent in your physical therapy and healing well.
He walked over to you, accompanied by someone you didn't recognize. As soon as he got close enough you directed him to the office in the back, "Jefferson gave me permission to use his office for this discussion." Curtis nodded and the three of you went into the room, closing the door behind you.
"Hello," you reach a hand towards the stranger, "I'm Y/N. I don't think we've been introduced."
"Mace," he shakes your hand with a smile. "We've never met but I have heard a lot about you."
"It's nice to meet you," you return the smile. Looking at Curtis you continue, "we need to talk about either my schedule or Hal's, Sir."
Curtis gestures to the chairs and you all take a seat.
You start, "I understand that there are a lot of things you can't account for in your scheduling but Hal has had to cancel every session I've tried to have with him. And if I'm not tutoring, I'm not getting paid."
"We can put you on retainer," Curtis started.
You interrupted him with a scoff. "I'm not getting paid to do nothing, Sir. What's more, this is hurting Hal. He wants to learn but your chaotic scheduling is preventing that. Do you know how discouraging that can be? To finally have a resource but never be allowed to use it?"
Curtis sighs and looks at Mace, "do you think we can figure out a consistent time?"
"It'll take some work," he replies. "And, as the lady points out, there are things we can't plan for. But it should be possible."
Curtis looks at you, questioningly and you nod your head, "thank you both. This has been very frustrating for me and Hal so I really appreciate it."
"Eh," Mace replies, "what's a little more work?"
"Well I don't mean to cut into your time off with this, Sirs," your tone apologetic.
"We don't do time off," Curtis cuts in.
"What? Why not," you demand. "Time off is important for physical and mental health."
"We have to show our people that we're not asking them to do anything we wouldn't do ourselves," Curtis replied calmly.
"That's bullshit," you exclaim. "No wonder everyone's schedules are so hectic! You're all too exhausted and worn out to think straight!"
"We've been doing this for years," Curtis angrily interjects. "It's clearly been working."
"If you, Hal and Jake are any indication it's only working because of an ungodly amount of caffeine and luck," you retort. "You either need to get some more people or start scheduling R&R for you and your employees, Sir."
You're so focused on Curtis that you don't see Mace smiling, clearly trying not to laugh. Curtis's eyes soften a bit and he nods in concession.
"Thank you." You check your watch, "now if you'll excuse me, I have an interview to get to."
"What?" Curtis looked shocked. You almost think you saw some hurt in his eyes.
"My work for you will always get highest priority, Sir," you assure. "But it's very part-time work, that you’ve been unintentionally sabotaging and keeping very part-time. And that overly generous back pay won't last forever. So I'm looking at getting another income."
"Do you need a ride to the interview," Mace offers.
"No, but thank you," you reply. "The Wilford & Gilliam Trust building isn't too far and I can afford a cab."
Both men froze at your words as you got up and tried to leave. Curtis quickly blocked your access to the door and nearly growled, "you're not going to that interview."
"Excuse you?" Your eyes widen in surprise. "I've already told you that my work for you will get top priority and that I need the income, Sir. Now please move. I don't want to be late."
"You're not working for Wilford & Gilliam," Curtis barked. "You need another income? Fine. I'll find you another job. But you're not working for them."
"It's just a part-time, data entry kind of job," you retort. "And it's consistent, reliable work."
"They're horrible people who fund even worse people," Curtis scowled. "I know you like your data to back up these kinds of things but I can't tell you how I know."
You scan Curtis's face, take aback at the intensity of his conviction. There is no room for doubt that he believes in what he's saying. "Okay, Sir," you concede. "You've yet to do wrong by me so I'll trust you. I will still look for a second job, in case you can't find me one, but it will not be with them."
Satisfied with your answer Curtis let's you leave. As soon as you're out the office door he sees the grin on Mace's face. He gives him a questioning look but before Mace can say anything they hear you exclaim, "Mr. Drysdale?!"
Both men rush out to the main cafe and see Ransom looking uncharacteristically repentant.
"Y/N," Ransom gulped, "come back to work for me. Please."
"No," you responded before trying to walk around him.
Ransom blocks your path, "please! I...I made a mistake and I would like to make it up to you."
"No," you repeat, patience wearing thin.
"I'll double your pay, please!"
"Hire someone else!"
"I'VE TRIED," he shouts. "Their work doesn't get me through writer's block like yours did. Their research is all dry facts that are hard to absorb. You wrote in such a way that it was easy for me to figure out how to write it into the story. So PLEASE come back to work for me!"
"Do you know why I requested remote work, Mr. Drysdale?" He shakes his head, not used to the iciness in your voice. "I heard you complaining about me to your grandfather, the one who made you hire me. You never had a problem with my work but you still insisted he let you fire me so you could get a pretty assistant. One who was, to use your words, preferably fresh out of college. Because how could you be expected to write when you had to look at ugly, fat ass instead of a beautiful muse?"
Ransom at least had the decency to look ashamed but you didn't relent.
"So I worked remotely, making sure you wouldn't have to see me and I wouldn't have to put up with your looks of disgust. And then, when I got hurt, you cut me loose. So, no, Mr. Drysdale, I will not be working for you ever again. I prefer a reliable employer who appreciates my work."
You try to walk past him but he puts an arm out to stop you. Before you can react to the arm, Curtis has pulled Ransom away, gripping him by the front of his sweater. You don't want to cry in front of everyone so you keep walking, set on going home.
As soon as you're out the door Curtis snarls, "you do not treat any of my employees like that." Before Ransom can reply Curtis punches him in the face and he falls to the floor. Curtis glances at Mace who responds with a nod, promising he'll see to the witnesses, before he lets himself run after you.
Thankfully it was an off time of day and the sidewalks were mostly empty. He spotted you right away and quickly went after you. He caught up to you but the tears in your eyes made him stop in his tracks. 
“Y/N,” he asked. “You gonna be okay?”
“Eventually, Sir,” you reply, still walking. “He’s not the first asshole I’ve had to deal with and he won’t be the last.”
“I’m sorry you had to deal with that. I should’ve stepped in sooner.”
“I’m glad you didn’t, actually. He needs to know I’m serious and that I’m strong enough to not need him. If you had stepped in before I was done talking, he’d think he could still get to me by going around you. This way I got to be the one shutting him out, giving him no room to think he could worm around.”
“That’s fair. I was incredibly impressed with how you handled him.”
“Like I said, not the first asshole to put my looks ahead of my worth.”
“Your prettiness is definitely a bonus to your good work,” he says before he can stop himself.
You stop and look at him, an angry expression and fresh tears on your face. “Don’t, Sir. Just don’t. I’m not interested in your pity.”
“I’m not…” Curtis stops himself. He’s clearly not saying the right things and doesn’t want to hurt you further. “I’m sorry.”
You nod and continue the trek to your apartment. He silently accompanies you. You’re hurt and he can’t fix it. If anything, he’d likely just make it worse. He never wanted to see tears in your eyes but being the cause of a fresh wave of them made him hurt in ways he never knew he could. 
“This is my building, Sir,” you interrupt his thoughts. “Thank you for walking me home and making sure I’m okay.” He nods, still afraid to say or do anything else, and you walk into your building, leaving him on the sidewalk. Part of him wants to follow after but he’s not sure he’d be able to actually do anything. Best if he just gets lost in his work. That’s always helped him before.
As he turns to walk back to the cybercafe, he sees Mace in their work van, parked on the curb. He moves into the passenger seat and sighs. As Mace drives away, Curtis says, “okay, we’ve gotta rework a few schedules.”
Mace chuckles, “if I’d known all it would take to get you to relent was a pretty face with a fiery spirit-”
“Don’t,” Curtis interrupts. 
“I’m just saying,” Mace bantered. “I’ve been telling you for a long while now that we need to give the guys a better work environment or they’ll burnout and make stupid mistakes. She makes one comment about how it affects her and you’re singing a different tune.”
“That’s not what happened.”
“I was there, Curtis. I saw it all happen.”
Curtis remained silent.
“I can’t say I blame you, though. She’s got some serious-”
“ENOUGH,” Curtis ordered. “Let’s just get to thinking about some more work for her.”
Mace took a calculating look at Curtis, “how about we have work with Colin and Mickey? They could use someone responsible to act as their manager. We could get better info from their VIP section if at least one person was sober. And you know they’d make her feel…appreciated.”
“No,” Curtis barked. “They’re idiots who would get her in trouble. I also don’t want her anywhere near the drug monitoring operations. If one of Rumlow’s goons pushes something on her…”
“Okay,” Mace interrupted. “How about Lee or Barber? She’d be pretty safe with them.”
“No. She’s too curious. Lee and Barber have information about us and I don’t want her to go snooping and suddenly be liable for our mistakes.”
“You’re intent on keeping her in the dark? She’s clearly smart enough to know there’s more to all of what we do.”
“But she has no specifics. No details. She can still claim ignorance and that’s how I want it.”
“Not sure how plausible an idea that’s gonna be. Especially when you two start dating.” Mace smiles a little when he hears Curtis’s warning grunt. 
“That’s not going to happen,” Curtis vows. “We’ll figure out something.”
“Whatever you say, Boss.”
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Part 3 -- Part 5
Tagging @alicedopey because I promised I would.
@dontbescaredtosingalong
@icefrozendeadlyqueen
@texmexdarling
@veltana
@winter-soldier-101
Let me know if you'd like to be tagged.
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joi-me-hoi-me-noi · 15 days
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Hi, I was wondering if you could do a Nanami x Reader who is like Tiana (from Disney's Princess and the Frog)? I love JJK/Disney and the ship is NanamixTiana has been living in my brain rent-free.
A/n: NGL I LOVEEEEE EVERYTHING ABOUT THAT SHIP BRO!! TIANA IS SUCH A QUEEN!! AND WITH NANAMI!??? power couple... POWER COUPLE!! I ALSO LOVE THE MOVIE SO MUCH AND I USED THE ENDING AS A REFERENCE TO TIANA! but I got you boookie <3
NANAMI x READER
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· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·
It was Satoru's idea to invite him out to dinner since one of his best friends finally got the restaurant of their dreams.
"Come on Nanami. It'll be fun."
Kento, of course, is hesitant to go with him since Satoru's idea of 'fun' was different than his. Reluctantly, he entered the restaurant with his coworker's arm around his shoulder, leading him inside. There was live performance on stage while they were getting settled in their reserved seats. A beautiful person walks onto the stage, singing and dancing to the rhythm.
"That's them, right there."
Gojo tilts his glass towards the person on stage. They were absolutely stunning and had an amazing voice. Their stage performance was phenomenal.
"They're single."
Gojo whispers in his ear before leaning away and getting a stern look from Kento.
"Just saying." Gojo continues to sip on his drink, enjoying the show.
Soon the performance ended, and the lights come on. The band goes back to their normal hype jazz routine, and everyone resumes their conversations.
"Hey Satoru." He stands from his seat immediately, accepting the hug from the person.
"Hello Y/n, thank you for the invite."
Their e/c eyes shift to Kento, and he opens his mouth to speak.
"Good afternoon, Y/n. I would also like to tell you how much I appreciated the invite. I-I'm Nanami Kento."
Y/n walks over and gives him a hug as well.
"It's so nice to meet you, I hope you both enjoyed the performance, and your meal is on me. I did invite you to come here after all."
"I have money to spend Y/n, please, let us pay for our meals."
They laugh, lightly patting Satoru's shoulder and shaking their head.
"You have such a way with words, Satoru." A waiter approaches, apologizes for interrupting and whispers in Y/n's ear.
"Anyways, sit down and enjoy yourselves. I have something to deal with in the kitchen."
A sly wink is sent toward the two men over their shoulder as they walk into the kitchen area.
"I've never heard you stutter before Kento. You must really like them."
He simply just looks over at his friend and sips his water.
· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·
The dinner was perfect, everything was delicious, and it was becoming late. People were starting to pay their bills and leave the venue.
"Hello again, I brought you the best beignets in all of New Orleans."
Y/n sets down a plate piled with pillow-like pastries covered in the right amount of powdered sugar.
"It still surprises me that no one has wifed you up yet. I still remember what you told me when we first met at your job."
They smile at that and goes to clear the plates in front of them.
"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."
As they walk away with the dishware, Gojo turns to look at Nanami.
"Shoot your shot Nanami... My six-eyes can sense that you're making goo-goo eyes at her."
Nanami looked around the room. Everyone has left and they were the only ones in the room. For once in his life, Gojo was right! He shouldn't be nervous; he should go for it. They walk over to the table again with smaller plates and a smile still on their face.
"I brought you some smaller plates for the beignets. Is there anything else I could bring out to you or help you with?"
They looked between the two men; they really were the most stunning person he's ever seen.
"Could I talk to you?"
They smiled and nodded, leading him up the stairs and through the glass double doors on the right.
"So, what did you want to talk about, sugar?" They leans against the railing comfortably.
His heart did a small flip at the nickname as he approached them.
"I wanted to talk about you. I wanted to get to know you more."
He leans on the other side of the railing, right next to them.
"Gojo was telling me all about you during the flight, the drive, hell, even over dinner, he was telling me about you."
They laugh, throwing their head back and then looking at him.
"That's Satoru. He was telling me about you too, maybe he was trying to set us up with each other. He asked me if he could bring another person."
They turn their attention to the night sky and Nanami does the same.
"I want to get to know you more as well. I'd think it'd be fun to see where this goes. Especially since Gojo decided to talk each other up to the other person."
Nanami turns back to Y/n.
"Would you want to get a coffee, tomorrow?"
"I'd love to."
The two doors open, and they turn their attention to Gojo who had the plate of beignets in one hand and a half-eaten beignet in the other.
"These beignets are delicious Y/n." He licks his fingers after finishing the beignet.
"Thank you, Satoru. Leave some for Nanami now."
"No need to call me Nanami, Kento's fine."
A smug smirk appears on Gojo's face at that. Then, it widens when he looks down at the railing.
"I see you two have been getting 'close'."
He gestures to the part of the railing where Nanami's hand was on top of yours, brushing your knuckles softly. Neither of you move though.
"Well, we have a coffee date in the morning. Go back and get some sleep. Gojo will give you, my number."
Y/n leads them to the main area and Gojo pays for the meal.
"See you tomorrow Kento."
"See you tomorrow, Y/n."
· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·
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hopelesslyromanticgay · 10 months
Text
An Americano, Please? Part 2
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Word Count: 757 A/N: italicized text within quotation marks means that the person speaking is using Romanian instead of English
Y/N's POV:
I haven't seen Jenna for five days, so she was probably just a tourist. It's not uncommon for a tourist to pop by the shop asking for a coffee but not being able to speak Romanian, so I have no idea why I'm so sad that she's not coming back. 
I thought the idea of a "hallway crush," (someone you've interacted with once or twice for a short or professional amount of time, but are attracted to nonetheless), only lasted through high school. I guess I was wrong.
Friday morning, the shop is quiet because of how early it is. I shovel some coffee beans into the grinder. Despite the annoyingly loud noise it makes, I find it an oddly satisfying process.
I yawn, getting out of bed at four thirty for a five AM shift is nobody's idea of a good start to a day.
Once the coffee's all ground up, I put some in the drip coffee brewer and the rest next to the espresso machine.
In the back, I can smell my coworkers taking today's baked goods out of the oven.
"Hey, L/N, want a cinnamon bun? It's a little 'burnt', so we can't sell it," my coworker and friend Nessa asks. Every Friday is the same, Nessa and I are two of the only people around the shop this early, so we'll sneak a pastry and say it was burnt if anyone asks.
"Sure, Thanks!" I reply, taking the warm pastry from her. Taking a bite, a smile creeps across my face, "did you guys change the recipe? This is even better than last week's!"
"Yeah, boss asked if we could add a few more spices to the dough," she explains, "I'm a pretty big fan of the new recipe if I do say so myself."
It's not long before the cafe starts to smell like cinnamon and coffee, a perfectly inviting scent in the gloomy fall weather.
Five twenty and it's time to open up the shop. Of course, no one actually arrives until six, usually. Nevertheless the owner says being open early is best for business.
As I wait for the first customers to arrive, I zone out. There's not much to do except for sitting alone with my thoughts.
I'm so lost in thought that I'm thoroughly shocked when I hear the bell on the door ring, indicating that someone has entered the shop. I look up to see who it is. Then it dawns on me. She's a little paler than last time, but it's still her.
"Jenna?" I ask incredulously, I thought for sure she was gone.
"You remember me?" she raises an eyebrow.
"I remember most people who can't speak Romanian," I lie.
"Sure," she giggles.
"What can I get for ya today?" I ask.
"You know, I think I'll take your joke from the other day seriously," she replies with a faint smirk, "I'll have an Americano with oat milk please."
"Alright, an Americano for the American," I laugh, mixing the drink, "so, what brings you to Romania?"
"Could you please repeat that?" she asks, "sorry, I've been having trouble focusing lately."
"Well, you're clearly not a tourist, because most tourists don't stick around for more than three days. So I'm just wondering, what brings you to Romania?" I repeat.
"Oh, uh, I'm filming a TV show," she explains.
"You act?" I ask. I don't know why I'm surprised. She certainly has the looks and charisma for Hollywood.
"Yeah," she smiles, "this is definitely one of the bigger things I've done though."
"Congrats on that! What are you filming? Are you allowed to tell people?"
"It's a show about the Addams family," she tells me.
"Oh I love that franchise!" I exclaim, "Are you playing one of the family members?"
"Yeah, I'm Wednesday, which is both exciting and nerve wracking." 
Okay, so I'm literally talking to a celebrity. 
"Woah... That- that sounds like an awesome job," I smile, "good for you. So you'll be in the area for a while?"
"What's it to you?" she smirks flirtatiously, "you wanna take me out on a date or something?" I feel a blush start to creep it's way to my cheeks.
"That depends, you gonna be in town for a while?"
"At least six more months."
"In that case, how about I show you around town sometime?"
"I'd like that," she smiles. As much as I would love to keep up this banter, there's too many people in the store now.
I hand her the receipt, my number neatly scribbled down on the blank side, "reach out when you're available," I wink.
She heads out and I watch as she leaves.
On with the day. Only four hours left of this shift.
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ragingbookdragon · 1 year
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hello bubuuu, how are u? i hope that ur fine :) can I request something? could u write strangers to lovers with ghost x fem reader? ignore this if ur uncomfy :) xx
the only time i've ever been made uncomfortable by an ask was when an anon asked me if i would write a fic where the kink was breeding and i was...floored, and not in the good way
but here you go <3
**********************************************************************
The first time he shows up in her bar it’s an hour to closing, there’s barely a handful of people in the bar at this point, most of her regulars already gone home for the night. He’s an odd one to peg already, dressed in all black, hood raised, and a black mask covering his forehead and lower face; only his eyes are exposed, but even then, they’re covered in what looks like soot. He sits on the very last stool furthest away from the doors and waits.
“What can I get you, babe?” she asks, propping an elbow on the bar.
“Bourbon, neat,” he replies, a rumble of a voice like thunder on the distant Birmingham skies.
She hums as she gets a glass. “Any specific kind?”
“Kentucky.”
“Ah, a good ole boy, aren’t you?” she teases and grabs a bottle of amber liquid; pours more than a generous amount for him, she’s not about to question his day, it already looks like a rough one. She places it in front of him about the time he’s pulling out a tenner. “On the house,” she smiles and his hand freezes before he puts it away.
“Thanks,” he mutters lowly, and she can tell he wants to be left alone while he drinks.
She throws the towel over her shoulder and givers him another smile. “Let me know if you need anything else, babe.”
When she comes back a few minutes later, he’s gone and she’s rather surprised that she hadn’t even noticed the man leave, as big as he was, she should’ve at least seen him, but not even Barry, her bouncer, saw him. She reaches for the glass and chuckles at the tenner tucked underneath it.
***
“You’re not from Birmingham, are you?” he asks, one evening, and she’s shocked to hear him even talk to her.
“Me?” she repeats, as if he’s speaking to anyone else. “No, I’m not from here.”
“The bar’s American.”
“It is. Based on World War Two and other American wars. A family friend who took me in as a kid was a Vietnam vet. I dedicated the bar to him and other Americans who fought in wars then and now.” She cleans a glass. “You military?”
“Army.”
“From the way you carry yourself, I say special forces. SAS, isn’t it?”
“Mhm.”
She takes a long look at him, the mask riding just above his upper lip. “You’re an odd sort of fellow, you know that, right?”
“I’ve been told.”
“So, what’s the deal with the mask? Is it a comfort thing? Security? Both?”
He looks back at her, slate gray eyes staring right through her; it makes shivers ripple up and down her spine. “You ask a lot of questions.”
“I am bartender,” she chirps and sets the glass down. “I like to know my regulars.”
“I’ve only been here twice.”
“And if you didn’t feel comfortable, you wouldn’t’ve come back, babe,” she says knowingly, looking at him. “Have a name?”
“Ghost.”
“Hmm…how fitting.” She sets another bourbon down and takes the empty glass he has. “Let me know if you need anything.”
***
It’s a regular occurrence over the next few months to see Ghost in her bar an hour before closing. She recognizes he likes the silence and peace that last call brings. She’s gotten into the habit of setting his drink up exactly a minute before he walks in. Which is always ten on the dot.
This time, when he sits, he pushes the glass forward and she’s confused. “Want a fresh one?”
“What do you like?” he asks, looking at her.
“Oddly enough, I’m not a good ole girl.”
He smiles at that, and she knows by the way his gray eyes crinkle.
“Why don’t I make you something I’d like and see how you like it?”
“Surprise me then, love.”
It only takes a few minutes of vigorous shaking and switching liquors and Ghost has a tall, yellow fruity drink in front of him, complete with whipped cream and pineapple on top.
“Voilà.”
He blinks. “What…is that?”
“Hawaiian Rum Punch. Spiced and dark rum, pineapple liquor, passionfruit and pineapple juice. Little bit of sun in the gloomy English weather.”
Ghost snorts as he picks it up and takes the straw in his fingers, sipping it. “Funny.”
She waits, a slow-spreading grin on her face as she watches for his reaction. “Well?”
“It’s good. A little too sweet for me,” he replies honestly, and puts it down. “You’re good though.”
She reaches over with the towel and nicks the corner of his mouth where the whipped cream got him. “I know I am.” As she walks off to attend to another customer, she calls, “Drink your bourbon, good ole boy!”
***
It’s the rare night that the bar is closed that she’s out on her own, visiting an older family friend at the base on the other side of the city. She’s only been once, but this time, he’d insisted on her coming. Plus, she had a bottle of old whiskey on hand, so she knew he wanted that too. He escorts her inside, answering her few questions she asks with more grunts than answers.
“How’ve the missions been going?”
“Good. Just finished a hefty one out in Syria.”
“Interesting. Have to tell me about it tonight.”
“I will. Soap will want to brag.”
“Soap?”
“New team member. Made the mission a success with his demolitions.”
She smiles as he wraps his arm around her outside the door. “It’s good to see you, Price. It’s been a while since you came to the bar.”
“I’ve been coming, you just haven’t seen me there.”
Her brows pull in confusion but he opens the door and there’s a group of men surrounding a card table; all of them look up, but one looks shocked.
“Ghost?” she asks and turns to Price. “Did you send Ghost to scope out my bar?”
“I had to keep an eye one you somehow,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. “You know your Uncle Tommy would’ve wanted me to.” He nudges her. “Besides, Simon would’ve protected you if anything bad happened.”
“I can protect myself,” she retorts, sticking her nose in the air. “I only went through six months of rigorous training with you and Uncle Tommy.”
She walks over and around Ghost with the bottle, grabbing a glass from the table to set beside him; cracking the bottle, she pours him a round before leaning on his shoulders and asking, “So, Simon, is it?”
Simon takes the cigarette from between his lips, grinds it out before he looks up at her and replies, “I thought it was ‘babe’?”
“I call everyone babe.” She smiles at him. “If you want to be special, you’ve gotta take me out.”
“I can do that.”
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rekaning · 9 months
Text
The Housekeeper | Part 2 | Elijah Mikaelson x Reader
Additional tags: Human!Mikaelsons, Modern!AU, Housekeeper!Reader, no use of Y/N Pairings: Elijah Mikaelson x Reader, The Originals x Reader (Platonic) Summary: Elijah and you have a moment of connection.
Previously: Part 1
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"Do let me know if you grow tired of spending time with my hum-drum of a brother, darling. I could certainly use your services in my own home." Kol smirked slyly as he kissed the back of your hand.
You could hear said "hum-drum" scoff behind you as you playfully rolled your eyes and patted the younger Mikaelson's cheek, "I don't think that will be any time soon, Kol. But thank you for the offer."
Finn patted your shoulder, grabbing your attention as he brought you into a side hug, "Honestly, you're dodging a bullet. Kol's quite the neglectful caretaker, you'd be cleaning that place for a full year and not be halfway done."
You chuckled heartily as Kol let out an indignant cry. Finn stepped away, going over to Elijah to say his good-bye's while Freya embraced you. "I'll text you pictures of the site and any more items we dig up. It was so good to talk shop with someone who isn't Kol or Finn."
You giggled and hugged her back tightly, "My ear is always open if they ever drive you up the wall."
While you said your farewells to Freya, Finn stepped away from Elijah, he glanced back at you before turning knowingly to his little brother, "We all approve, you know?"
Elijah, having seen him look back at you, blinked in surprise before sighing, throwing you a quick glance to make sure you weren't paying their conversation any mind, and cut back to his brother, "Was I that forthcoming with my interest?"
Finn chuckled softly, "Rebekah took notice first and went about hinting to us that you were pining."
Elijah looked affronted, "Of course she did, and I do not pine."
Finn smiled sympathetically, patting his shoulder in a show of comfort, "You do, brother."
His little brother huffed and looked away, unknowingly trailing his eyes to you, still talking with Freya and Kol, who'd stepped into the conversation.
Elijah cleared his throat and focused back on Finn, his eyes slightly wary, "Do you all truly approve?"
The elder Mikaelson brother grinned, "We really do, Elijah. Even Henrik. And before you ask," he mentioned quickly when he saw Elijah open his mouth to question, "Nik was the one to blab."
Elijah shook his head, a look of affection crossing his face at the mention of his youngest brother.
Finn took another look back and saw that your conversation with Freya and Kol was coming to an end. He turned to Elijah one last time, another hearty pat to his younger brothers shoulder, his eyes warm as he said softly, "You deserve happiness too, Elijah. We all think so. She's not like them."
A familiar sinking feeling formed in the pit of his stomach. Elijah sighed, "You can say their names, Finn. I will not shatter like some fragile, porcelain doll."
"I know," Finn acknowledged softly.
"Finn, come along, you bore!" Kol called obnoxiously from the car.
With a roll of his eyes, Finn stepped away from his little brother and as he passed you, he gave your shoulder a gentle squeeze. He quickly leaned down and whispered, "Take care of him, will you?"
You looked up and smiled brightly at the eldest brother's request, "For as long as he needs me."
Finn's smile widened, heading to the car without another word.
You heard Elijah step forward behind you, both watching the car drive away. Once the car was out of sight, you turned around, seeing Elijah's eyes already on you, a small, somewhat forlorn smile on his face, "Not many people can get into Kol's good graces. Especially in such a short amount of time."
You two began to make your way back inside the estate. You chuckled sheepishly at the subtle compliment, "I've dealt with Kol's type before. Mainly with middle children, they feel the most isolated of their siblings. It's usually because they feel the most deeply, at least I think so. And they try to hide it behind jokes and aloofness. But my mother would always say, 'You see a lot more when you're in our position'."
Elijah opened the door for you with a questioning look, "Our position?"
You inclined your head in gratitude of his gesture and hummed at his question, "Mmhm. Those in the service industry. We see a lot of things that people don't intend to show, but nobody really notices us. We're seen, but we're not seen, y'know?"
Understanding came over him, "I see. A valuable skill she passed to you, it seems."
You beamed at the compliment and Elijah's heart leaped at the joy displayed so plainly on your face.
"Was she the one to inspire you into pursuing this career?" He asked, moving over to seat himself at the plush couch in the living area.
You hesitated for a moment, never expecting to talk so personally with him but moved to take a seat at the other end of the couch, "She was, yes. She'd take me with her to work on days I didn't have school. She would bring coloring books and toys from home to keep me occupied but I always liked to watch her work."
Elijah smiled warmly at the thought of a child version of you sitting at a table of a stranger's home and being fascinated by your mother's work ethic.
"She was always so dedicated, it didn't matter who's house it was. I wanted to be like her. She dedicated her life to bringing others happiness by being of service to them. When I did my first meaningful act of service, it was such an unforgettable experience. It was..."
You tried to find the word before Elijah finished for you, "Euphoric."
You blinked in surprise, your eyes on him, as if you were seeing him for the first time. Breathlessly, you nodded, "Yes, exactly."
Elijah smiled wryly, "I am no stranger to that feeling. I have spent nearly my whole life in the service of my family. For their safety, comfort, and well-being, there is nothing I wouldn't do for them."
Your eyes shined with new-found respect for your employer.
"You've had to give up a lot, haven't you," you whispered, almost afraid to voice out the statement.
His eyes softened as they trailed to a point behind you, melancholy apparent on his face, "A few things, yes."
You ached to wipe away that look on his face. You stared down at your lap, hands gripping each other so that you didn't impulsively reach out and touch him. You looked over to where his gaze had moved to and it hit you.
Turning back to him, you bobbed your head toward the object in the other room, "Do you still play at all?"
He sighed, "Not at all. Too busy."
You grinned and stood from the couch and with courage you didn't know you possessed, you grabbed hold of the well dressed Mikaelson's sleeve, pulling him up from his seat and dragged him over to the grand piano in the drawing room.
"Well, you seem to have some free time right now, so," you pulled out the piano bench and gestured for him to sit.
He chuckled at your firmness, but seated himself in front of the instrument. You sat down beside him, hands in your lap and your knees grazing each other. Elijah perhaps should have fought a little more, he had a meeting in 15 minutes, but the eagerness on your face had him rooted to his seat.
"You are oddly persuasive. Very well, any requests?" He lifted the fallboard and placed his hands over the keys, ready for whatever piece you might voice.
You thought for a moment before settling on the piece, a favorite of your mother's.
Elijah nodded, inhaled, and played.
The piece began slowly, his fingers tenderly pressing down on the keys, the sound sweet and soft before it built up, louder and louder, with more emotion. His fingers were gliding across the keys, hands moving higher on the board, then scaling down toward the lower notes. His fingers moved so pointedly, so rapidly, it looked like he was simply tickling the keys.
The music swelled and you closed your eyes, feeling yourself moved with the melody. And all you could think about was your mother. Your moments with her, moments that weren't significant by any means, just times when you and her would go out to the park and walk around, the moments you would help her cook in the kitchen, the time you helped her set up a few light bulbs around her home, the times when you two just sat at her couch and watched a movie together or read in the living room.
And soon enough, you opened your eyes, the last of the notes fading away. Elijah looked over at you and he felt his chest tighten. Your eyes were swimming with emotion, tears threatening to spill over. But your smile was as radiant as moonlight. Your eyes stared up at him, overflowing with an emotion he couldn't place.
"Thank you," came your chocked whisper.
His hand lifted without a second thought, and wiped a finger across your cheek where a tear had broken free and raced down your face.
He looked at you in a way you couldn't fathom at the moment, an emotion you couldn't—or perhaps, wouldn't—name.
Your entranced gaze was cut short at the sound of a blaring tone coming from within his jacket pocket.
The both of you blinked and moved away. When had you even scooted closer to him?
He reached into his jacket and extracted his phone, noting the time—6 minutes late for his meeting—and stood, an apologetic look thrown your way. You smiled back and shook your head, a clear sign saying, 'don't worry'.
He walked away in the direction of his office as he answered the call.
Your body deflated dramatically the moment he was out of sight.
Did that just happen? What exactly happened?
You placed a hand over your racing heart before shaking your head and rising from the bench. You carefully closed the fallboard and pushed the bench so that it was under the piano.
Brushing off non-existent dirt from your clothes, you pushed the incident away from your mind, for now.
You had bed sheets that needed changing.
Author's note: A shorter part but its the spark needed to jump-start this whole thing into gear!
***
Part 3
All the Mikaelson siblings already shipping you and Elijah together lmao
Also the piano piece I listened to was the main theme from Interstellar, particularly this arrangement.
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flanaganfilm · 1 year
Note
Hi Mike! I hope you and Kate and your kids are well ☺️
I have a question about Midnight Mass: what was it that killed “Father Paul” in Book III? I’ve seen a few theories on Reddit but I was wondering if you could shed some light for us. Some think it was the amount of blood he’d been ingesting from the creature/vampire. Some think he was poisoned. We saw Bev put the compound 1080 back into the chemicals cupboard a few scenes before his death. Did she poison him? And if so, why would she do that? What motive did she have? Did she believe god would perform a miracle in resurrecting him? Or was this supposed to be left to our interpretation?I’m not exactly sure what I believe, but I think it’s an interesting point in the story to discuss.
Thank you for the time you take to discuss and answer our questions both here and on tiktok! ☺️
SPOILER WARNING
Don't read this if you haven't seen MIDNIGHT MASS!
I've been asked this question a few times. For me, Father Paul died because that was the next step in his transformation. He had been regularly ingesting the blood, and getting younger and younger, but once his body reached its "peak self" the next step would be that it would die, and he'd be "reborn" as a full vampire. This is why he can move around in the daylight freely before this moment, but not after.
You see signs of this earlier, as he coughs blood into the sink and collapses at mass. This is his body finally reaching the tipping point.
This is the same fate that would have befallen everyone on Crockett who was drinking the blood. Given enough time, their bodies would have reverted to their peak selves, and then their hearts would have failed them, only for them to rise anew.
But because Riley rejected the "gift," and told Erin what was going on, Bev and Fr. Paul believe they need to accelerate their agenda before someone can interfere. That's why Bev proposes the poisoning at mass. The rationale is that it is only speeding up what is happening anyway, and since no one will actually die, it's easy for them to rationalize their actions.
The theory that Bev poisoned Fr Paul took me quite by surprise, to be honest. Looking back, I can understand how someone can get to that conclusion, but that isn't how we wrote the show. The idea was that Bev poisoned the dog, and that's the canister you see her returning to the closet (she waited until the attention had died down). That story point exists so that we understood she had access to the poison, and how quickly it kills, to set up the Midnight Mass sequence.
That said, I'm always grateful and amazed by what people will put together on their own. I also believe strongly that once I'm finished with a show and it comes out, it belongs to its audience... so if that's what someone got out of it, I don't like arguing with them!
Hope this is helpful!
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yanderes-galore · 4 days
Note
I'd like to o so formally request a Monkie kid Redson alphabet! (If I already sent this request feel free to delete my brain is being weird rn XD)
Sure! Just a fair warning, I'm only on Season 2 still so if something's off... you know why.
Yandere Alphabet - Red Son
Pairing: Romantic
Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Clingy behavior, Manipulation, Stalking, Threats, Violence, Kidnapping, Validation issues (?), Trackers, Burning/Branding, Delusional behavior, Attempted murder, Forced relationship.
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Affection: How do they show their love and affection? How intense would it get?
Red Son, from what I've seen, seems like a character who would often want attention and approval from his obsession. When it comes to affection, he isn't big on physical affection. However, I feel when he finds the right person, he just can't get enough of them.
Once he deems you as the person he loves and trusts most, Red Son comes off as clingy intense, and smothering.
Blood: How messy are they willing to get when it comes to their darling?
He's short tempered and I feel he'd threaten... but I'm not sure if he'd really enjoy killing someone. His parents are both villains, yes, but I think he'd hesitate on following through unless someone pushed him.
Cruelty: How would they treat their darling once abducted? Would they mock them?
Honestly, I can see Red Son kidnapping you and trying to play it off as some big villainous scheme... But in reality he just really likes you.
At first he has you tied to a chair in his room, acting like he's going to interrogate you. Then all of a sudden he's confessing... trying to hold your hand... and showing you around with a smile.
He would not mock you, he treats you with a surprising amount of care.
Darling: Aside from abduction, would they do anything against their darling’s will?
He may seem like he will... but he actually tries not to as you're the only one he feels he can open up to.
Exposed: How much of their heart do they bare to their darling? How vulnerable are they when it comes to their darling?
At first it doesn't seem like a lot. However, eventually you become the main person he can open up to. With his obsession, he's vulnerable and open with his heart as he really wants you to accept and validate him and his feelings.
Fight: How would they feel if their darling fought back?
Disappointed, in denial, and upset. He confides in you... and you fight him???
He is completely ignoring the fact he has most likely kidnapped you.
Game: Is this a game to them? How much would they enjoy watching their darling try to escape?
No and he wouldn't like it at all.
Hell: What would be their darling’s worst experience with them?
Well, he's a Fire Demon... son of the infamous Bull King. As an inventor, he may create things to keep you in check or have an eye on you.
I imagine two worst things could either be him kidnapping you and forcing you to wear a tracker... or seeing him lose his temper on someone and nearly killing them.
He hates to scare you.
Ideals: What kind of future do they have in mind for/with their darling?
He probably wants something like his parents as it's the only relationship he knows. He wants to love you, get married, and have you as his spouse.
It would help if his parents approve of you.
Jealousy: Do they get jealous? Do they lash out or find a way to cope?
Yes he does. He will most likely lash out due to his temper. Usually he lashes at other people, although sometimes he accidentally yells at you.
Kisses: How do they act around or with their darling?
Obsessive, Clingy, Manipulative, Controlling, Caring, Possessive, and probably also Protective.
Love letters: How would they go about courting or approaching their darling?
He probably met you through MK, as much as he hates to admit it. Ever since then he's found himself thinking about you, growing fond of you to the point of following you around or stalking your socials.
Eventually he drops his ego enough to try and be your friend. You're one of his only friends and you listen to him. He's never had such a connection with someone like this....
Then, he thinks this must be love! Clearly he can't stop thinking about you, so he must be in love! Which gets him plotting on how to go about this.
He gives gifts, attempts to be close to you, and it's safe to say... he has no idea what he's doing... and his emotions certainly aren't normal or healthy. Not like he knows that though.
Is this not how villains love?
Mask: Are their true colors drastically different from the way they act around everyone else?
Not really... although he is softer with you.
Naughty: How would they punish their darling?
I want to say burning but I'm not sure if he's that cruel? Branding does seem like something he could do... if not restraints and isolation.
Oppression: How many rights would they take away from their darling?
Originally he tries not to take any, but he'll take what he feels his "necessary."
Patience: How patient are they with their darling?
Red Son falls under impatient more than patient. He has a temper issue so he has his limits.
Quit: If their darling dies, leaves, or successfully escapes, would they ever be able to move on?
He probably wouldn't and would be desperate to find a way to bring you back to him.
Regret: Would they ever feel guilty about abducting their darling? Would they ever let their darling go?
Not really, but he might. Also, he probably would not let you go without knowing exactly where you are.
Stigma: What brought about this side of them (childhood, curiosity, etc)?
Probably a combination of curiosity and childhood.
Tears: How do they feel about seeing their darling scream, cry, and/or isolate themselves?
He feels upset and confused. He isn't the best at comfort, but since he loves you he should try, right? He does his best... for better or for worse.
Unique: Would they do anything different from the classic yandere?
SKIPPED
Vice: What weakness can their darling exploit in order to escape?
Reciprocate his affections, or at least play along... and you'll have some freedoms to work with.
Wit’s end: Would they ever hurt their darling?
Not unless he has to punish you.
Xoanon: How much would they revere or worship their darling? To what length would they go to win their darling over?
I feel there's times he can be a worship yandere when he looks past his own ego. He'd do anything to have you... he's the Demon Bull King's son. He should have you if he wants!
Yearn: How long do they pine after their darling before they snap?
I'd say months to a year and a half, maybe?
Zenith: Would they ever break their darling?
Not intentionally.
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jacevelaryonswife · 11 months
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Maybe I just wanna be yours
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Even though he were handsome and kind, you were successful in avoiding fantasizing about Billy, after all, what is the possibility of seeing him again?
∴pairing: Billy Washington x Fem!reader
∴warnings and a note: fluffy and smut, english is not my first language. This shot was made for this request. 2,8k
ewanverse characters
Your routine was well defined. You would wake up early to work as a waitress at a local restaurant, which worked in the morning until late and was open for breakfasts and lunches, then you would come home and study for a few hours, to finally spend the rest of the day with your mother. Even smaller and working hours less than the other establishments, the restaurant was quite old, classic and well located, with a satisfactory flow of customers every day. It was not exactly what you imagined for your life, but it was a good job, with a good salary and close to your home, a real rarity to find. When the financial situation of your house stabilized, you planned to take a vocational course or a college, but so far you hadn’t made up your mind. While this didn’t happen, you enjoyed the happiness that life provided you, whether it was staying at home on lazy days, taking some walks, buying things, taking advantage of the day off or trying to find some nice guy, but the latter was more of a torment than a happiness in fact.
You've had one night stands and some failed attempts at romance, but you've never found a minimally decent guy to be ideal. You see, you were demanding, but you knew how to be flexible in your choices and yet immense bad luck seemed to haunt your love life. Maybe the mistake was in you after all, maybe you weren't ideal for anyone, not even for the guy who made you pay the dinner bill and blamed you for not being able to make you cum.
No, heavens! He was an asshole, idiot and profiteer, you deserved more than that asshole! But so many disappointments made you stop looking for someone.
Your life was followed the way it was in recent months, a good routine and a well-deserved rest, without many big emotions and weekly happiness in small things, until everything changed when he, Billy, showed up.
An attitude that constantly embarrassed you was to imagine your life with some clients you served, it was pathetic and needy, but you couldn't contain yourself sometimes. Because of the last events of your life, you stopped paying attention to them, but then a tall and slender figure entered a calmer moment of the day, with dirty blonde hair and such beautiful blue eyes. You anticipated to serve him, since your co-worker was with two other desks, greeting him with a simple smile without showing your teeth. “Hello, welcome to Little Jim, I will be in charge of your table. If you need anything, just call,” you said.
“Thank you,” he said softly, returning the smile.
To your surprise, your boss had known him for some time — from what you listened discreetly.
"Billy, how are you, lad? What about Lana? It's been so long since I've seen you two," Jay said with one hand on his shoulder.
"She's fine, you know, a lot at work," he, Billy, replied.
“What about you? Did you find something nice? Something with computers, huh? It's the job of your young people's dream."
Billy lowered his head with a small weak smile. “I got a nice job, the last few years have been a little tough but I managed to reverse the situation,” he pouted.
"You deserve it, you're a good boy and you have the same blood as your sister. Feel free here, who is serving you?"
You pretended to be waiting for the order from the other table as you turned to disguise yourself, but soon heard your name being called by you with a large amount of white threads and looked at him in false curiosity as you walked to his side.
"Take good care of my lad Billy, he's a special customer!" He said playful.
“I will, don't worry,” you smiled at both of them, but even more at Billy, who returned your gesture with sweetness and shyness.
Even though he were handsome and kind, you were successful in avoiding fantasizing about Billy, after all, what is the possibility of seeing him again?
Surprisingly you was discharged, since approximately five days later he returned to the restaurant, but this time he was attended by Nancy, your co-worker and another single waitress. Even busy, you looked at him a few times and caught him stealing glances at you too, causing a shy smile on both of you. No words were exchanged between you that day, but the fate seemed to reserve good things, since three days later he appeared again, only at the time you were closing. You knew you should say goodbye to your boss and leave, but Billy looked so handsome with his clean hair and trimmed beard...
You wanted him to talk to something, anything in your direction.
And then, when you signaled to your boss that you were on your way to catch the bus, he apparently had another idea.
"Billy, are you still living in the same apartment?" He asked, stating that you lived on his own streets. Oh... he lived near...
Mm.
No, stop.
While you were daydreaming about the fact, your boss was already planning some things, such as a possible ride, until you realized it. "Oh no, you don't have to bother!"
"It's not a problem, I'm going home anyway."
Although you was reluctant to accept it, Jay insisted that you go. It would be a hand in the wheel and an economy in your money, what could go wrong? As you got into the car, your old boss blinked suggestively at Billy, making him blush and lower his head in shame. What was better than a cupid?
“Thank you for the ride, it's very kind of you,” you said.
“You're welcome, it's no problem,” he said softly. "So... how long have you been working for Jay?" He tried.
“A few months ago. It's a good job, and he's a good boss,” you answered sympathetically. "And you, how long have you known him?"
"Since I was a kid, he's been a friend of my family."
"Oh, that's good."
The desire to look for another subject was mutual, as well as the shy silence that followed, neither of them confident in asking something particular from the other, so Billy asked another comprehensive question.
"Have you lived here for a long time?"
You watched him calmly, although your heart was a little racing. "A few years ago, not many, we lived somewhere else but things got a little difficult and we need to move."
“I understand,” he contemplated your answer.
"What about you?"
“I've always lived in the region, but I've been living alone for some time,” he replied.
Again the silence gained strength, only more comfortable than before since neither of you were so nervous. However, your side that avoided fantasizing about the beautiful blonde and his incredibly big hands? You can forget it. You were already thinking about him and his pleasant smell, and luckily for him, he remembered Jay's suggestive wink and decided to act when he arrived at your apartment.
“Thank you again,” you said with a shy smile.
"You're welcome, so, would you like to go out for coffee someday?" Billy asked slowly. Oh, how he hated these situations! His self-esteem was not a big deal and receiving a no from a beautiful girl was not pleasant, but then life - and you - seemed to smile at him.
"I'd love to go out with you. But I'm not a big fan of coffee,” you timidly confessed.
Heavens, the little smile he showed you was so cute and sweet, as if your answer had illuminated his whole life. "So what do you suggest?
“Can you give me your number so we can arrange it?"
“Sure,” he gave you the number and his full name. Billy Washington. You had a date with Billy Washington at the weekend at a cute local desserts place that you always wanted to go to. Your mind became restless when you got home, looking for him immediately on social networks to learn more about him. His Instagram didn’t have so much actionable information and the last update was about a year, Facebook was a little more revealing about some curiosities about his age and education — Twitter was out of the question. He was older than you, which caused a different excitement in your belly. But even with your efforts to find out things about your date, that night Billy and you began to chat by messages, starting a routine where curiosities about you were exchanged.
The anxiety built on your body had peaks and falls over the days, disturbing your thoughts. How should you go? Should you really go? After so many loving disappointments your mind and heart were not the most hopeful in a new endeavor, but the fire and the desire to find a love and be found by it were still lit in you. That's why you chose your best products to get ready that day, starting with a fragrant soap for the bath, the hair care kit, waxing cream, moisturizer and body oil, perfume and makeup. You were beautiful and serene, and you knew you would cry if things went wrong this time.
Luckily for you, Billy was extremely punctual. Quickly saying goodbye to your mother and making sure you would send her some messages to say you was fine, you greeted him when you saw him wait in front of the car.
“Hi,” your smile was wider than usual.
“Hi. You look pretty,” he said in a soft voice, opening the car door for you to enter.
“Thank you, you too.”
Maybe fate intended to smile at you, since from the moment you chose the table the dialogue was present at full speed. He talked about his sister's work in the bomb squad, his own work in information technology, some stories of his life and his tastes. You did the same, talking about your reality, your dreams, what you wanted to conquer and the things you found happiness. There was no pattern of dialogue, since at one hour he was telling about his uncle who named his dogs with atypical names, followed by you telling how you fell on your first day of employment.
At the end of each report there was a gaze full of expectation on both sides, an unspoken suggestion. Maybe he was the guy. But it was you who took the first step.
"I wanted to ask something. Doesn't it bother you to go out with someone younger?" Your voice was low and uncertain.
"Doesn't it bother you to go out with someone older?" He answered with another question.
“No, it doesn't bother you,” you said.
"Neither me."
It was already night when you asked for the bill and he fervently insisted to pay, holding your waist on the way back to the car. Your next step was bold, preventing him from opening the door for you as he leaned against it and gently pulled it by the hand to stand in front of you.
“I had a lot of fun today,” you leaned your two hands gently on his chest.
"Me too," he circled your waist, "but you don't have to do that if you don't want to."
A bold smile shone on your face before saying, "I want to. And you?"
He smiled too.
“Me too.”
Your lips touched each other with sweet tenderness, soft and shy as you tasted each other quickly.
"Do you want to come home with me?"
He didn't have to make an effort to convince you to say yes.
Just a few seconds after the apartment door closed, Billy traced his thumb over your lower lip before you kissed again, more intense than before. You held both sides of his head and leaned on his soft lips, returning the anxious desire to prove it. The wet and gentle kiss made you float in his arms, making it easy for him to take your body to the room to undress you without haste, passing his long fingers through each exposed piece of skin. You closed your eyes when you felt the steaming sensation of tongues and teeth in your neck, allowing yourself to sigh loudly. His hands kneaded your naked breasts and the flesh of your ass while diving into your neck, flooding yout mind with such delicious sensations.
“Let me take it off,” you said while holding the hem of his shirt, getting space to grope his deliciously defined chest and with some hair. God, he was so handsome.
You leaned over to return the kisses on his soft chest, sucking the pink areolas to provoke him — and apparently it worked, as the tightness on your waist got sharper. He moaned softly when you spanned him over your pants, closing your eyes and leaving erotic sounds with the intimate massage received. Your hands were masturbating him and your mouth tasting his abdomen were making him warm and needy, making him move away against his taste to remove his pants, shoes and socks.
He pulled you for a messy and wet kiss, sucking your tongue and tasting your tasty lips. He squeezed your ass and waist while depositing your body on the bed, retreating to pick up the condom package in the nightstand drawer.
You felt in the clouds when kisses were planted on your inner thighs, contributing to the accumulation of moisture in your flower.
“Your skin is so soft,” he purred satisfied.
“Mmm. Thank you,” your voice was sly.
And then, your panties were removed to expose your needy intimacy and bright entrance, making his mouth water while more kisses were destined to his belly. “You’re so damn beautiful,”
“You too,” you said out of breath. The wet and loving trail followed your breasts, where he sucked, licked and nibbled like a hungry and spoiled man, making you purr like a cat and your pussy squeeze for him. Your legs caged him and you pulled him for a terrifying kiss full of tongue and teeth crashing, you wanted him so much, you needed him so much. Your hand pulled his beautiful hair while gently scratching the light skin of his shoulder, making him moan and grind against your pussy. “Billy,” you sighed expectantly, every vein of your body burning in eagerness to receive you.
He moved away weakly to remove the last piece of his body and put on the condom, smoothing your leg before adjusting to your entrance. Your eyes closed when he felt him enter and a moan left your throat in the sensation. Billy was slow to push on you, but just as noisy. He held your thighs before moving gradually, at a deliciously slow and constant pace, making you relax and squeeze on his perfect cock.
“Mmm Billy.”
He moaned deeply as he leaned over your body to capture your lips in a quick and superficial kiss, sinking into your neck as he continued to slowly fuck your body. Your legs caged him when the friction of their bodies became too terrifying to hold, so stupidly good to be real, so affectionate and hot that it made you shipwreck with pleasure. His speed increased when you started to squeeze him more intensely, getting lost in yous body and in your hot and wet grip.
"So good… fuck.”he praised you close to your ear, contributing to the construction of your majestic peak that made you moan loudly and twitch belos him with fire burning your body and clear lights blinding your sight. You loved him, it was almost certain — or the orgasm made you believe it.
“I'm close,” he warned breathlessly and with wandering movements before cumming with a deep moan, weighing a little on your body, which you willingly left.
You smiled satisfied and happy for the amazing sex and for the whole set of the night, but a weight on your chest appeared soon after to harm your peace. What if that was all he wanted? Just one night. Oh no, please don't! How should you approach the subject without spoiling the most pleasant weather? Luckily for you, he decided to start.
"Did you like it?" A classic question asked when he rolled to your side after discarding the condom.
“Yes, I did, I liked our day today,” you confessed.
"Me too," he brought you to his chest, "could become common, us you know," he suggested with expectation.
"Do you want it too?" Your eyes shone when he asked, "because I would love to. Us."
Billy smiled, cradling you even closer, his eyes as bright as yours.
"It's a mach, then."
———————————
ewanverse taglist: @aemonds-fire @partypoison00 @schniiipsel @fan-godess
general: @chompchompluke @kravitzwhore @partypoison00
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ruby-red-inky-blue · 16 days
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a couple of years back i was pretty vocal about not getting when people complained about their art not getting "enough" notes. but i'm getting to recognise a sub-category of that frustration these days that, in fairness, was maybe what people were talking about all along? but i've also seen other posts mention how fandom spaces feel changed since the last few years, so maybe it's a new thing or at least a thing that hadn't reached my fandom corner until now.
i truly don't mind if my writing doesn't garner a lot of attention (although i say this from a place of priviledge where my writing has so far always garnered some attention, and often a lot more than i anticipated). but what is really starting to grate a little is the amount of attention vs. the amount of reaction. For example, before the latest update on my big multichapter fic, it sat at ~ 33,050 hits. since then the fic has been clicked 400 times. the kudos count went up by maybe three and there were three new bookmarks - this isn't super surprising because i don't expect to be reaching a lot of new people with an unfinished 100+k word fic in a dwindling fandom, and if they're return readers they can't leave new kudos. but five people have commented on the fic since the update. One percent of readers who have clicked on this fic have reacted. Did all these people see it on the recently updated feed, started to read it, didn't vibe with it and moved on? That honestly wouldn't bother me. But it's been steadily gaining attention for the last few weeks, long after it moved off the first page of the recently updated view for the fandom. so rather, I think it's mostly subscribed users (the fic has a little over 400 active subscriptions so that would make sense) or people actively checking back on the fic. in which case they must be at least somewhat invested in it.
and again, i'm not owed any feedback. i put my work out for free and people decide what to do with that. but fandom is a collaborative space, and it's been feeling like less that for a while. people seem less ready for conversation, and i think that's sad, and quite demoralising for creatives (at least for me personally). fandom work isn't meant as bingeable content that you consume and then leave. if you do that on netflix, that's fine, because you're paying the platform and they're at least supposed to recompense the creatives who made the show you just watched. fandom artists don't get that. we make things for the love of it, and because we wanted to share that love. it doesn't feel like sharing though when you put something out there and nothing comes back. it feels like standing in an empty warehouse telling my stories to nobody. and, again, i'm personally lucky enough that it's not like that all the time, but i get why people stop doing it. and i get that engaging with art as an audience member doesn't come easy to everyone, but fandom culture needs it. it's supposed to be an exchange. it's supposed to go both ways, and i think if you want to sustain the culture, you simply need to try and give something back, whatever that is.
because putting something you made out there and nobody looks at it is definitely not a great feeling, but having anonymous masses file by and look at your thing and then meet you with deafening silence feels... worse.
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hotdogdynamitezzz · 1 year
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The IT Girls of the Zodiac
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What's your opinion on IT Girl or Main Character placements?👀 for me it's Sagittarius & Pisces explained below. Also honorable mention to Virgo moon that is quite common
I don't think it's a coincidence all the current it girls have major Sagittarius placements. We acknowledge the other fire signs for being baddies but sag gets swept under the rug quite a bit I've noticed? I just think we really sleep on their charisma and attractiveness. I could make the same debate for mutable signs in general but look at Madelyn Cline, Nicki Minaj, Alexa Demie, Alix Earle, Christina Aguilera, Scarlet Johanson, Zoe Kravitz, Naomi Campbell, Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton. They all have either Sagittarius in their big 3 or stelliums. And notably a good portion have the Sagittarius sun & Virgo moon combination which is a bit surprising. But all of these girls have been the it girls forever now yet we always say "Scorpio venus" or it's their "Leo mars" like noooo wake up Sagittarius is the IT GIRL SIGN LOL.
Like I've been thinking about this and looking at sooo many celebs charts who are it girls. The main character sign really is Sagittarius but let's not forget Pisces too. They're both traditionally Jupiter ruled which brings fortune, an expansion in their presence, mass amounts of attention or following, and over indulgence. Sagittarius is the explorer, they discover and create power while also giving others power. Just being in their presence can make you feel high as they carry that demeanour of knowing how to make everything or everyone work and fall for them.
Sag folk could be the biggest workaholic when it's something they truly care about as they fully immerse themselves into their passions. They become inventive and expand something that exists into another different category. I also don't think it's a coincidence Albert Einstein had a Pisces sun & Sag moon. Pisces rules the unknown and unconscious flow of spiritual knowledge. That man literally predicted so many things through science, he was ahead of his time.
Pisces is also significant amongst IT Girls. Because Neptune deals with illusions, deceptions, film, imagery, and dreams. Their effect on others means people project their fantasies onto the Pisces individual as a role to fulfill because their presence is always misinterpreted. The public creates a false narrative about them everytime. Although due to their identity literally being the publics fantasy this means they can either get away with a lot of the public puts them on a pedestal or they get blamed for everything if the public creates a harmful narrative around them because Pisces and Neptune create isolated space as this is the unconscious mind and realm.
For Virgos they're calculated in their interactions and know what to say because their adaptive and observant nature makes them pros at reading others and predicting reactions. Virgo is connected to angels and mythology actually. The symbol is the only goddess symbol in the zodiac which is Astraia the goddess of purity, innocence justice & precision (could also explain why I see so many virgos into law). She is the star goddess that left earth due to the brutal nature of humans. This connection shows people could often expect virgos to save them from their problems or use them as a source of escapism.
There's also a sense of idolizing virgos from the public because they're seen as pure and of higher good. The public often feels virgos have a duty to serve them so there can be a sense of obsession from the publics end on how virgos should behave or act. It makes me think of lily reinhart, blake lively, zendaya & beyonce. All It girls who are virgos that look like goddesses or have an angelic vibe? Like y'all see it too right? They have this pure (I hate the word pure but idk how else to describe this lol) and divine look to them. Plus they all have this incredibly high standard their personality has to live up to. You don't really see many virgo celebs acting out or being wild like a sag sun would.
Another honorable mention is Cancer risings or Amy Cancer placement in your inner planets. Cancer ruled by the moon which literally rules over behaviour and intuition means they can easily appeal and attract anyone due to their likable nature. People find them easy to talk to and their beauty is magnetic. The moon influences the public, the tides & animals. I think that speaks volume about how magnetic cancers really are. They are natural attractors like Angelina Jolie.
In general I believe any sign or placement could become an IT Girl or Main Character placement. This is just a different take on signs that are often ignored when it comes to their influence and beauty from what I've observed.
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phantomyre · 2 months
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FF7 Rebirth - Critics Review Summary and what to expect with Cid and Vincent
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FYI: This screenshot is taken from a Spanish critic site, so I apologize for the weird translation. The embargo for FF7 Rebirth has lifted, and the metacritic is out: 93. I browsed through the reviews and have condensed a summary based on what the critics have provided. There aren't any spoilers, but for those who want to go in completely blind, you may want to avoid reading. This summary goes into what we can expect out of Vincent and Cid in a general sense. The purpose of this is to temper certain expectations. Note that some of this may not be a surprise, but for some it might be. As it is, some people are still just finding out Vincent and Cid are not playable. Proceed at your own risk.
Example taken from French GameBlog:
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Example from ShackNews:
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Based on the reviews I've see thus far, the general consensus is that even though Cid and Vincent join Cloud and Co to complete the entire party (and as we know are not playable), screentime for both characters are minimal. Case of Cid I'm very sorry Cid-fans, but it looks like Cid has been reduced to a chauffeur/pilot and barely does much with the main party. This had previously been a speculation based on interviews. However, based on what I've seen in the critic reviews, this has been confirmed to be the case.
In terms of Cid's personality, there was a lot of talk about Cid being 'too nice'. And based on the reviews, this also seems to hold true for the duration of Rebirth, albeit we don't know the reason. Cid is stated to be very upbeat in Rebirth, unlike the cranky foul-mouthed guy we know from OG. But I wouldn't despair on this just yet... Cid Speculation While it is unfortunate we don't see the usual Cid, consider the fact that we've heard nothing about Rocket Town, Shera, or if we'll even get Cid's story on how Shinra has treated him. It stands to reason that this view of Cid could be meant to shed light on why he becomes harsh and abusive to Shera (part 3). We may better side with Shera and why she is willing to take the abuse, knowing what he used to be and what he (presumably) becomes in part 3.
Case of Vincent There were a fair amount of positive comments on Vincent's reveal and his characterization, particularly his voice and moodiness which is a comparatively stark contrast to Cid's personality. So good news is, Vincent is as broody as ever. However, just like Cid, Vincent has little time to shine and keeps himself in the shadows, both visually and verbally. Vincent has some side quests that still give his personality time to show, but it would be prudent to not expect much screen time from Vincent in Rebirth. In spite of his lack of presence, however, consider that this still falls in line with how he is in OG. Vincent Speculation "Don't expect anything else from me except fighting beside you." If any of you recall, Vincent in OG made it very clear that he was going to do as little as possible when it came to getting close with the group. It isn't until after Aerith's death and defeating Hojo that Vincent finally comes out of his shell. Even then, by the time Meteor falls, he actively avoids getting close to the group (noted in On the Way to a Smile and Dirge of Cerberus). I think Rebirth is going to establish the vivid contrast between Cid and Vincent, and will then delve heavily into their characters in part 3. While it is upsetting we get so little screentime with Cid and Vincent on top of them being non-playable, consider where we are in the story. Critics have also confirmed that Cid and Vincent arrive fairly late into the game, so on top of story reasons, it makes practical reasons, as well. Given how ambitious Rebirth is, it only stands to reason that part 3 will have a ton more pressure to surpass Rebirth's expectations, and that includes delving deeper into Cid and Vincent via their personalities, gameplay, and backstory. Fans will rightly expect Square Enix to make up for the lack of Cid and Vincent's time in the spotlight. And I'm sure SE knows this.
Other Speculations Given the many hints about Dirge of Cerberus becoming more important to the story, and how strongly they are leaning into Vincent's Chaos, many fans are beginning to speculate that part 3 will draw a lot of elements from DoC, and rightfully so. We know we won't get any Deepground in Rebirth. So likely we will see them in part 3 to wrap up the whole story--- which if you know DoC's story, you know why Vincent will be very important to the ending. And then of course there's the issue with the secret ending aka Genesis, who we also know is connected to Vincent aka Weiss. On top of OG's latter end story and including compilation elements, I think we can safely assume we will get our Vincent/Cid appetites whet in part 3. Yes, it's unfortunate we have to wait another 3-4 years. But I'm thankful we do get some time with both Vincent and Cid in Rebirth, regardless.
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dduane · 1 year
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Hi! I really like Scrappy, and I heard you've worked with some TV writers for Scooby-Doo?
I'd like to ask you some questions, but before I do I wanna say some things:
In fact, I looked up the writer’s guild stats and you actually wrote some of the episodes for the original show he was on, as well as some shorts!  “Neon Phantom of the Roller Disco” and “When You Wish Upon a Star Creature” are both really solid episodes and a lot of people really enjoy the Star Creature’s futuristic design! Of the shorts episodes you did I think "A Bungle in The Jungle" and "A Close Encounter of the Scooby Kind" and "Surprised Spies" the funniest. I could go on! But then I would never finish this ask ^^;
And I gotta tell you this. I may have been born decades after those episodes aired, but I’ve seen every single one-the first season, the 99 shorts, the 13 ghosts, the New Scooby Doo Mysteries, the DTV trio, all of ‘em, and I absolutely adored them, thank you so much for helping with that. 
When Fred and Velma and Daphne disappeared, after 1979, did Scrappy have something to do with it? I know Duane Poole said in an interview that Scrappy was easier to focus on, and that Fred and Velma, and Daphne had a hard time competing with his energy or something, but the executives wouldn’t have thrown all their eggs into one basket with the pup after one season, would they? I have to know. Even if it turns out that’s what happened, I know that it’s not really Scrappy’s fault either way, I’m just curious.
I've heard from Mr. Poole's interview that when you were figuring out Scrappy and stuff you guys just gathered around and brainstormed with Joe Barbera. Did you or anyone else that you know of look to past ideas for inspiration?
What was the favorite episode you wrote?
I also heard from Mark Evanier’s account that Scrappy was originally feistier but some scripts were altered. How were the scripts changed before and after that alteration?
Also, in the nineties, why did Scrappy go away? I mean, I know some people didn't like him, but it was more just "he had his time" not the kinda hate you saw in the early 2000s right?
This is un-Scrappy related. Did you guys do your own blocking, did anyone at HB ever split the writing and blocking between multiple people? Just curious.
Also, I know that the original Scrappy series gets some hate, but I am not one of them and there are so many people who love the work you did and what Scrappy-Doo means to them. You guys did an awesome job with the series and there are tons of fans who still remember and cherish the work that you and the others did. Don’t let the haters get you down. Thank you SO SO SO SO MUCH!
First of all, thanks very much for your kind words! The work I did on Scooby-Doo And Scrappy Too! was my very first animation work, and besides being a shed-load of fun, I learned an incredible amount about screenwriting in general, and animation writing in particular, from Tom Swale and Duane Poole (God rest them both). They were fabulous teachers, patient and smart—a pleasure to work with, and (in between work times) extremely funny guys whose senses of humor meshed perfectly with mine.
About Fred, Velma, and Daphne disappearing post-1979: unfortunately I wouldn't be in any position to know whether Scrappy had anything to do with that. I'd very much have been the newest and most junior writer in the room (and we're talking about a time when there weren't even "rooms" as we think of them now: they hadn't been invented yet). But though their job title was "story editor", in terms of the work they were doing, Tom and Duane were what we would now think of as showrunners... and those deliberations and/or decisions wouldn't by any stretch of the imagination have included me. :)
It's interesting to hear what Duane had to say about the disappearance. But I feel pretty sure that a decision involving so many characters would not have been made solely at Tom's and Duane's level. Some kind of approval or signing-off would've had to happen at the highest executive levels at H-B... or at least that's my take on it.
As for brainstorming with Joe Barbera: it seems to me quite likely that that was just how things happened. Hanna-Barbera at that point was a surprisingly comfortable, casual kind of place—relatively friendly to newcomers, and with a sense of under-the-surface goofiness that tended to surface without warning. The founders, in particular, had a reputation for being very hands-on and accessible. I kind of regret that those brainstorming sessions were before my time.
Re: favorite episodes: you'll have gathered that I did a fair amount of writing for Tom and Duane over the years (there's more detail on my IMDb page, which fills in some gaps but still isn't complete...), so frankly it's hard to pick a favorite. But the first one I tend to think of is my very first one, "The Hairy Scare of the Devil-Bear". ...And honestly, one of the funniest things about the scriptwriting process on these was the business of crafting outlandish titles: the goofier, the better. Tom and Duane were past masters at this... and no one will ever get me to discuss the really dirty ones that were floated during story conferences. ...Anyway, I've always been a bit of a Tuckerizer, and in that first episode—though it wasn't anywhere near as polished as later episodes would be—I had so much fun sneaking in the very first of what would become any number of friends' names. A simple pleasure, perhaps. But hey, I'm a cheap date. :)
Re: Mark Evanier's comments about earlier Scrappy scripts: Mark had been working at H-B for a good while by the time I got there, and I'd consider his opinions important. But I've got no useful data on how scripts might have been changed before I got there. Sorry I can't be of more help on this.
As to why Scrappy might have gone away in the 90s….? I don't really have any useful data on that either. By that time, I was in the early stages of being married to @petermorwood and living in Europe, and was out of the loop on things that were going on at Hanna-Barbera.
Finally, as regards blocking: when one was writing animation in the 80s, the received wisdom was that one should write almost entirely in "master shots"—so that one didn't call specific angles in the screenplay unless they were extremely important. The idea being "Don't direct in the script. Let the director have something to do." And blocking would certainly have been included in the concept of what the director was supposed to be doing. ...But at the same time, story editors would naturally have seen the storyboards that were produced in-house, and would have had input into angles and camera movement at that stage… So, in that way anyway, blocking and writing were certainly split.
Meanwhile, thanks again for the nice words about what we were doing! It was very enjoyable work, and the continuing popularity of these shows makes it more enjoyable, even now. :)
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shsl-heck · 10 months
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So because I've seen it compared to Worm, I started reading The Boys by Garth Ennis. It's bad! Like really bad! It feels like what would happen if you let an edgy anti-feminist atheist youtuber from 2015 write a comic book. I finished the first volume of the omnibus in large part because it was a train wreck I couldn't look away from, and am debating starting the second since I hate myself. The most interesting parts are actually the little forewords. Through them I learned both that it was supposed to be a comedy, and also a critique of the military industrial complex/police (or at least that people read it as one). This was surprising to me since it is neither funny nor incisive. Anyway, now I want to ramble incoherently about my problems with it because this goddamn comic broke my brain.
Okay, so one of the most common ways it shows you which characters you aren't supposed to like is by having them do comically "gross" sex stuff. Notable examples include cocaine fueled orgies, mentions of shitting during sex, bestiality, masturbating in public to the sight of disabled people, and a little person using sex toys. One that shows up repeatedly in this context is characters being bisexual or gay. Now, I don't wanna get controversial, but I think any claims that your work is a critique of capitalism, police, the military, or whatever are rendered moot when your villains are a group of secret hedonistic sex-freaks. Like we can't pretend that doesn't sound a lot like regressives and their obsession with "degeneracy". Sexual assaults, misogyny, and slurs also appear pretty often, mostly as the punch line for jokes. Victims are rendered down into objects and denied any sense of interiority so we can instead focus on what really matters (gore porn, and middle school 4chan posters' sense of humor). Never once does Ennis deign to explore the actual impact and trauma of these things, or ask why he views these things as material for jokes.
That incuriosity is I think the real problem with The Boys. There is no actual coherent thought about why things are bad. Superheroes hurt people and are wrong because of their personal moral failings as selfish perverts, not because their whole job is to violently enforce the will of the state. It's like if someone agreed that all cops are bastards, but only because all cops just so happened to be "bad apples". The main characters literally work for the fucking CIA, and yes, I know the titular Boys are at best meant to be anti-heroes a la the Punisher. My issue here isn't that they're hypocrites who are frequently also horrible. It's that this premise for is absolute nonsense if you think for half a second. Superheroes do not function without the legitimacy granted to them by the state and it's monopoly on violence, so why would the CIA need these 5 randos with zero oversight working to take out the supers? Is the force Homelander and the others can bring to bear so great that even the apparatus of that state can't deal with them? If so, why does this group of assholes change that? Normally I'd be willing to give the story a lot more of a pass when it comes to questions like this, except I'm being told that this story has things to say about systemic problems involving the government and corporations! So I have to ask, where? Where is the commentary? What does it actually have to say about the state of the world circa 2006-2012? The only answer I can come up with is "not a whole lot". It's a story which dares to ask the tough questions like "what if the world was made of pudding" and then ignore answering those questions so it can instead recite Ellis' favorite slurs in alphabetical order while showing you a woman's tits.
On a lighter note, it's also just not very good. The plot (as mentioned) falls apart under any amount of scrutiny, pacing is bizarre in a bad way, the characters aren't compelling, themes remains stubbornly unexplored, and Ellis is allergic to doing anything interesting or creative with the premise he's decided to base a whole comic around. I genuinely do not know what people enjoy(ed) about this comic.
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