#understanding ‘humour’ and double-meanings

[daisychainsandbowties]

the older i get the more i’m 🤝 with people who do the crossword every morning. actually yes it’s good to be reminded first thing that you’re a stupid bastard

#this involves all of my worst skills like making logical and coherent connections between two topics #understanding ‘humour’ and double-meanings #thinking of words #terrible. humbling. necessary #cas talk

[tomriddleslove]

The Black Lake, a shared blunt, and realisations.

✩Mattheo Riddle x Reader

Summary: The one where Mattheo has had enough. Everyone and everything seems to be agitating him, and he feels as though he can’t catch a break. Then you come along. Alternatively: You may just be his saving grace, hidden in plain sight.

Slight? Angst but mainly fluff

A/N: I get all my fic ideas when listening to music so bear with me when I say there’s a very certain vibe to this and you have to know the song to understand it.

Songs: Tek it - Cafuné

The clock strikes noon, and Mattheo couldn’t be more than relieved to finally leave the stuffy clasroom. Tossing his bag over his shoulder, he swiftly makes his way out of the classroom, ignoring the agitated glares of the other students he had so rudely shoved past.

Now Mattheo wishes he could say he wasn’t this rude that often. He didn’t really go out of his way to fight people per se, but it just so happened to be that he was quite confrontational and rather good at resolving things with his fists. However these past few days he had been more on edge than usual, snapping at almost everyone for reasons that were far beyond him.

Everything seemed to agitate him immensely, from the way lessons seemed to drag on, to his deskmates who all seemed to have a penchant for being the most agitating, infuriating people possible.

I mean, seriously? What could compel a person to chomp down on a beef sandwich in the middle of class at 10 in the morning? The professor may not have noticed but Mattheo most certainly did, having to spend the last hour with a raging headache trying to ignore the obnoxious chewing sounds and the revolting smell of beef.

He all but almost cries as he collapses down onto the sofa in the common room, grateful for the fact that everyone else seemed to have lessons currently. He closes his eyes for a millisecond, letting out a small sigh of frustration.

He feels the sofa dip beside him and that same frustration returns. He opens his eyes, ready to snap at whatever poor person had decided to sit next to him, but his gaze immediately softens when he realises it was you.

“Oh,” He murmurs, and a lazy grin tugs at your lips as you look over at him, raising a brow.

It’s remarkable just how quickly his mood seems to lighten when he sees you.

“Oh?” You repeat, amused.

“Mhmm. Just not in the mood for it recently and thought you were Belby or some other git. I was ready to hex you.” He murmurs, and you roll your eyes in mock admonishment as you reach for your book, leaning back into the sofa as you thumb through the pages.

“Charming, Riddle. Really, I feel flattered.” You say sarcastically, and the corners of Mattheo's mouth quirk upwards.

You and Mattheo were part of the same extended friend group. You weren’t the closest with him, yet you weren’t absolute strangers. You didn’t talk that much to one another, but got along surprisingly well. Mattheo was one of the only people (bar Blaise) who could match your wit and dry humour, and you were one of the few (if not only) people who didn't seem to annoy him.

You pay him no mind as you read your book, and with any other person, Mattheo would have been largely grateful for that. But for some bizarre reason, he wants you to speak to him.

He glances over at you for a second, admiring the way the gentle glow from the fireplace illuminates your face as you read.

How oblivious could one get?

You break the silence, peering down at your book as you speak.

“Do you have a double free period?”

Mattheo hums, looking over at you. He wants you to look up at him so badly, and he can’t tell why. It seemed as though he’d need a slap in the face to make him realise why he craved so much attention from you.

He shifts on the sofa, trying to appear nonchalant as he replies, "Yeah, luckily. No classes for the rest of the day. What about you?"

You glance up from your book, meeting his gaze with a faint smile. "Same here. Wanna come walk around with me?” You ask, and Mattheo nods, albeit a bit confused as to why you’d want to wander around in such cold weather aimlessly.

You reach into your robe pocket, producing a neatly rolled joint with a cheeky wag of your eyebrows. A grin spreads across Mattheo's face as he looks at you, and he raises a brow in mock disappointment.

“Am I seeing correctly, or has the academic prodigy of Hogwarts just suggested we use our valuable study time to get high?”Mattheo taunts, and you scoff, getting up.

“Piss off, Riddle. Are you coming or not?” You retort, glancing back at him.

He looks up at you, and his gaze lingers far too long on the way your eyes light up, your mouth forming a gentle curve as you smile at him and-

Oh god, Mattheo never really stood a chance, did he?

He nods, getting up as he grabs his robe and follows you. You both meander aimlessly through the empty corridors of Hogwarts, poking fun at the unfortunate students who still had lessons. As you walk past a classroom you catch a glimpse of Theodore, chin resting atop his palm as he sleepily gazes at the board. You snicker, nudging Mattheo as you both hide at the side of the doorway, peering into the class. Mattheo wraps an arm around your waist, moving you behind him and you ignore the way you reel at his touch, dazed for a second.

It doesn’t last long, however, for you're drawn out of your short-lived crisis when you spot Mattheo pulling his wand out from his pocket, discreetly pointing it in Theodore’s direction. It was rather astounding seeing how no other students in the class noticed you, but Professor Binn had a rather uncanny knack for getting people to fall into a zombie-like state of fatigue whenever they were in his class. You were convinced it had to be some sort of superpower.

With a short flick of his wand, Theodore's eyes widened as he yelped, hand shooting up to clasp over his upper arm.

As Theodore's yelp echoes through the classroom, everyone snaps out of their daze, their attention immediately drawn to the source of the disturbance. Theodore grimaces, sheepishly looking down as he tries to play it off. Unable to contain your laughter anymore, you snort, and the sound has everyone turning to look outside the classroom.

Mattheo grabs your hand, pulling you along as the two of you run down the corridor, laughter bubbling up from deep within you.

As you round a corner, out of sight from the classroom, you finally come to a stop, breathless from both the running and the laughter. Mattheo leans against the wall, trying to catch his breath as he looks at you with sparkling eyes.

It was amazing how he had gone from being so irate to so…. Carefree. He felt alive with you, like he could forget about the countless burdens that weighed down on him day in and day out.

“That was bloody brilliant,” You wheeze, clutching your ribs as you laugh. Mattheo grins, panting as he nods.

“Theodore’s hilarious. Can’t wait to hear him complain about that later on,” He muses and you snort, straightening up. You jerk your head to the side, motioning for him to join you as you slip out of the castle onto the school grounds. You leisurely walk down the fields, heading towards the Black Lake.

You stop at a large cluster of rocks near the surface of the water, plopping down on the slightly damp grass. Mattheo joins you, long legs stretched out in front of him as you fish around your pocket. His arm presses against yours and you’re immediately warmed by the heat coming off his body, trying to ignore the intoxicating aroma of his cologne filling your senses.

You hit Mattheo's thigh with your hand, nudging him to get the lighter as you place the blunt between your lips. He obliges, cupping his hand around the flame as you lean down to light the tip, taking a few drags. You pass it over to Mattheo, tilting your head back as you exhale with a sigh. Mattheo mimics your actions, letting out a low groan as he passes the blunt back to you.

“Shit, this is fucking good.” He murmurs, eyes flickering over to you as you take another drag.

You speak, blunt dangling between those perfect lips of yours that Mattheo can’t seem to tear his eyes off of.

“Should be,” You muse, handing it over to Matteho as he takes another long drag. “I sucked dick for it.” You comment offhandedly and Mattheo splutters, coughing as he smacks his fist against his chest, looking over at you in disbelief. You look at him with a lazy grin, a hint of amusement in your eyes.

“Relax, of course I didn’t. But with the price it came at I may as well have.” You murmur, shaking your head.

“So ladylike” He teases and you roll your eyes for what must be the umpteenth time, slapping his thigh as you snatch the blunt back.

You remain silent for a while, and it's oddly comforting. Just you and Mattheo, passing the blunt back and forth between one another as you overlook the black lake. The setting sun is reflected in the ripple of the water, golden rays dancing along the small waves that give the illusion of the lake being made of pure gold.

Mattheo leans back on his elbows, exhaling a cloud of smoke into the crisp air. You're reclined beside him, the gentle lapping of the water providing a soothing backdrop to your conversation.

"So, Riddle, what's been bothering you lately?" you ask casually, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between you.

Mattheo hesitates for a moment, his gaze fixed on the horizon as he considers his response. He's never been one to open up easily, but there's something about the softness in your voice that makes him want to confide in you.

"Just...everything, I guess," he admits finally, his tone uncharacteristically vulnerable. "I feel like I'm constantly on edge, and I'm not sure why.”

Your gaze remains on the lake, a pensive expression on your face as you hum.

“I get it. I suppose for all their goodwill it's a bit hard for the boys to understand that.” You murmur and Mattheo chuckles, looking down at the long strands of grass he was fiddling with.

“Tell me about it”

You remain silent for a second longer, before turning to face Mattheo. He looks up at you and feels as though he's pinned down under your gaze. It’s as though you were dissecting his very being, staring at him with a calculating look before you speak once again, your voice low and soft.

“You don’t always have to be a hardhead. You don’t need to dismiss how you’re feeling. We aren’t meant to have this figured out yet. We’re still young, with so much to learn. What’s the point of life if we know it all now?”

Mattheo listens to your words, feeling as though you've peered straight into his soul and laid bare all his insecurities. There's a wisdom in your words that resonates deeply with him. It's as though you possess a wisdom beyond your years, a rare insight that he finds both intimidating and captivating.

"Thank you," he murmurs, his voice barely above a whisper.

That god-forsaken smile appears on your face again, and you look over at Mattheo.

“Don’t. Someone has to tell you this, right? I love Nott to bits but I doubt he has anything but quidditch on his mind.” You joke, and Mattheo laughs.

You seamlessly lighten the mood, and Mattheo is eternally grateful for that. Really, he’s grateful for you. He can't think of the last time he's laughed so much. Or felt so free. Perhaps it was the weed, that had lowered his inhibitions and relieved him of his stresses.

But no, it was a drug far worse than that. He had just gotten a taste of it and he knew he would be hooked on it. It came in the form of you, and gods was it dangerous.

There's a heavy silence between the two of you, broken by the sound of rustling as Mattheo sits up abruptly, a grin spreading across his face.

"Hey, wanna go closer to the edge of the lake? I think I saw something cool over there," he suggests, his tone playful as he nudges you with his elbow.

"What, are you trying to pull some sort of prank on me, Riddle?" You ask, your tone sceptical as you raise an eyebrow.

Mattheo feigns innocence, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Who, me? Never," he replies with a smirk, his eyes dancing with mischief.

Despite your reservations, you can't help but be intrigued by Mattheo's suggestion, and with a shrug, you agree to accompany him to the water's edge.

You walk a few steps to the surface of the black lake, peering down at your own reflection for a second. You turn to Mattheo, caught off guard when he gives you a playful shove.

You yelp, reaching out instinctively to grab onto Mattheo as you lose your balance. Instead of regaining your footing, you find yourself slipping on the dampened grass near the edge of the lake and falling backwards into the water with Mattheo.

The icy cold water seems to seep into your body, eradicating any hint of warmth. You resurface with a gasp, brushing your wet hair away from your face as you tread water, your robe floating around you in the water.

Mattheo resurfaces moments after you, his curly brown hair now plastered against his forehead, droplets of water glistening in the fading light. He blinks the water from his eyes and looks at you with a playful grin.

“Why did you do that!” He gasps, though his tone is lighthearted and playful.

You roll your eyes, splashing him in retaliation. “You practically threw me in there! I just needed to find my footing!” You retort, indignified.

Mattheo chuckles, the sound echoing across the stillness of the lake. “Fair point.” He concedes.

Not a second later, however, he splashes you with water, somehow drenching you even further.

“Mattheo!” You gasp, sending a wave of water back at him. The two of you playfully fight in the water, and you laugh, head tilted back. It's a scene straight out of a childhood fantasy, the cares and worries of the world melting away beneath the warm glow of the setting sun.

Mattheo pauses, and his heart pounds against his sternum as he hears your laugh. It’s loud and it's unabashed, and it's the most perfect thing ever. You smile, and he feels as though he can't breathe, you had to have stolen his breath.

The golden rays of the sun illuminate your skin, catching in the droplets of water that cling to the wet tendrils of your hair. You looked like an image out of a Renaissance painting, and Mattheo is sure the sun must hide itself in shame, for on its brightest day it couldn’t compete with your radiance.

He takes in the way the fading sunlight casts a warm glow on your features, highlighting the curve of your cheekbones and the sparkle in your eyes. He’s sure the image must be etched into his mind, permanently engraved. He knows when he closes his eyes, all he will see is the image of you, and he doesn’t mind it one bit.

In fact, he welcomes it.

In your presence, he feels alive in a way he never has before. He will wake up tomorrow and face all the trials and tribulations the universe has to throw at him. For now, however, the sun is shining. The water is cold, but you make him feel warmer. The gentle sound of water sloshing about fills the silence, the horizon is beautiful.

Everything was alright.

@mildlyuninformative @chgrch @gillyweeds @anti-hero03 @schaebickel @lillywildly @multifandom-worlds

#slytherin #slytherin boys #tom riddle #harry potter #draco malfoy #lorenzo berkshire #slytherin boys fic #theodore nott #blaise zabini #pansy parkinson #mattheo x you #mattheo riddle x reader comfort #mattheoxreader #mattheo x y/n #mattheo riddle x reader #mattheo riddle x you #mattheo riddle #mattheo riddle fluff

[coffee-430]

I saw your event. Congrats on your 100 followers! Can I request for prompt 11 with a Zhongli and xiao(separate). Reader is female and uh— this is embarrassing but can it please be smut?

Thank you and have a nice day/evening.

—100 Followers Event!

No. 11: "You were my first, so you shall be my last." With Yandere Zhongli and Yandere Xiao

Characters: Zhongli, Xiao (separate)

Warnings: yandere themes, non-consensual touching, obsessive behaviour, double penetration (Zhongli), rape, kidnapping, mentions of blood

Note: Reader is fem as requested.

— Zhongli

Life with the Geo Archon was luxurious— as one would say— his feats and earned riches was something everyone envies and wishes to covet.

But not you.

You have always been on the minimalist side, opting to spend your time more in the outdoors of your home and sitting upon the quiet meadows— underneath a tree.

A soft tune of a bird was enough to humour you, as well as the sight of a few faunas dallying around was enough to entertain you.

You weren't interested in any gold or whatever riches were there that existed.

But sadly, one day, you fell in love with the brutish and power seeking God of the Rock.

He caught your eye just as you caught his.

His lifestyle was very much the opposite from yours and that intrigued you to the core. From peeping behind a tree to watch him train— to eventually talking to him and becoming acquainted with each other.

You caught his eye, just as he caught yours.

Every moment spent with him was always filled with a mixture of fear and thrill on seeing him do his daily conquest on territories he had set his eyes on.

Disgusts also fill you, but it would always quickly go away just as it came whenever he brushed a strand of your hair behind your ear with a bloody hand.

His piercing amber eyes were always so dominating and intimidating to what unfortunate figure it would land its sights. But it was always the opposite with you.

Instead of a cold and calculating gaze— he was soft. His eyes turned soft the moment he saw you. Offering you a simple gift that you would always gratefully take from his bloody hands.

Despite feeling uncomfortable being with him, you push through. Because no matter how violent and terrifying he was, his physical behaviour was always different with you.

So different that even Guizhong noticed it and the teasing words would always make you blush and deny such assumptions.

But, from mere acquaintance to friends, soon— you two became something more.

It was like being in cloud nine every single day.

His touches were gentle, his words were sweeter than honey. He asked you to move in with him— live with him and reside within the comfortable warmth of his grand abode.

He treated you with such care it was tooth achingly sweet.

Every moment spent with him— every kiss, every hug, every passionate night with him was something every woman wished to have.

Until,

The day came.

Where you saw just how maddeningly sweet he was, that it was beginning to make you understand why your whole being itches for you to leave.

And you should've listened from the start.

You should've never signed that contract.

His touches were still gentle, but they had a tinge of possessiveness in them. His words were sweeter than honey but they had a tinge of disturbing meaning to them.

Every kiss, every hug, every passionate night, every moment with him was once so wholesome— now turned possessive and controlling. He applied his brutish and cold behaviour into your relationship and that made you feel suffocated.

Eventually, things got worse.

Your every movement was monitored, you weren't allowed to take even a small step outside, and your interaction with anyone turned from limited to no contact at all. Unless it was him.

Life with the Geo Archon was luxurious— as one would say— his feats and earned riches was something everyone envies and wishes to covet.

But not you.

You hated every single bit of it.

Every kiss, every hug, every passionate night, every moment with him was once so wholesome— now turned forced and abusive.

He applied his brutish and cold behaviour into your relationship and that made you feel hysterical.

Every night in your room was spent with his forceful behaviour. What was once such a passionate lover's dance turned into a torturous and nightmarish cycle.

And it got worse when the heavens above showed signs of a full blown war approaching.

Your screams were left unanswered and no one bats an eye, simply prefering to appease the Geo Archon to avoid getting themselves kneeling at the end of his spear.

He became more cruel, more strict, more greedy.

Forcing you to muster up the courage to finally run away. And never looking back.

How did you do it? You couldn't recall and didn't care. You were far too busy to flee away and into your new profound freedom.

All hell breaks loose the day you went missing. That it was considered too brutal to even write down in history.

And he has never been happy since then. He made a vow to be much more firm with you once he catches you back.

Holding a grudge with irritation and frustration that you dared to break your contract with him.

A grudge that he still carries with him till the present time.

And that would mean now.

Currently, you were walking in disguise. Living amongst the mortals that dwelled most of the land, interacting with them as if you were one of them.

It was another normal day for you— except, it wasn't. You happen to meet a curious fellow on your way to your usual market, and he strikes up a rather interesting conversation between the both of you.

Aether was his name.

Funnily, you thought his name was something you had heard before but had forgotten where.

Perhaps you were just imagining things.

Yes.

Lately, you have been feeling odd. As if your guts were telling that something big was about to come. Though, you merely brush it off and thought nothing of it.

Such a foolish move, no?

"The usual please." You smiled, handing over the precise amount of mora towards the merchant in front you.

She smiled in return and gave you what you bought. "Thank you for your purchase, please come visit again, (Y/n)."

"I will." You waved her off and went on on your way. Thinking of what to do for the day as you walked—

"I knew it."

"—?"

As if a wave of coldness struck you hard, you froze in your spot.

That voice— "For centuries I have searched for you," That oh-so familiar voice...

"For centuries I had left no stone unturned, for centuries I walked the land through every nook and cranny,"

Your eyes widened, feeling a gloved hand being brought down onto your shoulder. And it almost made you drop everything you were holding.

—!?

"But after all that," The voice was close. Close next to your ear.

"I have finally found you, (Y/n)."

You screamed when the man threw you on to the hard cold floor.

It all happened so fast. You were frozen in fear the moment you realised who you had encountered, and that encounter led you being dragged against your will and being thrown inside his humble abode.

He didn't waste anymore time as he got on top of you. "Years all gone to waste in search of you." Zhongli hissed, gripping both your wrist and making you unable to move despite all your struggles.

"But now, I have finally got you back." Slowly, he leaned closer to your ear. "And this time, I'll be sure to tighten my hold. I'll never let you go again."

"Argh!" You screamed in pain and tried kicking him away, but he was far too strong for you.

"Please, let me go! I don't want to go back!" Yelling at the top of your lungs was useless, and it also hurt. But what else could you do? Other than struggling there pathetically and pleading with him with eyes full of tears.

The sounds of clothes ripping of both yours and his filled the ambience of the room. Your desperate cries and his sounds of emotions being released after years of bottling it up— pretending to be a simple minded man who blended with the mortals— now turned into a beast unhinged released from its cage.

"P-Please not this— I don't want this!" You've done this before, and nothing worked. So why still do it?

The brunette growled and his amber coloured eyes stared down at you with such a piercing gaze. "You were not meant to leave me. You broke our contract."

"Ah—!!" A pained scream burst out from your lips, tears violently ran down your face as he began violating you like before. Your bare body was once again tainted by his dragon-like hands, and his cocks ravaged you like there's no tomorrow.

"You were my first, so you shall be my last." He whispered, moving his hip like a wild animal as you wailed there, taking it involuntary.

"And I intend that you see through it."

The moment you signed that contract was the day you had sealed your fate. It was your own fault. The signs were there, but stupid you ignored it as you silently prayed it was simply a trick of your own imagination.

But now you are beginning to beg to differ, aren't you?

Zhongli came and forced you to take his seed from within. You reached your own climax too— against your will, and your vision began to be blurry.

You don't know how many times he has filled you with his disgusting substance but you were certain you passed out from exhaustion, and he was still going.

You concluded that there was no escaping, and this was your punishment. The punishment for leaving and for being so naïve. Now you face the consequence, as you suffer the wrath of the rock.

— Xiao

You wept as you were pinned down by force on the bed.

An unhinged demon growled on top of you, grinding your thigh between his legs. You whimpered and shook with fear.

This wasn't how you planned your night to go.

You promised yourself you would simply be ending things on good terms with your lover— but everything suddenly went downhill the moment you mentioned leaving him.

You cried as Xiao growled above you.

"You dare think about leaving me?" He spat. "After all the trouble you went through just to have my heart— you now wish to throw it all away?"

The Yaksha exclaimed, tightening his grip on you. You cried and tried to plead with him.

Achieving Xiao was one of the biggest achievements you have ever earned, and loving him was a bonus. He was everything you had dreamed of, except for his cold side personality that he often gives off— but you managed.

All was swell really, until you accidentally found out about karmic debt he had been struggling to get away from for years. And in secret, you did your research and found out more about it.

Since then, you have become more distant— more cautious around his person. Fearing what he'll do if whatever curse that he was avoiding gets to him.

And he noticed it too.

Your silly little head forgets that he was no human, and such a creature as he possessed eyes that of a hawk.

He saw how you were more aloof with him, in comparison to your human friends. Xiao began to overthink things that maybe perhaps you had finally regretted ever being with him. But you had placed so much effort into being acquainted with him, and you were just to throw it all away in just a snap?

How stupid of you.

"X-Xiao please, let me expl—"

"Silence!"

"Ah!"

You yelped in pain, as he seethed in anger. "You spent all those times chasing me deliberately no matter how many times I pushed you away,"

He neared your ear, "And now that I have reciprocate your feelings, you dare to leave me?"

Your heart beat thumped so fast in your chest, that you fear you would die with your heart bursting out before Xiao could have his way with you.

"After I finally decided to love you, you want to end it all...?"

Now, you just feel guilty because of what he said. But you knew it within you that you had every right to break everything up.

"Was everything just a joke to you?"

Xiao's eyes glinted with an unsettling intensity as he clutched on your wrists, using his body weight to prevent you from getting away.

"You can't leave me, (Y/n). We were meant to be together, forever."

The atmosphere thickened with tension as your plea echoed, "Please, Xiao, let go." But in Xiao's distorted reality, love had become an unrelenting grip, refusing to release its hold.

Suddenly, your clothes were ripped to bits. With one hand, he held you steady while the other forced you to reveal yourself bare in front of him.

With eyes widening, you shouted, "Wha— Wait no! This is t-too far!"

You stared at him, but all you could see was an unsettling determination in his eyes hinted at a perilous obsession that refused to release its grip.

Your desperate scream echoed through the room, "Let go, Xiao! Stop!" But Xiao, blinded by obsession, remained steadfast, his love morphing into a disturbing possession.

The room filled with a heavy disturbing tension as you struggled to free yourself, fear etched across your face.

Ignoring your plea, he continued to obsessively profess his undying love, leaving an eerie chill in the air, a stark reminder of a relationship unravelling into unsettling territory.

"Let me engrave it into your mind." He whispered, "You were my first, so you shall be my last."

In a dimly lit room, a place where no one could hear you nor disturb you from where you were, Xiao— your once beloved Yaksha— violated you against your will.

"..ah...ngh..." The demon grunted as he kept on pushing himself inside you. "Ha..so..tight.."

While you were weakly sobbing and taking it forcefully. You had no more energy left, and even if you did, there was no way you could push off a very strong non-human creature on top of you.

Tears streamed down your face as you trembled in the dimly lit room. The air was heavy with tension, suffocating your senses. "Please, just let me go," you pleaded again— knowing it was hopeless, your voice quivering.

He continued to touch you, in ways that only a genuine lover could. But he was no longer genuine, not anymore.

His thrusts were that of an animal. His pants and grunts fill the room, along with your pained sighs and cries. A mixture of both pain and the involuntary wave of pleasure, crashing upon both of you like a tidal wave.

You did everything you could to rebel against his movements, but none seemed to work, and defying him was only hurting you more. But you were determined to try despite the excruciating pain.

"Ah— ah..." Tears that could fill a river made your sight blurry, but he didn't care. He'll only bother to wipe them once he is done with you, but that will have to wait.

"Mm~ this..." He pants. "This is for your own good, ngh...~" Or so he says, clearly he was deep into his delusions.

"This would've been much more pleasurable had you not come to spoil what was on between us."

And he was pointing fingers at you, as if blaming you for the things that were happening to you.

Eventually, his thrusts began to lose its rhythm for a bit— indicating that he was close. And the moment you fear what'll he do next was about to come true.

Your sobs grew louder, a desperate symphony of fear and resignation. You knew, deep down, that escape from his delusional grasp seemed impossible.

A whimper escapes past your lips, trying to squirm away from him for the last time. "Please— ugh...ah— fu—" You cried, "Not i-inside....."

"Quiet." He snapped, "Mh, fuck..." He was close to reaching his climax, and sad to say, so were you.

"Bear everything I gave you, it's the least you could do for attempting such a foolish move of leaving me." Grunting, Xiao held you steady and pushed his cock deep inside your cunt.

Your body moved against your will and you hated every bit of it.

"Stop, I don't want—"

"You don't have a say in this."

He came with one last harsh thrust, making you arch your back as you cried out in forced ecstasy.

He spilled everything inside of you, tainting you with his torment from the inside.

You caused so much trouble in being with him, and his love was what you wanted right? So why are you crying like a pathetic child when he has given exactly what you wanted.

In the distorted realm of his twisted affection, you knew that freedom was an illusion, and the only certainty was the perpetual torment of a love gone horribly wrong.

#co430event! #co430requests #genshin impact x reader #yandere genshin impact #yandere zhongli x reader #yandere xiao #thank you so much for 100 followers!

[that-ari-blogger]

Efficient Writing At Its Best

Is it me, or is there a noticeable jump in quality in No Princess Left Behind? As in, the animation budget seems to double between episodes, the cinematography is stellar, the humour is incredible. And the writing itself becomes so much more enthralling.

What gets me about this jump is that She Ra and the Princesses of Power was already a fantastic show. Each element I mentioned above is already firing on all cylinders. You would think that this show cannot improve any further, but in this episode it does.

Promise is lauded as some of the best She-Ra has to offer. And don't worry, I will get there. But No Princess Left Behind is my favourite episode of the show by far and one of my favourite episodes of television. This is the episode She Ra stops being merely an incredibly well-made show, and starts to become art.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD

First up, format. This episode is a prison break and both a condensed monomyth and a miniaturised tragedy. None of these things make it great on their own, that's not how writing works. But they are written with incredible nuance derived from character, setting, and the intersections of those tropes.

A prison break is a self-explanatory story structure. A character is imprisoned and either doesn't want to be or has allies who don't want them to be. In the case of the external help variation, as with this episode, the plot functions as a medicine journey with the object of significance being the ally on the inside. (A medicine journey is just a journey to a place to retrieve a thing).

Monomyth is another term for the Hero's Journey. And there are two things about this that need to be understood: The Hero's journey is a set of guidelines, and the Hero's Journey is fluid. By which I mean, the format of the monomyth isn't set in stone, and if a story doesn't follow the specific set of rules you have found, that's not a fault.

In essence, the Monomyth is a set of common events that link multiple stories. Originally proposed in Joseph Campbell's A Hero With A Thousand Faces, the format has been changed over time through interpretation and through people leaving out Campbell's... biases (Misogynistic is an understatement for this guy). The form I am most aware of includes elements such as crossing the threshold, the darkest hour, and the metaphorical death and rebirth, all of which this episode hits in quick succession. If you want more details about the monomyth, I advise reading Campbell's book, or this article by Owlcation. TedEd also has a neat video on the subject.

A tragedy is the most well-known story type. Or rather, you say tragedy, and people generally get what you are talking about. It's a story with a sad ending. But there is more complication than that. Beginning in Ancient Greece, a tragedy is a way of experiencing powerful emotions in a safe environment. Loss, pain, hope, joy. A tragedy is a rollercoaster and is an incredibly good way of achieving that effect. To the point where stories that aren't tragedies (Like She-Ra) are frequently written as them and subverted at the last possible moment. OSP has a video going into detail, but in the interest of this analysis being shorter than a Tolstoy book, the words to understand are these:

Hamartia - Fatal flaw

Peripetea - Reversal of fortune

Catharsis - Emotional release

Bear these in mind because these are situational, and I will be talking about how in a moment. The point is this episode is incredibly efficient at showing each character's strengths and weaknesses and having them affect the plot. Each character has some moments to shine, and that final gut punch is caused by the characters' mistakes. Thats why it hurts, because it was both unlucky and inevitable.

Mermista and Sea Hawk steal the show for me, for completely opposite reasons.

I have always believed, somewhat falsely, that the most well written scenes are those with less dialogue, because the rest of the acting can speak for itself. The minour acting and surroundings can shine if there is less dialogue to distract. Mermista is an example of this, but also an example of why this belief is wrong.

Mermista is the queen of subtlety, with so much emotion and meaning being portrayed by so little. She is exaggerated, sure, but she is a lot more subdued than the entire rest of the cast. What she does have, is expression. In the sewer scene, her head is the only thing visible, and she has more character on display in twenty-two seconds than Swiftwind has in the whole series. She doesn't even speak.

But when Mermista does speak, there is something fascinating happening here. Mermista's lines are saying a completely different thing to her animation, actions, and even the inflection of how those lines are delivered. Mermista goes out of her way to put up a facade of not caring, but she is remarkably affected by her surroundings and the people around her.

For example, despite herself, she grows attached to Entrapta, and gets excited when they work as a team. But I find this gesture so much more revealing. She tears up. But instead of crying, she quietly turns away and dries them. Mermista's Hamartia is also her greatest strength, her distance. She is pragmatic, but she pushes herself too far away to help.

Meanwhile Sea Hawk is a TTRPG bard. This isn't even subtle.

For those who don't know, in DnD and Pathfinder, a bard is a charisma-based class that plays support most of the time (although you can build it in whatever way you want, this is how the class is designed). This means that they often end up as the party face and the glue of the group. There is a prominent live show in which a Bard leaves the party, and it shows off my point exactly.

Sea Hawk is easily the most charismatic character on the group, a fact he uses in a really interesting way. For one, he's distracting. His fast talking keeps Scorpia from being a problem for the group, and in every fight he is in in this episode, his primary role is to distract or annoy his opponents. He doesn't deal much damage, but he keeps himself as a piece on the board that gets on people's nerves and gets them to make mistakes.

Sea Hawk's constant babble is doing another thing for the group. He's reassuring and comforting. His number one priority at all times (successfully or not), is to keep everyone's spirits up. Sea Hawk is a master of inspiring. And would you look at that, DnD and Pathfinder have that as a core ability (Bardic Inspiration and Inspiring Performance respectively).

So, what is Sea Hawk's weakness? His optimism. I don't mean this as "optimism is foolish", I mean that Sea Hawk's hamartia is, much like Mermista, his greatest strength. Sea Hawk is always looking forwards, always keeping the group moving. When someone stops, it doesn't occur to him to look back until it is too late.

Glimmer and Bow are similar characters to each other, and it is in how they react to stress that that is shown. Both are resilient, but where one is resourceful, the other is relentless.

Bow is a simple character, in comparison to everyone else. Psychologically and physically. He doesn't have powers that can be restricted or that can get him out of trouble. What he does have, is his mind. Bow is clever and resourceful, and he works out a way of getting the right information while imprisoned so that the group doesn't have to work on that later.

Bow thinks big picture, once again his greatest strength and greatest weakness. He can strategize really well, but he doesn't expect the little things. Like Adora's surrender, or like the tiny detail that he overlooks: Entrapta likes robots. It's so small and so natural to him that he takes it for granted.

Glimmer's fatal flaw is obvious already. It's her stubbornness that got everyone into this situation, and that directly causes the end result. This is Glimmer's fault. But Glimmer's stubbornness isn't always a bad thing.

"It's a shame the toll this rebellion has taken on your family. First you loose your father and now..."

"She-Ra will stop you."

"There is no She-Ra!"

Shadow Weaver is a character who specialises in messing with people's minds. She enjoys control, and routinely underestimates the power of determination. To her all those around her are weak willed. But say what you want about Glimmer, the one thing she is not, is weak willed.

I love the line above because it is the first time anyone has managed to actually annoy Shadow Weaver. By this, I don't mean the same type of annoyance as Catra is to her, because I don't think Shadow Weaver cares about her enough to be truly angry. What Glimmer does here is win on Shadow Weaver's home turf.

Shadow Weaver tries to demoralise, and Glimmer blinks away tears, looks her square in the face, and remains stalwart. That's why I think Shadow Weaver shouts here, she's furious, and she can keep posturing, but Glimmer has won this little exchange.

Even with the reveal of the sword, I think its clear just how much Shadow Weaver is rattled, and I think this little exchange is the reason for her actions later on in the series.

This is also on display here, as once again, Glimmer's raw determination and stubbornness blindsides Shadow Weaver, and it's telling what provoked this. Glimmer is protective of her friends first and foremost. And here, Shadow Weaver pushes too far, and the power of friendship prevails.

It's a minour moment of the theme for the rest of the series. Love, whether romantic or platonic, will overpower anything.

And finally, there is Entrapta. I don't think I need to explain what her strengths and weaknesses are. She's not hiding either.

What's important to note about Entrapta is that she is the convergence of the plot threads I mentioned earlier. The tragedy is her story, and this episode focuses in on that.

Her death scene is so powerful because it is so unfair, and so inevitable. It's quick, and unavoidable in the moment. Thie is the moment when the cost of this war finally sinks in. Yes, things happen later on, but it cannot undermine the gut punch that is this scene, and the final few moments of this episode.

Peripetia is the reversal of fortune, it is the moment when all of the Hamartia comes crashing down and everything thereafter, and the tone changes. In Romeo and Juliet, this is the death of Tybalt (Spoilers).

Here, the Peripetia is the moment when Emily gets stuck, and those flames. It's the look in everyone's face as they realise what has happened and that brief shot of Entrapta's expression before. And it is that infernal siren.

Catharsis meanwhile is the moment of relief, or setting out those emotions. Catharsis is technically not a part of the story, it happens when you stop watching and reflect.

But this episode offers you time to wind down. That brief shot of She-Ra turning back into Adora is powerful not just because of the music, but also because of how empty it is. There is no closure here, and the audience doesn't get it either. The episode ends on this:

Final Thoughts

I didn't even have time to talk about Catra. She doesn't really do much here, but that scene with the sword is a nice bait and switch. Shadow Weaver is evil, all the characters are at their best and their worst simultaneously and I think that is quite cool.

Oh, and Perfuma. She has an extremely restricted worldview of what teamwork should look like, and Entrapta doesn't fit into that, hence the conflict. I think Perfuma learns to change slightly but doesn't get much time to do so in this episode.

Next week I'll be taking a look at The Beacon, so stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

#rants #literary analysis #literature analysis #character analysis #what's so special about...? #she ra and the princesses of power #she ra glimmer #she ra #she ra spop #she ra adora #spop #shadow weaver #glimmer #best friend squad #she ra bow #she ra mermista #she ra sea hawk #she ra entrapta

[nanowrimo]

The Unfunny Person’s Guide to Writing Humor

Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. First Draft Pro, a 2022 NaNoWriMo sponsor, is a collaborative writing app built for story-nerds. Today, they’ve partnered with novelist and screenwriter Sam Beckbessinger to share some tips on writing humor. Don’t forget to check out the offer to NaNoWriMo writers to try out First Draft Pro for free this month!

Here’s the problem: you love a joke. You’re perfectly able to get into a good banter with your buddies. You’re hilarious in a DnD game. You’re the comedian of your group chats. But put you in front of a blank page and suddenly you’re about as funny as a statistics textbook*. Your manuscripts are full of notes like << INSERT JOKE HERE??? >>. You wouldn’t actually want to sit next to any of your characters at a dinner party.

* There is a marginal likelihood that a funny statistics textbook exists somewhere, but it would be a real outlier.

Well, I have good news for you! Writing humor is a skill that can be learned like any other.

How comedy works

If you’re going to try to write humor, it helps to understand how comedy works. It’s very simple: the logic of humor is surprise.

Fundamentally, here’s how most jokes work: you create an expectation, and then you do something wildly unexpected. Take standup comedian Mitch Hedberg: “This shirt is dry-clean only, which means it’s dirty.” The first sentence by itself isn’t funny; it becomes funny when the second sentence subverts it. A joke is a story, and a punchline is a mini plot-twist.

You’ve got to build up to the subversion. Humor has a specific rhythm to it. You start off slower and more detailed, establishing the pattern, painting the picture, ratcheting up the tension… then BAM, you come in with the twist. Take this exchange from Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy:

“You know,” said Arthur, “it’s at times like this, when I’m trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse, and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space that I really wish I’d listened to what my mother told me when I was young.”

“Why, what did she tell you?”

“I don’t know, I didn’t listen.”

Notice the rhythm of this exchange. The first paragraph is slow, with long sentences and dry multisyllabic words, then the writing speeds up to deliver the punchline. You build the tension, then you break the tension. A lot of humour is in the timing.

So if you’re trying to be funny, the trick is to pull off this little tension > surprise dance on every level of granularity in your prose. There are funny words, funny individual sentences, funny situations, and entire characters who are hilarious (usually, the ones who take themselves very very seriously).

And there are specific tricks to help you do this, like:

The rule of three

Double meanings

Exaggeration & absurd comparisons

Callbacks

Come join us over on the First Draft Pro blog, where I’ll show you how they work!

Sam Beckbessinger writes weird horror stories and kids tv shows, and helps people learn to adult better (she's still figuring it out herself).

#nanowrimo #writing #nanowrimo 2022 #humor #writing advice #by nano sponsor #first draft pro #sam beckbessinger

[vestaclinicpod]

Audio Drama Sunday - 4th February ✨

🍎 CAN I TELL YOU ABOUT THE SHOW WHICH HAS TAKEN OVER MY WEEK?? @notquitedeadpod !! I’ve been meaning to listen to this show for ages - the Tumblr marketing is so good - and I’m so glad I did. This show brings vampires into the modern age in such a fun way. I love that it’s set in York, I love that it features medical stuff (with no glaring impossibilities!). I love the fresh take on Vampire lore. It’s equal parts gruesome and romantic - and I’ve been enjoying it SO much. 

👻 @tellnotalespod (S2E2.5) Oh, bless, Riley sounds absolutely EXHAUSTED and I’m not convinced that it’s entirely due to the (completely understandable) life stresses. Remember, you got attacked by a ghost? Riley, Remember that? I love that Julia is able to piece together what to do with the recorder from Leo’s nonsense, but it makes my heart very heavy to think of her listening to their recordings on the tube home - definitely for research purposes and not because she gets a small bit of comfort from them, of course. 

🌲 The @hellofromthehallowoods Valentine’s bonus My Love From The Moormire is sooo lovely (and also there was that one story that I can’t think or speak about without feeling the sensation of someone grinding the heel of their boot into the pulp of my heart, so that’s fun). Highly recommend treating yourself or a loved one this Feb. 

🎙 (241) WTNV doing what it does best by interspersing genuinely funny knife humour into moments of genuine tension. This Boy arc is so fun and I’m honestly pumped to return to the killing of one’s double era!! 

❤️‍🔥 The Love Talker (8) The inevitable happened this episode. Poor Tyler. The descriptions of the hut in the mountains were perfectly harrowing and I’m full of fear to find out what happens next with Ren and her new/old acquaintance.

🏢 @somewhereohio (S2E8) They did it!! I loved the sneaky references to why the characters got their department names and the shocking revelation about Liv’s memory. What do you MEAN that someone else has been messing around with her memories?? What do you mean Nya is inside her head?! 

⚔️ @camlannpod (2) I do so love a prophetic dream. Takes me right back to the days of Katie McGrath’s hair falling PERFECTLY over her pillows in BBC Merlin which 12y/o me was so normal about… It was so fun mentally screaming ‘KELPIE’ until the characters got it. I also have to point out how beautiful it is to hear a character who we’re assuming is taking lithium for mental health reasons telling another one that they are not ‘crazy’ (implied: something to fear) but that they’re looking after them because they love them 😭 I hope Dai has the same level of self-compassion!! ❤️ #Dai4King 

🖥️ The Magnus Protocol (4) I couldn’t stop thinking about Light From Uncommon Stars while listening to this episode. It is certainly exciting to hear a new voice as Augustus!! I’m not sure what happened at the end there, but I hate that Gwen was the only one to hear it. The parallels between her and Jon are ~apparent~ and I don’t want her to be isolated!! 

#audiodramasunday #audio drama sunday #not quite dead #tell no tales #hfth #welcome to night vale #the love talker #the department of variance of somewhere ohio #camlann #tmagp

[deliciouswastelandgoddess]

Acting via Micro-expression - Mile's Kinn

A case study of acting techniques

Also read:

Apo's Porsche

Build's Pete

Bible's Vegas

I think everyone agrees now that Mile and Apo are actors of remarkable talent but I continue to be floored by how well Mile employs micro-expressions to say so much in such little time.

One of my favourite scenes is this one where we can't even see his whole face with the sunglasses but it's his intent is crystal clear. He is not judging Porsche for his shyness but he is also not accomodating it. He is gentle but stubborn, even slightly bemused and infinitely understanding. We are here, we are proud, we are not going to hide - that's what he is telling Porsche and us the viewers solely through the set of his eyebrows and mouth. I won't even go into the details of how important this is in the context of LGBT pride.

Another favourite is this one. Kinn is hurt because Porsche is hurt and he is the reason for that hurt and he knows it but he can't do anything about it. He in guilty but also pitying himself - selfish of him considering the situation but he's human. Mile is not even moving here but you can see the slightest shift in his gaze. Again a masterclass in acting.

This is one of his longer scenes and he's very clearly moving his face but Mile is still able to convey 10 different emotions with very little expression - fear, disbelief, confusion, reluctance, even slight frustration.

Hell Mile is even good with comedy which in my opinion is a very tough acting gig if you don't have a natural inclination for it. He embodies the disgruntled awkwardness of Kinn perfectly here. To add, he is doing the "acting of acting" bit here, meaning Mile is enacting Kinn and Kinn is acting in front of Porsche (his smile) while simultaneously acting in front of his friends that isn't interested in Porsche. this is scene is peak subtle comedy.

Just- look at this. How seamlessly Mile transitions from horny playfulness to.. not sad exactly... a resolved fear is what it feels like to me. as viewers we never lose the beat of Kinn's emotions, not even for a moment. Considering the setting, this is exceedingly domestic and intimate. It's painful to be in so much love, painful to want to protect someone and but not being able to. He is afraid and fond and in love and even a little guilty and you feel that in less that 3 seconds, without words without any big emoting on Mile's part.

Any other actor would do this scene with double the flourish and half the impact. Mile's Kinn is suave and badass but he is not without humour. Mile is able to perfectly balance grace/elegance and comedy here.

Another scene of complex emotions - Kinn is smiling but it's such a sad smile. he knows that things have not been made right with Porsche. Porsche has accepted his apology but not because it was a good apology but because of Porsche's personality. Kinn realises that but also understands that now is not the time to push him. There's sadness, there's also guilt, there's also an immense sense of protectiveness over Porsche. Kinn wants to protect Porsche, ironically from himself - his past self. There's pity and this time not for himself but for Porsche not just because Kinn loves Porsche but because its human to empathize with another's pain.

Don't think I even need to mention this moment. This is the stuff of legends now in the KP fandom so won't elaborate much. His desparation is palpable - almost a physical thing, extremely viscose. Again, most of his face and eyes are hidden, we can only see half his face and one of his eyebrows.

Bonus:

This gif here to emphasize that it's not just micro-expressions that Mile is good at. He is good with the emotive bit of acting as well. You can almost feel the relief of quenching your thirst after a long spell of dehydration.

PS: corrected some grammar

#kinnporsche #kinnporche the series #mile phakphum #kinnporsche meta #kinnporsche analysis

[pars-ley]

Number 28 (part one)

Pairing: Taehyung x female reader

Summary: Moving into your new building, the last thing you expect is to be helped by your gorgeous new neighbour but will ignoring the connection the two of you have be that easy or will it backfire and blow up in your face.

Genre: Neighbour au / fluff / Angst / friends to lovers /strangers to lovers / series /

Rating: 15 (SFW) 

Warnings: slight embarrassment / flirting / Taehyung being dreamy

Word count: 3.2k

Beta: @baljinciaga​ and @kthpurplesyou​ thank you both so much for your kind words and advice.

Banner: @imakeamess​ you’re honestly amazing.

Notes: This is for @btsmosphere​ thank you for your ask, I really appreciate and sorry it’s taken me so damn long. I’m turning this into a series, future chapters might possibly be nsfw. Thank you for reading and if you could reblog, comment or send me an ask telling me what you think, i’d really love it.

You manage to catch one of the double fire exit doors at the back of your new building with your foot and manoeuvre your back against it, enabling you to slip inside without having to put your heavy box down.

Moving into a new apartment is hard enough but you chose to do it at night, with only one friend to help you. It seemed like a good idea at the time, it would be quiet with hardly anyone using the elevator but you’d forgotten just how much stuff you had packed and the idea of just the two of you lugging everything up filled you with dread for the very long night ahead.

You hear the ding of the elevator, snapping you out of your thoughts, and rush round the corner to catch the back of someone going inside.

“Hold the doors, please!” you call out, struggling to get there before the doors close. A hand comes out at the last minute sending them opening again. “Thank you.” you say strained, as you step in and place the box down with a bump. Hopefully there’s nothing fragile in this one. Leaning over you press the same button that’s already alit and straighten up, trying to stretch your already aching back.

“Are you moving in?” a deep, rich voice echoes in the confines of the metal walls.

Wiping the sweat off your brow with the back of your hand and glancing up, you freeze for a moment. Now you understand what tall, dark and handsome really means and there he was in a suit tailored to perfection. Black hair styled flawlessly with not a single strand out of place, not to mention a face the gods themselves would make a picture of out of stars.

Suddenly you were wishing you weren’t standing here in your lounge suit, had some makeup on and weren’t a flushed sweaty mess while in such a confined space.

“Uh, yea.” you reply, feeling like an absolute idiot. That was the best you could come up with?

“Number 27 by any chance?” he asks, running a hand through his shiny hair and sending it bouncing back into place. The movement of his arm circulated his scent around you. Musky, sweet but clean and absolutely drawing you in.

You raise an eyebrow at his question. “Yea, how do you know? Was there a newsletter or something?” 

Laughing with a boxy smile that has your insides melting, “I happen to know who your new neighbour is.”

God, you hope its him.“And…what are they like? Wild parties? Loud music? Never ending stream of guests?”

A sideways smile that makes your heart hurt, he looks so damn good. “More like; quiet nights in with a book, a few friends over on the odd occasion and excessive photography. So if you can hear the click of the camera lens through the walls then it sucks for you.”

You laugh. That was a relief to say the least. “Oh, well that sounds bearable.”

“Does that mean you’re the party animal?” A touch of humour glinting in his ebony eyes.

“More of a late night movie watcher, friends over for gaming sessions and unless a paintbrush on a canvas can be heard, I'm as quiet as a mouse.”

A genuine heart warming smile stretches across his face.How someone so devastatingly handsome could be so adorable at the same time had you dizzy.

“Then in that case, welcome to the building, neighbour.” he puts a hand out and you shake it.

“You’re the bookworm?” you ask, unsure whether to feel excited at having his apartment so close or disappointed that you know can't date him for the very same reason. Like you'd have a shot anyway.

He grimaces slightly at the nickname. “Taehyung, nice to meet you.” you give him your name and he looks down at the singular box you have with you, “is this all you have?”

“I wish, there's a whole truck full downstairs and I've only just started.” you rub your face, tiredness of the day finally catching up.

“Where are your movers?” he frowns, seeming genuinely concerned.

“Miss cheap skate here didn’t wanna pay out for any. My friends offered but everyone, bar one person bailed last minute, so it’s just two of us.” you shrug attempting to ease the crease of worry on his forehead. 

“We can’t have that. I’ll go down with you and help.”

The elevator stops and the doors open with a loud ding. Bending to pick up the box it is taken from your grasp and lifted swiftly away. 

“No, no, honestly, you’ll ruin your suit.” you’re practically chasing him down the hallway to your door.

“I'll change.”

“I really couldn’t ask you to do that.” you fumble with your keys but manage to open the door to let him place the box inside. 

“Well it’s a good job you didn’t and I offered.” he says heading back out the door, removing his blazer and unlocking his door just a few metres from yours. “I’m just going to change quickly.”

You hesitate. “Well, if you insist on helping, that would be great."

He nods. "What are neighbours for? I'm just going to change," he says as he unlocks the door to his department. "I'll meet you back downstairs."

"Sure thing." You reply, pushing the button for the elevator and resisting the urge to look inside his apartment. When you hear his door click shut behind you, the excitement of having him help blooms inside you, holding back the squeal you feel bubbling in your throat and opting for a silent laugh instead.

The opening doors of the elevator invite you in and all you are met with is your cheshire cat grin looking back at you in the reflection of the mirrors inside. You shake your head at yourself. Get a grip. See a cute guy and you're ready to lose your mind. Yea sure he seems nice, friendly, helpful, not to mention dreamy but you cannot date your neighbour.

You push the thoughts aside ready to return to your task at hand.

Once outside, the autumn night air has a bite to it, very different to the warmth you felt next to Taehyung and it sends a shiver through you. The lights from the building illuminate the darkness, your boxes glowing like a broadway sign saying ‘new to the building’. 

Footsteps echo as you stroll down the quiet alley at the back of the building, the hushed sounds of the cars on the road of the busy city whisper in the distance. Your friend, Mark’s grunts interrupt the peace, the noise bouncing off of the walls around you, as he moves furniture into a pile at the end of the van.

“Is there anything you want taken up first?” he asks from inside the van. 

“Probably the parts of the bed, they can be taken straight into the bedroom and I'll put it together tomorrow.”

He turns to you over his shoulder, looking at you through his dark fringe and says, “and what are you going to sleep on tonight genius?”

“It’s called the sofa, dummy.” you poke your tongue out at him as the sound of light footsteps echo behind you. When Taehyung appears at your side, the same scent from the elevator envelopes you, even outside it's intoxicating. Glancing up at him you’re even more devastated by his casual outfit than you were in the suit.

The grey hoodie unzipped, showing a white t-shirt tight enough to accentuate his defined chest, with the matching grey jogging bottoms and a black baseball cap he wore backwards. This look made you want to bite your lip and let your eyes wander down but you dare not.

Snapping yourself out of your trance, you make introductions. “Mark, this is my new neighbour, Taehyung, who has so graciously offered to help us out.”

They nod to each other, before Mark returns to halling out bed parts.

“So, I made a call and a couple of my friends are coming over to help.” Taehyung informs you with your head snapping up in his direction. “What?”

Mark sighs, the sound full of relief. “Taehyung, I don't even know you but I like you already.”

Taehyung’s answering chuckle was endearing and you had to stop your eyes from growing puppy dog wide whilst you tried not to make your admiration obvious.

“You didn’t have to do that.” You say quietly, not wanting to seem ungrateful but not knowing how to deal with this stranger's kindness, as Mark starts to unload the bed parts, passing them down to you and Taehyung.

“I know but they aren’t doing anything, they’re happy to help.” 

You both head back inside, placing the bed parts against the wall next to the elevator to try to lessen your trips.

“It’s Friday night, how can they not have plans?” You can’t seem to let it drop, as kind as it is, you don’t like feeling in debt to someone.

“Hey, I don’t have plans.” Taehyung protests with a slight pout.

“You sure looked like you had plans?” raising an eyebrow at him quizzically.

He sighs, defeated, “Ok, I had a date.”

Surprisingly, disappointment blooms in your stomach and something akin to jealousy threatens under the surface but you push that away in an instant. “Oh?” you respond as you turn away and head back to the van.

“It was a blind date, I don’t usually agree to them,” he says quickly, as if ashamed. “And tonight just proved the reason why.”

You can’t fathom the delight that blooms inside your chest at hearing this and you mentally scold yourself for it. “That bad huh?”

He nods and you watch his face drop as you finish lugging all the parts of your bed back into the building. “I text a friend to "fake call" me with an emergency just so I had an excuse to leave.” 

You watch his forehead wrinkle in anguish as if wrestling with that decision he made and clearly feeling bad about it.

“We’ve all been there. Sometimes it’s gotta be done.”

He mulls that over and gives you a small smile. “Safe to say it’s the last blind date I'll be going on.”

You both journey up in the elevator again, holding the parts against the walls to stop them falling over.

“I’m struggling to understand why someone like you even needs to be set up on a blind date.” There you go thinking out loud again before you can stop the words escaping your lips.

His eyes look up at yours, gaze curious but you see something flicker in them you can't quite place. “Someone like me?”

Instantly your cheeks heat, wishing you could take that sentence back. Not having any idea what to say in response to save yourself some more embarrassment, you scramble for an answer until the panic makes you cave and you just decide to be honest.

“Yea…I mean, look at you. I’m surprised there’s not a line of women following you around as we speak.”

Now, it was his turn to blush. You watch the pink spread across his cheekbones as he tries to hide his bashful smile. “Definitely not.” clearing his throat and flicking the hair out of his eyes he changes the subject, something you’re grateful for. “Anyway, what about you? Moving in alone?”

“Yep, just me.” You were feeling awkward and not sure why.

“No boyfriend?” his eyebrow twitches and you just shake your head in response. 

“Now that surprises me.”

It was your turn again for that persistent blush having only just got rid of it. “Why’s that?” and yet, a part of you wanted him to continue.

“Well, you’re beautiful, funny, friendly…that's just what I've got from our brief encounter so far. Not to mention, creative and a gamer, all high ranking points in what a lot of guys look for in someone…”

You shrug, managing to hide the grin that threatens to portray itself. “It’s finding a nice guy that's not going to waste my time, that’s the problem.”

He nods, understanding. Maybe it’s the same with women too. “Relationships are not the difficult part to navigate. For me, it’s finding someone that’s actually interesting enough to want to spend so much time with, do you get that?” The same worry in his eyes you’ve felt in yourself countless times when attempting to open up to someone. He really gets it.

“Completely. Lately, it feels as if so much is focused on how someone looks and how much money they spend on dates, as opposed to the actual connection you have with someone and how they make you feel. After all, when you’re old and wrinkled that’s what’s really going to matter.” There’s a long pause and when Taehyung doesn’t respond you glance up at his face to see him staring at you, smiling.

When a few more moments pass, you awkwardly shift your feet and that seems to snap him out of his trance. He clears his throat again and nods. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

On your return trip back downstairs, his friends have arrived in the lobby and he introduces you to Jungkook and Jimin, both extremely friendly and extremely handsome. What are these guys eating?  Having this many good looking, friendly and helpful guys in a friendship group should be against basic human rights.

After some casual chit chat, their sleeves are rolled up and they are lugging box after box to your apartment. Even Mark seems to get along with all of them and he is one of the least social people you know, he barely even tolerates you.

Everything moves fast with the extra hands and before long there are only a few more boxes to take up. It's when you get the sofa into the building that you realise it will not fit in the elevator and all of you will have to try to take it up seven flights of stairs. 

The comical aspect of this proves too much at first as all of you at some point end up in fits of laughter as you all try angling it in different ways to get it past the corners and the bannisters. This was a living 'friend's' sketch for sure, the urge to call out "pivot" was almost overwhelming but in case they were not fans of the show you decided to keep it to yourself, smirking in your own amusement.

By the time the sofa reaches your new living area, the guys had a sheen of sweat across their brows and their heavy panting chorused together.

“Ok, you guys have done enough! Me and Mark can take it from here,” you touch Taehyung's shoulder, “Thank you, all, you’ve been such a great help.”

Jungkook jumped on the spot a little, “Nah we’re good, there’s like three more boxes, we’ll go and grab the last ones.” He flexes his muscles and wiggles his eyebrows at you before him and Jimin jog out down the hallway.

“Whatever these guys are on, I want some of it.” Mark says dryly before leaving with them.

Now you and Taehyung are alone again, awkwardness starts to rise up and you’re unsure why but before it can escalate you interject, “Well then, I’m getting pizza for everyone as a thank you. Where’s a good pizza place ‘round here?” You pull out your phone already googling places in the area.

“You don’t have to do that.” Taehyung protests and you give him a disapproving look.

“And you all didn’t have to help me, so let me repay the gesture.”

He gives in and nods, telling you about a pizza place they order from all the time. As you complete the order, the others return with the last of your stuff. 

You surveyed your apartment, it didn’t look like much right now but it was yours and all your stuff was here.

Mark’s arm winds around your shoulders, encasing you in a warm hug. “You ok?” he watches your face as you nod and lean into him.

You felt an immense swell of pride in your chest, and you had every reason to be proud of yourself. You had bought this apartment on your own, with only a little help from Mark of a small loan for your deposit but you had done it. A huge milestone you'd dreamed of reaching, fair enough you'd always imagine this step with a partner or husband but the fact that you managed by yourself made you feel even more successful. It showed you, you could be successful on your own without a man propping you up.

After the last apartment you attempted to buy with your ex, you weren't sure you wanted to even try again. But dwelling on the past doesn't do anyone any good. Here you are, finally at a place in life you were happy in most aspects.

You take a deep breath and turn back to the guys. “Ok, pizza’s on the way.”

They cheer and you are quickly enveloped in a warm hug with Jungkook and Jimin, dancing you around the room until you are laughing so much your belly hurts.

“Alright, I vote we eat in my apartment, as I have the luxury of seating.” Taehyung’s amused voice sounds.

“Excuse me sir, but what do you call that?” You point at your sofa with feign shock popping your mouth open.

“Let me rephrase, I have the luxury of ample seating.” 

You couldn't help the laugh that escapes. “Fair point.”

Taehyung leaves with Jungkook and Jimin talking excitedly but you feel eyes on you and turn to the only one left in the room.

“What?” you ask after noticing Mark's questioning gaze.

“What is that?”

You frown as you look around the room, not understanding. “What is what?”

“Oh come on, there’s something between you two.” he says as if stating a well known fact.

Your brain hustle’s for some semblance of understanding. “Between who now?”

He laughs and shakes his head. “Don’t give me that. You and Taehyung, it’s so obvious it’s practically visible.”

Your mouth pops open and you feel annoyance rise up inside you, at him creating something over nothing. “I’ve only just met him.”

Shrugging, he replies. “Since when does a spark have a time constraint?”

Your mouth opens for a response but you hesitate. Do you have a spark? Just because two people get along doesn’t mean there’s something behind it. “It’s called being friendly, doofus.”

“Hmm-mm,” raising an eyebrow at you. “You’re friendly with me, with Jungkook and Jimin too but Taehyung…god, it’s practically suffocating, the energy between you, and you know i’m right otherwise you wouldn’t be getting so defensive.” He smirks and the sight irritates your soul. 

“There. Is. Nothing.” your foot stamps slightly making your point final as you fold your arms across your chest, something Mark finds very amusing.

“Alright, little miss brush-off, whatever you say. Let’s go eat.” He hooks your arm and drags you out the door and to Taehyung's apartment with questions rapidly filling your head and overthinking now beginning. 

Was he right? Did Taehyung like you or is Mark simply reading into a new friendship too hard? Either way, you have to be careful now, the last thing you need is to fall out with your next door neighbour. Whether that be heartbreak or misunderstanding, especially when you’ve only been in the building for four hours.

#bangtanarmynet #thebtswritersclub #kvanity #bts #bangtan sonyeondan #bangtan #bts fanfics #bts fanfiction #bts kim taehyung #kim taehyung #bts taehyung #taehyung #BTS v #bts taehyung x reader #bts taehyung fanfiction #kim taehyung fanfic #kim taehyung x reader #taehyung fanfiction #taehyung fanfic #neighbour au #strangers to lovers #friends to lovers #bts neighbour au #bts friends to lovers #bts strangers to lovers au

[pluviophile-bookworm]

Schmicago is Over and Done... so here are my thoughts on all of it (extra long post)

Episode 1: Welcome to Schmicago

In all honesty, I was fully prepared not to like this season bc I’m really not (or at least was not) that into this era of musicals, but all I needed was the start of Welcome to Schmicago and I was so completely in. Thank you to all the geniuses who made it possible.

No but… the second time round that the word ‘farrago’ comes up in the lyrics of the episode’s title song, I well, I was literally thinking ‘what the hey’s a farrago’, and the Narrator says ‘look it up’ — it’s like they’re reading the viewer’s thoughts. I love it. That’s the self-aware humour I’ve come for. Also, I did look it up and farrago means a confused mixture. I like it. It fits.

This is killing me (in the best way) — when they say ‘endings that are tragic’, the Narrator holds up a strand of Melissa’s hair. I love the double meaning.

I love love love this! At one point you can clearly hear Kristin Chenoweth saying ‘peas and carrots, peas and carrots’, and Josh and Melissa are like ‘Please don’t talk all at once, we can’t understand you’. Love that bit of theatre inside humour.

‘Do you have a cigarette, darling, I’m simply desperate’… what an introduction to Dove’s new character, Jenny Banks. Or, as I immediately dubbed her when I saw her, Liza Jr. I feel like I’m going to like her.

‘Fifty’s not that old’ — this coming, of course, from Keegan-Michael Key, who is 52 in real life. And ain’t he living proof of it, too.

I am loving Does That Shock You (I assume that’s the name of the song) [It’s Do We Shock You, actually, but there was no way for me to know that back when the episode aired, now was there?] — it’s like, ‘look, there’s a man and he’s wearing a dress’, ‘I like both boys and girls’, and, most hilariously, ‘I’ve experienced an orgasm. A female one.’ Goodness, this doesn’t shock me or Josh and Melissa, but it sure as the stars would render the people of Schmigadoon catatonic. And I love that, for some reason.

No but the cabaret girls… Annie, Kate, Molly, Tessie, Pepper, Duffy and Elsie. Like… a certain bunch of orphan girls from the same time period as all musicals referenced here take place. Plus Cabaret’s Elsie, of course. That’s basically as if… the girls grew up to become showgirls, which actually isn’t too far-fetched. And Ariana DeBose as the EmCee is slaying it. I love all of this. And Ann Harada is Madam Frau. Lady Lady. Cool! I love it.

‘My true passion is power [dramatic pause]… electricity’ I love love love all of this.

And Jenny Banks does a Cabaret-style number with chairography a la Mein Herr. Which is funny because Dove is just one of a whole bunch of people in this cast who would do (or, in certain cases, have done) a killer Mein Herr. Either way, I just know this will be one of my most replayed songs once the soundtrack comes out. When is that, btw? [That was yesterday, and I can fully attest to the above prediction being true.]

This number isn’t even subtle about what it’s doing. About as subtle as Va-Gi-Na or the Coming Out Reprise were last season ‘We’ve had a fine affair, but please get out of mein hair.’ I love this more than words can say.

Episode 2: Doorway to Where

The Narrator is just everything… ‘schmigadee-death… penalty’, anyone? Lovely.

Ahhh we’ve got Aaron!! That man’s voice makes me swoon in a way I didn’t think was possible to someone of my… identity. If you get what I’m trying to say. [What I’m trying to say is I’m aroace, but I do have a thing for voices, and for unconventionally attractive faces, except the latter isn’t relevant in very conventionally attractive Aaron’s case. He’s all voice to me. He could sing the phone book and I’d be done for.]

No but… his solo once again mentions squirrels and robins, and I’ve got to wonder why… like, is it just a reference to You Can’t Tame Me (my beloved), or is there something else? But also, his new character, Topher, strikes me as the only one who hasn’t changed quite as much — he’s once again a free spirit singing about squirrels and robins and wow, this is just utterly self-referential, isn’t it? I love that. 

‘Please. Mr Flanagan was my father… after he lost his medical license.’ I love that. And I’m going to love Jane Krakowski’s character in this, I feel like. ‘First we court the press, then I press the court.’ I adore sentences like that. Sue me. But only with Bobby Flanagan as my solicitor.

Ok, so this one I caught. Melissa’s showgirl audition is set to a number evoking I Hope I Get It from A Chorus Line. Good going, me!

‘Dad was in the military. You know, the type with a whistle. He used to force my brothers, sisters and me to perform for guests at dinner parties. God, I hated when he did that.’ I see you, Sound of Music. I see you clear and bright. ‘So this one night I begged him for a taste of champagne’… ok, so you’re Liesl, are you? Well, funny, because all I can think of is Cecily as Liesl in that one SNL sketch with John Mulaney.

Ok but when Melissa meets Topher, she’s like ‘You look… groovy’, and I was like, his ‘pants’ are not really high-waisted in this one, though. But there’s a good chance he’s both high and wasted at any given time. I mean, so I imagine, he’s a hippie. Not to stereotype people, but hey, everyone is a walking steretype here.

When Topher’s buddies come to bust him and Josh out of jail on the happiness bus, Josh is like ‘it’s literal? I thought it was a metaphor.’ To which I say… ‘It’s not a metaphor, oh no, it’s something more — it’s a literal bus’. How’s that for a reference?

Episode 3: Bells and Whistles

Ok we’re on to episode 3 and… ‘ Rizzo, ChaCha, Doodie/ Zuko and Kenickie’… why, hello Grease! I didn’t quite expect you there, but of course that was a mistake. And also, in a number starring Danny Bailey/Zuko Aaron Tveit himself, no less.

I see you, Miss Kristin Hannigan! And I’m loving it. Mrs Lovett x Miss Hannigan has never made so much sense before. Add in some Mme Thenardier for good measure, and you’ve got the ultimate composite character.

No, I swear, between Kristin and Alan, this is giving me huge Thenardier vibes, even if it’s actually meant to be a homage to Sweeney Todd, I believe. I’m loving it either way.

Ok, so… Alan’s character, Butcher Dooley Blight, is Jenny’s father here. I love it. But oh wow, this got really bloody and dark and gory really fast.

This might as well be one of my favourite courtroom scenes. I mean, ‘On the grounds of Brooklyn’ is still my go-to, but Bells and Whistles, and Fosse jazz hands are truly something else.

‘Why am I flanked by fools’ is the new ‘I’m surrounded by idiots’, and I love it. No but, his song is actually about wanting love from women who don’t want him. He’s giving Phantom. And, oh gosh, the resounding bass note it ends on… almost more impressive than a high note.

Episode 4: Something Real

Well, it’s true that Dove and Aaron are, in my humblest of opinions, the two people whose characters from this season and the previous one are most alike — I mean, she’s a cheerful girl whose cluelessness may or may not be (and in this one definitely is) just an act and whose father would kill for her sake, and he’s a free spirit who sings about robins and squirrels (even though Danny’s ‘pants are really high-waisted’ whereas Topher would rather forgo any trousers at all because ‘flowers don’t wear pants’... which I think is a valid choice, wanting to emulate a flower. Go for it) — so, in a way, what I called has very much come to pass. Now how this is going to turn out by the end is a whole other matter, so we’ll have to wait and see.

Also, here’s a post I made the day the s1 finale came out, and... I was a bit blindsided, but I had the spirit:

Ok so the Narrator may be a bit of an arse to Mel and Josh, but I love him. I want Tituss Burgess to narrate every show in song.

Topher, arriving at the junkyard: ‘The prodigal son has returned. Someone write that down.’ The Fansie in me, knocking over about three walls at once: ‘I got a pencil!’

S1 Josh: ‘I’m not singing if you’re not singing.’ S2 Josh: ‘Talk to Daddy, talk, talk to Daddy’… now that’s what I call character growth. And that aside, this is just such a fun number. I can see myself listening to it on repeat once the soundtrack drops (which I need now btw). [Ah, yes, the ‘I’m not having an argument that’s part of a musical number’ to ‘I am not a man of many words’ to ‘Talk to Daddy’ pipeline. We stan.]

Whoever decided to pair up Dove and Aaron for a duet is a freaking genius. I need to know who that was so I can send them flowers to thank them for this vocal match made in heaven.

‘More romance’? If there’s one thing I don’t like about Schmigadoon/Schmicago, and it’s just this tiny little thing, really, but… it’s that it seems to emphasise romance as the ultimate solution, the single bringer of happiness. Only, I suppose, it will end up subverting that by the end of the season. Which would be nice if it does, indeed, happen. [Well... not exactly. But next season maybe... hope springs eternal.]

Ok, a scene centring around Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming together in any sort of context is always welcome, but I’m just a bit too distracted by Dooley eating his mash using his cleaver as a spoon. It’s too funny!

No but the way he said ‘Life is just a pile of shit’… it spoke to my soul… somehow.

I have never, ever in my life laughed at the sight of someone openly discussing making children into meat, but if anyone can sell such a number, why, it’s those two. Marvellously morbid.

I hear you, ‘It’s a Hard-Knock Life’. I hear you loud and clear. Or should I say… It’s a Hard-Knock-off Life… ight I’ll see myself out. But who would have thought that mixing Annie with Sweeney Todd (and a sprinkle of Oliver!) would make such a delightfully dark and scrumptiously sinister song? Also, those tap-dancing children are so amazing! I wish we would get more than a number per season from them, but I always take what I can get. [This is another contender, along with Kaput and Talk to Daddy and Bells and Whistles, for my May Top Tracks on Spotify... what will end up happening remains to be seen, but the number of times I’ve looped those just since they were released there yesterday is already large enough to put them all in the top 20 if not the top 10.]

So this now marks two different songs I know where ‘scrumptious’ is rhymed with ‘presumptuous’ (Truly Scrumptious from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, of course, being the first), and in neither of those songs do these words sound like they should rhyme. This must be what Mel meant by that comment about imperfect rhymes, you know.

Doesn’t this just go to prove that you could sell infanticide to me if it’s accompanied by a musical number, and I’d eat it up with a spoon, or even a cleaver if I had one handy… what does that say about me, I wonder…

Episode 5: Famous as Hell

Cecily is such a star! (hey, nice alliterative phrase there) But for real, she is. Also, is this supposed to be Maybe This Time? I’ll know for sure once I watch the Schmeakdown, but I think it is, if not intertwined with something else as well.

Ok but the tribe seems to have imprinted on Josh like a bunch of baby ducklings. He’s their mama now. I love that.

I’m thinking the Narrator’s name should change to the Instigator. Love that for him.

‘Another damn rhetorical question’ might just be funnier than ‘Schmigadee-death penalty’. Either way, I love Tituss Burgess and what he does as the Narrator, or the Instigator if you will.

Ooh… I love this. Famous As Hell seems to be the sort of number which references everybody’s themes, and I love that in a number.

Ok so nobody should be subjected to 12-show day, but, like, as an obsessed fan I’d be there all day for it. Still, don’t make people perform until they bleed. Then again, this is Schmicago, so…

Wait a sec… so that’s what ‘substitutes become expedient’ meant? Not just the obvious ‘children-for-animals’ substitute, but ‘orphans-for-Kratt’. Well. I’m thinking Kratt wouldn’t make a very desirable load of sausages, though. Oh, great, now I’m considering it. I’m in so deep I’m losing awareness of how gory this all is.

Are those the twins who played the white-faced women in ASOUE, playing another pair of white-faced women? Why yes, it is them, Jacqueline and Joyce Robbins. Nice.

Ooh… ‘You’ve been getting my roses? — Moses supposes I have.’ I loved that. I’ve been wondering if Singing in the Rain could make it into the farrago, and it seems like it has.

Ok, now Kratt is definitely Phantom. Kidnapping Mel just after she’s become a star on stage and essentially going like, ‘you marry me or the man you love dies’. Also, what kind of a cliffhanger was this? I’m dying. How on earth will I make it to the finale? And there are so many knots to be untied, too many loose ends to be tied up… that’s an ambitious setup for the finale. [It was, indeed. Bit of a rush to untangle and tie up everything, it really was, but I loved it nonetheless.]

Episode 6: Over and Done

Ahhhh Ariana DeBose solo at last!! I’ve missed that so much. And a Dreamgirls solo at that! I found she was really underutilised this season, which sucks because she’s a queen, but is also completely understandable because there were so many plotlines even without her being at the forefront. Still though…

‘I shut down a dream ballet, I will shut down this’ Yes Mel, be in control of the narrative devices even if you can’t control the narrative… that is so poetic in its way. I love it.

Idk how I came to this thought, but Sgt. Rivera upon being told he has to kill Josh is giving the huntsman from Snow White. Can’t say I love that for him because it’s a really tight spot to be in, but his reaction is still one of my favourite moments.

Ok but like… is Ms. Codwell reluctant to let the orphans be killed now? What exactly was it that made her change her mind? And also, these poor kids are so death-happy, I can’t even begin to comprehend the black comedy of it all. It’s not even black comedy anymore, it’s saccharine tragedy.

Also, if Dooley and Ms Codwell get married, does that mean Kristin is going to be Dove’s mum once again? Because at first I enjoyed the subversion of them being completely unrelated here, but I’m starting to miss them as a mother-daughter duo. Maybe s3 can amend that? Whatever, just please let there be a s3.

Ok but Topher being a JCS homage all season and his tribe digging everything he says, and then once he pulls a literal Jesus, ‘turn the other cheek’ and whatnot, they’re sceptical? Idk, but I kinda dig that just bc I find it (1) funny and (2) totally reasonable.

I can’t… the Somewhere Love Is Waiting for You riff as Dooley reunites with his daughter… it’s too much. I’m going to cry. I was already going to cry, but this really is too much.

Ok but even when he doesn’t intend it, Dooley sure is good with that cleaver. And the narrative pulling a Phantom on the Phantom shout-out character… now that’s what I call poetic justice.

Yeah, sure, I’ll drink to that too. From now on I want all the villain death announcements to be done via Kaput reprise. Ding Dong the Witch is Dead who?

Rocky Horror Sgt. Rivera isn’t what I ever expected, but I’m digging it. I’m actually tearing up. What is with Schmigadoon season finales and making me sob my heart out? I need to have more of that.

Now excuse me for crossing my fandoms over here, but the tribe’s ending is giving Ordinaryish People by AJR: ‘Your hippie friends call you a sellout cos you buckled down and got a job’… indeed.

Goodness, Something Real with Topher and Jenny was one thing, but with Mel and Josh it feels that much more… real. I mean. Tell me it doesn’t. I’m not crying over the cheesiness that is a musical ending number, you are. Except I am, too, of course. How could I not be?

I did not have Narrator x Rivera on my bingo cards for this season, but like, ‘I don’t hate it’. I actually wish I could see it play out.

What’s better than Leprechaun Martin Short? Leprechaun Martin Short x2. I am living for every bizarre, out-of-left-field thing this finale throws at me. I really really really want more.

Ok but, as a lover of child-centric musicals, I now need a s3 with Josh and Mel and their little one in a land with more than one child-centred musical number. It’s not a want, it’s a need. 

#schmigadoon #schmigadoon s2 #schmicago #schmicago spoilers #an extra long reaction post for good old times' sake

[bastetwastaken]

It's my birthday today, and my brain has decided that my gift will be a flare in my depression, which means I've been writing something incredibly self indulgent. But I guess you all get a treat too so it's all good. <3 <3

Here's a lil something set in the Double Exposure universe but you don't need to have read the fic to understand it. Atem is having one of those days, and Yugi is more than happy to help him.

(Not explicitly stated but themes of dealing with depression under the cut)

......................

“You don’t seem like yourself today.” Mahad said from beside him. 

“Hm.” He acknowledged his friend but didn’t really feel like saying much more. 

The truth was that he didn’t feel like himself either. He didn’t understand why he had to feel this way sometimes but unfortunately he was used to it. He’d been fine when he woke up beside Yugi that morning, excited when Yugi kissed him goodbye and he hurried to the car to join Mahad and start his day, content to do as he was asked on set and enjoyed himself…

Then suddenly some time after lunch his mood had taken a turn for no reason other than his brain deciding he just wasn’t going to be happy that afternoon. He only hoped that hadn’t shown in his shoot. 

He sighed and pulled his hood over his head as they exited the building, trying to hide behind Mahad instead of letting people see him. Recently he’d been taking more time to talk to fans who decided to wait for him and he’d at least humour the paparazzi, but today he didn’t feel like it. 

Mahad seemed to take the hint that he wasn’t in the mood for talking and remained silent…until they were in the car. 

“You don’t have to talk about anything else.” Mahad started. “But just answer one question, where are you spending the night?” 

He hesitated for a moment, quickly weighing up what would be best, to go to Yugis and wait for him to return home in the place he found so much comfort in or to go back to the hotel with Mahad and spend his time in a soulless room. 

His hand felt for the key in his pocket that Yugi had given him only a few days ago. He hadn’t used it yet, but Yugi had told him he was welcome in his home anytime, even if he wasn’t in.

It was the one place Atem could hide from the world. 

“Yugis, please.” He said quietly. 

Mahad nodded and continued to drive. 

Swallowing a sigh he looked out of the window, staring at nothing in particular, but taking in the city all the same as he allowed his thoughts to wander. Yugi would still be working given the time and that suited him perfectly. He’d have Yugi's wonderful home to sit quietly in for an hour at least. 

He was already looking forward to snuggling into Yugi's sofa with the overstuffed soft cushions, pulling the fuzzy blanket he always kept folded on the back of the sofa over him and just being surrounded by Yugi until he felt better. 

Maybe he’d even get a quick shower too, he had some clothes at Yugis which he could change into and Yugi had told him he was welcome to do as he pleased when at his so he doubted he’d mind Atem helping himself to a shower. 

Tears stung his eyes and he fought the urge to scream because he didn’t even know why. There was nothing that had upset him today, the date held no significance, people had been nothing but kind to him but still…he wanted to curl up into a ball and cry anyway. 

Days like these came more often than he’d ever admit yet he was still to find a way to deal with them now he couldn’t drown his sorrows and ignore his feelings…

He didn’t realise where they were until the car stopped, then he recognised the house they were parked outside and he felt relieved to know that he didn’t have to be outside any longer, didn’t have to be in public. 

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow unless you let me know otherwise.” Mahad said softly. “Call me if you need anything.” 

“Thank you.” He nodded, then jumped out of the car, pulling the key out of his pocket and making his way to Yugi's front door. 

The Kuriboh charm hanging on the key smiled up at him as he turned the lock and despite how he was feeling, the little charm made him smile because it was just so…Yugi. 

He closed the door softly behind him and then leaned forward, his palms flat against the surface and his forehead pressed to the smooth wood. 

For a moment he just breathed. 

In…out, slow and deep and he felt himself relax gradually. He felt the pressure of the day fall from his shoulders and he leaned heavily against the door, feeling as if he could finally drop the act, there were no expectations on him now, no need to fake smiles.  

He was home now, he could just…be. 

“Welcome home.” Yugi's voice startled him and he jumped upright, blinking rapidly to try to fight back the tears which threatened to fall as he turned to face his boyfriend. 

“I’m sorry.” He said quickly. “I thought you were working…I would have knocked if-” 

“It’s okay.” Yugi smiled at him and he so desperately wished he could find it in himself to return it easily but he felt his own smile was forced, he knew it didn’t quite reach his eyes and he could tell Yugi knew something was up. “I gave you that key for you to use anytime.” 

He nodded, bending to take off his boots as Yugi moved over to him slowly. He took his time with the laces, not wanting to face Yugi just yet. 

Of course he loved his boyfriend, of course he was glad to see him but he just…didn’t want to have to talk to anyone. Deep down he knew it would probably help, but he just couldn’t bring himself to speak right now. 

Yugi never judged him, aside from Mahad, Yugi was the one person that he could allow himself to be vulnerable in front of, the one person who he didn’t mind losing himself around because he knew that no matter how far he fell, Yugi would bring him back. 

Still though, he tried to keep most of it to himself. Old habits die hard and he’d been hiding his feelings for way too long now to simply…stop doing it. 

He had long finished with his boots but he remained on the floor, trying to talk himself down before daring to look back up.

A gentle hand on his knee was the first thing that alerted him to the fact Yugi had joined him on the floor, he glanced up at him, then looked back down at the wood floor, following the grain with his eyes, not trusting himself to look at his boyfriend just yet. 

“You don’t have to speak.” Yugi said quietly. “But I’m here.” 

He nodded. 

“It’s not…” He sighed. “It’s silly.” 

“No.” Yugi's hand moved to take one of his, pulling it away from his boot and intertwining their fingers together. “What’s silly is that you thought you had to go through this alone.” 

He looked at their joined hands, biting his lip as he tried to think of something to say. Nothing came to mind though. 

“You trust me, right?” Yugi asked softly, his other hand coming to rest against his cheek, thumb brushing against his skin slowly as his face was gently lifted until he was looking at Yugi.

“Yes.” He said. Yugi gave him a small smile. 

“Nothing I say can make what you’re feeling go away, but perhaps I can help make it a little better…Come with me.” Yugi said. 

He nodded and let Yugi pull him to his feet, let him lead them back to the bedroom and felt the excitement stir in his stomach, but shook it off when Yugi walked past the bed and opened one of the drawers Atem kept some of his own clothes in too. 

“Get comfortable.” Yugi said, handing him the only pair of sweatpants he owned and an oversized t-shirt. He took them, clutching them to his chest as he nodded, then Yugi reached out to place a hand against his cheek again, smiling at him. “When you’re ready come find me, I’ll be making tea.” 

He leaned into Yugi’s touch, already feeling a little better having his boyfriend so close to him. When he stepped back Yugi gave him another sweet smile then he turned and left the room. 

He stood there for a moment longer, hugging the soft clothes that smelled of Yugi to his chest and trying not to let himself go just yet, trying not to give into the way he wanted to just crumble to the floor, curl up on himself and cry until he couldn’t anymore. 

Slowly he placed the clothes on the bed and he began to change. Shedding the clothes he’d spent all day in made him feel a little better, less restricted, less…judged. 

Once he was fully changed, he felt a little lighter. He left the bedroom and walked toward the kitchen, Yugi looked over his shoulder and smiled at him when he walked in, then beckoned him over to the counter where he was standing. 

Yugi held out an arm and he accepted the hint gladly, leaning against his boyfriends side and sighing happily when he was pulled into a tight hug. He smiled as he watched Yugi finish their drinks and this time it felt a little more natural on his face. 

They didn’t remain there for long, Yugi nudged him gently and he moved away enough to let his boyfriend turn to face him. 

Yugi joined their hands and looked into his eyes for a moment, a soft smile on his face. 

“You know, you don’t have to be so brave when you’re with me.” Yugi told him. 

He looked back into those beautiful eyes so full of patience and love, the eyes which had never judged him, never expected him to be anything more than he was, never wanted more from him than he was willing to give…and he broke. 

The tears fell quickly, his shoulders shook and he took a shaky breath. He was pulled back into Yugi's arms immediately and he crumbled further. He leaned heavily against Yugi, forcing his boyfriend to lean back against the counter to hold them both up, but feeling Yugi's arms around him, hearing his soft words in his ear and having hands run slowly over his back was all the comfort he needed. 

“I’m sorry.” He whispered, pressing his face to Yugi's neck. “I don’t even know what’s wrong with me.” 

“Atem, it’s okay.” Yugi said softly. “Nothing is wrong with you, it’s just one of those days, but I’m here for you. Let me love you.” 

“I’ll try.” He sighed, his tears had stopped, but he remained hidden in Yugi's arms, safe from the world.

“You’re such a wonderful person.” Yugi said, hands running down his back slowly. “You always make me feel so good…I wish you’d treat yourself the same way you treat me.” 

“I’m trying.” He said, hands tightening on Yugi’s shirt and holding him closer. 

It wasn’t the first time Yugi had said something like that to him and it probably wouldn’t be the last, and he really was trying, but years of self hatred didn’t just disappear overnight and Yugi knew that. 

“I know, and you’re doing amazing.” Yugi said softly, Atem felt his lips against his temple, a soft kiss followed even softer words. “Now, I’ll happily hold you for as long as you need me to, but we should move to the sofa instead of standing here in the kitchen.” 

He nodded, Yugi was right, it couldn’t be comfortable for him to stand here with his back against the counter, Atems weight crushing him against the hard surface. 

“I might take that offer for the rest of the night.” He said with a quiet laugh. 

“Oh no, what a shame.” Yugi said sarcastically. “I’ll be stuck under a gorgeous model for the rest of the night, I really hate my life.” 

The words made him giggle and Yugi laughed softly too. 

“I’d hate to make you suffer.” He teased. 

“Hm.” Yugi slid a hand up to his face to cup his cheek again. “It’s nothing I can’t handle. So take a cup and we can get comfortable.” 

Reluctantly he forced himself out of his boyfriend's arms and picked up one of the two mugs Yugi had been filling when he joined him, walking to the living room and settling down on one half of the sofa. 

Yugi took a seat next to him, holding an arm out to him as he leaned back into the cushions. He was all too happy to fall back into Yugi’s warm embrace. 

Whilst they sipped their drinks, Yugi put one of Atems favourite movies on and held him close, he never spoke, didn’t try to force Atem to tell him anything and never asked him to do anything more than he was in that moment. 

It was just what he needed. 

As much as he had intended on dealing with his feelings by crying in the shower for a while then sitting in complete silence alone, he was glad Yugi had been home and that he didn’t have to spend time alone with his thoughts. 

Once his cup was empty he shifted to lay down, Yugi moved with him and wrapped his arms around him, laughing as Atem buried his head under his chin. 

“I’m glad you were home.” He said quietly. 

“My late meeting was cancelled, so I decided to do the rest of my shift from home.” Yugi told him. “I’m glad I could be here for you.” 

“Today has been tough.” He said after a moment of silence. 

“I understand.” Yugi said, a hand ran through his hair and soothed his thoughts. “It’s not easy, but you made it through the day, and for that, I am so proud of you. Now though, you don’t need to be anything, you don’t need to do anything, just stay here with me.” 

Those words made him blush and he hid his face in Yugi's neck, smiling to himself. 

“Thank you.” He murmured. 

“Is there anything you’d like to talk about?” Yugi pressed gently. 

“There’s nothing to say.” He said honestly. “My mind is just…” He trailed off, not sure how to finish that sentence. 

“I understand.” Yugi told him, sliding his fingers through his hair again. “If there’s anything you need, or anything I can do for you, just let me know.”

“I will.” He said, a content sigh left his lips when Yugi began running his hands slowly down his back, fingers slowly trailing down his spine and then back up, slipping into his hair before repeating the path again. 

He felt himself relaxing further into Yugi, enjoying the way that their bodies fit together, how easily he melted into Yugi's embrace, the way Yugi’s touches made him feel even though they were only small. 

His eyes closed and his breathing began to slow a little, but he fought to stay awake, they should get up soon and make some dinner or order something or-

“You can go to sleep, I don’t mind.” Yugi said quietly, lips against his temple and a hand running slowly through his hair again. “I won’t leave you.” 

“Promise?” He asked although he knew the answer. 

“I promise.” Yugi said, kissing his head softly. “I’ll never leave you.” 

“I love you.” He whispered, closing his eyes and resting his head against Yugi's shoulder, placing a soft kiss to the collar bone exposed to him. 

“And I love you.” Yugi replied, his voice so soft, Atem barely heard it. “More than anything on this earth.” 

He sighed happily and melted into Yugi’s arms even more, breathing in the scent of Yugi’s skin and his home, feeling safe, warm and content to remain here for the rest of the night.

...................

If you wanna read the (complete) fic along with some amazing artwork in which these two idiots fall in love, check it out here on Ao3

#puzzleshipping #atem #yugi mutou #model au #journalist au #another stupid cliche thing from the mind of Bastet #fanfic #ygo dm #i just want a hug

[gay-dorito-dust]

But that's why it's so fun though. There's definitely the surface level canon story.

It's fun to think, what if? Especially with easter eggs or vague elements showing the tiniest connection to another. Someone had to create that, so maybe they had an idea the viewer would too. If so, then what would the story look like if this connection is canon. Bonus points if it is canon and theres tiny nuggets all over the place. Im looking at you, eldren ring 😘👅. Overall, it expands the story and adds depth, and who doesn't like that. (Trick question: NO ONE)

Lmao YOU KNOW he was waiting!! The pan away shot was so the audience couldn't see the filthy smirk on his face after saying that. Leon is totally a "fun guy" at heart *snaps finger guns*. Definitely loves to crack jokes. It's just given his surroundings and the situation he usually in, it's totally not called for. Especially his type of...humor, which already isn't that funny in a normal environment. Then when he says it, it's a double "Oh hell no." for me, dawg.

AHHHHH lmaooo you like his jokes! You're more whipped me than! 🤣 I'm shriveling up. A chocolate eclair 💀 we gotta build that up! (I can't talk mine is as tough as extra firm tofu)

Fr I totally understand. I'd feel bad especially since he's trying to lighten the environment, plus I know he hates this more than I do. Replace me with Ashley and all I hear are gunshots, goreish noises, and foreign yelling 24/7...👁👄👁 I'm listening to "Leon's jokes on a 10 hour loop" (some of them). I'd have to scrape up the courage to think of jokes and not hyper fixating on my environment and future death or Leon's back 😉.

I'd either beg Leon for a mercy kill or do it myself. I'm not built for that world. Also if Leon actually said that, he'd get 1 good noodle star, cuz that actually made me laugh.🤡

I'm hollering!! I was thinking the same thing but couldn't find the meme!!! Thank you!!🥹

Leon is a frat party and a Bang energy drink (the only option) with a plate of hooters wings away from being the "you're not that guy pal". Maybe the trauma was worth it.

(Again sorry for any grammar mistake. I can't read or write)

I love a game with little nuggets that subtly connect to one another to weave an story beneath the common storyline. It just gives you more insight to…well everything! It’s one of my favourites that the game developers are like ‘we’re gonna give long time players a treat and new time players a fun thing to unravel.’

Ngl, Leon would single-handedly give me brain rot so bad that I start doing crappy, half asses one liners.

It’s a disease and he’s the cause.

It ain’t my fault that Leon is so unbelievably pretty! My kryptonite is pretty boys and unfortunately Leon is on-top of the list for prettiest boys!

All he’d have to do if flash me a smile and I’d be like; 😩 😳😖🥵🤤🫠

The trauma Leon has been through had altered him so much so that his coping mechanisms are to make shitty one liners to EVERYTHING.

He thinks he’s a cool kid at heart, we know that ain’t true. He’s a dorky dork that thinks his humour is the shit.

Me: Leon go to therapy, you’re obviously not okay.

Leon: Therapy is for losers and I am no loser😎

Me: you’ve missed 6 appointments, the jokes got to stop-

In all fairness he probs doesn’t think therapy would work out for him at all and also over works himself to the bone. I remember someone saying that the reasons for Leon being jacked as all hell in re4 is so he doesn’t get taken by surprise anymore.

My baby needs a hug but he’d probably be so on edge and alert that I wouldn’t be able to without triggering his fight or flight responses.

I’d get too distracted by Leon’s ass and have a deep debate within myself whether or not it’s be inappropriate to slap it. Also Leon doesn’t skip leg day. He’s got nice thighs, and arms…and back…nice tits…

Leon probably would drink bang energy in means of staying up at night. How he finds out about bang is anyones guess.

#resident evil 4 remake #re4 remake #re4 leon #Leon imagines #Leon imagine #resident evil imagines #resident evil imagine #leon kennedy imagines #leon kennedy x reader #resident evil x reader #leon kennedy fluff #resident evil fluff

[reviewinghiccup]

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY HTTYD FANDOM! | HTTYD TALKS | DRAWING PARALLELS

Can you imagine? It's has been 13 years since the world of Berk and the archipelago opened up to us. Since we entered this crazy, viking village 12 degrees north from hopeless and a few degrees south of freezing to death.

I reckon the HTTYD anniversaries might kick off a little differently for fans all over the globe depending on its opening, because DreamWorks commemorated the HTTYD's 13 years on the 22nd of March on Instagram, though I distinctly remember it opening where I was on the 27th because it was also my birthday and I wanted to watch a movie.

Which means, yes, guys, I'm turning 24 today! HAHA! To mark this double celebration, I thought of doing something fun and a little different from my usual posts just to get the ball rolling. So, question, have you guys ever watched She's Out of My League?

She's Out of My League is a Jay Baruchel movie. A rom-com produced by Paramount Pictures AND (wait for it...) DreamWorks Pictures. It was released in March 2010 which meant that our Hiccup-voice-actor here had two movies playing at the cinema simultaneously.

I remembered that I wasn't allowed to watch the movie, but my older brother (10 years older than me) snuck me into the theatres to watch. I remember him covering my eyes for a bit and not understanding a lot of the humour back then, but I did remember the premise, so here goes...

Premise:

Kirk (Jay Baruchel) is your everyday, average Joe. Coupled w the fact that he is somewhat a pushover and insidiously insecure, he tries to get back with his manipulative ex-girlfriend Marni. After that failed, he stumbles onto the path of the beautiful Molly, who by beauty standards, personality and life-style choices is considered a hard 10, while he is rated a mere 5.

When Molly seems to take an interest in Kirk, the whole world is put out of balance and their friends smell impending doom by virtue of their different "social ratings." However, are these standards real, or just a social construct that needs debunking?

______________________________________

I'm not here to criticise the movie. I'm sure we all have our thoughts. Nor am I saying that this movie or the romantic storyline holds a candle to the HTTYD franchise or Hiccstrid, but, it was hilarious to discover a number of parallels between these two worlds.

DRAWING PARALLELS

THE CHARACTERS

Kirk Kettner (Jay Baruchel) - The awkward underdog, highly underestimated by everyone including himself and doesn't see that he is, in fact, more than his make.

Molly (Alice Eve) - The beautiful, blonde and determined love interest. Lawyer turned successful events planner. Independent, fiercely confident and a real go-getter.

Devon (Nate Torrence) - The nicer friend in Kirk's friend group. An adorable, huggable sweetie pie who still believes in magic and romance.

Dylan (Kyle Bornheimer) - The guy you'd love to hate. He is Kirk's overbearing older brother who bullies Kirk to mask his own insecurities.

Stainer (T.J. Miller) - The quick talking, witty side-kick whose crazy ideas propels the storyline into an absurd direction. Who is actually, also Tuffnut.

Katie (Kim Shaw) - Molly's younger, dimwitted sister who is just getting by.

Patty (Krysten Ritter) - Molly's best friend and business partner. Strong-willed, independent and fiercely loyal.

THEME, MESSAGE & STORYLINE

(1) IT ISN'T ABOUT HOW YOU LOOK LIKE, BUT WHO YOU ARE ON THE INSIDE

It's a cliche to say, beauty is from within. But it doesn't make it less true. I think what makes Molly attractive is because she is a really nice person, adaptable. Her beauty is an aspect of it. Imagine if Molly had Marni's personality. The story would've turned differently.

This is also Kirk's selling point. The pinnacle of his entire personality is the nice guy card, it's what attracts Molly.

Likewise w Hiccup, he is a genuinely good guy. You can't fault him for his courtesy. Though Kirk's personality seems more like a caricature of Hiccup's, ironically. And, Hiccup's strength and leadership is not something you'd notice on his person but in him.

(2) YOU NEED TO BE GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOURSELF

I loved Portrait of Hiccup as a Buff Man [Episode 8, Season 1 (Riders of Berk)] for many reasons, but mainly because it was the episode Hiccup proves to himself that he is worthy.

She's Out of My League was a movie about Kirk learning that he is worthy. That he isn't just a five, that this whole rating system is nonsense. He was always good enough for Molly, he was never good enough for himself.

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE EPISODES FROM RIDERS OF BERK. THE LIST IS OPENED ALL WEEK!

Which is your favourite ROB episode (Part I)

Which is your favourite ROB episode (Part II)

Though She's Out of My League didn't dive into Kirk and Molly's relationship and life after they got back together, I am assuming Kirk found his courage in someways. He ends up flying a plane, which is a life long dream of his, he dreamt of becoming a pilot. And well, we all know that if Hiccup existed today, and was a real person, he would've been a pilot too. Maybe in the AirForce, on a jet black plane named Toothless.

HICCSTRID MOMENTS

No review of mine is complete without Hiccstrid.

Kirk and Molly have roughly the same hair colour as Hiccup and Astrid. My favourite scenes in She's Out of My League are the romantic montages of them going out. This is one of my favourite shots from the show:

I crushed hard on Jay Baruchel. I mean, the dude has got some game. I mean, awkward af, but still, he's pretty cute. I mean... let me show you...

I'm still smiling!

THE ROMANTIC MONTAGES IN SHE'S OUT OF MY LEAGUE FELT LIKE A HICCSTRID AU FAN FICTION GOT PRODUCED INTO A MUSIC VIDEO!

I'm not recommending you guys watch this show by the way. If you haven't that is. If you're not used to this type of adult-comedy, you might not like it. The pacing is a little choppy, and it does slap you w many cringy moments. But sometimes, its just so ridiculously hopeless you can't help but laugh.

I don't remember if the show did well, but its not a bad movie (to me). It was underrated for what it was trying to accomplish, but it could definitely do w some refining . Like, I would've loved it if they developed the characters and the romance more.

But at the time the movie was released, I think a lot of people related to Kirk. The whole, "on a scale of 1 to 10" thing has messed w a lot of confidences.

As a teenager, I reckon that's more of a problem. I remember that popular girls in school were always pretty and the hot guys were always good looking. And well, it's hard to not believe that looks don't play a part.

But, once I grew out of it, I honestly found those attributes to come in second to many other qualities of a person. Looks just happen to be a bonus. Hahaha, look at me, a day older and already issuing unsolicited advice.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY HTTYD FANDOM!

#HTTYD #How to Train Your Dragon #Hiccup x Astrid #Hiccstrid #she's out of my league #dreamworks movie #dreamworks dragons #kirk x molly #HTTYD anniversary #Happy Birthday #to me #happy birthday #httyd fandom #httyd franchise #httyd talks #jay baruchel #alice eve #hiccup HTTYD #krysten ritter

[tearskillstardust]

hii i was hoping i could participate in ur dec game <3

im an intj 5w6 libra sun pisces moon taurus rising

fav characters are zhongli, neuvillette, kaveh and alhaitham

my preferred aesthetic is dark academia

personality : not shy but just reserved around those im unfamiliar with. not very emotional either unless its with a close friend/someone im comfortable around (but i do feel very deeply). im relatively calm and overall quiet since i dont feel the need for words all the time + im philosophical by nature and i find it hard to connect with my peers due to our differences— i seek out those who have full understanding towards certain things, but i often feel as though others are often shallow with connections. i often look and analyze whatever principles something is ruled under, often questioning them internally.

from an outer perspective im often seen as outright cold but my best friends disagree, im very energetic and eccentric when im comfortable with someone, very dramatic at times as well. when it comes to things like school i just stay quiet so i dont have to deal with others LOL

words that define me (according to my bff): honest, intelligent (thanked her for this AHAH), introverted, dramatic, wise, possessive, imaginative, sensitive to those i care about, logical

hobbies : reading, writing philosophy/research and essay type of stuff, going to the theatre (for operas, specifically), learning languages, what else.. oh yes im very into history/politics idk i dont have much to say

id like to participate in 1- stellar union and 5- venus aesthetic with whoever you match me with

take care of yourself and have a lovely day<<3

1] STELLAR UNION ! ░ the genshin characters you get along most with are ...

ALBEDO !

—the chalk prince has quite the reputation for being an unintentional heart stealer. while it does bother him at times, somewhat concerned as he sometimes is to keep a reputation that is clear of such faults, he does not mind it to a great extent. with you, though, he would start questioning if he really is all that charming. he would find you ethereal upon first sight. there would be a look of serenity yet brightness on your features that would make him think of you as god's favourite canvas. your inclination towards literature and art while also maintaining curiosity and skill in the field of science and philosophy would not fail to amaze him. your empathy and natural sensitivity to others' feelings would also make him very soft.

—while the first conversation would undeniably be based on physical attraction, the more he would get to know you, the deeper his adoration for you would stretch. he would find you as the perfect companion to speak to about all his pursuits, be it science, arts or just random exchanges over topics of curiosity. he would also admire how you don't necessarily feel the desire to speak or interact and how you find solace in quiet too. he would feel understood by you because you radiate an aura of comfort. he would admire your level of balance in all pursuits, be it life or career and would also feel much more organized and in control of things when in your company. there would be mutual understanding regarding many aspects of life and work which would make you two get along very well naturally.

—you'd find him lacking in interest and passion initially, but as you get to know him better, he would reveal the more funny and humourous side of himself which he rarely shows. you would get to witness his rebellious side that intentionally researches and studies the subjects he is barred from. there would be lovely moments between you two because there would be unspoken understanding. imagine sneaking out to a park at midnight together, staying a bit too long at the lab and accidentally setting something on fire, experimenting with the recipe of chocolates and ending up making something else entirely which actually tastes better, having inside double meaning jokes, talking so much in class the teacher makes you two sit separately and then talking across the class through hand gestures, being the teacher's favourites yet the most feared ones and sharing vulnerable moments.

WRIOTHESLEY !

—yet another man who would be curious about you based on looks initially. though with him, he would find you more of a mystery, like the hidden part of the moon instead of an ethereal being. he would find you as someone unattainable and would thus ignite his curiosity. initially, there would be discord and disagreement but when you two come closer, if it ever happens that is, then you two would come to finally understand the root of each other's thinking process and develop an intimate bond full of understanding. there would be a lot of trust, from his side especially. because you both crave a connection that is deep and heart-touching, there would be an alignment of desires which would lead to undying passion from both sides. he would also be touched by how you feel everything so deeply.

—he would love how you can adjust with both sides of him; the clingy and the distant one. he would admire how you aren't all about talking even though you're amazing at it, and that you don't mind thinking rationally and keeping emotions aside. it would make him very comfortable in sharing his ideas and opinions with you and you would be a safe outlet for him. he would adore you a lot and look up to you as a pillar of support when his own barriers of patience are breaking. being someone hardworking, he desires the company of someone who can help him with stress relief, so he'd be very touched by your ability to indulge in that too by giving small messages or allowing him to sleep in your arms. while he isn't too big on it personally, he would definitely admire your penchant for literature and aesthetics and would love to share philosophies and ideas with you.

EULA !

—the first thing that would help you two bond would be your love for the arts and literature. she would find you reading a rarer book of interest to her and would immediately note your face down in her mind and look forward to speaking with you, or even vice verca. there would be great potential for the two of you to bond over similar interests and going along that line, you two would get to know each other more and more, getting closer with time. she would admire your empathetic yet practical nature and you would find her calmness and patience the best quality of her temperament.

—going along this very line, it also means that she would be more than willing to reveal her insecurities, fears and vulnerabilities to you. she would feel fun around you, as in, you would be able to bring out the more innocent, childish and fun-loving part of her that was suppressed in her younger years. due to this, she'd feel like her best self in your company. there would be freshness and fun here, and a shared element of admiration. you two would bring out the better, brighter side of each other; your inner children who are willing to hold each other's hands and explore the world together!

5] VENUS AESTHETIC ! ░ you and albedo ...

:D ! <3

#genshin impact #genshin #genshin imagines #genshin x reader #event #anon <3

[cuddlytogas]

GOOD OMENS 2 SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT!! spewed out right after binging last night and then added to today. I'm mostly gonna ramble about structure rather than content, but the last few bits get quite spoilery

before that, though, one other thought: I DO hope the power of fandom now will mean that we'll get an influx of people listening to Cabin Pressure and JFSP and Double Acts and all that good stuff!!! John Finnemore is such an incredible writer and comedian, and I know the "following fandom brain into a rabbithole of someone's previous work" is a lot more common for actors than writers, but. one can dream!!!!!!! knowing Finnemore was a co-writer was what reassured me that the new season wasn't going to be an unnecessary sequel, he's so fucking good, and in conclusion ---

okay onto the s2 thoughts

obviously I'm, like. insane now. like I'm gonna shatter into a million pieces and also be sick. I have LOST my MIND. and it WAS good!!!

but also

I thought the pacing wasn't nearly as good as s1? obvs s1 had the ticking clock element, which is hard to recreate without just having another ticking clock, but especially some of the flashbacks tended to linger a smidge too long, and you could tell some of them were written by other writers - the "minisodes" thing I think didn't HELP. obviously I don't think this was a MAJOR problem, and I'll want a rewatch when i feel less Fully Insane to judge properly, but even ending aside, I feel like it didn't have quite the same structural/pacing qualities that made s1 so watchable

I thought the extension of the preexisting 1941 flashback felt... a bit hack-y? (it also went on too long tbh.) the reason those worked so well in s1 was because they were these little snippets, extending it (again, especially to the length that they did) was a little... hm. not, like, a cardinal sin, and it might just be a taste thing, but. again, the "minisodes written by other writers" thing didn't help.

and I'm REALLY sad it was released all at once!! with all the mystery elements, I would've loved a week to week format - even two episodes a week - to really digest all the clues, to sit and speculate and process each reveal/development! I just read that Neil Gaiman wanted that too, so it's extra hurtful. it would've been such a satisfying way to consume the show, but alas, Binge Culture must prevail, I guess :\

finally... I might be genuinely disappointed by the ending? I mean, the religious trauma is Strong With This One, and it'll depend on what they do with s3 (I'm not even going to humour the idea of no s3), but just... okay, real spoilers from here

it felt like Aziraphale really backslided?? like, wasn't the whole point of s1 the learning of "heaven and hell are both a bit shit and we're on our own side"? I understand why the final choice was compelling, both to him and the audience, but even across the season - and especially taking both seasons' flashbacks into account - he really sort of pinged back and forth between learning the lesson and going right back into denial about it, in a way that started to feel less like a character flaw and more like a cheat to keep the drama going. obvs his final choice was DEVASTATING, but also I couldn't stop thinking that Aziraphale... knows better??? not just "he should know better, how heartbreaking", but haven't we SEEN that he KNOWS BETTER?? it felt... inconsistent? again, as a writing choice rather than a character thing

like, I've slept on this thought now and calmed down a little about it, obviously I'm a bit biased by how also extremely painful that whole last scene was to watch, but - thing it, it's not even the decision itself that sits so formally wrong with me! the "I could fix things if I were in power" self-delusion is a very believable and narratively compelling (READ: HEARTBREAKING) move, as is him believing "if Crowley were an angel and I fixed everything then we could be safe and together and everything would be fine"!

but specifically the "but heaven are the good guys" - that gets me! like, after everything?? you really still believe that?? I thought it was obvious you learnt your lesson?? something something, "how can someone so smart be SO stupid?" - except we already did that bit in s1!! ahhh I dunno, it just rings a bit too much of the kind of undoing character development and recycling drama that I reeaaaally don't like :\

like, just. the pure disbelief in crowley's face - "tell me you said no" - like, yeah. and not just in a character sympathy way, but - come on, Aziraphale!! we've been through this so many times now!!!

again, this will also all rest on how it's handled in s3. and I have some faith! s2 actually bringing up crowley's "I was there when you tried to destroy Aziraphale, I saw your face when you told him to shut up and die" was revelatory, I loved that they actually made reference to it. and the writers are good! this isn't going to be a wwdits situation, I think we're safe in that. but s2 definitely had a few more plotty/pacing flaws, and that's just SUCH a huge betrayal - that whole ending was so massive - I have a lot of gay fear about how it'll all be resolved.

or, I dunno. maybe I'm just still too sad to think straight.

#Good Omens #Good Omens season 2 spoilers #spoilers #Good Omens spoilers #GoodOmenss2spoilers #GO2 #GO2 spoilers #pointless post is pointless #okay i think i'm done #just needed to throw some thoughts into the void

[madara-fate]

Annon-Guy: Cool! Just to let you know it only goes up to the Aizen Sibling Arc in the Manga compared to the Light Novel and Anime.

Feel free to reply once you read what you wanted or until the end.

P.S. I understand and respect your opinion about Harsh Tsunderes, I just hope it's not wrong for me and others like myself to love those characters or being insultly called "masochists" or f**kers for that. Thank you for understanding.

Honestly, I just don't find that nonsense funny, at all. I really just fail to see the humour in women physically abusing men for no justifiable reason. If people wouldn't laugh at men physically abusing women for no good reason, then I see no reason why the reverse would in any way be acceptable, let alone actually comical. No shade towards people who enjoy slapstick comedy, and like you, I respect your opinion on the matter, but it's not for me.

Physical abuse towards men is already largely downplayed in reality, and tropes like this which promote that annoying double standard aren't helping matters. Now I don't mean to compare fiction to reality, but as someone who is rather passionate about that subject in reality, when I see things like this in fiction, it just bothers me.

[chronically-enthusiastic]

The Ending of Good Omens S2: An Ineffable Analysis

So I wrote this analysis of the ending of Good Omens S2, and the duck situation... Its quite long, my apologies... Unless you like reading long essays, in which case enjoy!!

The Ducks

Before we begin, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the ducks. 

Throughout both the book and the show, there has been a running theme. Ducks. It all began back in the 1990s when Good Omens was published. Around the start of the book, Crowley attempts to use the analogy ‘Like water rolls off a duck’s back’, except he has a lapse of memory. He struggles to find the word to complete this simile. The conversation moves on after a few lines, Crowley apparently resigning to not ever reach the satisfying end of the thought. We read the next two pages and forget that anything ever happened. 

DUCKS! Two pages later we are interrupted by this remark from Crowley. This short joke made it’s way into the television programme and has since become the recognised epitome of humour. 

On July 28th, Good Omens Season 2 is released on Amazon Prime. In Episode 1, Crowley and Shax are seen on a bench. Crowley remarks that one should not feed bread to ducks. He is asked what, if not bread, one should feed ducks. This question is ignored. 

The Ending

The Kiss

The kiss is something that lends itself to be analysed. I would like to begin by quoting part of something Mr Gaiman talked about on Tumblr. He said “I don’t think kissing scenes have much to do with love… Crowley’s kiss is about a lot of things but it's not to show they're in love: if you haven't got it by then you'll never get it.” This is vitally important to recognise, in my opinion. I do read Crowley and Aziraphale’s relationship as not purely platonic: it is my belief that they are in the middle ground between a romantic and platonic relationship. The general name given to this is a Queer Platonic Relationship (a QPR for short).

FROZEN PEAS!

“Frozen peas, that’s what you should feed ducks.” Thus the joke returns, and the appreciation for ducks and duck humour is doubled. Duck!! No, seriously, duck, I’m throwing a book at you. 

I agree with Gaiman. The kiss was never about romantic love. Crowley was frightened of what a world without Aziraphale would look like. He was gripped with fear about him leaving. He needed to do something that could convey to Aziraphale just how he felt, why, exactly, he could not face life without him. And they have been on earth for so long. They know how humans work, how they express love. In kissing Aziraphale, he attempted to not only remind him of humanity’s capacity for love, but to reinforce that they are on their own side. They are more human than ever before. They understand people in a way that angels and demons never will. And in showing that they are more human than them, Crowley is telling Aziraphale that the beings in heaven and hell will never understand him as well as Crowley does. 

We also see evidence of this throughout their lives in other ways. 

Crowley calls Aziraphale 'angel' much more frequently than is absolutely necessary. You see, it must be acknowledged that Crowley understands human culture. He instructs Shax on complex human interaction, such as sarcasm. There is no way that he does not know that ‘angel’ is a term of endearment for humans. He understands this, and uses it for perhaps that reason. 

Yet there is another perspective to be looked at here. We have already seen how Crowley might use human behaviours to persuade Aziraphale, but what if in this case he is using them to remind himself of something. 

It is true that Aziraphale is an angel, the literal meaning of the word. What if Crowley uses this term to remind himself that Aziraphale will always be an angel, no matter how much Crowley wants otherwise. It is a reminder to himself that despite what he may want, how far he is willing to go, Aziraphale will never stand down from his position as an angel. We have seen how they have discussed being on their own side before. It is always Crowley who initiates the idea. 

Despite knowing this, despite reminding himself of the fact near-daily, he has the courage to ask once more if Aziraphale will leave them for him. And Aziraphale says no. We see the pain on both of their faces as they realise the real implications of him saying no. And we must remember that this is not the first time Crowley has asked this of Aziraphale. He knew that there was a real chance of him saying no: he has said it before. Yet that time Aziraphale denied him because he wanted to save earth, he was on humanity’s side. This time? This time Aziraphale is saying no so that he can go back to heaven’s side. 

"You could be an angel.... my second in command." 

The heartbreak and pain they, Crowley especially, must be feeling is ineffable. Crowley laid his heart bare for Aziraphale. He dared to hope, to be optimistic, and it didn’t work. How will this affect him in the future? Will he allow himself to be vulnerable again? I don’t think so. It will take Aziraphale apologising, coming back and confessing too, to let Crowley be vulnerable again. But even then, will that be enough? Only time and Mr Gaiman will tell.

Aziraphale’s Point

After watching Season 2, and having our hearts broken by Aziraphale, it is all too easy to put the blame on him. But honestly? I think he has a point.

Crowley explicitly states “We don’t need heaven. We don’t need hell. They’re toxic!” And while it is true that they don’t need them, the rest of the world is deeply affected by them. Aziraphale understands this, Crowley, however, does not. 

I’m not entirely sure what Crowley’s stance on saving the world is, but it’s certainly not the same as Aziraphale’s. Crowley has shown that he has a tendency to run away from the big problems. He suggests going to Alpha Centauri instead of preventing the apocalypse in S1, and again in the infamous S2 ending. So given this information, we must call into question who is correct.

Aziraphale is technically the person trying to achieve the best outcome for the most people. He is going to be in charge of heaven, and believes that he can make a difference in the system, even if it means sacrificing his own happiness and life with Crowley. (Whether or not this will actually be the case is yet to be seen, but I am going to discuss a little further into that later.) He wants to use the new position to do actual good, not the ‘Good’ heaven is obsessed with. We could read Crowley’s actions as selfish: he is potentially sacrificing the lives of everyone on earth so that he can be with Aziraphale. In fact, we see him acknowledge that that may well be the fate of the earth: “Earth will be just as dead if heaven causes it as it would be if hell did.” (or something to that effect). 

Is Crowley being selfish here, or just pessimistic? Perhaps he is wanting to leave Earth so that he doesn’t have to worry about that, leaving the humans at the mercy of the wills of the powers up above and down below. But equally, perhaps he truly believes that nothing can be done, and so is faced with the choice of going away with Aziraphale or being subjected to whatever hell will do with him after the second coming. Good Omens has taught us that there is no black and white, just shades of grey. Therefore, I cannot be an absolutist about who is in the wrong. However, I also feel that it has taught us to hope, to believe in the possibility so we can act in the best way possible.

I think that Aziraphale is right to want to make change. He has an opportunity here, given to him by the Metatron, to do something to prevent the second coming. He is not running away, and is sacrificing his own happiness to do what he believes is best. 

But beneath all that, the part of me that just wants them to live happily ever in a QPR as soon as possible is inordinately angry at him for not running away with Crowley. The message? Saving the world is important but I need you to be happy. 

Aziraphale’s Communication

Whilst I mostly agree with Aziraphale’s motivations, some time must be spent analysing his communication. There are many problems with it, and I think when analysed it will bring to light some of the more nuanced and less good parts of why he chose this path.

There is a moment where Crowley states that he said no to hell, and Aziraphale responds with “Well of course you did. You’re the bad guys”. I think that this line really speaks to the way that Aziraphale sees the world still. He uses the word ‘you’re’, not ‘they’re’. He still sees himself and Crowley on opposite sides of the line. After all of their conversations about the nuance of good and bad, how they are on their side, this idea is still entrenched in Aziraphale’s thinking. Let’s take a second here to think about the future.

For a proper character development, we need to see Aziraphale overcome this. He has been pretty stagnant in his character throughout the story so far. We saw Crowley undergo some significant development in that final episode. He finally admitted his feelings, and spoke about what was actually on his mind. So we know that they are both on a character arc. Surely Aziraphale will have a moment like this? There was not one in S1 or 2, therefore it is safe to assume that this will come in S3. I think that in S3 we will see Aziraphale finally recognise that the structural Good and Bad is not the right way of looking at things, and this will lead to a character change that will allow him to do what he must to stop the second coming. 

Aziraphale also doesn’t lead the conversation with the fact that he can make a difference. He leads it with “We can be together, in heaven. It can be just like old times, except nicer”. There’s a lot to unpack in this line. To Crowley, ‘nice’ has never been something he aspires to be, at least not openly. He seems to despise the idea of ‘nice’, as evidenced by “I’m not nice. I’m never nice. Nice is a four letter word.” He has also just shown that he does not want things to go back to the way they were before, which Aziraphale seems to have not listened to. In this scene, Aziraphale seems to fundamentally misunderstand where Crowley is coming from. He does not address anything that Crowley says, apart from perhaps “Oh Crowley, nothing lasts forever.”. But even in this he comes across as a little dismissive, and maybe a little patronising? And it still doesn’t address Crowley’s proposition. 

There is the question of whether or not Aziraphale is really in control of his actions in this scene. The Coffee Theory suggests that the Metatron drugged the coffee that he offered to Aziraphale, making him obey him. However, this is not my belief. To say that Aziraphale is not in control of himself here is to misunderstand the conversations he and Crowley have previously had, and to undermine his character. Yet, I do not think that he was aware of everything the Metatron was doing.

The Metatron

We are first introduced to the Metatron in S2 when Crowley is looking at the records in heaven. He is introduced as someone more concerned with the appearance of heaven than how it is actually run. We see him as cruel, and unmoving in his positions.

The next time we see him on screen is when he enters the bookshop, having just ordered a coffee. He interrupts the conversation without introduction, immediately asserting authority. No one, apart from two characters, appears to recognise him. This is intriguing because the archangels should have known who he was. Why this is, I do not know.

Two characters appear to recognise the Metatron. The first is Saraqeal. This is not confirmed, but judging by the lack of shock and indignation contrasted with their other angelic counterparts, we can assume that they do recognise him. Neil Gaiman said on Tumblr: “Paul Chahidi wasn't available when we were shooting. It was a pity. We had some secret things for Sandalphon to do. Saraqael did some of those things, and not others.” What are those secret things, we must ask ourselves? Is one of those the recognition we see from Saraqeal? And what will these secret things mean?

The other character is Crowley. The Metatron asks him directly who he thinks he is, and Crowley answers correctly. This is very interesting for a few reasons. Why does the Metatron ask Crowley of all people? Perhaps to establish power - he knows who knows who he is, he is proving his omniscience so as not to be questioned later. And how does he know that Crowley knows? 

Anyhow, I digress. The point is that from the moment he walks in, he establishes his power and makes everyone else feel shameful. As a person who is admired by the angels, this is an interesting move to make. It makes the angels feel as though they have slighted him in some way, and so will feel compelled to make it up to him - remember that Aziraphale is an angel too (we established this previously in the essay). He then reinforces the idea that they have done something wrong by demanding the archangels leave, but keeping the lowest angel present. This makes the archangel Uriel question if they have done anything wrong, and the Metatron purposefully gives a vague answer so as to maintain power. This display of power is interesting because it is not the people he is exerting power over who are his target. His target is Aziraphale.

The aforementioned tactic is done to impress his power into Aziraphale. His intention is that Aziraphale will feel less power because of this, therefore more willing to do as instructed. The Metatron’s next manipulation tactic is to ignore Crowley. He knows Crowley is not one to stick to the rules (“Ah, well, always did want to go his own way. Always asking damn fool questions, too.”), and will likely help Aziraphale see the truth. The Metatron needs Aziraphale to be convinced before Crowley can tamper with his plan. Therefore, he ignores Crowley, both making Aziraphale feel more important, and making Crowley feel less powerful. He then removes Airaphale from Crowley and onto neutral ground. This is a known technique in manipulation. The conversation then ensues in the restaurant across the road. 

During this, the Metatron describes the characteristics he sees in Aziraphale that would make him a good replacement for Gabriel. This flattery is intriguing because they are not characteristics necessarily seen in Aziraphale. He then pulls out the Crowley card, saying Aziraphale could reinstate him. He obviously knows about their relationship, and so is trying to assure Aziraphale that he can still have everything he wants, yet if he knows that then surely he will know Crowley’s response. The Metatron is giving Aziraphale false hope so as to convince him to join him in heaven. 

The thing that I think is most vital to understand is that Aziraphale never explicitly says yes. Infact, at the end of the conversation Aziraphale asks for more time to think it through, which is answered with a ‘yes, of course’, yet followed with a ‘Why don’t you go and tell him the good news?’. This is a way of making the manipulated feel as though it was their idea, that they said yes, whilst in reality it was the manipulator all along. 

The final straw is how he enters after the ‘breakup’ scene. Crowley walks out, and Aziraphale’s life is left in tatters. After this scene, he is left the most vulnerable and broken we have ever seen him. And that insidious Metatron walks in and acts as if Aziraphale had the moral upperhand. After all that hurt and pain, the Metatron is the one to bring some comfort, to pat Aziraphale’s back and say “Ah, well, he always did want to go his own way.”. Of course Aziraphale is going to follow him now, he has given Aziraphale an opportunity he almost couldn’t resist before, and now the main thing that tied him to Earth is gone. And the Metatron knew EXACTLY what he was doing. He knew that Aziraphale saying all this to Crowley once he’s been mostly convinced would be enough to tear them apart. He knew their weaknesses and exploited them in order to get exactly what he wanted. 

So we know that the Metatron manipulated Aziraphale - the evidence is blatantly there - but the question is why? Every manipulator has a goal, what is the Metatron’s? To answer this is to speculate about Season 3.

Why?

The Metatron manipulated Aziraphale into getting him exactly where he wanted him to be. But the question is why? Aziraphale is not the obedient servant he would find in Micheal, Uriel, Saraqeal, or Sandalphon, nor is he as easy to get on side. The Metatron knows that he has knowingly gone against the will of god before, and so why is he deciding to reinstate him, higher than before?

I think that the Metatron is afraid. He knows about the partnership between Crowley and Aziraphale, we have already established that, but why might this be a threat to him? 

We saw the power of the miracle with Gabriel, it was enough to raise someone from the dead 25 times. And Crowley acknowledges that this is likely because it was performed by both of them, together. And the Metatron is scared by this, of what the ineffable husbands can do together. And so he orchestrates a way to separate them. The idea of keeping your friends close but your enemies closer is pertinent here. If he is as threatened as it is made out that he is, then having Aziraphale directly beneath him at all times might just protect him. 

#good omens #go2 spoilers #good omens spoilers #good omens analysis #good omens meta #This doesn’t have the most satisfying ending #my apologies #but I have spent much too long doing this instead of actual important things #such as writing the essays I need to for school #So I hope you enjoyed my lil analysis!! #I am not sure how I can express the pure enjoyment I got from writing this #can I just write good omens analyses as a job? #is that a thing people can do? #Aziraphale #Crowley #ineffable husbands #ducks #also yes this is based on some of the posts I have posted before #I fleshed them out and made them a little more eloquent #own post #analysis