#vs the past couple seasons or so

[handonhaven]

HANDON in 1.08

#please DO NOT repost or use any of my gifs on twitter without credit #legaciesedit #legacies #handon #handonedit #landon kirby #hope mikaelson #hope x landon #1x08 #my edit #my gifs #one of my favorite scenes and favorite quotes #the difference in the writing and how they treated landon in s1 #vs the past couple seasons or so #is insane #the way we went from this #to the whole 'landon is weak and can't be strong or a hero without powers' narrative in s2... #and that was basically the start of things going downhill #ugh take me back to s1 #it was like a totally different show

[trulyhblue]

My Girl

Hayley Raso x Barcelona! Reader

Warnings: fluff, established relationship, drinking, sport rivals, coarse language.

A/N — this photo of her after the Chelsea vs RMA CL game has me in a chokehold. A short but sweet one <3

_______________________

You met Hayley in a drunken embrace, breathing in the earthy chill that contrasted the firey ambience of the club.

You hadn't been starting for your Childhood team for a couple of weeks now, only just making the starting eleven today you went above and beyond in training. Barcelona was your home. You grew up in the city, raised with a football by your feet, and had been a part of the club for as long as you could remember. You were one of the many girls among the team who had never experienced life outside of the Spanish League, with no eminent efforts of changing that anytime soon. You had made your debut at seventeen, and over these past few years, you were lucky enough to see the team expand into one of the greatest women’s team in the world — arguably even the best.

While this came with certain bragging rights, and of course the utmost pride for the club, the safety and security that came with your position on the team were always at stake. Unlike other teams, Barcelona were ongoing in their endeavours to keep their players on their toes in regard to their contracts. This was most apparent in girls like you, who had been at Barca your whole life.

It was a constant battle to the top, but maintaining your status there was harder. You loved football. It was your passion, your dream, but it was also your career — a very demanding one, at that.

You had met Hayley in England when you were visiting Manchester to catch up with your close friend Ona. Ona was at United, thriving at the club in streaks, but her contract was ending with the reds. You were one of the first to know about the girl’s transfer to your club. You were so, so excited.

It was nearing the end of the season, the Manchester Derby being the game you watched, but you couldn't help but catch the eye of one of the girls on the opposite team.

Her name was Hayley, you knew that from the ribbon in her hair and the curls that fell from her flimsy bun. You watched her intently throughout the game, unable to peel your eyes off the woman as she threaded the ball in and out of her position on the wing. As a Winger yourself, you were able to easily admire her skill, despite the fact that you were in fact rooting for the other team. You were quick to make yourself known to her after the game, and everything sort of hit it off from there.

Hayley was kind. Her heart was full of gold, and her precious person was something you fell in utter love with. She made you laugh like no one else. She had a way of making you feel seen, heard, and thought of even if there were a million different things going on around you that looked to be more important. The two of you didn't even think about the physical distance that you’d have to face. The instant connecting made it impossible to break the bond you immediately had.

After a couple of weeks of talking back and forth, you had found yourself hopelessly enamoured with the Australian.

Ona announced her move to Barca in June, and your national team was preparing for the long and apprehensive task of the World Cup. Before, you thought yourself very lucky to be playing in such an important tournament with such talented played. You still think this now, but after meeting Hayley, all thoughts turned to the idea of being in the same country for a whole month together.

Obviously, you did not have much time to spend. Winning the World Cup was a dream come true. It was everything you had ever dreamed of. But your heart was yearning for only one thing.

Hayley had asked you to be your girlfriend on the day you were due back to Spain. Her surprising announcement to Real Madrid just before the Cup was nothing of a shock to you. While you played for the rival team — and maybe, sort of tried to convince the girl to try for Barca — you were over the moon that she was so much closer to you.

Now, months later, you were spending your evening in a bar with Aitana and Keira slung to your hip, slurring your words as you searched for your phone. The Barca girls were in Madrid after a critical match against Atletico Madrid, meaning the next few days were going to be by your Australian’s side.

“Ugh, calling the enemy, I see.” Keira quipped, rolling her eyes. Aitana giggled from beside her, watching your sluggish motions with a smug countenance.

You ignored their antics, ignoring their jokes and finding your girlfriend's contact on your phone. You didn't even register how it took a few seconds for her to pick up, but you realised she had been waiting by the sound of her keys.

“Heyyyyy, Hay.” You splattered, pulling down an inch of your heightening skirt. “Miss you so much, Babyyy.”

“Hello, darling.” You heard your girlfriend chuckle. “Are you ready?”

“Ready for what?” You asked. You flipped Keira off when she mocked your whines.

“For me to pick you up, Darling.” Hayley replied.

“Hm,” You pondered for a moment, trying to remember why you wanted to call Hayley in the first place. “I'm in a bar, Hay.”

“I know. I can hear it in your voice.”

“Nooo, I've had no drinks.” You whined, pulling yourself up from the secluded corner you and the girls were nurturing. “Why are you calling?”

If you were shit-faced drunk right now, you would've caught onto the Aussie’s continuous patience, and the endearment in her tone as she talked to you.

“You called me, Babygirl.” She spoke, her side of the phone quiet in contrast to the blaring music you were surrounded by. “Maybe it's time for me to pick you up?”

“You can't pick me up, Ribbon.” you giggled, the fond nickname rolling off your tongue in second nature. “You're at home. I'm at a club.”

“Oh, yes, my mistake, Darling,” she responded quickly. Hayley was already driving to your location having been waiting for this call all night. You didn't know this, but she was slightly envious of your team taking you away. While you both lived in the same country now, it was still at least a five-hour drive between Madrid and Barcelona. Furthermore, it wasn't often that teams would stay after away games, so it frustrated her knowing you were spending time with a team you spent every day with when you could be with her.

“I'm on my way now, okay?” She said to the phone, knowing that despite the silence you were waiting for her to guide the conversation. “Do any of the girls need a lift?”

You gave a quick glance over to the group you were with. Alexia was scolding Mapi downing shots. Ona was trying to force water down Aitana’s throat, and Keira was just singing at the top of her lungs, swaying to the beat of the music.

“No, Alexia is here.” You put it simply. Everyone knew that if Alexia was near, everyone would be getting home safe.

Hayley must've heard you from over the music since she hummed back. “Alright then,” She answered, turning the corner towards the club. “I want you to go tell Keira or someone that you're leaving so they know you're going.”

You ran a hand through your hair, crossing your arms over your chest in silent rebuttal. “Keira’s drunk, Hayley.”

“Okay, then don't tell her, tell Aitana.”

“Oh, erm— she's drunk too.”

You could hear the girl’s sigh. “Put Alexia on the phone please, Baby.”

You did as you were told, handing the phone to your captain without managing to explain why you did so. The older woman shared a solemn conversation with your girlfriend before hanging up the call and turning to Ingrid.

With Keira and Aitana yelling out goodbyes, the Norwegian woman held the small of your back, leading you out of the club to make sure you did so without error.

“Love you, Ingrid.” You muttered, holding the back of the girl’s top as she led the two of you out.

“Love you too, Precioso.” She replied, smiling at your dazed expression before finding Hayley’s car pull up beside you. You watched your girlfriend walk out towards you, giving your teammate a slightly awkward, but grateful nod as you breathed in her familiar scent.

“Hey, Hay.” You gasped, grasping onto Hayley’s sweater in replacement of Ingrid.

“Hey, sweet girl.” She uttered, opening the passenger door, aiding your balance as you trampled in.

You made sure to give one last look at Ingrid, smiling as big as you could. “Love you, Ingrid. Miss you so so so so much.”

“Miss you too, y/n/n. See you soon.”

You found yourself relaxing in the passenger seat as Hayley drove off. Her hand sat comfortably on your thigh, drawing small, wistful circles as you hummed a quiet tune.

When you finally arrived home, Hayley helped you take off your makeup, taking off your shoes, and slotting her Matildas trackies and one of her old Portland Thorns shirts over the top of you. You were like putty in her grip, letting her lead you to the bed without a second to protest, engulfing the cool climate of the sheets.

“I'm ‘gonna go get some water and paracetamol for you, Darling. Do you want anything else?”

Your girlfriend held out her hand, lightly stroking the baby hairs that had fallen from her pony and onto her face.

“Do we have any food?” you asked, knowing the answer already but feeling the need to ask anyway.

The Australian nodded and walked out of her bedroom, taking a few minutes to collect everything she needed. When coming back, she noticed the furrow in between your eyebrows. The drunken endeavours of the night were inevitably going to catch up to you and Hayley knew you were starting to release that when you happily accepted the water and medicine in a few gulps.

Once the two of you had settled back into bed, with Hayley changing into her pyjamas, you had almost forgotten about your prior request when you heard the ruffle of a packet sound from beside you.

Your head shot up, eyes darting to the yellow cardboard box and concealed package within it. Hayley’s arm had found its way across your waist, pulling you into her side as she let the scent of the food waft into the space.

You laughed at Hayley’s look of delight — two Cheddar Shapes already popping into the girl’s mouth.

“Where did you get these?” You asked, watching Hayley’s devious smile widen.

“Fan gave them to me.” She replied, shoving three more into her mouth.

You two shared a still and silence as you cracked away at the biscuits one at a time. Madrid had fallen into a quiet city — no longer filled with the connotations of noise and light, the wholesome bubble of your bedroom filling the enmity of home for the night.

“You're so cute, ribbon.” you quipped, glancing over the blush that had dusted your girlfriend’s cheeks. Hayley pulled you closer, the box of the Aussie snack hushed off the bed.

You felt the warmth of her embrace overwhelm you into fatigue, the combination of one another's love steering you two into an eternity of solitude.

“You are too, my girl.”

___________________________

#hayley raso #hayley raso x reader #hayley raso smut #barcelona femeni #barcelona spain #barcelona fc #real madrid #woso blurbs #woso x reader #woso community #woso imagine #woso one shot #championsleague #womens super league #liga f #matildas #matildas x reader #auswnt #spanish #aussie #caitlin foord #kyra cooney cross #mackenzie arnold #steph catley #ellie carpenter

[maxsimagination]

𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 -𝗲.𝗱𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗲𝗶𝗱𝗮

warnings: smut. car sex. 18+ under the cut.

a/n: let’s pretend psg make it to the finals

-----

the last game.

the final of the division 1 féminine.

paris saint-germain vs lyon.

it was my first final with psg for this season, having just joined the club from liverpool. it was big change, going from the wsl to the french league but so worth it.

both me and fellow australian, clare hunt had joined the team but she'd come from the a-leagues. in the almost year i'd spent at the french club, i'd met all of the players and they were all really welcoming.

the first player that greeted me was elisa, the slightly taller defender bumping into me on my first day.

since then we'd hit it off, become almost best friends and started dating after a couple months. now we were walking onto the field together, to play for the championship.

nerves were rolling through my body; the pre-game jitters never got easier. our captain grace led us out to the pitch where the lyon players were lined up and waiting.

it didn't take long and everyone was ready, in their positions. the whistle blew and i shot forward, we were off.

——

half time came, we were 1-0 down by a shot from ada hegerberg.

after the break everyone was determined to at least equalise. it felt like a lifetime but finally the ball was booted halfway up the field by our goalie and i was on it immediately. weaving through the defenders wasn't easy, i had wendie renard and ellie carpenter to get past before their goalie.

i was smaller, more agile however, and i managed to sneak past them and shoot a clean shot straight into the top left corner of the net.

the crowd went wild and i jumped in the air out of happiness. we were equal now, 1-1.

the second goal came roughly 10 minutes after my first, korbin had made a brilliant pass to lieke, who was bolting towards the box, 2 defenders hot on her heels. i was just on the right wing, close enough to the goal to get a tap in, and that's exactly what i did.

lieke saw me unmarked and slid the ball across and i made a one touch shot into the bottom right corner. the goalie didn't know what was happening by the time the ball was in the net.

the stadium erupted again and leapt in the air again. finally we had a chance, we were almost there.

when that final whistle blew after 5 minutes of injury time, i sunk to my knees. we had done it.

the whole team, subs included, ran onto the pitch in a huddle that ended more like a crushing pile of bodies. i wiggled my way out of it and found elisa.

"we did it mon amour, we won! thanks to you!" she picked me up and pressed a kiss to my forehead. i giggled and wrapped my legas around her body, to hold myself up. the whole stadium was filled with the cheers of the psg fans, but at the same time, the humiliated silence of the lyon fans.

i felt bad for the team, they had played their best but it wasn't enough. but the cheering of my team bought me back and both me and elisa were wrapped up in celebration again.

——

the girls had dragged us all out to a club, celebration they claimed. so i was dressed in a deep blue, shimmery dress that i thought matched our team colours perfectly.

elisa drove us while the other girls made their own way to the chosen club. it was semi-crowded when we got there but we found everyone else at a table and sat down.

sakina announced that the first round was on her and almost ran over to the bar to order.

around 3 rounds later and sakina, me and a couple other were on the dance floor. sakina was easily more drunk than me, hence why she was practically grinding on me. i wasn't too bothered, quite enjoying myself actually. we danced in sync with the music, matching all the other swaying bodies on the floor.

however i knew one person wouldn't be too happy, because i could feel her glare from across the room. elisa wasn't normally that jealous but when she was, i always ended up under her so i couldn't say i enjoy it.

the song ended and i twirled sakina away from me and she latched onto another teammate to dance with. i made my way over to where elisa was sitting, sliding in next to her.

"bonjour, mon amour." (hello, my love.)

my hand slid onto her thigh instinctively, elisa leaned her head down to mine to catch my lips in a searing kiss. when we pulled apart she had a hungry look in her eyes.

"sakina is too touchy."

i chuckled at how grumpy elisa looked, rubbing her thigh in comfort.

"do you want to get out of here?"

i didn't have to whisper, the club was already loud, but elisa heard me and was all too happy to grab my hand and get up. we bid goodnight to our teammates and headed for the exit.

our car was parked outside and we made a beeline for it. well, elisa did, i was just dragged along. however, she grabbed handle of the backseat not the front seat.

"elisa, what are you doing? we have to drive home?"

she didn't answer, just pulled me in with her. her lips were on mine the second the door clicked shut, hands roaming up and down my sides.

we pulled apart for a brief second then her lips were on my neck. she trailed her way down to my chest where she slipped the straps of my dress down to play with my nipples. a satisfied groan left my lips and i wriggled under her. she took her time now, giving equal amounts of pleasure to both the left and right breast.

"eli..."

"yes, mon amour?" (my love.)

she knew what she was doing to me, a cocky grin plastered on her face when she looked at me.

"hurry up and fuck me!"

i didn't think it could happen but an even cockier grin was now sported on her lips as she hiked my dress up to show my blue, lace panties.

"all dressed up for me, are we?"

a blush covered my cheeks at her words, i did have tiny hope that we would end the night like this but in her car, i never would have guessed.

her fingers were now hooked in the sides on my underwear, and with a glance up to me for consent, she pulled them down. her fingertips grazed my clit, before dipping further down to my soaked hole. she gathered my juices in her finger and brought it up to her mouth, not breaking eye contact once.

my cheeks heated with a blush again and i could feel the tingling feeling travel down to my groin.

"so wet for me, bébé." (baby.)

"elisa, please. just touch me already."

she did as i asked, fingers finding my clit and immediately rubbing small circles around it. i hummed, the pressure on the bundle of nerves was sending little shockwaves through my body and it felt so good.

my hips bucked up into her fingers, desperate for more friction.

"eli, your fingers inside me please."

she pressed a kiss to my lips, which turned into a make out session, while she thrust two fingers into me. elisa set a steady pace, before pushing a third finger in.

i moaned into her mouth at the stretch, urging her to keep going. i could feel the coil in my lower stomach start to tighten.

"elisa, 'm close. don't stop."

she kept going, if anything she sped up, determined to make me cum. elisa rubbed against my clit, adding to the pressure of the already-tight coil.

i mentally thanked whatever god was in our favour for the tinted windows elisa had on her car. i wouldn't be able to live this down if she didn't. inside the car, there wasn't much speaking, only the sounds of her fingers slapping against my wet folds and my moans. i was just on the edge, i could feel myself clenching faster, then suddenly i was there.

"elisa, i'm cumming!"

"cum for me bébé, all over my fingers." (baby,)

i didn't need any further assurance, i let it go and found myself clenching uncontrollably around elisa's fingers as she helped me through my orgasm.

slowly she pulled her fingers out, licking them clean then pressing a kiss to my lips so i could taste myself on her lips.

once i'd come down from my high, she made sure to clean me up as best she could, slipping my underwear back onto my hips and pulling the dress straps up over my bare chest.

"well clean up properly at home, yea?"

#woso #woso x reader #woso community #woso smut #elisa de almeida #elisa de almeida x reader #elisa de almeida imagine

[oillipheist9000]

Heyy

So, this is mostly just a fun timeline I made with little research backing it, but I thought it might be cool to share?

It goes through what historical events happened throughout Alastor’s life that might have impacted him and sets the stage for what his life might have looked like. It does hinge quite a bit on US history, so I will also touch on parts of that for our friends who aren’t from the US and don’t know : D

Now keep in mind that this is more of just a list of fun facts that i’ve shoved into a readable outline, than anything put together lol.

Alastor is said to be in his 30’s or 40’s when he died in 1933, this puts his year of birth at a rough range of 1890-1900. For the purpose of this timeline, I will be assuming that Alastor was born in the year 1902 because I want to. This would make him 31 at the time of his death.

In 1892, the supreme court ruled on Plessy vs Ferguson, which was what established the idea of ‘Separate but Equal’ <- (i'm assuming people know what that is and stuff, if you don’t know, feel free to ask, I can give more of a history lesson)

From 1900-1909, education past the 5th grade did not EXIST in New Orleans for black children. This is a large part of why I believe a birth year of at least 1900 would be more accurate for Alastor, as he would have been 7-9 (2nd-4th) when middle school (6th-8th) became available to him.

In 1917, McDonogh No. 35 High School became the first public high school for black teens. Alastor would have been 15 in my timeline. This means that he would have likely been out of school for a year under the assumption that he wouldn’t be able to go anymore. (There were a couple private schools, but those were Expensive!!)

1920: KKK reemerged in Louisiana <- (again, assuming people know the history on this, if you would like a quick history lesson, lmk!!)

In 1921, Alastor graduated! Yay!! He is now 19!

Now, a fun fact! Throughout all of this, radio has not existed as a Thing in New Orleans. Alastor would not have grown up listening to the radio. It would have been new tech for him!!

In 1922, the first radio station came to New Orleans!!! It’s called WWL and it runs … drumroll please … ADS!!! In an attempt to raise funds for Loyola University! Exciting, right? : D

By 1927, the Federal Radio Commission was established in an effort to help organize airwaves, which had become messy and disorganized from the abundance of unlicensed, random people broadcasting.

1933: Alastor dies D:

Also 1933, oddly enough, A newspaper somehow managed to get radio stations in New Orleans legally banned from airing news from the last 24 hours?????

An interesting note. This ban went through in the summer. Deer season is in the winter (Dec-Jan), so it was either banned 6 months before or 6 months after Alastor’s death

1934: FRC is replaced by the Federal Communications Commission

This is pretty much all I have. I also am including some of the links to sources that I thought were interesting. Super open to discussions and questions lol. Hope someone enjoyed reading all this lmao

And also @nunalastor cause you seemed interested and I finally got everything together lol

#hazbin hotel #hazbin alastor

[bitchesgetriches]

{ MASTERPOST } Everything You Need to Know about How to Pay off Debt

Understanding debt:

Let’s End This Damaging Misconception About Credit Cards

Season 2, Episode 10: “Which Is Smarter: Getting a Loan? or Saving up to Pay Cash?”

Dafuq Is Interest? And How Does It Work for the Forces of Darkness?

Investing Deathmatch: Paying off Debt vs. Investing in the Stock Market

How to Build Good Credit Without Going Into Debt

Dafuq Is a Down Payment? And Why Do You Need One to Buy Stuff?

It’s More Expensive to Be Poor Than to Be Rich

Making Decisions Under Stress: The Siren Song of Chocolate Cake

How Mental Health Affects Your Finances

Paying off debt:

Kill Your Debt Faster with the Death by a Thousand Cuts Technique

Share My Horror: The World’s Worst Debt Visualization

The Best Way To Pay off Credit Card Debt: From the Snowball To the Avalanche

The Debt-Killing Power of Rounding up Bills

A Dungeonmaster’s Guide to Defeating Debt

How to Pay Hospital Bills When You’re Flat Broke 

Ask the Bitches Pandemic Lightning Round: “What Do I Do If I Can’t Pay My Bills?” 

Slay Your Financial Vampires

Season 4, Episode 3: “My credit card debt is slowly crushing me. Is there any escape from this horrible cycle?” 

Case Study: Held Back by Past Financial Mistakes, Fighting Bad Credit and $90K in Debt 

Student loan debt:

What We Talk About When We Talk About Student Loans

Ask the Bitches: “The Government Put Student Loans in Forbearance. Can I Stop Paying—or Is It a Trap?”

How to Pay for College without Selling Your Soul to the Devil

When (and How) to Try Refinancing or Consolidating Student Loans

Ask the Bitches: I Want to Move Out, but I Can’t Afford It. How Bad Would It Be to Take out Student Loans to Cover It?

Season 4, Episode 4: “I’m $100K in Student Loan Debt and I Think It Should Be Forgiven. Does This Make Me an Entitled Asshole?” 

The 2022 Student Loan Forgiveness FAQ You’ve Been Waiting For

2023 Student Loan Forgiveness Update: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly 

Our Final Word on Student Loan Forgiveness 

Avoiding debt:

Ask Not How Much You Should Save, Ask How Much You Should Spend 

How to Make Any Financial Decision, No Matter How Tough, with Maximum Swag

Your Yearly Free Medical Care Checklist

Two-Ring Circus 

Status Symbols Are Pointless and Dumb 

Advice I Wish My Parents Gave Me When I Was 16 

On Emergency Fund Remorse… and Bacon Emergencies

Should You Increase Your Salary or Decrease Your Spending? 

Don’t Spend Money on Shit You Don’t Like, Fool

The Magically Frugal Power of Patience

The Only Advice You’ll Ever Need for a Cheap-Ass Wedding 

The Most Impactful Financial Decision I’ve Ever Made… and Why I Don’t Recommend It 

3 Times I Was Damn Grateful for My Emergency Fund (and Side Income) 

Buy Now Pay Later Apps: That Old Predatory Lending by a Crappy New Name 

Credit Card Companies HATE Her! Stay Out of Credit Card Debt With This One Weird Trick 

Ask the Bitches: Should I Get a Loan Even Though I Can Afford To Pay Cash? 

The Bitches vs. debt:

I Paid off My Student Loans Ahead of Schedule. Here’s How.

I Paid off My Student Loans. Now What?

Hurricane Debt Weakens to Tropical Storm Debt, but Experts Warn It’s Still Debt

The Real Story of How I Paid Off My Mortgage Early in 4 Years

Case Study: Swimming Upstream against Unemployment, Exhaustion, and $2,750 a Month in Unproductive Spending 

That’s all for now! We try to update these masterposts periodically, so check back for more in… a couple… months??? Maybe????

#debt #mortgage #credit card debt #debt management #debt consolidation #pay off debt #student loans #student loan debt #loan #financial tips #money tips #personal finance

[monarchisms]

so for those who missed it, geoff talked a bit more about achievement hunter coming to an end on a f**kface break show on september 18th. some of it was stuff we've already learned from the announcement video/thread from AH themselves, but some additional information was mentioned exclusively on the f**kface stream. with rooster teeth being so great (sarcasm) at relaying info to their audience, i had to rely on a fan recording of the stream from twitter to get more context sooner, since the official recording won't be available until the 22nd at the earliest.

i'll put a full transcript of all the clips of the twitter thread under the cut, but if you want a tl;dr:

geoff's known about AH coming to an end for about 6 months (since march 2023), and that the decision to end it wasn't made lightly

he compares AH ending to when he went to quit red vs blue 15 years ago to co-create AH, somewhere between seasons 5-7, and how he continued to work on rvb until he couldn't anymore

also talks about how everyone at the company at the time (like burnie, gus, matt, and jason) were really supportive towards him, and how that led to AH lasting 15 years

he hopes that michael, trevor, alfredo, and joe get the same support he got from the audience when he made AH, and then eventually f**kface. also reassures the audience that all the content on the AH channel will stay as it is

heavily emphasizes that this decision wasn't made by the higher ups at rt or warner brothers, and wanted to nip that in the bud before the rumor went too far. notes that AH didn't fail, it just ended

talks about how there will be a couple more weeks of new achievement hunter content before they close up shop. some of the content includes the members paying an homage to past series and people at AH. it will eventually culminate into a final video that geoff's in where he gets "fucking verbose" about his feelings in relation to everything

gives a shoutout to matt, jeremy, and ray in regards to their streams on twitch, and finally ends his speech by saying that the audience should respect that the past + current AH members are continuing to do the things they love doing while being entertaining, just in their own unique ways

the full transcript:

Geoff: "The Achievement Hunter brand is coming to a close. We have decided to sunset it and to end it. And I've seen a lot of- for a very good reason- and that announcement came in tandem with another announcement, a very exciting announcement about a new brand called Dogbark. And I've seen a lot of excitement, a lot of appreciation from people, a lot of people supporting Michael and those guys [referring to Trevor, Joe, and Alfredo] going off into doing their own thing.

I've seen a lot of fear and uncertainty. I totally get and understand that; you guys are hearing this for the first time. Um, I've known about this for about six months. You know, this has been in some form of discussion or preparation for a while now. This wasn't a decision that was made lightly, uhh... but I think it's the right decision, and I hope that you'll understand and support that, and here's why:

15 years ago, I went to Burnie and Matt and Gus, and I said 'Hey, I'm losing my mind making Red vs Blue.' It was season 5 or 6, and I- I think it was 6 or 7, actually- and I was just so creatively drained and stifled. And I had such a wonderful time making Red vs Blue, but I had made it until I couldn't make it anymore. And I had this idea, and I was very passionate about this idea of this thing I wanted to try. And Burnie and Gus and Matt were so kind and supportive to give me the creative runway to launch and test Achievement Hunter out at a time when everybody- friends- everybody was telling me 'What are you doing, quitting making Red vs Blue? It's a huge hit! You're like, the #2 guy on it. You're a big part of this! Why would you leave that to do this unproven, untested thing?' And I had to! I had to follow my dream, I had to follow my passion. And like I said, Burnie and Matt and Gus and everybody else, Jason, everybody involved in Rooster Teeth at the time, were so fucking supportive and so wonderful to me in that period that 15 years later, we've had 15 years of Achievement Hunter.

We wouldn't be here on this set right now in front of all this Zimmer stuff, in front of fucking dumb pictures of Gavin and Garbage Pail Kids and Barbie and- fucking new Dallas poster, by the way. Uh, all of this has existed because they allowed me to take a chance and supported me taking that chance. And uh- I would be some kind of fucking hypocrite if I didn't provide the same level of support and genuine enthusiasm to Michael and Alfredo and Joe and Trevor as they embark on the same journey I went on 15 years ago! And this is a very- I don't want to speak for them. They didn't make this decision lightly, I guarantee you, and they will explain it in their own voice over the next few weeks as we say goodbye to Achievement Hunter and say hello to Dogbark. [actual dog barks in the background] We worked on that ahead of time.

Uhh... and so I would only ask that you give them the same level of support that the audience gave me when I tried out Achievement Hunter, this untested, unproven thing, and the same level of support you all gave us when we decided that we're going to make F**kface, an audio-only podcast recorded remotely, which is something that I never in a million years wanted to do or thought was a good idea until we did it, and found out it was simply too good, found out that it worked and it ended up becoming, I think, hopefully the best thing I've participated in. I really ju- I really just want to drive that point home. Joe and Trevor and Michael and Alfredo have spent years and years and years making content that they believe in to support and entertain you. And that's all they want to do with this new production.

Everything comes to an end. It's okay for things to end. I know it's scary and it's sad, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen, and that doesn't mean it's going away. We have 15 years of Achievement Hunter content online that you can still watch and enjoy. Hundreds of thousands of hours of content, hundreds upon hundreds of episodes of Minecraft and GTA that are still there for you to go and watch. I mean, hell, I think Emily and I are a great example of that. We've been watching a show that came out in 1978 called Dallas. It ran from 1978 to 1992, and that was 40 fucking years ago. And yet here we are enjoying it, just as if it came out yesterday. Justice for Sue Ellen, I think we can all agree, justice for Sue Ellen. So I would just say that I hope that you'll be excited about this new journey in their careers and this new opportunity for Rooster Teeth. It's sad to say goodbye to a thing, but it's not disappearing. It's still there. You can still go watch all those videos. You can still go enjoy- enjoy all that content, but you can also support them in what they're doing.

And one other little inaccuracy, or not even inaccuracy, but one thing I want to touch on- and then I'll get to breaking cards and being an idiot- is a thing that kind of bugs me, is that- I'm sure you've heard this phrase or some variation of this phrase before where it's uh, said that a lie can travel halfway across the world, while the truth is still putting its pants on, and-"

Emily: "That's kinda deep! I've never heard that before." Geoff: "You've never heard that before?" Emily: "No!"

Geoff: "Yeah, and I've seen a lot of supposition and people saying things that just aren't true. And I want to stop that right now before they travel halfway across the world. Because there is no truth to the idea that like- anytime we make a change that's controversial or a bit scary or different or new or unexpected, there's this idea that there's uh, some dude in a suit from Warner Brothers or Rooster Teeth standing just off-camera, sternly going, 'Make this decision. Follow this algorithm. We're chasing a demographic.' None of that is true. Rooster Teeth would be very happy if they continued making Achievement Hunter forever, but they weren't happy making Achievement Hunter, and they wanted to try a new thing.

They wanted to do what I did 15 years ago! They wanted to do what Ray did when he left Achievement Hunter, right? They wanted to bet on themselves and make their production. I love the work they put into- to mine, and I did my best to make it ours. But at the end of the day, I left Achievement Hunter five years ago! Uh, it would be really foolhardy and stupid and- and dickhead-ish of me to have a problem with them doing the same thing, uh, but it's also them. This is a decision that they made, that they wanted to make. It didn't come from anybody at Rooster Teeth or Warner Brothers. There was no, I don't know, this marketing department you always hear about that's telling them to make these decisions and- 'Chase the Gen Z crowd and come up- This is the name we've workshopped.' None of that's true! They came up with the name. They came up with the logo, they came up with the design, the color palette, the trailer, the content that's going to be released in a couple of weeks, that's all them! That's what they wanna do.

That is them following the same passion that I followed 15 years ago and the same passion that I followed when I created Let's Play, and the same passion that I that I followed when I created F**kface. And hopefully the same passion, the same passion that I created this with, and hopefully the same passion that I'll create the next and the next and the next thing with, and hopefully the same passion that they get to do, uh, as they continue their career. So all I'm asking for is give the new thing a chance, support it. It's a brave thing to do to walk out of the safety of Achievement Hunter into a new thing.

And also, uh, I've seen a lot of doomers that are saying like 'Ah, I called it ten years ago! I knew it was gonna fail!' It didn't fail. It ended. It was 15 fucking awesome years. And I'm going to stop talking now because I'm just going to get rambly. But I will say: There's a couple of weeks left of Achievement Hunter content coming out where they pay homage, if you will, to a lot of the videos and the shows from the past,, and the people from the past, and they have a lot of sweet things that they're going to do. And it'll culminate at the end with one last video that I am in where I get fucking verbose about my feelings about all of it. So if you want to hear more about my feelings of the 15 years of Achievement Hunter, I ask that you tune in to that last Achievement Hunter video. But I also ask that you tune into every video between now and then, because they're going to be saying goodbye to Achievement Hunter with a lot of love and respect and humor. And uh, I think that's what it deserves. And I hope that we all get to share in that together, and then, and then subscribe to Dogbark and give it a shot. [dog barks again] Thank you.

And uh, remember that all of these people that you've loved that have come and gone are still making content right now. Jack and BK, I think Jack's on vacation, but Jack and BK are over there in Inside Gaming, making content, playing video games 3, 4 hours a day, 3 or 4 days a week, playing Minecraft, playing all those old games that you loved to see us play. And Michael is making Face Jam every week. And Michael and Trevor and Alfredo and Joe are going to be making Dogbark every fucking day. And Gavin and I, we're making F**kface every day. And I'm making ANMA and I'm making So... Alright, and Ky has helped producing it all uh, behind the scenes.

Matt and Jeremy and Ray, they're streaming every fucking day of their lives, I believe. I think Jeremy's on, like, 18 days in a row right now, or something? [referring to Jeremy's uncapped subathon]. So all the people that you loved to support and who uh, entertained you throughout the years, they're still doing the thing that they love. They're just doing it in the way that they wanna do it, in the way that makes sense to them. And I just hope that you will be... respectful of that, and give them an opportunity to entertain you uh, in much the same way they entertained you last year and the year before and 5 years ago and 10 years ago. They just want to get up every day and make the best content they can make, and they're not- they're not making these decisions for any other reason than this is where their creative interests are leading them. And much like you gave me a chance 15 years ago, let's all give them a chance today. [dog barks again] That's it. I'm done. Let's open up some fucking cards."

#geoff ramsey #achievement hunter #dogbark #rooster teeth #f**kface podcast #that should be all the important tags i think #may have missed a few words here and there but hopefully not anything that removes context :) #holy shit i forgot how much geoff can ramble on and on #i lost track on how many times he says 'and' #like. i had to use a thing that makes automatic subtitles from a video before i started editing them manually #because this guy talks like his life depends on it #that's the sole reason the readmore exists. like i wrote a goddamn essay lol #anyways yeah. make of all of this as you will. i'm just the messenger :P

[luellasplanet]

stole the show. (victoria pelova)

word count: 1.1k

for my birthday girl x

Being in the starting lineup for arsenal on your debut was a feeling that no one could even describe.

The pride, the joy, the happiness and most of all the feeling of accomplishment as you put on your arsenal shirt for the first time.

Your name and number displayed on the back of the jersey, was a sight you could get used to seeing.

our debut was a masterpiece

Not only was it your debut, but Victoria’s too.

The brunette had slowly crept into your heart, ever since you were teenagers. But you were yet to reveal your feelings towards her.

Cherishing the friendship the two of you had far too much, to risk losing her.

The look of adornment was evident on your face as she was subbed on. Your smile grew even larger when she scored. Instantly at her side to hug her and congratulate her on her goal.

And over the months the two of you had become regular starters for Arsenal.

Even as a defender you had scored six goals throughout the season. Making it even more special when you scored the seventh one during the second leg of the Bayern vs Arsenal game.

The match, for you personally, was going great. You were winning most of your tackles, managed to block a few shots at goal, had gotten many of the Bayern forwards riled up and most of all your parents and siblings were watching along in the stands.

Until it wasn’t going so great.

the show it can’t go on

You were more determined than ever to play well, but your dreams were short lived, as you felt your ankle give out beneath you, after colliding with another player.

Clutching your ankle you can feel the tears pricking out the corners of your eyes. “This can't be happening right now,” you mutter under your breath as you squeeze your eyes shut, trying to get rid of any tears that threaten to fall.

Victoria was the very first person by your side, brushing the flyaways away from your face before using the back of her sleeve to rid your face of the tears that had managed to slip out your eyes.

You hobbled off the pitch, with the support of two arsenal medics as the stadium erupts in applause as a sign of respect. You give Lotte a little thumbs up as she makes her way onto the pitch in place of you.

we used to have it all

For the second time that night you could feel the pool of tears collecting in your eyes, slowly releasing into a stream on your red and splotchy cheeks. As you watched the game on the tv, you thought that if you were on the field the result could’ve been different.

Of course, blaming yourself for something you couldn’t help. Even though your team was winning, it didn't matter. You wanted to be there, be on the pitch. Making your family proud.

You wanted to prove to the fans that you deserved to be there, but instead you were sitting in the medical room while they placed a temporary moon boot on your foot.

The medics had informed you that your injury was nothing terrible, just a little tweak and you'd be back on your feet in no time.

At full time you made your way onto the pitch to say your congratulations to your teammates while making sure that the Bayern girls were okay.

After the team huddle you were persistent in the fact that you were going to go say hi to a couple of fans, Victoria was very sceptical of this plan but she closely followed behind you like a lost puppy.

Making sure you didn't put any pressure on your ankle and weren’t in any sorts of pain at all.

so hold for the applause

After an irritating three weeks of sitting on the bench you were ready to get back on the pitch.

You could hear the applause from the red side of the stands as you subbed on for Lotte in the 64th minute of the game.

wave out to the crowd

Looking around at the stands, you're just buzzing to be back. Giving Vic a smile as you run past her, waving at a couple of the fans before your attention is focused purely on the task at hand.

But just like the last time you stood out on the pitch, the world had other plans for you.

It was pretty much deja vu as yet again you feel your ankle give out underneath you. You feel like a hopeless puddle as you lay sprawled out on the grass with your hands covering your face.

Vic was by your side in a matter of seconds, placing your head in her lap as the other girls started to crowd around the two of you.

Maybe you had rushed things, maybe you shouldn’t have been playing yet, why didn't you rest more like the doctors had suggested?

“My ankle,” you mutter as you press your forehead against the brunettes thigh, “fuck I’m not doing this shit again.”

Sensing a spiral incoming she's quick to shut you down by rubbing your back with her hand, “it’s okay y/n, go get rested up and I’ll see you after the game.”

take our final bow

She helps you up, keeping a firm grip on your waist as she helps you off the field and hands you off to the medics.

Glancing around the stadium you just want to be at home under a fluffy blanket with your favourite type of tea that only you and her knew how to make to perfection.

at least we stole the show

Although there were many news reports and inquiries about your injury, that wasn’t the fans main attention.

Many of them had noticed the fondness the brunette showed towards you. Specifically as she had rushed to your aid both times you went down on the floor in pain.

Everyone was slowly starting to notice the longing glances she sent your way, or the blush that appeared on her face every time you would kiss her cheek or take her hand in your own.

And after watching many clips of the two of you, you had started to realise that maybe she did indeed like you back.

#woso #woso x reader #football #arsenal wfc #victoria pelova #luella’s fics

[intheticklecloset]

Hiya friend!! I always love your little seasonal menu items it’s such a cute and fun idea and they’re GREAT

May I get a skk blueberry lemonade with baseball please? 🫐⚾️ (I also absolutely love baseball, I’m personally very biased towards catchers💛)

skk with lee chuuya preferably. either going to a game or OR hear me out: PM v ADA baseball game to idk strengthen the alliance or something

🍋 Lemonade Special Order 🍋

The PM vs ADA baseball game idea was SO SMART??? I absolutely had to go with that one - and I love how it turned out! 😂 Thank you for the brilliant idea!

~~~

“Hah! See that, Dazai? I made it to first base!” Dazai smirked at Chuuya, whose cheeks instantly matched his hair as he grumbled, “All right, all right. Shut up.”

When their respective bosses had decided to have an exhibition baseball game “just for fun” before the local teams started hogging the practice fields, neither side really knew what to make of the idea. Still, they’d all grudgingly come out to play…and to their surprise, found they were actually having a lot of fun, some minor scuffles and incidents aside, of course.

“I’m surprised you swung at all,” Dazai commented as he watched Higuchi come out from the Port Mafia’s dugout to bat. “You’re so small your strike zone is practically nonexistent. You could have just taken the walk.”

“Fuck off,” Chuuya snapped, shoving at him lightly before taking a foot off the bag and turning his gaze back to the game.

“You’re not going to lead?”

“Not with you playing first baseman.”

“Oh, come on, what do you think I’m gonna do?” Dazai chuckled, shoving at him lightly. “You’ll need all the help you can get to make it to second base, chibi~”

Chuuya shot him a withering stare, though his blush was not lost on the detective. “Shut up.”

“Go on,” the brunette teased, poking the mafioso’s side. “Just a step or two.”

“Don’t,” Chuuya grunted, trying to cover up a snicker. Then he yelped and instinctively tried to shimmy away as Dazai pinched him with more insistence. “Asshole, I have to get back on the bag before your guy pitches again – let me back!”

Dazai conceded and allowed him to tag the base again before Tanizaki wound up for his next pitch, but as soon as that was done, he wiggled a finger into Chuuya’s hip, forcing him off the base again with a slew of giggles.

“Dahahahahazai!” Chuuya watched as Higuchi swung and missed, fighting his way back to the base even as the detective abandoned his glove, grabbed onto his ribs, and started tickling with purpose. “Ahahahahaha, fuhuhuhuhuhuck, stop it! We’re in the mihihihihiddle of something – Dazai!”

Another couple of pitches later, Higuchi struck out, ending the half inning. Chuuya sagged in relief when Dazai let him go, then caught himself and shouted, “Just wait until you make it to third base, bastard! I’ll show you!”

Then he realized what he’d said, and how loud he’d said it, and he slapped a hand over his mouth as if it could take the words back.

On his way past him to get his glove for the outfield, Akutagawa muttered, “Keep your private lives to yourselves, sir.”

Dazai laughed hysterically the entire way back to the Armed Detective Agency’s dugout.

#fanfiction #tickle drabble #coffee shots #lemonade event #bungo stray dogs #bsd #dazai osamu #chuuya nakahara #soukoku #playful #tickling #ticklish #tickle #i loved the idea of them all playing a game so much omg #i didn't intend for the base jokes to be in it originally but like - hello opportunity??? 😂

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

Kaiju Weeks in Review (March 31-April 13, 2024)

It took forever (maybe they were waiting on the returns for Godzilla x Kong), but Apple TV+ has finally greenlit season 2 of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. According to its listing on the WGA site, it'll run from 2024 to 2025. Multiple spinoffs are also in development at Apple; no details on those yet.

Speaking of Godzilla x Kong, it continues to do well, staying #1 at the domestic box office in its second weekend and falling to #2 (behind Civil War) in its third. Current totals are $158 million domestic and $437 million worldwide. It'll soon pass the domestic gross of Kong: Skull Island and the total gross of Godzilla vs. Kong.

Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers II #1 promises more of everything: more heroes (the White Ranger joins our heroes from the first comic), more villains (including Psycho Ranger Ghidora up there), and more alternate universes. Godzilla gets a bit buried in all the Ranger antics though.

A couple of kaiju series debuted on TV too: Kaiju No. 8 and Season 2 of Chibi Godzilla Raids Again. The former followed the manga very closely, and as such didn't really keep my attention; hopefully it innovates a bit more going forward. Chibi Godzilla's as irreverent as ever.

Tsuburaya Productions has released preliminary information on the next installment of the Ultra Series, Ultraman Arc. The logline:

A town called Hoshimoto City... On Mt. Shishio, there is a gigantic object towering above the city. Named "Monohorn," (モノホーン, Monohōn) it is actually a kaiju’s horn stuck in the ground since an incident 16 years ago. After the incident known as "K-DAY" in which kaiju appeared all over the world at the same time, monster disasters have become commonplace. In Japan, the Global Defense Force (GDF) uses force to deal with them, while SKIP works closely with the community in scientific investigations and evacuation guidance to prevent the occurrence and aggravation of kaiju disasters. SKIP has also been investigating the Monohorn, the horn of the galactic beast Monogelos (モノゲロス, Monogerosu) that appeared on K-DAY. Yuma, then only 7 years old, was camping with his parents in Mt. Shishio when Monogelos attacked. After miraculously surviving unscathed, he decided to pursue research into monster biology. Despite his traumatic past, he has not lost his “power of imagination” to dream. As a rookie investigator, Yuma joined SKIP and was assigned to the Hoshimoto City Branch. Not long after, another large-scale monster disaster occurs in Hoshimoto City. As Yuma sees the desperate people in front of him, a strong will springs into his mind — “I want to protect them!” At the moment when this strong and straightforward desire welled up from the bottom of his heart, Yuma hears the voice of Rution  (ルティオン,  Rution) a being of light that he once saw as a child: “You and I are one and the same… Unleash your imagination!” When a mysterious light appears in Yuma's hand and envelops his body, the unleashed power of imagination unites light and man and he transforms into Ultraman Arc, the Giant of Light who protects the future! Alongside his precious friends, Yuma, as well as Ultraman Arc, races towards his everlasting dream!

Yuma is played by Yuki Totsuka, while Takanori Tsujimoto is the lead director. He's directed for the series since Ultraman X, but this is his biggest assignment to date.

After beginning to release select Movie Monster Series figures in the States, Bandai America is now fully back in the Godzilla game, with articulated figures, 5-inch vinyls, blind box figures, and transforming eggs all up for preorder at the Godzilla Store and other toy sites. The eggs come from the 2014 Godzilla-E.G. line and the rest is all-new. Not much of a selection so far, but with how big Godzilla is right now, I'm sure there'll be more to come.

SRS Cinema has opened preorders for its War of the Ninja Monsters: Jaron vs. Goura Blu-ray, due in late July or August. Shinpei Hayashiya's latest epic, it'll come with behind-the-scenes footage and maybe a commentary track, which would be nice given how little information is available about his films online.

#kaiju week in review #godzilla #monarch legacy of monsters #war of the ninja monsters jaron vs. goura #toys #ultraman arc #Youtube

[mendessi]

dreamland | j.m

pairing: pre+post-outbreak!jolemiller x fem!reader summary: you're dog sitting for your aunt for a couple of weeks who happens to live across the street from a handsome man and his daughter warnings: reader is 24 & joel is 34, slow burn-ish, ill post more as i think, this first chapter is tame,dad!joel, let me know at any time if you think of any, word count: 4k a/n: this will be multiple parts following reader and joel's relationship from pre to post outbreak one | two | three | ... MINORS DNI

june 2002

Summer was always your favorite season. While many made a fuss of the Texas heat, it was something you didn't mind. Summer meant barbecues and days at the lake, spending time with your dad and sister.

"Your Aunt Delilah is going to Europe for the month of June and wants to know if you'd be able to dog sit for her." He asked you one day after hanging up the phone with his sister.

"Pickle would come here or I would go to Austin?" You perked up on the couch. There was no city in Texas that you loved more than Austin, especially when you got to stay in your aunt's cozy home. The city was vibrant and full of life. It's why you chose to go to school there in the first place. Yeah, yeah, the biochem degree you were after was well worth it too. Despite your aunt living there, you'd find any reason to go back to Austin whether school was in session or not.

"You'd go to Pickle." He said. "Her regular sitter is out of town too, so she'd figured you might wanna go."

"She'd figure right." You said standing up from your hole in the couch that had been home for the past several hours. It was a surprise you hadn't molded into it.

"You'd head down Friday, if that's alright with you." He told you and you gave him a thumbs up as you trekked up the stairs. "I'll let her know!"

Thank god you had barely unpacked after returning home from college even though it had been a couple of weeks since you got home. You were still trying to process that this was the last time you'd be coming home from college since you had just graduated. Procrastinating was one thing you were great at that's for sure. The idea of going back to Austin for a month was exciting because again, you loved the city. Visiting your aunt during the summers and for holidays as a kid is what made you fall in love with the city in the first place. Your fate was sealed after your dad and aunt took you to a UT vs A&M game when you were eight years old. Going to games at least once a year with the both of them and your sister had become a tradition of sorts and even more so once you were accepted to attend. Now that you lived there, going to games was a common occasion and your dad would join you on the weekends he was off.

When Friday rolled around you said goodbye to your dad and sister even though they agreed they'd come down to Austin in a couple of weeks to go the lake. The drive was only three hours and it was one you were used to making during the holidays and some weekends to visit home.

Pickle was a golden retriever that despite his old age still had a lot of energy. You had been the one to name Pickle when you were thirteen years old because you had been there when your aunt picked him from the shelter. Pickle was only a puppy that had been dumped on the side of the road and now he was a chubby ten year old boy that somehow still had the same energy as when he was small. He greeted you by clumsily running down the steps as fast as his old bones would let him and wiggled his butt as you bent down to pet him. This dog was your most favorite part about visiting your aunt's.

"You are a literal life saver." Delilah was not far behind Pickle as she engulfed you into a hug.

"Anything for my favorite aunt." You replied, smiling as she squeezed you a bit tighter.

"I'm your only aunt." Delilah may as well have been your mother. She was the only maternal figure you had in your life despite her not having any kids of your own. She was the epitome of "hot, fun aunt you only see at Christmas" but she was almost as present as your own father was. She kind of made you want to be the hot, fun aunt you only see at Christmas to your sister's future kids.

You spent the evening helping your aunt with some last minute packing and then spent dinner over her living room coffee table with a plethora of food from your favorite Asian spot in town.

"I wish I could come with. Texas is so boring." You sighed leaning against the couch, glancing over at the TV that neither of you were paying attention to.

"You love it here." She nudged your shoulder.

"I love it here when my aunt is here and my friends from college didn't all leave after graduation." God you had never felt so full in your life. You definitely had eaten too much but it wasn't something you'd regret in the slightest.

"You'll be just fine." Her hand cupped your face and you leaned into her touch.

The next morning you dropped her off at the airport and then went back home to take a short nap. When you woke up you decided that it was a beautiful, hot day outside and a day at the lake with Pickle sounded nice. It was likely many of your days in Austin would be spent with Pickle by some sort of body of water.

You laughed for a moment at his name, wondering what in the world prompted you as a twelve year old to name this sweet dog Pickle and why in the world Delilah allowed it.

"Should we go down to the lake, buddy?" Rubbing behind his ears, you helped the fat dog step into his harness. After packing your bag with a towel, sunblock and some snacks and water for both you and him, you pulled the front door open.

Pickle was a well trained dog and pretty much never left the yard when the front door was open. But something sparked his interest and he took off running down the front porch steps and across the yard. Dropping everything you held in your hands, you took off running after him, calling his name.

You probably looked like a fucking idiot yelling "Pickle! Pickle, here!" over and over again.

He lead you across the street to the house that used to belong to an elderly couple that Pickle loved because of the obnoxious amount of treats they used to feed him. The elderly couple wasn't there and instead a moving truck was backed into the driveway, a young girl kicking a soccer ball around front.

"Sarah, get up there and start unpacking your room." A man came out of the front door and stumbled backwards as Pickle jumped up onto him.

"Pickle, down!" Your jaw dropped as you finally reached the dog, grabbing a hold of his leash. "I am so sorry!"

"What a pretty dog!" The young girl approached Pickle who was eager for her attention and jumped up to meet her with kisses all over her face.

"I'm so sorry." You said again, pulling Pickle away from the girl but she stepped towards him again.

"Pickle is such a good name for a dog." She laughed.

You finally met the eyes of the girl's father and your breath nearly hitched in your throat at the stunning man standing in front of you. He didn't seem angry at all, just a smile on his face as he watched his daughter interact with the golden fluff ball in front of her.

"Sorry." You said again, this time a little breathless, nerves flooding your body.

Boys hardly made you nervous, in fact all of your friends praised how you were able to flirt with them. But standing in front of you was a man, a very attractive man that scanned your body up and down once over.

You immediately felt embarrassed remembering how you had just ran across the street screaming something about a Pickle and how you were only wearing your jean shorts and a bikini top.

"No, it's no worries at all. He's a friendly pup." He said, looking at his daughter again who was now sitting on the ground with Pickle who was on his back in front of her getting the best belly rubs of his life probably.

"The family that used to live here spoiled him. I didn't realize they sold the house." But boy were you glad they did.

"I'm Joel and this is Sarah. My brother Tommy is inside. Sarah and I are moving in." He held his hand out and you shook it happily, his firm grasp taking you not by surprise. You expected it from a man that looked as strong as he did. "This you across the street?"

"No, actually, it's my aunt's. I'm just dog sitting for the month." You told him. "It's nice to meet you both."

"Well if you, as a dog sitter, ever need someone to dog sit, I will gladly do it." Sarah laughed as she stood up from the grass and began running around the yard with Pickle.

"I'll take you up on the offer. We're actually going down to the lake today." You gave her a smile. "But, if you guys need a hand unloading, I can help?"

"Oh, we have it handled, thanks though." He glanced behind him and then at his daughter before he lowered his voice enough for her not to hear, "I hope to see you around."

Trying not to let your cheeks flush, a small smile crept onto your face. "Likewise."

The next few days you spent at the living room window, watching for Joel to come out of his house. He worked a normal schedule for the most part, but it looked more like he had taken a couple more days off during the week with Sarah on summer break.

You were out in the front yard the following weekend after meeting Joel and Sarah and playing a makeshift game of fetch with Pickle. He hardly liked to chase the ball anymore because of his age so the game was to throw the ball straight into the air and let him try to catch it as it bounced off the ground.

"Hey!" Sarah called your name as she ran across the street with her soccer ball in her hands. "Can I play with you guys?"

"Yeah, absolutely." Sarah tossed the soccer ball onto the ground and began kicking it around the yard between you and Pickle. He probably liked the fact that the soccer ball was bigger and easier for him to play with.

"He's so cute. I keep asking my dad for a dog but he says I'm not responsible enough yet." Sarah said as Pickle kept knocking the ball further and further away from himself and you and Sarah.

"You look pretty responsible to me. How old are you?" You asked her.

"Twelve." She answered you.

"Oh, you're totally responsible enough." You reassured her. "We can just share Pickle in the meantime."

"Did you name him Pickle?" She asked you.

"I did name Pickle." You replied. "It's a goofy name, huh?"

"Just a little. But I think it suits him." She laughed.

"Hey, she bothering you?" Joel was crossing the street and you barely caught yourself pushing your hair off your shoulder. He had Sarah's soccer ball in his hands and Pickle was prancing at his side. He must've knocked the ball into the street as Joel was coming out of the house. Normally you'd be more strict about him going into the street but it was the weekend in summer which meant the cul de sac in which you lived was quiet, hardly anyone coming on and off the street.

"No, we're actually talking about how you guys should also get a dog. You know, Pickle could use a friend." You took the soccer ball from his hands, your fingertips brushing his, your eyes never leaving each other's.

"Nice try." A smile tugged at his lips as he turned to Sarah. "We're not getting a dog."

"Lame."

"C'mon, I need your help with dinner. Uncle Tommy is on his way." Joel said.

"Aw, dad, I wanna hang out with Pickle some more." She huffed as any twelve year old would and it kind of reminded you of yourself.

"Well, maybe, uh... Pickle could join us for dinner? If you don't have any plans." Joel asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"No, no, we're free. If it's not too much trouble." You said. "I can help too."

Sarah didn't end up helping after all, because she was too preoccupied with her new best friend in the backyard so you found yourself standing next to Joel helping him prepare a bowl of mashed potatoes.

"Look, let me show you a trick my dad taught me." You said as you pulled the melted butter from the microwave. He watched you intently as you explained that folding the butter in slowly prevented gluey mashed potatoes rather than pouring it all in at once. "Also, next time I'll show you how to make from scratch. No more boxed mashed potatoes."

"I'd like that." He said. He didn't want to tell you that he in fact knew how to make mashed potatoes from scratch or that he made the best mashed potatoes from scratch. That he was better at making mashed potatoes from scratch than from a box but the box is what he had in the pantry because he forgot to go shopping.

He just needed another excuse to have you over. To have your sweet voice filling his ears about things he already knew. To listen to the way you gently interacted with his daughter like you knew her for her entire life. To listen to you call that damn dog Pickle over and over again no matter how silly it sounded.

"When did we get a damn dog?" Tommy walked into the kitchen carrying a case of beer and a watermelon in his hands. "Hey, there."

"That would be Pickle." Joel said and you almost snickered at how it sounded coming from his lips.

"I'm Tommy." Joel's brother introduced himself to you and you to him after the short explanation of why you were there for dinner. Joel silently cursed his brother for showing up even though this was the plan prior to your invitation. He simply enjoyed the time that you two had alone in the kitchen preparing dinner.

Tommy was handsome of course, just like his brother but Joel took the lead by a long shot. Guys your age were just alright but Joel was giving you feelings none of them ever could. Maybe it was the fact that he had probably about ten years on you, or the way that he never broke eye contact ever. You almost wanted to believe he was just trying to intimidate you, but he just wanted you to know that as long as you were present in front of him, his attention was yours.

Joel felt foolish to say the least. Crushing on the neighbor's niece when she'd be gone in a month was insanity. The man had barely even looked at another woman since Sarah's mother left. But here you were in front of him and he couldn't stop staring at every inch of you. You were absolutely stunning and he couldn't grasp the fact that you were standing in his kitchen on a Saturday evening helping him with dinner.

He could tell that Tommy was slowly taking a liking to you, watching the way his brothers eyes squinted when he smiled at anything you said, one of his old tricks that Joel had in fact taught him. Something so simple, but just made a woman feel like you were so much more invested in whatever they were saying. It was hard to read whether you were picking up on it, but all he could do was hope you weren't falling for his antics.

"Are you from Austin?" Sarah asked. Pickle was laying under her feet just hoping she would drop something but to his advantage, she was already sneaking him bites throughout the entire dinner without anyone noticing.

"I actually live in Dallas, but I've lived here for the most part since I was eighteen." You answered her.

"Oh, so you're in college." Tommy said glancing at his older brother. There was an inkling that if you were still in college Joel would fuck off and let his brother have a chance.

"I actually just graduated from UT. I have a bachelor's in biochemistry." You replied catching the glance, but you didn't make any note of it.

"Shit, so she's a genius." Tommy gaped. "Congratulations."

"That's impressive." Joel said to you and you gave him a small smile of appreciation, the words making your stomach flutter.

"Dad, I want to go to UT and get a degree in biochemistry too." Sarah said and you almost blushed at her words. Compliments from kids always felt slightly more important because they knew almost nothing of the world and had no filter, so if they complimented you it must be true.

"You can do whatever you put your heart to, kiddo." Joel said to her.

The four of you sat around the table and you explained to them how Pickle had come into your lives, how your dad used to bring you here to visit your aunt and what going to UT was like. They all were interested in hearing what attending one of the most popular schools in Texas especially because every once in a while they too liked attending a UT game or two. Joel of course soaked up every word, thankful he hadn't met you until now because if he had during your college days he would've not let himself have a single thought in that way about you.

But he didn't. So here he was, studying each feature on your face as you talked. From your jaw down to the curve of your neck where your collarbone met your shoulder, what it might feel like to sink his teeth into the skin there-

He was pulled from his thoughts as you and Sarah rose from the table gathering everyone's dishes. "You don't have to."

"I want to, Joel. No worries." You squeezed his shoulder in a reassuring manner that made his stomach flutter. Sarah was eager to follow in your footsteps, the two of you putting the leftovers away and handwashing the rest of the dishes. Joel and Tommy sat watching the two of you engaging in their in own conversation.

"You win, big brother." He muttered taking a sip from his beer.

"What's that s'posed to mean?" Joel asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Look at you, you're smitten. You've known her all of what? Two minutes? She barely gave me the time of day." Tommy sighed. "It's nice seeing you have a little crush since Sarah's mom left."

"I don't have a crush." Joel quickly shut his statement down. He could try to lie to himself but he knew it was true. "This ain't high school."

"I'm just saying. See where it goes." Tommy patted his big brother's shoulder.

Joel took another deep breath that came out as more of a sigh. "And if she's not...?"

"Move on. There's other fish in the sea." Tommy stood from his seat at the table. "Who wants ice cream?"

The gasp that left Sarah's lips was comical and you couldn't help but laugh at her reaction, "Dad, can we please?"

"Alright, alright." Joel laughed and your eyes met his for a moment. You looked away quickly, turning your attention back to Sarah. Eye contact was one of your specialties, something your dad taught you was important when you were a little girl, except when it came to Joel Miller apparently.

"I'm actually going to head home. Dinner was great though, thank you." You replied. As much as you wanted to join them for ice cream you didn't want to overstay your welcome.

"What? So soon?" Joel asked as if you hadn't spent the entire evening with him and his family. He wanted to punch himself for accidentally sounding so eager.

"Yeah, I'm still full from dinner so I'll pass on the ice cream and Pickle-"

"Maybe Pickle wants ice cream." Sarah interjected.

"Pickle looks like he wants some ice cream." Tommy added. "Just come along for the ride at least."

"Please please please." Sarah folded her hands as she stood in front of you staring up at you with pleading puppy dog eyes that you just couldn't say no to.

"Fine." You smiled and she squealed from happiness grabbing Pickle's leash from your hands.

"She really likes you." Joel laughed as the four of you walked out to Tommy's truck. You squeezed in the backseat with Sarah and Pickle and then Tommy drove you all to the ice cream shop up the road that was a fan favorite of everyone in the neighborhood.

Everyone got their favorite flavors and you even bought a little pup cup for the chubby boy that looked like he had already had twenty. Sarah had spoiled him at the dinner table and now here he was getting his own little ice cream.

You and Joel sat on the same side of the table across from Tommy and Sarah as you fed Pickle his ice cream slowly so he wouldn't inhale the entire thing. Just like you said earlier, you passed on getting your own cone because you did feel a little full from dinner still.

You almost sighed looking at Joel's ice cream and how good it looked, mindfully wishing you had gotten your own. Maybe your aunt had some stashed away in the freezer at home.

"Want a bite?" Joel asked catching your eyes lingering on his strawberry ice cream. Before you could object he scooped a spoonful and held it towards you. You rolled your eyes but opened your mouth anyways letting him feed you the ice cream. It hit you that the two of you were sitting quite close. Your knees were touching and you were shoulder to shoulder.

Neither Sarah nor Tommy noticed the tender moment, them being engaged in their own conversation about which ice cream flavor was better.

When you arrived back at the house, you waved Tommy and Sarah goodnight and Joel held Pickle's leash in his hand as he walked you back across the street to your front door.

Your fingertips brushed once again as he passed Pickle's leash back over to you. He leaned against the doorframe as he watched you open it and send Pickle inside.

"Thank you for having me. It's been a lonely week." You admit to him.

"Anytime." Joel replied. Not a man of many words it seems.

"Well, I'll see you around." You tell him, trying to avoid an awkward silence.

For the first time in a while, Joel was at loss for words. He wanted to compliment you, ask you out on a proper date maybe, but he choked. The idea of you turning him down, someone who you might think is a little too old for you made him anxious. He had barely just moved in a week ago and was already thinking of asking you out.

"Listen, uh, thanks for hanging out with Sarah today. She really enjoys your company, I can tell. Never seen the girl more excited to do dishes." He said before you could step inside.

"She's a good kid, Joel. You should be proud." You offer him a smile.

"Thanks." The smile that spread across his face was genuine. Nothing warmed his heart more than someone complimenting his parenting. It was rough on his own, but he did a damn good job if he says so himself.

"See you." You stood on your tiptoes in the spur of the moment and placed a soft kiss to his cheek. You're not sure why you did it or where the courage to do it even came from but you shut the door behind you before you could hear or see his reaction.

Joel cheesed like a kid in a candy story walking back to his new home across the street.

"You're certainly fucked that's for sure." Tommy laughed as he watched Joel walk up the porch steps, having just watched the entire encounter between you two. "Smitten little boy."

"Shut up." Joel shoved Tommy's shoulder, but he didn't even mind the teasing because he was right.

PREV|NEXT

#joel miller x reader #joel miller fanfiction #the last of us #joel miller x you #pedro pascal #joel miller #tlou #joel miller imagine #joel miller fic #joel miller fanfic

[doberbutts]

Sorry if this is dumb, but if you don't mind me asking, what's the difference between "Weekend Warrior Bullshit" and someone there to actually work their dogs? I'm asking because as someone in a working breed who's considering getting into breeding these dogs in the future, I seriously want them to be able to do what they were created to do. But if I can't do that without living on a farm with cattle and sheep, for example, I'll happily leave breeding to the people who actually need these dogs to put food on the table as I think that's what's best.

Well it's not to say that people who can't truly work their working breeds shouldn't breed. I'm a weekend warrior bullshitter myself so there's obviously a lot of market for dogs who only really do that.

Basically, almost anything that you can earn a title for is "weekend warrior bullshit". IGP, herding trials, hunt tests, those are great sports but they are not necessarily "real work" when discussing what truly qualifies as work.

Dogs who hunt with their owners for sustenance, dogs who move livestock on an actual farm, police and military dogs, those are "real work".

I've discussed several times in the past how it irritates me that people are so hung up on titles titles titles. Don't get me wrong, I like sports, so if I want to buy a dog to play sports I'm buying a dog from titled parents and from breeders who pursue titles. And I do think titles are one avenue of proving your dog can do the work- in an ideal world the dogs doing the "real work" should easily be able to title. Otherwise, unfortunately, you're relying on someone's word and people tend to lie or be willfully ignorant to the realities of their breeding programs.

However... I grew up pretty Appalachian. Most people did not buy food from the store but hunted and farmed it themselves, or worked out community exchange with their neighbors. This is also due to religious pressure in my specific part of the Appalachians but I've found similar experiences up and down the mountain range. Proving your dog can pass a couple weekend hunt tests is great and all but that doesn't prove that your dog can be out in the woods with you sunup to sundown for the entirety of the hunting season to ensure your family eats that winter. Your dog chasing sheep in a pen for 15 minutes at a time doesn't prove your dog can reliably keep the flock in line yearround with predators, new additions, and births complicating matters.

And it irks me, and others like me, when people say "well MY dog is FIELD CHAMPION TITLED so his worth at playing hunting every other weekend is SUPERIOR to your untitled dog that literally keeps you alive in the winter". Like thanks I think we come from two different planets actually.

That being said, there's plenty of crossover, people who DO use their dogs to keep them alive that ALSO play at sports. And unfortunately the easiest way to meet them is to go to sporting events and talk to people and see who is doing it off the field in real settings vs who just shows up on the weekends.

This is compounded of course by breeds whose jobs no longer exist or are no longer legal. As the swiss mountain dog breeds were beginning to spread to other countries, the tractor was invented. Suddenly no one needs a workhorse of a dog because a tractor is cheaper and more reliable due to being a machine. So what was already a very niche thing became so abysmally rare that these breeds almost disappeared entirely, and only survive today due to enthusiasts and sports. Some breeds fell out of favor for their historic use- no one uses purebred danes for boar hunting anymore and the very few dane crosses are dramatically outnumbered by easier, cheaper, hardier breeds and mixes. Dog fighting and animal baiting is illegal so gladiator breeds can do sports, become pets, or get a new purpose. Some breeds we don't have a solid consensus on their use- what was the techichi, the landrace that became chihuahua, used for? No one knows because the people who made them went through multiple genocides and the few that are left don't want to talk to colonizers (which, like, fair).

So it's not so much "you must work your dog x amount in order to breed" but rather "if you are looking for real historic work, your first task is seperating those who do it for fun vs those who do it to survive, AND understand there's a lot of overlap here"

[pinkeoni]

More Willel Mirroring: Textual vs. Subtextual Abuse

So not only do Will and El's mirrored storylines reveal ideas about sexuality, but they also present an interesting narrative about the different facets of child abuse.

Also, for this post I think I want to just want to focus on season one. There is absolutely subtext for abuse across the other seasons, but since the first season was written to hold on its own, it does create an interesting self contained story about child abuse.

TW for discussion of child abuse

This time around I am probably going to be focusing on Will more than El, because Will's abuse lies more in subtext whereas El lies more on the surface. And there are layers of metaphor and subtext for both instances, which I touch on in my sexuality longpost, although it is much easier to point to El's story and say "she is being abused." After all, this is what happens in the show as well.

The age and lived experiences of the characters does impact their perception, however.

An adult like Benny is able to look at El and understand that she's likely been abused, but young boys like the party who don't know any better think she's crazy. Regardless, it's obvious with El, a little girl with a shaved head who doesn't say much with no sense of privacy that something is wrong with her.

I think that Will and El's storylines are meant to represent invisible versus visible abuse, thus El's abuse is textual while Will's abuse storyline is subtextual. With El, it's hard for her to hide her abuse. As for Will, it's much more concealed. In Jonathan's words—

"He's good at hiding."

The inclusion of this line is part of what points towards Will's abuse. It postulates a couple of questions— why is Will good at hiding and what was he hiding from? Furthermore, I think this line plays into the idea of Will's abuse being hidden. You can't tell just by looking at him that he's been abused, at least from what we see of him in the show. And when you look at his story from a surface level, you may not catch on to this.

Gleaning subtext from Will's flashbacks

El and Will are the two characters that we get flashbacks for, and for both we see what their differing home lives are like. El is being treated like a weapon in the lab by Papa, and Will shares some wholesome moments with Joyce and Jonathan.

Because Will is not presently on screen for much of season one, so a lot of his characterization has to be delivered through flashbacks. Within these flashbacks, there is a lot that can be gleaned from just below the surface that points toward Will being abused.

Lonnie may not be on screen for any of these flashbacks. But if you look closely, his presence is definitely felt.

Flashback #1) Castle Byers

First off, Castle Byers itself— the fact that it exists, and the fact that it's so far away from the Byers' house.

We aren't given an exact location for Castle Byers, other than it's in the woods behind their house. But it's not in their backyard, that's for sure. We also get a comment about Castle Byers from Jonathan later in the season, stating that it's his hiding spot. Why would Will need a safe space and hiding spot outside of his home?

Furthermore, Castle Byers is password protected, with a big sign in the front that reads ALL FRIENDS WELCOME in big letters. Is it not hard for one to infer that Castle Byers is meant to keep something out? Something not a friend?

More from this flashback, we know that Will used to be scared often to the point of having nightmares for a week.

"Anymore" implying that he did used to get scared in the past tense. Had Will just said "I don't get scared like that." it would have a different meaning. The "anymore" is an important inclusion. Will used to be very scared of something when he was younger, but not anymore.

Flashback #2) Should I Stay or Should I Go

The second flashback mentions Lonnie more explicitly, when we hear Joyce arguing with him over the phone over not showing for visitation. Perhaps the mention of him here is meant to subconsciously tie him to the other flashbacks?

This flashback also provides heavy subtext surrounding Will's sexuality, using this line from Jonathan.

I think it’s very likely that Lonnie was abusing Will because of his sexuality. We already have confirmation that he was verbally bullying him for it from Joyce.

Flashback #3) Will the Wise

Will the Wise was introduced in the first scene of the show, but this moment shows that Will the Wise is more than just a DnD character to Will. He’s something he goes to in search of comfort.

In this moment where Will is drawing him, we see that Will seems a little somber. Drawing can be fun, but it’s also a tool that Will can use to express his emotions, both good and bad. More specifically, Will the Wise is fighting bad guys.

Could these bad guys just be referring to Troy and his gang? Or someone else?

The thing about all three of these flashbacks is that they sneakily hide their subtext behind more pertinent pieces of information.

We are introduced to Castle Byers which becomes an important set piece. We are also shown that Will has a safe space outside of his home and used to get nightmares.

We are introduced to Jonathan’s distaste of Lonnie and also given clues about Will’s sexuality.

Will’s drawing becomes a plot point later (used to discern El from Will) but we are also shown that Will’s has a persona which he uses to fight “bad guys.”

The Upside Down as Subtext

Here's the main point I wanna make that took too long to get to, the Upside Down is used to deliver subtext about Will's past abuse.

But isn't Will being actually being tormented by Vecna in the Upside Down? Well I think it's both. Yes Will is literally being hunted by Vecna, and at the same time it's metaphorical for Will's abuse by Lonnie. Some things have a dual-purpose.

We know that the Upside Down is a dark mirror of Hawkins. For most of his time there, at least from what we see, he stays in or around his home.

Will is, quite literally, in danger inside of his own home.

Here.

R-I-G-H-T H-E-R-E. Right here.

My most solid piece of evidence that backs this is this moment where Will tells Joyce "Mom, it's coming!" and the following Byers House scene we see is Lonnie pulling up to the house.

Additionally, we do not see any attempts from Will to contact Joyce while Lonnie is there, along with Lonnie hammering over the hole in the wall and taking down the lights he was using to communicate. Lonnie's presence literally silences him.

Does Joyce know?

Joyce's comments in the sheriff's office suggests that she is aware of Lonnie's homophobic bullying, I think that just like the Upside Down, the extent of Lonnie's abuse is something that she doesn't fully understand. But she does want to.

Understanding does require communication from Will. And unfortunately for Joyce—

—he's good at hiding.

Evidence from future seasons does lead me to believe that Will forgot some of these traumatic memories, although if I were looking at season one on it's own, I would say that Will is hiding his past abuse.

If anything, Will was likely hiding this abuse as it was happening.

#shorter than a usual longpost cause ive touched on some similar points in other posts and felt like i needed less to get my main point acros #willel #will byers #el hopper #lonnie byers #tw lonnie byers #tw child abuse #longpost #ik that this is mostly stuff ive said before but listen. the will byers hyperfixation never dies. #i cant rest until ive covered every single little part of his life. okay

[kdramaxoxo]

Sorry if you've been asked this a million times, but who are your favorite couples from the last couple years?

Congratulations Anon! This ask is AMAZING and I've never been asked it before! Shocking right?? :P

My favorite K-Drama Couples 2023- Spring 2024

NOTE: I tried to include 2022 but my list got too long :)

Moving (Bong-Seok & Hee-Soo, Joo-Won & Hye-Won & Doo-Shik & Mi-Hyun): It's very obvious by this list how much I love this drama and how many blorbo-from-my-shows it created for me. And I know I'm only reviewing couples, but I was blown away by this drama. I don't even LIKE superhero shows, but I made an exception for this one and I'm so glad I did. If you like character development and plays on good vs. evil, I highly rec this! Bong-Seok and Hee-Soo are one of my favorite couples EVER and I loved the softness and epic romance of Joo-Won & Hye-Won. (And we all know that scene at the rainy window with Bong-Seok and Hee-Soo). These couples are really EVERYTHING.

Tale of the Nine Tailed: 1938 (Lee-rang & Yeo-Hee): This is the only time I've ever watched a season two and liked it better than season one. It's probably because it featured my favorite tragic half fox Lee Rang and gave him a love line with a mermaid. The two are SO sweet together---SOB!

Tell me That You Love Me (Mo-Eun & Jin-Woo): Wow. Maybe one of the softest couples I've ever seen in existence. Just watching them together was like a warm blanket in front of a cozy fireplace. I didn't like the ending choice which is a shame, but the drama was super well done and I still think people should watch it. There is also a very cute high school couple too!

The Eighth Sense (Jae-Won & Ji Hyun): not to be dramatic (just kidding!) this is the best bl kdrama I've ever seen. Literally this is it! I don't even want to tell you about the couple because I want you to just watch it! I'm dying for the writer to make another one because we need more queer media like this one!

Crash Course In Romance (Haeng-Seon & Chi-Yeol): Give me a noona romance featuring a man who has not felt warmth in 1000 years (ok not literally but this dude needs to have a warm meal made by an amazing lady!) This drama fell apart at the end (this seems to be a theme this year) but the couple makes it worth watching.

King The Land (Gu-Won & Sa-Rang): If you're looking for a low stakes, totally fluffy, rom com with TONS of chemistry (featuring MY BIAS!), King the Land is for you. Amazing skinship, kisses and just like a really fun duo to watch. Plot? Not so much but there are a billion good moments-- just look at the tags: They are full of cuteness.

Love After Divorce Season 4 (Benita & Jerome): Listen, I know I'm cheating by putting a reality tv show on this list but if you're in the mood for one, I highly recommend this season (it's on Netflix). Benita and Jerome will steal your heart and they are still together! I'm rooting for them. <3

See you in my 19th Life (Ji-Eum & Seo-Ha, Da-Hoon & Cho-Won): My bias Shin Hye Sun kills it in this drama featuring past life romance. Honestly it's not fair because this drama is totally my vibe so I'm obviously going to love the mains. But when a drama gives you more than one love line and they are both interesting and lovely?? Chef's Kiss!

Dr. Slump (Jeong-Woo & Ha-Neul): This drama TOTALLY fell apart at the end and left us all very disappointed, but that's not because our leads weren't a perfect couple! They bonded over mental illness and even took their meds together. Communication: check. Comfort/Healing: check. Chemistry: check!

The Story of Park's Marriage Contract (Yun-Woo & Tae-Ha). You probably don't know this but I've been following Bae In Hyuk's career since we was in silly little web dramas. Seeing him as a lead is really wild! To be fair, he's not nearly the actor that Lee Se Young is, but do we care about that when there's a time slip romance drama featuring a historical lady who's been thrown into the future and has to fake marry someone who looks just like her de*d husband for reasons??

Thank you so much for this ask - it was super fun!! Maybe I should do 2022 next?? :D

#kdrama #i love a list #king the land #kdrama recommendations #crash course in romance #tale of the nine tailed #ask #kdrama couple #the story of park's marriage contract #dr. slump

[ghouljams]

I hope your holidays have been fun so far, seasonal depression coupled with holiday related PTSD has been kickin my ass. You're Ghost fic hit me harder then expected reminding me of my first Christmas with my spouse's family and being surrounded by people who genuinely loved and cared about eachother. It truly is overwhelming when you grow up in a home with lots of screaming and fighting to spending a holiday with a family who doesn't expect you to perform for them.

My favorite part that really stood out was the "it's just stuff line" like with how duck uses it to justify not getting upset over something breaking on accident vs how, if I had to guess, Simon's dad likely used it as an excuse to breaking things on purpose. I spent way longer crying reading the fic then I will ever admit to. Ghost deserves to be happy damnit.

-Hot mess rambler

(ps I hope you start feeling better soon)

The "It's just stuff" line is echoed by so many people throughout the story and it feels like both the driving assurance of the mothers in Ghost's life and the failure of Ghost's own coping mechanisms. Both his mother and Duck try to steer him away from "crying over spilt milk" so to speak, but at the same time Ghost's father would've absolutely used it as a punishment. Similarly Ghost got rid of everything that tied him to his life with his mum and Tommy, they were just things and he figured it was better to get rid of them than try to hold onto the past when it hurt so badly. The problem of course is that things are never just things, humans always form attachments even when they know things are replaceable. Goose knows that, that's why she worked so hard tracking down photos for him, because it's not just things he lost it's people and those can't be replaced.

Also the accidents versus on purpose! You're right I think Ghost's dad absolutely was justifying breaking things on purpose and his mum would try to comfort him similarly. But it makes a difference how things break, whether it was accidental or targeted. Ghost accidentally breaking an ornament is different from his father smashing his mum's good china. Which I think Duck forgets to a certain degree, and why it hits Ghost straight into dissociation to hear the same words he heard his whole childhood echoed with a kind intent.

I could spend ages talking about my little thoughts on this fic tbh. I feel like I put so much into it and still didn't get to fit in everything I wanted.

I hope your holidays are better these days friend! I can guarantee that Ghost's holidays are

(I'm doing much better, put of the fever and into the snow)

#ghoul speaks #fic analysis

[sevensoulmates]

As always it's a delight to get to read your posts and meta, it's just as satisfactory and fun as it is watching the show. You're just awesome ❤️

You know after watching the last episode (and now that we know little bit more about Marisol) it made me feel really sorry for her, because I just know she'll be collateral damage while Eddie figures himself out and that's just so sad. And I wasn't really sure why those comments Eddie made about him/Marisol when they encountered Buck and Tommy at the restaurant and after having sex with her made me feel so uncomfortable, but then you pointed it out and I was like yeah that was kinda like locker room talk, Eddie was overcompensating here like trying to be a big macho man and that's why it felt so weird.

I'm baffled about Eddie's situation the most because I'm sure it's gonna be hell for him for a while since he will have to work through a lot of issues to finally be at peace with himself. And until stated otherwise my headcanon is the same as yours. I'm sure he is a gay repressed man (and not no get into the gay Eddie vs demisexual  Eddie discourse but I'm sure he may be both) I grew up in a Mexican household, I was raised catholic and although I wasn't in the army my dad was and he raised me and my siblings with an iron fist. So Eddie's background/storyline has always hit too close to home for me. I'm just dreading all the issues he's going to have to face.

Which brings me to this. To show his coming out arc and make it into completion do you think they will have to show us more about his childhood and upbringing, not just having Eddie talking about it but to have scenes like we did with Buck's childhood?

And why do you think the scene about Buck apologizing to Eddie for hurting him at the basketball court had to happen off screen?

Btw thanks for always replying to my questions.

Hi there!!! No problem!!! You always have super interesting questions to ask, so I am always delighted to answer them!

We all know how Eddie feels about "performance". I just feel like why would Eddie feel like the performance stops once he's actually made it past the dating phase and into the relationship phase? Maybe the external pressure from others is off (none of his family or the firefam questioning him, etc) but in order to KEEP the relationship, it really would require MORE performing.

It's fascinating to me, because we don't see Eddie acting this way with Shannon. You could make some arguments that their relationship was pretty fractured from the get-go and we didn't really see their dating/"honeymoon" phase but even when they were ~slightly~ back together in season 2b, Eddie wasn't acting like that with Shannon. Even when they were sleeping together, he wasn't. The most he did was make a couple of cringe comments about his "dashing good looks" or something, but that was more poking fun at himself. Even when Eddie was telling Buck about how "sex complicates things" with Shannon, he wasn't out here smirking or making comments about how good it feels to finally get some after two years of (apparent) celibacy. Say what you want about their relationship, but at least Eddie respected Shannon enough as a person to not start speaking about her that way. Their relationship was far too serious for that.

With Ana, it was so incredibly hard to watch because even though the storyline ITSELF wasn't about sex, a lot of their scenes had that edge to it? Like the sex-scene fake out in season 4, "grade me on a curve", "you really like to see me dressed up" "and the other thing" it was so ODD and FORCED. At the time of s4/5 airing you could maybe chalk it up to Eddie overcorrecting since it's his first real relationship after Shannon, but then he goes and does the same thing with Marisol which now makes it a pattern.

Once it clicked in my brain that the reason his relationships with women feel so fake is that he is literally putting on a show of hyper-heterosexuality (idk if that's a real term or not but roll with me here) it all made sense. I think seeing him "in a relationship" with Marisol for real was the final puzzle piece to seal this deal for me.

His extreme performances with these women, combined with their purposeful lack of development into full characters, all points to the fact that none of these relationships are going to work out. Eddie is not going to be able to actually settle down with his "endgame" partner until he actually finds someone he can be his true, real self with and "doesn't have to pretend with them" ;)

Is it bad that I actually enjoyed getting to know Marisol a little? Putting aside the actress, Marisol, the character, is interesting, because we're actually getting to know her a little bit more, far more than we got to with Ana. But I find both of these love interests fascinating in one mutual way: the fact that they put up with Eddie. Like I think about other characters and if they would've been okay being treated by their partners the way Eddie treats his girlfriends and I'm like.....hell no!

Oddly enough the only person I could see putting up with it was Buck before he finally started realizing that he doesn't have to be in a relationship with someone just because they want him. Only someone who also has deep insecurities, abandonment issues, and a general lack of self-respect would put up with Eddie's BS to his girlfriends. That's not to say that Eddie's a horrible person or abuses his partners or anything, but it's basically indisputable that he does not ever put in any emotional work to actually create meaningful relationships with his girlfriends. So why were Ana and now Marisol, so willing to accept that?

Ana resisted the break-up even though she could feel Eddie's whole heart wasn't in it. She was willing to keep trying in a dead relationship just in the hopes that something would work out. The same goes for Marisol. Idk about you, but if I was in a relationship with a man for going on 4-6 months and he knew NOTHING about me? I'd feel unloved, uncared for, and unappreciated, and I'd LEAVE.

We know that Marisol was scared of Eddie rejecting her or fetishizing her and that's why she didn't tell him about the nun thing, and I understand her reasoning and fear there. But gworlie, what else do we know about you? Can Eddie name a single hobby you have outside of loving Jesus and DIYing houses? Does Eddie even know your last name? It really makes me think that Marisol is unfortunately the type to just let things like this slide in the hopes that some man will accept her, any man. Since they rarely do because of the nun thing. And boy, do I understand that feeling, but that's NOT real love. I bet you anything once we get to the Eddiemarisol breakup she's gonna be very similar to Ana in that she knew Eddie's heart wasn't fully in it, but she just didn't want to be alone again.

I think that like attracts like, and Eddie's clutching onto this relationship for the same reason Marisol's clutching onto this relationship: because it's easier than being alone and being judged for it.

This is a tangent but I also want to point out that one thing that Eddie found uncomfortable about Marisol being a nun was the fact that nuns used to be his teachers....but was Ana also not a teacher? Just because she wasn't a nun, doesn't mean she couldn't have also been in a position of power that Eddie could've found uncomfortable. I find it interesting that even though Marisol's not a teacher, the show found a way to connect her to teachers and therefore to Ana.

As for Eddie's coming out arc, while I don't think it's entirely a necessity to have flashbacks to how he grew up, I certainly think it would help a lot of people who can't read between the lines if they had some. I especially would like to see scenes of young him + Shannon. Maybe seeing how the pressure from his family and church led him to believe men have to be a certain way, potentially microaggressions about being lgbt that he might've seen from his family/church (I don't necessarily mean full-on homophobia but possibly like little ways in which he was shown that there was no other "acceptable" option from his church other than heterosexuality. I think seeing scenes of how he and Shannon got together could be enlightening too, how their community reacted to them getting pregnant, etc. I think all of this, combined with a mirrored storyline in the present (similar to Buck Begins) would really drive home the point the show is trying to make, especially if they can finally be overt about Eddie's queerness. BUT all of this can still be done present day without the need for flashbacks either. I just think it would be a way to make the storytelling more rich and to spell it out more obviously for the people in the back.

As for Buck apologizing to Eddie for the basketball scene...I would've liked to see it too, but at the end of the day, it's like Ryan said in his interview...Eddie was always going to forgive Buck because he loves him to his core, because he knew Buck didn't come at it from a place of truly wanting to hurt Eddie. All of it was a manifestation of Buck's own issues, and by this point (especially after the lawsuit arc and the deadbrother arc) Eddie is aware of that. We did see plenty of scenes where Buck was scolded and demonstrated he was aware his actions were shitty, and Eddie probably assumed that letting Buck stew in his own guilt was atonement enough. And so I think likely the writers felt that in the end, the sentiment got across. Separately--given all the switcheroo stuff that happened with 7x04 and 7x05, I wouldn't be surprised if there WAS an apology scene and it got cut for time.

#911 abc #speculation #eddie diaz #eddiemarisol

[carigm]

Regarding this whole bi Mike vs. gay Mike debate, I’m personally open to either as long as the Duffers make it make sense. They can take two narrative choices here: Mike is gay and his relationship with El was born out of conformity, trauma bonding, hero worship, and ofc over time, genuine care….or Mike is bi and has been slowly falling out of love with El for the past two seasons and struggling with the idea of liking his best friend, as well as scared of being a boy liking another boy in the 80’s and also trying to conform.

There are similarities in these narratives and there are also differences. However, as long as the duffers explain Mike’s previous behavior in a way that is coherent to whatever narrative they pick (even if that paints some of Mike’s actions in a bad light) , then we have a good story.

Their job is to explain all of Mike’s (often questionable) choices these past few seasons in order for his character to reach a desirable conclusion and achieve some growth, as well as making Byler work in a way that doesn’t feel contrived nor cheap.

I do think it’s important to remember this is a Netflix show that has been geared to the general masses for quite a while now, and that although this is the last season and perhaps they can get away with more, they will most likely have Byler happen in the most palatable way so that the ga accepts them as a couple.

We are talking about a show that vehemently shies away from having their queer characters saying their actual labels out loud, so if Byler happens they will likely try to make them look as sympathetic as possible to the audience. An audience that LOVES Eleven at that.

So while I personally am a huge proponent of complicated situations and drama, I don’t believe the Duffers are.

I do think they probably got a little messy this season, that’s just inherent if they decided to go with Byler as an endgame couple lol….

but let’s just keep in mind that whatever choice the duffers picked is a choice they had to sell to all the Netflix executives, and one they will have to sell to the general audience as well.

#byler #byler theory