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averagewriter-inthedark · 1 year

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Lt. Jake “Hangman” Seresin—SFW Alphabet | Top Gun Maverick Headcanon

Link to my Top Gun Masterlist

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Jake is very affectionate when it comes to you—let’s be honest, physical touch is his love language. He’s always wanting to hold you, kiss you, run his fingers along your back or waist. The man is obsessed with you and he loves to show it off. Best believe that when y’all go out his hand is holding yours, pulling you to sit in his lap and always feeling his touch on you—it’s always his way of showing you’re off limits to other wondering eyes.

B = Best Friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

No sugarcoating it, you and Jake butt heads in the beginning. You could not stand his arrogance and egotistical nature, and the blonde made it his mission to get under your skin. It honestly posed as a challenge for Jake and found himself looking forward to your bickering and trading light insults. “Take a picture it lasts longer, Bagman.” *pulls out phone and snaps picture* “Wait—are you fucking serious—?” “You said to take a picture, baby cakes.” “Do not call me that, Ken doll.”

The friendship between you two would be a sudden thing brought on by either a close call in training or one of you taking the banter to far and leading to one (probably Jake) apologizing. It would be a truce sort a say, that eventually blossomed into mutual respect and soon turning to each other as someone to rely on.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Does he like to cuddle? Is that even a question?

Hangman will not let you go and will complain if he has to when you cuddle. It’s the thing he looks forward to most after coming home from work so why you deprive him of such. You barely even get the chance to greet him half the time cause he’s popping his happy self on top of you from your spot on the couch. “Play with my hair, darlin’, please?” “So demanding, Seresin.”

Jake also loves to be the big spoon and have you tucked under his arms with your head resting on his chest. He will run his fingers through your scalp which ignites a low moan from you. The sound has him smirking….and may lead to something more depending on how the mood is.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Never did Hangman believe he would ever settle down. Was it something he longed for? Yes, but his reputation and career made that desire difficult. There was a time he was fine with being a bachelor and living life on the edge when it came to romance, but then he met you and it all changed. Coming home from work and seeing you there waiting for him sparked all the need and want for stability and having a future with the person he loved. And that person was you.

okay so his cooking needs some work because he was so used to eating like a college student when it was just himself. Eventually Hangman got better and making meals and often called his mother for advice which she gladly gave. The first time he surprised you with a home cooked meal you literally jumped in his arms and had him nearly drop the plate he was about to hand to you. Luckily Hangman has great reflexes ;)

Cleaning, Jake is actually good at. The military drilled into him that everything must be clean and sharp so there is no way your home with Hangman is anything but spotless. His sock drawer is even organized by color and length. Now on occasion (like weekends or vacation) you two will slack on the chores, but come Sunday everything is in order and there is not a speck of dust in sight.

E = Ending (if they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

It would kill him to end things with you. Honest to God Jake would rather you end things because seeing you sad breaks his heart into pieces. Part of him would fear would see him how he’s always been perceived as when in reality it was far from it. There would not be someone else if you accused him (which would put another nail to the heart if you did) it would simply be because he felt you deserved better than him. “I’m not good for you—you deserve so much more than me—.” “You don’t get to decide that for me, Jake!”

F = Fiancé(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

It terrified him, but he was absolutely sure he wanted to marry you once he realized how much he loved you. Marriage, like children, would be something you two discussed early on to make sure you both were on the same page. Being in the military there is already that preconceived notion that he would haul you to the court house the second you said yes but Jake would want to go at your pace. If you were like ‘Let’s just do it—call the Squad and they can witness. We’ll have a traditional ceremony later,’ then yeah your ass would be in the car and on your way to the nearest courthouse. But if you wanted to be engaged for awhile and do the whole process of planning, then Jake would be there every step of the way. “I can’t wait to put a ring on that finger—no matter how long I have to wait. I’m yours forever, darlin’.”

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Honestly Jake was a lost cause when it came to feelings and handling it with others. There would be times where he would have no clue how to help you and it was because he had never experienced the sort of love and intimacy he has with you. In the beginning he would be hesitant and ask what you wanted from him, and soon it would grow to Jake knowing exactly how to be there for you without needing any sense of direction.

H = Hugs (do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

remember, physical touch is his love language and we’ve established this man is obsessed with you. So when it comes to hugs, Jake is all over you. If you come to visit him at work he’s sweeping you off your feet, if you’re crying and in need of comfort, he’s holding you tightly to let you release your emotions and often he hugs you just because he can. “Darlin’ come’re.” “What is it—oof!” *intense hugging activated* “That’s better.”

I = I love you (how fast do they say the L-word?)

surprisingly, Jake is the first to say he loves you. His reputation as a playboy and flirt had him fear you’d never see him on that feel despite having been involved for some time. But that didn’t stop himself from developing serious feelings for you. In fact, he was so obvious that the Dagger Squad were making bets on when he would finally get the balls to say it. “Bet you he’ll do it next time he gets plastered.” “Nah, Hangman would make it special—.” “This is Hangman we’re talking about, Bob.”

It would probably be several months before he worked up the courage to say it and when he did you surprised him by throwing a smirk as you said, “Took you long enough,” before bringing him into a kiss.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

OH yes he does. His pride and ego will never have him verbally say it but you can tell by the way his eyes twitch or jaw clenches when he catches another person flirting with you. Of course Jake trusts you, but his thing is when you two have made it painfully obvious you’re together and someone still tries to fuck around and find out how far they can take it.

If someone is getting too close to you, he will simply slip in between and either look the person up and down, kiss you full on with a grab to your ass, or be like “try someone else, pal. This one’s mine.” Your obviously amused which he ignores half the time—cause again, that ego—because all you do is tease him. Thankfully there hasn’t been much escalation where a fight started, but there was once a weekend where both you and Jake were warned by Penny when y’all were on your third attempted bar fight because a bitch tried to throw her drink in your face and some creep sized up Jake when you rejected the dude’s advances.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Kisses are freaky with Hangman. Mans loves going to town with his tongue where it’s basically a one-v-one battle against who will be crowned the French kissing champion. The first time you kissed he kept it sweet and gentlemanly, but once y’all became official you best believe he was a man starved for your lips. “Babe, I’m trying to read.” “But you’re so addicting and I need at least five kisses before I’m satisfied.” “You’re a menace.”

other than your lips, Hangman’s favorite place to kiss you is your neck. Oh how he loves to hear your little whimpers and moans when he brushes his mouth over your sweet spot before gently nipping it between his teeth. Adding to that he likes to kiss the area just below your ear, loving how you shudder against him. For Jake, he loves when you kiss the top of his cheekbone. It’s often a sweet, non-sexual gesture to show your love for him. Whenever he has a hard day at work his favorite thing to do is crawl into your arms, vent about his frustration and feel you lay your lips on his cheekbone.

L = Little ones (how are they around children?)

Jake is great with children, which again would surprise those around him save for his family. He is an uncle to a bunch of nieces and nephews whom he looks forward to seeing every time he takes a trip home. The man is always present, listening to the kids when they tell ridiculous stories or want to play a game as simple as hopscotch.

With his job, having kids would be something you two talked about early in your relationship. As much as he would love a mini him/ mini you, or adopting a child to raise together, Jake would want it to be when his career is at a stable point and he could be there for his kids. If you were not interested in kids Jake would respect it and say, “hey, I’m happy as I am being an uncle to those little rascals,” but if you were, then the second he’s able to get something permanent then he would be on board whenever you are ready to take that step.

M = Morning (how are mornings spent with them?)

As a Naval aviator, Jake is out the door bright and early every morning save for weekends. His day often has him waking up at the ass crack of dawn and days where he has PT Jake will be up at practically 4am. Sometimes, depending on your job, you’ll catch him in the morning to share a quick cup of coffee or tea and a kiss goodbye before you go your separate ways. On weekends and when Jake has his day off, he may sleep in but will still be up early as his military career has instilled it in him to be an early riser. With that he normally will go for a run before retuning just as you’re waking up and the two of you will have breakfast together and discuss your plans for the day.

N = Night (how are nights spent with them?)

Usually Jake returns home at a reasonable time. On those days you two will spend time chilling, making out (maybe even more) and cooking dinner together before doing your nighttime routine. The times where his workday runs overtime, Jake would call you in advance and often pick up some takeout for the both of you. He’s often exhausted so after you eat the man is in the shower and then knocking out cold on the bed.

On weekends where you two can relish in some quality time, Jake will plan for you to take a night out on the town whether it be going to a movie, late walks on the beach, or meeting up with some friends at the bar. Jake wants to have you to himself at least one night and since Sunday is reserved for prepping for the upcoming week, Jake will reserve your Friday nights with your friends and Saturdays for yourselves. Sometimes you’ll meet up with the squad back to back if there is a special occasion like a birthday or banquet, but Jake prefers the nights where you two can have a night dedicated to loving each other like your the only people in the world.

#Jake Seresin #hangman imagine #hangman headcanon #Jake Seresin headcanon #Jake Seresin imagine #jake hangman seresin #Lt jake Seresin #glen powell #top gun Maverick #top gun maverick headcanon #top gun maverick imagine #hangman x reader #jake seresin x reader #hangman fluff #sfw alphabet

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mxanigel · 10 months

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Cut to the Feeling

an Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) fanfic

[Read on AO3]

What if they lived?

An in-progress longfic that follows Levi Ackerman and Hange Zoë starting in the wake of Eren Yeager's first Titan transformation. It features OC Shion Miller, a soldier in Hange's squad who attempts to seek joy in their crapsack world. How will the journey these three take together improve their chances of survival?

Trio art by @/lilithkb!

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Rating: M

Relationships: Levi Ackerman/OC, Levi Ackerman & Hange Zoë, Hange Zoë & OC, eventual Levi/Hange/OC

Additional Tags: They/Them Pronouns for Hange Zoë, Hange Zoë Being Hange Zoë, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Friendship, Banter, Swearing, Lots of Cursing, Angst, Love and Loss, Asexuality Spectrum, Levi Ackerman Is Obsessed With Cleaning, Falling In Love, Literal Sleeping Together, First Kiss, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Eventual Canon Divergence, Nightmares, Torture, Blood and Injury, Demisexual Levi Ackerman, Bisexual Hange Zoë, I'm writing this because it's taken over my brain, I have spent so many hours on the wiki lol, Eventual Romance

Snippet from the 57th Expedition's aftermath below the cut:

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Shion skids to a halt at the sight of Levi hunched over, woodenly going through the motions of tuning his ODM gear. He stares intently at his equipment, eyebrows drawn together, eyes sunken, mouth flattened into a thin line.

Her heart shatters into pieces. What should she say? What can she say?

Then he looks up. “Shion.” The smallest spark of life flickers into his eyes. “You survived.”

“I… I did.”

“I’m glad.” His voice is barely louder than a whisper, gravelly with the weight of what he’s lost.

“I’m glad you’re alive, too.” She hangs her head. “I’m… I’m sorry about your squad.”

He flinches. “Soldiers die.”

She instinctively begins to reach for his arm before deciding against the gesture. “And we remember them.”

“Yes… we do.”

The barely-controlled emotion in his tone prevents her from saying anything else. Unable to move away from the crushing silence, she leans against the side of the wagon, desperate to sort her thoughts.

She knows next to nothing of what happened. She still can’t believe they suffered this many casualties. Whoever the spy is must have far better control of their Titan form than Eren does. The one deadly glimpse she caught of the so-called Female Titan was terrifying enough: incredibly agile, quick to adapt to new information, utterly unafraid of Survey Corps soldiers. Perhaps because of the additional tricks at their— at her disposal. Hardening abilities? A scream that affects other Titans? Is that why so many abnormal Titans appeared today? How can a human become a Titan? What makes those Titans different? How much do we still not know about these monsters?!

“I expected you to ask me what I saw.”

Startled, she whips her head toward him. “It sounds like you saw hell. If you want to talk about it, I’ll listen, but I won’t ask.”

“… Thank you.” Levi turns his gear in his hands and then sets it aside. He slowly slides off the wagon, carefully and deliberately placing his weight onto his right leg.

“Are you injured?” she blurts out.

“I’ll heal. In time.”

She won’t ask how his squad died, why he got hurt, but she desperately wishes to know. She longs to offer a hand, but his demeanor screams at her not to. The burden of the words she can’t say squeezes air from her lungs.

His gaze bores into her forehead. “You’re injured, too.”

“It could’ve been worse.”

“Mm.” He glances over his shoulder. “If you haven’t yet seen them, your squad’s keeping watch to our east.”

They aren’t my squad. Except she can’t say that now. Not to him. “Th-Thanks.”

“You sent them ahead without you. They were worried.”

How does he know that? “I should go apologize.”

“Don’t fucking apologize. Your survival will tell them that leaving you behind was the right choice.”

His words may be harsh, but he wouldn’t say them if he didn’t care. Warmth unexpectedly trickles into her heart, a familiar yet jarring emotion when juxtaposed against sorrow and bewilderment and horror. “I’ll go see them,” she promises.

“Good.” It feels like a dismissal.

Without another word, Shion trudges toward her surviving squadmates. Along the way, she realizes the name of the warmth her heart carries. Something it hasn’t held in years. Something she never thought she’d feel again.

This is a particularly shitty moment to fall in love.

#attack on titan fanfic #aot fanfic #shingeki no kyojin fanfic #Levi Ackerman #Hange Zoë #OC: Shion Miller #fic: Cut to the Feeling #attack on titan #longfic

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alienguts · 3 years

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Fluff Alphabet (Clark Kent x GN!reader)

Warnings: none, just fluff

Request?: No

A/N: I like seeing those NSFW alphabets that people do sometimes but since I’m a fluff connoisseur, I hunted around for a fluff one. Plus, Clark is just prime for fluff material. I may do this for other characters in the future 😊

A = Attractive (What do they find attractive about the other?)

Clark thinks every single part of you is beautiful, both inside and out. He can’t think of a single thing that he doesn’t like about you and can even appreciate your flaws. He’s just sweet like that.

B = Baby (Do they want a family? Why/Why not?)

Clark likes the idea of being a father and raising a family with you but there is always the problem of whether or not he’d be able to juggle fatherhood, a journalism career, and saving the world all at the same time. He’d eventually figure it out with you but it’s something to give a lot of thought to.

C = Cuddle (How do they cuddle?)

Clark can and will cuddle with you in any and all ways possible. He’s up for cuddling in bed, on the sofa, standing up, sitting down, on the floor, in the bathtub, anywhere. He’s not afraid of PDA so expect him to hold you at any time.

D = Dates (What are dates with them like?)

Dates with Clark are very simple. He doesn't have Wayne money to splash on you so he can't make huge gestures or rent out entire places for the two of you to be alone, but it doesn't matter because you still have each other. Sometimes you’ll go out to dinner, other times you’ll stay in with takeout for a movie night, and a walk in Metropolis Park is always a good idea.

E = Everything (You are my ____ (e.g. my life, my world…))

Ahem, we have this beautiful piece of (movie) canon:

F = Feelings (When did they know they were in love?)

Clark is very much in touch with his feelings so once he had an inkling that he was in love with you, he knew he was going to fall head over heels for you.

G = Gentle (Are they gentle? If so, how?)

Rough is not a word that could ever be used for Clark Kent. He’s had an entire lifetime of controlling his strength to not give himself away but he will touch you as if you're made of the most delicate glass in the world. Hurting you whether accidentally or on purpose would crush him.

H = Hands (How do they like to hold hands?)

Being a touchy-feely kind of guy, Clark likes to hold hands in pretty much every way possible. His favourite way is to gently hold your hand in his while he strokes his thumb across your knuckles or the back of your hand.

I = Impression (What was their first impression?)

When you first started at the Planet, Clark was the first person to talk to you (other than Perry of course). He thought you were attractive, but he’s not the kind of person to immediately hit on someone without getting to know them first, so the two of you sparked up a friendship quite fast.

J = Jealousy (Do they get jealous?)

Clark has a good head on his shoulders so it’s just not in his nature to get jealous. He can sense when someone is trying to get in your pants, and he’s right about that about 95% of the time.

K = Kiss (How do they kiss? Who initiated the first kiss?)

Unless you’re a bold kind of person, Clark initiated the first kiss. Just like everything else about him, Clark is a very soft kisser, like the love interest in a romance novel. He makes sure to pour all of his affection into every kiss and doesn’t try to shove his tongue down your throat.

L = Love (Who says ‘I love you’ first?)

Clark is very in touch with his feelings and has a good intuition so he’s more likely to say ‘I love you’ first. There is always the chance that you realise it more than he does and say it first, but he will say he loves you back if that happens.

M = Memory (What’s their favourite memory together?)

He has too many good memories with you, but his favourite is probably when you first agreed to go out on a date with him. It took him a while to pluck up the courage to ask you and remembering you saying yes always makes him feel all warm and fuzzy.

N = Nickel (Do they spoil? Do they buy the person they love everything?)

Clark’s way of spoiling is to make you dinner and bring you flowers, rather than making big grand gestures and buying you every single thing you want. He doesn’t exactly have the budget for that, but you don’t mind.

O = Orange (What colour reminds them of their other half?)

Pink usually reminds Clark of you but if your favourite colour is something else, that will remind him of you.

P = Pet names (What pet names do they use?)

Clark tends to go for the classic pet names: dear, darling, honey, sweetheart, etc.

Q = Quaint (What is their favourite non-modern thing?)

Clark is a farm boy at heart so he has a deep appreciation for vintage things. That’s not to say that the Kent’s farm was stuck in the early 20th century; they still had electricity and a TV.

R = Rainy Day (What do they like to do on a rainy day?)

Clark’s ideal rainy day involves staying home with you and just hanging out together; watching movies, reading, making dinner together, doing something else.

S = Sad (How do they cheer themselves/others up?)

Clark’s number one way of cheering himself up is to talk to someone. Whether it’s you face-to-face or his mother on the phone, Clark is a huge believer that talking makes things better.

T = Talking (What do they like to talk about?)

Clark can talking about anything with you so he doesn’t exactly have a favourite subject. But he also appreciates silence and knows when it’s time to be quiet about things.

U = Unencumbered (What helps them relax?)

Even though he’s a journalist, Clark is a big fiction reader. A lot of his colleagues will see him reading a book on his lunch break and give him the whole “oh, I wish I had time to read thing”, but like every avid reader, Clark makes time to read. Whether that’s during any breaks he has, before he goes to sleep, or even instead of watching whatever hot show is on TV.

V = Vaunt (What do they like to show off? What are they proud of?)

Clark’s not much of a show-off thanks to his secret double life, but he is pretty proud of his biceps and has a tendency to wear shirts that show them off around the apartment (when he’s not completely shirtless, that is.)

W = Wedding (When, how, where do they propose?)

Clark wants his proposal to be romantic, but would dare propose to you in front of a giant crowd: he knows that those kinds of situations are designed so that the person being proposed to can’t say no. He would be just as content proposing to you in the privacy of your own home, whether he had a ring or not.

X = Xylophone (What’s their song?)

Clark’s never really been huge into music so he doesn’t really have a song. He won’t turn the radio over if a song comes on that he likes, however.

Y = Yes (Do they ever think of getting married/proposing?)

Clark finds a lot of comfort in the concept of nuclear families considering that he was adopted by an older couple who love each other very much so he thinks about being married to you a lot of the time. (He very likely already has a ring ready for him to pop the question.)

Z = Zebra (If they wanted a pet, what would they get?)

Clark loves all animals, but he is definitely a dog person. Not one of those “I hate all animals that aren't dogs” kinds of dog person, but dogs are definitely his favourite.

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skzflix · 3 years

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passstt can you do your best to explain the ‘universe’ in depth or at least so it’s understandable bc my ass is clueless 🙃

so, this is my dumb brain linking stuff so please please take this all as what it is — my stupid brain's stupid thinking. this is also the first time i've linked it all out in order. so bear with me. this is loooong. in this universe, we have like three parts: mixtape: on track — b me — mixtape: oh. and it deals with tangled romance and the consequences it has on friendships.

MIXTAPE: ON TRACK

so in mixtape: on track, the universe sets off with the boys in high school, final year, i think. minho and hyunjin are the leads in our whole universe. jeongin is like hyunjin's best friend in this au. they are film and art majors (?) and have this project i presume to make a short film (?). chan deals with the sound, jisung with the lights, changbin with the props, hyunjin with the videography, felix is directing and seungmin is the writer. minho is the main lead in this film and jeongin is a side character in this film.

insert female lead. female lead is close friends with both hyunjin and minho. it's pretty evident that minho and hyunjin likes her and hyunjin constantly does feel bad over minho and her getting closer, because well, he likes her. this feeling turns into a distaste soon enough (as seen in how hyunjin feels pathetic after the girl takes both the drinks from them + how minho shoots the goal while playing soccer and like hyunjin and minho have this weird cold gaze exchange. in both these situations, jeongin is around to help hyunjin. i'll get to this soon.) so like our boy minho and her clearly have sparks and hyunjin dislikes it. high school jealousy, if anything.

that's when hyunjin decides to take action and while shooting, when minho has to grab the female lead's hand, he butts in and holds her hand. all because he likes her and he's done being the second lead in this story. the mv ends here.

now, about jeongin, he did mention in one of his vlive that he was like a guardian angel and i do think he's like a friend that really really cares for hyunjin and doesn't ever want him to get hurt. so the whole mv wraps up in this plot of how hyunjin takes action right when minho and the female lead are slowly getting things going for them.

UNVEIL: B ME

and then we get the unveil track of b me, (how i wish they dropped the mv for this rather!). i'll make a list of stuff that happens in b me first and then tell you how my brain linked it up.

felix with the video camera + tape

jeongin distressed with bruised face

the members reminiscing what they once had before chaos struck.

a script that has even a fool knows (alternative title to on track) written (this was my cue to link them both?)

seungmin, chan and technically the whole cast looking distressed

jisung burning the film competition form (?)

changbin in the court sad and playing alone

biker!minho + biker!hyunjin (THIS ISN'T A POINT BUT THEY ARE SO HOT IN THIS AU SHUT UP RUE!!!)

minho meets with an accident + jisung rushes to his side

angry giving up skz moments

ot8 basketball happy memories

i'm going to sit here and draft this out so again, bear with me, soooo,

i presume the hyunjin grabbing the girl's hand, ofc, did not sit right with minho because technically, minho and her were a thing almost. and that ruined the friendship. this also caused the whole film shooting to turn chaotic, i presume because hyunjin's gaze in the on track mv seemed determined so i think he wasn't ready to back off either. the filming team clearly breaks apart because of this. the tension between minho and hyunjin is still very high. the team is frustrated. jisung burns the film competition form because what's the use of joining when there's no team? changbin is sad and angry and has emotions he is frustrated over (just like the other members!!) because they aren't together as a friend circle distinctly because of the feud between hyunjin and minho. they used to play basketball together (the whole of the ending part!) but not anymore.

now, we see how minho meets with an accident. i'm a bit confused with this part (this is why we need the mv for b me, jyp!!!!) but i'll state out everything i think.

a) jisung is to minho as to what jeongin is to hyunjin.

b) the accident could be solely accidental? maybe minho ran off in a fit after an argument with jeongin and hence why jeongin has the bruises and maybe in that heat, minho could have had the accident.

c) i presume jisung rushes to help him because human guardian angel of sorts of a friendship.

anyhow, i think the small clip of video tape that felix pulls out in the beginning is what they watch together. i do not think this has any correlation to the intense story besides adding the fact that they were reaaaaaaally close because they all look super happy in that shot, omg!!

MIXTAPE: OH

and now here we are, mixtape: oh. (watching and pausing the mv to go as detailed as i can with my storytelling.) this, since it was a mv, we get a story as solid as the first one (thank you, jyp. i hate you generally but thank you for this.)

so we have all the members in the drama club room. the same room we saw in the first mv i think. everyone's gathered back there, picking up their stuff because they have graduated, except for changbin and hyunjin who haven't come. jeongin searches and hopes expectantly for hyunjin to come. the blue certificate kinda thingy (I have no idea what it is. i don't read korean either and my google translate couldn't pick that up :((() is something of hyunjin's and i think minho did want hyunjin to come to this sort of reunion because he gets angry and picks up the blue thingy. he's either mad at that, or he is still mad at what happened in the past. i'm not sure. either ways, jisung is worried too as to what minho is going to do and over what he is feeling. oh, also, minho is in a cast, which means it does go exactly in the order i mentioned !!!

we then see hyunjin (shit, i cried again!) and he's painting an eye (is this a relation with some other skz song i will never know) and i think he took up art after dropping from film club so like he could distance himself from the rest of them, because well, he was 1/2 of the reason why this all happened.

we have the members reminiscing again, thinking about the good times and bad ones too. jeongin is in a tunnel (the boy is always in a tunnel. is this again a link to other mvs i do not know) and changbin goes to the drama club room all alone after everyone leaves and like i think he removed the sign of the drama club room and in my head, it's a symbolism for how everything has finally ended. all the memories they have had had finally ended with their graduation, of sorts, in that moment for him. jeongin, who is in the tunnel calls for hyunjin, like a last thread of hope he clings on to, expecting for him to finally meet them and come back to them. hyunjin doesn't pick up the call.

minho is still packing things up and as he looks through stuff he sees a calender with their anniversary date marked and he remembers of the team together once again. everyone really badly misses the old days. we see jeongin who goes to buy that drink again that he stole from hyunjin in the on track mv and he remembers felix in that moment.

felix who is in the library is with a cake. so i presume it is his birthday because he lights the candle on the cake up eventually. i think he did want to celebrate it with the team as a whole but because of the fall he can't. he opens a book and see the quote, "dreams come true to those who really want them," (we see this on the jisung bus stand shot too btw!!) and he goes on to make a wish on his cake and ie think he wished for them all to be together once again, living the happy memories again. hence the beautiful shots in the end I AM IN LOVE.

so i had this sorta ex lmao who told me this beautiful metaphor once when we broke up about how i left him on the bus of our memories and it was only i who got down and that our timings didn't match. and i think my brain instantly correlated those two, oops. so like the bus is a train of thoughts, a passageway for them to remember the happy memories. changbin remembers the happy memories he had as he looks through hsi phone with the basketball in his hand. jisung also enters the bus and remembers the moments they shared. oh, also changbin leaves when jisung enters. the timings don't match.

TIMESKIP. because this is based off kdramas for sure and what are kdramas without timeskips lmao.

minho's arm is healed. (he's also wearing such a pretty fit i want to steal!) minho goes and tried to meet hyunjin at his art studio because he wants to give it a try, this whole friendship again, i think, but hyunjin isn't there. so he leaves him a note and the certificate (??) blue thingy (?? what is it someone help me!) hyunjin comes back to see them both. this is what happens in the mv, in correlation with the other mvs.

they could clearly make another part of them actually getting together. but personally, i think they do and like felix's wish comes true because the directing is such that they end it with felix opening his eyes. (i also don't want to think of a sad alternative where felix opens his eyes only to remember reality is still the same and the feud still exists. i refuse. in my head, the next part has them coming together just like that in the snow!)

but yes, if you've reached till here, thank you for reading my incoherent mess of thoughts. ily and i hope you have a good day! 💕

#✉️:asks #skz theory #stray kids #skz #this is not proofread and is just a mess BUT HERE THANK YOU 💕

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ring-a-ding-dumbass · 3 years

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Companions as Hallmark Christmas Movie Love Interests

Happy Holidays!! I’ve been watching a LOT of bad Christmas Movies, so here are the companions as Hallmark movie love interests! (I’ve left out Codsworth, Dogmeat, Strong, and DLC companions.) [disclaimer: I know most jobs listed in these do not work in the way that I will imply, but that’s pretty standard for these kinds of films, so I’m rolling with it. Also, most of these are based off of SOME movie I’ve seen this Christmas, so obviously it’s not going to be super original. They’re Hallmark movies; they’re not supposed to be ‘good.’]

Note: I’d love to expand these into a fic, but I really don’t have the free time right now. If anyone is interested in taking one of these ideas and running with it, please do!! Just tag me when you’re done so I can read it!!

Cait- Cait owns a bar and she has a strict “No Christmas” policy. No Christmas music. No singing Christmas carols. No decorations. She hates the holidays because she thinks that all of the happiness and love that they inspire is a bunch of BS. She say’s it’s all fake for the sake of Christmas cards and holiday specials. One day, you’re the last patrion in her bar, and Cait slips on some ice while she’s locking up. You take her to the hospital and she has *gasp* AMNESIA. You let Cait stay with you because you can’t find any friends or family of hers, and the hospital can’t keep her. To your surprise, this Cait actually seems to like Christmas. She treats everything like she’s learning about it for the very first time. She’s not all soft and lovey-dovey, sure, but she doesn’t mind the peppermint bark and ice skating and snowball fights and eggnog. As she begins to get her memory back, she gets colder, and she opens up to you that the reason she hates Christmas is because Christmas never meant anything to her as a child. Her parents were mean to her 24/7, and that didn’t stop around the holidays, which is why Cait was always so certain that Christmas cheer was a hoax. Cait regains her full memories, but because of your re-introduction to the holiday, she doesn’t mind it as much anymore. She’s no santa claus, but she does stock up on peppermint vodka and candy canes for the bar, and wears a mistletoe headband during December, which you always manage to take advantage of.

Curie- Curie is the owner of a flower shop in North Pole, Alaska. Every year, more people move out of town, and Curie has to try to sell more items during Christmas, which is her most profitable season. You’re a character actor who works as an elf for a mall santa agency, and this year, you’re sent to the Fairbanks/North Pole region. One day, you go to see the sights in North Pole and meet Curie while she’s working in her shop. She’s running around like a chicken with her head cut off. You ask if she’s busy, and she mentions that she just lost her only employee to the local Build-a-Bear. She charms you, and you apply on the spot. After she hires you, you realize that there’s a well dressed real estate executive that comes in at least once a week to hit on Curie. She explains that he’s been offering to help her business in exchange for a date, but she won’t do it. As you and Curie ready up for the Holidays, you realize that you’re really compatible. You have fights with the fake snow used for window displays, you help organize flowers in the walk in freezer together and bring hot chocolate in when it gets too cold, and you start sneaking kisses to one another when you have to retrieve an order from the back. One day, the business man comes in and tells you that he’s buying the land that your shop is built on unless you can afford to pay an astronomical hike in rent. Curie begins to worry that she’ll have to sell her shop, but you promise her that it won’t happen. Together, you come up with the idea to sell Christmas packages online, so families who live far away from each other can send a little piece of christmas to other family members for the holidays. The idea takes off. Not only are you able to sustain the hike in rent, but you’re able to pay for your own land to move the shop, so Curie will never have to worry about rent again. You never go back to the mall santa place, and you run your shop with Curie for years, making a comfortable living in a cozy town.

Danse- Oh, Paladin Danse-- He’s the son of the president, and one of the best generals in the country, and he’s getting married. You are the baker for his wedding. One day, when you’re trying to haul a prototype cake to the other end of the capitol building to put on display to show Danse and his future spouse, you turn a corner and run into Danse, covering the both of you in cake. You don’t recognize him, and he doesn’t introduce himself, but offers to help you in any way he can to rebuild the cake. He insists on helping, so you let him, which sparks a friendship between you. Once the cake is ready, you bring it back upstairs, to find Danse and his spouse ready to look at the cake. Danse and you start speaking when you run into each other in the halls, and one day, he asks you on a walk around the grounds, where he confesses to you that he doesn’t personally feel attracted to his spouse, but it must be done for the good of the country. Just before his wedding, you confess your feelings and Danse runs off. The wedding comes to a halt and nobody knows why until Danse shows up to tell his future spouse that he can’t go through with this because he is in love with someone else. He approaches you as you’re cleaning up the confectionary table and tells you that he has to be true to himself, and that means being true to you.

Deacon- You’re a server working at a diner in a moderately large town. Deacon comes in one day and introduces himself as the new hire. You train him, and he’s kind of terrible, but he makes you laugh. You slip him your number after a week or so of light flirting and banter, but he turns you down. You leave to let Deacon close, but realize that you left your phone at the diner in an embarrassed hurry. You head back to the restaurant and find Deacon snooping through the boss’s files! After you catch him, he confesses that he’s an undercover spy, sent to keep an eye on your boss, who is suspected of using the diner to launder money. Now that you know, Deacon brings you on as his partner, and swears you to secrecy. You two go on a cute stakeout, have researching sessions together, and slowly fall in love over the course of December. At the end of the month, you come in for a shift to see your boss being arrested, and Deacon isn’t there. It isn’t until Christmas eve that you get a knock on your door. Deacon is there with takeout. He explains that his boss decided to go in without asking him, and they forced him back to the office, barring any outside contact until he could provide a full report. He confesses that he has fallen in love with you, but has also lost his job because of it, because he confessed to breaking cover. You reunite with a warm kiss and warm takeout, and, now that you’re both jobless, you start a P.I. agency together.

Hancock- Oh. Oh. Oh. BAD BOY CELEBRITY gets in trouble with his publicist over general bad-boy-scandalous behavior. YOU are a choir director for a low income rec center in a small town and you are putting on a Christmas Pageant. You don’t have the funds, but eventually the publicist finds out about your little operation, and she is ALL over it. She brings Hancock in to work with the kids and she brings an entire media team with him. He’s arrogant at first, and doesn’t even remember your name for the first few days, but you notice a change in him as you begin to work together. As skeptical as you are, Hancock really connects with the kids, and really seems to care about the Christmas Pageant. While you’re there, the kids start teasing you two, and implying that you have crushes on each other. In the end, The publicist scores him a comeback story and interview on a national morning talk show, but it would mean missing the pageant. While it seems like he’s chosen to go to the talk show, he changes his mind and arrives just before the pageant with flowers to apologize. After you accept his apology, the kids push you two under some construction paper and white puffball mistletoe.

MacCready- RJ is a single father who is still getting over the death of his wife. He has yet to move on in part due to his son’s illness. You are an heiress to a rather large fortune, but you’re told that you have a year to get a job and learn about good old fashioned hard work before you’re allowed to have access to the fortune. You start out with no discernible skills, so you become a babysitter for RJ. He goes to work in the evening as a security guard and you take care of Duncan at home. Duncan confesses to you that things haven’t been the same since his mother died. One night, you decide to ask Duncan what he wants for Christmas, and he tells you that he told the Santa Claus at the mall that he wants his dad to be okay. One night, RJ comes home and confesses that with the holidays coming up, he doesn’t know if he can afford to keep paying you to watch him every night, to which you reply that you’d gladly work for half salary. One night, you two stay up until Duncan has to get up for school, just talking about your lives. MacCready starts inviting you on outings with him and Duncan. One day, after RJ loses his job and can no longer to afford medicine for Duncan, you confess to him that you’ve been rich the entire time, and that you can pay for it yourself. MacCready accuses you of lying to him this entire time about who you are, and he asks if he can ever trust you again. You tell him that omitting to your fortune was a lie, but your feelings for him never were. You two make up, move into a house together, and Duncan thanks you for granting him his wish.

Nick Valentine- Did someone say GHOST ROMANCE? Yes, I did. You inherit a small farmhouse from an old relative that you haven’t seen in years. You go to get a good look at to see if it’s even salvageable, and you find that not only is it relatively well kept, but things move when you’re not looking. You spend the night and are woken up in the middle of the night by someone rummaging around in the attic. You find Nick, and you threaten to call the police. He’s polite, and promises it’s not what it looks like, but tells you not to call the police. When you do, they show up to find nothing in your house. Once they leave, you turn back, and Nick is in your house again. He explains that he’s a ghost, and for some reason, he can only be seen by the deed holder of the house, which is why your relative hasn’t been to the house in years. Nick explains that he died in this house a few decades ago, but he doesn’t know how it happened. Determined to figure it out in hopes that it can help him pass on, he was looking in the attic to see if it might have any proof of how he died and if foul play was involved. Over the course of your investigations, you two become good friends, and as much as you want it to be more, you tell yourself that it could never happen. Together, you slowly piece together that Nick was murdered just before proposing to the daughter of someone who used to own the house. As you and Nick celebrate this information, you realize that Nick hasn’t passed on. Nick explains that ghosts can’t pass on until they feel they have nothing to leave behind. He explains that he has grown attached to you, and doesn’t want to leave you behind. You move into the Farmhouse with Nick where you two live until your spirits can both pass on together.

Piper- Piper is a journalist who has been tasked with writing a weekly features column about Christmas, but she has found herself disillusioned with the holidays. She thought she’d be getting a Christmas bonus that she could use to buy Nat something special, but there was never a bonus, and money is really really tight. You’re quite literally the child of Santa Claus who has been sent out into the world to be with the people and really learn what the true meaning of Christmas is before you start your apprenticeship with your father to be the next in line. You meet Piper at charity event where you’re gathering toys to send to low income communities. After Piper interviews you, you start asking her questions, and upon seeing that the cold world has turned such a warm heart into a Christmas cynic, you decide to give her the Christmas of a lifetime. I’m talking ice skating, light shows, snow on christmas, and Nat getting a few extra presents. On Christmas eve, you’re called back to the North Pole. Your dad wants you to start your apprenticeship with him on Christmas by seeing how it’s done. You tell him that you can’t, because you have your own duties this Christmas, and he’s proud of you for that. You tell Piper about your dad, and she doesn’t believe you at first, but after bringing her and Nat to the North Pole to see it all happen, she apologizes for not believing you. You kiss, and agree to split time between the North Pole and Piper’s hometown, because you would never make her give up what she loves.

Preston- You grew up in a small town, but moved to the city to get a job at an ad agency. Around the holidays, your agency notes that they’re looking for something more down-to-earth and rustic for their new ‘winter campaign,’ so they send you to your hometown for Christmas. They’re expecting a campaign plan by new years, but while you’re trying to do your job, you find Preston, selling Christmas trees at the local Christmas tree farm and greenhouse. He teaches you to slow down, and to appreciate a christmas built on family, camaraderie, and love. You use your ad/social media experience to save his dying christmas tree farm. At the end of the year, you decide to quit your job and stay with Preston, who brings you on as a partner in the business and in life.

X6-88- X6 is a loan company executive who has been sent to audit the inn that you have been taking care of since your spouse passed away years ago. He’s quite serious and no-nonsense, which clashes with the capacity for compassion that you clearly possess. He thinks such traits are inefficient and pointless. Despite that, you include him in all of the Christmas dinners and events that you have planned, even if he’s not enthused about them. Through the Christmastime events that you plan for the inn throughout the Christmas season, X6 realizes that you’re not just all heart and no head. You have great ideas, and you’re inclusive of him even when he’s pessimistic. He uses his own knowledge of your loan plan to outsmart his own company and save your inn for the time being. He decides to leave his job in the city to live with you at the inn so he can handle the business and finances.

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solo-net · 3 years

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V as a NPC

Huge thanks to @visceralcoma who came up with this and posted the template here.

The Basics

Name: Vera Hendrix

Age: 26-27

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Bisexual

Nationality/Race: African American

Family: The Bakkers ( absorbed into Snake Nation ), Mother ( killed by Wraiths ), Father ( killed by Wraiths )

Lifepath: Nomad

Style: Kitsch. She wears a mixture of purple and black and dyed her hair a noticeable dark purple. Violet lenses hide her brown eyes, and she wears an old left-arm prosthetic that is skeletal in appearance.

Character Arc

Where can they be found in Night City?: Vera is available in Act II. Look for her just inside the Afterlife waiting for Panam to finish her conversation with Rogue. Talk to her and ask her questions about life as a nomad, to which she’ll give curt and short answers. Extend the conversation long enough, and a drunk patron will harass her. Choosing to talk the drunk down is the only way to trigger the cutscene when she knocks the man unconscious with a punch.

She will then thank you for giving her time to catch him off guard before leaving with Panam. She can also be found helping Panam fix her car in Rancho Coronado, the two of them bickering over each other’s mechanic skills.

Are they introduced via a gig? Or are they connected to the main story somehow?: Heavily associated with the main story as she’s a nomad who moved to Night City to investigate the deaths of her parents.

Before Jackie met V, the two of them did a job together and became close friends, but ultimately drifted apart. Vera attends his funeral, and V can briefly see her in the back of the Coyote before slipping out through the back door in tears. Should you choose to have V follow her, she’ll roughly tell them to fuck off and get in her car, leaving V in the dust. She’ll remember V in Act II in the Afterlife but will keep her responses short and cold...only warming up to V a little if they choose to defend her from the drunk harassing her. Vera becomes an integral part of V’s story. At first, she merely helps them with the Relic to avenge Jackie’s death but soon grows to genuinely care for V and checks her remaining nomad contacts in search of a cure.

What exclusive information about Night City would they be able to offer to the protag?: Exclusive katanas and throwing knives. If V is interested, she’ll teach them how to properly craft a throwing knife and the mods they’ll need for a katana. If V successfully swiped Satori, she’ll become excited and create a unique mod specifically for that sword.

Where is their home in Night City?: Lives in a small, clean apartment in City Center.

What is their character arc?: Desperate to lay Jackie’s spirit to rest and avenge him, Vera approaches V after Panam deals with Nash and confesses that she knows about their friendship with Jackie and the Heist. She will then promptly demand to hear V’s side of the story and, after a moment of silence, decide that she wants in on V’s quest to remove the Relic so long as they do not aid Arasaka. The way Vera sees it, Jackie died because of that damn Relic, and she doesn’t want any more blood spilled over it. She loathes the Silverhand engram and fears Johnny will get V killed to relive his rocker boy glory days.

What side jobs do they have the protag help them with?: Vera will give V a small task in gathering information on a corporate agent, Simon Bradley, responsible for providing Wraiths the location of her parents and paying them eddies to ambush and kill them.

The side job will turn into a series of more side jobs where V slowly puts together the pieces of the murder, ultimately finding out that Vera’s mother used to be a corporate teacher and an integral part of Michiko Arasaka’s faction... At least she was until she met Vera’s father, and they ran off to join the Bakkers.

Simon Bradley was an overeager and determined to cripple the Hato faction by eliminating its key members, Vera’s mother included. It didn’t matter that Violet Hendrix left behind the corporate world to become a Bakker… She was still considered an existing threat. V can either encourage Vera’s roaring rampage of revenge or convince her that Simon’s not worth it.

If there is a romance, what is that romance like and what triggers it and does it culminate to any physical displays of affection - and if so what kind?: If you encourage Vera to go through with her plan to kill Simon, romance will be triggered, and she’ll start to text and call V more often.

V can also pursue her with flirty responses that will make her flustered. However, the flirty banter will eventually trigger a sweet sex scene. After the Parade, Vera, realizing that V kidnapped Hanako Arasaka, will frantically text V and then track them down to the Sunset Motel after they interrogate Hellman.

She is angry and accuses V of not thinking things through like Jackie, sparking a massive argument between them that ends with a timed choice to either pull her in for a kiss, apologize or rebuke her. If you choose the kiss option, there will be a cutscene of the two of you kissing and stumbling to her car where you will eventually have sex with her in the backseat.

For Female!V, she’s top, but for Male!V, she’s a bottom.

Afterward, V and Vera will snuggle in each other’s arms, relishing in the quiet peace until V seizes up again from the Relic’s effects, and Vera quickly drives them to her place to recover. V wakes up to her cooking them breakfast, and they have a long conversation about the Relic and the shortlist of Vera’s contacts who may or may not have a cure for V’s condition. Vera will then ask V if they feel what she feels for them and if you choose Yes, she’ll smile and sit on V’s lap, holding them tight and promising that they’ll get through this together. If you select No, Vera will close her eyes and nod sadly, but otherwise, respect V’s decision.

What is their phone avatar of on the protag’s phone?: A picture of a black coyote with glowing violet eyes and a snarling mouth.

What sort of phone conversations can they have?: If you’re not in a romantic relationship with her and have remained friendly, she will text you updates about her contacts and possible cures, as well as hint that she’s snagged a meeting with Michiko Arasaka. If you’ve romanced her, she’ll constantly text you hilarious memes and talk about future plans to go out on the road together as nomads or stay in the city.

And (put this under a read more for spoilers) how do they connect with the protags ending:

If romanced, she will remain loyal to V in all endings except for Devil and Temperance. If V chooses to stay in the city, Vera will remain with them and not leave during V’s Crystal Palace gig. For the Star ending, Vera is ecstatic that V is joining her on the road, and they’ll sit on the basilisk together to watch the stars.

Add any further detail you want as well!

If you follow Vera’s quests without making a single mistake, she’ll manage to get an audience with Michiko Arasaka, granting the player another choice that does not involve joining up with Hanako. It’s the path with minor bloodshed as Michiko has no desire to kill her relatives but to cripple them and install herself as leader of the Arasaka empire. Vera is unsure about teaming up with an Arasaka, but she is determined to finish what her mother started and introduce Night City to reforms that will help the people. But if you still manage to complete Vera’s quests flawlessly and choose The Nomads she will be right there to aid V.

If you damage your relationship with Vera, she will not contact you any further and leave Night City forever to pursue a new life elsewhere.

#ch: vera hendrix #long post #omg this was so much fun #I seriously need to come up with a bigger backstory for her as an npc

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ifyoulovemeletmebinge · 3 years

Note

Why do you hate Joey? And please don't spoil beyond season 2 for me.

hi!

this is my first ever ask so this is kinda cool alrighty get ready bc this is going to be a LONG post. i’ll try my best to avoid spoilers.

why i dislike joey potter from dawson’s creek:

ok so I think what my growing hatred for Joey Potter mainly boils down to is just the fact that she is the type of character who has no personality, she is simply empty. when she does want something it’s because it helps her only, and she’s very selfish. this is hard to explain in the context of s2 which is where you are, but i am almost done with the last season and i feel this is where her character has turned to focus on over the course of the entire show.

i will say, i completely respect other’s opinion of joey, mine is just that she’s not my favorite by any means in the show. i actually think she’s my least favorite. so i’ll try to explain that!

let’s start with s1:

- i actually enjoyed joey a lot in s1, i thought she was fun! she’s sassy and her “im beautful yet unaware of it” thing kinda worked. this aspect of her only works in the beginning though (since she’s young and that’s the entire point of being beautiful and young) and something i find aggravating about later seasons is this continued theme of unawareness that doesn’t fit with her character anymore. by that point, SHE SHOULD KNOW SHE’S HOT OKAY.

- another s1 point is her relationship with Dawson. i was a strong shipper until ~certain future events~ happened because i liked them together. Girl Next Door is in love with Best Friend who’s oblivious to it, it’s a cute trope! i think for the first season, their focus on Joey’s suffering from just recently discovering her feelings for Dawson and trying to navigate them made for a good complex storyline for the Lead Female of the show. there was an exploration of female sentiment there that i personally haven’t seen a lot of, so i was interested. her relationship with Dawson in s1 was overall pretty good bc it set up excellent foundations character and plot wise for the show.

- my only criticism (more like character-choice-to-eye-roll-to) for her relationship with Dawson in s1 is her treatment of Jen because of it. we all know Dawson falls for Jen super quick and that’s not his fault or Jen’s or Joey’s yet she chooses to blame Jen and antagonizes her the whole season because of it. basically, she was a bitch to Jen. now, that’s not to say that it didn’t make sense because it did, and i think it worked well since we need some Conflict here, but thinking back on it now after watching almost the whole show, her choices and behaviors towards Jen in s1 shift from a childish jealously funny thingy to outright unlikeable aspect of her character that is only built upon as the seasons continue. i would argue this is the beginning spark or preview into the Bitch she will eventually become.

moving on to s2: i personally don’t remember much about joey from s2 bc my brain is Pacey Witter centered and he really shined during s2 so i apologize if i get something wrong, i’m outside my lane here teehee

- i feel that joey’s character in s2 starts it’s shift into Bitch Land and also Lost Land. this is where i feel they started to lose control of her, but something i find interesting about that is that the loss of control is extremely subtle up to the point where when you finally look back in retrospect, you can find those seeds being planted as early as s2.

- let’s tackle her relationship with Dawson in s2. there’s a lot to unpack here, but let’s start with the fact that it started REALLY WELL!!! our queen was getting the boy of her dreams!!!!!!!!!!! and good for her, but ofc, because this is a tv show and they need drama for the ratings (i’m guessing :)) everything falls apart very quickly. i would also argue that the choice they made to break Dawson and Joey up in s2 was very definitive and formative for her character for the rest of the series; the seeds were planted when they broke up.

- her reasons for breaking up with Dawson were understandable **at first** in my opinion, there wasn’t much reason at all to break up with him. yes, she needed to find herself (just like any young person does), but that doesn’t mean she couldn’t do it with Dawson. i actually thought they would do great at discovering her together, because i think Dawson is supportive and sensitive enough to help her. her excuse that she can’t do her art while dating Dawson was bullcrap. i could go on and on about why that is, but the best evidence of it is the fact that she hopped from Dawson to Jack with no hard feelings and continued with her art the same as before. her art didn’t get any better when she switched boyfriends so she really can’t use it as a scapegoat to explain breaking up with Dawson.

- this break-up and then her romance with Jack is what really gets me about her in s2 though. i think Dawson actually commented on it: she wanted to be alone to find herself, but then she started dating Jack almost immediately after that decision. this is where Joey first starts contradicting herself. this is where she first starts her ever-running theme of not knowing what she wants from her life at any point in time. for inexplainable reasons, her character is confused and she has to lead everyone else along and confuse them with her. honestly, poor Dawson. she both Wants and Doesn’t Want things, and her inability to stick to one is annoying to watch. and it only gets worse!

- her mistreatment of Jen continues, but what really gets me about her treatment of other characters in s2 is her relationship with Jack after he comes out. Jack has become one of my favorite characters in the show and his coming-out arc is (in my opinion) done extremely well for a gay character at that time. we don’t even have arcs like those THESE DAYS OF THE 21ST CENTURY WTFF!!!!!! it’s also a very important arc to me. i can’t cite all the evidence, but her friendship with him after he comes out is so messed up. she constantly acts like that weird Straight Girl Who Needs a Gay Best Friend. fucked up. she always apologizes and goes back on it after Jack has to snap at her multiple times, but it still makes her unlikable and inconsiderate to anyone but herself. Joey starts showing through her relationship with Jack that she only cares about herself. when she was dating him, she did it to feel good about HER art not because she really truly liked him, and when he came out, she wanted him to be a Stereotypical Gay Man for HERSELF, not because it was what Jack wanted, and he outright told her various times. she’s selfish. she doesn’t care about breaking Dawson’s heart and using Jack, she only sees her own benefit when she’s playing with these boys as if they’re not real people with feelings. this is another running theme that worsens her character throughout the seasons.

- by the end of s2 i think her and Dawson are back together (i’m honestly not sure i was invested in Pacey <3) but then the whole thing with her dad happens and that was really interesting to me. her decision to breakup with Dawson in the s2 finale after what he did.... MADE SENSE. i was kind of sad about it, but it was right!!!!! she had to do that!!!! she went through a lot of trauma bc of it and being with Dawson would just remind her of it, it wasn’t fair to her!!!!! i thought, hmmm this is the cataclysm of their relationship here again. this would allow her to finally find herself after being lost all of s2 and then she can be with Dawson again. it was all set up to match together perfectly. s3 proved me wrong :) but that’s for another post.

Joey is, at her core, an empty shell of a character. she starts off well and full of personality, but either bc of writing choices, or the audience reaction at the time they made this show, those aspects of her character start chipping away and she just becomes this unattainable sorcerer of men, who’s too good for any boy, but never good enough to be by herself. this is not the type of woman i personally enjoy watching, it gets tough watching her break everyone’s heart one by one just bc she “doesn’t know, isn’t sure.” it’s repetitive and makes for crappy drama effect. it’s frustrating.

i’m sorry this is so long, i hope this makes it clear why she’s my least favorite character in Dawson’s Creek. again, i respect all opinions of her character. hey! if you love Joey Potter, then cool for you!!!! she’s just not that character for me, and looking just at s1-2, these are my reasons why.

#gotta make an ask tag now WOOOOO #all that being said: she is hot :)#ask #dawson's creek #joey potter #dawson's creek spoilers #dawson's creek discourse

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thebooksaidthat · 4 years

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5 Contemporary Book Recommendations with WLW relationships!

As promised, this is my list of 5 book recs with FF centered relationships! They’re in no particular order and I hope it’ll motivate you to read some good queer works of art!

1. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid Link to book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32620332-the-seven-husbands-of-evelyn-hugo

Synopsis: Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. When she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated. Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career. Summoned to Evelyn’s Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the late 80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way. As Evelyn’s life unfolds—revealing a ruthless ambition, an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love—Monique begins to feel a very a real connection to the actress. But as Evelyn’s story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways. --> I read this a few months ago and I remembered myself just putting my Kindle down onto the bed and looked into my imaginary camera man’s face thinking about the ending. I loved everything about this book, the friendship, the romance and the style of writing tied them up nicely. Also, apparently there’s going to be a TV series coming soon in the future so yes I’m 110% confident I’ll be crying with a bag of chips at the end too ;’) Seriously though, do yourself a favor and read this! 2. The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth Link to book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53066661-the-falling-in-love-montage

Synopsis: Saoirse doesn’t believe in love at first sight or happy endings. If they were real, her mother would still be able to remember her name and not in a care home with early onset dementia. A condition that Saoirse may one day turn out to have inherited. So she’s not looking for a relationship. She doesn’t see the point in igniting any romantic sparks if she’s bound to burn out. But after a chance encounter at an end-of-term house party, Saoirse is about to break her own rules. For a girl with one blue freckle, an irresistible sense of mischief, and a passion for rom-coms. Unbothered by Saoirse’s no-relationships rulebook, Ruby proposes a loophole: They don’t need true love to have one summer of fun, complete with every cliché, rom-com montage-worthy date they can dream up—and a binding agreement to end their romance come fall. It would be the perfect plan, if they weren’t forgetting one thing about the Falling in Love Montage: when it’s over, the characters actually fall in love… for real. --> The Falling in Love Montage is one of favorite FF books because I couldn’t not relate myself with the main character, Saoirse. I loved her humor throughout the book. She came off a little strong at first and it did seem like she was annoying but there’s a reason why she’s so sarcastic and cynical and I loved that the book wasn’t all 100% about the romance (although that is one of the best parts of it). I binged this within two days and I was fairly satisfied at the end and I can’t not recommend this enough for those who want to read a happy queer romance book! ALSO I LOVE THE COVER SO MUCH 3. The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum Link to book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36952571-the-weight-of-the-stars

Synopsis: Ryann Bird dreams of traveling across the stars. But a career in space isn’t an option for a girl who lives in a trailer park on the wrong side of town. So Ryann becomes her circumstances and settles for acting out and skipping school to hang out with her delinquent friends. One day she meets Alexandria: a furious loner who spurns Ryann’s offer of friendship. After a horrific accident leaves Alexandria with a broken arm, the two misfits are brought together despite themselves—and Ryann learns her secret: Alexandria’s mother is an astronaut who volunteered for a one-way trip to the edge of the solar system. Every night without fail, Alexandria waits to catch radio signals from her mother. And its up to Ryann to lift her onto the roof day after day until the silence between them grows into friendship, and eventually something more . . . In K. Ancrum’s signature poetic style, this slow-burn romance will have you savoring every page. --> The Weight of The Stars is mostly a quiet read, and when they say slow-burn, they really mean it. I loved this one a lot even thought it’s mostly a character-driven type of book. This is sort of an enemies-to-lovers type of book, though it went fairly quickly from enemies to friends. This book feels like something you should read slowly, just to savor it all and process everything on the pages. 4. Her Name in The Sky by Kelly Quindlen Link to book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20886492-her-name-in-the-sky

Synopsis: Hannah wants to spend her senior year of high school going to football games and Mardi Gras parties with her tight-knit group of friends. The last thing she wants is to fall in love with a girl--especially when that girl is her best friend, Baker. Hannah knows she should like Wally, the kind, earnest boy who asks her to prom. She should cheer on her friend Clay when he asks Baker to be his girlfriend. She should follow the rules of her conservative Louisiana community--the rules that have been ingrained in her since she was a child. But Hannah longs to be with Baker, who cooks macaroni and cheese with Hannah late at night, who believes in the magic of books as much as Hannah does, and who challenges Hannah to be the best version of herself. And Baker might want to be with Hannah, too--if both girls can embrace that world-shaking, yet wondrous, possibility. --> Her Name in The Sky is a beautiful coming age story between two girls in a conservative town. I did find this one slightly harder to read because I usually stray away from books like these but I think it’s good to pick something up like this from time to time. Don’t be scared away though because this has a good and happy ending to it. 5. Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner Link to book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52915426-something-to-talk-about

Synopsis: A showrunner and her assistant give the world something to talk about when they accidentally fuel a ridiculous rumor in this debut romance. Hollywood powerhouse Jo is photographed making her assistant Emma laugh on the red carpet, and just like that, the tabloids declare them a couple. The so-called scandal couldn't come at a worse time--threatening Emma's promotion and Jo's new movie. As the gossip spreads, it starts to affect all areas of their lives. Paparazzi are following them outside the office, coworkers are treating them differently, and a "source" is feeding information to the media. But their only comment is "no comment". With the launch of Jo's film project fast approaching, the two women begin to spend even more time together, getting along famously. Emma seems to have a sixth sense for knowing what Jo needs. And Jo, known for being aloof and outwardly cold, opens up to Emma in a way neither of them expects. They begin to realize the rumor might not be so off base after all...but is acting on the spark between them worth fanning the gossip flames? --> Another queer rom-com heading your way with this final rec! This was a fun and cute read about the romance between Jo, who is a Chinese Hollywood star and her assistant, Emma. I read this in a book slump and I loved it, its sort of a fake-dating trope like book and I’ve never read something like this outside of fanfiction so it was an enjoyable experience all the way! Also, when the author described Jo at one of the red carpets with her dress with pockets, my mind automatically imagined Gemma Chan from Crazy Rich Asians as her.

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littlemisssquiggles · 3 years

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So I have SEVERAL feelings over the gif and am super worried over Ruby's expression, her being separated from her team in the snow, the fact that Oscar's taking her place at the head of RWBY, and the fact that Ruby is aligned with Yang who is mentioned to be "suspicious" AND I AM NOT READY

Hiya Miki-chan. Weirdly enough, despite what the intro GIF teased, this squiggle meister took a more light-hearted reaction to it, to be honest.

I know some folks are assuming that Oscar taking Ruby’s place alongside WBY as a stance on him replacing Ruby as leading the group and…I for one, didn’t really see it that way.

For me, I looked at it as a sign that perhaps Oscar may take a more supportive stance besides Ruby; not necessarily taking her place as leader but more as being a right hand to her---y’know like an advisor to aid her in these troubling times when tensions are high and the overall trust within the team is suffering because of it. For me, I took this as us potentially seeing Oscar help Ruby to mend the broken bonds within their team, thus restoring what they once had.

It made me think back to the Little Prince and the lesson he learnt from the fox---a lesson about love and responsibility. About one being responsible for what you tame. The Fox told the Prince that he was responsible for his rose as he was the one who cared for her, and that what’s made her the most unique to him in a world full of roses.

It is because of this why I always latched onto the concept of Oscar being a support for Ruby and strangely enough, we’ve seen Oscar take a helpful role towards Ruby in the past.

We saw him take this position back during the dojo moment in V5 when Ruby wasn’t being honest regarding her repressed emotions over the events of the Fall of Beacon. We saw Oscar take this stance again in V6 in Argus when Ren questioned the room of a proper plan of action to stop Salem and we see Oscar look to Ruby, who appeared distraught as she had no answer to give. From there, we then saw Oscar try to speak up in a move that gave the impression that he was trying to emulate Ruby in that moment---trying to be a voice of reason and optimism while simultaneously diverting all the negative attention that Ruby was receiving onto himself in a sense.

Consecutively, this is later followed up by Oscar attempting to reassure Ruby of their plan back in Argus when she appeared troubled over Qrow’s behaviour.

Basically what I’m getting at is that, I’ve always liked the thought of Oscar being a “fuel to Ruby’s spark”. Since the forces of evil have threatened to break Ruby’s indomitable spirit and snuff out that light of hers, I liked the idea of Oscar becoming someone who makes it his duty to keep Ruby’s spark alive.

I based it off of this analogy I shared back in my musings from V5. Ruby is often described as possessing an unquantifiable spark. A spark is type of a flame. A flame that burns brightly to ignite the way and guide those lost to the darkness like a beacon in the night. However even the brightest of flames cannot burn forever. Eventually that flames grows weary---starts to dim until eventually its burnt out.

But do you know what is often used to keep a fire going? Wood.

Oscar’s last name is Pine and pine is a type of wood. Therefore, should Ruby’s spark start to dim. Should her spirit slowly start to break from all the pressures placed on her, I love the concept of Oscar being the one to reignite it---providing Ruby with that same burst of inspiration that she’s always provided him. Therefore Oscar becomes someone of great importance to Ruby as he becomes a source of motivation for her. Someone to keep her going and be a beacon of hope to her when she starts to go astray and feel her spark dwindling. A fuel to a spark powered by an unyielding heart of loyalty love and bathed in a golden light as bright as the sun.

That what’s I’m picturing Oscar to become for Ruby in terms of his significance to her. Even if romance isn’t in the cards for the rosebuds, I’d still love for Oscar’s relationship with Ruby to be meaningful and unique to them; just like the bond between the prince and his true rose.

And let’s not forget that…Oscar has already acknowledged Ruby’s vulnerability and understands it. What I mean by this is that that despite Ruby being christened as the voice of hope and encouragement within her group---the one everyone turns to for leadership, Oscar has already realized that this also means that Ruby has a lot of pressure placed on her because of the badge of leadership that’s been put on her by those around. Hence the comment he made to Ozpin back in V5CH5.

“…She really is remarkable, isn’t she?”

“Yeah. She must’ve been one of these best huntresses at Beacon, huh?”

“In some ways yes but in many others, no. She has her quirks. Her faults, just like everyone else. But she also possesses something unquantifiable. A spark that can inspire others even in the darkest of times.”

“…This must be really hard on her too.”

“It’s most assuredly is.”

In the beginning, Oscar reacts the Ruby the same way others who grow to admire her usual do. He is enamoured by her remarkability, as Oz put it. However the instant Oz goes even further into giving his own impression of Ruby and mentions that she is a person of inspiration to others, Oscar’s impression of her changes a little as he took Ruby’s role as leader as her also having a lot of expectations placed on her (like him) and he gets it immediately.

And that’s another reason why I loved the V5 dojo scene. It says so much about Oscar without saying a lot and it’s great.

Ironically enough, it’s AFTER this brief conversation with Oz where I noticed Oscar taking up a more dedicated approach towards Ruby---immediately being one of the first few people to run to her side after she’s hurt by Emerald during the Battle of Haven. Defying even Ozpin---his other half essentially--- and fighting against him to possible protect Ruby from Oz when the ole soul’s desperation to prevent Ruby from using the lamp to uncover the truth got the better of him. And the list can go on.

Oscar understands the weight that Ruby feels and probably will feel even more now as she is basically placed in the same position that Oz was back during the events of V6. When the group turned on Oz, Oscar was pretty much the one to feel the brunt of the ole soul’s emotions after he chose to isolate himself. That being said, I can see Oscar not wishing to see the same thing happen to Ruby so like I said, I’m hoping his position in the opening will hint at him becoming an advisor or crutch to Ruby, standing by her side and working with her to mend everything.

That being said, I’m not saying I’m expecting Oscar to be a blind follower of Ruby, choosing to “follow her lead”. One thing I love about Oscar’s character is that while he may appear apprehensive at times, he’s never afraid to speak his mind and let others know exactly what he’s thinking and he’s not one to sugar coat either.

Oscar is rather blunt but still articulate in the way he expresses himself. It’s never vague with Oscar. He’s quite upfront about his thoughts and fears. While it may take him some time to open up, whenever he does get the courage to speak up, he always does so in a manner that commands the room or practically demands that his voice is heard by those around him.

And another trait I admire about Oscar is that he isn’t afraid to share his opinions even when he outright disagrees with someone’s stance on a particular subject. If he feels as if someone’s actions are wrong or may lead to issues, Oscar doesn’t withhold those feelings. He lets them know as highlighted when he was the first character to oppose Ruby’s decision to deceive the General. He was also quite upfront about his disagreement with the General’s actions towards the People of Mantle and progression of Amity Tower. Oscar even tried to warn the General of the path he was taking and while things still ended poorly, you still have to admire Oscar’s character in these moments.

To me, this is one of the moments that highlighted why I would consider Oscar to be our SECOND smaller, more honest soul next to Ruby. This is why I want to see him step up and be a voice of comfort and wisdom to Ruby in these times. Whether or not Ruby choses to heed his words isn’t really the factor here. I just want to see this dynamic done since this could provide an amazing opportunity to see the friendship that’s been slowly building between the rosebuds for the past few seasons truly start to flourish.

V8 could spark the moment when the Rosegarden bond fully blooms into a beautiful relationship---be it a really great friendship built on trust and understanding or perhaps something more.

Oscar is loyal to Ruby, yes. And he believes in her, yes. He also trusts her wholeheartedly, yes. However if he fears that her actions are leading her down a dark path, he will tell her so. And unlike other characters, Oscar will tell Ruby this to her face---not in a manner that condescends or belittles her---but in his own way. Firm yet understanding (like how we saw back in V5CH5).

Basically what I’m saying here is that I can trust Oscar to always being upfront with Ruby about his concerns and opinions on her actions and decisions which…is something I would like to say for the rest of her team but…I can’t. Not really.

Weiss and Blake may have their feelings and concerns but in the end, they are more or less written off as sheep perfectly content with following the herd led by Ruby as their shepherd (even if that headship ultimately winds them in a den of wolves). And while Yang had been highlighted to not be entirely complacent with her sister’s leadership (as we saw during the events of V7), it still bugs me how Yang went behind Ruby’s back the way she did last season.

It almost felt…uncharacteristic for her to do this considering that Yang has been described as someone who has always looked out for Ruby as both the older sibling and surrogate parent to her. So why have Yang go behind, not just Ruby’s back, but the whole hero team to be an informant to Robyn Hill and then…NOT disclose this info to the rest of the her teammates. Only Blake knew and like I said, Blake is a sheep, fine with following Yang’s lead despite not doing anything herself to inform the others of what the Bees did together.

In reviewing the episode where this essentially took place---V7CH7: Worse Case Scenario---Yang is the one who basically gave Blake the go ahead to inform Robyn of the truth behind Amity when the two cornered her in the alleyway. Yang was even the first to talk and tell Robyn of Ironwood’s plans to send the Ace Ops to detain her.

“…If Ironwood wants me, he’ll have to send more than a couple of kids.”

“He is. Stopping the trucks alerted the Ace Ops. We don’t have long before they arrive so please listen to us.”

Yang spoke first. There is an even a shot in that very episode where Blake goes to spill the beans to Robyn but looks to Yang first for validation and it’s only when Yang nods in agreement when Blake finally shares. Although Blake is the one who told Robyn about the plans for Amity, it was Yang who practically gave her the go-ahead.

So while Blake is an accomplice, I’m going to place full responsibility for this tactic on Yang since she made the first call and also encouraged Blake to reveal the truth. Ruby’s choice to deceive was bad, yes but we cannot ignore Yang’s own choices to deceive in this mix which is also very problematic and could prove more dangerous than one might realize.

And given how there seems to be this talk in the FNDM about Yang being the one to apprehend Ruby for her actions inV7….I'm going to be blunt with you, Miki-chan. If the show does what you think they're gonna do by having Yang be the one who either calls Ruby out for the mistakes she made from her decisions or have Yang be the voice of doubt against Ruby, basically placing her in the same role as she did with Oz back in V6, I'm honestly going to hate it.

Let me explain why I REALLY don’t like this angle. I said this before back in V6 and I'll say it again here, Yang Xiao Long has no right calling anyone out for their deceit or secrets when she is NO innocent party.

May I remind everyone that the only reason that the group ended up needing to transport the Lamp of Knowledge to Atlas in the first place was because Yang boldly told Raven Branwen---the Spring Maiden to leave her with the Relic allowing Salem to come after her and the others as opposed to advising her to seal the lamp back into its respective vault.

“…Yeah I’m scared but I’m still standing here. I’m not like you. I won’t run which is why you’re going to give me the relic.”

“And why would I ---“ “Because you’re afraid of Salem! And if you thought having maiden powers will put a target on your back, imagine what she would do if she finds out that you have a relic. She will come after you with everything she has. Or she can come after me and I’ll be standing there, waiting for her.”

“You don’t want to do this.” “Nope but I’m gonna do it anyway.”

As noble as this was of Yang to do in the moment, it was still HER decision to have Salem target the hero group for the Relic instead of her mother. It was a choice she made of her own accord and it’s a choice she hasn’t disclosed to anyone since the impression after V5 is that beyond Raven disappearing again, Yang hasn’t told anyone else of what was said and revealed down in the Vault of the Spring Maiden. Even when Qrow asked her about it during the V5 finale, she basically told him…well…a half-truth.

“…What happened?” “I don’t know exactly. When I got down there, Cinder was gone and Vernal was dead.” “And Raven?” “Gone.”

The half-truth is that Raven did leave but not before Yang figured out that she was the Spring Maiden and not before Yang told her to leave the lamp in her possession instead of sealing the lamp back in its vault. May I remind everyone that Yang also didn't tell anyone that Raven---her mother---is the Spring Maiden?

And may I also remind everyone that Yang (along with Blake) was the one who went behind the group's back and told Robyn Hill about Amity. A detail that neither she nor Blake disclosed to the rest of the team.

“…This isn’t over yet. We’re with you.” “Are you with me?” “Sir?” “…How did Robyn know about the Global Communications Project?” “We told her. The night of the ambush.”

At least with Ruby, everyone was aware that Ruby made the call to lie to Ironwood about Salem including Oscar who basically sorted that out for Ruby (even though it SHOULD have been Ruby herself taking responsibility for her own actions in my opinion). However no one knew what Yang had done with Blake with Robyn which was why they all seemed pleasantly surprised when Ironwood brought it up. Blake and Yang were the only two members of RWBY who knew about this detail and note that Ironwood didn’t bring up the group deceiving him about Salem.

Again, that part was ironed out thanks to Oscar. But the part about Robyn, that part James didn’t know about. And unfortunately for our heroes, neither did they.

Yet…Yang phrased it as if RWBY had told Robyn when in fact, it was just Yang and Blake who made that call while Ruby and Weiss were clearly in the dark as evidenced by their troubled expressions at the Aces’ and Ironwood’s reactions to the news.

You're seeing my issue with Yang being the one to call Ruby out? If Yang ends up being the one doubtful of Ruby or "suspicious" of her actions/decisions, it'll pretty much be a rehash of V7.

Most of us thought it was mighty hypocritical for Ruby to be deemed in the right for choosing to lie to Ironwood following the group's chastising of Oz for withholding important information (the same info mind you) from them.

So wouldn't it be ultra mega hypocritical of Yang to be the one to doubt Ruby's actions and leadership based on her decisions and mistakes when...technically it was Yang's actions---an action she didn't tell her team---that provided the other end of the final straw that ultimately broke Ironwood and caused him to turn against the hero team.

While what Ruby did started it, what Yang did ended it in a sense because as I’ll point out again, AT LEAST Ironwood knew about what Ruby did, thanks to Oscar. But no one knew what Yang did. Except for Blake.

But her own sister. Their own aforementioned leader didn't know and I'm sorry, THAT needs to be addressed.

While I'm fine with Ruby being called out, Yang needs to be called out too. I will be so mad if Yang is treated as being in the right again while her own actions go unscathed.

It upset me when Yang had the gall to call out Oz for his lies and secrets while sitting on her own and it would bother me to know ends if it is done again for Ruby.

Yang cannot be the "good cop" or sheriff to bring Ruby to justice for her actions. She's got her own skeletons to be unearthed and thrown on the floor, exposed and raw for all to judge and I honestly hope this happens for V8 finally.

Let it be a western style dual. Let both parties draw fire to take out each other. Let it be a case where both Ruby and Yang start to mirror Oz and Ironwood’s dynamic from way back in V2. Both parties don't agree with each other's decisions despite being close allies. Both parties have their own methods of helping the people and believe them to be in the right when in actuality they both end up being the catalysts to further cause more problems within their team; dividing them even further.

Instead of Yang being planted on some high horse and made to be the judge that hangs Ruby for her mistakes while continuing to hide her own, I want BOTH SISTERS be held accountable for driving a deeper wedge between their group only for Oscar Pine to end up having to be the middleman to come in and help repair it all.

And I say Oscar of all characters, not just because I’m a Pinehead and want to see more development for my favourite little prince but mainly because like it or not, Oscar HAS to be the one to be in the middle of this shitstorm since...in essence, this all started with Ozma and was prolonged by Ozpin.

And as Ozma's current heir succeeding Oz, Oscar will probably see it as his own duty to fix everything sparked by his predecessors.

Oscar already has faith in Ruby and if him spending time with Yang down in Mantle could lend to him learning to have faith in her too then this could ultimately lend to him desiring to quell the tension between both sisters that’s slowly affecting their faction, henceforth working to reconcile everything with everyone.

I’ve expressed how much I would like to see Oscar mend the broken bonds within his team and I still want that above anything else to be part of his arc for this coming season.

The hero team dynamic needs a reboot; with everyone being cleared of their past false actions so that they can start anew with everyone on a clean page with one another and a better willingness to trust each other now that they've all experienced what deceit and secrecy amongst allies can do.

I want this so much and I want Oscar to play a big part in making it happen.

I don’t wanna hear “Ruby is our protagonist and she has to fix everything” or “Yang will be our stan queen for V8 to call Ruby out”. NO!

Both girls have fucked up! Everyone has fucked up!

Including my boy. The difference is that at least Oscar knows he’s fucked up. He is AT LEAST aware of his fuckery unlike Yang and Ruby and the rest of the hero team which is why I need Oscar to be the one to pull everyone up for their shit.

Since who better to do it than the person whose shares a body with the man whose made more mistakes than any man, women and child on Remnant, am I right?

Even now as we head into V8, I don’t think Ruby and Yang are aware of the consequences of their own mistakes. None of them seem to be. All the more reason why I think they require the wisdom and guidance of another smaller, more honest soul---one whose seen it from BOTH sides of the coin and can now make a call to better help everyone as a whole.

That's what I'd like to see. Not sure if this changes how you feel Miki-chan but that's how I see it.

P.S. On another note, if it’s any further consolation, I’m not ready for V8 either 8V

Like it still hasn’t quite hit me as yet even when the episode is literally tomorrow. All I will say is that I NEED to see that opening. Based on how things are staged from the teaser, that opening and the visuals that tells what we’ll see for that season will be what gets me into V8.

But we’ll see XD

~LittleMissSquiggles (2020)

#squiggles answers: rwby #oscar pine #ruby rose #yang xiao long #rwby volume 8 theories #rwby volume 8 spoilers #rwby theories #miki-13 #squiggles answers

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seriestrash · 4 years

Text

The Summer of ‘95 - Part Four

|| PART ONE || PART TWO || PART THREE ||

Summary: In the summer of 1995, Sunset Curve were trying to make a name for themselves. The band was always close but that summer they forged an unbreakable bond. Whilst the whole band strengthened their existing connection, Alex and Luke find themselves lighting a different spark.

A little love life before the afterlife.

Part Four: Something Special

Word Count: 7023 (long, loops)

- read on ao3 -

☀ ☀ ☀

Luke and Alex parted ways in the early hours of the morning. Now late in the afternoon Luke sits quietly on the couch in Bobby’s garage. Reggie and Bobby were hanging around too, both bored from waiting for Alex.

“Are you sure he isn’t mad at me?” Reggie questions.

“For the tenth time, yes, I’m sure.” Luke groans before telling a little white lie, “I told you I spoke to Alex last night on the phone and he’s been too sick to get out of bed.”

“We’re losing precious days of summer here.” Bobby highlights, “We haven’t performed since the party and we all know how that went.”

“Disaster.” Reggie frowns. “And my parents totally don’t buy my excuse about spilling a drink.”

“I already said I’m sorry.” Luke snaps, he had been sure Alex was going to show up today but the longer they waited around the more concerned he got about ruining one of the best friendships he’s ever had.

Reggie shakes off Luke’s aggression and walks over to Alex’s drums, “I’ll be our new drummer. It can’t be that hard,” Reggie spins one of the symbols.

“Stop,” Luke says, “You know Alex hates when someone else touches his drums.”

“Just about as cranky as you get when someone touches your song book without your permission.” Bobby smirks.

“I’ll show you a song when I’m ready.” Luke says dramatically, “Is it too much to ask for a little patience?”

Bobby and Reggie are chuckling at a worked up Luke when Alex appears out of nowhere.

“I’m gone a few days and you’re already replacing me?” Alex appears nervous although he tries to hide it.

Luke’s head quickly turns in the direction of his friend, trying to read his expression or his body language, anything that might tell Luke if their kiss that morning ruined things or started something new. Alex was avoiding eye contact with Luke and only looked over at Reggie invading his drums space.

“Finally.” Reggie says throwing a drum stick at Alex and the blonde fumbles it slightly but still caught it.

“Sorry I’ve been MIA.” Alex laughs. “I was sick.”

“Sick with the love bug?” Reggie jokes and both Alex and Luke’s eyes go wide.

“What?” Alex forces out a laugh riddled with nerves.

“I saw you at the party with that guy.” Reggie explains.

“Oh,” Alex lets out a sigh of relief, “Right.”

“Are we going to chit chat all day or can we rehearse?” Luke changes the subject.

“I’ve been playing around with some of the chords in Long Weekend.” Bobby jumps straight into it enthusiastically.

“That’s one of my favourites.” Alex nods, “Let’s hear it.”

Luke’s eyes had been solely focused on Alex since he entered the garage so once the blonde finally meets his gaze Luke smiles hopefully.

Alex approaches the couch where Luke sits and quietly asks, “Room for one more?”

Luke’s smile grows as he thinks of his parting comment to Alex earlier that morning. Luke coaxes his head ever so slightly as if to ask Alex if this meant what he thought it did. The drummer picked up on Luke’s silent question and wore a sweet grin as he nods gently.

“Always,” Luke smiles through a nod as Alex takes the space on the couch beside him. Luke quickly tries to contain himself and turns his attention to Bobby.

Luke had never wished for band practice to be over before but that day he couldn’t wait for it to end so he could to try get a moment alone with Alex. The moment didn’t come until after dark. Bobby offers for everyone to crash in the garage that night, Reggie accepts but Luke turns to Alex for a single second before turning down the offer.

“I told my mom I’d be home tonight.” Luke shrugs a shoulder quietly holding his breath for Alex to also come up with an excuse.

“Not tonight, I’m still feeling a little off.” Alex says, “But tomorrow, the pier? Maybe a club?”

“Club adjacent.” Reggie throws his head from side to side.

“You know what I mean.” Alex chuckles.

Luke laughs too, more than warranted but he was just excited that Alex found an excuse for them to leave together.

The two exit Reggie’s garage and don’t say a word until they’re at the end of the driveway.

“So I know-“ Alex starts.

“About this- Luke says at the same time and the pair laugh it off. Luke pauses and motions for Alex to speak first, part of him feared if Alex didn’t say what he wanted to now he might talk himself out it all.

“I was going to say if we are really going to see whatever this is, I need to set a few rules.” Alex waves his hand assertively, like he had to push that statement out.

“Come on, Alex, no rules in the bubble.” Luke pouts.

“If I’m going to adopt fifty percent of your optimism, you have to take on at least twenty-five percent of my anxiety.” Alex says completely seriously.

Luke wears a soft smile, “Alex, I would take one hundred percent of that away for you if I could.”

Alex smiles too as they walk and he believes Luke’s comment to be genuine. Still he continues, “We keep this private, for now at least.”

“Done.” Luke agrees.

“We promise to not let this jeopardise the band.” Alex adds.

“Agreed.” Luke nods sincerely, he definitely didn’t want that either.

“And if at anytime, one of us freaks out, likely me-“ Alex begins but Luke throws out his arms to stop the blonde from walking.

Luke forces Alex’s stare as he stresses, “If at any point this hurts you more than helps you, I’ll pull the plug myself.”

Something about Luke’s choice of words was very calming for Alex, maybe this thing between them actually could help, maybe it would help Alex accept himself more or take away some of his anxieties.

“Okay now that that’s all out of the way.” Alex lets out a loud exhale and is ready to move forward, “Will you go to the museum with me? It’s open late all summer.”

“Are you asking me on a date?” Luke coaxes his head with a smile.

“I think I am.” Alex’s own smile creeps wider.

Luke happily agrees and the two make their way over to the museum. It was closing in an hour but without either of them having to say it out loud, they both knew exactly where they were headed when they arrived.

With it being just before closing, the room of the exhibit is completely empty except for the two of them. They stand in front of a glass cabinet that’s two feet wide and eight feet tall, full of preserved butterflies all pinned with no rhyme or reason, just a colourful display of beauty. The teens are shoulder to shoulder, Luke’s looking at the butterflies but he can feel Alex’s gaze pointed right at him.

“I’m not going to cry.” Luke says quietly with his smile still pointed to the display.

“I didn’t think you would.” Alex matches Luke’s soft tone and still looks directly at the brown haired boy.

Alex shyly lets his fingers brush against Luke’s. Luke looks to Alex now but he had pointed his shy smile at the butterflies. Again the blonde gently brushes his fingers against Luke’s and now the shorter boy knows it wasn’t an accident the first time. Like when Alex hesitated to kiss Luke that morning, Luke wanted to be the one to decisively hold Alex’s hand but he doesn’t as he wanted to let Alex slowly work himself up to it. The blonde does eventually find the courage to take Luke’s hand in his own but he doesn’t dare take his gaze off the display, even though he can feel Luke’s stare burning into the side of him. Luke returns his attention to the butterflies in front of them as well and the pair stand there in silence with fingers laced together and a smile plastered wide on each of their faces as they admire the display until someone announces over the intercom that the museum was closing in five minutes.

It was easier than Alex anticipated to surrendered to Luke’s optimistic dream bubble where the pair lived comfortably for the remainder of summer. Although still nervous about what this meant for their friendship, Alex found himself enjoying his quiet moments with Luke. The blonde still had the occasional freak out when they kissed sometimes or when Luke would hold his hand under a table in a public setting and sometimes he worried that Luke’s playful side would be seen as flirty when they’re around their other bandmates but more often than not, Alex was craving the moments that scared him the most.

Luke makes a conscious effort not to push Alex’s boundaries and he was always patient and understanding when Alex pulls away from a kiss or tenses up over an innocent touch in public. Luke constantly reassures Alex that he doesn’t need to apologise for feeling overwhelmed or anxious about their relationship and stresses he’d never push Alex to do anything he wasn’t ready for. Eventually almost all of Alex’s anxieties towards his and Luke’s relationship wash away.

Whilst Sunset Curve’s notoriety began to grow around town so did the feelings these two shared for each other. Alex and Luke get caught up in their feelings, consumed by them and a sweet innocence encapsulates almost every moment shared.

They’d go on late night rendezvous in the park, take turns pushing each other on the swings and sit on the roundabout and talk until the sun came up. They’d share secret kisses during band practice when they found a moment alone and anytime they weren’t together the other would creep into each of their minds.

Alex started spending less of his time at home again. Being with Luke - although they kept it secret - reminded Alex what it was like to be accepted without question and not have to hide who he really is. Being at home where his parents couldn’t look him in the eye tainted the good vibes he was cruising through summer with.

Between the band really taking off and the romance blossoming between the two friends, this summer was shaping up as one for the history books. Although things were going fantastically for the band, with them getting some serious traction and things truly were all sunshiney in the romance department, Luke’s home life started to tip the scales the other way. With summer ending soon, Luke’s parents were starting to put pressure on him again about school. They kept suggesting he should stop spending all day with the band and put some of his enthusiasm into his studies. They were constantly on him about choosing his classes for his senior year and getting everything in line to help get him into a good college.

Luke felt like it was getting to the point where it was make or break for the band. If something big didn’t happen soon he was going to follow the path his parents were trying to lay out for him. Sure, it would have been an honest living, probably one he’d end up enjoying eventually but he couldn’t truly be happy if he didn’t follow his passion in life or at the very least try to.

All this was weighing on Luke ’s mind during the last week of summer but he tries to push that to the side as the band was planning their biggest impromptu show yet.

Sunset Curve make their way to the summer carnival. The were planning something big for later in the evening but first they take a moment to goof off. They play carnival games and complain that they’re rigged every time they lose. Reggie uses all of his tokens trying to win a goldfish but he has no such luck. They all eat enough junk food to give them stomach aches and laugh so much their faces hurt.

A few hours pass in what felt like the blink of an eye. Reggie announces that he wants to see the fortune teller before they perform.

“I don’t need a crystal ball to know where we’re headed boys.” Luke smiles. “Straight to top.”

“I want to do the funhouse.” Alex says sending a subtle glance Luke’s way.

“Too many clowns.” Reggie shakes his head.

“Nobody asked you to come.” Alex quips and Reggie exaggerates the offence he took.

“I have to see my connection at the ferris wheel.” Bobby announces, “Meet me there 8:45 sharp. We have to time this perfectly.”

The other three nod their understanding. Reggie takes some of Bobby’s spare tickets and heads towards the fortune teller. Alex gives Luke a playful shove and the pair end up racing towards the funhouse but instead of joining the end of line Alex pulls at Luke’s jacket and leads him elsewhere.

“I thought you wanted to do the funhouse?” Luke knits his brows.

“Change of plans.” Alex wears a cute smile and Luke would have followed him anywhere in that moment.

Alex takes Luke around the rear side of the funhouse which is at the edge of the carnival so there’s nothing there but some litter and the fence that borders the land. Not the most romantic setting but it was private. Still giddy regardless, the pair giggle though a kiss that tasted of cotton candy. They were enjoying themselves in another stolen moment but Luke’s family drama creeps into the forefront of his mind and he breaks the kiss.

“Did I do something wrong?” Alex asks in a panic.

“No, it’s not you.” Luke shakes his head. “I’m thinking about my mom.”

Alex’s eyes widen,”Do you normally think about her when we kiss?”

Luke gives Alex a gentle shove and mumbles disgust.

“I’m sorry,” Alex apologises, “What’s wrong, did you have another fight?”

“Only everyday lately.” Luke sighs and he sits on the grass with his back pressed up against the funhouse.

Alex sits to the right of Luke, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“What’s there to talk about?” Luke huffs, “It’s the same old story; my parents want me to put down my guitar and pick up college brochures.”

“Maybe you could go yo a music school?” Alex was trying to be positive.

“Yeah right.” Luke scoffs, “If we’ve not made it big by the time we graduate then what’s the point?”

Alex frowns, “Is fame all we’re really chasing?”

“No,” Luke shakes his head, “But I know in my soul that our music is meant to be heard.”

“I know that too,” Alex agrees, “And your parents will see that too.”

“I don’t know if they will.” Luke looks at his hands in his lap.

“If we don’t get our big break by the end of summer, we’ll keep screaming our songs through the school year,” Alex is encouraging, “At least we’ll have each other to suffer through senior year with.”

“There’s only a week of summer left but I can’t help but feel like we’re close to something special.” Luke states.

Alex links his arm with Luke’s and rests his head on Luke’s shoulder, “I’ve kind of felt like that all summer.”

Luke rests his own head against Alex’s and the two sit quietly all huddled together. Alex could have almost fallen asleep he was that comfortable. The blonde is playing with Luke’s hand when he catches sight of the time on Luke’s watch.

“Oh crap, we’re late.” Alex springs up.

Luke checks his watch and jumps to his feet too, “8:51, the fireworks start in nine minutes!”

“We have to hurry.” Alex grabs Luke’s hand and drags him back into the thick of the carnival. The blonde even forgot to let go of Luke’s hand as they ran towards the ferris wheel together, weaving through carnival goers.

“There’s the guys,” Luke spots Reggie and Bobby waiting by the ferris wheel looking annoyed.

“Sorry we’re late,” Alex pants and he lets go of Luke’s hand when the pull up to their bandmates.

“The funhouse line took longer than we thought.” Luke catches his breath.

“We still have enough time but we have to hurry.” Bobby ushers the boys over to his friend working the ferris wheel.

“I could get fired for this.” The worker says.

“Or you could be apart of history, Max.” Bobby pats him on the shoulder before reaching behind his stand and collecting two guitars, “Plus, the carnival is over in a week and you’re out of a job anyway.” He says light heartedly.

Bobby keeps one guitar and hands another to Luke. Reggie grabs their Sunset Curve banner that was also stashed away at Max’s station.

Bobby’s friend lets the band to the front of the line where people sported confused looks at the instrument wielding teens. Alex and Luke get in one seat together followed by Bobby and Reggie in another.

Max returns to his station and turns off the speaker for the ride. More confusion sparks from people on and around the ferris wheel. Max waits until the band is at the top of the ride and stops it completely.

Reggie drops their band banner and holds it in place. Alex pulls his drumsticks from his bag and uses the seat they’re in as his drum kit, tapping on the side and the safety bar. Luke and Bobby play the opening chords to ‘Now Or Never’.

People start gathering around the ferris wheel to watch the scene unfold, quickly a crowd forms. The band finish their song just as the fireworks go off and although Alex and Luke almost didn’t make it in time, the band pull off their perfectly time stunt.

“We’re Sunset Curve, tell your friends!” Reggie shouts loudly and the other band members cheer along as the crowd applauds their efforts.

The teens were then escorted out of the carnival by security but it was truly legendary. This epic display of their talent caught the attention of a local club owner that caught up with the band out in the parking lot. He invited them to come play the following night as the live talent cancelled last minute. The venue was small and not well known by any means but it was still the most incredible thing to happen to the band up until that point. They booked a club, no more playing outside of them.

Luke returns home that night and falls asleep in high spirits. Unfortunately his good vibes are quickly crushed the next morning when he’s met by his mom in the kitchen and she didn’t appear happy. It turns out that one of their neighbours witnessed Sunset Curve headline the ferris wheel the night before and told Emily about it.

The two got in a fight about it, Luke was trying to explain that the stunt was worth it because they booked a gig at a local club that night but Emily shut him down by saying he’s not even old enough to play in clubs. The argument gets heated and Luke storms out of the house.

Luke was worked up all day and some of that intensity transferring into their set that night in the club. Luckily it didn’t ruin their performance and it was another successful show of the bands talent.

The club owner was that impressed with the band that he offered for them to come back the next week and play again and of course the band accepted, anything to get their name out there.

When Emily caught wind of Luke booking gigs when school is supposed to start back up another big argument ensues. Their fights were starting to get more heated and not just louder. It felt like the cracks in their relationship were getting too big to patch up.

Although he didn’t want to, Luke goes to school the first week to get his parents off his back. The three seniors skipped the last two periods on the Friday to get ready for their second gig at the club. Bobby - whom was already graduated - was waiting out the front with the getaway car, one his dad was letting him use to drive to job interviews. Bobby hadn’t applied for any jobs but he was lying to have a car to drive the band around in.

Their second gig at the club was even better than the first. Luke quietly returned home knowing his dad would be working late and he hoped to sneak in without alerting his mom, that way the lecture could wait until morning but Emily was there waiting for him. Luke had been told he wasn’t allowed to do the show that night but he did it anyway and his mom found out about him cutting class so she were extra furious. Luke and his mom fought yet again, she kept going on about school coming first and Luke kept yelling about how he only went to school to please her and music was what he wanted to do full time and since there seemed to be no pleasing her anyway he might as well stop going to school all together.

Unkind words were shared in the heat of the moment and Luke shoves a handful of his things in a backpack, grabs his guitar case and jumps on his bike and leaves his distraught mother in the driveway. Luke pedals his way to Alex’s house and sneaks around the back, stashing his bike where the drummers parents wouldn’t see it. Luke taps on Alex’s window, alerting the blonde who just changed into something comfortable. Alex spots Luke and is instantly concerned, they’d only parted ways an hour before and whilst they had coaxed one another out of their window multiple times this summer, this didn’t feel like a spontaneous rendezvous.

“What’s wrong?” Alex whispers as he opens the window.

“Can I stay here tonight?” Luke says on the verge of tears.

Alex looks back at his door in a panic, fearing that his parents might walk in at any moment but he still sees the desperation on Luke’s face and helps him climb through the window.

“I know you don’t like me coming round incase your parents found out about us,” Luke says quietly, “But I didn’t know where else to go.”

“It’s okay,” Alex soothes as he gets Luke to sit down on the bed in an attempt to calm him. “I know you weren’t supposed to go out tonight, did you get in trouble?”

“Worse than trouble,” Luke’s voice cracks, “Alex, I’m done. I can’t go back there.”

“Come on, Luke,” Alex sits beside him and rests his hand on Luke’s knee, “You don’t mean that.”

“No, I really do.” Luke insists, “My mom is trying to take Sunset Curve away from me. She says I can’t be in the band as long as I live under their roof. So I’m not going to live there anymore.”

Alex’s expression falls, he was at a loss for words and Luke continues, “I know I can’t stay here forever, I wouldn’t do that to you but can I please just stay tonight?”

“Of course,” Alex smiles weakly as his heart hurt for Luke.

Luke quietly vents some more about the argument and when he finally settles, Alex pulls back the covers for them to get into bed. The two boys face each there and whisper their goodnights. By the morning the pair were cuddled together, peacefully sleeping.

Later that day, the two make their way to Bobby’s garage and Luke tells Reggie and Bobby that he’s left home for good. Bobby was reluctant - only out of fear of his dad finding out - but he sets Luke up in the loft space of the garage, tucked away out of sight but somewhere safe for him to crash.

On the Monday, Reggie and Alex return to school like everything was normal. They had been telling their parents and Luke’s parents when they stopped by, that they had no idea where he was. Bobby kept Luke company most of the time but he did go to a few job interviews his dad lined up for him.

Luke was worried that everyone was moving on with their lives but truthfully the other band members saw sense in Luke leaving school to pursue the band full time. School had only been back a week and a half but they could all feel Sunset Curve losing the momentum it built up over summer.

A week after Luke run away he was starting to feel lonely in the loft at night and during the days when everyone was busy with school or interviews. Although he was still angry with his parents, Luke couldn’t help but miss them.

One afternoon Luke sits alone in Bobby’s garage and he writes ‘Unsaid Emily’ in his song book, dripping stray tears onto the pages as he does. When everyone came over that evening for rehearsal, Luke wasn’t sure if he was going to share the song with them but he compelled to. The band helped put music to the sad song and playing it with his closest friends was therapeutic for Luke. Although it made him feel better overall it did make him upset that his mom couldn’t see that this is the exact reason why he loves music, it helps him through the tough times.

A few days later a surprising phone call makes it’s way to Reggie’s house. They booked the Orpheum. It turns out one of the venue representatives heard about the carnival spectacle and had been trying to track the band down since.

They had a week to prepare for their biggest break yet.

Alex and Reggie agreed, there was no point in going to school anymore, it was only getting in the way of their big break but they were going to go right up until the showcase so they could use the success they hoped the show would bring as leverage with their parents. Incase their parents were still not supportive though, both Reggie and Luke stashed a bag of their belongings in the loft of Bobby’s garage.

Alex leaves school early one day to hang out with Luke. The two of them sneak into Luke’s house while his parents were at work so he could gather a few more of his things. Alex could tell that being there upset Luke so he tries to comfort him.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come back home?” Alex asks.

“There’s no point.” Luke shakes his head with a solemn expression, “If I come home there’s no way they’ll let me out again and I wont be able to play the showcase and there is no way in hell I’m missing that show.”

“Maybe they’ll change their minds after the show.” Alex tries to be optimistic.

“Maybe.” Luke’s smile is weak.

Alex didn’t know what to say to make Luke feel better so he tries to lift his spirits by changing the subject.

“I want to play the song you wrote at the beginning of summer during our showcase.” Alex announces.

Luke looks confused for a second, “Alex’s Song?”

“Yeah, but we should probably rename it first,” Alex chuckles softly, “ ‘Bright’ works nice, I think.”

“I went to bring up the song to the guys at the start of summer but you seemed a little weird when I did so I dropped it,” Luke shares, “I figured you weren’t comfortable sharing.”

“I know,” Alex lets out a breath, “I thought it was so special I wanted to keep it to myself.”

“Now you want to share it?” Luke questions.

“When you sung ‘Unsaid Emily’ with us, I saw how much that helped you.” Alex explains, “And when you shared ‘Bright’ with me- I don’t think I can express how much I needed that song, how much you helped me. You said you wrote that song to let me know I always have you in my corner, I want other people to feel like we’re in their corner too.”

“It’s your song.” Luke smiles, “I’ll play it if that’s what you want.”

Alex picks up Luke’s old guitar that’s missing a few strings and pretends like he knows what he’s doing. Sure, he knew a few chords but he was by no means an expert. Alex plays what he can and fakes the rest, sining ‘Bright’ softly to Luke making for a sweet moment as Luke watches on with such love and warmth in his eyes.

Alex finishes and sits down the old guitar, “I just have one tiny request.” Alex melts under Luke’s adoring stare.

“Anything.” Luke says softly.

“Can I keep the original paper and we all work on the music with a duplicate copy?” Alex asks. “I want to share but I still kind of want it to be mine.”

Luke rolls his head forward with a soft laugh and if he had his song book on him he would have torn the page out and handed it straight over.

They leave Luke’s house with a backpack full of his belongings.

“Do you want to do something fun?” Luke asks as they walk.

“What did you have in mind?” Alex questions.

Luke takes Alex to the aquarium and they sit in dark room with a blue glow of the water being the main source of light. There was only a few other people around and at one point a class on a field trip all pile through. Luke and Alex sit there quietly and watch the people come and go. Eventually it winds up being just the two of them, they approach the big glass wall that gave them a glimpse of what lay below the water. They quietly hold hands and watch the aquatic life float by. Luke turns his gaze towards Alex and can see blue glow reflect in Alex’s eyes and how it paints his skin. The drummer also peels his gaze from the sea life and meets Luke’s smile with a grin of his own, just for a second before turning back towards the glass. In that moment Luke had the urge to tell Alex he loved him but for whatever reason he keeps quiet.

The pair lost track of time and turn up to Bobby’s two hours late for rehearsal. They are met with a very annoyed Bobby and a disappointed looking Reggie.

“So you two are alive.” Bobby quips when the pair finally turn up.

“Sorry, we lost track of time.” Alex frowns.

“I got a call from the venue rep at the Orpheum today, they wanted us to come by to work out the layout for our gear.” Bobby has his arms folded tightly against his chest.

“I thought we were supposed to do that Friday.” Luke mumbles.

“They needed us to come in early.” Bobby says.

“Can we go now?” Alex asks.

“Reggie and I already went.” Bobby snaps, “I came and picked him up after school and we waited around for you for half an hour.”

“Sorry, I skipped last period.” Alex shrinks feeling guilty.

“We came back here thinking we’d find you both ready for rehearsal at least,” Bobby scoffs. “We were an hour late to our meeting at the Orpheum. Do you know how unprofessional we looked showing up an hour late with half the band?”

“This is my fault.” Luke jumps in, “I’ve been bored here by myself most days and I made Alex ditch so I had someone to hang out with. I lost track of time.”

“We’re days away from a career defining moment and you two are ditching band practice to do what?” Bobby asks.

“Does it even matter? We’ve said we’re sorry.” Luke gets defensive, “It was just one practice, we didn’t know about the meeting.”

“It hasn’t just been one practice,” Reggie finally speaks up. “You two have been late a lot recently.”

“The ferris wheel.” Bobby back up Reggie’s statement.

“We still timed it perfectly,” Luke rolls his eyes.

“It feels like you’re distracted lately.” Bobby states. “Do you even care about the band anymore?”

“I ran away from home for this band.” Luke is wildly offended.

“We wrote a song today,” Alex tries to defuse the tension, “To play during our showcase. It’s called ‘Bright’.”

“You want us to learn a new song before the show?” Bobby questions.

“It’s worth it.” Alex insists, “It’s kind of a friendship anthem.”

Bobby let’s out a frustrated breath, he was still too annoyed to forgive them right away, even if it did look like they were thinking of the band when they were goofing off.

“Can you just let me know if you’re ditching early next time?” Reggie is quicker to forgive, “I’ll come with you.”

“Deal.” Alex nods.

Bobby sulks inside his house and before Reggie leaves he expresses his interest in hearing the song tomorrow.

Once they’re alone again Luke turns to Alex expecting he would share his frustration for being read the riot act from their friends but instead he’s met with a defeated expression.

“This is what I was afraid of,” Alex sighs, “Rule number two, don’t let this jeopardise the band.”

“Alex, what are you saying?” Luke frowns.

“I don’t know.” Alex shakes his head.

“Can we talk?” Luke pleas.

“I have to go.” Alex is already making his way towards the exit. “Family dinner.”

“That’s tomorrow night-“ Luke says but Alex disappears in a hurry anyway.

Luke is left standing there alone wondering how everything fell apart so quickly.

The following morning Bobby comes out into the garage with some breakfast for the missing person camped out in the loft. The older boy was still annoyed but Luke gives him a wet willy and it was all water under the bridge.

That afternoon Luke and Alex show ‘Bright’ to the band and they worked out all the kinks with the music. Luke couldn’t help but notice that Alex felt off the entire rehearsal.

Just as they finish tweaking ‘Bright’, Bobby runs inside because the phone was ringing. It was the venue rep letting them know their showcase had sold out. This seemed to pick up Alex’s spirits and further erase some of the previous days tension among the band.

That night Alex pretended to leave rehearsal but snuck back into the garage when he knew it was just Luke. The pair hide away in the loft together. Alex sits with crossed legs and Luke hugs his knees against his chest, the two face towards each other.

“They all loved ‘Bright’,” Alex tries to fill the silence, “I mean I didn’t doubt they would.”

Luke just nods.

“I’m sorry I left the way I did yesterday,” Alex apologises, “I had a mini freak out but that’s not news for you. But don’t worry, I’m over it.” He laughs but Luke didn’t appear to find the humour.

“Rule number two, Alex.” Luke mumbles and he can’t even look at Alex.

“We were late, we won’t let that happen again.” Alex has a sad smile as he didn’t like where this was going. “It was an honest mistake.”

“It wasn’t a mistake,” Luke explains, “I knew we were running late but I didn’t care, I just wanted to spend time with you.”

“We can still prioritise the band and spend time with each other.” Alex smiles softly, “This isn’t something we have to get worked up over.

Luke finally meets Alex’s gaze and there is intense sadness behind his eyes, “Alex, I’m at the point where I would leave the band for you.”

“What?” Alex crinkles his brows in confusion.

“If I had to choose what I want more; for the band to make it or to be with you,” Luke pauses, “I’d choose you, Alex.”

Alex’s expression falls, he hadn’t thought about it before but if he was being honest he felt the same as Luke.

“That might be what you want,” Alex says quietly, “But anytime I watch you play it’s clear that music is what you need.”

“I’m afraid if we don’t work out I’m going to lose you and the band and then I’m left with nothing.” Luke is honest.

“That would never happen,” Alex insists, “No matter what happens between us, we will always have each others back.”

“I know but what if the break up is messy?” Luke panics, “And when do we tell Bobby and Reggie?”

“You really took that twenty-five percent of my anxiety thing quite literal,” Alex tries to be lighthearted but it wasn’t working.

Silence becomes them, both teens sport sad expressions they point at the ground. They knew what was coming.

Finally Alex speaks up with a shaky voice, “We have to break up don’t we?”

“I don’t want to.” Luke buries his head in his lap.

Alex scoots forward and reaches for Luke’s arms that are still linked around his knees. Alex gives him a soothing stroke. “Hey, it makes sense, it’s okay.”

“I wish it didn’t.” Luke is muffled as he talks into his lap and there’s lump forming in his throat.

Alex tugs at the other boys arm asking for him to look up again. Luke listens and raises his head again, tears soaking his cheeks.

“I never understood in movies why people broke up when they still cared about each other,” Alex’s says fighting his own tears, “I finally get it.”

“I know in my bones that Sunset Curve and our music is something special,” Luke wipes at his damp cheeks. “But this feels like something special too.”

“It is.” Alex nods, “It always has been, long before you kissed me, Luke and long after. That I’m sure of.”

“Why aren’t you more scared about all of this?” Luke questions like Alex had that first night in the park.

“Maybe the ‘everything’s going to be okay’ dream bubble rubbed off on me.” Alex curls the corner of his mouth into a slight smile, “Thank you for that.”

“Well reality is a real ass kicker so thanks,” Luke says sarcastically and they both manage a weak chuckle which was a little croaky as they both were crying at this point.

“Promise you’re not breaking up with me because you only dated me to prove you were okay with me being gay?” Alex asks seriously and Luke was bewildered, “Kidding,” Alex breaks with a smile and Luke manages a soft laugh too.

“We’ll always have this summer, right?” Alex smiles weakly.

“We’ll always have each other.” Luke says with such a raw sincerity in his voice and Alex truly believed his statement to be true.

“I’m going to miss holding your uniquely slimy palms.” Alex jokes.

“Just take me to another scary movie and I’m your man.” Luke smiles and he was starting to feel better about things. “If I tell you something, do you promise not to freak out?”

Alex felt like he knew exactly what Luke was going to say and he wanted to also but he didn’t want to make things harder. “Some things can’t be unheard.”

“I know.” Luke nods and he knew if he told Alex that he loved him it might undo the breakup they only just managed to get through so he decides to keep it to himself instead he holds Alex’s stare and says, “You’re my best friend, Alex.”

Alex smiles softly and he knew what Luke really meant and when he says, “You’re my best friend too,” Luke knew what Alex truly meant.

The break up wasn’t easy by any means but the two of them both knew in their hearts it was the right thing to do and they found comfort in knowing that their friendship was only stronger because of the summer romance they shared.

25 year later

After their gig at the Orpheum with Julie, where she might have saved their spirits, things were still so uncertain with what this all meant.

Luke asks Alex to go to the park with him. They both poof their way over and sit on the roundabout. The park had changed a lot in 25 years but their trusty roundabout remained.

Alex is rambling about how crazy it is that they hugged Julie and Luke listens with a smile.

“Julie can feel us!” Alex finally slows down, “This is good news for you right?”

“I don’t know.” Luke gets shy.

“Hey, I’m happy for you too, you know?” Alex wears a sweet smile.

“It seems like we only broke up a couple of months ago.” Luke says.

“I know.” Alex nods, “But weirdly I feel like I have 25 years worth of closure.”

“I know exactly what you mean.” Luke agrees. Their breakup really did feel completely resolved.

“Want to see who can last the longest?” Alex challenges, “I don’t think ghosts can throw up because I’ve been trying to stress heave since we left that dark room and nothing.”

Luke laughs at his friend and for the first time since dying he let himself reflect on his past relationship with Alex and he appreciated how normal their friendship is.

“Hey Alex, if I tell you something, do you promise not to freak out?” Luke questions and Alex had heard this once before and stoped Luke from going any further but tonight was different.

“Yeah, I promise.” Alex was still wondering where this was going.

“You know now since we’re dead you were technically the love of my life.” Luke kicks Alex’s foot with his own.

Alex’s smile is soft and genuine, but still he jokes, “Technically? How romantic.” Luke laughs and Alex adds more seriously “Of all the things in my life, being the love of yours was my favourite.”

“Thanks for not freaking out.” Luke grins.

Alex shrugs a single shoulder, “Maybe if I didn’t feel the same way it would have been a lot scarier.”

Two smiley ghosts sit in a park happy to have shared the summer of 95.

THE END.

☀ ☀ ☀

End Notes: This be the end my friends! Thanks so much for making it to the end of my story! If you’ve stuck with me since part one or you’re finding this later and read the whole thing - I appreciate you!!!!

I was going to split this into two chapters because it's long but I though nahhhh screw it! Hahaha hope that's okay.

Just an added not about Bright and how I made it Alex's song. I like to think that in episode 2 after Alex asks Julie about the music program he tells Luke he should give her the song because it helped him when he needed it most and he wanted that for Julie :))))))))))))))

Thanks so much for taking the time out of your life to read my work! Leave me a comment if you wish, I appreciate any feedback :) Xxx

#julie and the phantoms #jatp #alex x luke #alex x luke as exes #sunset curve #lalex

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damonelenafanfics · 4 years

Text

Delena Fic Rec:

This is the hardest thing I’ve ever posted here lol.

Forever Mine: The night Damon Salvatore met Elena Gilbert changed the course of their destinies forever. But just as the future made itself known, the past caught up with them to destroy it all. Together on the run, Damon finds himself falling for this girl. Hard. But, Damon Salvatore doesn't love and he won't let her change that. No matter how much his soul...his body begs him to give in.

A Woman’s Worth: AH/AU–Love hurts. This story takes on a literal meaning when Elena is a victim of abuse by her boyfriend. A journey of the silent sufferings of a girl with no one to turn to and unwilling to ask for help. Enters Damon, a social worker determined to rescue a damsel in distress and falling for her along the way. What is he willing to sacrifice in the end to save a girl he loves?

Tomorrow: Will you be there beside me if the world falls apart? And will all of our moments remain in your heart? Will you be there to guide me all the way through? I wonder will you walk by my side and follow my dreams? With the Nazi reign of terror at its zenith, Damon and Elena form an unlikely friendship in WW2 era Czechoslovakia.

Where the Fireflies Dance: Elena just wants to forget. She moved away for college, and is trying to make a life for herself, when her roommate invites her to her family's ranch for a summer that could change Elena's life. Damon Salvatore is a flirt. But the only girl he's ever really loved is the daughter he's fighting for custody of. Then his sister brings home a friend for summer and everything changes.

Addictions: When Elenas' life has been consumed by addictions, can anyone save her?- OOC,AU. *WARNING* Story contains strong language, substance abuse, graphic smut/lemons. For mature audiences only. Consider yourself warned.

Breaking Point: Elena wants to learn to fight compulsion. Damon's all-too willing to help, but will either of them be able to deal with the consequences?

Crying Lightening: "I should have helped her. I should have done something. I deserve this. I deserve to die" - Damon is an 18 year old troubled lost soul with a bad reputation and Elena a 17 year old popular high school student who thought she had everything she ever wanted, that is until she got to know the eldest Salvatore and realizes that life is about more than being crowned Prom Queen! AU R&R

Casually Cruel: AU/AH/ 'You're different, not the guy I used to know' -Maybe you never really knew me- 'Yes I did'. She knew the depths of his soul, loved and accepted every part of him. Now he's lost and he doesn't think she can find him and she's not sure she wants to.

Someone Like You: You fall in love, get married, fall in love again, get your heart broken. What if it got broken by a heart surgeon that never came back to fix it? Damon/ Elena - AU/AH

Echoes of the past: Each of us has a past that shapes and defines us. Some pasts are filled with pain and heartache. Can Damon and Elena overcome their pasts to allow themselves a chance at happiness? Or will things from their past resurface to destroy their future? AU/AH Complete!

Forbidden Fruit: Damon is friends with Grayson Gilbert. When he meets his daughter Elena, sparks fly. Considering the age difference and the fact that she is his friend's daughter, he tries to fight the pull every step of the way. Will he succeed in keeping her at bay?

Held Captive: My favorite one shot I wrote last year, Re Published into a mini short story. Damon, a notorious War Lord captured the lovely, innocent Elena as part of his war games but things are not as simple as he'd thought. Set in medieval times.

I’d Kill Us Both: AU/AH For years, Elena has been married to Stefan, but in love with his older brother, Damon, who left for the Marines shortly after the wedding. But now he's back, and not hiding his feelings. Will they finally have the chance to be together? And what if someone from Damon's military past followed him back home, putting them all in danger? Is love worth the risk?

Hopeless: AU. AH. Elena has found that she likes her older sister Katherine's best friend Damon a lot more than she should. Little does she know he likes her more than he should too. Through the years things start to change between them, but if anyone found out they'd be in big trouble.

A Gentleman’s Agreement: Possible S4 idea. VampElena has shut herself away from most of her friends, and the Salvatore brothers are at a loss over what to do. She is in for seduction and romance she never saw coming, but sooner or later a choice must be made. COMPLETED.

How Never Became Forever: Elena's established rules and guidelines for her relationships. She knows how to stay emotionally detached and when to cut the cord. But then she meets Damon, who could potentially change everything. AU. AH.

Kiss Me, Break My Heart: Elena Gilbert has been in love with her best friend Damon Salvatore for years, but when he asks her to help him win back the woman of his dreams, Elena decides she's had enough. Now Elena wants to move on, but Damon's not making it easy on her. AU/AH

Pretend You Love Me: While their marriage is falling apart, Damon and Elena must learn to get past their demons or lose each other forever. AH/AU. Officially issuing an angst warning.

Auto In: AU/AH /Life is wonderfully uncomplicated for Damon Salvatore. Take accident claims as a call center rep by day, charm his way into a new bed each night. Go to work, drink with friends, sex. Simple and straightforward and fun. Until a coworker, Elena Gilbert, makes him question whether some things are worth changing for. But is he the only one who needs to let go of a previous life?

Locked In a Loveless Marriage: When Elena asks Damon Salvatore for a loan, he agrees on the condition that she marries him. What happens when she finds herself falling in love with a man who has told her he will never love her? AU. All human.

A Hymn For The Broken: AU Elena is a novelty. The only female werewolf to ever exist. She tries to stray away from the past, that turned her into a monster, but a string of grisly murders threaten, and she is called back home. Once reconnected with the Pack, and an old flame, Elena finds herself torn between two worlds. The normal life she'd made for herself, and the call of the wolf inside.

Physical Attraction, Chemical Reaction: It all started with a night of hot sex. Where things could go from there to Elena and Damon? Could they fall for each other although they don't believe in love anymore? AU/AH

Never Break the Rules: Handsome and tough, he had always done what needed to be done. He was supposed to be her knight in shining armour. He just never expected to be the one who needed to be saved… Ignoring swarming butterflies. Brushing off skipped heartbeats. Settling on lingering stares. Rules were never meant to be broken. What if there was a love that could break all the rules?

Love Lessons: New to Mystic Falls High, Damon Salvatore is both excited and horrified to find he is falling in love with his student, Elena Gilbert. But what happens when they overstep the boundaries, and their friends and enemies discover their illicit secret?

Death is Just a Feeling: "This life will be good and beautiful but not without heartbreak. In death comes peace, but pain is the cost of living. Like love, it's how we know we're alive." – Elena Gilbert ***HAPPY BIRTHDAY Short on words***

The End of Paralysis: Enter Elena Gilbert, 24, hardworking, lovely, and insatiably in love with her long time best friend, Damon Salvatore. Can she make him see that they belong together? Delena. AH/AU.

Lucky 13: AU/AH: Mistaken for a glamorous, selfish woman named Katherine Salvatore, the badly injured Elena finds that plastic surgery has given her Katherine's face, the famos Damon Salatore for a husband and a powerful dynasty for in-laws.

It’s A Boy Girl Thing: Based off the movie with the same name, an ancient curse is awakened and cast upon Elena and Damon. The results cause them to switch bodies, waking the next day in the body of not only the opposite sex, but the last person they ever wanted to switch bodies with. A hilarious battle of the sexes ensues, but eventually they wonder if they'll ever get their own body back. ALL HUMAN D/E

Somebody I Used To Know: Grieving the sudden death of their parents, Damon and Elena are forced to face their past choices and mistakes. Take a wild a journey through 20 years of their lives...together, apart and everything in between.

Sweet and Sexy Mistakes: An expert on the dynamics between men and women, Damon Salvatore knows his uptight new publicist could use his help getting a date. The only problem is, the more time he spends with her, the more he realizes he doesn't want her dating anyone but him!

To Save A Sinner: AU/AH: Damon Salvatore, the new star swimmer and transfer student at MFU, befriends the dark and mysterious Elena Gilbert, a girl the rest of Mystic Falls considers crazy. When he discovers the deep, haunting secrets she keeps from the world, can he handle the truth or will it cost him his heart and even possibly, his sanity?

Through The Ghost: Damon, a carefree soldier & Elena, a no-nonsense physical therapist at an Army base met under ordinary circumstances. Stuck between attraction and resistance, they struggled to define their relationship until fate made the decision for them. 4 years later a heartbroken Elena battles to make good on a promise when she discovers nothing but the shell of the only man she's ever loved.

Maybe Less, Maybe a Little More: Vampire Damon and Human Elena meet in a snowstorm. He wants to kill her and she is instantly attracted to him. What will happen over the next ten years? Fic for the A2A x-mas exchange. Non-canon, Oneshot, Delena endgame, rated M for sexual content and some gore. ENJOY THE DRAMA MYLOVES! :D

Do You Believe In Angels: "Damon?" She asked. He looked at her, waiting. She took a shaky breath, "Do you believe in angels?" "No," he said, "Not anymore." . . AH/AU: Two children with tragic pasts meet at a refuge. Hurt and alone, they clinge to each other to survive. This is their story, and everyone involved along the way.

Alcohol: Damon's drunk and she looks like Katherine. Elena's drunk and he smells like Stefan.

Memory Serves: Elena accidentally asks for her soul mate. What happens when magic delivers 1864 Human Damon? How will the Vampire Salvatore brothers deal? Vampire Damon is tortured by intimate memories of Elena. He feels so close yet far away from her. AU1x14 - COMPLETE -

Desperate Love: A whole different version of Season 4, without sire bonds or dead brothers. A meditation on the nature of love, free will and morality in an imperfect world, through: suspense, romance, steam, angst, and friendship. Tons of Delena as well as Stefan/Caroline/Klaus, Jeremy and Ric, too. Lemons!

The Valentine’s Day Corruption of Damon Salvatore: This is my fic in response to the prompt by Ciara 2531 for the A2A Valentine Exchange on Live Journal. As always, it's rated M for a reason...

The Best Man: Damon and Elena meet at a wedding, which ends hotter than anyone would have thought.

Insanity Is Beautiful: They called him crazy, insane even. People feared him and avoided him at any cost, even in the asylum. So what is Dr. Elena Gilbert supposed to do when she not only takes this insane monster as a patient, but falls in love with him, and him with her? (this one is only this low on the list because it’s incomplete)

#damon and elena #fic rec #fanfic #fanfiction #delena fanfiction

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haljathefangirlcat · 3 years

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Okay, pls tell me about this: "heartfic au"

As you MAY have already guessed ;) it’s a fic inspired by @janiedean’s beautiful ASOIAF heartfics.

For those unaware: one day, an anon suggested Janie write an ASOIAF fanfic set in an AU where, after suffering too much pain and trauma, people’s hearts (represented by glowing spheres of light) may crack and bleed and, eventually, spontaneously disappear from their owners’ chest to reappear wherever their soulmate is. Said soulmate then takes care of the heart, trying to heal its wounds and/or stop its bleeding, until they’re finally able to give it back. And then, ofc, romance and (more) hurt/comfort ensue. I think the initial prompt was JB, because iirc that’s what the first heartfic was? But Janie also wrote similar fics about other ships, like Davos and his wife getting Stannis’ heart or Sansa getting Sandor’s.

Janie has said on a couple of occasion that she’s fine with other people using the same concept, since it was that anon who came up with it. I decided to write Arthurian fic about it because the whole idea was just screaming GALAHAD/MORDRED!!!! over and over at me.

Basic plot is “kid!Galahad gets a cracked, bleeding heart and figures it’s that of a damsel in distress he will have to save one day because ofc, he’s Miracle Boy and everything, but oh no, all the ballads say brave noble knights marry the damsels in distress whose hearts they heal, and he has to stay Pure to find the Grail!! ... but hey, maybe they can be just friends?? Then he grows up, goes to Camelot, starts this weird friendship (?) with Mordred as the two Local Subtly (Or Not So Subtly) Ostracized Awkward Prophesized Bastards Of Very Important People, and realizes it was never about a damsel at all. Cue DRAMA on both sides (”WAIT HOW DOES IT WORK DOES THIS MAKE IT BETTER OR WORSE I MEAN CAN WE HAVE LIKE A PLATONIC VIRILE FRIENDSHIP OR DO WE HAVE TO --” “OH GREAT I’M NOT GOOD ENOUGH EVEN FOR MY GD SOULMATE NOW” and a bunch of other stuff) until Galahad leaves on the Grail Quest and experiences a lot of horrible shit until his own heart goes to Mordred to protect itself, proving they truly ARE meant to be together and prompting Galahad to refuse the Grail and ascending to Heaven (after a lot more internal turmoil, probably) so he can come back to him.”

Here’s a peek from a scene I’m particularly proud of:

As it turns out, he wasn’t lying.

Mordred can’t deny it as he stares at the thing Galahad took out of the chest under his bed, the thing that was in the leather pouch, the thing wrapped in wool like it was fragile and precious. The thing in Galahad’s hands, held gently, shivering like a branch in the wind, glowing like live coals, pulsating – no, not pulsating, beating.

The void in his chest longs for it, aches for it, covets it. No. No, it’s more than that. It’s not just desire but a need, a hunger. It makes him helpless before it, pulls him towards it like a riptide, and it’s all he can do to struggle against it and resist it, holding his arms rigid by his sides and not moving an inch from his position.

«It’s yours,» Galahad say, uselessly, and he opens and closes his mouth and lowers his gaze like he doesn’t know what else to say.

«Yes. It’s mine,» Mordred replies, just as uselessly. Then, after a moment, he adds: «Those are even my colors.» More because he’s just noticed than for any other reason. His bewildered tone probably makes his words sound even more foolish. But he won’t blame himself for that too much, not right now, because the first thing he noticed was the redness – the blood. The splotches of blood and the many, ragged scars. Hard to notice anything else, after seeing that.

His heart is an ugly thing. That’s not surprising, at all, but he chokes back bitter laughter all the same.

Galahad’s head whips back up at the sound, and he looks startled and a bit confused. «Uh. Ah, yes, that’s true. I hadn’t thought… or, mh, noticed…» He stops, frowning.

Right then, a thought strikes him like a slap across the face, part hope and part dread and entirely stupid. «Gaheris has silver and purple in his arms, too.» Mordred hesitates and bites his lip, feeling inexplicably like a child about to confide some secret that’s at once all too important and too silly to be exposed, and then continues: «Not only that, but the silver reminds me of Orkney’s sea in winter… and that purple, of a flower that blooms sometimes on the heaths near the sea. My brothers and I all used to play on the coast as boys. They already did it long before I was even born.» Another pause. «As for the flower, I think we all picked it for our mother at least once.» And now, its color is dirtied and muddled by bloodstains.

Galahad shakes his head. «I’ve never thought too much about what the colors might mean. But I’ve also never felt like it could belong to any of your brothers.» There’s a light flush on his cheeks, now, a thin note of something that’s almost stubbornness in his voice. Mordred is aware that he could use that to tease him.

He doesn’t feel like teasing him. «Still… how can you be so certain?»

Galahad blinks and then stares him right in the eye, and suddenly his chest is tight, full of something that itches and stings and prickles under the other man’s calm, blue gaze. «Aren’t you? Don’t you feel it’s your heart?»

He does. He does, and that’s just the problem. The itch grows more intense, more unbearable with every moment he keeps his mouth shut to avoid answering. He drops his gaze to the thing that’s still in Galahad’s hands, the thing that’s calling to him and only him and seems to be beating faster and brighter the more he looks at it and does nothing else, almost like it’s yelling at him in its own way for making it wait so long.

«What if I don’t want it,» he says, and his voice sounds rough and weak to his own ears.

«Why wouldn’t you want it?» Galahad asks that like he honestly can’t think of any reason why, like this is the first time anyone in the whole world has ever said anything like what Mordred, not-so-secret bastard prince and prophesized kingslayer and kinslayer of Camelot, has just said. Maybe it is. He’s pretty sure he’s never heard any songs about any beleaguered damsel who simply told the dashing hero at the foot of her dreary tower, oh no, my good sir, you may keep it, I was fine without it and I will not need it anytime soon.

But Mordred is not a vulnerable maiden or locked up against his will and at the mercy of a cruel brother or uncle or eagerly waiting to be rescued since he was half his current height, so he steels himself and tries again: «What if I’m just fine the way I am now? What if I don’t need it, after all? I’ve spent years not feeling anything, I’m used to it.»

He looks up in time to catch the flash of naked hurt that crosses Galahad’s fine features, briefly replacing startled incredulity before it turns into barely concealed worry. «Are you sure?» Then, he seems to really think about it… and the fingers of his right hand start stroking the thing, lightly and unthinkingly. «I… I can imagine something has happened that you may not want to remember. Maybe you’ve felt things you don’t want to feel again. But is this really better? Would you really keep living like this?»

The spark of anger mixed with spite that flares up in his gut – at Galahad’s questioning and his assumptions that he can imagine and that he knows what living like this is like, those soft caresses that feel so impossibly familiar and intimate when at most they should be irritating or even disturbing in their presumptuousness, the way he feels himself ache for entirely new reasons – tempts him to say that yes, he would, and yes, this is better. It has to be. Has to be better than this ridiculous, confusing, terrible mess that Galahad’s dragged him into. Had he never come to Camelot, or least, had he never come to him with truths that sounded like bad jokes and his honest, open gaze and their stupidly engaging arguments and the quiet evenings spent together hiding away from everyone else and…

«Aren’t there things you’d like to feel? For your family, or your friends, or…»

Mordred sighs. There were lots of things, back when he had first given up his heart and spent his every waking moment wishing to get it back somehow. That was years ago, though, and after some time had passed and he had finally figured out that wishing never helped with anything, all of them had started to seem less desirable, less important… just, less. They didn’t matter anymore, and so he didn’t want them then and doesn’t want them now. And yet… it seems foolish to even think about it, like he’s slipping back into stale old fantasies and half-forgotten, senseless hopes, but… maybe there are a couple of new things, now.

He sighs again, this time trying for a slightly exasperated but mostly careless tone, and holds his hands out in front of him as soon as he’s sure they’ve stopped shaking. He swallows and says: «Alright, I think I’ll give it a try. But know that I might just throw it out again and then you’ll be stuck with it.» He tells himself that he’s not afraid. He is, of course, but he’s such a convincing liar, he knows he can convince himself. It can’t be too hard, right?

Galahad grimaces, and that’s not too encouraging, even if he’s quick to school his features before he slowly, almost gingerly reaches his hands out to him, too. Mordred has half a mind to snap at him and say, look, I was only jesting, I’m not saying you’ll really have to keep it or that I’d care if you left it on the wayside or threw it into a well, but then he worries that the bile might blend with actual pity and so he says nothing except for: «How am I supposed to do this, then?» The songs, of course, skip the boring technical details.

Galahad fits the glowing sphere between his palms like he’s putting a newborn into the cradle, touches his fingers to make them curl over it as if he’s afraid he’ll drop it. The sphere is light as a breath, yet somehow solid, and warm like a living thing… which it truly is, all things considered, although that thought still feels a little absurd. Galahad’s skin is warm, too. «I’m not sure,» Galahad admits. «I’ve… never done this before.»

«Yeah, well, neither have I.»

#wip meme #my fic #otp: whether sinner or saint #lordhellebore #ask

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