#[[ because they can't really be anything else -eyeroll- ]]

[countlessrealities]

Kisses under the mistletoe

@advnterccs sent: 💏 : my muse kisses your muse under a mistletoe without a warning { To your Rick from my Rick uwu }

If asked, Rick would have said that every romance-related tradition was bullshit. Why the fuck should a symbol or a day or a plant or whatever else in their place push you to show more love than you normally did? It was beyond dumb, for how he saw it. Unless you were talking about a plant or an object or something that secreted substances that worked as aphrodisiacs or "love potions". That was different, that was science. Idiotic rituals sentient beings had come up with during the millennia were not.

Christmas and its mistletoe kisses were, of course, no exception.

Till a bit less than two years ago, the scientist would have died on that hill. No matter what he truly thought, no matter how he truly felt about it, you would have never caught him indulging in such things, not unless it was the easiest way to get in someone's pants. However, in that case, there wouldn't have been anything romantic about it. Just physical lust and arousal.

Meeting and getting involved with his counterpart had changed that, just as it had changed so many aspects of Rick's life. Now gestures he would have never thought to do came natural to him, words he had believed he would have never spoken again, fully meaning them, slipped through his mouth as if they had always been an integral part of his vocabulary. His mind played the very same fantasies he had so often mocked people for having, his heart fluttered so much that it made him feel like a teenager experiencing butterfly in his stomach for the very first time.

It was too much, it was unbearable, it was impossible to control. His emotions took over him so often that he found it almost terrifying. His mind and body seemed to act on their own.

He should have hated it. He should have been displeased, paranoid afraid of it all. And yet, he loved it. How could he have not, when it made everything so thrilling, bright, fulfilling? When it made him so giddy, excited, happy?

He was in love, in a way he had never been before, and when his boyfriend was around everything else stopped mattering. And if that meant being a hypocrite, then he would have proudly accepted that label. To hell with everything and everyone.

And that was why, the moment he spotted his counterpart obliviously moving towards one of the bundles of mistletoe the Jerrys had insisted on hanging around the house, he acted before he could even think.

In the blink of an eye he had opened a portal under his feet, which had landed him in front of his boyfriend, causing the latter to stop his tracks in the perfect spot. The mistletoe hung over their heads, exactly between them. He couldn't have been as precise even if he had stopped and done the maths.

"Y-You know the rules, lover," he hummed with a pleased smirk, lacing on hand around his other self's belt so that he could pull him forward while he himself step backward, until he had his counterpart cornering him against the door jamb. "I-I caught you under the fuckin' plant, s-so now you owe me a kiss."

The last word came out in a sultry purr, as he pushed his back more firmly into the wall, teasingly stretching his body, offering himself as a prize to be taken and maybe also a gift to be unwrapped. His free hand climbed up along his counterpart's chest, making sure to feel up every inch of skin through the cloth of that shirt, until he reached the other's neck.

His touch softened as fingers met bare skin, and so did his expression, the flirtatious smirk turning into a lovestruck smile as he caressed the side of his boyfriend's throat. He was so handsome, so brilliant, so everything. He had no words to fully describe how much he saw in his counterpart, how much he felt for him. At times it left him yearning to find a way to voice it, but at the end of the day only one thing matter.

He got to call his perfect match the love of his life.

His thumb brushed along the line of his other self's bottom lip, applying a teasing pressure to it and, a moment later, his hand had closed around the collar of that teal shirt, so that he could tug his boyfriend's face close to his own, so close that their lips were brushing.

The love that his ice blue eyes had been betraying was still there, strong and unshakable, but it was now darkened with a much more carnal desire.

"I-If you make it good...an-and I know you will, baby, you always do...I-I'll give you something even better in return.~"

[tongue-like-a-razor]

Can you write something with young!Maverick?

Something like where they meet and she has heard about his reputation (he's the type to only stay a few nights and then move on to the next girl). So, when one night, he approaches her all smiley and flirty (and maybe a little shy and cute) she thinks that's exactly what he wants from her - to take her home for a night of sex just to move on to other people the next day. And, even though she has developed feelings for him, she accepts it, albeit with no expectation that she will become anything other than just another one he spent a night with or that it was anything other than just sex and fun. So, imagine her surprise when he starts acting the exact opposite towards her from what she expected - always wanting to be with her everywhere, skipping nightlife to be with her, being super clingy and loving, etc, etc. She doesn't believe he has feelings for her but she just can't understand his behavior. She starts to feel overwhelmed because her feelings for him only get worse and she fears the day when he will stop giving her that kind of attention (maybe she thinks this is just a harmless game for him, where she is the shiny new toy he is getting to know until she no longer interests him that much). She confronts him, confesses her feelings, gets angry and tells him to stay away. He desperately tries to tell her about his feelings for her, that he has always been in love with her and has tried to get closer to her through everything he has done because he didn't know what else to do. She doesn't believe him and it's basically him desperately trying to prove his love for her and all that cute stuff with a really happy ending 💖❣️

I also imagined a lot of cinematic chase scenes, inspired by that sand chase in There Are Rules and the f14 airport scene in Altitude 🤣🤣 so there's that. Lots of desperate, all-consuming love, perhaps ending with a love making scene that includes it all? Making desperate, passionate and hungry love. Someone so in love that they don't even know what to do, whether to cry or laugh.

You could also include a classic “misunderstanding scene” that unearths deep-rooted jealousy, but is it not what it seems? Lol it's all very cliché but honestly, it's the best shit in the world when it's written by someone who knows what they're doing, I live for desperate love.

I know this is extra long but hopefuly you'll be able to make it, I simply love your writing. Thank you. ❣️❣️

Oooh what a fun request! Thank you so much for sending this in!! I hope you don't mind, I kind of see this as a series rather than a one-shot, just because there's a lot to cover XD

Best of the Bad Boys

Pete "Maverick" Mitchell x F!Reader

CW: mild angst, swearing, fluff, allusions to sex

WC: ~2000

Masterlist

“That’s Maverick. Maverick Mitchell.”

You tear your gaze away from the animated man near the bar, throwing his arms around wildly as he describes some aerial trick he’s no doubt performed just that morning. You know exactly who he is, and yet, you turn to your friend jadedly and say, “Doesn’t ring a bell.”

She gives you a sardonic smile and skeptically scoffs. “Right. Like your father’s never mentioned his name.”

You shrug, glancing back at the pack of fighter jocks crowding the front of the establishment, each one admittedly a high-flier in his own right – pun intended. But Maverick… Maverick still manages to stand out. “He talks about all of them,” you reply nonchalantly, adding, “It’s not like I sit there and listen.”

“Why are you staring, then?”

You blink away, executing an elaborate eyeroll as you do, and fix your friend with a serious expression. “I can’t look?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“They’re nice to look at.”

Your friend nods in approval. “Can’t argue with that.”

“Doesn’t matter what his name is. What any of their names are. They’ll be gone in a couple of weeks.”

“Perfect fling material, if you ask me,” your friend wiggles her eyebrows suggestively.

“No thanks,” you respond with a grimace. Every couple of months, a fresh assortment of aviators arrives at Top Gun, ready to take on the world. Already the finest pilots in their respective squadrons, they are sent to train at the most elite fighter tactics school on the Pacific seaboard. Their egos soar higher than their jets and their heads are always in the clouds.

You see the various groups come and go – the program is only several weeks long – but it’s always entertaining to watch them transform over the course of their training. It’s why you frequent the officer’s club rather than any of the other pubs in the area. That and the cheap drinks.

“Probably for the best,” your friend sighs dramatically. “He’s got a reputation.”

You purse your lips, watching Maverick smile at the waitress as she distributes another round of drinks among the officers. You know about that too. “Point him out to me,” you say, as though you have no idea whom the conversation is about.

Your friend leans into the table and discreetly aims her finger in Maverick’s direction. “The pretty one,” she mutters.

You let out a small chuckle. “They’re all pretty.”

Your friend shakes her head. “Not that pretty.”

“Not that pretty,” you agree musingly. You make an effort not to fall for the top guns of Top Gun and, until Maverick, you haven’t had much trouble upholding that rule. But everything about him, from the squint of his eyes when he laughs to the radiant warmth of his smile, not to mention his muscular arms, makes your heart skip a beat.

And then he pivots in his stool and his gaze, coincidentally, lands on you. You hastily look away, hoping he didn't noticed you staring, and start to fiddle with the pearls of your necklace. Several moments later, you slowly lift your eyes to check if he’s still looking.

Your heart nearly springs up into your throat when you see that he is. His mouth quirks upward slightly before he gives you the kind of smile that says he’s confident you’ve already noticed him.

You don’t smile back. You’re not about to engage in this dance. You do not associate with pilots. Your friend, on the other hand, is all for the naval aviator experience.

“He’s looking at you,” she whispers excitedly.

“Stop,” you warn her sternly. “I’m not interested.”

“Well, I am,” she urges. “Let’s go talk to them. I like the blond one.” But before you can refuse for a second time, your friend mutters, “Oh god, never mind. They’re coming to us!”

You look at her in alarm and then gulp as several of the men from the bar approach your table. You glance up at them with raised eyebrows.

“Hello,” Maverick says, looking directly at you. He presses his lips together into a vexingly endearing sideways smirk.

When you don’t respond, your friend chimes in excitedly. “Hello, hello! Welcome!” she exclaims, as though she’s receiving guests for a dinner party. “I’m Susan. Hello!”

You eye her moodily as she motions for the newcomers to join the two of you at the table.

“Mind if I sit here?” Maverick asks, pointing to the seat next to you.

You meet his gaze reluctantly. “Knock yourself out,” you respond coolly. You’re still annoyed that he caught you staring and you intend to make it clear that you are not just some girl he can charm into bed.

Maverick’s smirk widens somewhat, as though he’s not quite buying the act. He takes a seat beside you while one of his friends starts chatting up Susan who seems very much to be enjoying the attention.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Maverick says, leaning over slightly so that he could speak more discreetly. “Slider, here, wanted to get to know your friend. And I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to watch him crash and burn.”

You glance at Maverick dubiously. “That’s why you’re here?”

Maverick looks at you, then, and his gaze drifts languidly over the features of your face. “Would you prefer a different reason?”

Ignoring the frantic stutter of your heart as his eyes settle on yours, you shrug and look away, taking a sip of your drink. If only he knew who your father was, he wouldn’t be so bold. “I would prefer honesty.”

“Okay,” he says, resting his forearm on the table. “Honestly? I couldn’t leave without meeting you.”

You glance back at him hesitantly, not sure how to react. “Why?” you ask, trying to control the embarrassing tremor in your voice.

Maverick drops his head and lets out a small chuckle. “I just couldn’t,” he says. “That’s as honest as I’m going to get.”

You eye him tentatively, wishing he weren’t so dangerously good-looking. His sheepish smile almost makes you forget that he dates women for sport.

But the longer Maverick sits by your side, the less important his apparent promiscuity becomes. And when the two of you wind up in the back alley behind the officer’s club, wrapped in each other’s arms, you aren’t overly concerned about the future outlook of this particular liaison. Something about the way he kisses your neck convinces you that some moderate heartache might just be worth it.

Maverick weaves his fingers through yours and lifts his arm over your head, pressing the back of your hand into the brick wall behind you. He cradles the back of your head with his other hand as his mouth moves hungrily beneath your jawline. You let out an audible sigh and he pins you even more firmly against the wall, as though the sound you made has aroused him further.

And despite your every intention to just kiss for a while before taking your leave – because you don’t do flyboys – Maverick has managed to change your mind without speaking a word. You want to tell him that you’re flattered but no thank you, instead, you breathe, “come back,” when he finally pulls away.

Maverick smirks at you and tugs on the hand he’s still holding so that you’re drawn directly into his arms. “I’m not going anywhere,” he whispers.

You wrap your arms around his body, flattening yourself against him like you mean to be absorbed. And he folds around you like a cocoon, his arms enveloping you so securely, you barely have to hold yourself upright. He moves backward, pulling you after him toward his bike.

…

“We fucked,” you tell Susan the moment she puts her car in park.

She looks over at you with wide eyes and an even wider mouth as her jaw literally drops. “You and Maverick?” she shrieks.

You wince anxiously and look around, making sure nobody heard her exclamation. Then you roll up your window and nod for her to do the same. “Keep it together, Susan,” you hiss. “We’re behind enemy lines.”

Susan grimaces apologetically but the remorse is fleeting and, before you know it, she’s eagerly bouncing in her seat. “As if you’ve been blabbering on about a fender bender for half an hour and drop this bomb right before you have to go!” she whispers feverishly. You give her a grievous look which she expertly ignores. “Was he good?”

You sigh. “He was fine,” you say curtly, still uncomfortable sharing the details of last night’s encounter while sitting in the parking lot outside Hangar 1.

Susan appears disappointed. “Just fine?”

You glance around once more and then respond quietly, “He was very good.”

“I fucking knew it!” Susan yelps, tapping you on the knee excitedly. “Tell me more!”

“Later,” you say. “I have to meet my dad, remember?”

She nods. “I’ll pick you up in half an hour?”

“Thanks, Suz,” you respond. “You’re a life saver.”

…

Your father, Top Gun’s very own Viper, paces back and forth as you sit in one of the chairs before his desk. He’s trying to keep his cool. “You sure you’re not hurt?” he asks again.

You nod tiredly. You’ve had a hell of a day.

Viper sighs moodily and shakes his head at you as though he’s not convinced.

It’s at exactly this moment that there’s a knock on his door and, as you begin to rise from your chair to leave your father to his duties, Maverick enters his office.

You freeze, meeting his gaze in alarm. Maverick, in turn, stops in his tracks, gaping at you from the doorway, forgetting even to salute his superior.

“Lieutenant,” Viper says. “You need something?”

Maverick, who seems unable to look away from you, stammers, “Do – I – uh…”

“Maverick,” Viper says sternly, and Maverick finally glances in his direction.

“Commander Metcalf,” Maverick says, a little dazed as though he’s surprised to find Viper in his own office.

“Speak, Lieutenant. I don’t have all day,” Viper grumbles, still irritable from the news he’s received during your visit.

Maverick, who seems unable to recall why he’s even come, gulps nervously and glances back at you again.

“Okay, well, thanks dad,” you say quickly. “I’ll be off now.”

Maverick’s face slowly morphs into a visage of terror as he realizes who you are and what, in fact, it means for him to have had relations with the commander’s daughter. He watches you in horror, beginning to mouth the word ‘dad’ before he catches himself and leaves his mouth hanging open on the ‘a’.

“How will you get home?” Viper asks you, not paying attention to Maverick’s reaction.

“Susan’s picking me up,” you respond.

Viper sighs again. Then, he sighs in Maverick’s direction. “Maverick, meet my daughter, Y/N. Y/N, this is Lieutenant Mitchell, recent Top Gun graduate and a helluva pilot. Hopefully, soon to be one of our newest instructors. If he finally remembers why he’s here, that is.”

Maverick glances anxiously between your face and Viper’s and then holds his hand out to you. “Pleased to meet you,” he says courteously, his eyes resting on yours for a significant moment.

You give him a tight smile and then give your father a hug. “I’ve got to go.”

Viper shakes his head all over again. “I still can’t believe that bastard hit you.”

“Who hit you?” Maverick looks over at you sharply, suddenly on high alert.

“Nobody – the other driver.” You exhale wearily, not too keen on repeating the story for a fourth time in one day. “I was in an accident –”

“Are you okay?” Maverick asks, immediately taking a step toward you.

“I’m fine, totally fine,” you assure him, taking several steps backward until you feel the doorknob at your spine. “I just need some rest.”

“We’ll sort out the car tomorrow,” Viper says.

“Hey, at least it wasn’t a jet, right?” you joke, trying to lighten the mood.

Neither Viper not Maverick is amused by your humor, however, so you reach behind and pull open the door.

“Okay, well, bye dad! Mav – uh – Lieutenant Mitchell.”

Maverick stares after you as you retreat behind the door, still somewhat speechless.

“Tell Susan to drive carefully!” your father calls.

“Will do!” you call back.

Finally, Maverick speaks again. “I, uh” – he clears his throat – “I could give her a ride, sir.”

You pause in the doorway while your father purses his lips, considering the offer. Joke’s on him, of course, since Maverick has already given you one – just last night.

Read Part 2

Maverick Tag List:

I have no idea when this list got so long but the rest of it will be in the comments. Hope I got everyone, let me know if I missed you! As always, let me know if you no longer wish to be tagged in my Mav works!

@wandering-wah

@callsign-sunshine

@ghost-heart34

@birdy-bat-writes

@matya4

@wkndwlff

@nyx2021

@bellamy1998

@oliviah-25

@alexxavicry

@army24--7

@thefandomimagines

@dracosluvbot

@smit41

@scenesofobx

@Criminalmindsandmarvel

@lunamoonbby

@malums-trash-can

@malindacath

@karleetakeenan

@callsign-echo

@toothemoonanddback

@broketraveler87

@atarmychick007

@shanimallina87

@creativitybeware

@xoxabs88xox

@Yoyop7

@hallecarey1

@nik2blog

@rrocky0ah

@kpopgirlbtssvt

@lilianashomaresparza

@latetedslesetoiles

@Elenavampire21

@starberryhorse

@ginger-gabsq

@sarcastic-sourwolf

@risingtripletaurus

@callsignmaverick5

@darling-im-the-queen-of-hell

@hermaeusmorax

@littlebadariell

@simp-for-fictional-people

@ollyoxenfrees

@iamabeautifulperson18

@living-in-my-imagination88

@wintercap89

@mavrellover91

@gingerbreadandpaper

[cherryobx]

congratulations on 2.4k followers!!🤍💐

turn the radio up! can i please get a rafe cameron fic based off of the song, work song by hozier, please and thank you!!☺️

Work song

a/n: thank you sm rach! hope you like it!

pairing: Rafe Cameron x reader

summary: Rafe cuts his business trip short because he can't stand being away from you

warnings: like 1 bad word lmao

wc: 0.8k

“I’m not coming home just because you miss me.” 

“Why not?” you whine over the phone. Rafe is on a trip with his dad and has barely been away for a couple of days.

“Because I have shit to do here. I can’t just leave,” he scolds and you can picture him frowning and his eyebrows furrowed.

You pout. “Come on! Please, for me?”

He sighs before he gives you a negative answer. “It’s just two weeks. You can handle not seeing me for that long. Yeah?”

“I can’t, Rafe. I’m dying over here.”

“You poor thing,” he mocks. “You’ll be fine.”

“Okay, I get it. You don’t love me anymore.” You throw yourself on your bed, holding the phone to your ear and staring at the ceiling.

Another sigh, and probably an eyeroll. “Of course I still love you. I just have business I need to take care of here before I come back. Just two weeks.”

Just two weeks. Rafe has been telling himself that every time he’s thought of you during this trip. Which has been a lot. He can’t seem to focus on anything else really. Never before has a girl been on his mind like this.

He’s obviously been in relationships before. He’d rather categorise them as situationships but he’s not so sure about his ex-girlfriends.

Rafe feels like he’s going crazy. He can’t focus on the task before him, his mind drifting off to you. He’s wondering what you’re doing. If you’re at home or hanging out with your friends. He once caught himself thinking about what you had for dinner. Who cares about things like this? Him now apparently.

“Rafe!” His father says loudly. “Stop daydreaming for once and listen.”

“Yeah, sorry,” he mutters and physically shakes his head in an attempt to get the thoughts of you out of his head for a second. It’s almost impossible. 

He checks his phone every time it lights up in hopes that it’s you. He likes getting texts from you, updating him on how your day’s going. When it’s not you, he’s disappointed.

When it’s time to go to sleep, he just can’t. He tosses and turns all night. It drives Ward crazy and he regrets getting one room instead of two at the hotel they’re staying at. Rafe’s so used to another body being next to him. He’s accustomed to having you in his arms and it’s weird and unfamiliar when you’re not there for him to hold.

Rafe held out for five days before he packed his bags in the middle of the night and got on the next flight home. His father left 12 missed calls and even more messages when he woke up but it’s too late now. Rafe has already landed and is driving home.

It’s 6am when he furiously knocks on your front door. 

“What the fuck?” you groan and put on a bathrobe before dragging yourself to the front door. It’s way too early for any human interaction, you think.

You open the door and there he is in all his glory. He looks exhausted and his hair is a mess, probably has been running his fingers through it in stress.

“Well look who it is. Mr. I’m-not-coming-home-before-the-end-of-this-trip Cameron.” There’s a smirk on your lips. You never thought he’d be the one to cave in like this.

“Shut up.” He steps into your home and closes the front door after him, locking it too for good measure.

He wraps his arms around you and holds you close, nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck and inhaling your sweet familiar scent. You smell like home. He feels better already, the stress immediately leaving his body.

“Come on.” You take his hand and pull him into your bedroom. 

You take off your bathrobe, revealing his own t-shirt underneath which you wore to sleep. 

“I was looking for that shirt.” He narrows his eyes at you.

“And now you’ve found it.” You plop onto your bed and hold open to cover for him so he could crawl under them with you.

He makes quick work of removing most of his clothing before joining you. His hands immediately find you and he pulls you flush against him. You place one of your palms against his chest and feel his heartbeat.

He places a soft kiss on the top of your head and then keeps his lips there. “I’m gonna marry you,” he mumbles into your hair.

“What?”

“Be quiet.”

Before you know it, soft snores are coming from the man next to you and you smile, your heart aching from the love for him. He’s so smitten. But so are you.

[msschemmenti]

hinge - a potential series

eventual melissa schemmenti x reader

synopsis: melissa joins hinge. who will she match with?

a/n: hello yes i know i’ve been gone for over a month after saying i was going to finish some things. my job got SUPER busy! but i’m trying to get back into writing and with that in mind i wanted to do a little writing exercise that i thought could be fun. so basically this will be a one shot series where melissa matches with different readers each installment. i was thinking if you all were interested i could open my requests for descriptions of readers you’d like to see melissa chat with and date! this is just an introductory piece to the vision, but let me know if you all would be interested in submitting readers for this. if not that’s cool as well ahaha! but either way, i hope you enjoy this chaotic prologue.

“You know, you should really get back out there Melissa.” Jacob’s voice floated over Melissa's shoulder. The older woman felt the tension between her eyebrows tighten as she slowly turned to address the young teacher. Not only had he been listening in on her conversation with Barb, but now he was giving advice. She knew they shouldn’t have let him stay for the Christmas dinner, now he thinks he’s a part of their circle. 

"What are ya talking about?" Melissa glared. Jacob had the sense to look a bit squeamish under her gaze but still cleared his throat as if to speak.

"I just mean, it's been months since Gary stopped stocking the vending machine. And kind of disappeared off the face of the Earth. And you're a beautiful woman, who deserves to be treated well. I'm sure there's a sea of men just waiting to make you their wife." Jacob rambled as his face grew red.

"First of all kid, I had nothing to do with Gary's career change and if you tell anyone different we'll have a problem. Second of all, I know I'm hot. I'm a Philly 11. I don't need no man making me his wife. I'm perfectly fine with the way my life is right now. Not that it's any of your business." Melissa scoffed with an eyeroll.

"Well that doesn't mean you can't see what's out there." Janine piped up from her seat next to Jacob.

"Oh you're one to talk, what does that even mean?" Melissa asked.

"Well, I'm not looking for a relationship right now because I'm working on myself. But that doesn't mean I don't want to see who's out there. Or even get a little validation from knowing someone wants me."

Melissa listened curiously, "and how exactly do you do that? Are you going to bars and turning down drinks or something?"

"No! Dating apps. People see my profile and like me but I don't have to say anything back." Janine explained.

"Oh yes! Before I met Zack I had a profile on all of the apps, just to make sure I wasn't missing any of the validation." Jacob added in causing Janine to nod.

"I think that could be good for you." Barb hummed before taking another bite of her salad.

"Not you too!" Melissa groaned before Ava walked through the door swiping on her phone.

"What we talking about?" Ava grinned looking around the tables.

"We're trying to convince Melissa to get back out there. On a dating app."

"Oh you should definitely do that. There's a market of men you're missing out on. Get you a young thing to get all up in that Italian Dressing." Ava said wiggling her eyebrows before reaching to make her coffee.

"Okay. None of that." Melissa groaned as she and Barb shook their heads in disappointment.

"No, you don't have to start out doing that. You can just start out seeing who's out there. Getting some likes, giving some likes, and then if you want to you can move it to chatting. It's all at your own speed." Janine tried to explain.

Before Melissa could even try to continue disagreeing, Ava had finished dumping sugar in her mug and had snatched Melissa's phone from the table. "The question is, what app do we get her on. I think Tinder is out if she's not gonna let any all up in her business. Bumble is dead and boring. What else is there?"

"How about none?"

"Oh Hinge! That ones really good." Jacob volunteered and Ava nodded moving to download the app on the older woman's phone.

"You are insane! Give me back my phone." Melissa tried to lunge at the taller woman.

"Stop fighting girlfriend. Just let it happen." Barbara appeased placing her hand on Melissa's shoulder in an attempt to calm her.

"Oh not you too!" Melissa sighed.

"Give in Schemmenti. I'm already creating your account." Ava grinned flashing the phone toward the older woman.

Seeing the phone, Melissa just shook her head. "I hate all of yous."

Ava took a seat in the middle of the table and smirked over her shoulder at Melissa. "Alright so let's get these questions and pictures together. Gotta show every how hot you are!"

Melissa scoffed but only rolled her eyes in response.

"So I got all the basics, now who are you looking for? Just men? Or are you down for a lil lady action? You seem like you'd know your way around the lady parts." Ava asked.

"Oh my god. You are the WORST!"

"That's not answering my question. You know what, I'll just put it as bisexual for now. Keep your options open. Let's find pictures for the prompts. You have any nudes in here I should be worried about seeing?" Ava asked shielding her eyes playfully.

"No? What kind of lady do you think I am?"

"I don't know. I'm just saying. Okay I already did the first one now the next one is 'As seen on my Mom's fridge', how about this cute picture of you and your blonde sister?"

"Yes that would be cute!" Janine smiled.

"Oh put this picture I secretly took of her crocheting on there. People love crafts!" Jacob said air dropping the photo to Melissa's phone.

"Why are you secretly taking pictures of me?" Melissa glared.

"Oh hush, it's helpful now. Oh a writing prompt, what are your simple pleasures?"

"Food, wine, and the Eagles." Melissa answered quickly.

"Let's say Cooking, wine, and the Eagles. People like cooking." Janine amended.

"Another picture, let's do this cute one with me in the back. That'll really get you some likes. I'm pretty well known around this app."

"Last prompt, the key to your heart?" Janine asked.

"A clean kitchen and an empty stomach." Melissa spoke with a shrug.

"Oh cause you like to cook for people. You're so good at this. Yes." Janine swooned.

"And with that, you're live. Now you just wait for the local baddies to match with you."

As Ava handed the phone, Melissa had no choice but to scroll. Well I guess this is what we're doing now.

"If this ends poorly, all of yous better watch your back."

[becauseplot]

It’s been days but I can’t stop thinking about qPhil’s silent rage when he gets the photos of his eggs from the black concrete chests. Everyone here has already said every possible thing to describe how incredible it is and yeah it just,,, MAN. The way Phil is so slow to anger. Like, and I mean TRUE anger. I don’t mean frustration or exasperation, coated with eyerolls and sarcasm.

So when he does get really, truthfully, genuinely mad he goes quiet. Eerily silent. None of his usual chuckles or groans. Stripped of his usual joking, jovial undertone, his words come out clipped. Harsh. Short. Flat. Little bowshots flying from his mouth. Least amount of syllables possible.

“I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier,” he says to Bad. And him snapping at Bad is a ‘mild reaction’ all things considered, and Bad forgives him immediately, but to Phil, he is teetering on a precipice of absolutely losing it.

You can see the way he's trying to hold it all in by his jerky, sharp movements, overly efficient, deliberate. Message Cellbit. Warp to the Favela. Take the elevator down to the Ordo. March across the hall. Enter the meeting room. All but slam the door behind him. All but collapse into the nearest chair. I don’t think his hands shake when he passes the new photos over to Cellbit, not quite, but if you were to put your palm to his arm you would probably be able to feel the wire-taut muscles underneath, tense. A cord ready to snap at any moment

But it won’t snap. He can't afford to snap, there's too much to do. I can only think of two other times he's actually lost it: (1) fight against the impersonator codes at the election dinner, where his rage was one of his best allies in that fight, and (2) the birdhouse, clawing at Cucurucho and begging for anything, anything that tells him his kids are safe; and he didn't have to worry about breaking down then because there was literally nothing else he could have done in that situation. He had nothing else to do but cry.

So here he is, at the Ordo, with photos of his missing kids scared and alone and separated and they still don't know anything, not really, they just have more evidence that creates even more questions, spider-webbing out and out and out and never, ever giving them what they so desperately need: answers. Something solid. Steady ground to put their feet on. Any sort of guarantee, no matter how small, that they'll ever see their kids alive and well again.

And, "I'm furious," he says, casual, simple, unassuming. Fucking hell.

[dangermousie]

The more I think about it, the more irritated by the latest reset I get.

It's funny, because the reset in W superficially was similar (she redid the story so they never met and so she was the only one who remembered) and it didn't bother me at all. I think in some part because it was done much much earlier in the narrative - there was plenty of time for it to develop again and it did (I loved that he never remembered in W, not truly, tho he read about it in the comic), and because it was done only once (some of my eyeroll in LR is because I am getting tired of redos, though yes, I realize the repeats are theme of the drama so that's on me), but in larger part it's because W was a very different and a much more complex narrative.

It really processed at length what it's like to be the only one who remembers things nobody else does, the trauma of loving someone who doesn't know you, the reasons ML keeps being drawn to her despite not remembering her, AND it gave a great reason as to why she erased things - there was no other way to fix anything, the whole world included, as far as they could figure out - not to mention it wasn’t done unilaterally - she did it but at his request. W was a meditation on a lot of things and only some of it was the (admittedly awesome) love story, and it was incredibly and tightly written.

LR, for all its many charms, is a romcom. It's just a romcom. It's not really an exploration of anything else much otherwise. We are not going to get any of the exploration of what it means to fight fate or to love someone who does not remember you in a world in which you have no place. No take on what it means to have the ability to change the world and control it to some degree through your actions or the ins and outs of timelines or what it does to you to fight fate and fail repeatedly, and the trauma one can shove through making the best of bad choices. Heck, the last save and any fallout for Sol happens entirely off-screen. And let's face it, if Sol and SJ actually cooperated and thought for about five minutes, they'd not have ended up on that cliff, so the "necessity" feels contrived.

Basically, it's not really the erasure - it's the way I think it won't really be addressed or explored in any way I want.

I realize that LR never pretended to be anything but what it is - a cute romcom with amazing chemistry and some great acting - so it's a little like going to a steakhouse and complaining you can't get sushi. But the heart wants what it wants so here we are.

[naturepointstheway]

16. "Is this your way of telling me you have a praise kink? Because I'm into it." As tuggoff? Let those boys be praised!

Sorry for taking so long to respond, here's a little quick thing!

Tugger couldn't sleep, staring up at the ceiling in the dark, his phone lying next to him. He pondered whether he should bother Mistoffelees by texting him, but it was already past 11 pm and he was sure he'd already be fast asleep.

Lucky for some, he thought, wishing that he could just shut his brain up so he could actually get some sleep--

Ping!

He started in surprise as his phone screen lit up with a new text.

Mistoffelees?

Sure, but it could just as easily have been anyone else, but honestly? All he could think of was Mistoffelees right now.

Might be anyone, he tried to reason with his brain, could be Munk, Victoria, Bomba...

As it turned out, the text was from Mistoffelees, and he couldn't help a jolt of excitement as he unlocked his phone, reading it with eager eyes.

Hey, you awake? I can't sleep.

Oh, you thinking about me? ;)

Tugger could imagine Misto's eyeroll at his response, but before long, another text came back.

Actually, yes.

Oh? I'm flattered. Unless, is everything okay?

Tugger watched, almost hypnotised by the three dots as Misto typed his response before sending on his end.

More than fine, actually ;)

Huh, interesting that he ended that with a little wink.

What's with the wink? Thinking special thoughts about me? ;)

It felt like an age before another response came back.

Um... can you do something for me?

Anything, I'd kill the sun for you if you asked. Not to be dramatic.

Please don't do that, I like the sun. :( But um...

Are you sure you're okay? Do you want me to call you? I know it's really late.

A long pause from Misto, the three dots looping and looping as he, Tugger imagined, chewed over his response. Then--

Yeah. There's something I want to try with you. Can your phone record voice messages?

Well that was certainly an interesting response from Misto, and it didn't sound like he was upset, and that was a very specific kind of request, but now Tugger didn't care about going to sleep.

Yeah, my phone can definitely do that. Why?

I'll tell you. Just say something. Compliment me in a whisper.

Tugger could absolutely do that, but where to start, that was the question. There were a thousand compliments filed away in his brain, and he had to take a moment to think of one, and when he did, he quickly recorded it in a whisper, imagining he was whispering it right into Misto's ear.

"I love how gentle your kisses are, like little raindrops on skin."

He hit send, and waited for a response--and he didn't have long to wait for one.

Mmm. Liked that. Give me another like that.

Now he just had to pick from the remaining 999 compliments filed away in his brain.

"I love the way you nuzzle into my neck, your breath always so soft and warm."

He sent this too, and even now he was starting to feel Misto was revealing something new about himself that he hadn't before.

That sounded soooo nice. I love how you just breathe-whispered that.

Guessing Misto wanted another as before, Tugger recorded another.

"The most pleasurable thing on Earth...when you pool warm magic in my palms and use your fingertips to swirl it around, letting it tangle up around my hands."

That felt good to hear too. Another please?

"I love when I'm your little spoon, and you wrap your arms around me like you never want to let go. The way you press into me like a full body hug is delicious."

He would be lying if he said he wasn't proud of how much he made "Delicious" sound like the most seductive word in the dictionary. And judging by Misto's response he agreed too.

How did you make delicious sound so good?

"Because everything about you is so beautiful, precious, enchanting, and soft and wonderful. I love the way you tell me I love you in so many ways without a word. Eloquence in silence."

Eloquence in silence.

"Your eloquence in silence is magical. Delicious and magical and beautiful. You are so, so beautiful. So phenomenal. So, so magical. You are so amazing, I am so proud of you, you are so good in every way..."

A long pause, and Tugger found himself smiling, and feeling more than a little tingly. And when he read the next message from Misto, he had to quickly stifle his laugh lest he awoke someone, but he didn't bother to hide his grin either.

I guess I'll be in my bunk then, Tugger.

Tugger decided right then he definitely needed to stay over at Misto's at some point in the next few nights, because this was absolutely something he was down for to try with his boyfriend.

"Is this your way of telling me you have a praise kink?" he whispered in a low murmur, making his voice as deep and sensual as he could. "Because I'm into it."

You could say that ;) If you don't mind, I'd love more...

Tugger wasn't about to say no to that.

[swan2swan]

Look, I wish (haha) that I could give positive points to Wish. I really do.

I wanna say "But the character designs were good!" But they weren't. I saw what Asha could have been, and the majority of the side characters were okay but also kinda eh, and the villain and his wife were fine...but any positives, any positives, are negated by the generic cuteness of that stupid star. I've never felt such visceral loathing of a plushified thing since they put a cat into a Buzz Lightyear movie set in the 90s that everyone was supposed to love, when that would be the WORST PART of a 90s action movie that every kid would think was cool.

I wanna say "But the songs were good!" or even "But the main song was good!", but, again...no, they weren't! They were passable, and the main one from all the trailers had a GREAT refrain, 9/10, very moving, but every other line was nothing I wanna listen to. The best Disney songs rule in both their verses AND their refrains. That one? No. And the timing on the songs? Their function in the story? No. Wrong. All wrong! The introductory song knew what it was doing, but after that? It was all paint by numbers!

Even the VILLAIN SONG was wrong! Because he's all "WHY DOES NO ONE APPRECIATE ME???" when every scene prior was showing just how much they loved the king. And it's not even a matter of "Well of course, that's because he's a Villain and it's Never Enough!", because...no. It's not conveyed. There were better pedestals atop which to set his villainy!

The diversity was great, but I can't even praise that, because it's a Bad Movie and all that wonderful stuff was wasted! Same with the storybook-looking imagery, which was REALLY perfect in a few shots, but would immediately cut to another one that would never work in a storybook.

I'm just frustrated because I threw every lifeline I could at this thing and it went "But what if we did a reference that was kinda clever, and then immediately had a character EYEROLL AT IT because we know it'll be awkward? That's humor!"

No. It was a bad movie!

EVEN WHEN THE MOVIE SUDDENLY GOT DARK and I was like "Oh. That's a little heavy. Good job, Disney movie", they went and said "AND ALL THAT'S BEEN FIXED NOW!" at the end.

It would have also been nice if there had been ANY EMOTIONAL CONNECTION WHATSOEVER between the characters. I mean anything beyond "we're best friends" (which is actually stated via dialogue, like everything else in that movie, there's a scene where someone is sitting there looking frightened and someone says "she looks frightened...", YES, your animators actually conveyed that!!!).

I can't even praise the animation, because characters like Happy were just kinda smiling most of the time...she should have been JOYFUL! Excited by everything! Something good happens and she cheers loudly, because she's HAPPY! And Grumpy was just sort of sarcastic...no real arm-folding, no sneers, no furrowed brows...this is animation, it's a celebration of 100 years of animation, and you can't even put out solid expressions and intense emotions???

THIS WAS YOUR PARADE, DISNEY??? This was the Love Letter? That was just a bunch of cheap Disney Movie references!

So I finish this with a gif taken from another Disney property I watched and enjoyed that actually USED SONGS WELL and had INTERACTIONS:

[acaplaya-musings]

Voiceplay Visuals: Good 4 U

This video debuted on the 11th of June, 2022, and is another collaboration with Adriana Arellano! This is an arrangement by Rob Dietz, and here's what Voiceplay had to say about the song in the description: "We actually love this song and “Good for you” by Olivia Rodrigo is also one of Adriana’s all-time favorite songs. So the resulting collaboration is a fun and cathartic revisit to our teen angst-filled years of tying up the phone lines and waiting for the dial-up modem to finally work. If you listen carefully, you’ll hear a tribute to those young adult years of which we speak within a couple lines around the bridge. Paramore’s “Misery Business” never sounded so harmonic!"

Forgive me for sharing a picture of the video screen with the progress bar and everything, but for once I actually wanted to call attention to the thumbnail. Firstly because Geoff's eyeroll is amazing and iconic, and second of all because Eli is giving a thumbs-up (i.e. the gesture for "good"), Adriana is holding up 4 fingers, and Cesar is pointing to the camera/at you. Thus, good-4-U (you)! Kinda clever!

Right, now to the actual video. I want Cesar's shirt and Eli's jacket!

(And I'm fairly certain Voiceplay filmed this in a parking lot or something?)

Also I'm gonna point out right now that there's a light breeze (or, more likely, a small electric fan or something) giving Adriana's hair some movement during the video, but it is also blowing Geoff's hair a little bit the whole time and I adore it 😄

Adriana: "you found a new girl and it only took a couple weeks"

Cesar: *gasp*

Geoff is of course my favourite in Voiceplay for Very Obvious Reasons, and I don't want to have a second-favourite or anything like that because all the members (J None included!) are amazing and wonderful and talented in their own ways, and no one is truly "better" than anyone else. HOWEVER, if you made me choose a second favourite member, it would have to be Cesar

And Adriana killed it with this one! Totally gave this performance her all (including with her acting!), and definitely did the song justice

Cool Guy Eli! (I really do love that jacket)

Cesar being the only one looking down the camera, and giving us one heck of a smoulder!

(Also a brief moment of appreciation for Geoff wearing a shirt that actually has a bit of brightness/vibrancy to it 😝😁)

Camera distortion effect like in Dream On!

I know he's got like grey hairs and stuff (which I still love, let me be clear), but at the same time, how the heck is this man in his early 40s? He ages like fine wine honestly

Cesar doing air-quotes on "emotional" 😄

Very, very cool 👌

Can't really think of anything to say in my little outtro here, but it's a cool video, great song cover, and definitely fun to revisit every now and then!

[ot3]

I can't tell if you're genuinely enjoying Riverdale or not. like you're enjoying it but not because it's enjoyable or good?

i'm having a blast with riverdale. it definitely is not 'good' but it's absolutely enjoyable. In this context by 'good' i mean the show doesn't have what i consider to be particularly thoughtful, complex, or emotionally impactful character and narrative writing. but this is also an instance where i don't think that stuff is really the point here. i'm not here because i genuinely care about the way these events are going to play out or their longterm effects on the characters lives, i'm here because there's something just absolutely fascinating about everything this show is doing and the fact that it exists at all.

it does have some genuine strong suits. i think all of the actors are fully committing to the shit that's happening here in a way that is absolutely pivotal to it working. the show honestly just Looks good a lot of the time too. i enjoy the weird anachronisms of the aesthetics and character styling, there's some really fun color grading, it's got some really nice shot comps from time to time.

but more than that it's just really different from everything else that's on TV, while simultaneously being almost entirely composed of individual elements that are overdone on their own. earlier i said its the most TV per minute of TV and that was a bit tongue in cheek but i do honestly think its true. it's like they've distilled a specific kind of media down to it's most concentrated form and dished it back out, without watering it down at all by trying to ground it.

i dont really watch edgy teen dramas or anything as a hobby because its so not my shit, but overall I feel riverdale manages to feel very campy and honestly somewhat avant garde when other shows before and since have just been eyeroll inducing and unbearable. and i think its because its got this weird negative space of self awareness. A lot of modern media that Knows it's kind of ridiculous likes to do a lot of wink-wink nudge-nudge about how silly and convoluted it all is, making sure the audience knows that the writers are in on the joke in a way that rips you out of the story more than the events themselves do. but riverdale so far (keep in mind i'm only a season and a half in) presents itself in a way that comes across as fully understanding exactly unserious it all is while stalwartly refusing to break character. like a mime pretending to be trapped in a box.

i could say more on the subject but i feel like i need to watch the rest of the show before i can really lock in my broadstrokes conclusions about the nature of this beast

[rhaenyyras]

a super late but fluffy steddie snippet for day 2 of @steddie-week

~

For a while they stay there, Eddie kissing sweetly at Steve's throat, at his lovely tanned skin and all the dark scars marking his neck that will always be there. Steve lays there, eyes half-shut as Eddie looks at the scars, touches them gently. Eddie loves Steve's scars because they feel like proof they survived. That they made it here, together. Eddie wants to say that as he kisses at Steve's throat, enjoying the soft noises he makes, those breathy little sighs.

Eddie loves making Steve feels good. Loves that he gets to touch him like this, and gently run his fingers over his scars, and kiss him so sweetly. He suddenly feels so full of it, everything he feels for Steve, and he tries to say it in a way that makes sense.

Instead, Eddie fucks it all up by saying, "God, I love you, Harrington."

When really he meant to say was that he loves doing this with Steve, and making him feel good, and he loves Steve's scars, and loves the way Steve makes him feel. It doesn't help that at the exact moment Eddie blurts out his little declaration, Steve also speaks.

"Says you." he randomly says.

Which at first makes zero fucking sense, and then oh, Eddie realizes Steve was talking about when Eddie called him hot. Trying to be cute with the whole says you thing and yeah it's cute, but Eddie is currently back on the spiral train, no bags packed, ready to run.

Eddie pulls away from Steve, sitting back on Steve's waist, feeling like he's made a mess of everything.

Very helpfully, his brain blurts out, "Says me, what?"

Steve snorts a laugh and Eddie feels weirdly relieved that Steve is laughing and not shoving him away and calling him a freak. Which he knows Steve would never do but still he feels relied. Eddie waits nervously, fidgeting with his rings as he watches Steve, searching for any sign of what he's feeling right now. For once, Eddie can't get a read on the guy.

Steve smiles and says, "What? That made no sense"

"You make no sense."

With a soft eyeroll (emphasis on the soft), Steve lays back on the pillows and runs his hands over Eddie's thighs, caressing his skin gently. Steve gets this look on his face that Eddie can't decipher so naturally he begins panicking that he totally fucked everything up by saying the wrong thing. Because he did say the wrong thing, didn't he?

"You know what I meant." Eddie manages.

Steve looks up carefully, arching an eyebrow.

"You might have to spell it out for me."

Well, shit. Eddie hoped by some miracle maybe Steve didn't hear him but clearly he has. Eddie sighs, seeing two options ahead of him. The first: be honest with Steve, admit the crush he's had on him for the last few months, see where it goes. Or option two: stick to their plan to just mess around and have fun, and not fuck anything up.

That feels like the safer route, and Eddie isn't ready for this thing between them to end. So he goes with option two and puts on a smile, hoping he'll be able to convince Steve that his little confession was just something he worded the wrong way. Because that's really all that it was, wasn't it?

"Yeah, sorry. No, I meant that I love doing this with you." Eddie says, twisting one of his rings around his finger. "This as in, like. Kissing you and stuff. All the no strings attached, baby. That stuff. I like it."

Steve smiles back at Eddie though he could swear that for like half a second, there was something else there in his gaze. Or maybe Eddie was imagining it, that tiny flicker that passed across his face, already gone. So Eddie lets it go and watches Steve reach out, taking Eddie's hand where he's fidgeting with his rings and squeezing gently. 

"Yeah. Me too, man." he says, and half-smiles slowly. 

"It's fun, right? Like, it’s really cool and chill and relaxed." Eddie rambles, only somewhat nervously. Can't stop himself. "Mostly, it's fun, and you're so metal, and you know how I like—"

"I know, Eddie. It's cool." Steve smiles, leaning in. 

Steve softly kisses Eddie's lips, barely there but close enough, it feels impossibly good. Feels like tiny volts of electricity pulsing through his body at the touch.

[nik-jr-lit]

Some other M. Paul x Lucy moments that literally had me laughing out loud (or smiling)

the time Rosine begged Lucy to go into M. Paul's class to deliver a message because he was in such a pissy mood and likes Lucy better so she goes in and gives the message that he's needed at the local college and he's all "that's nice but i'm not going" and she just pushes his hat towards his hand but oh no his glasses fall off the desk and literally both of the lenses bust and now she's actually scared but before she can even get an apology out of her mouth he hops up, says "well, what a little mischief maker! what a nefarious little englishwoman!! guess i'll have to go if you're going to threaten me like that! :-)", puts his hat on, and leaves.

later on that night when he comes to the school to read aloud to the pupils and teachers and he forgoes his normal spot to go sit next to Lucy (aw) and she moves to give him room but he says "no don't" but she scooches a little anyway and he immediately gets pissed and is all "oh so you want to treat me like an outcast?! you want distance?!! fine!" and he literally makes everyone else at the table get up and move to the other one and grabs Lucy's stuff and puts all of it on the other side of the table so it's just them at opposite ends and he says "happy?" and she's all "you were the one who wanted it like this..?" and he said "no! you were the one who did this!!" and then he reads a French translation of Shakespeare and Lucy is not at all hiding her disdain and he looks up and sees every single eyeroll and smirk and omfg he's getting so pissed but it's dinner time now and she's engrossed in making her watchguard and tbh she's feeling giddy and smug because making M. Paul so flustered and annoyed was fucking fun and she was enjoying it. he gets up without saying a word, strides towards the door, but turns back for his pencil case and...he puts his pencil in...takes it out...breaks the lead against the table...resharpens it...puts it in his pocket...and finally walks up to Lucy. he asks her what she's working on and she says she's making a watchguard for one of her gentleman friends and omg he's really mad now, i mean he's seriously fuming; he's saying she's impossible to be friends with and that he has never done anything wrong but she continues to regard him with passionate injustice and rebellion and she's all "what? :(" and he's, again, immediately apologizing and correcting himself and saying that she does have good qualities but if she'd quit flirting and caring so much for people whose only good quality was being tall and if she dressed more modestly then things would be better. a few moments pass and he's all, "did what i just said make you hate me? :(" but no, all is well and as he's going out the door he says "it's not that you don't look good in your clothes...it's just....nevermind, continue dressing as you do! goodnight!"

M. Paul's party day when Lucy didn't give him a gift and he asked "in really tragic tones" whether all the presents had been given because he wanted hers, only cared about a gift from her and she was starting to get that giddy feeling again from pissing him off, and she literally tells us as the reader that because he cared so much about whether she got him a gift, he fucking deserved to be fooled and get pissed and if that doesn't make you laugh i don't know what will. then he decides to make his party speech about how much England sucks and the things he says just get nastier and nastier until Lucy can't take it anymore, slams her hand on her desk, and says "long live England, fuck France!" and everyone in the room is gasping but M. Paul is hiding his grin behind his handkerchief because, yes, they both love riling the other up. he ends his speech by saying that he's going to take the whole class out to breakfast on the first day of spring and makes sure to say "only my friends are invited" and Lucy says "i won't be there!" and he says "fine!!"

omfg the fact that he was leaving goodies in her desk, correcting papers for her, and, when he's caught, he asks her earnestly whether she likes the things he leaves her.

how he accused Lucy of playing dumb, knowing Latin and Greek, and plagiarizing because she's a fast learner, but then he brags to his academic friends how smart she is <3

[colorcodedbeanies]

S1E2-"The Cat's in the Bag"

That's right two in one day I'm in a hormones induced fugue. If i focus might knock out a third tonight. This one shorter

TW: Violence, racism, gore description

also note: I use Native American and Indigenous as the general term because they're what I've been led to believe is acceptable but let me know if there's something else I could be using/some grammar hink going on here.

Indigenous people in Breaking Bad are a background element I'm hoping to also make clearer to myself in this watchthrough, especially since it's a throughline that gets picked up again with Better Call Saul and the Kettlemans. There are no major Native American characters in the series, and yet they keep popping up in a way that reads as both prop-like and intended as thematic. This episode in particular opens with a Native American man towing Walt and Jesse's RV out of the ditch, and ends with two Indigenous children playing in the wreckage left behind by their cook. The ABQ area is home to a couple of different tribes. The only reservation that I believe is named in the show is To’Hajiilee, which is occupied by the Cañoncito Band of Navajos. Until provided with other information I'll assume that's the nation to which these unnamed characters belong. Again, I do want to drill in on how badly these characters are props. None of them even have speaking lines. Additionally, its part of the running theme where most brown characters are positioned in opposition to law enforcement. The man who tows them out accepts their bribe to keep silent about anything he's seen. However, given the work the previous episode has done to establish law enforcement as a. deeply racist and b. wildly destructive. There's an argument to be made that this is one of the most human things these characters could do. Rather than concern themselves with something that's not their problem to begin with, they instead keep their mouths shut and profit where they can. I don't want to go too far down this as a overarching read, both because it risks extending the show too much credit and because I think there's a tendency to sanitize the legacy of colonialism into just. White people being corny and Indigenous people giving knowing eyerolls, rather than a system of routine violence. But still, given that this is an analysis focused on race and law enforcement, its worthwhile to me to bring up instances where this is even glanced on.

There's an entitlement to Jesse's space which Walt perpetually demonstrates that really starts to rear its head here. Jesse's just going to have to be ok with Walt storing two dead bodies and a wrecked meth lab in his driveway, because after all, he can't very well bring it back to his nice normal house with his nice normal family can he? Jesse is also expected to take responsibility for whatever happens to the bodies, despite them both being Walt's kills This is played for a joke (resulting in at least one Tiktok audio) but it does have lasting impact on Jesse as he navigates dealing with Emilio's body and Domingo as a hostage. It makes him so uncomfortable that he feels the need to get high just to stay in his own house. All of this is something that either doesn't occur to Walt, or that he just doesn't care about. This is an entitlement that's reflected in Skyler later when she goes to confront Jesse. She barges in his front gate before yelling at him about having the audacity to touch her. The Whites don't understand themselves as criminals. Again, they're nice normal people, not like this "druggie burnout". He isn't protected by things like legality and decency, and anything they say or do to him should be considered reasonable frustration or concern. This culminates in Skyler's line "not that it's any of my business, but you might want to consider a new line of work". This line isn't just ironic, but deeply telling about how the American middle class views drug dealing. A choice, and perhaps even a waste of talent that needs to be scolded back into the fold, or locked away where decent people don't have to see it.

In general Walt's not great at predicting human behavior. He's admittedly having to learn as he goes, but it doesn't even occur to him that his wife might check the call history. Or that she might even notice when he's scream whispering at the phone in the middle of their living room.

This is drilled down on further in the "chiral" scene. Two chemical compounds, seemingly identical, that yet behave very differently. This I believe is meant to be understood as Walt attempting to pitch his joint identity as both druglord and loving father. Can't I be both? And yet the bleedthrough is evident. "Is this going to be on the murder/midterm?" This is also a duality Walt struggles to grant anyone else. After blustering a bit about drug dealers having any kind of administrative structure he asks Jesse if Domingo's "capable" of listening to reason. As a distributor, a "business man", "he should be capable of mutual self-interest". There's a lot you can say here about how white suburbia conceptualizes capitalism, how it should be a system that prevents rash acts of temper, because after all, doesn't trade serve everyone better? Suffice to say this is going to come up again when Domingo talks about majoring in business, and yet again with Tuco.

Final note on the classroom scene, Walt blurting out knowledge is power is a funny little whimper to tack onto his floundering, but its also emblematic of how he attempts to hold onto control of his reality. I think its notable Walt's dialogue becomes more jargon heavy when he's stressed, not less.

No natural transition in or out of this so I'm just going to reproduce this line from Jesse's website in its entirety. "Ethnicity: I'm totally cool with ethnics-Black, Mexican, whatever...as long as you're SMOKIN' HOT, YO!" 0_0. I guess. earmark race as a commodity and move on.

Despite the inherent goofiness of the scene where Walt recaptures Domingo I think its important to remember what a horror show this is from Domingo's perspective. Nearly died in a chemical attack, woke up next to the body of his cousin, dragged himself out, only to be recaptured and locked in a basement for days, barely able to breath the whole time. On some level Walt seems cognizant of that, and it only becomes more apparent the longer he spends with him. Domingo may be a drug dealer who will bring down vengeance on them if he gets away...but he also likes the crusts off his sandwich and asks after his cousin. Again, Walt can't cope with the duality. It doesn't match his image of what a criminal should be.

Enough so that he does exactly what he told Jesse not to do last episode and smokes up. Granted, he uses weed, not meth, but to a post war on drugs America this was pretty similar severity. Walt wastes a good chunk of Jesse's weed attempting to roll the WORST joint I've seen in my life, flaunts his partaking in Skyler's face as a sign of his independence, and then sneers and scowls at Jesse for indulging to cope with melting a childhood friend into meaty chunks. After all, Walt's not a junkie. Walt can be trusted to keep his head even if he loosens up from time to time. Jesse, on the other hand, has an unmanly dependence, and needs to grow up. After all, this kind of thing should be routine for him, right. He's a Criminal.

Walt has a habit of setting Jesse up to fail and then scolding him for it. When Jesse's uncertain if plastic can stand up to acid, Walt refuses to explain. Just barks at him later for not following instructions unthinkingly. When Walt expresses doubt, Jesse attempts empathy, attempts to come up with a paradigm where Walt can make himself ok witih it. I struggle to call it a MORAL impulse but its definitely a kind one.

Skyler asks Walt about Jesse at the doctor's office, a place he where he can't leave and also can't sex her quiet. She's learning to anticipate his resistance to openness. She also frames the information as transactional, "don't you think you OWE me this", in a way I can't help but see in connection to the baby. I'm your homemaker ergo you owe me honesty. Walt responds with a veiled threat. "I love you, and that won't change, so back off". To his mind the only thing his family should concern themselves with is his emotional state. Anything beyond that is outside their purview.

Nice wet meat effect.

[kidgetrash]

Oh wow, somehow I totally kissed that! Some stuff I agreed with, some stuff I didn't, but I enjoyed every bit of reading it regardless! Ok... most common argument and who says I love you first?

Most Common Argument?

Between these two, the crew often don't know if they're actually having an argument or just sassing one another! They will argue the pros and cons of sweet vs salty popcorn as passionately as if it were life or death. Pidge will tell Keith he's crazy for thinking the sequel is better than the first movie, which will lead them to loudly debate every single plot point that outweighs the other. But they love it!

'You're doing it wrong.'

'No, YOU'RE doing it wrong.'

'That doesn't even make any sense, I'm not the one doing it.'

'Which is why YOU'RE doing it wrong!'

But as for big arguments, boy howdy, do these two go off! And for both of them it's the safety of the other. Even if it wasn't their fault, even if it was Keith doing some risky manoeuvre, even if it was Pidge not paying attention and nearly tripping, YOU MUST BE MORE CAREFUL! WHAT WOULD I DO IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO YOU? It takes some time before they both realise they're worried about the exact same thing. But that doesn't stop them. They get so angry, so fired up, honestly the team didn't know Pidge had it in her to get angry enough to go toe to toe with Keith in the raging stakes. Their fights can last for days, the whole crew walking on eggshells as they slam cabinets, ignoring one another, snapping the head of whoever dares talk to them.

But eventually they miss one another, the one who started the argument apologising. Keith will meander sheepishly into Pidge's office/lab and make his way through the layers of burning steam she was putting off at his presence. He'd just stop beside her and rub the back of his neck.

'So, I might have overreacted, and I'm sorry.'

'Might have?'

'Definitely. I'm just...I don't want anything to happen to you. I'm scared I might lose you.'

She turns in her seat and looks up at him, finally worry showing through instead of anger.

'Stupid emo.' She gets up and wraps him in a tight hug. 'With you there to save me, what could ever happen to me?'

As for Pidge, she approaches things a little differently.

'Hey!' She'll march into whatever room he is in, regardless of who he is with.

'What?' It's the first thing they've said to one another for days and he feigns absolute disinterest, because he already know where this is going.

'My room, now!' And she turns on her heels and leaves, not even bothering to check he's following.

He sighs, puts down whatever it was he was doing, and heads out of the room with an eyeroll at whoever else might be in the room, and if it's Lance he will get a; 'oooooo Keith's in trouble!'

Keith knows he is, but he really doesn't mind, because he knows when he gets to Pidge's room he's about to get absolutely dominated by his tiny girlfriend in some of the best angry sex ever.

Once it's all over, and they're lying in bed, the covers, and most of the room actually, in absolute shambles, themselves a tangle of arms and legs, that she will look up at him with her bottom lip trembling.

'You know I only got mad because you were stupid, right?'

'I know.' He kisses her forehead tenderly. 'And it was warranted.'

'But still, I didn't have to get that mad. I didn't have to yell at you as much as I did.'

'I think I probably deserved it. Maybe not the spanner you threw at me, but the yelling, sure.' He smiled at her and that was her undoing.

Tears welled up in her eyes and she pressed her lips together to try and quell them but couldn't. And when she spoke her voice was so choked up it broke his heart. 'It's just, when I thought I lost Dad and Matt, I felt so empty, like my whole world shattered. I can't bear the thought of losing you like I thought I lost them.' She gave in to her tears then, Keith holding her close and shushing her.

When she finally calms, he rolls onto his side, putting her on her back beside him. He strokes her cheek, kisses her tears away, and gives her the most sincere look.

'We don't live normal lives, there's always going to be danger, and I will always put myself in positions you don't want me to,' she opened her mouth to argue but he pressed his finger to her lips, 'but it's only because I would give my life for you. To keep you safe I would give up everything I have. I would literally die for you.'

She pushed away his finger. 'But, I don't want you to die for me. Can't you fight and live for me instead?'

Keith physically started at that. He hadn't actually realised that that was an option. He figured sacrifice was all about giving up your life but, it dawned on him, that there were other kinds of sacrifice. Like giving up what you thought was a given and changing your ways.

'You know?' He leaned down and kissed her softly. 'That actually seems like a much better idea.'

Who Says I Love You First?

Surprisingly, it's Keith! It just kind of...slipped out! They were just sitting on Pidge's bed, curled up watching a movie, and she turned and kissed him softly with no prompting. It completely threw him for a loop. He thought they were just watching the movie when suddenly she has his brain fritzing and his stomach flip flopping, his heart is racing, and it was just a kiss! She gave a simple little hum when they parted, planning on going back to the movie, having got her fix, but he caught her cheek with his palm, keeping her facing him. He studied her in a way that had her giving him a look of amused curiosity.

'What?' She whispered, their closeness guaranteeing he would hear her.

'I love you.' He just stated it out of thin air, his words almost as much a surprise to him as it was to her.

Her cheeks flushed, and she blinked rapidly. It was her turn for her brain to short out. 'Wow. I mean, yeah!' She shook herself mentally. 'I love you too!'

She all but threw herself at him, knocking him onto his back as she hugged him tightly. He couldn't help the grin that slid onto his face. He hadn't meant to confess, not now, he had figured he would do so in some romantic setting, but that was when he realised it didn't really matter where they were, so long as they were together it was the most perfect place in the world.

I wrote this at 7am after a shockingly bad night and the pain meds aren't taking the edge off! I hope I didn't make too many mistakes and that you like it!

All the ship memes are done now (or waiting to be done!) but if you have any other ideas/questions that you want me to have a go at, hit me up!

[kob131]

Have you ever experienced true horror at your job? Well, I just did this week. One of the coworkers I worked on the corn-testing trailer with took so much offense to me coughing from corn dust and accidentally getting in his way that he called me a “mother****er” while talking on his cell phone about me, and combined with the fact that he’s twice my size, I felt genuine fear for my safety, and shook like a leaf when I had to work with him. Thankfully, my contract was ended early due to redundancy (we’re only taking corn from self-testing facilities for the rest of the year), otherwise I was going to quit on Monday after my boss got back from vacation. I guess you can say I got Roosterteeth’d this week. At least management actually took care of it, and I was legitimately laid off for redundancy, not as a punishment for speaking out.

Hm. No I have not. My job isn't really one where there's any real danger (I'm a janitor). And my reaction to someone calling me a 'motherfucker' would be either an eyeroll or turning around and standing in their face, daring them to say it again.

An unforunate fact is that this kind of firing is necessary for most businesses- they can't afford redundancy.

But I would like to talk about that bit withe the swearing guy. And I do hope you understand that I don't mean to be dismissive or anything:

Unless the person has a history of violent actions, you should try to remind yourself that you're not in danger.

For perspective and to be fair, I don't know if I could understand your situation fully. I'm a 5'8" fat guy with somewhat broad shoulders. If my family and co-workers are to be believed, I'm stronger than I look. Assuming that you're a smaller girl, I doubt that I can fully understand your perspective because of our difference.

But I can somewhat guess- Big guy can easily hurt you and men are on average more violent than women. It's...an unfortunate side effect of the necessary differences between men and women from our primal days. I can understand the general feeling of unease.

I can also guess that the guy in question isn't a danger as far as I know. Again, heavy guy with somewhat broad shoulders and a beard- people would probably guess that I'm a danger if they had to say and didn't know me. I also swear a lot as well. And from this perspective, I can say that the swearing probably didn't mean anything. Cussing is just an expression of anger, not ill intent with a lot of guys.

I know this might sound ignorant and excusing towards the guy if he is dangerous or has a history, along with other things I just can't understand due to my personal experiences being that different. But as someone who deals with intense emotions and stress- you do need to get that under control or else it will hurt you. If not mentally then physically because stress DOES hurt you.

Sorry, I really feel uneasy and uncertain here.

[thursdaygrl]

     it feels almost impossible not to cry, lottie's pretty sure she's embarrassingly teetering over the edge in the most embarrassing fashion as she looks back at him. it can't really be helped, not after all the time apart, not after the last time they saw each other. she doesn't want to be cliche and exclaim that it's a christmas miracle, but if the shoe fits... the sight of wes on her favourite holiday is the best gift she's ever received.

     he couldn't wait to see her. he pulled strings. this is the wes that makes her stomach somersault and her heart thump wildly in her ribcage, declarations of love fighting against the logical part of her brain to be let out. thankfully, his hands are on her cheeks and pulling her in, effectively shutting off the chance. she can pour it into her kiss, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck as she brushes her nose against his, tilting her head to deepen it a little bit. when they pull back, she's still too eager, pressing a quick peck to his cheek before he speaks as bright, excited eyes trace his expression, as if she's making sure he's real. charlotte grins at his words, head tipping to one side. "mm, i think i might have an idea." she laughs and there's some freedom to it, the loneliness she'd been contemplating on melting away. it still doesn't quite feel real, having wes there in her childhood home. it's not quite like having him in the townhouse, though those moments were just as special. this place is more real, more home than anywhere else she's kissed wes. it feels like it's sealing something, a stamp of authenticity on their romance which has been so up and down. lottie eases back a little bit, jokingly posing in her dorky christmas pyjamas as he admires them. "what? embarrassingly festive?" she jokes, but considering all the things he's told her, she's a little sadder at the idea that wes hasn't at least had some sort of lavish, warm christmas his entire life. it seems cold is more what he's used to.

    he's inspecting her nails one second, where she's tried to draw little bows like she saw on a tiktok nail art video with slightly less success. it doesn't matter anyway, since she'll clean them off before she goes back to film. lottie's pretty sure that no matter how far her career takes her, she'll remain forever invested in giving in to whatever embarrassingly earnest traditions her family has instilled in her. that includes going overboard for the holidays in the most wholesome ways possible. "mm?" she prompts him quietly, her fingers curving over his so that she can gently rub the back of his larger hand with her thumb again. she caresses gently, her breathing stilling for a second as he mentions her parents. she doesn't respond at first, because if wes is about to ask her to not tell her parents anything when he's just showed up unannounced at her house for christmas, he might be asking too much this time. what he does say instead surprises her and it shows in the way her brows lift for a moment and she blinks, lips parting as she looks away. the smile on her lips is telling, even if she's trying to play coy right now. "yeah, i mean, i haven't told them everything, but they're definitely not stupid. i think they have an idea. i'd love to be able to tell them, at least the simple version, that there's... something between us."

     using the word simple when talking about their relationship is kind of laughable, but charlotte isn't interested in overcomplicating the conversation. she meets hie eyes with a confidence she feels like she hasn't had in a while. the mention of autumn prompts an eyeroll, though she knows it's a necessary thing to mention. "i think they'll understand it. and they know how to keep their mouths shut, it won't be some like, sharing gossip at the nail salon thing. they aren't like that. not that you seem worried." it's a point for him, that's why she points it out. lottie squeezes his hand back and then beams at him, one of her biggest smiles yet. to hear him so vulnerable, the intimidating, talented wes nichols timidly asking if her parents will like him. it's kind of funny. early days of little boxes charlotte would be very, very confused. "i think they'll love you." her free hand lifts, cupping his cheek so she can offer him a peck. "who wouldn't?" she teases.

     "i better set this place for you at the table, though. we're eating soon, then we watch cheesy christmas movies... and then we do one gift at midnight." immediately lottie recalled something, trying to keep her face entirely neutral as she slips from his grasp. immediately she's heading over to the cupboard to get him one of their fancy christmas plates, cutlery and a glass to make his spot at the table. there's a spare gold placemat since they always come in sets of four anyway, so she's thankful for that as she sets them down on the table. it doesn't take long, though she decides to hover back towards wes. "i'll check the food!" she drags him back to the kitchen, practically making him follow her around like a lost puppy. at this point, being apart for more than a minute feels like torture. "do you want some of this wine? it kind of sucks, but we might need the help finishing it?" she asks, indicating to the bottle before she goes to lean down in front of the oven, noticing that the roasted chicken and vegetables look perfect and ready to come out. "five minutes, i think! we'll set up!"

     she drifts back to him, taking a small sip of her wine and making a face before her attention shifts entirely. "i still think you need something warmer." lottie decides, tightening her grip on his hand as she leads him back out, past the back of the couch towards her parents room. once inside she drops his hand and begins to search for a grey sweatshirt she likes stealing that's far too big for her anyway. as she secures it and marches it over to him, she pauses, realising that she's kind of focusing on everything but him because she's not quite sure what to do with herself. "is this weird? am i being a lot?" she asks, eyes widening. they have to go back out and put all the food out on the table, but she supposes needing a second to come to terms with his sudden presence is fair enough. "i've just... i've missed you a lot. like an unbearable amount and i feel like if i stop it's just going to be a lot of tears and clinging to you like, way more than i am right now." / @violetleaves