#(and if i'm remembering right there are instances of her friends telling her it's okay to focus on herself. but maybe I'm fabricating that)

[lheslie]

Mark Grayson X Otherworldy Reader

Imagine being a fan of Invincible, you're not only a fan, but you're also an artist who draws Invincible.

Okay, so you are a fan, Imagine meeting Mark and his Variants, who wouldn't want that right?

So- now hear me out.

You were getting ready for bed, you wore your favorite Invincible T-shirt before getting to bed, which had all of the Variants in it from the Invincible War panel, you lay down in bed, opening your favorite app where you read your favorite Invincible Fanfics of your favorite character. At the same time, you drifted off to sleep, but before you slept, you wished to meet the Invincible Variants in person.

Your wish came true, you don't know who did it but it came true.

---

You appeared in front of Mark's house, knocking on his door, you barged into his house the moment he opened it, and  hoped that he was alone without his parents.

"You alone?" You quickly asked while he looked confused as to why a stranger suddenly barged into his place wearing an Invincible shirt.

"Sit down, I have a lot of shit to say, so buckle up." You told him as he sat on the sofa in his living room.

"So you're from another world? Where do we exist as a TV Show [TITLE CARD]?" He asks as you nod in response, showing him your shirt, and phone, showing him the panels of the Invincible Comic.

"So have you gained your powers yet or nah?" You asked him.

"Yes, I gained it a few days ago." He replied, "Sweet now, I don't know how long I'll be stuck in this world, but you've GOT to take me flying please." You begged him.

"What do I have to gain in exchange?" He asks you. "With me, you'll be able to save millions of lives in the future and prevent calamities that would happen to you." You smirked.

"That sounds like a good Deal, and your name is?" Mark offered his hand to shake yours as you grabbed it. "Y/N." You replied, jumping up and down celebrating this awesome deal.

"How did you even find my house?" He asked.

"I spawned literally in front of it and saw your face." You replied.

"Also, I have nowhere to live, can I live with you guys? Also, don't tell your parents that I'm from another world, please, that would cause TREMENDOUS DISASTER," you groaned, thinking about it.

"What disaster?" He tried to ask.

"Better not knowing right now, TRUST ME. Although you WOULD hate me if I don't tell you, but trust me, I've thought of ways, trying to come up with solutions, but there are instances that we should not change in this story." You explained.

"So I'm just supposed to trust you blindly?" He points out

"Well it is your choice, I did tell you things that only you would know as proof." You sighed looking through the episodes inside your phone.

Mark did not want to trust you but he decided to trust you for the time being.

"Okay, you can stay here, but if you do anything that will hurt anyone or my family, I will kick you out." Mark added a clause to your deal.

"Cool, I'll do that then, plus ya'll are my favorite characters I'd rather die than let anything happen to you guys." You smiled. "Come on take me out flying with you!" You squealed in excitement trying to pull Mark up.

He took you out flying, as you two went up a tall building. "Let's take a selfie." You look at Mark as you open your phone, taking a selfie with him.

"This is my dream that came true." You smiled at him as he awkwardly smiled back.

The two of you got home, as Debbie was already there, so you and Mark had to sneak in through his window.

"You have to change your shirt." Mark points out, handing you one of his shirts.

"Thanks!" You said grabbing it, getting inside his bathroom to change.

"Is anyone here?" Debbie asks, "Uh, a friend came over?" Mark awkwardly smiles at his mother.

"Hi, Mrs. Grayson, I'm Y/N." You rushed over to greet her, shaking your hand.

"They'll be staying for some time is that okay?" Mark asks his mother.

"I'm okay with it, but remember to ask your father too, don't do anything bad okay?" Debbie replies, closing the door.

Mark nods to his mom, and he turns to look at you touching his stuff. "Lotion and Tissue, huh?" You look at him smiling and giggling, he rushed over and threw the lotion and tissue into the trash, as you walked over to his bed, lying down on it.

"I can't believe it, I'm actually in your room!" You laughed. "You have no idea how many people would kill me for this chance of being alone in a room with you."

"A lot of people liked me in your world?" He asked picking his clothes from the floor and throwing them in the laundry basket. "Yes, even though you never clean your room." You laughed at him as he also started to pick up the trash and properly dispose of it in the trash can.

"I-I clean my room!" He yelled in defense. "Pssh you only cleaned it when Amber came over." You pointed out.

"Amber? Like Amber Bennett from my school? She came over to my house?" He asked seemingly interested.

"Yup, she did, and you made her wait inside your room for an hour while you went to do hero work." You said

"Awe man, I could never." He pouts. "You did," you told him as you showed him the TV scenes

He groaned, "Will I ever end up with someone then?" He asks you. "Can't tell you that." You giggled.

"Spoilers." You added, "Can we take more pictures? You're my favorite character! Come on!" You yelled.

"I-I'm your favorite character?" He looks at you. "Yes! You're my favorite, you have no idea how much I like you." You tell him face to face.

"Wow, I never met someone so bold before." He chuckles flustered. "Well who knows what time I'd get taken away from you, so I'm spending every minute I can with you." You smiled at him as you sat up.

"Can I hug you?" You kindly opened your arms for him, as he slowly approached to hug you, and when he did, you hugged him tightly, not wanting to let him go.

"It's weird that you're letting a stranger do this to you." You tell him.

"Well you are my fan, my first fan that I have met? I don't want to disappoint." He chuckles again.

"I love you." You look at him. "I love you so muchhhh ahhhhhhh." You back-popped down onto his bed.

He was flushed, astonished, and shocked at what you had said.

"W-what?" He asked.

"Don't make me repeat what I just said, you'd make me go insane." You pout as you throw him his own pillow.

More headcanons:

- he kindly lends you his clothes, but he'll take you out shopping tomorrow.

- You have to help him clean his room.

- he loves hearing you praise him.

- he wants to know more about how many people like him.

- You showed him your shrine of him, and he was stunned in one place.

"You have action figures of me?" He looks at your phone. "Yup." You replied. "How much did it cost?" He asked.

"You don't want to know." You looked away.

- he gets curious as to why you liked him so much.

- he asks a lot about you too.

- he loves your Invincible T-shirt

When he found out you wrote fanfiction and drawings about him.

"You wrote this?" He looks in awe reading your work.

"Okay don't read the rest." You said snatching your phone from his hand.

"Hey!! I want to know more!!" He says

"Yeah, I already showed you all of my fluff and that's it." You say.

"And you drew this?" He looks at himself.

"Mini Invincible? This is so cute!" He exclaimed looking at himself in a smaller version.

"Is this canon?" He asks.

"We wish." You sighed.

- Of course, you'll never let him see the NSFW parts because you were NOT THAT INSANE.

- he gets flustered and uncomfortable whenever you get a bit flirty with him. You immediately noticed this and apologized and made sure to ask for his boundaries.

"You noticed?" He asked. "Of course I did, I am not stupid, I don't want to hurt the man that I love, so tell me if I'm going too far I'll immediately stop." You sternly said.

- You did stop, but he kinda missed it, he also loves it when you respect his boundaries.

- he loves it whenever you notice the small things that he does, and it boosts his confidence.

- he loves taking you out flying with him as he showed you his world.

- will be sad if you suddenly return home.

"So you're telling me, you don't know what brought you here?" He asked. Looking at you. "Nope I don't, that's why I'm trying to savour every second I have with you." You sighed, smiling at him.

- This made him spend more time with you, taking you out to arcades and sightseeing, comparing both of your worlds.

- he takes you out because you're his No.1 fan, not totally because he started falling in love with you.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for how I reacted after I discovered my ex has herpes?

So I initially was quite sure that I was not the asshole in this situation, but my friend group, who are usually pretty level-headed, seem to be split about it. Thought I'd get some impartial opinions, because if I'm in the wrong, I want to try to make it better.

I (mid 20s, F) recently ran into my ex (mid 20s, F). Over the course of the conversation, she mentioned that she had a flare-up of cold sores. For those who don't know, cold sores are a symptom of HSV-1, or herpes. I asked if she was okay and how long she's been having them. Turns out she was diagnosed with herpes 10 years ago, and she knew she had it but didn't share that with me. Which means I was exposed during the 8 months we were together.

I asked her if she'd had any flare-ups while we were together. She said yes but that she'd taken precautions so it was fine. The thing is, I'm immunocompromised and also have eczema, which means that if I get herpes, it might be quite dangerous for me (encephalitis and eczema herpeticum, for instance).

I shared this with her and asked her if she could remember the specific dates of flare-ups when we were together and if she knew where I could get blood work done (I moved abroad a year ago and don't really know how that works here). She knew about my health conditions before we started dating.

She became upset and said that I was distressing her and accusing her of not caring about my health and trying to pass it to me on purpose.

I tried to say that I was sorry if it came across that way, and that I was just trying to get as much information as possible because of my immune issues. I also tried to add that she might consider sharing her condition with future partners. She raised her voice and said that I was trying to prevent her from moving on and living a regular life.

My perspective is that it was unfair of her not to tell me beforehand so I could take proper precautions in consultation with my healthcare specialist, and that it wasn't unreasonable of me to ask her for more information and to want to get blood work done right away.

Hers is that I'm overreacting and that asking her for the information and being worried about her having herpes is taking things too far and making her out to be a bad person.

Some of my friends agree with me, but the other half think that I shouldn't have asked her anything and just have gone to get tested because I should have seen that it would be an upsetting subject for her.

I'm open to whatever you all think because if I've been unfair to her then of course I want to apologize. Thanks for reading this!

[drhedicalhalpractice]

Okay fuck I've got more to say on the subject of how Wilson thinks House feels about him instead of just tag ranting (though I'll have to repeat some of that tag ranting) because holy shit my dudes.

As a basic premise, from the very start of the show, it is very clear to us the viewer that House has this best friend who is very, very important to him. That's just never a secret – House, who actively pushes everyone away, doesn't want to interact with patients, pretends he doesn't care about people, never tries to hide that he cares about Wilson. This is both towards Wilson himself and to other people – sure, maybe he doesn't come right out and say it, but it's so very clear in so many things he does and says.

Here's some scenes (very much from memory and out of chronological order, please bear with me) that highlight this very clearly:

After Vogler gets Wilson kicked off the board and Wilson accuses House of not thinking that their friendship (or Wilson's job) matters enough to him to give that speech. House started out making light of the situation, kind of twisting it into a joke, refusing to take accountability etc. but the moment Wilson says that, he immediately sobers and just straight up admits that no, actually, they do matter ° I remember being very surprised by this because this is only in S1 and I didn't expect House to be this sincere with Wilson ° Hell, the pilot had someone asking Wilson if House cared about him and Wilson was like "I don't know", so I took that as an indicator that House doesn't show he cares. But as it turns out, this is very much a Wilson problem, not a House problem!

The "You DOSED me!" conversation. 11/10 one of the most hilarious scenes in the show, but also! House is understandably upset that his best friend is depressed and he didn't know about it, but Wilson straight up tells him to stop acting hurt because he doesn't actually care. This is wild to me because everything in the way House talks suggest that he isn't just mad because he missed a puzzle piece, he genuinely wanted Wilson to tell him about this, but Wilson didn't trust him with it

Living together in Amber's apartment post-Mayfield. Wilson thinks he can't talk to House about his grief after Amber's death and prefers to talk to her instead of talking to House. Even when House directly offers/asks him to talk to him instead, Wilson outright rejects him and tells him that talking to him doesn't make him feel better but talking to her does. ° Amber is dead, she will not reply to him, yet Wilson considers this more of a comfort than anything House would offer him. Except, House is carrying so much guilt about Amber's death, I genuinely feel like he would've made an effort to be supportive in this instance ° In fact, at the start of S5 before Wilson leaves, House even says, "I know you're not [okay], but maybe I can help." and Wilson doesn't even acknowledge it (instead just proceeds to tell him that he should have been alone on that bus, good lord)

Two instances I clearly remember where they're arguing about things House genuinely seems insecure about in their friendship: ° When Wilson moves out of Grace's place and back into a hotel because he doesn't think it's a good idea to move back in with House, House asks him if they're okay despite all of it. His expression in that scene actually takes me out because he looks so sincere and the insecurity behind it is very badly hidden ° "Does it bother you that we don't have a social contract?" The fact that House feels the need to ask this and make sure that Wilson is fine with their dynamic speaks volumes imo

Honestly the entirety of the episode Wilson (S6E10). "If you die, I'm alone." All the trying to push Wilson to grow a spine and not let Tucker take advantage of him. Sitting by his bedside both as he wakes up from surgery and then again while he's recovering from the surgery. In fairness though, Wilson doesn't outright deny that House cares about him in this one.

During the roadtrip to House's dad's funeral. "And there's the foundation of our entire friendship. If you hadn't been bored one weekend, it wouldn't even exist." – "Hey, there were 3000 people at that convention. You're the one I thought wasn't boring." imagine being told that out of 3000 people there, the man who notoriously does not care about anything that doesn't intrigue him, picked you specifically to be his friend and has been obsessed with you ever since, and somehow rewriting that into a bad thing??? The way he says the "if you hadn't been bored" part sounds accusatory and kind of bitter, when that's just how friendships get formed sometimes? Wilson, what the hell are you on

The entirety of S8 following Wilson's cancer diagnosis is basically one huge declaration of love from House. But to be fair, I think by this point, even Wilson realizes that (...mostly, even though he still somehow interprets it as a "House needs me so he doesn't want to lose me" kind of thing instead of just fucking accepting that maybe the man just loves* him and that's why he doesn't want to lose him, god) *love being used non-romantically here, even without Hilson goggles on, they just undeniably love each other, however you choose to interpret it

All of this just makes me wonder what the hell Wilson's got wrong with him that leave him so completely and utterly unable to fathom that House could possibly care about him, despite the fact that House very explicitly shows him over and over. Wilson is usually so good at reading House and figuring him out, just not when it comes to himself, apparently. Dude has some serious issues and I am so very intrigued by it <3

[somewhereincairparavel]

General Jason Grace headcanons ⚡

⚡ I feel like he's kinda sensitive. He isn't the crier type of sensitive tho but since he's super emotionally attuned to body language reading and stuff, he gets a little hurt easily, sometimes misinterpreting someone's behaviour to him, so maybe if one of his friend's start getting snappy with him because they're having a bad day, he'd actually be pretty damn upset about it, but would hide it.

⚡ Also also, this man HATES being yelled at. Sure, he's been trained harshly and stuff but he's very hard on himself too so I feel like if someone yells at him (like in an argument or something) the poor boy's whole day would be ruined.

⚡ This is also why I feel like he NEVER raises his voice harshly at anyone even if he's super super angry because he knows how much damage yelling can do.

⚡ But. He can still manage to be terrifying if he's mad. He'd have that intense icy stare directed at the person (I'm pretty sure this is canon and is pointed out by multiple characters in the books). And his voice would be steady but VERY firm and strong. Kinda like a strict dad.

⚡ Also, his eyes would get a slight shade lighter if he's super angry. Like he usually has bright electric blue eyes right? It would just turn into ice colured ones.

⚡ Okay I feel like before they all go to bed, he'd go check on everyone in the Argo ii to see if they're comfortable or if they need anything, etc. definitely an overbearing mother friend tbh. He gets this habit from camp Jupiter where he was kinda in charge for cabin rounds since he was centurion.

⚡ I hc him to have like lemony yellow hair, instead of platinum or golden blonde. It's not too light but it isn't dark either.

⚡ Why do I feel like sun tan literally never affects this guy? Like for instance, I totally hc that percy gets tanned pretty quickly, but this man's skin just wouldn't budge. Instead of his body getting tanned I feel like his hair would get a few yellow shades darker instead lol

⚡ I felt like he'd be sunburnt instead tho. There would be blotchy pink patches on his face and arms after he comes back from the beach.

⚡ He definitely LOVES his roman baths, could spend hours in that bath (honestly if u guys have seen traditional Roman baths, you'd know that they look like a spa day DREAM omg) so he would feel super disoriented when he has regular baths in chb instead and would miss Roman baths SO badly.

⚡ Like the Roman baths literally ease his muscle tension after a long day. It would be like the only part of the day in camp Jupiter that would actually feel relaxing for him.

⚡ He's such a foodie okay. Remember how he kept munching on his brownies religiously when the crew were in such a dangerous situation? ("Pass me the brownies bro") or when he loved the sweet stuff the snake people had made for them? Like food just makes him forget his duties and be a kid for once.

⚡ Which leads us to our next hc, he has such a sweet tooth! (Tho I feel like this was aluded many times in the books aswell). Like he's every dentist's nightmare tbh. He has like teeth stains which he'd deliberately try to get rid of by aggressively brushing his teeth (it does come off lol)

⚡ As opposed to what people usually assume about him. Jason is secretly such a hopeless romantic tbh. Nothing like his dad in that category. Remember how he snuck Piper out the window, led her into his secret rooftop passage simply to recreate their first kiss under the stars, since Piper was super upset about it being fake? Yeah, he hates upsetting his s/o. he's like super thoughtful and plans stuff like these days ahead so he doesn't forget :(

⚡ He's such a people pleaser even with people he barely knows, and the effect only doubles when he has a partner tbh. Like if his partner doesn't like a particular place? He won't like it either. So he needs someone to encourage him and tell him it's okay to like something the others dislike.

⚡ Which is also why I think that he'd be easier to emotionally guilt trip and manipulate. :(( somone wrap him up in a fluffy blanky pls

⚡ As opposed to canon, I feel like Jason only dislikes Camp Jupiter, not New Rome itself. He ADORES that place to shreds. I feel like instead of settling in a mortal area or something, he'd definitely stay in New Rome for long-term living (bc screw canon, him wanting to leave new Rome all together seems SO ooc to me idk) some parts of his roman self would ALWAYS be there tbh. That place was practically his home. Also, he only wants a peaceful, monster free life right? New Rome would obviously provide with all that, yk since they have a strong barrier for the city to prevent invasion.

⚡ He would have an aptitude for sculpting statues and stuff. He'd love to do it as a hobby, not like an architect or something like annabeth tho. He made such cool dioramas for his shrine ideas, so I feel like he just pours his heart and soul into making cool sculptures.

⚡ He would totally study in law school. His dad's legit the god of justice, he's a great speaker, can hold debates calmly, can canonically hear both sides of an argument before coming to a decision, seems very lawyer coded.

⚡ But he'd also be a good history professor. Have yall heard his yapping? Leo called him professor Grace for how much dedication he goes into explaining roman history. And he genuinely LOVES it. A very passionate teacher material to me.

⚡ Also, all he wants is for his partner to listen to him talk :( he has SO much to say but he feels like no one listens, so hed literally cry if someone takes interest in his long explanations (kind of like annabeth in this tbh)

⚡ Also, Octavian can NEVER argue with Jason because that man is just THAT good at smart and witty answers that even octavian saw him as a threat.

[backtraf]

5 times the Drifter felt love through the little things, and 1 time he gave back:

The first time, Cassian had been staring off, his mind going back to Duviri. Reliving each instance of yourself getting stabbed through the chest, only for a former friend to reset it all so it can happen again was a hell of a drug. He supposed that this is what that PTSD thing was that Arthur had mentioned.

He couldn't help it. Especially when each of your emotions could trigger your mind to go back again.

It was all coming to a head, about to trigger a panic attack, when an arm was suddenly around his shoulders. He stiffened and almost reach out to flip the person off of himself when he heard Quincy's voice break through the noise of static in his mind.

"-better interact with everyone here. Each of them have different way you need to approach them. I could help you out, but it would cost you a favor."

"Wha...?" Cassian blinked and looked at him. He knows he missed a big part of what Quincy had said, but he was too busy now panicking another thing. He was being touched, and he didn't know how to handle it. He just stared at the hand laying on his shoulder.

"Yo, are you alright?"

"I uh.... sorry... what was it that you said?" Cassian forced himself to look at Quincy and tried hard to ignore the weight across his shoulders.

Quincy gave a snort of amusement and shook his head. "You gotta lot to learn here, space trauma."

---

The second time, Cassian had been walking through the mall when he heard Aoi call out, waving to him. He smiled and waved back, expecting her to stop in front of him and ask him a question. But she didn't stop. She barreled right in to him and wrapped her arms around his chest. He froze, almost expecting her to send them sprawling in a tackle, but she held her ground. His arms hovered in the air, useless.

After a moment, she peeked up at him with a curious gaze and an amused smile.

"What you don't know how to hug in the future?"

"Uh..." was all he could say. Some distant memory involving his parents came to his mind. Had they hugged him? He knew what a hug was, sure, but it was still a very foreign concept. When was the last time he had been hugged? He didn't know.

Aoi's smile disappeared and she pulled away slightly. "You don't have hugs in the future?"

"No! No we do, I just... I've been alone for centuries. I guess my parents probably would have hugged me, but I don't remember."

"Oh my gosh! That is so sad!" She pulled him back into a hug. "You just need to put your arms around me like I'm doing to you, okay?"

So he did. Hesitantly. He was still very unsure about all this, but when he returned the hug, warmth filled his chest, and he felt tears spring into his eyes. Was this what being touched starved was?

---

The third time, he had been careless. He stupidly got out of his warframe when it was slightly too bulky for the thing he was trying to do. He was much more lithe and thought it would be better to slip through and grab what he needed really quick and get right back into the warframe. He slipped under the rubble and got up only to come face to face with a scaldra unit. She wielded two small sythes and yelled out when she spotted him.

It was a flurry of blades slashing through the air at him, and he tried to duck and dodge, but she caught him in his lower abdomen before he was able to shoot her. He gasped out in pain and brought his hand up to cover the wound. Somehow, he managed to transfer back into his warframe and stumble back to the mall.

Cassian managed through a strained smile to tell everyone he was okay only for Lettie to tell him to sit down and shut up. He did as he was told, clamping his mouth shut as she got to work stitching up his wound. He was pretty sure he couldn't die at this point, but he would still have to patch himself up. A traitorous part of his mind told him he should be refusing her help. This was his fault and his problem. But he wasn't alone anymore, and it felt nice to have someone else help. Was this what it was like to have someone take care of you?

---

The fourth time, Eleanor had been crying. It was affecting everyone around them, the waves of sadness. Arthur had tried to approach her, but was sent away. It's hard to talk to someone about things when she could already see what they were thinking. She felt judged and she hated it.

So Cassian tried. Being void touched, he was one she couldn't read.

She let everything come out, and he listened. She talked about her parents, about how overbearing Arthur was, about her dead fiance. She was just so tired of it all.

Cassian let her speak her mind and not once did she have to feel judged.

Was this what being a shoulder to cry on was like?

---

The fifth time Amir had surprised him while he had been cleaning his weapons. As usual, he began talking a mile a minute about everything and nothing. It took all of Cassian's concentration to even partially understand what Amir was chatting about.

After a bit, Amir kind of tapered off, and Cassian frowned.

"I hope I'm not being rude when I say this, but why come to me and talk about this? You know the people in the Hex more than me."

"Oh! Uh, Icanleaveifyouwant... Ijustlikeyour... company..."

"Amir, it's okay. I don't want you to leave, I just didn't know why you'd care to talk about stuff with me..."

"Because I think you're cool!" Amir shouted with a smile.

Was this what having a friend is like?

---

Plus 1:

Cassian blinked his eyes open and looked at the ceiling of the backroom, sleep still clinging to his mind. Beside him, Arthur stirred and shifted. Cassian looked to the clock and saw that it was nearly 6am.

Arthur would be getting up soon to get the day started.

As if on queue, the ex-soldier groaned and began to push himself up to get out of the bed. Making a split second decision, Cassian wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him flush against his chest, spooning him.

Arthur made an undignified noise as he fell back into his boyfriend's arms. "Cass, I need to get up."

"But it's too early."

Arthur sighed and looked back over his shoulder at him. "You are nearly consistently awake earlier than I am."

"Perhaps, but I want to be lazy... just for a bit longer."

"You are insufferable," Arthur said with a huffed and settling back into the bed. He could spend a bit more time in bed.

Was this what being loved was like?

[chaosgremlinmunson]

For @steddie-week July 3: mutual pining

Robin was going crazy, she was going certifiably insane, and she needed her best friend to kindly pull his head out of the proverbial sand and get it the heck together already. She'd been watching over the weeks and months since Eddie's recovery. She had witnessed the drug induced flirting from one high out of his gourd Eddie Munson and the subsequent flustered blush on her platonic soulmate's face who insisted he was just like that with everyone. She'd wanted to bang her head against the sterile white walls during that conversation, because firstly, no the fuck he wasn't. Eddie teased, of course, but to look at Steve Harrington and his drug added mind to supply “Guardian angel, ethereal beauty, my heartbeat, the sun in my sky, moon and stars envy your beauty, love, baby, sweetheart” no, these words were those of a love-struck man. She noticed how Eddie almost shrunk into himself when he saw them again, no longer high, but a fear set in his eyes as though he remembered the sugar sweet words he'd spoken to Steve. She noticed how Steve approached slowly, talking as though nothing happened just telling Eddie how happy he was he was still here. Still alive, still breathing.

She watched as Steve made himself available to always be there, helping Eddie to and from appointments, helping him with home exercises, being in his space and making sure he never went without.

She watched as they both fell ever deeper everyday together, further and further while believing the other couldn't possibly feel the same.

She was here now witnessing just one more instance of this absolutely convoluted mutual pining. Robin sighed and stood up. Both men looking up at her with surprise, she bit her lip for a moment, sighed again, gestured between them, and simply raised an eyebrow.

When neither seemed to respond, she huffed a breath and then started, “Alright. Enough of this. We all know I'm queer, okay? Everyone knows now and accepts me, you both cheerlead me constantly. Eddie,” she turned her eyes to him, “we know there had been rumors, I won't put you or assume anything, but my heart tells me you like Steve, maybe even love him. And Dingus,” she turned back to him, “I know the different expressions you have. There's something you're thinking or feeling for Eddie and I need you, for the love of God, to please tell him already.” She finished and looked back and forth between them again, nodded her head once and walked out the front door of the new Munson residence.

By nightfall her phone was ringing, she picked it up after a moment to hear Stevie on the other end, “Bobbin, thank you. I don't know how to tell you how thankful I am, we talked for hours and, Robbie-bird, he's my boyfriend now!”

“I'm happy for you Dingus. I love you, and I needed to see you both happy. I'm glad I was right, now get some rest and the three of us can go grab lunch tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay Bobby, love you too, goodnight.” He whispered back a smile evident in his voice.

Robin could dance. She was so happy for her friends, now to conquer her own pining heart and speak to Vicky.

[bisupergirl]

what would you say were the most in-character cwsg kara moments? (also, do you think it was any more faithful before it moved to the cw?)

prefacing this by saying that I hardly remember like 90% of anything that happened in that show (and what I do remember is mainly from seasons 1 and 4), but off the top of my head here are some in-character (imo) cbs/cw!kara moments:

i've talked about this one a couple times, but that scene from the very first episode where Kara angrily confronts Cat after she names her SuperGIRL has a really great start:

Kara: "Supergirl"? We can't name her that! [...] It's just, uh... I don't want to minimize the importance of this. A female superhero. Shouldn't she be called "Superwoman"? [...] If we call her "Supergirl", something less than what she is, doesn't that make us guilty of being anti-feminist?

because she's right! she's literally right. and yelling at her boss (and other figures of authority) because they've done something that she strongly morally disagrees with is something that comic!Kara loves doing. this scene started out so nicely but immediately fizzles out once Kara backs down when Cat goes on her dumb "what's wrong with being a girl? i'm a girl!" speech and has to be bailed out by Jimmy so she doesn't get fired. comic!Kara would've kept the energy throughout the entire argument and either quit or gotten fired right there. and she would've told Cat to drop dead (her favorite thing to tell her bosses).

another moment I really liked is from 1x06 when she's venting to Jimmy:

Kara: Growing up on Earth, I never felt normal. And I always thought that if I started to use my powers, my life would make sense. But I'm realizing that... being myself doesn't make me feel more normal. And it never will. Because my normal life ended the second my parents put me on that ship. And that makes me so mad.

yep, that's Kara alright ! it really is so fundamental to Kara's character that she can never really be "normal" again. she can begin a new (and fulfilling!) life, but the version of her that lived on Krypton—the girl who got into trouble with her friends, who loved learning about her peoples history, who bounced her baby cousin on her knee, who shared her passions of art and science with her father and mother—is gone! she can carve out a new version of "normal" for herself on Earth, but that girl who woke up everyday and lived on Krypton is gone—and that haunts her!

and of course you have the classic and much beloved scene from 1x08 where Kara screams at her mother's hologram when she finds out Alura used her to draw her aunt Astra out of hiding and arrest her:

Kara: Could she have saved us? Alura: She was a criminal. Kara: But was she right? Alura: I am not programmed to give you that information. Kara: Tell me! [...] You let everyone that I love die! You left me! You left me alone! You sent me away! How could you do that?

and then this exchange between her and Alex:

Kara: She lied to me. Alex: Kara, that wasn't your mom. You don't know what happened then. Only what Astra is telling you now. Kara: I know that Astra and I were both given life sentences by my mother. We didn't have a choice.

Kara having a complex relationship with her mother and overall feeling deeply alone and abandoned by her parents is so important to me and very important to her character. this scene really fits in perfectly with that post I made a while ago that compiles the different instances across continuities where Kara admits to wishing she had stayed on Argo City instead of being sent to Earth alone. she's really the loneliest and most tragic character in the world !

okay and one last scene (well. multiple scenes) from season 1 that I really enjoy is from 1x16 where Kara gets infected by red kryptonite. I truly believe that the first 10-ish minutes after Kara gets infected is the closest cbs/cw supergirl ever got to capturing pre-crisis Kara's energy:

Cat: Oh, and look at that. A reward. Somebody gifted me tickets for Club Apocalypse for Friday night to see a Scandinavian DJ whose name I won't even try to pronounce. Kara: Thank you. I'll put them to good use. Siobhan: Do you even know how to dance? Kara: Don't be jealous. Or do, I don't really care.

K'hund: Your mother— Kara: Sentenced you to Fort Rozz, blah, blah, ruined your life, I've heard the story. You wanna fight about it?

Kara: Hi, Siobhan! Siobhan: What do you want? Stalker. Kara: Messenger downstairs wants you to sign for Ms. Grant's flowers. Siobhan: Okay, you do it. Kara: Well I would but Ms. Grant needs me to proof a column for her ASAP. I'm sure one day she'll give you more editorial responsibilities too.

Kara [to Siobhan after she gets fired]: Well, I guess that's your exit. [...] Well, that was awkward. But not surprising, though. She was a bad seed, it was only a matter of time.

the Kara / Siobhan catco scenes in particular really remind me of pre-crisis Linda Danvers / Nasty Luthor and the workplace feud that they had back in adventure comics. one of the biggest failings of cbs/cw Kara is that she's not enough of a dick. comic!Kara can be an asshole sometimes! she's catty! she's not above having a stupid feud with a coworker that she hates! she can be somewhat of a dick and also be kind and compassionate, they're not mutually exclusive.

moving on! (and skipping anything from seasons 2 and 3 because it's been literal years since I watched them) fast forward to season 4, I liked the scene in 4x08 where the US President fired Kara from the DEO for not revealing her secret identity:

Kara: If I did that, sir, everyone I know, everyone I love would be at risk. President Baker: My family is with the Secret Service as we speak. You think they're not in danger? No one should be above the rest of us. We need to put country first. Kara: I'm sorry, sir. I can't give you what you want. President Baker: Then, I thank you for your service, but you're dismissed, effective immediately. I hope you'll comply. The United States does not want a war with Supergirl. Kara: Then I trust you won't start one.

FINALLY Kara gets fired from one of her jobs, it's about damn time ! but seriously Kara standing her ground in this matter, especially when the President is trying to make it look as if she's selfish and thinks she's above or better than him or anyone she protects ("MY family's with the Secret Service!! NO ONE is above the rest of us!! you're putting YOURSELF before the country!!"), is VERY comic!Kara. she knows he's full of shit and she won't be guilt tripped into doing something she's not comfortable doing, even when it's a direct order from the US President. and I especially love the "then I trust you won't start one" at the end of their conversation. get his ass.

there's definitely other moments throughout the show that give comic!Kara to me, but alas, I don't remember any. I loved anytime she was onscreen with Nia though, so take that as you will.

as for the second part of your question, I don't think the show was any more or less faithful to her comics when it switched networks. however, just in terms of Kara's personality, I think she actually somewhat improved once the show moved to the CW. I just find the overly bubbly, "adorkable", "golden retriever" type of personality they gave her in the first season to be SO grating, and I felt that she mellowed out once the network switched. as the show went on Kara matured and grew more of a spine, which is more accurate to the Kara I love from the comics.

imo the first season did a good job when it came to touching on Kara's connection to Krypton and letting her feel complex emotions about her past, but I think it's disappointing in every other aspect. they majorly declawed her and they centered Superman in a really annoying way by constantly comparing her to him and just mentioning him unnecessarily (not to mention changing Kara's character to be more like him and giving Clark HER villains (yes i'm still mad about the show's version of Reactron)). make no mistake, CW Supergirl is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but they let her be more of an established and confident hero. obviously that's just like. character development. but even so, when you compare season 1 to Kara's early career in the comics, it's just like. kind of insulting ! 15 year old, incredibly traumatized comic!Kara was doing a better job at being Supergirl than 24 year old show!Kara. just a shame!

[ultrone]

Can you describe the dynamics of jackienat?

I know it is not naty bully jackie and jackie start crying like people are characterizing it in their fic.

ofc 😁 i can write some bullet points on the way i see it

keep in mind that i haven’t had time to rewatch the show so maybe some details might be off lmaoo if there's anything i forgot to add u can lmk

i honestly don’t think they’d bully each other at all 😭 i see that more as a headcanon. i know that many people like to think that since nat is an “outcast” and jackie is the stereotypical popular blonde girl, they would pick on each other and stuff, but i disagree. although they do fit those stereotypes in terms of looks, that doesn't necessarily dictate their actions lmaoo.

on the show, you can see that most of the times that jackie was portrayed as a brat or an asshole was through shauna's perspective/narration or when she was calling everybody out for doing weird shit, like when the girls almost killed travis and then pretended that it didn't happen.

the one time i remember jackie being actually mean was when she lashed out and called nat a slut for sleeping with travis instead of getting food, which obviously was wrong because she was in fact mean, but haven’t we all lashed out at someone at some point? that doesn't mean u're a bad person 😭 this explains it more in-depth.

and in general, regardless of jackie's stubborn attitude when adjusting to the wilderness, you can see that she's a very nice person. for example, it's evident when she helped misty put on makeup and told her that she deserves to be loved, or when she gave her last piece of food to shauna cuz she was feeling sick. not only that, but most people also acknowledge that she's a nice person. for instance, when the girls were talking about excluding allie, someone said not to tell jackie about it, probably because she wouldn't be cool with doing that. the coach chose her as the team captain because she influences and motivates people. and when shauna noticed jackie's stubborn behavior after the crash and gave her the pep talk, she said, and i quote, that she “makes people feel like things are gonna be okay just by showing up, and her dumb hot awesome self" lmaoo 😭 that should be enough proof.

as for nat, i have nothing to say other than i think we can all agree with the fact that even though she puts up this strong and aloof facade, on the inside, she's very sweet and caring. despite being labeled as the "outcast" who engages in drugs, drinks, and possibly breaks the rules, it doesn't mean that she's a bully or anything of that sort. most of the times i recall her being mean or acting like an asshole were when she was defending herself because someone else had picked on her first. for instance, when tai would tease her about her addictions or when she threw the alcohol bottle at those guys who were teasing her and her friends, or during that fight with jackie, that jackie started. i know there might be other instances where she lashed out first, but i honestly don't remember right now 😭 nonetheless, i think y'all get what i'm trying to get at lmaoooo. i also don't think she'd bully anyone because she's just not that type of resentful outcasted bitch LMAOO. a proof of this is that she was always against the plan of excluding allie—and then confronted shauna about it at the bonfire when everyone started arguing 🥊🥊 my girl might be bold and blunt but she's mad chill and don't even argue with me about that 🙄

WITH THAT BEING SAID, taking all those things into account, i don't think either of them would bully the other for no reason, as they're not the type of people to go around bullying others for fun. just because nat is your stereotypical alternative rule breaker and jackie is your stereotypical hot popular girl, it's not a good enough reason to believe that they would bully each other.

NOW, let's talk about their relationship.

the initial interactions we witness between them, occurring both in the pilot and throughout the show, involve nat bringing some sense into jackie lmaoo. for instance, in the pilot, when jackie mentioned that allie's wound "might not be as bad as it looks," nat responded, "you could see her fucking bones, jackie." this highlights nat's unwillingness to indulge in jackie's optimistic—and perhaps slightly naive—outlook and shows her straightforward and blunt nature. so, right from the first episode, we start to see the contrast in their personalities.

then, the first direct interaction that we see between them is jackie telling her, "nat, i love that you don't care what anybody thinks, and you're so completely yourself." instead of viewing her as an outcast or teasing her due to her addictions like others do, jackie admires how she doesn't care about people's opinions, probably because jackie herself does care about what others think.

i don't recall seeing many (if any) deep conversations between jackie and nat that highlight their friendship more in-depth out in the wilderness. however, one thing i know for sure is that by the last episodes of the first season, jackie and nat are pretty much the only two team members not buying into lottie's beliefs. even if they did argue and have disagreements, what would have happened if nat had been present in the cabin during jackie and shauna's fight? in my opinion, nat would've definitely defended jackie. i know that there might've been some recent resentment toward jackie cuz she slept with travis the night before, but they share a similar perspective regarding not worshiping lottie, and we know about nat's blunt and outspoken nature, which contrasts with jackie's. nat would've seen jackie struggling without anyone defending her and would certainly voice her thoughts, especially when jackie confronted everyone about nearly killing travis, because nat would've agreed with her. not only that, but she could've even defended her from shauna. although it's technically none of her business, shauna was clearly coming at jackie out of jealousy, and even admitted that she slept with jeff and was pregnant with his baby. not a single person called shauna out on it, letting it slide due to their resentment toward jackie for calling them out on their weird-ass behaviour, but nat wasn't being blinded by that, because she didn't believe in that bs. i just know that nat wouldn't have let that slide. she would've shut shauna's and mari's ass in record time and left the cabin with jackie.

and nat was literally the only one who buried jackie's remains when no one else would, not even shauna, who was consumed by guilt for what happened to jackie.

if nat had intervened, jackie might probably still be alive, and we could've seen more of their friendship. perhaps they would've grown closer or formed an alliance of some sort, but i guess we'll never know 😔

[jackietaylorsghost]

i'm curious, do you know why or have and theories on why they make cloti kiss but clerith only hug/hold hands? I was thinking that clerith is more pure and their love is slowly blossoming aka slowburn which I find cute and very fitting for them but the clerith shipper in me is angry bc I would have loved to see them kiss LOL what are your thoughts?

I’ll be real with you, I don’t think either ship should have had a kiss yet and im astonished CT did and how it happened, i think its spoiled all the build up having it there when they’ve been arguing a lot and that it would have been so much more poignant after the LS sequence but now the moment is gone on a poorly framed kiss they’re never going to talk about again bcus it has no relevance to the plot. Thats why they have them agree not to talk about it. I think it’s a shame for people who have waited for 27yrs for that moment. And then after it no matter what they all have to play as Cloud has many non optional romantic moments with Aerith in ch 13 + 14. Reviews have mentioned how off and disjoined it is. I think that’s why they made sure to emphasise before the game came out that the dates were meant to be fun but don’t impact the story. But id be pissed if id waited that long for a kiss and that’s how i got it. and especially that in one route cloud looks like a dick but in another he doesn’t; that should really tell them something about the story. Why they gave them one idk, but I kinda wonder if it was getting them on the hook for p3 cus the last 2 chapters made CT fans real mad (even if they’re pretending otherwise on main, ppl have seen their discord and they’re not happy).

I think CA don’t kiss for a few reasons:

Cloud has remembered Zack, albeit incorrectly, much earlier. Through the game he has instances of jealousy towards him and that becomes more uncomfortable and confusing once he’s remembered they were friends. This has just happed before the dates and why when they get on skywheel he’s a bit awkward and won’t sit beside her! Of course that doesn’t last long; it was either nojima or nomura but one of them said in remake that cloud tries to keep distance between him and Aerith but he can’t do it 🥰🥰 but Zack definitely makes him more reluctant and unsure. Even when he reaches to take her hand it’s slow and cautious bcus he doesn’t know if it’s okay. And of course it is!

Aerith is fully aware Cloud is not himself. On his GS date she tells him she’s trying so hard to find him but in case you missed that as you did a different date, she also says it again in the sleeping forest; that cloud should focus on the real him she’s been looking for and leave Sephiroth to her. She knows there’s something up and kissing him knowing that is not something I think Aerith would do.

CA are the love that could never be ship. In the trailer for the 97 game, that was what they were described as. Part of the tragedy of clerith is that they have these budding feelings but before they have a chance to go anywhere Aerith is murdered. In the original cloud realises the depth of his feelings too late: at the end he says ‘I think I understand now’ and then expresses his desire to meet Aerith in the promised land. And all crossover material he’s in emphasises that he’s always looking for her. They are a star crossed lovers ship. And cloud is also dense and emotionally a mess; yes he likes her clearly, he shows jealousy for Zack, he goes on dates with her, he holds her hand and looks so happy to do so, but he can’t put all those feelings he has and come up with the right answer. In the church she confesses and he doesn’t quite get it and she, linking to her resolution imo (don’t fall in love with me) drops it and apologises and hugs him instead. This is all in line with the OG, that he’ll be hit with the full force of his feelings and what she meant in p3. Remember he’s just said he wants to go on more dates to create more ‘our spots’ with her. She looks happy and then sad when he says this because yay he likes her he wants to do this again, but of course she knows what he doesn’t: that they are about to run out of time.

So that is why I think they don’t kiss. I think it makes sense they didn’t! But I do think they’ll kiss in p3 for sure.

[our-aroace-experience]

I'm aromatic and that's all I've ever told people I'm probably on the ace spectrum but I've never ever once TOLD a person I was ace. I've identified myself with aro and I'm comfortable in it and my identity but every and I mean EVERY person I've known and told about me being aro will tell others and when referencing me to myself says ace. I had a friend who had many labels and I thought they'd understand that I'm aro not ace cause they used they/them and neopronouns but EVERY AND I MEAN EVERY TIME XE INTRODUCED SOMEONE TO ME They'd say I'm ace.

"oh this is dense she's ace"

"I'm actually aromatic"

"same thing".

"I know your so done hearing me talk about dating people and having crush being ace and all"

"I'm aromatic not ace and it doesn't bug me"

"Okay~"

They said "okay" in a weird way and looking back I think they were trying to make me jealous that I can't love and then didn't believe me when I said I didn't care.

This next instance made me never talk about my identity around or with them ever again.

"happy birthday!!!!!"

"I'm finally legal let's GOOOO!"(I just turned AOC)

"don't make jokes about you having sex it make me uncomfortable cuz your ace"

"I'm not ace I'm aro and you know that and you make sex jokes at me all the time and make them with others I can make sex jokes if I want"

"well I don't like it and it's the same thing. you know your just a little baby in my mind which makes it weird hearing you say that and your my best friend so I don't want to think of you with others.

I ghost xem after but reading that almost make me puke. IM, ME AM NOT ALOUD TO MAKE SEX JOKES CUZ U SEE ME AS A BABY CUZ YOU THINK IM ACE AND SEX REPULSED, FUCK YOU.

Another thing is my family, we're a very open family having no problems with pronoun or name changes or being gay the only problem is my aunt married a conservative American

My younger cousin maybe 8 at that point made a gay dating joke after my aunt said something about boys maybe to impress me since I'm 8 years older then him and I told nah that's not me I'm aromatic which means I don't like boys or girls my aunt chimed in saying "we don't need to be talking about this with HIM, he doesn't need to now this "I told her "he is the one that brought it up so he obviously knows and just like how you talk about girls dating boys I could talk about me not dating anyone it makes no difference especially when he is making innuendos. Wait have you even had sex Ed?" "No" he replied, then my oh so fun chimed in saying "he's too young for sex ed it's good he hasn't had in it." "No I'm more surprised he hasn't had sex ed it's important he should have it." "No he's too young" "remember how I was sexually assaulted when I was six and I had no clue what happened to me until I had sex Ed and was told that it was bad and to tell my parent them told my mom and got help do you want him oblivious if it happened to him" "it's different." "How?" He stopped talking and went outside I asked my cousin is he wanted to play Minecraft he said yes so we did that but a few hours later to the bathroom my aunt grabbed me and asked if I was serious about was I said about boys and girls I told her "yes I'm aromatic and don't like boys or girls or anyone like the opposite of being bi." "Are you sure maybe you just haven't met the right person"(I was kinda floored by this she would've said that if I said I like girls) "yes I'm sure I'm seventeen and have never have a crush or ever wanted to be with someone" "but what if one day you fall in love" "and what if one day aliens take over the planet it's possible but I'm not going to bother myself thinking about it." "Well I just don't want you trapping yourself in this label stopping yourself from liking someone." "I never have and probably never will like someone but if magically one day I do I won't stop myself does that sound good to you?" "Yes".

I just love negotiating my identity to keep people happy I've had that exact talk maybe 11 times now and im so done with it, I'm known for my patience explaining sexuality stuff to my older family cause I know their just curious but please stop checking in to see if I've change my sexuality like a clown fish I'm so done.

This was mostly a long rant but I just wanted it out there and to leave it on a good note my mom loves me for who I am and makes fun of my family and people who just can't get it through their head that I'm not going to ever date someone I'm her star child with no drama ✨ which I always find funny.

Love to all that have a hard time with it I love you and your valuable and valid

i’m so sorry to hear about your friends and family, you mum sounds lovely!

[bloody-wonder]

ik I'm probably the only person that still sends u asks about aftg, but did u read the new short stories? any thoughts?

thank you for the ask and sorry that it took me ages to reply! i just wanted to reread aftg before checking out the new extra chapters (for maximum impact) so i was waiting for the right mood to do the whole thing and now it finally happened. reread the og trilogy and the extra content over the last couple of weeks and i gotta say - absolutely amazing, no notes, still love this story to bits, maybe even more than before😌🥍

i liked the new chapters a lot too! so turns out i still like nora's writing, it's just that i don't care about jean & the trojans oops😬 well maybe that's gonna change after i finally read the golden raven🤷‍♀️

funny moments:

"are you and neil not getting along? - bane of my existence." hehehe😁 "my hands are full with too many idiots" yes yes andrew we all know how much you hate your friends who you've invested so much time in keeping deals with😏

"now that you're doomed to bounce off the walls all night, any plans? - chaos and mayhem." 😂😂😂 lmao the implication that betsy got andrew into musicals - i love it. there is no other explanation for how andrew knows who jean valjean is in the late 2000s, right? it's before the movie adaptation came out and there's no way andrew read the book.

"he could waste his time being angry or he could go the tried and true minyard route of infuriating everyone else around him" haha aaron's chapter starting with him smirking about how he's gonna manipulate and gaslight his brother into breaking their deal. okay machiavelli, we remember now you're a minyard too. "Hey Bee!" ksjdvkjsd he's like i'm gonna ruin this man's whole career he won't even know what hit him😂

"exy this, exy that, get a fucking hobby already. oh, but i guess he did?" if the twinyards didn't have Issues they could've bonded over hating neil's exy obsession big time. also this is peak sibling teasing over crushes in front of an audience, andrew was probably so Embarrassed🙈 "i like neil's promise ring, by the way. matching set. very cute." GO AWAY AARON🙈🙈🙈 "neil is not our family, not with the way you look at him" no come back tell me more👀

"aaron was willing to be an ass about it" and what a burden lol "he tried to punch me out. - you bring out that urge in people." 😂😂😂 "i told her you were never going to develop a personality of your own. she held out hope for you regardless. she has a thing for lost causes." siblings banter👏 siblings banter👏 siblings banter👏

"i liked him more when he wasn't speaking to me, bee" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

"neil, then? :) - tick tock, bee. goodbye." OMG they are literally ganging up on this poor man!! the worst day andrew has had since roland accidentally threw him under the bus that one time😂

"you will regret it. - says the man dating a MAFIOSO. - i'm not dating him. - LIAR😃" sjhvskvbksdj this is everything lmao. surreal that they just spent so much time discussing the danger katelyn may or may not pose to aaron considering who andrew is not-dating. love that we have this on page instance of neil being called a mafioso hehe😅 and technically it's true that one can't describe what neil and andrew have by the unassuming word 'dating' but aaron won't let semantics get in the way of MAKING FUN OF HIS BROTHER FOR HAVING A CRUSH🙌🙌🙌

emotional moments:

"coaches have no honor. your word is enough. just yours." 😭 as a big fan of "and my father comes to all of my games" i gotta say - 😭😭😭

"have to stack the deck in his favor somehow" jesus lord🥲 ik the twinyards would do anything for each other and ik the only thing andrew cared to know after being assaulted was if aaron was alright BUT this somehow feels bigger to me. maybe bc sa was nothing new for andrew but submitting this part of himself for examination by state officials was? andrew "get away from us" minyard giving these doctors this intrusive, unfair kind of power over himself bc he knows this is the only way to save aaron back rn😭

"who fears the monster that knows the taste of a whip?" this is the rawest fucking line everrr😱 andrew never fails to shakespeare. very revealing in terms of how he sees himself in his relationships - and a recurring motif too bc in the story where wymack recruits them to the team he says wymack can "loosen the chain" by letting him come off his meds during games. a chained monster who is only let loose when one of his own needs to be rescued by violence😬 i can only imagine how he felt when neil thanked him for being their defender (as opposed to others 'using' his services but being put off by the 'monstrous' parts of him) and told him he wants to see him lose control😳

"someone like you wouldn't understand the importance of hiding scars." 🥲🥲🥲 this is very sad but unfortunately now i can only think about that post i saw the other day about how andrew must have been showering wearing armbands in communal showers after away games bc otherwise everyone would know about his scars by now and then just what? went on wearing wet armbands? lol he probably brought an extra set but still - food for thought. also "andrew's smile was all ice" ?? is this a canon non medicated andrew smile before kevin changes his tattoo??? i'm gonna disregard this

"neurosurgeon, right? - ......................fuck you, andrew." it's so difficult being codependent sibling frenemies with andrew bc he will literaly help you fulfill your secret dreams and murder your abusers so you can't even be mad at him when you're playing machiavellian mind games to get him to let you date your girlfriend. like, there's no winning against this guy, he's always two steps ahead in your self-sacrificial frenemy game🥹🥰

"'i am capable of multitasking.' aaron heard what he didn't say: i blame us both." 😔😔😔 aaron pushing at andrew with the couch pillow to get him to look at him😌

thoughts:

wymack's chapter:

so when kevin makes the info about his father public wymack says it won't have any impact on his coaching which like, sure, bc in the books, seen from neil's pov, it doesn't look like kevin gets any special treatment from wymack neither before nor after the reveal. well, no sort of treatment more special than andrew & co get in any case. so it's interesting to see from wymack's pov that he indeed has a different kind of emotional investment in kevin even before he knows him to be his son - bc kevin is the son of this lowkey legendary woman who he used to love, who he was in a serious committed relationship with, who he believes did not reciprocate bc she had this kid with someone else and then broke things off with him, and who then died in tragic circumstances. so a bunch of complicated stuff, not even related to kevin being his son - bc it's not like he suspected all along, he just looks at kevin and sees kayleigh and that by itself creates an attachment different to those he has with the other foxes. i wonder if it really never had any impact on his coaching or if neil just didn't mention it.

betsy's chapter:

so betsy's chapter is devastating, right? right. it's this special brand of angst i really like when absolutely fucked up shit happens but the characters involved try to act like it's nothing by having funny banter etc to obscure the fact that everything is fucked, things changed drastically and you have no control over anything except your own surface level behavior. ig i relate to this a lot bc this was the communication style in my family and i got used to it so much i still struggle to hold a sincere conversation without diffusing each vulnerability with a joke. so that's what andrew and wymack are doing in that scene - andrew for the above reasons and wymack bc this is how they usually talk to each other and he doesn't want to offend andrew by suddenly changing it in the wake of what happened - and then there's betsy who breaks through this by asking difficult questions directly, plainly stating that things that happened to andrew are fucked up, putting her compassion into words and basically firmly urging him to process. i didn't like that😂

lmao i mean on a personal level, not like on a narrative level. ik this is her job as his therapist and ik this is what andrew probably needed to hear despite his manic jester facade but ngl i preferred when neil 'yelled' at him bc it was a nice contrast to everyone's concern and pity, esp given how it's confirmed that andrew specifically hates that everyone knows now and might see him as weak. like on the one hand i completely understand what betsy means when she tells andrew it's time to put the monster away but on the other it feels like she just doesn't get all the levels of fucked up he has to deal with. which is why ig he responds nope it's not time yet "with him on our heels" (i assume he means riko) and that's the end of it.

given that betsy somehow managed to gain andrew's respect after he had to go through so many therapists i always assumed that they work bc she meets him halfway and is able to understand the psychology behind his deals and coping mechanisms without being preachy about how he needs to drop them sooner or later. i imagined she had some sort of interesting individual approach with him. but this didn't feel individual enough to me - just your standard "you were abused but this is not your fault" (true, and?), "nobody will judge you for it" (maybe, but they will see him differently), "it's time to put the monster away and become a normal guy" (how will this solve any of the problems at hand tho?). "but everyone deserves to be a normal guy! a friend! a brother!🙂" lol ik i'm twisting her words but this is the vibe i got from betsy here so it's probably good we see so little of her and her therapy in the books - otherwise i'd have been disillusioned. idk she just makes me feel uncomfortable, i'm with neil on this one lol

(however, later in aaron's chapter when she says it's time to pull the knife from the wound so it can heal i think it's appropriate both setting and timing-wise)

aaron's chapter:

i agree with aaron when he thinks andrew avoided talking to betsy about neil bc it would open a whole can of worms and she'd make him confront his feelings and admit how important neil is to him. however, i don't agree with his assessment that andrew needed him and betsy to accept and approve him being gay. i don't think andrew never came out to betsy bc he thought she was homophobic in some shape or form, but rather bc coming out would lead to talking about the issues he wasn't ready to discuss with her yet - such as his sexuality in the context of his abuse and then ofc his feelings for neil. as for aaron's approval, i think aaron's is self-projecting a bit.

like, as a person who used to be very homophobic and who has learned to become less so at least in part due to having a close relative who is gay but has done so much good for him, i think aaron often has the issues of accepting queer sexuality on his mind and so he thinks it's the same for andrew. i don't want to say that andrew doesn't at all care what aaron's thinks of him being gay but it does seem like aaron sort of centers himself in this situation and assumes that his gay brother owes him this information - as in: andrew would've come out sooner or later and only hasn't done so up till now bc he was afraid of aaron's reaction - as opposed to: andrew doesn't need to come out if he doesn't want to for many reasons but esp bc the idea that queer people have to disclose their sexuality and sort of give the others an occasion to accept or reject them, to form an opinion about their identity, is hetero propaganda. like, figure things out for yourself, i won't tell you anything🙄 people can be important to you and you can still never come out to them bc you literally don't have to. maybe andrew didn't come out bc his sexuality was wrapped in all these big problems and traumas and feelings OR maybe he just didn't want to hear nicky's running commentary about it. maybe he just wanted to keep his private life private. all of these reasons seem more plausible to me than aaron claiming it's bc andrew was afraid of what aaron, betsy and the others would think of him if they found out.

so aaron framing this convo as this big moment for andrew makes me roll my eyes a little. "andrew needed a few moments to come to terms with their easy acceptance" "andrew wouldn't risk their unfavorable opinion" like, come on. someone thinks too much of himself and of his straight superpowers to grant self-acceptance to queer people by showing a minimum of support. andrew was probably pleased to hear that they won't be having additional issues to work on but that's about it.

so, in conclusion: you know the unreliable narrator neil discourse? many people in the fandom are convinced that neil is constantly lying, twisting and omitting information and there's a popular shitpost genre that's like "we would never have found out this *unimportant detail* if we hadn't gotten this other character's pov bc neil is so unreliable". i'm still irritated by this bc unreliable neil truthers seem so inexplicably sure that everyone is reliable except for neil (or more precisely: the more life has fucked you up the less reliable you are - but that is a post for another time) and therefore all other povs contain objective unbiased facts. well, i think this moment in the chapter is a good example of aaron being unreliable bc the way he interprets andrew's feelings seems to be colored by his own views and not consistent with how andrew is presented in the rest of the canon.

conversely, the way aaron explains his own homophobia - that it used to be about nicky's gayness itself but now it's more about how nicky's constant lewd comments make him uncomfortable - fits very well with their dynamic that we've seen before. i remember i first liked aaron bc nicky's sex jokes irritated me a lot and aaron was the only one to voice my irritation - so it was satisfying to get the confirmation that i judged his reasons correctly. it was also interesting to find out that he had enough insight to analyze why nicky was behaving this way.

[blanket-fish]

Was bored and decided to watch 'Mech Cadets' on netflix. Never heard of it. Wish me luck!

- 'We call them... The Robos.' truly an inventive name for mechs

- I'm genuinely not sure if this animation looks really good or really bad. Give me a few scenes. I'll figure it out.

- Ok so as long as there's not too much motion onscreen it looks good. Unfortunately this is an action show-

- 'Forget the bike Stanford, you could've died!' his name is Stanford? Poor kid

- Actually, forget 'too much motion'. If there's any motion onscreen I feel ill

- 'We are code green. Pilot selection has been set for 15:00 hours' I have many questions about the worldbuilding. I got the vibe the robos were sentient, but they can't be, or why would they need pilots? But then how do they get to earth, and why did military guy expect more than two?

- Do they have a child employed as a cleaner? What??

- I mean I realise this is the child fighter pilot show but still

- 'The Robos will be evaluating your performance' okay so they are sentient!

- 'And then they'll choose which one of you to bond with.' what do the robos get out of this?

- 'For the very best of you to become mech cadets!' title drop

- But also what are they now then? Are they regular cadets? Or do they sit around waiting for Robos to show up?

- 'Its been over a year since any new Robos arrived. I don't know when or if there will be any more.' he can definitely see Stanford. They are a metre apart. Why would you say information like that in front of a random teenager? Seems like something the military wouldn't want to advertise

- Also can't they ask the clearly sentient Robos already on earth what's going on?

- 'Hey, mind your own business!' you guys stood next to him! If you aren't observant enough to notice the person right next to you, maybe you shouldn't be a mech pilot!

- 'If you didn't pass the screening test, you aren't eligible to try for cadet.' I mean, fair? Though I wonder what part he failed at. He's clearly smart and can drive his bike well. And he's also the stealthiest person in the world, aparently

- 'I need you to help me steal and exosuit.' '...Um, what?' ok that got a laugh out of me

- 'I made him a promise.' 'You were five.' I love this girl

- 'She said it was urgent!' 'Why, is something wrong?' 'Um, she didn't tell me?" Girl...

- Oh I've just realised the robos are based on transformers

- 'Sir, he's not a trainee!' SNITCH

- 'I just wanted a shot.' 'This is not how you go about getting one.' I mean, yeah. I'm not sure what he expected to happen if he did get picked

- 'Its a skycorps violation for a non-trainee to be in an exosuit.' that's a specific offense? I would've thought it would be theft or misuse of military equipment or something

- 'Chief max wasn't looking for me, were you involved in this too?' 'No sir, she wasn't! It was my idea, just me.' that's sweet, but immediately leaping to her defense is more suspicious than anything

- Oh my god it's like a whole tournament thing? Stanford how on earth did you think this would ever work? These people have met each other before!

- oh that running animation... It's sure something

- Olivia what the hell? You did not just push that boy down- oh, who am I kidding. At least you didn't call this one mopboy

- Yay for Maya! She doesn't shove people to the ground

- HA. I do not feel bad for olivia

- I can't believe this kids name is frank. But good for him.

- Big Red and Thunderwrecker. Oh yeah, I see why those two are friends.

- okay I don't feel bad for her in this instance but man general park is a dick

- oh great, big blue robot brought a skarg (?) with him. Good job.

- oh he is not gonna jump his bike as an attack. Oh he is isn't he. That's so cool.

- nice catch big blue.

- buddy?? Come on. The other one got Thunderwrecker. You're robo is gonna get bullied in robo-primary school!

- I really hope those creatures are called the skarg. I don't think they are but I can't remember what they are called

In conclusion: the animation is pretty good. It just has these moments where it looks weird and bad. But I like blue lock, so that won't stop me watching it.

Overall, I'm pleasantly surprised! That was an enjoyable episode! Next one, I suppose

[doofnoof]

Okay so I have a theory.

I think Vanessa, Mike, and Garrett are Aftons. Their mom divorced William and took the kids but due to a traumatic event William blackmailed Vanessa into lying and saying she wanted to stay with William instead of her mom. I also think Vanessa may have accidentally killed Garrett, and William covered it up for her and used it to keep her loyal and obedient.

I don't think she knew Mike was her brother until that last scene where she's bandaging him and he asks her to save Abby with him, but she was definitely starting to figure it out by the time she throws his meds away. Her reaction to Abby being in danger is an intense one, because of the trauma she went through as a child for certain, but what if she knows Abby is her little sister? What if she reacted that way because she already lost her little brother, remembers him dying, and now she has the chance to protect her little sister from a similar fate?

I think she knows that William is capable of messing with their memories, and that's why she tells Mike that the dreaming thing doesn't work/isn't helpful, because she's seen first hand how he can change things to be different than what they really were. For instance, there was a yellow frisbee in the park mentioned again and again, as well as a scene where too much ketchup is put on a hamburger. I think Mike actually saw Vanessa killing Garrett and William changed his memories so he only saw Garrett being taken, not the actual incriminating act of William disposing of his body, nor of Vanessa actually accidentally killing Garrett.

I think they were all together having a fun day out as a family, with Mrs. Afton pregnant with Abby, and while playing Vanessa (or maybe even Mike) accidentally killed Garrett, and William came to see what happened when they didn't come eat when they were called. William saw what happened, realized this would look really bad, and possibly threaten his already shakey marriage with his wife, and decided to dispose of the body, maybe even teaching the kids how to do so along the way. Perhaps he even took Vanessa with him and left Michael to watch him drive away. Once he was done, he messed with their memories so that what really happened would be completely buried. Mike only remembers the airplane, Garrett in the car, the blood Ketchup, the yellow rabbit Frisbee, and his family not all of them sitting at the picnic table. This didn't bring the family closer together like William had hoped, his wife didn't lean on him for support while grieving and looking for their lost child, and eventually the Aftons divorced. William took Vanessa, because she asked to stay with him (because he told her to ask to stay with him, unless she wanted her mom to find out about Garrett) while Mike and Abby went with Mrs. Afton, who became Mrs. Schmidt. I wonder if he changed their names around while scrambling their memories one last time after the divorce, maybe Garrett was Evan at one point, and Mike (as he prefers to be called) was Michael, and Abby was going to be named Elizabeth.

Vanessa is given Garrett's plane as a trophy from William, and they continue luring children away from parties in the Pizzeria, while Mike does his best to take care of his mom and Abby. Years pass. The movie takes place.

I also think Garrett is haunting Abby. If she wasn't born yet when the Aftons went on that picnic, it would make sense that Garrett would attach himself to something or someone after a particularly traumatic death, right? Abby is seen talking to ghosts in the movie long before she visits Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria, and one of her "imaginary friends" calls Mike a rude name after he sits on him. (It's gonna be so fun when Mike realized he said "at least I'm real" to his dead baby brother.) Afterwards, when Mike asks about what she remembers of Garrett disappearing, it seems like someone is telling her what to say for a second there. I think Garrett told her not to tell him anything, because he knew Mike would obsess over it and it would ruin their relationship. This was the moment Mike would have to choose Pizza or Spaghetti, because he can't have both, and the Pizza (Garrett) is already gone.

[duck-in-a-thrift-store]

Alright, ik it's been a little while but now it's time for room/character closeup #3

~Max & El's room~

Right off the bat I think it goes without saying their room is quite a bit more *fun* than some of the others; it was heavily inspired by the early s3 aesthetic (before everything went to shit that is), like when Max was helping El try out a new style, so I hope that shows in the colors and patterns I used for the wallpaper/rug/beds

(Also- this isn't character specific- it just makes me happy how the chair matches the wallpaper and the bedspread matches some of the colors in the posters)

Speaking of the posters

I remembered Max introducing El to comics at their sleepover (also s3) so I wanted to use posters that had that comic book/pop art feel to them, hence the pieces over the beds

Max is on the left. I felt like the sheer *attitude* it conveyed was something she would appreciate, that it suited her

El is on the right, and there's like a whole tangent to that one* but it's also another call-back to that s3 moment of Max showing El her comics and telling her who Wonder Woman is (listen I just really loved their dynamic and interactions in s3 ok)

*You might be wondering "duck why would you put a superheroine poster over El's bed are you really taking such a cliche/obvious approach with the decor here"

Listen babe. It's nuanced, okay?

First of all, yeah basically. I'm fine with being cliche. I do what I want and it fit the general vibe I was going for

But more importantly, remember how I mentioned in... one of the other notes posts for this au I honestly don't remember which one at this point- how a recurring theme here will be characters reclaiming things? At least I think I posted that, I know I wrote it down somewhere-

But anywho, yes, this is one of those instances

So I think, before now, El would have gotten to a point where she really resented "superheroes" -or more accurately, being compared to them

After everything. After being taken from her mother and having her childhood stolen from her in order to train her into a mini super soldier. After always having to be the strong one and fighting every battle. After always having to be the superhero for everyone else and still feeling like she can't ever seem to hit the bad guys hard enough to keep them down for good, to keep her friends safe. After having all those expectations and all that pressure on her for years when really she just wants to move on and be a normal kid and get to live her life

And yeah, maybe also after Mike's weak ass speech at the end of s4. I'd probably feel pretty icky if my boyfriend tried to encourage me by reminding me that my value comes from being a sword and shield rather than a person, if I kept getting put on this suffocating pedestal of always having to push myself to keep everyone else safe, and if I believed that was the very reason I was loved

[Don't take this the wrong way I love Michael Wheeler he's like a son to me but I do think that his and El's relationship was very unhealthy and that he didn't handle things very well]

So uh. Yeah. El hated superheroes for a little bit. I'm not sure when they put that poster up but it wasn't when they first moved in

However

After getting away from the place tied to so much of her trauma, so many of her burdens; after getting out of the situation that kept forcing her into the superhero role, I think her views on superheroes just as an objective, fictional concept would start to soften

And also I think the way Max handles it- treating her like she's awesome and strong and special but not dehumanizing her, trusting her but not pressuring her, encouraging her to be and embrace herself- that has something to do with it as well. It teaches her that she can be a superhero if she wants to be, but she doesn't have to. She does have superhuman abilities, but she herself gets to decide what, if anything, to do with them

When they all ditch Hawkins and move into the new house, El doesn't have to fight anymore. They've left the Upside Down and all its monsters, the empty lab and all its ghosts, behind them. For the first time in... well, pretty much her whole life, she doesn't have to fight, she doesn't have to use her powers, she doesn't have to play the hero. She gets to just... be a kid. A person

And everyone still loves her. Everyone still treats her like a part of the family, like she matters

So maybe she doesn't have to be a superhero. And maybe she doesn't have to hate them, either

But the concept is still something tied to her identity, something floating in the back of her mind; it's an identity in which she found value and strength, at a point in her life when she didn't really know who she was yet

So she still thinks about heroes. And she slowly comes to appreciate them in media, like the comic book heroes Max tells her about. Distinctly separate from herself and from her reality and past. From that safe distance away, they're admirable, captivating, impressive, compelling. And, yeah, maybe a little relatable

And... she finds that she's ok with that

She finds that she likes it, actually

Until eventually El has a strong appreciation for heroes, for their strength and what they stand for, because she understands them- but she doesn't have to be one of them anymore. Removed from the dangers and the expectations, she can see heroes- and herself- simply for what they are, instead of through that lens of pain and resentment and obligation

In the place she has found herself in life, she comes to terms with the fact that she is badass, she is important, she has value, and that those facts remain even when she isn't fighting anything

And in knowing it isn't required, that the people around her see her and love her for who she is rather than just what she can do, passively being likened to a hero doesn't feel so crushing anymore. Maybe she even starts to casually refer to herself as a hero from time to time, maybe jokingly, maybe ironically, maybe sarcastically, but deep down she does still feel that tie, that connection, in some ways- only now it doesn't hurt

And now she loves superheroes, enough to put one on her wall

[Btw, this whole analysis thing was heavily allegorical for my relationship with gender and I hope that shows. Superheroes=womanhood/femininity. If you get it you get it]

That ran away from me a little bit. Um. Moving right along, I guess

The third poster isn't that deep tbh I mostly picked it because it matched the wallpaper colors lol but I do think "good things are coming" would be a nice message to wake up to for two people who have been through so fucking much already at such a young age, remind them that they still have a wonderful life ahead of them despite the horrors in their past, y'know?

And then there's Max's skateboard, at the foot of her bed

It's symbolic it's important it matters that she brought it with her

She got hurt pretty damn badly at the end of s4, and nobody knew for sure if she was even going to survive, let alone whether she'd be able to skateboard again

But she did survive, and her body got pretty fucked up but she was in recovery, and maybe she'd never be quite the same again but she wasn't going to let that stop her, she wasn't going to give up

Her legs aren't as strong and her balance isn't as good as it used to be but she's determined to use that skateboard again no matter how many times she falls over relearning how to do it (and someone is always there to help her get back on her feet, if she wants them to. Yes it's Lucas how did you know)

Anyway I just think Max Mayfield is an incredibly strong brave person and she gets what she wants and what she wants in this case is to be the zoomer of the household

I don't suppose there's really much more to say about the room, so... guess that's a wrap for this one

[thattheater-kid]

I'm not sure if this will be received well but.. a couple years ago, I was talking to a friend after confiding in them that I would have issues with memory, I wouldn't remember doing or not doing something, and I remember this very specific experience where I felt.. (I'm assuming it was me) i felt like I wasn't myself, that I was an alien. In that short period of time, I didn't go by the name I went by then, and I remember feeling so, so scared. So frightened.

And they (someone with DID, diagnosed) told me "hey, this sounds a lot like it could be DID" and I was like "well.. maybe?" I believe I've had multiple alters (keyword: believe), and multiple instances of something similar happening, but now.. I can't hear anything. There's nobody talking besides me, it's radio silent. I fear so much everyday that I have been deluding myself and them and the people that I confided in that I may have the disorder. What if I'm wrong? What if I made it up? What if I subconsciously tricked myself and everyone around me? What if I lied to them? I can't face that. I can't face them knowing that I may have done that. I guess what I'm asking for here is.. advice. What would you do if you were in my shoes?

I'm sorry if this is a lot. I didn't know who else to ask.

I want to preface by saying that I can’t diagnose you or tell you whether you have DID or not. Only a doctor can do that for you. All I can do it give you some advice from my perspective.

A huge part of DID is that it hides itself from you, and if you start to discover it, it makes you think you were wrong. Denial is a big part of DID because it’s typically a covert disorder, which means it’s hidden. It hides itself from outsiders, and even from the host so you can try to live a normal life. It makes you believe you made it all up and you were lying to keep you in the dark. It was very difficult for our old host to discover things about the system because she kept forgetting it existed. It kept making her forget about it until she started writing things down to make sure she remembered. It’s completely possible for you to start finding out about your disorder, start noticing odd things, maybe even noticing other alters, and suddenly everything goes quiet and it’s just you because they’re trying to hide from you.

Also, if it turns out you really don’t have DID, don’t beat yourself up about saying you did. You thought you did. You completely believed you did, which means you weren’t lying or faking. You were trying to figure yourself out. There’s nothing wrong with that. You were just simply wrong about what was going on, and that’s okay. It’s okay to be wrong. Don’t feel bad about telling people you had a disorder you didn’t have if you really thought you had it. If you want to address it with the people you told, you can tell them it turns out you were wrong, or you just aren’t certain right now and are still exploring it.

The only true advice I could give about finding out if you have the disorder is to see a doctor, but I know that’s not possible for everyone, so that may not be possible for you at this time. The only other thing you can do is wait to see what happens and take notes of what you experience. You can try reaching out to alters, but they may not respond still. Especially when you’re just starting to discover your system, alters may disappear and hide to keep you from finding out about the system. If things start happening again that indicate you may have DID, then it’s possible you do have it or another dissociative disorder, like OSDD. If not, then you might have something else. Write down the things you experience. If you believe you interacted with an alter, write down that you did. It’ll help you remember and understand, and it can open the door for communication if you do have DID.

I believe what you experienced was real and valid. I believe you may be experiencing something. I don’t think you’re a liar, and you’re not a bad person for confiding in people about having a disorder and possibly turning out to be wrong. You trusted them, and were likely looking for support, and that’s actually a very good thing. Trust and support are necessary for everyone, but especially for systems and questioning systems. You were trying to understand yourself, and it’s okay to be wrong when you’re trying to understand yourself. I don’t know whether or not they’ll be mad at you (they shouldn’t be), but please remember that it’s not your fault and you didn’t do anything wrong.

Thank you for confiding in me. I wish you the best of luck, and I truly hope you find answers.

[foliejpg]

song analysis anon BACK with an actual analysis type thing this time *crowd cheering, people clapping, someone has a tshirt canon* ladies, ladiessss, i know

so this is a controversial take I’ve learned but i am not a fan of miss chappell roan, i dont know why but i just dont get behind her music- however! because i am queer with queer friends and she has been deemed a pop icon of course i know a song or two so here i am to gift you a peterick analysis of Good Luck Babe (tbh i had a friend point it out and i got the brain worms so this is a little for them) i had an EXTREMELY hard time deciding who is who but i settled for it being in Patrick’s pov to Pete (will still include a few tidbits for the other way around) i also like to think this is during hiatus or maybe sparked the hiatus

“It's fine, it's cool, You can say that we are nothing, but you know the truth, And guess I'm the fool” there was something between Pete and Patrick (duh) but Pete denies denies denies and Patrick just feels like an idiot for still trying.

“I don't wanna call it off, But you don't wanna call it love, You only wanna be the one that I call "baby"” Pete’s possessive, he wants Patrick’s full attention but yknow, he’s “gay above the belt”, he isn’t in LOVE with him or anything. That’s gotta be confusing for Patrick and meanwhile he doesn’t want it to end.

“You can kiss a hundred (girls) in bars, Shoot another shot, try to stop the feeling, You can say it's just the way you are, Make a new excuse, 'nother stupid reason” I don’t really have anything for this one, it’s kinda spelled out, but if the pov were switched it would be Pete poking at Patrick’s alcoholism at the time (because of course he’s gonna jab when he’s angry).

“I'm cliché, who cares? It's a sexually explicit kind of love affair, And I cry, it's not fair, I just need a little lovin', I just need a little air” maybe Pete says he’s being dramatic or in this instance “cliche”, but Patrick just wants to be loved and Pete is just after the sex.

“Think I'm gonna call it off, Even if you call it love, I just wanna love someone who calls me "baby"” Maybe this was their last argument before the band split, maybe it felt more like a break up than Pete was expecting. Even if Pete were to give in and say he loved him, Patrick is just so over him.

“When you wake up next to (her) in the middle of the night, With your head in your hands, you're nothing more than (her husband), And when you think about me all of those years ago, You're standing face to face with "I told you so"” when the band is on hiatus, and Pete’s laying in bed with (I don’t remember who he would’ve been with at the time but just pretend a woman) it’s weighing on him that he really did kinda lose everything. His band, his job in a sense, his best friend, the love of his life. If the pov were switched, it’d be directed at Patrick with Elisa. Side note: i feel like if this were Pete’s pov, Patrick would be a pathetic, ashamed, guilty wet cat of a man. Like its soul punk era okay, Patrick is a shell of a man.

And that’s that! I love writing so much, too bad i will like never finish a fic (boohoo) until we meet again foliejpg nation 🫡🫡

i know it takes me a while sometimes to answer your asks but please trust that i Love every single one of them. good luck babe is a great hiatus song and i do agree it could be from either perspective. i always love the rare occasions when pete wants to be together but patrick is the one denying it for hundreds of reasons. i always interpreted good luck babe as being about a closeted relationship so pete’s concerns about being “gay above the waist” totally makes sense. for some reason i also want patrick to be a homophobic shit stain in fic sometimes.

i also love when the sex is sooo good it actually ruins their lives and their mental health lmfao and you’re totally right about patrick being a wet pathetic little man. because he is. so is pete because i would totally see him telling patrick that he loves him just to make it better, even if it’s true

i love these miserable men <3 and your lovely peterick sing analysis<3