#(the car scene really should've been the thing that did it but for some reason I thought it was a one-off and they might redeem him?)

[icedteaandoldlace]

Pffft speak for yourself. I simply choose to hate his guts for all eternity, like a normal person. :)

[midnight1nk]

So, this week's episode...

[Spoilers below cut]

save me SMG4 episode save me

(the following is my live reaction:)

moo-stache moo-stache moo-stache

why do I feel like Pedro's going to be here?

"bruh Pedro was just a one-time thing." they literally killed off Mickey, ANYTHING can happen

KAIZO YOU'RE BACK HI

OMG please tell me someone from the Team saw this fan animation and put it in the episode as a nod to the animator, that would be awesome!!!

btw great fan animation, go check it out if you haven't [link]

YAYYYY, c'mon Mario you gotta spend time with your brother :)

also I need to find a playthrough of this game while I work

whoops my hand slipped [*makes 4 say "I should've chosen the USB over you, 3"*] :)

Hey Shroomy :D ....oh *western spaghetti flashbacks*

like seriously, I can't hear that audio the same way again

helicopter helicopter (copter)

oh hey swag *he fades away* NOOOOOO

well, digging did (mostly, sorta) help the last episode

OMG HI HI HI MY SILLIES

Three, why are you here if you think it's stupid? unless... 🫵 🏳️‍🌈⁉️

it's giving "I'm only here to support my boyfriend's interests", like I'm starting to believe that they truly are dating behind the scenes

they're on a date, your honor 💙💜

and there they go bickering again smh /affectionate

I'd like to think that ever since Four drives a forklift, that's just his method of transportation. screw the car, we're taking this baby out for a spin :)

Mario, you need to be ✨forklift certified✨

sorry, just Three's gayass poses give me life

actually yeah why is the line not moving?

the boys :)

also that walk animation tho

HOW LONG IS THIS LINE?!

also c'mon Three, show us your dance moves :D

oooooh that editing i love that

THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING

now that they've mentioned it, why are there so many conventions happening at the same time? hmmmmm *game theory theme starts playing*

SMG3: "Maybe they're lining up to go to your mom's house. That line's usually pretty long." DAYUM THREE

"the line doesn't end" ayo wtf????

shroomy, you've eaten mushrooms before and you had no problem with that

....it really is the end of the world huh

ONE WEEK LATER?!?!?!?

"there is no end" "the end will come" me, sitting in the corner: hmmmmmmmmm

whelp, it's confirmed, I kin Four now

Three's not going coo co crazy, he's just vibin' :)

THIS IS WARRRRRR

this whole fighting scene omg it's SO good!

....WOTFI? ok no :P

AWWW THAT WAS ACTUALLY SWEET DUDE

CAN WE PLEASE GET A HUG? FOR ME SPECIFICALLY?

.... yeah uh Boopkins, you're going to have to explain what the hell you mean by that

not that it's surprising, we've been through a lot. just another Tuesday (or Saturday in this case)

MY HEART CAN'T TAKE ALL THIS FLUFF

HUG HUG HUG

THAT'S MY BOYS

RAVE PARTY [*dances*]

....sonic, is that you? sorry, my mind is still in the sonadow generations phase so I can't unsee them

:O wait, Boopkins, what did you mean by that?

MARTY?!?!? WTF

SMG4: "Don't worry, Mario. There's one way we can fix this." Beat the shit out of him...? YEAH I KNEW IT HAHA

*explodes*

and congrats to samgagmincho for your art featured at the end credits 🎉

.・-: ✧ :--: ✧ :-・.

This was a fun episode, I loved it!! Seeing my boys is always a plus and I appreciate the return of some side characters. With how the world is right now, I really needed this episode. So, thanks Team, for keeping my spirits up.

I just enjoyed watching my silly little guys doing silly little adventures. Traffic is a nightmare so I don't blame Mario in the slightest. Anyway, 3 and 4, how was your date? /silly

Can we just talk about the animation? It was so good!!! You really see the quality they put in, especially in that fighting scene. I didn't expect MARTY of all people to be the cause of all this. I honestly thought it was going to be a gag of something harmless just being in the middle of the road for no reason (like a turtle or smth) and the Crew being like "ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!" but NOPE, Marty was here and apparently A SORCERER?! I really shouldn't be surprised, what am I talking about here. And ofc the OG duo immediately beating the shit out of him is so fucking funny to me. He didn't die (I know that), but he's definitely going to be more relevant in the future.

...puzzlevision 2? ok I'm sorry

SMG4 show and jokes aside, I hope you all are ok. No matter what happens, we'll stick together. Don't give them the satisfaction that they want. You aren't alone, and we'll keep on fighting.

Going to be a Sonic fan here, Sonic 06 is famously known to be... augh. But there is a good moment with Shadow that I think is relevant now:

Mephiles (the villain of the game): "It's futile. The world will betray you. Why fight at all? Why risk your life for those who will persecute you later?" Shadow: "If the world chooses to become my enemy, I will fight like I always have."

Take care, my dear fellows, and I'll see you all in my next post!! Hmmm, there is "no end" [*game theory intro plays*]

[buckevantommy]

they will absolutely never mention the Abby Tommy connection again. It was a cheap stunt that had zero impact on the rest of the story in 8x6 or beyond and Tim droped storylines that had way more sense than this one. Most of the people who watch this show prolly did not even remember the boyfriend that was mentioned years ago which is why they had Josh come in for an exposition dump cloaked in this masturbatory Glee speech. I also think the fact that the timeline does not fit AT ALL was the reason they cut the scene between Buck and Bobby that Oliver talked about. What was Bobby going to say? "Yeah, Tommy was engaged while he worked here to this women you were pining over for months and I never mentioned it not even when you started dating him"

Tim just has to pack is bags already and move to the spin off fulltime. He is creating a mess on OG

I mean yeah, it would be so easy to not mention it and it would track with how the show treats continuity - which sucks for most things but i will fucking welcome it for this. Also there's no reason to mention it, so. 🤞

'masturbatory Glee speech' has me chuckling because YES that's EXACTLY what it was! 😂 gawd i hated it so much.

What was the cut scene between Buck and Bobby? What ep was it supposed to be in?

But yeah - the og 118 would've known something about Tommy's supposed fiance, and also Josh? Did he work at dispatch same time as Abby? He would've known things. The whole thing just reads like someone who had a random plot idea in the middle of the night and wrote it down without remembering that previous plotpoints and established timelines and characters negate it, like it makes no sense, like it should've had a few more passes instead of rushing off the hot mess that it was to get published as the final edit, y'know?

If tim doesn't have the time or care to give these beloved characters the narrative they deserve then he should pass the torch now rather than run them into the ground. Because it's not just the Abby shit, it's the fumbling of Gerrard's storyline which should've focused on his bigoted bs and Tommy and Buck (giving their relationship more screentime and meaningful plot) and yes the rest of the diverse 118 should've played a key part in dealing with and dismantling that. But especially Tommy, given everything he'd mentioned about Gerrard and what we saw of the og 118 and Tommy mentioning his father - it was the perfect opportunity for some angsty backstory and the development of meaty dramatic plot.

And Hotshots? I was so looking forward to some actual meta fun but what we got instead was irritating, plot-hogging drivel and too much fucking Brad.

I still maintain that a great filler episode would've been Hotshots playing on the tv in the background of various scenes at the 118 and on calls and at their homes, the camera transitioning between on-set or high-def Hotshots scenes that pull out into rhe physical screens of tvs and then into whatever the firefam was up to at various points throughout the week(s). It might have started as a watch party for Bobby's premiere episodes and that kickstarts or clues us into certain firefam watching the show whether to poke fun and complain or because they like the dramatised plot. And they could've tied some of what was happening on the show into the 911 plotpoints.

Tim dropped the ball so hard this season (8A). The only episodes i enjoyed start to end and thought were written really well was the premiere with the bees and the halloween ep (although i think the car crash was a bit much, wish it was just a fun filler ep like the treasure hunt ep or the bank robbery).

[iicha-0s]

New Kink Unlocked | !Jungkook×reader

A/N: hey guys! I didn't write the ahead smut part in this one so its pretty short and quick. earlier i'd only written the "reader making jungkook beg" part but then added up a back story which makes the whole thing make sense. i hope you guys like it lmk what you guys think! :D

Tags: !married couple, !alchohol consumption, !fighting, !nicknames, !reader has begging kink, !kissing feet, !oral (f receiving)

he grabs you by your arm and drags you out of the car and inside your place.

"lemme go!" you yell and try to get your arm out of his strong grip but nothing works.

he keeps dragging you inside and takes you to the living room and pushes you on the couch.

"shut up and sit quietly. I can't believe you made such a big scene at the party. what are you?? 8???" He grunts and walks to the bar in the corner and pours himself some whiskey in a extensively designed glass.

"but you heard what she said! you expect me to just listen and sit quietly no matter what anyone says about me?!" You stand up as he chugs down the remaining whiskey in his glass before slamming it against the bar table and comes to you.

"you could've sorted it out quietly. there was no reason for you to yell and make a whole scene." He grits while standing in front of you with his hands on his hips and face inches away from yours.

you scoff and sit back down again crossing your arms over your chest because your beloved husband wasn't even on your side. you hear Jungkook sigh as he rubs his forehead and stands near your crossed legs.

"look i know what she said was bad but it shouldn't affect you. you know I love you no matter what anyone says."

"that's not the point!" you pull your hands away because he was trying to take hold of them.

"baby-"

"don't baby me. yk I'm right when I stood up for myself there but all you care about is your reputation in front of everyone else. you should've stood up for me too in front of her, that would make you reputation go higher because ppl will understand how much you support your wife. but no! all you think is that I'm doing things on purpose to bring your reputation down, don't you?" You look away from him and keeps your arms crossed over your chest.

"ba-"

"save it." you look up at him and see jungkook squatting in front of you looking up at you with his big bambi eyes. you look away from him because you knew you'd melt and give in, but you weren't supposed to.

you have the right to be angry because you were right when you said that he should've stood up for you rather than drag you out of the party saying you "made a scene."

"baby?" He calls you softly as you keep looking away while he takes hold of your hands in his. he keeps holding them tightly in his even tho you try to pull them out and presses soft kisses on the back of them. you try to move away from him but he doesn't let you.

"I know you're mad and I also know I was wrong to not stand up for you there, but she was the daughter of a really important client of mine. in that moment seeing him standing there right behind her I thought if I do stand up for you and talk back to his daughter maybe I'd lose the deal. it was stupid. I was stupid and I'm sorry for my stupidity, sweetheart. I really am." he talks in a soft voice as you feel his hand turning your face to look at him, by your chin.

"I'm not forgiving you." you say and pout at him as he nods and moves closer to pressing his chest slightly against your knees.

"I know and I also know what I did was wrong, baby. please i know i've been bad lemme make it up to you, hm?" He leans in to kiss you, but you lean back dodging him.

"then beg."

his heart drops as he gulps and stares into your eyes that were already staring back.

"Hm?"

you lean in whilst maintaining the eye contact.

"get on your knees and beg and plead to let me forgive you."

You push him back softly by his chest with your foot, as he pokes the inside of his cheek with his tongue, out of habit.

"alright then."

you cross your leg over the other causing the slit on your dress to expose your thigh more than it already had as he stands up, walks back a step or two and slowly gets down on his knees while sharing an intense eye contact with you.

"butterfly...." he starts softly, and takes hold of your bare ankles, while using the nickname which he knows gives you tingles in the bottom of your stomach.

"will you please let me make it up to you? i'd die if you don't forgive me. please I beg you..."

he continues when you act like you wont budge.

"let me make you feel so good that you forget about everything that happened and get lost in how good I'm making you feel, please?" he looks up at you to see you giving him a side-eye.

"... you're my first and last meal, sweetheart. i want to coat my mouth with you, inside and out. i want to have you grip my hair so tight while I make you feel so good. I beg you, butterfly. please?"

he tries again and places a soft kiss on the bottom of your foot as you give him a slight smile which even tho you quickly wiped off, doesn't go unnoticed by him.

unlocked a new kink it seems...

"alright. fine." you clear your throat as you and him both understand that he stroked your new kink perfectly. he gives you his billion dollar bunny smile and stands up on his knees and pressing his soft lips against yours again.

"Thank you, my love. i will devour you whole tonight." He whispers against your lips and the next moment your dress is ripped off of you as he leaves you being nothing but a pile of pleasure as his tongue does wonders on your sensitive clit.

[professorhayforbreath]

so episode 5. all my thoughts

we picked up where the last one left off, good start

annabeth saying she knows percy isn't dead... how. to annabeth and grover there should have been no way percy was alive and finding out he was should've been so emotional but instead she was like dw i know he's not dead lol. it's kind of... lazy writing? like how are you gonna write a scene as gut wrenching as percy trapping himself with a monster and telling his friends to complete the quest without him because he's actively dying and has no reason to believe he'll survive, and then make the fallout of that so... nonchalant? idk if it's a time limit thing but that was so underwhelming to me

annabeth being the one to see the fates... no

fugitive percy enjoyers at least we won!!!!

the trio peeking over the road barrier at ares was cute goofy silly i liked that :)

gabe on the news shit talking percy i'm hooting and hollering!! "i really-- WE really loved that car" and "i'm gonna kill him". excellent. now put percy on the news fake crying about his "loving" stepfather i believe in you

i did want them to acknowledge annabeth's lack of experience with the world outside camp but having her say "i've never seen any kind of movie" has gotta be one of the weirdest ways they could've done that

the turnstile scene was cool i guess but as we go on i'm more and more conscious of how many episodes are left and how much plot there is to get through and idk i feel like this scene could've hit the cutting room floor and we wouldn't have lost anything

i do love the ambience of the park though. maybe i'm easy to impress because the aesthetic of an abandoned amusement park is just fantastic on its own but the set was very cool. wish it wasn't so dark so i could've actually seen it ❤️

percy and annabeth having a serious conversation with 'what is love' blaring in the background is sending me

first ever seaweed brain dropped! i liked the way they did it, it felt natural

actually back to the "i've never seen a movie" thing. you're telling me that in this version of the story, in which frederick chase was apparently a great dad who treated annabeth like a gift, he never took her to the movies? or she never watched one on tv? she had a whole seven years of life in the real world before going to camp and she's never seen a movie

annabeth isn't allowed to have fears she's too smart for that apparently

i think the scene with the chair was overall well executed with some great lines and fantastic acting but... idk. they really scrapped the original scene just to do what they already did last episode. i miss the spiders i miss hephaestus tv. it felt redundant to have percy sacrifice himself again. percy this is the second time today you've been like "no dw i'll just die" do you need to talk to someone

annabeth disillusionment arc complete already? calm down guys this is season one

ZOO TRUCK ZOO TRUCK ZOO TR

so it's confirmed the reason they go into the lotus casino is BECAUSE hermes is there :/ they said these literal children cannot fall for tricks and traps it's too unrealistic

not much to say about the grover and ares scenes bc i don't know what to make of them. i didn't mind them. ares had some funny lines. i guess my only complaint is that the grover i know would not have been so calm talking to the god of war. i'm curious to see where that cliffhanger leads

is it just me or did the pacing improve a little bit this episode?

despite how negative i sound i enjoyed episode 5 a lot more than episode 4. there are still so many weird changes, additions, and omissions though. honestly i think a big part of the reason i enjoyed this one is because i'm not expecting anything anymore. i'm not getting my hopes up about them adapting the book normally i'm just intrigued by this thing like a scientist observing an experiment. like hmm what are they doing now? fascinating *takes notes*

[lousirs]

I really love your art!!! Ever time I see it it feels so exciting!!! Thoughts on mpas/tmpass? I also really adore how you draw Mr. Peabody!!!

thank you very much!! such kind words <3

ooh, i have quite a few thoughts about both, sorry if i start rambling a lot xD (i probably won't mention everything)(we'll be here for years)

both of them have good parts and bad parts, to be honest (as does most things) and i'll yap extensively about it under the cut:

like, i've watched the three versions of peabody and sherman, and i think the film has the best dynamic of the two? it's just this honestly pretty wholesome depiction of a single father raising a chaotic but well-meaning child, and struggling with how others treat him due to his identity. big ol' comfort film for me (cause i've been in sherman's position), and has been for a while. also love the little call backs to the classic... i own the artbook to this film, and it really does feel like a respectful adaptation, love to see it.

though, some of the ideas are a little muddled, like... i get that one of the film's messages is about allowing your kid to grow up and be independent (whilst still giving support, of course) but peabody was out here like "here, my son, drive this high-tech time travelling machine" by the end of the film xD. i get that they were working together to sort out the wormhole issue, but sherman is seven (and a half)... a big responsibility to put onto such a young kid to drive that thing (even if he wanted to). it's like if peabody gave sherman the keys to his car and told him to have a test drive lol. amusing, but confusing.

also penny. i don't like her at all xD. i hate that sherman went from "she hates me! and i hate her!" to "ooh i wanna see her brush her hair~" like. what. she was insulting your dad for something he can't help, and choking you 10 minutes ago (they should've been friends by the end of the film, not love interests). penny is the reason the conflict with grunion happens in the first place, and she basically gets away with bullying sherman. realistic? sure, they would likely believe the innocent smart girl with a traditional family over the new boy with an non-traditional family, but she seems to have no remorse for what she did. like, one scene that irks me is that she brought up the whole grunion thing to peabody with sherman (who didn't know about it) also there, and blames peabody for it happening. i think the line was "if you're such a great dad, then why is ms.grunion trying to take sherman away?" or something... she started ALL of this happening by her jealousy of sherman knowing more than she does, and then blames peabody after sherman bit her in self-defense?? yikes girl.

i at least love that peabody is 100% done with her. same, king.

as for tmpass... i love the art of it, especially the backgrounds and colours. heck, i've taken inspiration of the backgrounds for my own art (shoutout to sylvia liu) and the animation is very unique and expressive. and i love that they have all these outfits for peabody and sherman too. and that secret agent episode ruined my life in a good way xD. and that apocalypse episode was fun too. yesss give me that one-eyed crazy canine

(also love how the tmpass tumblr's last post was just "mr.peabody is a homosexual" and then just. left. fuck yeah honestly)(thank you for confirming tmpass team)

buuuut ehhh the show is kinda hit or miss for me :') at least it's entertaining lol

i've seen other people bring it up, and i agree: they treated peabody so harshly in this show. like, he's been through enough with the discrimination bs, and yet there were multiple episodes of him lowkey having a mental breakdown because something doesn't go right or he's overwhelmed by everything, and it's sad to watch. i think sherman's chaotic energy rubbed off onto him too, cause he also lost half of his braincells and his going crazy ahh going stupid ahh. take that dog to therapy

i think the film had peabody at his best, ngl. i love the classic, i love how snarky he is, how he's basically playing god with how he's able to bend logic to suit him xD. but idk, the film balances this sass and intelligence with something more wholesome and sweet. i like. tmpass made him a little too chaotic for his character, me thinks... sherman is fine in all versions though. no matter what it just works for him lmao. go lad!

aaaaaand i get that tmpass is it's own separate thing, but there's two things that really irk me about it when you think about the other versions:

so in the classic, the wabac machine was made as a gift for sherman's birthday, so he could get more running room. heck, peabody even altered the machine so that sherman could understand the historical figures, and the historical figures wouldn't be rude to him. it was honestly such an adorable main part of their dynamic. AND THEN TMPASS CAME ALONG AND WAS LIKE "hey so what if peabody made the time machine BEFORE sherman and his main inspiration was this RANDOM SAUSAGE MAN". whyyyyyyyyy!! peabody originally made it for sherman, and tmpass stripped away that nice moment!! and how does a sausage man have anything to do with the wabac?? oh, he didn't give up on making sausages?? good for him?? i don't know how that inspired peabody. maybe bro was just hungry, idk.

i really don't get why peabody has foster parents in the show... it's explained in the film (which tmpass carries on from) that peabody came from nothing, no one wanted to adopt him, so he made a life for himself. king got on that GRIND. he even says something like "and now, i want to give him (sherman) the one thing i always wanted. a home", implying that he never had it when he was younger. but then in tmpass he has foster parents? and he DID live in a home? not even the dog shelter, mind you. but an actual house. somehow these two feral dogs got a house? meanwhile peabody was fighting to get custody of sherman and to keep him around?? unless those foster parent dogs HAD owners??

i can get by him having a great great great great ... uncle (duke) because idk, perhaps he did an ancestry tree test one day. but the foster parents thing just doesn't click with me, sorry to say.

but idk, maybe this is some alternative universe peabody cause bro has blue eyes in tmpass and green in mpas.

...my god do i yap. no one ever ask me to talk about that dog and boy again-- jk please do i need to dispose my insanity somewhere

[forcebookish]

honestly top is such a fascinating character to me cuz you'd expect him to be like this tough confident guy but he's really not at all and the poor guy actually kind of just lets people walk all over him. the most obvious one was when the guy at the disco came up to him and top was clearly VERY uncomfortable and he could've told the guy to back off but he just let him keep going and going. I know some people were mad at him saying he was "enjoying" it (literally where? go back and watch the scene the discomfort was all over his body) and he should've told the guy to stop but I feel like those are the only things he's been told about himself for so long now and he just resigns himself to the fact of "here we to again." and then of course it all comes to the surface with the car scene. and of course he believes the things boston is saying cuz it doesn't even have to do with him trusting/not trusting mew it's all about how he views himself. that's how everyone sees him. that's how he sees himself. and it's sad cuz I know everyone just thinks of him as this horrible evil person without looking any deeper.

you're so right, anon! sometimes the most confident people are the most insecure.

excuse me, "ENJOYING IT?" man, i totally thought that top-haters would make it out like top was only uncomfortable because mew was there and beam was this symbol of his past promiscuity or would reveal an ugly side of himself to mew. but him "ENJOYING IT" when he is so VISIBLY distressed is some next level delusion. did not see that one coming.

i mean, even before he sees who it is, top is startled and uncomfortable just from someone touching him on the shoulder:

eyes wide, snapping at attention and all but jumping back. and he doesn't relax at one point during the conversation. (also, top has a tell when he's really uncomfortable, he goes "hOHH" and he does it TWICE in that scene.) top really does freeze when he's cornered, he has a hard time speaking, and his body goes rigid. we've seen this multiple times now! especially in the car scene. boston edges closer and closer to him until there is no space between them and top has nowhere to go.

and when boston touches him?

top is barely even there.

already top is not in the right headspace in that car, stressed out and nervous because of what boston already showed him. and you're right again, anon! besides boston telling him multiple times already that mew is a virgin, top has no reason to believe that boston is lying to him. he didn't read the script lol!! what boston does is so foul and underhanded, if i hadn't seen him do it, i wouldn't have ever guessed. the magnitude of his cruelty, to EVERYONE involved, is breathtaking. should top have known that boston had ulterior motives by showing him the "evidence" of mew's "lies?" yeah, probably, but when someone confirms something you've already suspected or doubted about yourself and/or another, it's easy to fall into that trap. it's easy to believe that mew would do this to him, because it's what guys have been doing to him for years probably: just using him.

(we've also seen how easy it is for certain members of the fandom to believe boston because it confirms what they already thought about mew😒)

whether or not boston has actually positioned himself in top's eyes as the only person who's honest with him or if top just gives in to being used by another person because at least he'll be able to feel something, i don't know. i just know how lonely and fragile he looks.

that's not a villain, that's a scared little boy.

boston, mew, and fandom seem to think that top only having relationships that last three months is his fault, but when everyone treats him like a hot commodity rather than a person, i find that hard to believe. it just sounds like people use him up and toss him aside. that shit rewires your brain, you start to expect it and you start to think you deserve it :( boston only confirms what top already feared: that no one really cares for him.

BUT WE CARE FOR HIM 😭😭😭😭

thanks for dropping in, anon!!! i don't go into the tag anymore, so asks like this and reports from my friends are my only source for the nonsense. your sacrifices in the trenches do not go unnoticed🫡

[salpho]

BSOTM REVIEW !!

I liked it !! Not loved or anything big like that but it was enjoyable and effective for what it is.

Things I personally liked -

The story was well executed for how small the game is. Since the game is meant to be a treat/starter for the fans between bigger, main games/spinoffs, they had to think about how to present the story in a good readable but interesting way that's in their budget for it, and they did !! I liked all story parts I remember. The age and time being told through a height chart on the wall was creative and the way they had the hallway outside change from school to studio was also good. I also liked the silhouettes, they added an artistic feel to the game despite being really simple. All of it was fairly creative and I liked how they composed each scene to be abstract but still clear. I feel like the story itself is also more of a blurb than a one off thing too, just explaining the main parts of it/perhaps even a backstory to what happened to Riley in gent. This has potential and it would definitely be something I'd like to see made into a more developed story down the line.

I think the can mechanics were fun too, not anything huge but nothing in this game really is.

Things I didn't like/would change -

Ragtime Guffie seems like a great guy but like. He doesn't Do anything. A lot of problems, even in batdr, are that characters don't have significance and are just There. What I would've done is maybe have him be a link or symbolism for something relating to Riley's story ? Maybe make him represent a parent of hers or something, maybe even get rid of him entirely. If he appears in a game in the future perhaps make him an easter egg in bsotm like the other teasers in a way.

The oldtime theatre was kinda useless ? It feels as if both the theatre and teaser tv room could've been one, so if I were to change that I'd make each teaser poster seen on screen just a poster in a single theatre room framed like upcoming movies/the toon promos in other games (and the One in bsotm) would be. I remember seeing that lone wolf was a physical poster like that but I feel the other games could've had the same treatment. I also think the screen itself was fairly useless and didn't show anything of value. I would've at Least had it play the bendy toons that already exist on it or even just add different glitchy things that appear each time you hit the screen. Maybe mix the two up and have the toons themselves glitch in various ways while showing off the messages like "submit" and "obey" between frames.

Having to walk into and through the darkness for a good minute to get to the open shack feels... unnecessary. It's interesting in concept somewhat but it's just a waste of time to walk all the way over. Maybe making them closer together would've helped ? Or just have one shack and something hidden in the area to break the wood panels with.

Having a jumpscare for pausing just doesn't feel right. What if someone Needs to pause the game for a break or for other important reasons and they just come back to their game being over in some way/in the beginning again (keep in mind I avoided any jumpscare from the ink demon so I am only assuming what likely happens). It just doesn't sit right with me. Also, the accessibility of the game is Not good at all. There are no warnings for the flashing lights or the themes of car crashes, and the lack of any settings can make the game impossible to play for some I'm sure. No brightness settings, sensitivity, flashing lights to be turned off, anything. What should've been done is Have warnings on the steam page and have those options in game too as the lack of these can cause serious harm to some people.

In Conclusion -

I enjoyed the game and the story was executed well, however, the other parts of the game were oftentimes unnecessary and the accessibility needs to be improved.

[twoidiotwriters1]

Copycat: Genesis —(Marvel Fem!Oc)

A/N: I love all these girls they're so amazing 😭❤️ -Danny

Words: 1,822

Phase Six Masterlist

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

Listen to: ‘Bad habit’ -by Ben Platt

xxi: The Avenger

"You got your things?"

"I came here with nothing, so yeah," Cat grinned.

Shuri stared at her intently, Copycat was still wearing her suit, she had no other clothes to wear, and she wasn't planning to parade around town anyway, she would leave Riri in her dorm, and then go back to New York.

"You helped me a lot this week, I won't forget that," Shuri said.

Cat reached for the princess's hand. "You have no idea how important this suit was for my next move. And meeting Namor changed my mind about a few things."

"About what?"

"That mutants are superior beings," The princess hesitated, and the hero laughed and patted Shuri's back harshly. "You should've seen your face! Sorry, some habits are harder to drop than others."

The girl punched Cat's shoulder lightly. "You look happy... gives me hope."

"It does?"

"That one day I'll look on the bright side like you do."

Cat decided to be honest, maybe that would help Shuri. "Lying to Namor was like turning my back on every mutant on Earth, Shuri. He showed me that we have worth, and what I can achieve if I don't give up on myself. It may not mean much to you, but I'm thankful you didn't kill him."

Shuri looked away. "I think we have lost enough. Killing Namor would've turned the Black Panther into someone unworthy of the legacy."

"Hmm, I hate legacies," Cat patted her shoulder again. "Don't become a stranger, alright? You can call me even if it's just to complain about your day."

"Good luck with that hunter," the girl squeezed her arm encouragingly. "Don't let him win."

"Can't. I got a team to rebuild," she grinned.

"I'll be waiting for your call."

Riri stumbled onto her bed. "Oof! That ain't something I'm gonna get used to..."

Cat chuckled. "It was the fastest way to get you here," she dropped the girl's bag next to her. "Look after yourself, kiddo."

"Wait! That thing you said... about recruiting me..."

"You don't want me to?"

"You're gonna do it for real?"

"Yeah, if you're really interested," Cat assured her. "But there are a few things I gotta do first. Don't worry though, if you're meant to be an Avenger, you'll become one in due time."

Riri had an anxious look on her face. "I'm not sure I want to, though..."

Cat was unbothered by her response. She shrugged casually. "Well, the world is full of people like us, so no pressure. Whatever you end up choosing will be the right call, as long as it's not out of fear."

"A colonizer in chains... Now I have seen everything."

"Funny," the ex-agent got out of the car and noticed the young woman on his left. "So Copycat really is Agent Zero, huh?"

She frowned. "How did you figure it out?"

"We found your gorgon suit at the scene," Agent Ross explained. "But I heard you quit like a year ago..."

"I heard you committed treason," she replied.

The man looked at Okoye. "You're protecting her?"

"I protected them," Cat frowned.

"She took advantage of our situation," Okoye clarified.

"You know, Mother, sometimes you say real hurtful things—"

"Don't ever call me Mother."

"De Fontaine will hunt your ass when she finds out—"

"Valentina," Cat's eyes flashed dangerously. If the woman had been there when they'd found the Gorgon suit, then Russo knew she was back. "She's the reason I came to get you, actually."

Ross paused. "She... is?"

"I'm sure some people love to have her in the office," Cat walked back to Okoye's car, hidden on the side of the road. "Unfortunately, I can't allow that."

"What?" Agent Ross inquired. "What are you talking about?"

"Mouse, we have to give Agent Ross an update."

"On it."

"And while you're at it, look for Fury's number, he's been on vacation for far too long."

"You got it, boss."

"Wait, why me?" The man questioned.

"Because you got fired and it wasn't fair play," she said. "You'll help me and Captain America, Agent, if you want your job back."

Cat showed up in the middle of Matt's apartment... and startled Foggy Nelson in the process.

"HOLY SHIT!" The man fell over Matt's couch out of pure shock.

Matthew rushed out of the kitchen and walked up to Foggy, picking him up from the floor. "Why didn't you call!?"

"I wanted to surprise you with the news!" Cat winced.

"What news?" He scowled, helping his friend to get back on his feet.

"...that I'm alive?" She made a face. "Now it sounds stupid."

Foggy looked at her in disbelief. "Are you Copycat?"

"It's okay, Foggy—"

"Oh my god, are you in trouble?" The man looked at him with his mouth wide open. "You said you were taking a break—"

"—Foggy, calm down—"

"—Copycat is in your living room!"

Cat pressed the button on the side of her mask, turning off her visor. "He's not in trouble!"

Foggy stared at her squinting. "Do I know you?"

"You do," she took a deep breath. "Have you gotten any better at pool or am I going to keep stealing your paychecks?"

His eyes widened. "Cat?!"

The young woman smiled awkwardly. "Good to see you, bud."

"Foggy, you need to leave," Matt reached for the man's stuff and hung a bag over his friend's shoulder. "I'll explain everything later."

"But— wait! Cat?" Foggy looked at her and smiled. "That makes so much sense."

"I'm sure it does," Cat chuckled.

"You owe me an explanation too, though," he warned her before leaving. Matt kept pushing him forward. "A big one!"

"Yeah, sure!" She answered from her place. "Maybe one day you'll get it!"

Matt told Foggy not to mention he'd seen Cat, and his friend promised to keep his mouth shut, but he'd definitely demand all the answers sooner than later. Once he closed the front door, Matt spoke to her out loud. "Why didn't you call?"

"What time is it?"

"Seven thirty, boss."

"Thanks, Mouse," she looked at Matthew. "It's Monday, what are you doing in your house at this hour?"

He walked back into the living room, crossing his arms. "The power went out in the office so we came here instead."

"Where's Karen?"

"Took a short vacation, she'd been working nonstop for months," he hesitated for a second, in the end, he sighed and loosened the tie around his neck. "You should've told me you were coming."

"I didn't think it through," she apologized, then looked down at her suit. "Hey, you said Spidey brought some of my stuff. Where are they?"

"In my closet," he took a step forward. "You got a new suit?"

"Brand new design, changes colors depending on the light. I got a cloak too, but that one was given to me by another mutant, not Shuri."

"Another mutant?" He raised a brow. "Can I?" He raised his hand and Cat pulled her cloak forth, placing it on his open palm. "Paint me the picture," he requested.

"Two jaguars standing on their hind legs, they're facing away from each other," her eyes were focused on him. "The embroidery is silver and gold, and the fabric is teal, like jade."

"Does it have a purpose, or is it just for show?" He teased her.

"It's like Kingpin suits, but I'm sure it's made out of something else... the people that gave it to me called me a jaguar, he said they represent the power of darkness in the universe."

Matt frowned. "That doesn't sound flattering."

"Wasn't meant to be a compliment," Cat admitted. "It's who I am to them. It's like you, wearing a devil suit when you are a die-hard Catholic. Doesn't mean you're bad, only that you're one of the few who dares to do what it takes to keep your city safe."

He let go of the cloak but didn't move away. "You feel different. I would say happy, but..."

"I've made peace with parts of myself I thought weren't enough. I am enough... for what I'll do, anyway."

Matthew sighed. "There it is."

"What an ominous statement," she snorted. "I'm fine, Matthew. Don't overthink it."

He walked back to his kitchen. "You ate yet?"

"No, I was having a meeting with a former CIA agent."

"Can I ask?"

"I can tell you everything over dinner," she went to his room to get changed. "Even that part with the handsome and scary mutant, but I can't be specific, I promised not to tell others..."

"Sounds like a fun prospect," he replied with sarcasm. "Just your type, right? Secretive and inconvenient."

"More like charismatic and social," she tapped M.O.U.S.E. twice and her suit hid in a paw-shaped pin on her chest. "Did Spider-Man say anything about coming this week?"

"He said he'd try."

"I think I'll go see Harley.  Fury and the CIA agent agreed to help, I'm sure Harley's dying to pass all of our research to them, he didn't want to be involved, to begin with..." She put on a shirt and her favorite shorts. "Have you heard anything about the other guy?"

"What other guy?"

"The one that brought me along with Webs."

"Ah, that guy," he said. "Spider-man didn't mention him."

"So he left," Cat said quietly. "I'm glad."

"You don't sound glad."

"Well, I couldn't help him, I feel guilty."

Matthew hummed. "I'm sure you did your best."

Cat walked into the living room. "You have a habit of cheering me up even when I don't deserve it. Maybe I didn't try at all, have you considered that? Maybe I was selfish."

"I said you did your best. Whether your best is enough or not, that's another story," Matthew handed her a plate.

"That's so mean," she grinned, sitting down happily to enjoy her warm dinner. "But... Most of the people that I've interacted with ended up in a bad situation. From now on, I'll mind my business."

"I disagree, my life got better after we met."

She laughed. "Are you okay? Before I left for this mission you hated me, now it sounds like we're back to being best friends."

Matt sat in front of her, he had a small smile on his face. "We're definitely not friends. I'm saying you were exactly what I needed back then... but maybe this guy needs something else. Some people need the real thing, and a copycat isn't that."

She'd missed his bits of advice, as blunt and straightforward as they were, he was the only person in this world who understood her anger, but now... she knew it was because he couldn't remember her reasons to be who she was, and she couldn't blame him, but it still hurt. Cat was as real as any other person, she just couldn't be herself most of the time, because that tended to scare people off.

"Matthew, not even you are able to be sincere every second of your life," she sighed. "We hide parts of ourselves when we want to be picked. For example, right now I'm hiding how much I'd like to take you to bed to ask you if you're willing to be friends again."

He smirked, he didn't even bother to ask if she was joking or not, with her there was no difference. "If you can remember how to be a decent one."

"Vaguely," she took a bite of her food. "I won't blackmail you or break any of your bones this time around, promise."

"That's sweet..." he stole a bit of food from her plate. "Let's be friends, then."

Next Chapter—>

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[couragehopelovefaith]

Hi love your blog. I’m curious, what don’t you like about Caleb Rivers?

Aww, I'm glad you like it. :) Thank you for your ask.

His deal with Jenna left a bad taste in my mouth. Especially that he agreed to have sex with Hanna knowing that she would be really upset about him working with someone she and her friends have bad blood with.

I know that the whole Ravenswood-thing would've been very hard to explain, but I am sure that Hanna would've understood. It surely would've been better than to let her think that him leaving was for something she had done or purely about his feelings for someone else.

They live in a very dangerous and exceptional circumstances, but sometimes his need to "protect" Hanna went too far. He had a good reason to be suspicious of Mona for some time, yes, but he went to confront Mona twice during the series (on season 3 and 7B) against Hanna's wishes and made matters worse. I also really don't like how he felt it was his right to intimidate especially the female characters by getting in their faces. Without a doubt, he helped the girls multiple times, but his "I'm better than you because I understand technology and have seen how "the real world" works"-attitude especially in the beginning got on my nerves.

Not gonna lie, putting the trackers in the girls' cars wouldn't have been that bad of an idea - in the right circumstances and with them knowing. But like this... Hanna had every right to be upset.

At some points, I think that Ashley liked Caleb more than Hanna. And the fact that she invited him into their house twice (season 6 and 7) when Hanna clearly needed space...yikes.

The whole love-triangle would deserve its own post, but while they all were to blame in their own way, he handled the situation very badly. Spencer asked many times about his feelings for Hanna and gave him opportunities to figure them out and to step out of the situation. What did he choose to do instead? Deny them even after kissing Hanna and treat Spencer like crap after Hanna disappeared, ignoring her needs and blaming her for things she hadn't done. As the friend of both Toby and Spencer, he had seen how much Spencer appreciated communication and how upset and worried she had gotten when someone she loved disappeared without a warning ("When I think of A hurting you or worse... I have a very clear picture what it looks in my mind. Three words and I would've been fine. "Give me space." You can't disappear like that. Not after last time." - Spencer to Toby at the beginning of season 4). Spoby had been in high school at that time, and Toby learned from his mistakes. Caleb had witnessed all of this happening, but still, as a fully adult, chose to leave without a trace and not to let most of his friends know about his whereabouts.

Things didn't turn any better when Haleb got together. He confessed his love by saying that getting together with his ex would've been a huge mistake and the biggest regret of life after he had just begged her back and confessed his love to her a few weeks earlier. As the icing of the cake he listed all the things that bothered and annoyed him about Hanna and - in the same scene, may I add - managed to blame her for "not realizing that they are meant to spend the rest of their lives together." The math just doesn't add up here for me. I know that the writers might have intended that to show the viewers that Caleb somehow knows Hanna better than anyone else, but it just comes off as really downplaying. (It kinda goes hand in hand with the scene where Caleb is surprised that Hanna did well in SATs. I'm glad that Mona, Lucas and Jordan reminded Hanna about her skills and intelligence, but it certainly wouldn't have hurt if Caleb had done it more often as well.) If they wanted to proof us that Haleb is a great endgame, they should've also had Caleb mentioning the things he likes and appreciates about her.

Their wedding could've felt romantic if it wasn't rushed and focused on the idea that the married couple doesn't have to testify against each other in court. (Which is ironic, because Hanna thought that that was the reason Ella and Byron were getting remarried.) I just think that Hanna would've wanted and deserved a peaceful, well-planned wedding with her best friends around. You know, the kind of wedding that Ezr*a got.

PLL wouldn't be PLL if every couple wouldn't have had some drama even in the finale, but with Haleb they went overboard. They spent almost the whole two-part-episode arguing about Mona, about not having a honeymoon, and about the right timing of having children (by the way, have you noticed how many of their scenes are centered around Mona? It almost seems like a love-triangle or the third-wheel-situation in the end. :D ). They have a very brief scene where they make up and have sex. And tadaa! In the next scene where Caleb is mentioned Hanna is pregnant and everything appears to be fine. But for me the finale and the whole season 7 only showcases every reason why Haleb doesn't work as a couple and why Caleb should've been written off the show when he left for Ravenswood. The whole Haleb-endgame just seems absurd to me because Hanna really seemed happy with Jordan (and because Lucas was right there, but that's the topic of a whole other post). He was a good guy who balanced Hanna's personality and appreciated her the way she deserved.

I probably forgot some things and might add some while I keep rewatching, but this is all I got for now. You didn't specifically ask for my opinion of Haleb or Spaleb, but you got it anyway. If it wasn't what you signed up for, my sincere apologies.

[badedramay]

Hi Mais! How have you been doing? I’ve been catching up to SMD episodes. I’m glad the quality has picked up (tho it was never THAT bad aside from some writing hiccups) and I can now understand why the cast signed the project.

But having said that, I just hate HATE how the narrative has made Sadaf the unreasonable one for not trusting Bilal, and then went on to punish her by giving her a cheating abusive husband. It's like when Karan Johar said he made Alizeh get cancer in ADHM as punishment for not loving Ayaan back. It felt like a very similar thing KRQ did by giving Sadaf a miserable marriage because how dare she reject the saint incarnated Bilal Abdullah.

I can't remember if it was you or someone else who said it, but I totally agree that Sadaf had every reason to be suspicious af of BA's motives, even if Humsha hadn't been there manipulating her. A super wealthy guy who is just lavishing money and favours on you for no good reason (remember that scene where he he gifts the family a bag full of designer stuff?) and also has a reputation, which is completely accurate, of being a sleazy womanizer... any woman would wonder what's this guy up to. And he goes onto assert total control over their lives, from being their boss, to having paid for Z's treatment, to owning the house and car they have. Whether BA intends to or not, Humsha is right in that he is "buying" Sadaf's love and putting that family under his debt. There is such a massive power imbalance there that doesn't get addressed and instead Sadaf is shown as being wrong (and she herself comes to believe she is wrong) for not choosing BA the first time.

Also, writing really does affect the way an actor's performance is judged. I thought Maya was really good in that scene where Sadaf is telling Ammar that he cannot afford to marry her. But the problem was that Sadaf's actions made no sense. Why is she suddenly being so insulting to him? We know she is desperate for money, but nothing in her personality or in her relationship with Ammar at that point justified her demeaning his proposal that way. And don't even get me started on that 8cr scene. Sadaf really got the short end of the stick in the story.

honestly this is the most recurring topic of discussion in my gc about how Sadaf has been so severely let down by the narrative on every step. it's like she exists to be punished. neither the narrative nor the general discussion around the show acknowledges Sadaf's chaotic state of mind. i was talking to my friends the other day about how SMD as a story has been very wrongly interpreted for the screen. this is SADAF'S story so SHE should've been the audience's introduction and the POV of this world. instead for whatever reason despite being the central most character of this story, she had been relegated to being the most "mysterious" character for a good chunk of the story as we never saw the thought process behind WHY she made the decisions she did. we only got the visual of Sadaf deeply pondering over one development or the other but the monologue necessary for the audience to LISTEN to what she was thinking in her head was never really given to us. it's only NOW that Sadaf is really truly speaking about her grief and her regrets and getting to express her anger. and look how within 2 episodes of that the audience has begun to root for her.

i can't even say now that Sadaf is hated by the writer because in the current arc it's Sadaf and no one else who is making the most logical points. be it her showing her husband the mirror that his infidelity has cut a wound so deep within her that the mere thought of that happening to *him* has him struggling to maintain composure or her questioning her mother why can't she have the right to move on if her husband has already left her OR her questioning Bilal Abdullah why she's being accused of being unfaithful when it was her husband who was unfaithful and she's being asked to forgive him for that while the same courtesy is not being extended to her. it's Sadaf who is single handedly standing up to the suffocating patriarchal notions of the society and no one with two sound braincells can call her wrong now. but yeah..it took her 30 episodes to reach here and unfortunately that's just too long of a time for the audience to have made an impression about the character.

Sadaf has now given her reason for rejecting BA - she felt like he was trying to "buy" her and she felt like an object. so to protect her dignity she accepted Ammar's proposal, the man who wanted her so desperately he was ready to die for her. she weighed the two men's approach towards her and went for the one she thought valued her more. and that turned out to be the wrong one. she made a mistake. now she's regretting it. it's all a fairly HUMAN error on her part. but is the mistake SO big that she has to live with it all her life? that's the question that the audience should ask themselves (who continue to slander Sadaf for rejecting the oh-so-amazing hero BA) as Sadaf is asking the people around her.

i think the director fell too much in love with Bilal Abdullah that he completely failed to see that BA too has his flaws. his controlling nature was given the vibe of "self sacrificing lover". his cowardice is given the vibe of "peak sufi level lover". the smallest of good in him has been magnified to make him larger than life character. a very straight forward one-dimensional character is presented the most glorified lover of all time. at the same time none of Sadaf's complexities are given the time or attention. and in a way it does disservice to their favorite Bilal Abdullah as well. why is this man so obsessed with a woman who is NOTHING but flawed head to toe??? had Sadaf been more fleshed out, it would only reflect well on Bilal Abdullah that he fell for a woman so splendid that while others (Ammar) only saw her outer beauty..only he could see the beneath all her layers. but alas...that's not the case.

[bearpillowmonster]

The Last of Us HBO

This show is sort of in a bad situation because it's an adaptation of a beloved property that's going to be criticized if you're too close to the source material and too far, not to mention it's a video game property which has a track record of being subpar to just plain bad. And then that game is one of the most well known games of all time so there's that.

To be honest, I haven't played the games but I'd be living under a rock if I didn't know a lot of what already happens. And how do you do that? How do you subvert expectations when everyone already knows the spoiler?

I have the advantage to look at this from a different lens than that of a fan but I still can't help but draw comparisons and I think that's partially because it's so baked in. A good scene to represent this with is the truck getaway. In the game, you have a third person perspective of Sarah so you're in the backseat while these guys drive recklessly. It's not the same exact scene but it serves the exact same job using the exact same technique. If you watched a scene with very similar dialogue and the same end point, but just different means to get there, what did you see? Is it worth seeing again? In a game, you can feel the vibration of the controller as the car backs up and the intensity of your surroundings and how they're invading your little bubble. The scene in the show does a good job of replicating that but does that mean you're missing something?

If you've played the Last of Us and didn't like it then I don't think this show will do anything for you. There are differences but I think they fundamentally have the same problems but I think that doubles for if you liked the game, I think you'll at least enjoy it for what it's worth for a whole other Last of Us revisit after the initial game, the remaster, the remake and now this. Neil Druckmann is still involved and you can definitely tell his fingerprints are on it, unfortunately they still have unnecessary cursing. (like, you don't need it to make it gritty, how many times do I have to tell you that?) People who were jerks are still jerks. There are better things about it, there are worse things.

The other guy involved, the freaking director, Craig Mazin and his stupid comments about video games. I just don't understand but first I'll give him a hand for actually walking the walk after talking the talk but I still think some of his comments are wrong and that they don't even make sense in this context when he literally uses video game techniques to make it happen but oh well.

I mean literally, despite never playing the game, I knew what must have been there. "Ellie, I'll give you a boost, drop that ladder down to me." Little stuff like that, but it didn't really feel forced or out of place. I see now where a Last of Us MMO could come in, sort of like making it an RPG where you can choose to fight or join the Fireflies, I think that'd be quite fun but from what I see, it's a battle royale.

Acting. Pedro. That's all. I mean, I got my space cowboy but now I've got the southern accent to boot, all he needs is a little hat and we're good to go!

Honestly, it's probably better taken episode by episode because aside from actively trying to make you dislike the characters in a specific way in order to care about them, there are a few really good episodes and even the bad episodes have good parts but they are dominantly bad episodes and just straight bad characters or characters that have no relevance but get spotlight anyway. That isn't to say that it's only the new stuff that's bad either, there's a lot of good new stuff too, it's just a mystery as to what you're getting in any given episode, you can normally tell "Oh, this will be one of the predominantly good ones."

The end. Though I knew how it would end, it felt a little bit short lived and I don't mean that in length, more like they were trying to get it done, like the moments didn't hit as hard as they should've because of one reason or another. It all feels pretty summed up. Dialogue was disappointing since it was the last episode and they have a short moment before it all goes down where it feels like they trauma dump rather than a nice payoff to seeing them slowly trust each other enough to reveal one's insecurities which is ironic considering….well, season 2 will answer for that but all in all, a decent video game product.

[simpforsix]

first of all, to my fellow emetophobes there is a lot of vomit in this season, especially episode 2. luckily i'm not as bad with it as i used to be, but if you struggle with emetophobia i recommend skipping past the car scene after five says he's going to be sick because it's... a lot.

now,

BIG SPOILERS INCOMING

SERIOUSLY I'M ABOUT TO SPOIL THE WHOLE THING DO NOT CLICK READ MORE IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED THE WHOLE SEASON

here's the things i liked the most about this season:

-the aesthetic. tua always has it's aesthetics on point so it's no surprise, but i really liked the look of this season.

-the soundtrack. again, an obvious one, but i was jamming to the music the whole time. AND i really liked their use of viktor's apocalypse suite, especially with how it backed the whole final fight. it was a cool return to the first season. they also used one of his orchestra songs for what abigail is playing when they walk in, which was a cool touch. and i loved how the whole season ended with 'i think we're alone now'.

-the sibling bonding. i especially liked the car ride (before the excessive vomiting) because it's exactly like every road trip i've ever had with my sister.

-viktor getting to yell at reggie. that old bitch had it coming.

-the scene with all the fives from alternate timelines was funny, even though i wasn't a fan of five at that point because of what he did with lila. i love whenever there's a bunch of alternate versions of the same character and they give them nicknames like 'drunk five' and 'brisket five'. plus it explains the whole old five from s3.

-klaus was fantastic as always. i'm glad he got to chew out allison and have some of his comic powers, and i loved seeing him do tarot. very relatable that he was pulling cards and then putting them away when he didn't like what he got.

-this is more because of elliot but i LOVED seeing viktor be comfortable in his skin for once. his voice is so deep now, and the fact he's a trans character just living life brought me so much joy.

-luther and diego being a himbo & himbo duo again.

-ben's death. it's not what i was expecting but i liked how it answered why none of them talk about what happened and why reggie would be invested in the plot.

-i like the mechanism of the subway. the subway lines are timelines, and it acts like the portal from s3 (even with the colour references when the subway is travelling).

-diego's reaction to getting his powers back is hilarious. everyone else was having a shit time and he was overjoyed about throwing packages.

-it is very funny to me that sparrow ben is canonically a cryptobro because that it so in character for him.

and now for the things i really didn't like:

-LILA/FIVE. the age gap makes me uncomfy (both ways) but the biggest thing is how is impacts lila's relationship with diego. it just makes both of them unlikable, which considering we've been following five since s1 as a main character is bad. she cheats on diego with HIS BROTHER who was clear about being unattracted to her the previous season and puts his family above all else. five just abandons his principles, lila cheats on her husband, and it's all left unresolved forever.

-klaus being forced into prostitution to pay his debt. absolutely unnecessary and not given the weight it deserved, especially since him getting possessed by a ghost to have sex is definitely sa.

-allison's actions in s3 go pretty much unaddressed. i could understand that with how the family is but the fact she sa'd luther should've been addressed.

-why did ray walk out? they were happily married for years in the 60's, and then he left her for some unknown reason and is only mentioned in a throwaway line by klaus.

-ben's death. yes it's on both lists. this point is because of the plot holes it makes. his ghost is unmarked but reggie shot him in the head, which doesn't make sense considering klaus sees the wounds on ghosts. he's wearing the wrong clothes which is an obvious continuity error since umbrella ben had literally ONE outfit. and he doesn't have any more hatred for reggie than the others as a ghost, which doesn't make sense because obviously his memories weren't impacted. and if he doesn't know because he died immediately, why doesn't he ask klaus about it when he summons him at his funeral? it's just a lot of inconsistencies.

-also, how does the whole 'jennifer incident' work in the sparrow timeline? there's sketches of her on ben's desk, which doesn't make sense if he never opened the container and therefore didn't die.

-not a plot thing, but rather that i found the use of vomit a little excessive in this season. i have emetophobia so others might not have this issue, but i do wish it hadn't been shown as graphically.

-again, i really don't like how unresolved they left lila/diego. they're the only remaining couple, they were married for five years, and it ends with us having no idea where they stand. i also really hate the whole bit where diego thinks lila is cheating (when we know she isn't) but then she DOES cheat. the fact she's bored with suburbia is interesting but left unexplored. these issues should've either been explored earlier or not written in because they aren't dealt with in a satisfying way. i know real life relationships don't often end in a satisfying way, but this is the last episode of a tv show for a three season relationship. it should've been better.

-viktor doesn't play the violin. this has been a grievance of mine for s3 and s4. it's such a major part of his character in s1 (literally helping bring about the apocalypse) and as a musician myself it's such a missed opportunity. musicians live and breathe music, and it just doesn't make sense that viktor, a professional violinist, would stop playing even as a hobby. i got so excited when they played his apocalypse suite and showed his (abigail's) violin, but he never even touched it.

[let-them-read-fics]

Blackpink Reaction To Their S/O Struggling W/ Drug Addiction

Warnings / Misc. -- ⚠️ Sensitive Topic ⚠️, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff

A/N: Hey everyone! This request covers a sensitive topic that I haven't been personally exposed to, but I hope that I do it justice. I did my best to handle it with care and be as realistic as possible. Let me know what you think!

PS -- I didn't specifically name any substances or describe them in too much detail; I wanted to leave you room to picture whatever you had in mind, especially if you happen to be struggling irl.

👩 Also, I wrote this as Fem!Reader because nothing was specified. I hope that's alright, anon! Thank you for your patience :)

♡ Happy Reading ♡

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Jisoo

Discovered it after a few weeks of dating

She's amazing at reading people, so she had sensed that you were struggling with something; she just didn't know what. 

She wanted to wait for you to tell her about whatever it was, but one fateful day she witnessed something that explained it all. 

It wasn't meant to happen; she wasn't meant to see you like this. But, as fate would have it, Jisoo stumbled across something she never saw coming. 

Her footsteps grow louder as she walks her way through the house, peeking her head into various rooms in search of you. The two of you invited some of your mutual friends over, and they've all been curious as to where you slipped away to earlier.

"Baby, are you in here? Everyone's wonder--" 

The sound of the latch clicking out of place makes your heart drop and sets you into motion. Before you have enough time to fully react, though, Jisoo opens the bathroom door to find you sitting on the ground, attempting to shove a foreign substance into a plastic baggy. 

Your hands make quick work of moving it out of view and sitting up on your knees, but she picks up on what's going on. Her eyes land on the material as you shift it behind your body, looking up at her with wide eyes. 

"Jisoo--" Tears are already beginning to work their way into your eyes, slightly blurring your vision. Too many people have walked out on you after witnessing this, and the thought that she might go too is overwhelming. 

She keeps her tone level as she steps into the room and quietly shuts the door behind herself. "Y/N, please explain yourself." 

"I-I'm sorry Jisoo, I should've told you sooner." You shakily say, bringing a hand up to swipe away the few tears that've already leaked out. It's not usually like you to get so emotional so quickly, but seeing the pained look on her face is reason enough. 

"Come here," she utters, plopping down next to you and pulling you up against her body as she leans back on the side of the tub. Her fingers rub soothing circles on your back while you rest your head on her shoulder, lightly dampening the material of her shirt with your tears. "I'm not mad at you for this, but I need you to tell me about it. I want to help you, my love. I can't watch you hurt yourself like this." 

"Okay. Just promise you won't go," you softly say, the syllables of your words breaking here and there from the raw emotion you feel. 

"I'm not going anywhere, Y/N." She presses a light kiss to your temple for reassurance, and her heart breaks when she feels your hands grip at her clothes out of habit. How many times have people told you that and still left you in your time of need? She cradles you in her arms, realizing just how fragile you are in your current state, and tells you to take your time. 

With a steadying breath, you begin to explain your struggles. 

Road To Recovery

Constant check-ins

"Hey honey, we're at the studio now. Are you taking care of yourself for me?"

Helps you deal with the symptoms of withdrawal when they hit

Focuses on distraction and redirection as ways to help you cope

If you're at a party and feel tempted after seeing someone use, she leads you away to distract you from the urge

Helps you find safe alternatives 

Celebrates the little victories

"Yes, Y/N, 4 and a half weeks clean is plenty reason to celebrate. Now mark it on the calendar and get over here so I can put this hat on you." 

Playdates at your local dog café to keep your mind occupied (and bringing Dalgomie so he can make new friends, of course)

Takes you indoor skydiving. She wanted to find a way to give you an adrenaline rush while still being able to participate with you, so that was a happy medium. She battled her fear of heights to do that with you.

Not letting you lose hope if you relapse

"You're not a burden, and I'm not letting you give up on yourself. Not after all the progress you've made. I believe in you." 

Accompanying you to rehab and recovery meetings, if you want her to

Bringing you your favorite snacks and candies when she picks you up

"I got you a little something," she smiles, leaning over the center console of the car to kiss your cheek. "You deserve a treat, baby." 

Whenever you decide to tell everyone about your struggles and recovery journey, she's right next to you for support 

Spends all the time she can with you

Early on, she would get really worried when you missed her calls or took a while to respond, but eventually she got over her fears to some degree

Still checks up on you when she's away for work

"Sorry for missing your call, Chu. Dalgom tried to kill me when I was giving him a bath and I couldn't get to the phone in time." 

Overall, just a very proud girlfriend who sticks by you no matter what

After You've Recovered

Annual "recovery party" to commemorate your sobriety 

Sometimes you invite the girls and your other friends, and sometimes you prefer to just spend the day at home with Jisoo

"Look at how far you've come, my love. I'm so proud of you."

♡♡♡♡♡

Jennie

She would be the only one who figured it out on her own. She picked up on the signs fairly quickly and always subtly helped steer you away from any potentially tempting situations

If you two watched a movie that happened to have a triggering scene in it, she always noticed how you'd look away and subconsciously tense up a bit

"Hey, babe. This movie's kinda boring; why don't we watch that new Netflix documentary instead?" 

If the two of you were invited to parties that were likely to have a bunch of alcohol and drugs, sometimes she'd try to suggest staying in or doing something else instead

You eventually caught on to her diversion attempts, and sat down with her to have a talk. 

"How long have you known?" You ask, pulling your legs up towards your chest as you sit back against the headboard of your California King. 

"A few weeks," she starts, running a brush through her hair until it's untangled. Her damp locks stick to her shoulders as she approaches you, some strips slightly drier than others. "Were you ever gonna tell me?" She inquires softly, facing you as she sits down beside you on the bed. 

"Of course, Jen. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner, I just… I was on my own with it before you. I didn't have anyone to turn to because everyone left once they found out." Your confession makes her chest ache -- it's a physical, honest pain that she feels as she imagines you battling such an unforgiving foe with no one in your corner. She places a warm hand on your thigh to comfort you, knowing just how much her touch helps when you're upset. "Hey, it's okay. There's no point in worrying about that now. I know it's hard to open up, babe, so thank you for doing this. I'm here to listen, alright?"

"Thank you, Jennie. I don't know what I'd do without you." 

"You'll never have to know, either, because I'm staying right here." 

"I love you," you whisper, leaning forward to press a kiss to her lips. 

"I love you, too," she sighs against you, preparing herself for the emotional night you're about to have. For now, she takes a moment to just pull you into her arms and rest her forehead against yours, finding comfort in your steady heartbeat. 

"We'll start whenever you're ready." 

Road To Recovery

Makes various arrangements to ensure that the media won't know of your struggles

Keeps things on lock, especially if you decide to remain private on the matter and not tell the world

If you make a public statement about it, she still does everything she can to keep you protected from the negativity. She knows first hand how tough it can be to deal with, so she never lets you face it alone

You both help each other work through things

"You're my rock, Y/N/N." 

"And you're my world, Jen."

Takes care of you during bouts of withdrawal 

Sings to you to calm you down and help you relax

Takes you to theme parks and rides all the big coasters with you so you can get a similar high that you did from the drugs. She gets to be clingy with you and spend the day having fun, so she doesn't mind it, and you enjoy it just the same.

Suggests fun activities for you to do together 

"We should visit that pottery place tomorrow! I've heard a lot of good things about it." 

You stick close together when you're in public, especially when paparazzi are near

Your presence helps with her anxiety, and you hold her close and tell jokes to keep her attention off of it

Random surprise celebrations waiting for you when you get home

"Hey Jen, I'm home." You announce, shrugging your coat off before hanging it up on the metal rack next to the front door. 

"In here," she calls from the kitchen, effectively pulling you in with that sweet voice of hers. When you reach the doorway and peek in, a dumbstruck smile slowly parts your lips as you see the set up she constructed. 

"Happy 3 Weeks" a multicolored banner reads, displaying the phrase above your dining room table where Jennie sits. "Surprise, honey," she says softly, glancing down at the cake she made for you as she scoots it closer. You approach the table and examine it, practically feeling your heart grow 10 sizes from the love you hold for your girlfriend. 

"Is this why you left practice early?" 

"Mhm," she nods, kissing your cheek before she reaches into a small gift bag next to her chair. "I'm so proud of you," she grins, sliding a thin, glittery headband into your hair. It has two springs attached to the top that bounce in every direction possible, surely making you look like a dork. 

"God, I love you." 

"You'd better keep that same energy after trying the cake. I think I might've added too much baking soda…"

You shake your head and pull her in, pressing kiss after kiss to her lips until she's grinning just as hard as you. 

Going on adventures with Kuma and Kai

Especially to dog parks and other national parks 

Helps you fill things out for rehab and doesn't let you get too stressed about it

Helps you regain confidence in yourself if you relapse

"This isn't the end, Y/N. You're strong, I know you can beat this."

Is right next to you through it all

After You've Recovered

Go on an annual vacation to get away from everything and celebrate your sobriety. You take the opportunity to escape the media and reconnect with each other

"Where to this year, Y/N? Bora Bora, maybe?"

Intimate celebration between the two of you on vacation, and then the girls throw you a party when you come back

♡♡♡♡♡

Rosé

You were really good at hiding your secret from people -- especially those that you care about most. You're always afraid that once they find out, they'll pack up and leave. 

Rosé was one of the first to actually stay

She had been fairly oblivious to your struggles since you masked that side of yourself well, but one day the two of you attended a little get-together at your old friend's house, and your dirty laundry was aired.

"Bro, come on, let's play Truth or Dare!" One of your old friends says, perking up at the fact that he remembered the game even existed. He's already a little tipsy, but so are some of the others. 

"I don't know, dude," you hesitantly start, missing the way that Rosé curiously raises a brow beside you. 

"Come on, we'll keep it tame." Another person adds from the couch opposite you, their voice low. You recognize her as Cho, a sort of frenemy from your high school years. Something doesn't sit right for you with the hint of mischief that shines in her eyes, but your friends' pleas eventually push the feeling away and you relent. 

"Fine, but if Austin gets dared to do some dumb shit like last time I'm dropping out." 

"Like what?" 

"Like what?" You ask back, disbelief evident in your voice. "Are you forgetting the fact that I had to bail you out after you got arrested for streaking down the neighborhood?" 

"Okay, fair point," Austin holds his hands up in surrender. "Just a few rounds." 

--

As everyone's once boisterous laughter finally dies down into quiet chuckles, you turn to Rosé for a quick kiss. She reciprocates and holds you there for a few more seconds, loving the way your lips feel against her own. As you brush your nose against hers and garner a sweet giggle from her, Cho interrupts the moment with a phrase that makes your blood run cold. 

"So, Rosé, has Y/N told you about the time she got arrested for drug possession? Word on the street is that she still can't shake her old habit..." 

Rosie feels the way you tense up at the question and pull away from her, cringing at the exposure you just received. The room goes silent, enabling a pen to be heard if it were dropped. 

"Hey," Austin goes to defend you, about to yell at her for bringing up such a difficult topic. 

"It's fine, Austin," you say, sticking your hand out in front of him to keep him from approaching her. The last thing you want right now is a screaming match about your struggles. 

Rosie finally speaks up after what feels like an eternity, turning to Cho to say, "No, but that's none of your business. And I strongly advise that you don't speak on her name like that again." She cuts her eyes at the other girl, sending an icy glare at her to show that she's serious before giving her attention to you again. 

When a few tense moments pass with no one really saying anything, Jackson, the host, speaks up. "I think you need to go, Cho." 

"Ah, what a shame. The fun was just starting," she mockingly pouts, stopping next to you on her way out the door. Rosé strokes the back of your hand to soothe you, tracing mindless patterns with her thumb until your shoulders relax and you look into her eyes. With Cho now gone, your friends decide to go out into the backyard and give the two of you some time to clear things up. 

"So, I guess we should talk." You start, pulling your legs up onto the couch to sit criss-cross. She studies the way that you begin to nervously fidget and drop eye contact, and the sight breaks her heart. 

"Your past is your past, Y/N, and I won't ever judge you for it. I wish she wouldn't have brought it up like that -- I really wish she didn't," she says, emphasizing the word to remind you of how upset she is with Cho, "But I can tell that you're still struggling. I want to help you get better, and I'll be here with you every step of the way, babe. You mean the world to me." She smiles sadly, trying not to think of how much it would hurt to lose you. 

"Okay," you breathe out, accepting the honest help that she's extending to you. You've been burned and lied to in the past, but you trust Rosé to stay true to her word and assist you on the hard journey laid out before you. "Let's start from the beginning," you say, preparing yourself to retell your struggles from the moment they began all those years ago. 

Road To Recovery

Takes care of you when withdrawal hits hard

Isn't afraid to take the day off if it's bad enough and she needs to

"Hey, Teddy. Tell everyone that I'll be staying home today, okay? I've already let the girls know, too." 

Reassurance to the max

"You're doing amazing."

Is your shoulder to cry on when times get tough

On a weekend trip, the two of you snuck away to the beach to go cliff diving. It was a thrilling experience, and you'll always remember that day with her

Helps you find healthier alternatives to your addiction that can make the transition easier until you fully recover

"Baby, look at this." She says, repositioning her laptop so that you can see what she's looking at. The two of you are sitting on the bed, and her legs are stretched out over yours. "These herbs are safe to smoke and they can help with a lot of your troubles. These over here," she says, pointing to a section of the screen, "help with stress and anxiety. They make it easier to relax." You nod, logging the information in your brain as you run a hand over her smooth skin to keep yourself calm. It's a habit that both of you love. "Thank you, Rosie. Nobody's ever done anything like this for me." You say, keeping your head down as you remember all the people that have left you behind in your time of need. 

"You'd do the same for me, and I'm happy to be here for you." She declares, holding one of your hands within both of her own. She cradles it delicately, just like she does your heart. "I'll do whatever it takes to make you feel my love. I'm not going anywhere, babe." She leans in, connecting your lips in a sweet kiss. 

Keeps your spirits up if you relapse

"You're not a failure, Y/N/N. This is just a setback, and we're going to get through it together."

One of her friends told her about a fun art class that's supposed to help people in recovery let go of some of their resentment and negative feelings, so she brought it up and you agreed to go

It was structured in two parts:

Part 1: Everyone went out to an old car lot that had various old vehicles, electronics, and other things to smash up. Once you let loose and relieved some of your tension, you collected scraps of the things you destroyed.

Part 2: With the scraps you brought back, you were told to create any type of artwork you wanted -- whatever felt right. Collage, graffiti, scrapbook, etc. At the end of the class, you were informed of the driving message behind it: Though the negative feelings and aversions you dealt with in the past may have left you feeling broken, you never really were -- you've always had the power to piece yourself back together and continue on.

After You've Recovered

Taking a month off work every year to travel and experience new things together. Usually consists of going to another city (or even country) and exploring their art museums and other artistics outlets 

The new experiences help remind you off all the reasons you want to stay sober, and they help her have new material for her songs

Lots of pictures and drawings to remember all of your adventures

Collect trinkets to hang up / display, especially around the holidays

The girls have a special celebration waiting for you when you return

♡♡♡♡♡

Lisa

She could tell something was wrong when your behavior started to change over the course of a couple weeks

She suspected other things, but after finding a substance in your bag while on a vacation trip, she was blind sided by the reality of the situation

"Hey Lis, have you seen my swimsuit?" You casually ask, strolling into your hotel bedroom in search of the item. "I thought I left it--"

Your words catch harshly in your throat, nearly making you choke from how quickly you cut yourself off. She's sitting on the edge of the bed with the baggy in her hands, and tears brim in her eyes. 

"Fuck," you wince, closing your eyes as you put your face in your hands. "You weren't supposed to find out like this."

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asks, staring straight ahead, though her eyes don't focus on anything in particular. Knowing you hurt her is bad enough, but seeing her like this makes the pain even more evident. 

"I was going to, I promise. But I've been trying to wean myself off of it," you begin to explain, slowly walking across the room until you're in front of her. You squat down and put your hands on her thighs, staying quiet until she meets your gaze. "I've tried to quit cold turkey in the past but it didn't go down well. I figured I could handle this on my own and not get you involved."

"Baby, I want to be involved. You've been different lately, and having you shut me out didn't help ease my fears. I want to be a part of this, okay? You can turn to me when you feel alone," she says through the occasional tears that roll down her cheeks, "It's my job to help you and keep you safe. So let me," she crouches down next to you as she says the last part, wrapping her arms around you when she notices your lip tremble. "I'm not gonna let this get between us," she says against your shoulder, reminding you of how strong her love for you is. 

"I'm sorry I waited so long," your words are muffled against her shirt, but she can hear how the emotion in them changes your voice slightly. 

"We have to start somewhere, and this is just as good a time as any. I'm right here, Y/N/N."

Road To Recovery

Sweet texts and reminders throughout the day

"Hey baby, have you eaten today? The girls and I miss you like crazy." 

--

"Don't forget about your check-up tomorrow. I already told my manager that I'll be taking the day off, so I'm all yours 😉"

--

"*image attachment* Question: Do you think Lego would look cute in this or do you think Lego would look cute in this? Because he WOULD." 

Stargazing trips to talk about how far you've come

Making treats for the cats together if you have a bad day

Sometimes your withdrawal leaves you with weird cravings, but she never hesitates to race to the store at any hour and snatch up your favorite treats

Learning how to cook together to keep you occupied and give you a hobby (plus she's always wanted to get better at it)

“If you fling that at me, I swear to God I'll--”

"Oops!"

"LISA!" 

Day trips to random parks and open locations to have little photoshoots when she has free days

Once took you bungee jumping for the experience and adrenaline rush

Bringing you into the studio if you're having a hard time and don't want to be alone

Always listens to you and shows how much she cares

Opts out of events if she suspects that drugs will be there to tempt you (considering you're always her plus one)

You still send her to enjoy herself at the events without you sometimes, though it does take a lot to convince her to leave you at home

"Okay, okay! But we're binging that new show when I get back." 

Makes you laugh often and cheers you up when you need it most

She's your sunshine

After You've Recovered

Considering that you're her muse and she's the artist that she is, she hatched a plan early on to document your journey to recovery

"One more, babe. Just like that." She instructs, holding the camera up to her eye one final time. "Perfect." 

"Alright, close your eyes and turn around." She commands while returning to the coffee table that sits in the middle of your living room. Her hands make quick work of putting the finishing touches on her gift for you while you patiently sway and hum to whatever song is stuck in your head at the moment. 

"Annnnnd done!" She shouts, approaching you with a wide smile tugging at her lips as she holds the book out in front of herself. "It's a photo album. I started it the day you told me you wanted to try and get better," she says, smiling softly as she slowly walks you through the beginning pages of the book. "I thought it would be nice to see how far you've come," her eyes remain glued to the pictures she took as she continues flipping, and she fails to realize that you're staring at her now. 

"I'm so in love with you. I can't thank you enough, Lis. This is beautiful." You shake your head in quiet disbelief, genuinely surprised that someone would work so hard on something for you. It shouldn't be a surprise with her though, considering how much she loves you, but it still baffles you sometimes. 

"This gift only shows a fraction of my love for you, but I'm happy you like it. This is nothing, baby; there's so much more where this came from. Thank you for letting me in." She captures your lips in a meaningful kiss, and finds it hard to pull away. You seem to be her drug of choice, but neither of you care to end that sweet addiction.

Annual trips to photoshoots and fashion shows

Being her favorite model (seriously, she could look at you for hours on end)

Always feeling so loved and cherished, no matter what the two of you are doing

[ae0nx]

FRUITS BASKET S3 EPISODE 8 RECAP AKA THE KYORU CHRONICLES PART 2 (plus a quick recap of eps 3-7)

aaaaaaAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!! I gotta get it out of me otherwise I won't be able to concentrate on work and I will be scrolling through the tag till the day I die. Everything from episode 3 of Season 3 literally hit me like an avalanche - literally cos I marathoned 3-7 over the weekend which I wouldn't advise unless you want an accelerated heartbeat - and I'm starting to realise... maybe I just wasn't ready for season 3. Despite asking for it, haha. Not gonna put as many screencaps for this one cos tumblr editing bay be trippin and I just don't have time nor emotional energy to be fighting with the picture uploads, sorry lol

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Episodes 3 - 7

I spoke before about how (despite my feelings about the characters) the English dub VAs for Akito and Shigure pair up really well audibly. And I think I feel the same way about both Yuki and Machi's English VAs! They both have the same soft spoken yet scratchy element to their voices almost like they are holding slightly back. Although, I'd argue that Yuki has been losing the element of slightly holding back as the anime has gone on which I wonder if the same would be included for Machi's performance?

I really like the presentation of Machi's trauma through her family's expectations to be perfect and how physical it is? How Yuki kind of encourages her to let it out in a healthy way? (Btw the whole chalk breaking scene in the meeting was SO FUCKING SMOOTH. YUKI IS A NERD BUT HE IS SO EFFORTLESSLY COOL A LOT OF THE TIME)

The age gap between Isuzu and Haru for sure isn't the worst age gap in this anime/manga but it's still a bit... hmm...

Episode 4:

In all seriousness, I know Akito deserves some sympathy but it doesn't change the fact that I still see her as a villain. Hurt people hurt people but it doesn't mean they should get away with it, I was honestly pleased Haru got that big confrontation with Akito to tell her WHAT'S WHAT but it was also somewhat... merciful?

Hiro's growth has been so beautiful to see, him realising there are bigger things than him from the event with Rin to his relationship with Kisa to then the birth of his little sister.

Kureno choosing to get his hands a little dirtier and paying the ultimate price for it (as far as we know so far in the anime lol) was great, he is the moon side of Tohru's sunshine.

Shigure... I still don't really get him and Akito's relationship. It's clear he's waiting for Akito to grow the fuck up but at the same time he's not creating an environment for her to grow and develop. He's decided to go with the 'tough love' route which I'm still deciding whether I like it or not tbh. Sometimes it feels necessary, at other times it feels shitty. I respect that he knows he's a scumbag and I don't deny that there are people out there who take revelry in the fact that they are awful but at the same time, him remaining unchanging despite everything feels... unrealistic. But considering throughout this story he doesn't seem affected by trauma, it's understandable, I guess?

Also... that scene where Shigure ponders about whether he should've been with Tohru is THE creepiest creeper shit he's EVER done in this series. No. 🙅🏾‍♀️

Momiji is best bunny boi regardless of how tall and 'manly' he becomes. 🐰His scene with Akito was so authentically him and he really did that shit. We love him. <3

I love the way that the curse breaking should (on surface) be a happy event considering all the trauma the zodiac went through because of it but it's presented mostly as loss as well as happiness. It's the realness of getting out of a bad relationship

Shigure basically laying it out to Tohru how Kyo means nothing in a very taunting way was an excellently painful scene and I choose violence. It was heartbreaking seeing how worthless they all saw Kyo compared to how Tohru saw him but... by this point I was just living in the pain so 🤷🏾‍♀️

The story visually showing how Isuzu is more willing to be soft after her whole ordeal through her fashion choices (e.g. the pastels, the cardigans) was really nice. And Haru being happy about Isuzu making friends with Tohru was cute!

It was nice we saw that Kazuma was still wary about whether Tohru loved Kyo for the right reasons, you'd assume after everything Kazuma would love Tohru as a match for Kyo but he's so emotionally intelligent and also just a protective Dad! Yay, good parenting!

Tohru's confession to loving Kyo was amazing however I still adore Kyo's confession a little bit more. Just a bit. Lol. However, if you add the moment later in episode 8 it trumps it completely. Ethereal goddess.

Kyo and Tohru's grandfather having a scene together was great and nice

Now that I think about it, I wish there was more a visual link in the story between Tohru adapting her speech to imitate her Dad and Momiji adopting his Mum's German accent. Albeit for slightly different reasons, it just adds to the unique connection Tohru and Momiji have. In short, I'm seeing this ship with my third eye now. I get it lol

I don't wanna screencap the scene where Kyo is haunted by both his deceased mother and deceased Kyoko and potentially deceased Tohru because it's the stuff of nightmares. But, it was a wonderfully done scene. You definitely understand fully and clearly why Kyo buried all of that trauma under his hatred for Yuki (I CAN'T WAIT FOR EPISODE 9, YOU GUISE!)

If Akito is a villain, Ren is the final boss. Although, with her type of villainy... I feel like I can kind of enjoy a bit more. She reminds me of a Greek God in the ways she master manipulates people and her desperation for control and power (I just read 'Mythos' by Stephen Fry, it's a great read lol)

It lowkey feels like every female character who's comfortable in expressing their sexuality in this story is punished in some way for it... this is an incomplete thought

Shigure as a child feeling like they should all be pitied is so... mature... I feel like I need more of an explanation for why Shigure is the way he is

Akito's ego death with Kureno? Amazing. I loved that she was at least aware enough to realise how Kureno had been coddling her all this time but again... doesn't excuse her crimes

But anyways...

EPISODE 8

Honestly? I really don't have much to say about this episode besides 3-5 points I wanna get out of my head. It's not a bad thing at all, it's just that there's still a lot left to play out from this 'arc' and this season in general that I wanna complete my thoughts on.

But I'll start with this:

Lol, isn't it funny?! Isn't it heart-wrenchingly funny how the relationship between Kyo and Tohru has kinda reverted back to how they were at the start of the series? The coldness of Kyo at the beginning of this episode (and throughout) was a bit of a gut punch considering all the light and fluffy moments that we've gotten between the two since the True Form arc.

Talking about the True Form arc, I feel like this episode is somewhat a repeat of the same emotions, same trials of the True Form arc. Kyo still 'runs away like he always has' but this time we get him being the most honest and confrontational with his own emotions and trauma than he ever has been during the course of this whole story. While trusting someone (Tohru specifically) for the first time with the whole truth of his story! He always seems to move one step forward and then three steps backwards and while it's a tad bit frustrating, it feels very... real. I'll probably complete my feelings how this arc reflects the True Form arc when we finish this section of the story in future episode(s).

Considering the fact that 80% of this episode is Jerry Jewell monologuing as Kyo and I never got bored really just sells his performance. Kyo was being incredibly cold this episode and yet the range of emotions through his performance made it feel understandable enough for you to empathise with it.

BrattyKid!Kyo to lighten the mood 😹I still wish he and Hiro had more of a relationship, I feel like they could have taught each other a lot. Well... mostly Kyo teaching Hiro tbh

Kyo rejecting Kyoka for her honesty and kindness and then later rejecting Tohru? Oh... kid...

Wow, I felt so good about that whole episode of Kid!Yuki helping Kid!Tohru get home and then it's slightly soured knowing KID!KYO was running about the streets alllll night into the morning?!?! I really did feel Kyo's frustration at not getting that win to actually do something right. And the irony of that being linked to him being unable to save Kyoka from the oncoming car?

Honestly, I don't know what my feelings are on Kyo being unable to save Kyoka. I don't even know what my feelings are on Tohru pretty much pushing that aside in favour of her feelings for Kyo. It's... complicated and I've been mulling it over in my head for the last 10+ years hahah However, if I was in Tohru's position I think I'd eventually come to a point where it feels like it's too late to really do anything about how bad I'd feel about it. Kyo's intentions weren't horrid, if anything he was just being a scared kid and he's allowed to be that. I just wish Tohru had a bit more time to evaluate it but considering she knew her mother well and assumes that wouldn't have been the full scope of what she had said, I don't have much of a problem with it in general

Lol, I love when Tohru gets a 'FUCK YOU, I LOVE YOU' moment with Kyo. 😂Another reflected scene from the True Form arc... only thing is that this time... it doesn't quite work. 😕

(Again, I love how all of these reflections are resolved in later occurences in response to the duality but I'll get to it next week when it shows hopefully)

Laura Bailey only had a few sentences in this episode but she killed it as always. Comparing her performance in 2001 to now is just... growth!

Ok, so Yuki automatically gets Best Boi in this episode for meddling and chasing after KYO of all people. Showing how he's personally done with hating Kyo. Realising Kyo is pretty much the only person who'll make his mother happy. I think he also lowkey wants to understand Kyo? But, we'll get to that next week.

....Oh yeah, Akito is there.

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In total, I liked this episode even though it has me anxious for the next one. We finally get the full picture of why Kyo is the way he is! Ahhhh - a weight off all our chests, I'm sure. I kinda don't like that they put the ending theme at the end of these episodes - the joyfulness doesn't really match up with the intense theme? But, that's just a minor gripe. And hey, maybe they just want the audience to know... it's all gonna be okay :)

See you next week!!!

[somersetmummy]

(A/N) This is a TNA one shot, taking place immediately following book 1 chapter 12 (the gala balcony scene). Characters, some storyline and some dialogue property of Pixelberry.

Story told from point of view of MC Katie Hide. Internal character thoughts are written in italics.

I tried to think about how they would get through the rest of the gala after their little extra curricular activities on the balcony….so here it is!

Original characters: Katie Hide (MC), Sam Dalton, Vivienne Dalton, Mason Sr Dalton, Carter

New characters: Laney, Ryan

Content warning: Some light adult language

Summary: Nanny Katie Hide and her boss Sam Dalton finally take their relationship to the next step on the night of the gala, but just when they should be feeling elated, things spiral quickly. Can they get through the rest of the evening together now that things have changed for good?

Word count: 3462 (I’m out of control!)

- Bonus social edits at the end -

Alone on the balcony, looking out over the city's twinkling lights, she should've been basking in the afterglow of the best sex of her life but instead she feels empty. Her resolve held strong in front of Sam as he skulked off seemingly full of regret but now, her mind races through every minute detail of what had just happened.

Instead of taking the time to carefully ingrain every delicious detail of their time together into her memory, she painfully second guessed every move, every touch, every whispered promise. Once her exhausted mind began to fray she decided to sweep the whole thing under the carpet determined to save face, for now. Collecting herself, she absentmindedly ran her fingers up and down her arms, goose bumps standing proud, finally giving in to the cold night air.

On her way back towards the ballroom, while wondering how the hell she was going to get through the rest of the evening, she prolongs her return to reality by ducking into one of the lavish bathrooms to freshen up.  The room is quiet, an older lady leaves as she enters, another younger girl, probably around her age, is refreshing her makeup by one of the opulent vanity's. She sits down on the plush velvet ottoman in the middle of the vanity area with a sigh, not really sure what to do next.

"Well you look like you've been through the ringer!"

Turning towards the kind voice, the girl who was doing her makeup, a warm glow pours out to her as the stranger looks her up and down with genuine concern. Her face is one of those which feels familiar, like someone she could’ve known her whole life. It is enough to encourage her to open up a little and feels like a relief to have someone to talk to after feeling so alone out on that balcony.

"I'm sort of having the best night of my life as well as the worst. And to top it all off I've left my purse in the main room..." She gestures towards her untidy hair and slightly smudged makeup by way of an explanation.

The stranger offers a knowing look in reply.

“So are you here with someone? Your dress is divine by the way."

Smoothing the front of her dress, Katie replies absentmindedly, "Oh no, I'm just here with my boss, filling in an empty seat at the last minute." Hesitant to share more with someone she'd just met, she kept the more intimate details to herself.

"Me too, well sort of. I'm a stylist, one of my clients insisted I join them to make sure they look perfect all night long, god forbid her dress creases when she sits down for dinner!" She waves Katie over to the vanity and the open make up case. "Here, use whatever you need." She continues watching as Katie gratefully grabs a brush and some powder. "I'm really just starting out but figure these sorts of events are great publicity if I can dress the right people. I mean they're all living on another planet of course but they love to be in the spotlight and gush about their outfits, which is great for me!"

The pair chat easily together for a while before Katie glances at the time on her phone screen realising she'd been gone much longer than anticipated. She’d enjoyed having an ally and getting her mind off the car crash of a moment with Sam, truth be told, she’d much rather stay here in the safety of her mirrored cave and the kindness of a stranger than plaster a smile on her face and return to the Dalton’s table. With a wistful smile she turns to the stranger.

"I suppose I should be getting back, although I can't say I'm looking forward to it."

"I'm Laney by the way." She holds her hand out to Katie and they share a gentle shake.

"I'm Katie. I've really enjoyed hiding out in here with you, thanks for everything." Leaving Laney to pack up the overly large purse full of beauty treasures, Katie heads back towards the bustling ballroom. Barely making it into the room, Laney breathlessly catches up to her holding out a business card.

"Hey, I thought maybe we could meet up for a coffee sometime, you know if you want to have someone in the real world to spend time with!" She points over to someone across the room and continues animatedly, "You said you went to NYIT right? I'm sure my friend Ryan would love to meet you too, he did his Grad course there and always loves a trip down memory lane!"

Taking the card, Katie’s eyes are drawn to Sam over Laney's shoulder. He looks just as he did before the balcony, the ever professional businessman, as if nothing had ever happened. He gives a slight tip of his head in Katie’s direction, motioning for her to join him back at the table.

The new friends share a quick hug promising to catch up soon and she makes her way over to Sam who won't quite meet her eye. Despite the frostiness between them, he's a gentleman at heart and doesn't think twice about pulling out her chair, tucking it in gently as she sits. As the bustle of dinner being served continues around them, the thorny silence between them grows thick with unspoken feelings.

After a whirlwind of Sam and his parents catching up over the exploits of various family friends and tales of the boys, Vivienne turns to smile at Katie.

"Now dear, we're being rude talking around you as though you're not here. Sam tells me you're quite the budding scientist yourself?"

She looks to Sam to see him offering a helpless smile and shrug of the shoulders and can’t help but wonder whether he’d shared anything about his previous employees with his mother, or if she was the first. As Katie pulls her eyes away from Sam’s, she pushes down all the feelings which bubbled up inside her and plasters on her most professional smile.

"Yes, Mrs Dalton, I have a Masters in Chemistry and up until recently was managing projects for Panacea Labs."

Being the expert that she is at reading people, Katie astutely notices how Mr Dalton’s ears prick, he clearly didn't know that there was more to her than being 'just a nanny', whatever that means.

"Please dear, you're practically family, call me Vivienne."

A warm glow fills her body at the thought of being accepted into the fold of the Dalton family. Smiling back at Vivienne, she continues to share stories of her experiences in the industry, her passion for science and her love for exploring through the twins eyes.

"Mickey and Mason are such a brilliant example of how a love of science can be developed at a young age. They're so curious and passionate about exploring, it's such a pleasure to be a part of."

Next to her, barely able to disguise the pride he feels for her, Sam tries his best to remain outwardly impassive while watching the rest of the table listen attentively, completely captivated by her storytelling. He'd meant it earlier on the balcony when he'd agreed that she was meant to be by his side, a partner not a secret he had to hide his feelings for. He just didn't know how to make it a reality, trapped within his own life. But in this moment, his feelings bubble to the surface and it takes everything he has not to take her in his arms in front of everyone and let them come flooding out for all to see.

After all, it wasn’t Katie’s fault that his true feelings for her hit him like a tonne of bricks earlier that evening while he watched her effortlessly talk Selene into keeping her shares. In front of his parents no less. Right there, everything he loves about her shone out for everyone to see and he realised he was deeply and helplessly in love. It just wasn’t with his fiancée. Hell that's the reason he took Katie out to the balcony in the first place, to steal a moment to share how he really feels but as always he was too much of a coward to do anything about it in fear or letting everyone else down and jeopardising his sons future.

He knows that the only way to try to push through it all is to detach himself from Katie as much as possible, even if it means becoming the bad guy. In his mind, she deserves better, she deserves the damn fairytale and that's just not something he's able to give.

As they move through the plentiful courses of dinner, Mason Sr continues to interrogate Katie on her knowledge and opinions of various scientific and business theories, although his directness falters as the meal goes on and they both seem to enjoy the lively debates. Vivienne occasionally interjects with questions of her own about Katie’s family, her life back in England and whether it's difficult to be far from home. To Katie, it almost feels like she’s on a 'meet the parents' date which in her mind could be going a lot worse.

When coffee is finally offered, Mason Sr stands abruptly, eyes focussed on Sam.

“Ladies, while this evening's discussions have been...interesting, I think it's time we get down to some business." He nods curtly at Sam before gesturing towards a quieter bar area off the back of the room.

Sam stands to follow him but not before turning to Katie and instinctively placing a hand on her shoulder. She involuntarily shudders at his touch as her mind races back to the last time they touched on the balcony.

"This shouldn't take too long, will you be ok here?"

"Of course she will darling, I'm not going to bite her!" Vivienne cuts in before she can reply. Sam nods in approval towards her and lingers for a moment before walking away to meet his father. Katie's shoulder still tingling at the memory of his touch.

Katie looks across the ballroom taking in the general splendour and jovial atmosphere while Vivienne takes the opportunity to really look at her, contemplating how much to share with her. After taking a few sips of coffee, she turns herself to fully face Katie and offers a warm smile.

"I can see why the boys are so taken with you...all of them."

The honesty of her comment takes Katie by surprise. Unsure how to respond, she slowly turns to meet Vivienne’s eye, raising her eyebrow slightly in question.

"You're all the things Sam said you were. He was right when he told me we'd get on well."

The intensity of Vivienne’s gaze is so strong Katie daren't look away.

"I want to thank you for everything you've done for them all. They've come alive again since having you in their life. Poor Sara was taken from him far too soon, from us all really...it was all so hard on Sam and the boys." She trails off clearly lost in memory. "I know he cares for you and wants you to feel part of the family."

“Shit” she thinks to herself. Feeling like a rabbit caught in headlights, Katie's mind races. Does she know? How can she, they've only met once before, surely that's not enough to make her suspicious?

"I think Sam's just taken pity on me because I'm so far from home and he knows I don't have any family around. He and the boys have been so gracious in making me feel welcome."

Hoping she sounds convincing she takes a sip of coffee, relishing the opportunity to hide her blushing cheeks behind the cup. Vivienne suddenly looks up with Katie follow her gaze over her shoulder. Behind her, Laney is standing with a cowboy-next-door handsome man in tow, a welcome interruption. His dirty blonde hair is slightly unkempt, his frame more lean than Sam's but he still carries an athletic look, he smiles charmingly at Katie.

“Excuse me" Laney directs to Vivienne before turning to speak to Katie. “This is my friend Ryan who I was telling you about earlier."

Katie reaches out to shake his hand which he is already holding out towards her.

"I hear you're a fellow NYIT grad? You look far too respectable to have hung out in the sort of dives I used to find myself in!"

"Try me..." she challenges with a twinkle in her eye.

Laney rolls her eyes with boredom and escapes, business card in hand, to fawn over an awkwardly dressed woman at another table.

"Would you like to dance? I promise not to break out the old NYIT match day chant moves!"

She can't help but laugh at his natural charm. After looking to Vivienne, who waves her hand in approval, she lets Ryan lead her out to the dance floor where they sway together at ease in each other's company reminiscing. It’s a far cry from the intimate dance with Sam earlier that evening, instead Katie could relax into it knowing that she wasn’t trying to hide anything, and it felt freeing.

As Sam's discussion, or more accurately argument, with his father comes to an end he heads back to the table where he notices his mother is sitting alone.

“Where's Katie?" He asks forgetting to hide the panic in his voice, worried for the second time that evening, after she had disappeared to the bathroom for half an hour, that Katie had thought better of compromising herself for him and fled the gala.

Vivienne nods towards the dance floor, Sam's eyes follow and a bolt of jealousy hits him right in the heart as he sees her in the arms of another man.

With a steely glare he starts towards her but is stopped by Vivienne's hand firmly holding him back by his arm.

“Leave her be, she's enjoying herself."

Letting out an almost inaudible sigh he sits down next to his mother but can't pull his eyes away, so enthralled that his mother's voice is almost a whisper in the background.

"She really is wonderful darling, I know even your father is impressed, of course he'll never say it." Her arm still resting on his, she studies Sam's face before continuing, "What a shame you’d not met her sooner.”

Allowing himself for a moment to hope that his mother's glowing reference suggests she is in approval of his relationship with Katie becoming something more, Sam smiles and leans forward ready to gush even more. He catches himself just in time as the ever repeating voices in his head remind him of his responsibility and everyone else's expectations of him, instead he brings it back to the boys.

"Yes she's brilliant with Mason and Mickey, they're lucky to have her."

Dancing and talking together with Ryan, Katie had almost forgotten about Sam and their earlier tryst on the balcony, grateful for the distraction and if she was being honest the attention. It's not every day that she goes to the effort of dressing up at the last minute and schmoozes the un-scmoozable to help her sort-of-boyfriend look good, it's nice to have someone sweep her off her feet and put her first for once.

"Your boyfriend doesn't seem too happy about us dancing together" Ryan nods towards Sam who is trying to get their attention, his parents behind him appear to be getting ready to leave.

"He's not my boyfriend."

Ryan's eyes widen sensing an opportunity. “Well I guess that's good news for me...can I call you sometime, take you out for dinner?"

She drops her gaze, shaking her head slightly.

“I'm sorry, I don't think it's a good idea..." trailing off, he gently lifts her chin to look up at him.

"But you're single...?"

"No, I...it's...it's complicated" she stutters while looking over his shoulder at Sam, who looks less than thrilled.

"Well, if you change your mind, Laney has my number." With that, he kisses her hand and watches the silk of her gown cling to her hips as she walks away.

Returning to the table, Mason Sr takes Katie’s hand and shakes it almost warmly.

“Pleasure to see you again Katie. Excellent damage control with Selene earlier...very impressive."

He moves to Sam, impassively shaking his hand as Vivienne envelopes her in a hug, kissing each cheek.

"Wonderful to see you again dear, give those grandsons of mine one of these from me!"

Katie smiles tenderly back at her, nodding in agreement.

After the Dalton's leave, Katie and Sam remain at the table, sipping their drinks in awkward silence, steadily interrupted by acquaintances of Sam's wanting to talk business. Finally, noticing Katie’s arm propping up her tired head, Sam stands.

“I think that's enough shop talk for one night, let's get you home."

Waiting for the limo to pull to the front of the building Sam notices her shiver in the cold night air. He takes off his jacket and wraps it around her shoulders, the most contact they’ve had all evening since being intertwined on the balcony together. His gaze lingers on hers, neither able to look away. She tries to read his thoughts as she looks deep into his eyes but all she sees is a muddle of pain, confusion and longing. It doesn't make her feel any better.

"Mr Dalton..." the driver says with a small cough as he stands by the open limo door.

Sam pulls away and walks her over to the limo with his hand hovering behind the small of her back, not daring to touch. Once settled in their seats it doesn't take long for the gentle motion of the car to send Katie to sleep, her head lulling and dropping onto Sam's shoulder.

It takes everything he has for him not to wrap his arms around her, his mind conflicted thinking of the nights events. The incredible connection they shared on the balcony, the fire within him burning hotter and brighter than ever before, his mother's glowing review, hell even his father had been impressed and suggested during their conversation in the bar that Katie’s role within the Dalton empire might be wasted as just a nanny. But none of these thoughts could quite suppress his feelings of guilt at falling for another woman, his responsibility to his sons, the business and their legacies. At least not in his mind.

Back in the penthouse, Sam makes his way into the open plan living area to find, thinking him for his help with the boys. Katie hangs back, not wanting to make small talk in front of Carter, who is incredibly astute and would no doubt piece together that things were not as they seemed.

"Miss Hide, you're a vision!"

Walking towards the elevator, Carter beams at her like a proud dad seeing his daughter on her wedding day.

“I didn't get the chance to see you before you left, my my..."

"Thank you Carter. And thank you for watching the boys, I hope they weren't too much trouble?!"

He taps his nose, keeping secret whatever mischief they got up to that evening. She smiles back at him knowingly as he steps into the elevator and the doors close.

As she turns back towards the living room she is halted by Sam standing right in front of her, so close, she almost crashes into him. Sheepishly she hands him his jacket as he offers a bottle of water in exchange.

‘You should never go to bed dehydrated" he blurts out, trying to fill the gaping silence.

“Sam...."

"Goodnight Katie, thank you for your help this evening, I appreciate you coming."

Unable to muster up enough energy to argue push any further, Katie drops her gaze to the floor as she shakes her head disappointedly. She walks away without a word, her heart aching more than she thought possible.

TAG List: @shewillreadyou @chemist-ana @txemrn @silma-words @thefrenchiemama @secretaryunpaid @sfb123

- Bonus - photo posted by Katie the morning after followed by a conversation with Jenny (before Sam drops the Italy bombshell and she was supposed to have the day off!)