#Didn't watch the pilot because I don't give a shit

[dandunn]

I watched the entire show in a day and this is my review

[vivziepopcriticalconfessions]

I tried watching Hazbin Hotel with my mom, because I was interested after watching the pilot and she heard me talking about the show. For context, I had watched the pilot, but no live streams mentioning lore outside of it. My mother hadn't even watched the pilot because it was so long that she couldn't stay focused long enough (ADHD runs in my family, and although she was interested, it was extremely difficult).

It seems like a third of the plot is in the pilot, a third in the live streams, blog posts, and interviews, and a third in the actual show. My mom was constantly confused, looking to me and asking me questions to things she didn't understand and getting frustrated. "Why'd a guy like Adam get into Heaven? He's a horrible person and one of the three people who are the Forbidden fruit." Then, I'd simply shrug and go "I don't know. Maybe they'll explain it later?" Then, they didn't. She'd ask "Wait, who are these overlord people? What do they have to do with the current plot?" or even "Why are Husk, Angel, Niffty, and Sir Pentious in Hell? Where are they from?" And, again, I'd be like "I know about Angel and Husk, but I have no real clue why or where Niffty and Sir Pentious are from." And that's me having about 2/3's of the plot. My mom has only the show to go off of. If it weren't for me telling her, she'd have no clue who Alastor is outside of "Radio guy with ears- OH WAIT THOSE ARE DEER EARS I THOUGHT THEY WERE DOG EARS BECAUSE OF HIS SHARP TEETH". Or Angel Dust, who would've just been "Fluffy creature with extra arms who is a gay guy that likes sex" to her. She had no idea he was a spider, or that he did drag, or any of that.

Hazbin is a show with an interesting idea, but it's just... it's too scattered. It seems to be made only for super fans that know it from all pieces of media it's been in. From blog posts, to live streams, to interviews, convention appearances and the pilot which is like an hour long. I don't mind the fans being fans, because they can like what they want to like, but I can't see many new fans entering the show's fanbase. Either that, or they'll enter and be confused about all these odd plot points they haven't heard about from just watching the show. This fanbase seems to think that it'll become big and change the way we watch adult cartoons forever, gaining South Park levels of fame, but I think it'll inevitably become a niche show just because Viv did not put essential, worldbuilding plot points into the first season. New people are probably going to see the first half, and if the jokes don't land hard enough for them to stick around through the confusion, they'll leave and maybe even leave a bad review, resulting in the die-hard fans harassing them and ensuring they won't give it a second chance.

Ok, I'm not turning this into a pic because it's so long but GUYS LOOK AT THE THESIS ANON WROTE HOLY SHIT-

[roosterforme]

The Younger Kind Part 1 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: As a single dad trying to start dating again, Bradley feels like he's constantly running in circles. Hiring a twenty-four year old student to babysit should have made things easier, but no matter how hard he fights it, you're too irresistible to stay away from. 

Warnings: Angst, swearing, fluff, and age gap (eventually 18+)

Length: 3300 words

Pairing: Single dad!Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x babysitter!female reader

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Bradley cradled his forehead in his hands as he leaned against the bar. He hated being interrogated like this. He knew it was coming eventually, but he really wasn't expecting it today.

"You need a babysitter?" Nat asked with vivid interest. "Who are you going on a date with?"

He groaned. "What makes you think I need a babysitter so I can go on a date? Maybe I just need a couple hours to myself."

Nat rolled her eyes. "Because when you need an hour or two to yourself, you always ask me if I can come over and stay with Noah. And I always oblige, because I am the best person you know. So this must be something else. Who is it?"

"Rebel asked me out," Bradley murmured, looking at his friend out of the corner of his eye.

"Rebel! She's only been at Top Gun for a week!" Nat said, eyes wide as she examined his face. "She literally arrived from Lemoore seven days ago, and she already made a move on you? Damn, some of these pilots are quick."

"She just asked me out for coffee. I only said yes, because you keep telling me I should start dating again!"

"Well, you should start dating again. But I figured you'd download an app, find some cute women and get your rocks off. Not go on a date with a coworker!" Nat said, exasperated. 

Bradley just gaped at her as Penny dropped off two more beers. "I haven't done this in a while. Forgive me for not knowing precisely what you intended for me to do here, Nat," he said with a massive eye roll. 

She turned her nose up at him. "You're forgiven. But you need to give me your phone," she said, holding out her hand. 

"For what?" he asked skeptically.

"Just gimme."

Bradley handed it to her and she entered his passcode from memory. "Just don't order anything on my Amazon account, okay? I like my Hawaiian shirts just fine, and I donated all the shit you charged to my credit card last time."

"I'm not ordering you new clothes," she scoffed, tapping away on his screen. "I'm solving all your problems. Now look at me and smile."

Bradley glared at her instead as she snapped a few photos. "These look terrible," she mumbled under her breath as she switched to her own phone. "I have one where you look halfway decent... oh, here it is."

Then she was back on his phone again, and he just gave up trying to understand half of what she did when she wasn't in the air with him.

"Nat, I just don't know that I'll ever get serious with anyone again. Meredith kind of ruined that for me."

Nat was scrolling along on his phone as she said, "Meredith was a flaming asshat. I never liked her. The best thing she ever did was get pregnant with Noah and then dump you."

Bradley was back to cradling his head in his hand. He did not like thinking about the fact that his ex bailed on him and their son when he was just a few months old. It made him feel sick. And now he was partening alone, which was harder than anything he had ever done. 

"Shit," Bradley said, checking his watch. "I need to pick Noah up from daycare. Give me my phone," he said before finishing the last sip of his beer.

"I'm not done yet," Nat mumbled, a frightening grin creeping across her face. "Just one more minute."

Bradley thought about texting Rebel and canceling their tentative coffee date. Nat was probably right about dating another aviator. He didn't even know her actual first name, and she only ever called Bradley Rooster. What the hell kind of weird date would that be like? Talking Super Hornet specs? Comparing tales of punching out and parachute deployments?

He listened to a rapid string of alerts from his phone. "Is someone texting me?" he asked, reaching for his phone. "That's a lot of alerts. Is it Noah's daycare?"

But Nat was holding his phone tight and grinning. "Not texts. Women. Women who think you are cute and like your dating profile."

His eyes went wide. "What the fuck did you do?" he asked, his voice deadly calm. 

"Got you about ten dates if you want them. You're welcome," she said, handing his phone back to him. 

He scrolled through all of the profiles on his screen. "What am I looking at exactly?"

"Well, here's your profile. I used the only decent photos of you in existence. And that's your bio."

Bradley squinted at the screen. "All it says is that I'm 36, a naval aviator, and I like working out. And I have golden retriever energy? What the hell does that mean?"

"It means you're energetic. They'll take that to mean in the bedroom."

"Jesus, Nat. Shouldn't I disclose important things? Like the fact that I'm a dad?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. That's second date material. They are going to want to size you up and see if you're a daddy before they need to know that you're a dad."

He shoved his phone in his pocket as he stood. "I don't have time for this," he grunted, pulling out his wallet and waving at Penny. "If I don't find a babysitter, none of this is going to make any difference anyway."

Penny took his credit card and then paused. "You need a babysitter for Noah? Mav and I can watch him if you need a break, you know that, right?"

Bradley sighed. "Thanks Pen. Yeah, I know that. I'm just looking for something a little more regular. Gonna try dating again," he said, glaring at Nat out of the corner of his eye. 

"I might know someone who would be interested," Penny said, handing the card back to Bradley. "She's a student in her early twenties, I guess. Really smart and seems sweet. Noah would probably like her. She's in classes during the day, but she was looking to babysit at night."

"How do you know her?" Bradley asked, already hesitant to leave his kid alone with a stranger. 

"She's renting a house on my street. I ran into her a few times, and we got to talking. She fed Luna, watered my plants, and got the mail when I took Amelia sailing."

Nat placed her hand on his arm. "I know this is a big step, but you could meet her first before you offer her the job."

Bradley stroked his mustache. "Any chance she would come over and meet me and Noah? So I can make sure she's not creepy?" he asked Penny.

Penny just laughed. "She's not creepy. How about I give her your number if she says she's interested in watching Noah."

"Sounds good," Bradley replied quickly, barely listening to Penny now. "I need to go pick him up. Bye, Nat."

"Don't forget to swipe through all your matches!" she called after him. 

He just waved and made his way to his Bronco. Bradley always felt like he was running all over the place. As much as it bothered him to take Noah to daycare on a Saturday, he felt like he was losing his grip on his life. His friends rarely ever remembered to invite him to the Hard Deck, correctly assuming he wouldn't be able to go. But it would still be nice to be invited. 

Everything felt impossible on his own. He wasn't getting enough sleep. As soon as Noah went to bed, it was a race to try to get every chore finished. Then he had to wake up an hour earlier to insure he had time to get Noah ready and dropped off at daycare on time. Every day was a damn marathon, and he really wished he could get some help.

He would never ever admit it to Nat, but he was lonely. Just the idea of getting to spend an evening eating dinner with a woman practically had him popping a boner. Having the chance to get to know someone again, get to have sex again? He couldn't think about it too long. He'd been spending so much time with his right hand and his imagination. 

As he pulled into the daycare parking lot, he sighed. This was the reason he had forfeited dating. His son. His adorable, perfect son. 

"Ready to go?" he asked, and Noach climbed up into his arms. 

"Yep, daddy," he said, and Bradley carried him out after thanking the daycare staff. 

"Let's get home and eat dinner," Bradley said, pushing Noah's dark curls away from his forehead and kissing him.

And this was the reason Bradley would only ever consider dating someone who liked kids and didn't mind dating a single dad. In spite of the daycare schedule, and the exhaustion and loneliness, Noah was his top priority. 

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

You were just getting back from class and unloading your books from your car when you saw Penny waving to you from her mailbox. As soon as you waved awkwardly with your arms full, she was heading your way.

"Hey, Penny," you said as she walked up your driveway.

"I wanted to chat for a minute. Is it a bad time?" she asked, eyeing up everything in your arms.

You nodded toward the house. "Come inside so I can set everything down."

She followed you in, already going on about someone named Bradley. "He's sweet, and he has an adorable three year old son named Noah. They are looking for a reliable sitter, and I know you mentioned an interest."

"Oh," you replied, dumping everything onto your couch. "This Bradley guy? He's not creepy or anything, right?"

Penny laughed. "He asked the same about you. He's very hesitant to let a stranger watch Noah, but I told him I'd give you his number if you wanted to contact him. Maybe you could just go meet them one day. He's not creepy. He works with Pete. And I swear Noah is irresistable."

You sighed. You really needed some extra income. And you loved kids. And you'd probably be able to study after Noah went to bed for the night. As long as this Bradley wasn't giving off weird vibes, you'd probably want the job.

"Okay, I'll take his number," you said, and soon you were adding Bradley Bradshaw to your contacts. "Thanks, Penny. Hopefully this will work out."

You got lost in your research for the rest of the day on Saturday, and purposely avoided returning texts from Greyson. He only wanted to see you when you were too busy, and he never wanted to see you when you had time for him.

"He's being a douchebag," you whispered as you scrolled through the idiotic things he was sending you. 

Then you opened a new conversation and typed out a draft to this Bradley guy.

Hi, I got your number from Penny Benjamin. She told me you're looking for a reliable babysitter. Any chance you have some free time so I can meet you and your son?

It was late, so you decided to let it sit in your drafts until the following morning. But apparently it wasn't too late for Greyson, who was now asking if you wanted him to send you a dick pic. 

You switched your phone to do not disturb mode after telling him that you would really appreciate it if he didn't send you one. Then you went to bed and dozed off fantasizing about dating a guy who acted like an adult. 

It was so late when you woke up, you decided to skip breakfast and just make yourself lunch. When you switched your phone back to receive messages, you were flooded with a bunch, mostly from Greyson. Luckily there was no dick pic to speak of, but he'd sent you a bunch of nonsense while he was probably drunk or high. 

Then you noticed the draft to Bradley Bradshaw, so you hit send on that one. You had a reply from him before you were even done making a sandwich.

Bradley Bradshaw: Yes, I am looking for a sitter for my son Noah. Penny highly recommended you. I can make time to meet you whenever you are free. Just to be clear, I want to make sure Noah and I are both comfortable around you before proceeding. 

You rolled your eyes. A grown adult man should not be as concerned about you as you should be about him. But, you could see where he was coming from about the prospect of letting a stranger stay with his son. So you replied and started eating your sandwich.

I could stop by this evening to meet you both if you're free.

He wrote back quickly again.

Bradley Bradshaw: That would be great. Anytime after 4. I'll attach my address.

If this guy was creepy or if his son was weird, Penny was going to be hearing about it for the rest of the year.

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

Bradley was just cooking dinner while Noah sat in his high chair coloring, when he heard his doorbell ring. "That might be your potential babysitter, bub," Bradley told him, kissing the top of his head as he grabbed a dish towel and headed for the front door while drying his hands.

But Bradley almost dropped the towel when he opened the door and got a look at you. As your wide eyes drifted up his body and landed on his face, you smiled up at him. 

"Mr. Bradshaw?"

You were stunning. Beautiful, and so fucking young. He swallowed against the saliva pooling in his mouth. Oh shit. 

"Uh, yeah. Hi," he managed, moving out of the doorway so you could step past him and into the living room. "Thanks for coming."

"No problem," you said with a shrug. "I'm looking forward to meeting Noah." You brushed past Bradley, and he closed his eyes. Your lip gloss was distractingly shiny. You smelled like beach grass or wildflowers. You looked like you were barely old enough to drink. 

"He's in the kitchen," Bradley rasped, trying to pull himself together. "Back this way."

You followed Bradley through the house, and as soon as you saw his son sitting in the high chair, you went right to him.

"Hey, Noah! What are you coloring?"

"Dinosaurs," Noah told you, holding out a pink crayon. 

"Cool. I love pink dinosaurs," you replied, starting to color a pterodactyl on the page next to the one he was working on.

"Me too. I like pink and blue dinosaurs the best," he replied. 

Bradley watched you interacting with Noah. You seemed sweet, coloring each dinosaur the color he requested. When Noah mispronounced your name, you just laughed and told him he could call you that. 

When you bent down to retrieve a yellow crayon as it rolled across the floor, Bradley got an excellent view of the backs of your bare thighs as your sundress rode up. He dropped the spatula into the pan, nearly burning himself. He was also nearly burning his dinner.

"Shit," he mumbled as you turned to smile at him before handing the crayon back to Noah. 

"What else do you like to do? Besides color?" you asked. 

Noah started telling you all about drawing with chalk and playing with bubbles outside. "I like snacks and movies. And hiking."

Bradley laughed. "By hiking he means walking around the block if I make it home from work before it's dark out."

"Oh," you said. "I can take you on a hike one day, Noah. I like hiking around the block, too. Maybe we can collect some things like rocks and leaves." 

Bradley listened to Noah tell you about some particularly good rocks he had found last week, and you somehow responded in just the right way.

"You're in the navy?" you eventually asked Bradley, shrugging out of your denim jacket in the hot kitchen, giving Bradley a view of even more of your flawless skin. "Like Pete?"

He cleared his throat, mixing everything in the pan on the stove. "Yeah, I work with him. I'm an aviator."

"Do you want me to call you by your rank? Instead of Mr. Bradshaw?" 

Bradley had to press his lips together, a little scared to know what hearing you call him Lieutenant Bradshaw would do to him. "You can just call me Bradley."

"Okay, Bradley," you said, and unfortunately that did something to him too. "You've got a cute kid. I think Noah and I could have a lot of fun together."

"How old are you?" The words were out of Bradley's mouth before he could rethink them. He almost sounded accusatory, but really he needed to know how bad it was that he couldn't stop looking at your legs.

"Twenty-four," you replied casually. 

Jesus. He was twelve years older than you. But you looked even younger than that. Sweet. Too innocent. 

"I'm in grad school for nursing," you continued. "I'm certified in CPR, and I can treat injuries. I know how to swim. I'm free every day starting at 4. You can run a background check on me if you want to."

Noah looked up at you and asked if you wanted to build blocks with him, and Bradley knew he already felt comfortable enough to leave his son with you while he went on a date with Rebel. 

He could feel his phone vibrating in his pocket. He hadn't taken the time to figure out how to use the dating app that Nat installed, and he was being inundated with matches and messages. He also hadn't given Rebel, whose first name was Grace, a solid answer about when he could get coffee with her.

But for some reason, in spite of the laundry list of women from the app who were interested in going on a date with him, he couldn't take his eyes off of you. 

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" Bradley asked as you built a block tower with Noah on the high chair tray. 

"Oh, no. That's nice of you to ask, but I don't want to crash your meal," you told him over your shoulder. "Here, put this little block on the top. Let's see if we can make it stay," you told Noah, keeping your hands around the sides of the tower until he successfully set down the last piece. Then you tossed your hands into the air and cheered.

Noah turned and looked at you in surprise and you just laughed. "You're good at coloring and blocks?" He just giggled, and soon you were both knocking down the tower and starting over. 

As Bradley scraped his half burned dinner onto a plate, he felt a little disappointed that you were grabbing your jacket and getting ready to leave. Noah looked a little sad, too. 

"Well," Bradley told you, watching you gracefully shrug into your jacket, "you're hired if you think you can put up with the two of us."

You laughed and took a step closer to him. "Noah? He seems like an angel. You on the other hand?"

Bradley's eyes went wide, and you just laughed harder. 

"Only kidding! I'm sure I'll be able to put up with both of you if you think you can put up with me."

You were young and beautiful, and for some reason Bradley wanted to feed you dinner, even though the food he made looked barely edible. 

"I don't think that will be a problem."

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

I hope you enjoy your Daddy Rooster and babysitter fic @beyondthesefourwalls !!

PART 2

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[buttercup12233]

Alastor is such a Gary stu that wants everybody to know that he's "sCaRy" because he can have black eyes and red pupils, turn big, and shoot out tentacles. Like bro. That's not creepy. And most of his lines fucking suck. How does he know about modern slang? Didn't this guy die during the great fucking depression? Not to mention, this guy swears a whole lot. It would've been perfect if the only time he ever swore was when his staff got broken apart. That would've really shocked the audience. I wouldn't mind him saying "fuck" a few times, but when that shit becomes a common thing, that's a problem. Swearing wasn't common in the 1900's. So why is Alastor using it on a daily basis. He no longer stands out from the cast. He's just another edge lord. He says the most corniest lines too like omg everytime he says ONE embarrassing word, I have to pause from watching the show bc the guy gives me second hand embarrassment. He's trying so hard to be terrifying that it's not working. For some reason, Alastor just wants power.... I'm not sure if it was planned from the start, but the execution is dog shit in my opinion. Pilot Alastor was done better than this. The reason why pilot Alastor was so creepy and overall an amazing character, at least in my opinion, was because you didn't really know exactly how he was feeling, or what was going on inside his head. The whole point of him volunteering to 'help' Charlie run the hotel was that he could see sinners fail and give himself some entertainment. He even flat out admits it in the pilot. But then you just have that gut feeling that there's something more going on with Alastor. That he's probably planning something else than just finding entertainment. Let the 'him wanting power' be like a b plot if THAT was the case (explain why he even wants power too bc if he just WANTS it for the sake of it, then that's boring). And I think what was the most exciting thing about his character, was that he was mysterious. Notice how the only times he EVER used his power or lost his cool was when Angel Dust claimed that he could suck his dick, or when Sir Pentious interrupted his song and threatened to literally hurt him. I swear, this guy used his title as the radio demon for times when it was appropriate. That's what I loved about Pilot Al. He wasn't trying to be creepy unless it was needed. In this show, he desperately wants people to fear him. He even tries to pick a fight with everybody, even the ones who are kind to him. He's a complete asshole and a dickhead. And I'm just like "boo, fucking corny, bitch". Idk, man. It's pro just me. But I hate Alastor so goddamn fucking much. At least in the show. He gives me headaches, he's a Gary stu, and I can't believe this mf got away with talking trash to the KING OF HELL like holy SHIT. Why didn't his ass get humbled at the moment there? He just got freewill the whole time during season one without consequences. Besides Adam tearing his ass up.

Alastor is just so- ugh.

I beg for you guys to let me know if some of my points were invalid. I would actively listen to them. I was just in rage the whole entire time while writing this, so my mind was just clouded with 'wtf happened to the cool guy I once loved' and just...RAAAAAH. so please don't hesitate to speak out. I'm aware that not EVERYBODY will agree with what I say. But it's great to hear y'all's opinions about this. Thank you.

[emphasisonthehomo]

Twitch Streamer Tommy, because apparently I still have thoughts on him being one of those dudes who's into Flight Simulator.

Buck mostly starts out watching the streams because Christopher watches streams. Buck and Eddie have had discussions with Chris about how much info he should be sharing with strangers on the internet, it was a whole thing. Chris can watch them without being monitored, neither of them are helicopter parents, but Buck does in general keep tabs on them. Because he's constantly reading shit about someone w/ fame on the internet taking advantage of it.

There's a variety to the ones that Chris watches, but all of of them are for games that he already plays. Except one. Some guy called REMOVEB4FLIGHT and it's straight up just Flight Simulator content. There's not a ton of consistency to when the guy streams, it's all over the place schedule wise. Maybe once or twice a month, and he's clearly not a Professional Streamer™ so much as a guy with a hobby. His set up is crazy though.

And sometimes Christopher watches them when Buck is in eyesight, and yeah. Buck won't lie. He's interested. He became legitimately invested when REMOVEB4FLIGHT sat down and simulated a flight from JFK International Airport to Singapore Changi Airport, and it was just under 19 hours.

Buck didn't watch the entire thing, don't be stupid. But he did watch the last 4 hours which... Shut up. It should have been boring, but there was enough going on between the chat and REMOVEB4FLIGHT that it wasn't.

And it was also cute. The guy was cute. He was already obviously tired by the time Buck and Christopher started watching, and as he got more tired he got gigglier and gigglier. Explaining that "No. No pilots will ever fly 19 hours straight, I'm just doing it because I thought it'd be a fun challenge and oh nooooo do I regret it. My only goal is to be coherent enough to not crash land this A350."

The plane does not crash land and at the end, REMOVEB4FLIGHT runs his hands through his curly hair, laughs in exhaustion, and says "Great, I'm gonna go sleep for 12 hours because I've got a shift in 14. BYE."

And Buck keeps watching after that, when he can. There's something calming about it, in a weird way. It's both is and isn't ASMR. Any ASMR is absolutely on accident, but the guy has a really nice set up, a really nice mic. And a really nice voice. And a really nice face. He explains in detail what he's doing and why, like he's giving a casual lesson on How To Fly.

Buck learns that the his name is Tommy, and he is actually a pilot but he flies helicopters and that's "-the only other information you need about my day job."

Not all of Tommy's streams are 19 hours, though they're still long. A lot of them are him being like "What's the weirdest place I can land this thing?" or messing around in multiplayer. Maybe something where he tries to recreate relatively famous crash landings, like one day he goes "We're Gimli Gliding it today" and he does crash pretty badly the first time, but he gets it on the second.

It becomes a thing Buck and Christopher talk about, because they both keep up with it. Chris starts pestering Eddie to get him a joystick and pedals to play Flight Simulator, but those aren't exactly cheap so Eddie promises it for xmas. Buck is already stewing over how to potentially adjust settings and shit to make sure that the inclusion of foot pedals isn't an issue for Chris, etc etc.

Sometimes when Buck is part of the Chat Conglomerate Tommy comments on something he's said. It makes him giddy. It's difficult to describe. He just likes this guy. This guy's cool. Buck's getting attention from someone on the internet, sue him. He likes it.

And then the drama with the cruise ship. Buck doesn't think anything of it when Chimney reaches out to an old friend named Tommy, because why would he? It's a common enough name. But then Buck walks into Harbor Station and comes face to face with REMOVEB4FLIGHT and oh. Oh shit.

[tocomplainfriend]

Episode 4

TW: Rape, Sexual Assault and Abuse, Physical abuse.

So uh, I really did just guess "there is no way it's that bad, right?"...

OK, SO LET'S TALK. So again if you haven't seen the episode big Trigger Warning for its content! It's real heavy, explicit and on your face. I'm a Sexual abuse victim talking about this, just so you know.

I think the bigger problem I have with the episode, it's the context surrounding it and what happens later on, specially. Many people can have different views on the poison scene itself, for their own. But that scene, even if you as a victim relate, can only really work in a vacuum. Why? Let's see... hum.... The jokes of male SA in Helluva Boss? How it's written as funny to Moxxie to get assaulted? By the Succubus, Blitz, Chaz? Not seeing any problem in Stolitz, and victim blaming Blitz.

Suddenly Viv wants to be like: "Male sexual assault and abuse it's so not talked about, I'm going to write about it". As if she didn't write all those HB jokes. All those jokes are only men getting assaulted too, by other men or woman. The SA and r-pe it's funny when it's done to men, why did this even happen?

Even if the entire episode 4 was good, why did the same person write all this jokes? Is the sexual harassment Angel does to husk, even going to be addressed later or...? The biggest problem, it's the bad execution. Something happens a lot with HB and HH, it's that scenes and concepts work In isolation, that way you imagine in infinite possibilities of the "what if this". But they give you is in it'self not that good. The series does expect you to be a fan, and have to watch the pilot. Because it doesn't really bother to introduce the characters or anything. So the emotional bits don't hit that hard if you didn't already care about the characters since or before the pilot.

Since the first episodes, Valentino has being changing between fucking idiot and horrifying monster. In episode 2 he is treated as a stupid dumbass. I feel like all the episodes until 4 were too much, on the comedy shit- to immediately jump into explicit abuse and SA is a lot. In the end of the episode they also shift back the tone, weirdly.

So we jump into Val and Angel's work, showing how shitty val is. Charlie jumps into interrupting the hole thing. AND VAL ASSAULTS HER TOO??? I didn't expect that. He grabs her kisses and lick up her arm, and gets too close to her in other scenes. Then Charlie accidentally ruins the set, and Val ends up physically abusing Angel. Living him with a black eye, and it's shown Angel did a deal with him. Leaving him fully trapped with him (not a legal contract, but a devil/sinner bound magic thing). Then it's poison music number.

Many people feel like it's too graphic. Other people will say it's okey, because it shows the problem straight on, and it's supposed to make you uncomfortable.

Explicit doesn't = good.

You can talk a lot of what does this level of graphic/explicit add to the conversation.

My main problem with it being so explicit comes from who is directing that hole part of the episode. I talked about it in the post above. The person in question:

(BLURRED CUT PICTURE)

Does this scene above seem familiar to you? This person put together with how the poison part of the episode is played out AND all the disgusting "SA is funny" jokes HB make this a fucking problem.

AND THEN THE FUCKING ENDING IS CRAZY BAD LIKE HELLO???? At the end, Angel is at a bar, and his drink gets spiked. Husk gets him out and fights against the guys that spiked the drink. Then they kindly have an argument... To get through the whole heavy ass episode- to then Husk hit with a song calling Angel a baby IS FUCKING CRAZY. I see what the point was supposed to be, but the execution absolutely kills it. The song tries to compare Husk and Angel, to say shit sucks but hey it's okay we are in this together, BUT HOLY SHIT. Why, comparing Angel Dust being sexually abused under a demonic contract (HE IS STILL UNDER)- to Husk having to work for Alastor. Yes, Husk fucked up his life in hell do to gambling- that's not comparable to Angel being in an abusive relationship where he gets taken advantaged of. Calling Angel dust a baby loser, "everyone got it difficult get over your self"- it's fucking crazy. The fact that the episode ends on everyone happy and laugh it off it awful! WHAT HAPPEN???????? Like Angel is still under Val's contract- his going to have to go back to work, or to any other place where his drink could be spiked. We are still in the same problem. I don't- I don't understand. The song wasn't even a "I'll help you", it felt more like "Hey shit sucks, get over it". How did you write that? I don't think the series has the time or good enough space to treat the subjects- and they are dealing in the worst way.

EDIT:

I cannot believe this woman made a cum joke, about the song that it's about being trapped with your abuser- that comes with really graphic scenes of assault and r-pe. Like the whole song it's about that???? It's not a "Hot sexy" song, it's literally all sexual assault and workplace abuse.

This scene is from a non canon comic from the same artist above, got immediately referenced in the scene after poison. That's crazy. Also, The artist is... uh......... Did you know that in episode 4. It got showed that Angel's real name is Anthony? They changed their name to Tony, make themselves look like Angel? Now does sex work like Angel. They choreographed the pole dancing in Addict?

AND Viv just reduced Angel's Sexual Harassment of Husk as:

Angel trows himself to Husk, grabs him, touches him, makes unwanted sexual comments. You, have never left the weird shipping of queer of mean that revolts around sexual harassment. It's like old ass garbage Wattpad yaoi, not acknowledging those problems. Why is there more attention to that than Charlie and Vaggie, who lacks so much personality and everything. WLW with no condiments and artificial as fuck MLM with microplastics.

[simplyzeeka]

Episode 1. Season 1 (Pilot)

The Big Bang

Come follow me to luxury

Gold on the floors

And all over me

Warnings: MDNI!! Profanity, mentions of violence, adult themes, use of the n-word, use of the b-word, themes of infidelity

Summary: Not every princess lived in a castle. Terry learns this when he meets what he considers a celestial being in the dirtiest of places. Too enamored, he forgets about all his spoken promises to another.

"AND ACTION" 🎬

There's always a comfort that comes with having options, especially if every option benefits you. It didn't matter how miniscule the situation may be, having options just made it all the better.

A man like Terry was one that believed options to be a luxury. He wished he had that luxury when life struck a butcher knife to his heart and ordered him to walk like it didn't hurt. Maybe then, if he had options, he would've picked a butter knife instead. And maybe then, he wouldn't have needed to experience hell or high waters.

So it's understandable that he felt a tinge of discomfort when that luxury was taken away from him, maybe a little irritated. Here he stood, with two of his friends (dumb friends, might he add), first in line to enter what he would describe as the dingiest strip clubs he has ever seen, not that he’s seen many. Now, Terry has been in worse predicaments than this, he's been in places that looked way more… unsightly than this.

It was just the subtle air, a foreboding feeling that washes over him as he looked at the club doors, that made him think that he could have spent his bachelor party at home instead, by himself. Nothing appealing came from watching strippers dancing anyway… for him at least.

“So you tellin’ me you couldn't have picked a less shady place? Looks like it's bout to rain bullets here.”

Or maybe he was just paranoid. Three years of therapy could only do as much as you let it, and Terrence Richmond? Well, he didn't let it do much for him.

“I just wanna see some ass shake man, all them fancy strip clubs have the bitches with no ass. They not even pretty in the face.” Rome exaggerated, chewing the gun in his mouth so loudly, Terry had the right mind to knock him out.

“Nigga, you dense as fuck. This that shit that got you that STD.” Yosohn shook his head as he schooled Rome, not that Rome was open to listening.

Terry met Rome and Yosohn a year after moving to Georgia. Rome being the big mouth he was, got a little mouthy with Terry and almost got knocked out clean. Yosohn spoke on behalf of his friend, then weirdly, they became friends. Although they weren't the type of company he would normally surround himself with, they were great distractions when life didn't seem worth living. Them and his fiancé.

“Man, I ain't ever telling you shit. This why Ronda left yo ass. Let's get inside before I crash out on you, blowing my high.”

Yeah, amazing distractions.

It smelled better than expected really. While Terry expected a cacosmic mixture of perfumes, sweat and vomit. It smelled like sweet cherry liquor, only a little bit of sweat and it seemed every woman here used the same perfume because it smelled all the same to him.

The interior of the club was very… busy. Not a shocking resolution, it was a strip club. Just a little uncomfortable, the three men had to bump, push and wedge between drunk bodies to get to the small booth Rome booked.

“Man, look at all this. Tell me you don't want that Terry.” Rome tilted his head downwards as one girl, seemingly a dancer, walked past him. Terry just gives Rome a blank look, “You don't ever get tired of talkin’?”

Yosohn's shoulders shook, head thrown downwards. Rome was clearly the most talkative out of all three, and while Yosohn matched his energy sometimes, it got a little unbearable at times. But what made him laugh was how he shut up as Terry spoke to him, until this day, Rome doesn't dare cross a line with the large man.

“Fuck you laughin’ at? Bald-headed motherfucker. Yo beard patchy as fuck, go take some Minoxidil.” Terry couldn't help but laugh at that. Their banter is always something worth watching.

Raunchy music dripped from the speakers as dancers performed praise-worthy tricks on the poles at the main stage. With hands digging deep into his pockets, he bopped his head to the catchy beat of the music. Not his usual taste, but anything was better than standing there looking awkward.

Rome had long disappeared, Terry wasn't sure if it was the bar he went to, or perhaps he followed behind a dancer. “Let's get you a drink man, can't even act like you enjoying yourself.” Yosohn shook his head at how sad the man looked. “It's cause I'm not.” Terry retorted with a small chuckle, the first he's given since being away from his fiancé.

Alas after a few drinks, Terry has let a little loose. His teeth were on display more, his shoulders slack and his hands out of his pockets.

There were a few girls in the booth with them, Terry didn't care to entertain either of them though. Courtesy of the club, they sent them a bottle with knowledge of the occasion, and of course, that was thanks to Rome.

The DJ kept announcing the arrival of dancers on stage for solo performances. All which had patrons screaming and throwing money on the stage, painting it green with Benjamins. Clearly this was a generous crowd.

It wasn't until the music changed into something slow and sensual that his attention perked towards the stage. The lights have changed to warm,dim, orange, then queued the DJ. “Aight, y'all already know what time it is. Let's get into some slow seduction with one of your favourites… Indigo.”

Except this time the crowd was quiet. Not a single scream, just sublime silence. “Yo, what's this wack ass shit? We don't wanna hear this slow shit.” Silence that Rome had no problem breaking.

Terry couldn't help but internally agree, because this was a strip club. There was a specific aesthetic that strip clubs had, and slow wasn't one of them. The crowd wasn't silent in boredom though, they were attentive, staring directly at the stage. He notices how not a single phone was out, just wide eyes and anticipating smiles.

He wondered why until he registered the soft melody of Victoria Monét's “Big Boss” playing through the speakers, and there was Indigo.

A hand on the pole as she walked around it, before climbing up. A gold set was on her, glitter stuck to her skin. Just as the song recited. She resonated a bright star as she twirled on the pole with skill.

Her black tresses flowed around her in controlled movements. Her movements weren't as sharp, quick or as ‘sexy’ as the other dancers. Her movements were smooth, sensual and hypnotising. She didn't let the pole control her, instead the pole gave her every command and she obliged willingly.

Indigo wasn't dancing to seduce. She danced to engage, to captivate. She captured more than just her audience's eyes, she captured their hearts and their minds. She commanded everyone to silence. The small smile on her face as she danced made her all the more ethereal, there was no way on this damned earth that a beauty like that existed. Not when mundane people like himself existed. Was it possible to co-exist with such an entity? That much was unbeknownst to Terry.

She had taken so much of his attention, that he did not notice when her set was over. The party was back up again once everyone regained their composure, everyone except him because his friends had to shake him out of his trance.

“Yo Terry, you good bro? This nigga gone.” Yosohn laughed at Terry, but truthfully, he understood him. Indigo was a beauty yet to be reckoned with. It took him a while to shake out of it after watching the dancer perform.

“Now that's the kind of hoe you turn into a housewife.” Rome comments, still glancing at where Indigo had exited the stage.

“Aye Rome, Terry gone bruh.” Yosohn doubled over as he took a short video of Terry. Rome reached over and slightly smacked the big man out of it. And immediately, old Terry was back to mugging and grunting.

“Don't get fucked up.” He muttered to Rome, before glancing back to the stage again. “Oh hell no, bring her back on stage. Big ass attitude. I hope Amber cheating on yo ass.”

A drunk Yosohn was sliding off the sofa in laughter. Terry smacks his teeth before taking a sip of his whiskey. His mind was racing, eyes twitching as his leg began bouncing. He needed another fix of seeing Indigo and suddenly he understood the crowd, the silence. The need to capture that moment in its entirety, because Terry thought it was short… too short. *She just got on stage.*

“Who was that?” He asked, nobody in particular, as long as he would get an answer, he didn't care who it came from. “That's Indigo, she been dancing here for a couple years. Pretty as fuck, as you see. I think her-” Yosohn answers before Rome interrupts. “And greedy as fuck too, you forgot to add that.” Yosohn rolls his eyes, “She rejected him, don't mind him. Anyway, think her real name Senia or some shit like that.”

Terry hums, eyebrows twitching subtly. Now his mind was treading on dangerous territory, wanting to know how he could get to see her again, right now. “She do private dances?”

The mere question has Rome and Yosohn shocked. Terrence Richmond had lost all sense of composure at that moment, that he didn't care much about looking a little too invested.

“Huh? You tryna fuck up before your wedding day? Yeah no, let's bounce.” Yosohn shook his head, being the angel on Terry's one shoulder, and of course, Rome would play devil's advocate. “Bro what? Stop being lame, it's his last day single, one lil dance not gon hurt. Amber probably doin’ the same shit.” Rome waved his hand in dismissal. “He's not single dumb ass nigga.”

The two continued going back and forth, they didn't even notice Terry getting up. “Hey man, I was wondering if I could get a private dance.” He questioned the bouncer who stood near velvet curtains. The bouncer mugs Terry, “Nigga, do I look like a stripper to you? Fuck you asking me for?”

Terry sighs, how the fuck was he supposed to know who and what to ask. His thick brows furrow and his lips curl downwards before looking around. The bouncer sighs, the man was clearly new to this.

“Who you lookin’ for?” His ears perk, head whips in the bouncer's direction. Wasn't even the slightest bit embarrassed in his pursuit of finding her. “Indigo.”

The bouncer nodded with a hum, his request was very much understandable. Sticking his head in the curtains, he yells the stripper’s name. It wasn't long until she appeared again that Terry felt his heart skip a beat. The stage did not do her any justice, because even now under dim lights that made it hard to see, Indigo still looked jaw-dropping. “What’s up Nyx, who is this?”

Her southern accent was thick, the drawl did something to his chest that had him wondering if he had a heart condition. “He askin’ for a dance, baby.”

The dark-skinned beauty raised a perfectly trimmed brow in Terry’s direction. “Oh is that right?” she asked the man himself, and the smile on her face was enough to send him into cardiac arrest. “Yes ma’am.” Terry retorts with a smile of his own, close-lipped and gentle.

Eyes glazing across her features, Indigo laughs at his politeness. It wasn’t often she met someone as polite as him when asking for a dance. “It’s gon’ cost you.”, a declaration. Terry found that wooing more than anything, “That’s fine. I’m willing.”

They stare at one another for a while, while Indigo seemed to be sizing him up, Terry was tracing her face, pocketing the memory in a place where everything felt nostalgic, because Terry couldn't help but feel something familiar about her. A feeling he shook off because now he sounded stupid.

Indigo hums, that was also a response she didn’t hear often, but she wouldn’t dare complain. “I’ll keep that in mind, c’mon baby.”

"AND CUT" 🎬

Note: Not as long as I would have liked, but I also beat a record... so win some lose some?

Yosohn pronounced. Yo-shawn. I'm extra...

This will be an angsty series revolving around uncomfortable matters. Infidelity. Like I said in my last post, I do not condone it, and neither should anyone.

This is purely fiction.

Hope you enjoy this, I'm honestly really invested. That playlist I made is really doing what it's supposed to.

Playlist here if you're interested. Hope you enjoyed the first part.

[ourflagmeansworms]

McSpirk and away missions. The Hazard Husbands.

The reason I ship these three (Kirk/Spock/Bones) comes down to one simple point and it is as follows.. theres is no logical reason for them to be the 3 on away missions as much as they are. Actually, it's probably not the suggested Starfleet protocol at all, or at least not for most types of missions. It's a quirk of the writing but it reads as them being so interwoven and almost like they are making excuses to be together as actual characters. We see this kind of thing way less in later series. Because they find other ways to give their main characters more screen time, make main characters out of less high-ranking officers, or have a truer ensemble cast vibe.

Kirk and Spock should rarely be down on the planet together because of chains of command. It's fine that Sulu and Scotty end up having the bridge a lot during actual away missions. You don't need a pilot as much in orbit around a planet and Engineering is able to contact Scotty if there's an emergency elsewhere. But they have other responsibilities. If something happens to the people on the away mission the death of the first and second in command is not ideal for the ship. Then there is McCoy. Bones is the chief medical officer. He goes on a lot of missions that don't need a medical officer, and while shit goes wrong and he comes in handy, it didn't make sense to put the whole crew's medical care at risk by sending him down before shit hit the fan. Additionally, in many situations where there is not an extreme medical crisis, it would make more sense to have Nurse Chapel on the planet and Bones watching over med bay.

So why does this happen? Why do each of the three keep letting this happen?

McCoy hates transporters enough it wouldn't be out of character for him to be mostly shipbound. He's one of the few roles on a ship where he can truly challenge a commanding officer. Who can say no captain I'm needed here you should take my assistant down to look at your damn rocks/broken leg/lap dog in a unicorn costume/etc. Yet he goes.

Kirk gets to pick the away teams, do I need to say more. Okay, I will, these two by his side. If he is going to be in harm's way, having fun, or even bored out of his mind, he'd rather do it with them, logistics be damned.

Spock dearest Spock knows this is all illogical. Not just not advised by Starfleet, but truly a risky choice but he says nothing. None of his quips about humans, not of his protestations in the face of Kirk Choas or McCoy's emotion. He never calls out this pattern of behavior as a fault. Perhaps because he thinks their combined skills make it work the risks, but that feeds into it even more.

They are inseparable when their roles should inherently keep them in close communication, but with physical distance in all risk situations. They choose to take the risk, to face the crises together. Therefore.... husbands. Hazards to their crew, but in love hazards.

[miss-musings]

The Mystery of CX-2's Rifles (A Remnant of CX-Tech Theory or a Fun Headcanon?)

I'm not sure if I'm the first person to point this out, but CX-2 has two different rifles in "The Bad Batch" Season 3. I'm not sure if this was a choice by the creators/animators to help CX-2 stand out more, or if this is a remnant of the CX-Tech theory.

Let me explain:

The first time we see CX-2 in 3.06 "Infiltration," we see him use what I'll call the black rifle.

It's an all-black military-style rifle, and it's the exact same model that Crosshair uses.

Throughout the show, we see how Crosshair can take the "base model" out of his backpack and then add his scope, a longer barrel and other accessories to it. CX-2 does the same thing.

Now, CX-2 loses this black rifle in 3.07 "Extraction" during his fight with Crosshair, who shoots it out of his hand while they're on the cliffs. Then they go tumbling down the river, and CX-2 ultimately goes over the waterfall.

It's unclear whether CX-2 ever goes back for his black rifle, because the next time we see him armed in 3.11 "Point of No Return," he's using what I'll call the brown rifle.

Like the black one, it has a base model that CX-2 can add little accessories to like a scope and a longer barrel. However it is distinct from the black one. The butt is different in shape and color -- it's specifically brown and almost looks like it's made of wood with a little circular symbol on the side.

Even the barrel looks different too. I think it's longer than the black one's, and considering some of the shots CX-2 makes on Pabu, I wonder if it's better for super-long-range shooting.

You can also briefly see him carrying the brown one in his backpack when he drops Omega off on Tantiss in 3.12 "Juggernaut."

Now, it makes sense that, if CX-2 didn't go back for his black rifle on Teth after 3.07, that he'd need a replacement gun.

But why give him a different-looking one? Why not just give him the same model of gun? Why give him a second and very distinct gun from the first? Doesn't that just make more work for the animators?

Now, here's where it really gets interesting:

CX-2 is using the brown rifle in the hangar fight in 3.15 "The Cavalry Has Arrived." He's also carrying the brown rifle when Echo sees the CX operatives carting the defeated Bad Batch away.

BUT when he accompanies Hemlock to the CX lab, where he later dies, he's carrying a black rifle instead. This is the one Hunter picks up after killing CX-2, and this is the one Crosshair uses during the final confrontation with Hemlock.

(Side note: YouTuber Cardo assembled all of CX-2's appearances, and you can easily track when he's using the two different rifles.)

My question is: Why does CX-2 have his black rifle in the CX lab when he was just using the brown one during the hangar fight? When and why did he switch them out?

Even if the brown one was better for super-long-range shooting, why did he have it in the hangar fight at all, considering the Bad Batch was never than 100 yards away at any given point? He wouldn't need to make insane shots like he did on Pabu, when he sniped his own pilot from like a quarter-mile away.

Shoot, he barely even used his rifle at all in the hangar fight!

He shot at Hunter one time, and then let the other operatives handle the majority of the fight. We don't see him again until he chops off Crosshair's hand, and then his rifle is in his backpack!

So, why was he using a different rifle in the CX lab when he dies? Well, here are the only two explanations I can think of:

1. CX-2 has two different guns because something happened during the Season 3 production process.

Maybe it was a mistake on the animators' part. This happens from time to time. If you watch scenes enough, you'll notice things like characters' backpacks missing in one shot but reappearing in the next. Animators are human, and if anything little mistakes like that just prove this show wasn't made by AI or some shit.

Perhaps CX-2 having two different rifles is a remnant of some plotline that got scrapped. Maybe there were, at one point, two operatives who used two different guns, and they cobbled them together. Or scenes that were already animated got shuffled around in the editing room.

It's also possible the animators had to work backwards from the final confrontation with Hemlock. Maybe that scene where Crosshair is using CX-2's black rifle was already animated and "locked in." Thus, when things got reshuffled, they had to work backwards from there and had CX-2 use his black rifle in the CX lab.

Admittedly, this is all complete speculation, but based on how several other things were handled in Season 3, I wouldn't be surprised if some fairly big items were changed last-minute.

OR

2. CX-2 is a petty bitch.

This is basically a headcanon, but it would fit with the little we know of his character:

For whatever reason, CX-2 has this weird rivalry with Crosshair. He actually engages him in conversation, which we've never really seen the CX clones do: "You had your chance to be one of us. You chose the wrong side"

Then takes note of him on Pabu: "And the clones she's with?" ... "Stay alert. I neutralized the other two clones with her, but not the third."

And, of course, he seems to take a great deal of pleasure in torturing Crosshair in the hangar fight: "You should be more careful with your shooting hand."

We don't see it, but evidently, Hemlock told the CX operatives to bring in the Bad Batch alive if possible so he could try turning them into CX operatives. But, despite that, CX-2 thought Hemlock wouldn't care if he chopped off Crosshair's shooting hand EVEN THOUGH HE IS A SNIPER!!!

(Yes, I know they have robot hands and stuff, but I can't imagine Hemlock was thrilled to see that his operatives had just needlessly chopped off Crosshair's shooting hand, which not only de-valued him as a potential operative but maybe also endangered his life??? "Last time we met, you'd just lost a member of your squad, and it appears history may repeat itself.")

Anyway, what I'm saying is CX-2 saw Crosshair in that hangar and said, "This shit is personal." He was out for blood, quite literally.

So, considering that Crosshair's rifle was nearby when they defeated him, and considering it's the same type of rifle we see CX-2 using in the CX lab when he dies, I wouldn't be surprised if he took Crosshair's rifle as a trophy.

Meaning that when Hunter kills CX-2 and picks up the black rifle and gives it to Crosshair for the final confrontation with Hemlock, Crosshair is actually using his own gun.

Granted, this would mean that CX-2 had to go back to the hangar or wherever to grab Crosshair's rifle, because no one seems to have it on them when Echo sees the defeated Bad Batch in the hallway. But, I just can't find a logical reason for CX-2 to suddenly have the black rifle in the CX lab when he's been using the brown one just fine the last two or three times we've seen him.

Even if the black rifle is better at mid- or close-range shooting -- which doesn't seem to be the case because it's the one Crosshair "Best Sniper in the GAR" BadBatch uses -- I imagine he could still use the brown one's base model just fine, just like he does with the black one's base model.

It really makes sense to me that he stole Crosshair's rifle and kept it as a trophy.

Maybe the black model is somehow better than the brown one, and he was pissed that Crosshair made him lose his black one on Teth so he returned the favor.

Other than weirdness with the animation/production process (which isn't impossible) that's the best explanation I have.

So, feel free to accept this headcanon for yourselves. I just wanted to throw it out there because it's been bothering me all day! Let me know if y'all have any thoughts on this, because I'd love to hear what other people think about all this...

[nientedal]

Is it worth watching Megamind rules? I know I’m not the target, but I’m curious yet also really really nervous. I know it’s for a younger audience but I’m still very on the fence and nervous. Also, love your writing

Omg, thank you, and thank you also for asking and yes yes yes 100% it's worth watching! It got crapped on by a bunch of people who decided based on the trailer alone that it was going to suck (how fun, a movie about a guy who everyone decided would be bad despite not knowing him got a spinoff show that...everyone decided would be bad despite not watching it, lol), so there's a lot of hate out there for it. I'm assuming you've caught wind of some of that, and that's why you're nervous? But for what it's worth, I was staring at the screen like :D basically the whole time.

Some more specific notes below the cut, but the tl;dr is please do give it a chance, if you can find the time. A G-rated direct-to-stream spinoff show wasn't what a lot of people were hoping for, and there were some folks who watched it and didn't care for it. But from a writing and storytelling standpoint, I think it is genuinely good! If you go in expecting a cute kids' show with some silly jokes and social misfits finding their way forward together, and keep an open mind, I don't think you'll be disappointed-- in fact I think you may be pleasantly surprised.

Just a gentle heads-up on some stuff because I'm not sure what you've heard about the show yet, and I'm also not sure what your existing expectations are!

The show was given a shoestring budget and not a lot of time to go from writers' room to final product, and yes, there are places where you can tell. But that was always going to be the case-- Dreamworks was absolutely not going to be spending big bucks on a franchise they've barely even acknowledged in more than a decade-- and it wasn't the fault of the people making the show. And even with the low budget, I think the animation is still genuinely solid, especially in later episodes! The people who worked on it really did a great job with what they were given.

And the writing!!! Holy shit!!! My skin is clear my crops are watered etc. The original writers handled this project and they absolutely delivered. Megamind & Roxanne's whole Thing progresses and grows and blooms in a really sweet and realistic way. Roxanne & Chum have a great dynamic. (Minion's name needed to be changed for legal reasons, but the writers worked that into the show and I gotta say, as a trans person, it was really lovely to see everyone else respond to "actually, because of [spoiler], my name is Chum now" with "oh! cool okay" and just keep rolling. I love that that was modeled for kids.) The character development is tangible; we get to watch Megamind really grow as a person and come into his own over the course of the series. And the new characters are really fun-- I genuinely enjoyed Keiko and everyone else.

Even if you never watch it (it's OK if you don't!) please just know: this was not a cash grab; Megamind Rules was made by people who truly cared about this world and these characters.

It's also worth noting that Megamind Versus the Doom Syndicate (the extended pilot) recaps a bunch of the same lessons as the original movie, so it can feel a little bit "...didn't we JUST do this??" but I'm pretty sure that was because Dreamworks didn't want to rely on kids to watch a 13 year old movie rated PG instead of G in order to get context. So like, I get it. And it's still cute! But it did mean I was nervous about what the rest of the series would be like until I was laughing my ass off halfway through Episode 2. If you're nervous, you can probably skip MMVtDS.

But yeah. I truly do think Megamind Rules is worth watching, and I've been so sad about the reception it received. Thank you so much for asking about it, and not just deciding it sucks and moving on. I appreciate you.

[prince-liest]

Hey, since you've written a lot of Alastor-centric fics that explore him having complex relationships with other characters, I was wondering if you had any wip about Alastor & Husk, or just any hcs about them in general!! I find it interesting that Husk is the only one who knows about his deal...

And yes the fact that Alastor owns Husk' soul is pretty bad for any development in their relationship lol. But it also adds flavor to their dynamic! (and Alastor hasn't been THAT abusive with him so far in regards to their contract? He made a death threat but he didn't need to own Husk' soul to do that. He forces him to work at the hotel but Husk used to use the souls he owned like pawns he could gamble away, treating people like property he could afford to lose to other "masters", so he's not worse that Husk in comparison... That's an insanely low bar, I know)

Current WIPS, no, headcanons, yes!

I think their relationship is very interesting, and a lot of that specifically comes from Husk's side of things. I'm honestly fully putting aside the issue of how abusive Alastor has or hasn't been to him, because in the end, slavery is slavery (assuming that's the power that Husk's contract grants) even if one overlord isn't as sadistic as another (Husk himself included), BUT:

I think it's very interesting that Husk and Alastor clearly have a long-term working relationship that includes Husk giving at least half of a shit about Alastor. Their interaction during Mimzy's episode is not very long but I think it is very telling. Obviously it's telling about Alastor's intolerance toward his power and position being questioned, and it's also telling about how much Alastor has been undermined that even someone who knows him like Husk is expressing doubt... but I think its also particularly telling that it includes Husk reaching out to watch Alastor's back (before Alastor bites his head off for it).

I think it's hard to say exactly why he does it - how much of it is because he knows that Alastor getting in trouble also means Husk getting in trouble, how much of it is because Husk is growing to care about the hotel, especially after his episode with Angel, and how much of it is because he's grown attached to Alastor in a weird way over the years, but I personally like to think it's a combination of all three.

Husk was a powerful overlord and I think that's very in line with his portrayal of being someone who distances himself from people in callous ways... but ends up caring more than he intends to when he does get close to them. We most clearly see this with Angel Dust, but I think it's also reflected in his callousness as an overlord and how it turned into regret once he lost his soul to Alastor, and also how he occasionally reacts to the people he's known a long time: namely, Alastor (during the Mimzy episode) and Niffty (when she gets drunk at the club)!

I think Alastor and Husk's lives have been intertwined for a long time, and I also think that it's hard not to grow to care about another person on some level as a result, even if you also heavily resent them, especially if their well-being is your well-being. I don't think Husk likes Alastor very much (it would be hard to in his position) but I don't think he sees Alastor's ownership of his soul as having taken advantage of him so much as a natural consequences of the games he himself played with people's souls, which lets him sit in a position that to him feels less like "victim" and more like "beleaguered subordinate."

And Alastor also does put some effort into keeping things with Husk copacetic. He loses his cool and snaps at him during their confrontation, but outside of that context the attitude he maintains seems to include both being a smarmy jackass and giving Husk actual reasons to work for him other than "or else." It's technically not canon to the show, but I personally consider his bribing of Husk with drink to work for the hotel in the pilot to be canon to my interpretations, at least. It makes sense to me that Alastor wants to maintain a decent working relationship, as opposed to one where Husk would be more inclined to actively sell him out for a dime rather than marinate in his own resignation.

Anyway. Long post! But I think they're interesting, haha.

[latteandjacks]

Favorite part about Adam on my swap au is that he is still kind of a little bitch, like yeah he wants to redeem sinners, yeah he wants to give people a second chance but he is not taking shit for other demons

Bro didn't took Katie's Tom's pen on the Pilot when he mocked him, he pushed and insulted him

"Yeah?! Well- How does it feel to know sinners only watch you because of Zestial huh?! You mediocre insuffering asshole!"

Bro caused the accidents of episode 4 in purpose just to get Husk out of work early

"Oh I'm so sorry for this, I think we should leave and come back tomorrow, hm?"

Bro was ready to demolish Valentino Zestial and the only thing that prevent him from doing it was Angel Husk comparing it to how he "ruined everything in Eden"

"Is this your idea of help?! Fucking up everything here just like you did in Eden?!"

Bro resents Lucifer Emily for allowing exterminations (and Lilith Sera a little bit but for different reasons) to the point of being a cold mf to her when talking before episode 5

"Emily, you know I'm busy doing the work you and Sera aren't, so do me a favor and only call me if it's important."

Bro was more confused about Alastor Pentious being so friendly on episode 5 than happy, he was aware he was just doing it to piss off Emily

"Wait what?"

Bro had a more negative reaction to Vaggie Lute being a former exorcist

"Oh c'mon Lute, if you know you wouldn't have even fucking told me"

The only reason why he didn't lose his shit with Charlotte in the meeting of episode 1 is because he knew he needed to get her on his side but that didn't worked so fuck He is A BIT more respected than Charlie but sinners are still mostly assholes or don't know who the hell he is

"Hey! I'm not the one trying to get into fucking heaven! I'm trying to get those who do deserve it"

[lachiennearoo]

It feels sometimes like I'm living in a crazy world. It's so frustrating to me, to feel so much that I am right yet most people I encounter act like I'm insane;

I'll give you guys some context;

As we all know, I'm a huge Deadpool fan. And that means I follow a lot of stuff related to the media.

And recently I made a comment on Threads complimenting the stunt work in the new movie, saying "I'm a pacifist, but the way the action scenes in Deadpool are shot makes violence look sexy as fuck". Y'know just a funny little joke, what have you.

And then... Some person (probably a lady by the way they talked) replied to me and said basically that she watched the movies with her 11 year old kid.

And well y'know, I was concerned. Because all the Deadpool movies are rated R. So they're adult-oriented, made for adult audiences, with nudity and sex and gore and violence and swearing...

And I told her that. And the lady just started getting mad like "oh you don't know me or my family" and "he's very grown up for his age" and "it's just a movie it's not a big deal".

Like... Fuck, man. I've been in the adult industry for years now. I've encountered minors who have been raised on unadulterated violence and sex and all that shit. Kids whose parents didn't think it was a big deal and vehiculated that idea to their children.

And yeah sure, sometimes it doesn't do anything to the kid. But sometimes it does, and then we, the adult content creators, are the ones having to deal with that shit.

Of minors posting comments under our posts, talking about our work, hell I even had some try to get free art or flirt with me, knowing I was an adult and they weren't.

Or minors making their own adult art and sharing it online, and then of course getting mad when told it was dangerous and saying "it's not a big deal" and whatnot.

This is how it starts. Being surrounded by people who enable that behavior. Yes, even if it's "just a movie" and "there are worst things out there".

The risk is real.

I actually made a comparison in the argument with that lady with seatbelts, because with cars, plenty of people will never experience a crash and be fine their own lives, and yet seatbelts are still heavily pushed because they are a safe method in case something happens. And people who scoff at seatbelts and say they're useless are usually looked down upon because they're actively ignoring risks associated to piloting a car without any safety measures.

And that's the same thing here

Oh wait, and it's not over yet

Because THEN, during the argument, the lady brought up an article about how Ryan Reynolds showed his 9yo daughter his new movie (Deadpool 3). And I just... Feel so disappointed.

I assume the lady showed me the article to "prove her point" but instead all it did was just make me feel even worse because not even the fucking lead actor of an adult movie cares about this shit

And it sucks

I'm just... So tired. Of everything...

[kazz-brekker]

oh babyyyy we are back and in order to process my thoughts i must write my thoughts on hotd season 2 premiere:

i'm a little sad we only got to be in the north for about 5 minutes but, you know, they were a good 5 minutes. winterfell! the wall! ice! cregan teasing jace about being a southerner! i'm a house stark stan and always will be!

i like the new tapestry-like intro, i think the city/family tree concept of the original one was an interesting idea but hard to follow unless you had the whole targ family tree memorized.

i enjoy rhaenys not taking shit from daemon. that's my queen who never was!

rhaenyra mourning luke was good but rough. emma d'darcy actor that you are etc etc. very impressed by how much they were able to do with no dialogue.

alyn of hull sighting! and hugh hammer, later in the episode! however this plot goes, i think it's going to be interesting.

i feel like there is gonna be a lot of discourse about alicent and criston cole sleeping together but honestly i just liked the continued symbolism of criston taking off his white cloak when doing something that breaks his vows.

my sister was sitting next to me as i was watching this episode and can vouch for the fact that i very loudly said "OH NO" when helaena said she was afraid of the rats.

i bet i'm really going to enjoy aegon this season, tom glynn-carney has absolutely fantastic comedic timing and i'm intrigued by aegon's characterization of trying to be a good father and ruler but not really knowing what he's doing.

tyland lannister fighting for his life against a 4-year-old at the council meeting DID make me giggle.

didn't see a lot of aemond this episode but nothing so far has broken my headcanon that he lies in bed at night staring at the ceiling be like "what the fuck have i gotten have i gotten myself into" while pretending to be scary and cool in public.

weirdly excited that they showed rhaenyra dismounting from syrax because they never actually showed that in season 1 and i was starting to wonder how they got on and off the dragons.

mysaria's accent is so much better this season, god bless.

jace trying to get through his report to rhaenyra without crying and not managing it DID get to me.

"i want aemond targaryen" so true my queen i'll fetch him myself, anything for you.

my heart was beating incredibly hard during the last 15 minutes of this episode, not gonna lie.

the execution of blood and cheese is also something i think there will be a lot of drama about but i'll give my 2 cents and say that think it was well done.

vengeance is cool and all but i never really understood why the black used the ability to get men into the red keep to kill a kid when they could have tried to take out someone more important to the war effort instead, so aemond being the original target actually worked for me.

the scene cutting away when blood and cheese ask daemon what they should do if they can't get aemond reminds me of the "heir for a day" part from the pilot–we don't see what happens, but can infer his response.

i was also curious how they were going to include helaena being forced to make a choice if maelor doesn't exist, and i think that was probably the best way it could be managed.

i am so, so, SO glad that we didn't actually see the murder on-screen, the sound effects were bad enough.

that sure was a way to kick off the season! we are definitely back!

[graves4girls]

☆ i want to be with you | peter quill II

✩ summary: you've taken quite a liking to the ship, and don't plan on leaving anytime soon. ✮ word count: 2.4k ⚠︎ warning(s): fem!reader part 2 also will probs keep this characterization of the reader for my future quill fics ✧ be sure to check out my work on ao3 ⇢ gravesforgirls !!

You're situated in the common area, handle of your sword in one hand as the other glides the sharpener along the blade when you hear him clamber down the steps, heavy footsteps echoing off the metal interior as he approaches you.

"Getting ready for battle, or what? What's up with the sharpener?"

You roll your eyes, setting down the weapon onto the tabletop in front of you to give him your attention. God knows he'd crumble if you didn't.

"It doesn't hurt to always be prepared…I see you didn't get the memo."

You eye his attire, baggy sweats hanging around his hips and a fitted t-shirt that hugged his muscles perfectly.

"You don't think I look battle ready? I could totally kick ass in this."

"You're not even wearing shoes. And your hair's a mess. They'd laugh at you and blast your ass into another dimension. C'mere."

You reach a hand out as he pads closer, patting down the wild curls that stick up in every direction and combing your fingers through his hair. He hums as you play with the messy strands, letting his eyes wander your face.

"Do you own a comb? Jesus Christ, or at least use some conditioner."

He winces when your fingers get caught in a tangle, and you murmur an apology as you slowly work out the knot of hair. Your fingers gently pull at the strands until they free from each other, running your nails along his scalp to brush back his bangs before pulling away.

"Is it better?"

You shrug. "A little. I can help you comb it out later. And start conditioning. It does wonders."

He smiles as he settles down in the seat beside you.

"Where'd you get this thing, anyways? It's massive." He picks up the heavy blade, cautiously eyeing the sharp edge.

"My mother made it for me. She wanted me to be able to defend myself in case we were ever invaded again. She taught me how to fight, too."

You reach over his arm to nudge his fingers open, pointing to the small engravings in the leather that wrapped around the handle.

"My father carved these into the handle. It was a collaborative effort, really. He was just as keen on keeping me on guard at all times. They were both my number one fans when it came to my combative skills."

You lift your gaze to find him already staring back, and you suddenly feel so close, leaning over him with your arm still draped over his own. You flush a bit at the realization, clearing your throat as you lean back.

"The only use I get out of it is hacking down branches and shit, though. I've never had to use it on anyone. Well…aside from you, I guess. But that doesn't really count."

He grins, setting it down.

"You were this close to drawing blood." He holds his hand up, gesturing with his index and thumb. "I'm surprised it didn't break the skin, with how sharp you keep this thing."

"I'm glad I didn't, because now I have my own personal space chauffeur."

He rolls his eyes, turning away from you as he feigns hurt.

"So that's what it is? You use me for rides? Some friend you are."

You can see the smile that he fights to keep hidden, and you punch his shoulder weakly.

"I mean, you are the greatest pilot in the universe, right? Who else better to fly me around than you? Unless that was only a bluff, of course."

"You're just trying to butter me up and flatter me, now."

You rest your elbow on the table, chin perched in your hand as you watch him.

"Is it working, Mr. Star-Lord?"

"No…maybe a tiny bit."

You grin, letting a hand tug at his bicep to unfold his arms from each other. "I guess you're kinda cool to hang out with, too. But it's mainly the free rides. Don't let your head get any bigger."

He brushes you off with a small grin, snaking a hand onto the table to snatch your bag of snacks from you, digging into the crinkly package as you roll your eyes.

"This is sufficient enough pay, honestly. I could live off of just this shit."

He stuffs his mouth as he speaks, and you nudge his chin to close his mouth, keeping him quiet as a few of the homemade chips fall from his mouth and onto the table. He throws a lopsided grin at you as he chews, handing back your snack.

"Well, I'm glad you enjoy my makeshift chips. You're lucky they’re so easy to make, or else I wouldn't be letting you eat so many."

He mumbles something that sounds like gratitude as he finishes the mouthful of food, picking up the remnants of the havoc wreaked onto your snack and tossing them into his mouth as you shake your head. Your eyes fall to his arm, running over the defined muscle as it flexes and relaxes with his movements.

"You like what you see?"

You startle a bit as you meet his eyes, face heating up as he gives you a smug grin.

"How 'bout this? Huh?"

He flexes his bicep, and you shove him away with a groan.

"Chill out, Star-Nerd. I was spacing out. Get your ego in check."

He lowers his arm as you speak, leaning in tauntingly.

"Excuses, excuses. Just admit you can't resist starin' at these guns."

"You wish, asshole. You keep dicking around like that and you're not getting any more chips."

He drops the grin so fast it's funny, and you stifle a laugh as he apologizes profusely.

"You're such a dork. Here, you can have the rest. I'm feeling nice today."

You watch him shuffle around the small kitchen, muttering to himself as he tends to whatever it was exactly that he was doing, headphones perched over his ears and music far too loud to be safe for his hearing. You slowly pad up to him, tapping a finger on his shoulder opposite you and grinning when he turns to find nothing, whipping around to glare down at you.

"Couldn't resist, sorry. What are you doing? I thought you went to sleep."

You lean against the countertop beside him, nudging one of the earpads from his ear so you were sure he'd hear you. He shrugs a bit, gazing at you as he shifts.

"Couldn't stay asleep. What are you doing out here?"

"No different from you, I suppose. It's freezing on this thing. I'm used to the humid climate on my planet, not the frigid emptiness of space."

He hums quietly, falling silent. You watch him for a while, just taking him in, in all his sleepy, mussed haired glory. You knit your brows together when he starts to sway his hips, biting back a chortle.

"What are you doing?"

He smiles down at you, stepping away from the counter and holding a hand out to you.

"Dancing. C'mon."

You stare at his hand, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I can't dance. Besides, it's much more entertaining just watching you."

He gives a small pout, catching your hand in his own and pulling you to bump against his chest, letting his other hand fall to settle against your waist.

"Everyone can dance. They just need the right teacher, and lucky for you, I happen to be among the best of the best."

"I don't even know what song you're listening to, so how am I supposed to dance?"

He tugs the headphones off to hang around his neck, cranking the volume up until it can't go any higher, and you can faintly hear the slow melody blasting through the small speakers. You roll your eyes, pressing a hand to his chest in an attempt to push away, but he's quick to wrap his arms around your waist securely, keeping you glued to him.

"You're such a nerd."

You watch that stupid grin work its way onto his lips, and he slowly begins to sway you back and forth, big hands firm against your waist. "You're the one who wanted to join me on the ship. Nobody to blame but yourself."

"You should come with a disclaimer. Because I definitely did not sign up for dance sessions in the middle of the kitchen when we're supposed to be asleep."

He draws back to spin you around, and you grumble quietly as he tugs you into his chest once more.

"You like me a lot more than you let on. This is all just a façade, and you know it. You're practically swooning right now."

You can't hide the smile that tugs at your lips, shoving his face away when he leans in to tease you.

"In your dreams, maybe. You're insufferable."

"And yet here you are, following my every move without hesitation. You sure are full of contradictions."

Your face heats up at his words, and you let your hands push half-heartedly at his biceps, a weak attempt at getting him to free you.

"You live to torment me, I swear. I'm regretting ever helping you."

He chuckles quietly, and you swear you almost melt entirely at the way he hugs you closer, flush against his chest as he steps side to side.

"You'd never be able to resist the Star-Lord charm. I would've wooed you regardless."

"You are so unbelievably corny. How is it this is the same man that saved the galaxy, hmm?" You poke a finger lightly against his chest, smoothing your hand over the muscle as his grin widens.

"I'm telling you, it's my charm. I'm just too good. Just admit you're absolutely head over heels."

You stare at him with faux humorlessness, flicking your finger against his forehead and laughing as he recoils, hands retreating to rub at the abused spot as you chortle.

"That was uncalled for. Inciting violence when I'm trying to be a gentleman and dance with my lady."

You raise your eyebrows, a humored smile playing on your lips. "Your lady, huh? I have an inkling to believe you're the one who's head over heels."

He stammers, stumbling over his words at your implication, and you swat at his chest playfully.

"Just messing with you. Don't get all flustered, Star-Lord. What happened to your tough little demeanor?" You throw another small smile before slipping past him. "You've tuckered me out with your dance lesson. C'mon, you need the sleep, too."

You reach to grab his hand, pulling him along to drag him to his bunk. He quietly protests the suggestion as you step into his quarters, pouting once more as you reach to tug the headphones from around his neck, flipping off the device and pushing him down to sit on the edge of the cushion.

"You'll have more than enough time to torture me after getting some sleep. You look exhausted."

You rake your fingers through his mussed hair, and he sighs softly.

"Can…can you stay here until I fall asleep, at least? I find it easier when you're here."

"As long as it gets you to shut up."

He frowns at your words, making a show of flopping onto his side with his back facing you, feigning agitation. You huff out a small laugh, reaching to pull the thin blanket over him, perching yourself on the edge of the bed to let your fingers massage his scalp.

"You comfy?"

He flips over to look at you, nodding with a small smile plastered on his face.

"Very."

He nearly purrs as you play with curly blond strands, thumbing over his cheekbone whenever your hand nears his face, feeling the stubble across his cheek. His eyes fall shut, leaning into your touch as his breathing slows.

"How 'bout a goodnight kiss? For good luck." He teases, eyes still closed as he purses his lips playfully.

You think for a moment before dipping your head, pressing a quick, chaste kiss to his temple, and he jumps a bit at the unexpected contact.

"Don't get excited. That's all you're getting. Learn to be humble."

You watch him intently, but he keeps his eyes closed, though you don't miss the way he tries to fight the dumb smile that pulls at his lips.

He emerges from his nest hours later, hair ruffled and messy as he yawns, hand scratching at the line of hair that disappears beneath the band of his sweatpants as he pads over to the stool you're situated on. You lift your gaze from the small book pinched between your fingers, clamping a hand over your mouth at the sight, giggling behind your palm.

"What are you laughing at? I just woke up. Cut me some slack."

"No, you –you look cute. Aside from the drool stain."

You pick a napkin from the table to wipe at his face, and he leans into your touch, mind still laced with sleep as he melts into your hand.

"You think I'm cute? I knew you were swooning."

You roll your eyes, nudging his jaw as you pull away. "What did I say? Humble yourself. Your head's already big enough."

He plops down beside you, laying his cheek onto the cool tabletop and staring up at you, reaching a hand out to toy with your fingers. He thumbs over your knuckles, silent as he slowly regains complete consciousness. You let him fidget as your eyes pan across the open book in front of you, humming with a small laugh as you feel him pull at your hand to tangle in his hair. Your nails scrape gently across his scalp, drawing quiet, content murmurs from his lips as he sits beside you.

"So, can we talk about it? I mean, if you want to, of course."

He watches as you close the book, and you tuck a few stray curls behind his ear as you look down at him.

"What do you want me to say?"

He stares for a moment before speaking.

"I don't know. I guess…I just wanna know what this is. Between us, I mean. Because I can't keep acting like this is just friendly. Like, is it more, or am I confused?"

You smile at him, scooting your seat closer.

"I'd like to say it's more, if you want to. I do like you, Peter."

He lifts his head from the table, eyes searching your expression.

"Like, like like me?"

You roll your eyes with a small laugh, nodding. "Yes, like like. I'd be stupid not to."

He stills for a good few moments, drawing his brows together.

"I think that's the first time you've used my first name."

"Yeah? Do you not like it?"

He's quick to shake his head, and you grin at him.

"No, I really like it. You should do it more often."

"I'll remember that."

You watch him, eyes flickering to his lips as he leans in closer.

"Can I kiss you?"

"I'd like you to."

[wexhappyxfew]

I have no idea what's the proper way to send a prop but I would love to see “If you do that one more time I don’t think I’ll be able to control myself.” for Carrie + Douglass. Somethin' about the way they flirt, it's got me feelin' some typa way 😌 Of course, only if you can - thank you so so much!

HEY FRIEND!!!! thank you so much for dropping this in the askbox! so sorry it took me some time to get to it - the end of my semester was quite chaotic i must admit, but with the time i have, i was so excited to get to this one! (i think you asked it perfectly btw!!!) THEY MAKE ME LOSE MY MINDDDDD, i am so glad it is equally shared haha!! i hope you enjoy this then my friend!!! they are quite the duo!! :D

didn't think you'd notice

(a/n): for my carrie x dougie fans, this is for you! let's just say - i did NOT expect this to end as it did, but honestly, for these two, i'm not at all upset about it so, please enjoy! had this sitting around for a bit, but it need a lot of editing, and finally had time so! i hope you enjoy! :D

A crooning Louis Armstrong song echoed somewhere above the flying club as Carrie took a long sip of her beer, reveling in the taste and the warmth that filled her body.

"You drink anymore of that and you'll be facedown on the toilet tomorrow." Marianne said, settling on the chair opposite Carrie with Frank, the orange cat, curled around Marianne's shoulders like some sort of expensive scarf - except the scarf was very much alive.

"You don't know that," Vivian chimed in as she settled into the other open chair and sipped at her martini, "You may not know this Mar, but Bergie's quite good at holding her alcohol. Unlike some people-"

"No need to rub it in." murmured Marianne with a low chuckle, "I'm just saying, we may have practice runs tomorrow, don't need our bombardier passed out at the bombsight."

"We ain't even dropping bombs!" Carrie admonished as she sat up and glanced at Marianne with a winning grin, "We're flying low over English coastline. Nothing's dropping outta the sky except maybe Blakely's formation."

"Heard that." Ev Bakely's voice called from somewhere to their right, "You know, I could tell Lieutenant Bradshaw you are talking quite disingenuous about me and-"

"I never said a word!" Carrie said sitting up and pointing a finger at Blakely with a smile, "You can tell her I said so. That I was sweet as maple syrup to you and all the fixings." Blakely raised a brow and took a sip of his own beer and nodded.

"Then what's this about dropping outta formation?" he asked her.

"What she's saying is that your crew oughta drop outta formation before Silver Bullets even dips-"

"Don't give him ideas, Mar." Vivian said, interjecting the tail gunner's query, "I think you do a bang-up job, Ev, but I gotta hand it to ya, Silver Bullets does her job."

"That's because you got Annie Bradshaw at the wheel." a new voice joined in, the likes of Francis Montez entering the picture, "You have someone like Brady who crashes a fort on any given day, you might've thought differently. Or better yet-" Francis turned to Blakely and patted his shoulder, "-Ev Blakely. Heard you had your fair share of crash courses in flying B-17s." Blakely rolled his eyes and turned to Carrie.

"You think if I tell Annie her co-pilot's talking about Brady she'll-"

"Lose her shit?" Carrie asked him, enticed, "Please, I'd love to see that."

"I'm sure you would." Carrie heard from the groups left and watched as Dougie waltzed over, stubbing out a cigarette and throwing an arm around Francis' and Blakely's shoulders, "I'd bet a hundred dollars to see Bergie lose her shit."

"I'm talking about Lieutenant Bradshaw, genius." Carrie said, with a raised brow and watched as Dougie let out a dry chuckle and slid his arms out from around their shoulders and bent down in front of Carrie slightly.

"First time you've considered my intelligence, I'm honored." he said and Carrie smirked.

"Don't get used to it." she offered back. Dougie smirked at her as the song changed to a sanguine Ella Fitzgerald tune. She stared at him and watched as he, quite nervously, stuck out a hand and wiggled his fingers.

"Not everyday I consider my hand in a dance either, so…." Dougie said, "take it or leave it." Carrie stared at Dougie for a moment, the pound of her heartbeat picking up as he watched her, like he was trying to read a book that was far too complex to understand.

"Not everyday that I take it." she said back smoothly, placing down her beer and standing, letting him take her hand toward the dance floor, knowing she'd get some heckling for this back at the table with some of the girls.

Slowly, she turned to him, his gaze making her feel hot all over in a way she blamed merely on the amount of beer she'd consumed. His hands moved from her upper hips, fingers dancing on her lower back, as hot chills eclipsed her form, her own arms coming to wrap up and around him neck, his presence tantalizing and intoxicating as suddenly every breath made her feel very conscious about just how close they were.

Carrie watched him up close, her head tilted slightly upward at the sudden nearness and slight bit of height he had on her. He smelled quite nice, his face clean-shaven except for that stubborn mustache that was growing on her, and his hair wasn't in that ridiculous gelled cut he usually sported. For a second, she was almost ready to run her hands up and through his dark locks, but she kept her hands firmly locked behind his neck instead and resisted every urge to do so. With just how closely she was studying him, she could tell he was doing the same thing.

"What?" Dougie asked her quietly, the music drowning out the thought of anyone else around them, "You got that look on your face."

"What look?" she managed out, her cheeks uncontrollably turning crimson. Dougie let out a chuckle and let his eyes go all soft, enough to make her heart lose control for a second.

"Maybe you save it just for when we're talking, but," Dougie said softly, "you got that stressed and stubborn look on your face. We're just dancing, look." Dougie shifted closer to her to where his breath was fanning across her face and she could feel each individual finger on her uniform, enough to pierce her skin underneath.

"You don't gotta be stressed when you're dancing with Dougie." Dougie said with a low chuckle, and Carrie snickered and shook her head.

"Didn't think you'd ask me to dance anyway," she said, her mouth moving faster than her brain, "and you really need to start wearing your hair like that more often." She stared at him as she said it and watched as his own brain seemed to rewire the longer he stared back.

"Like this?" Dougie asked her, his grip tightening on her waist as he lingered closer to her and smiled softly, "Didn't think you'd notice something like that." Carrie watched him, inches from his face and smiled slightly, her eyes fluttering shut slightly, before peaking out to stare just beneath his eyes.

"I notice a lot of things," she whispered back, her voice tight and high strung, "more than you might realize."

"Hm, is that so?" he whispered to her quietly, her eyes holding his gaze again as they stared each other, wrapped in one another's warmth and intensity, "How about the first time I met you, I remember that you were wearing your hair in that pretty braid. When your hair had been longer." She watched him as his hand slowly crept up her form to cup the side of her face, his thumb brushing over her cheek.

"You tried convincing me to do a vodka shot with you," Carrie whispered back, trying to catch what breath she had left, "you did a poor job of doing so." Dougie let out a small chuckle, before adjusting those soft, puppy-dog eyes again onto her and smiling softly, enough to make her heart ache just at the way he watched her.

"Yeah, it was pretty bad," he whispered back, his smile riding high, before it disappeared, into a more desperate and yearning look that crossed his face, "listen, Bergie….." She felt her body press against his full, her hands finding their way up the back of his head into his hair. She watched him, from right in front of her eyes as her heart ached more and more.

"The second time I met you, you offered me a cigarette, a Lucky Strike. You had on your sheepskin, you gelled your hair and your aftershave was like Buck's. Pine and cotton." she said quickly, watching as he stared at her, "You danced with Marianne that night. Then the next night was Tatty, and then Charlotte, and then Gemma." She stared at him, her heart pounding.

"The next night, you asked Judy to dance and Dougie….I wished that was me." she managed out, her hand snaking up to the one on the side of his face, brushing her fingers over his soft skin, "You chew gum way too loud for my liking, you usually get a beer and then do a shot, before drinking water. It's all about balance, you say. You are a horrible dancer, but I am too." Dougie continued to watch her as she felt her face reddening and her palms become sweaty, but she didn't care. She couldn't hold back anymore with what emotions had been building for months, week after week.

"I could pick out your laugh in a crowd anywhere," she whispered, watching as his eyes grew wide with a certain depth and surprise, "and I sure as hell would notice when something is wrong." She stared a little longer, biting back her lip as she wrapped her hand around his a bit. "I always do." She watched him, a certain desperation filling her body.

"If you do that one more time, I don't think I'll be able to control myself." Dougie whispered, a certain lowness to his voice that made her cheeks burn.

"What?"

"Look at me like that. Like you always do," he whispered back, his voice husky in a way that made her knees weak. His breath ghosted over her lips for a moment and before either of them were aware of the world around them and whatever was going on between them, Dougie was kissing her. She didn't care that they were in the middle of a shadowed, crowded dance floor, laced with smoke, the smell of beer, and low, swing music. She kissed back like her entire world was right there in front of her.