#HAAAANDS!!!! ALL ABOUT THE HANDS

[itsallaboutbl]

I'm here.

[boxwinebaddie]

hi nina! do you have any other songs that you think cd would cover? i just really liked new perspective and i think ur music taste is rlly cool :3

d'awww!!! hi there, sweet pea! <3

tysm for your ask but, before you start reading ( because this message got VERY long ), i just want to let everyone know that i used this ask to explain some Very Complex Ravenstan/Callgirl Fake Dating Lore...so if you are interested in that, it starts towards the middle of this ask...it's a lil chaotic, but i tried to make it as interesting and clear as i could! no obligation to read, ofc, as always, but i did want to preface this ask with that info, so you know this one is

*Secretly An Important RM Lore Ask.*

but back to what i was doing ( screaming ):

— because aAAAAAAAAAA!!!! c': <333

i am not even joking, you guys, despite the fact that my fic is based almost entirely around Music, i avoided answering music-related asks for so LONG bc i was legitimately so nervous about it being negatively perceived or read for filth on here, which, i Know, is silly because it's my fanfic and what i say goes, i can't change my music taste anymore than i can change the way my dna loops, but...idk.

like, i feel like A Lot of people are self conscious abt their music taste, but my social anxiety/inferiority complex can get so gnarly that i actually get Nervous when people ask me about what kind of music i like and i never EVER sit shot gun in cars bc i am...scared to aux. :/

iiiiiit's...That Bad. ( nina, please get therapy. )

i also feel like people in this fandom can get Very Intense about what kind of music they associate with the boys/what music the boys listen to and are FRIGHTENINGLY QUICK to rip people to shreds over opinions that don't align with theirs or aren't obscure or 'cool' enough.

bc of that, i try to be Very Lowkey on this blog because the larger part of this fandom and the criminally insane level at which they escalate petty fights over canon/fanon, like to the point that they are frothing at the mouth and start doxing people...gives me Extreme Stress. which, in my line of work, i actually CANNOT have happen.

tldr; i want absolutely NO part of it and like my lil corner.

thank you for keeping it Safe. <3

AND THANK YOU FOR ENJOYING MY MUSIC TASTE!!! EEEE c: <3 THAT IS SO REASURRING AND HEALING FOR ME TO HEAR!!!! MUSIC TO MY EARS, BABY! LITERALLY! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THAAAANK YOU! *holds you* *squishes you* *kisses ur head*

istg, if nothing else the fact that i have a bunch of you rocking out to New Perspective and positively associating it with my fanfic means that i have done my job and that's a legacy i'm willing to die with.

i'm being so serious, i feel like if rm was a tv show, it would play as the outro to every episode...but like a nice, soft, raw version w/ ravenstan on acoustic guitar to contrast the hard ass cd cover of style by tswizz that i think would open every episode...smh, nina, please, pleease stop imagining your unfinished, crack-fanfic as a netflix og series. >.>

BUT!!! okay!!!! in vein of trying not to worry about the perception of my music taste or what other people want from me...tHIS IS A KIND OF CONTREVERSIAL TAKE BUT I TIED IT TO THE PLOT, OKAY?

so, as a little nina lore and for context, when i was in elementary school around like 4th/5th grade, i was listening to like a lot of early y2k bangers, ig. dirty little secret by all american rejects, hey there delilah by the plain white tees, girlfriend by avril lavigne core, etc.

( just to make you giggle, i also had a ps2 and there was a series of video games called singstar that were some off shoot of rockband/gh that had mics you plugged directly into the system...pls note my high score on sk8r boi really should be put in the guinness world records, like if you held a gun to my head and told me to sing that song, i not only would i fuck it up but i would LIVE, baby! better luck next time! )

...it was also around early disney channel times ( the disney channel games with the team colors...that was my OLYMPICS, bitch! ) and i had this Disney Pop Hits Vol...1? i think? cd i used to play on the prehistoric radio thing in my room and my favorite song on it was...

pop princess by the click five.

AND I KNOW!!! I KNOOOOOW!!!! controversial take, but i am sorry, THAT SONG FUCKS!!!! THAT SONG IS SOOOO AWESOME!!!!!

and i feel like when ravenstan was fake dating call girl during the great hate south park embark, cd covered it: i am picturing a less finger-bang, btr, disney channel esqe sound and more of a pop-punk, pedal to the metal, electric guitar type, edgy rockstar boy typa beat.

but Yes, i think ravenstan covered it or idk i really think that it was made FOR call girl. and it was BAD ASF. i also think bc tcf wrote that song about hannah montana ( iconic ), and bc call girl is basically the whole internet's e-girl bubblegum pop princess in my fanfic, it just...

makes...Sense.

am i making sense? do we see the vision? aka rs in his lil pants w/ the ripped red and black flannel tied around his waist, fallin to his knees, singing his heart out, pointing at her, winking? PPL DIIIIIIIIIED.

and by people, i do mean jerseykyle n bebe who were MAD AS HELL,

-- but also tapping their toe...smh.

it was both very cool and very annoying. RIP.

( ...do i have jersey and bebe make out during the pop princess call girl tribute as mlm/wlw solidarity? HEEEELP ICOOONIC *jk vibrating with stress and anger vc* barbara, i need you to do somethin for me don't ask questions, i'll explain later, It's Important sdks MESSY! )

BUT OKAY!!!! SPEAAAAKING OF THEM AND THAT AND CALLGIRL AND RAVEN OF CRIMSON DAWN DATING!!!! i wanted to give you some lore and some spoilery plot about that/them bc it is burning a Hole in my brain...i must discuss r.s. and call girl becaaaause

~Its....Complicated.~

ANYWAYS!!!! IMPORTANT PLOT TIME!!!!

so, for more context: i am currently working on another ask abt how ike found out that jerseykyle/ravenstan used to be dating and during that conversation in kyle's room about three days into the sp trip, CONCURRENTLY somewhere Else, ravenstan and call girl are getting ready to do some flashy PR thing like go on a date/get din, idk.

BUT RIGHT BEFORE IT: ravenstan and call girl are alone together, and ravenstan, who, i am not even kidding you, is sooo fucking Pissed that this is EVEN HAPPENING because kyle is super mad at him, was like you are Actually Dead to me, WILL NOT TALK TO HIM...

( which without spoiling too much -- is actually why ike can tell that somethin Fucked Up is happening because j.k. is super aggressive and loud and is not afraid to Fuck Your Shit Up...but has not laid a FINGER on raven of crimson dawn...and actually, seems to not even want to be Near him, barely acknowledges his existence, leaves rooms that he is in and is Radio Silent around him...WHICH IS TWICE AS SCARY AS J.K. YELLING AND TRYING TO KILL YOU. so, uhh, Not fucking...Good, you guys. ike was like...this is...not fucking normal. )

but again, he cannot tell kyle what is going on bc he might actuuuuallly get MURDERED??? uh???

anyways, in whatever secure, secluded space rae/cg are in ( its somewhere private, i pictured a dressing room of sorts, like a makeup trailer, somewhere they have to take pics ) stan is Extremely Straight Up with her and says something to the effect of:

"i have no idea what you think this is or what you want this to be or what they told you, but we are not dating and this...is NOT. Real."

and call girl ( aka wendy whose identity is a secret to EVERYONE, No One has seen the bottom half of call girl's face...Ever. she changes her wigs everyday, they are Very Elaborate and is always in a very high tech face mask that covers her face from the nose down and uses a voice modulator to mask her speaking voice...a mysterious queen ) oddly enough seems completely relieved by this statement and is like

*squints*

"don't worry, Emo Boy. feeling is mutual. like, no offense, but you are seriously...not my type. Ew. trust me, i don’t want to do this either but,

— I Have To."

wHICHSHDLSKDHLSD SHE GUTTED HIM HELP. he was *gigantic stan slow eye blinks in shock* like "right, okay, Ow. that was...Mean." kshdlksdls but then was "--but i am glad we...agree. i Also HAVE To. not because of publicity, it's...Deeper than that...i can't really ta--"

to which call girl, locking eyes with him, dead seriously, lowering her modulated voice is like...

"it's tenorman, right?

He Threatened You."

and r.s, gagged! Again!!! is like

"holy shit, he THREATENED /YOU/ TOO?!?!"

and call girl nods very slowly and starts to say

"he told me if i didn't do it he would..."

and rs with the same kind of mounting horror whispers

" — Kill Everyone You Love And Care About?"

which, at this point, folks, they are both like...

...WOAH.

bc they realize they are both stuck in the same torture chamber together, they Both got cornered into this really elaborate ruse and have to keep it up in order to keep the people that they love Safe and it's...A Lot. it...really is. but it's also sort of freeing and cathartic to knowing you are not alone going through what is pretty much the worst thing that has ever happened to you in your entire life.

i also feel like...there is this natural bond. this Energy between them. like they understand/see each other and feel...safe with one another.

and call girl, guard still up, dips a toe in uncharted water, and goes:

"well...since were partners in crime now and have to live a lie in public...i think we at least owe it to each other in private...

...to be Real."

she offers this bc they have reached an understanding, an impasse, a standstill, a draw of sorts. and there is a thick tension...as well as this crescendoing vulnerability that hangs the air with her ultimatum as they stare warily at each other, strangers, both wearing still wearing their masks, call girl physically in hers and stan in his metaphorical one doing the dark, raspy smoke and mirrors raven voice bc he is...not sure about her in the same way that she is...

...still not sure abt him.

( they are basically that one spiderman meme where both the spidermans are holding each other at gun point. ) and it's a huge Risk to indulge her request, but again...they both have everything to lose.

and no one...but Eachother.

so he indulges her very tentatively and counters:

"alright...then, tell me something Real, call girl."

to which she nods, closes her eyes and goes. "fine. my real name..."

call girl trails off, reaches up to tap the voice modulator on her mask, turns it off, reaches out her rhine-stoned, sequined, hot pink faux leather gloved hand out to shake his and in her real voice, says,

" — Is Wendy."

and this...is a Very BIG Deal.

again, no one has ever heard call girl's voice before. no one knows what her name is or Anything about her. she doesn't even preform live, she does virtual concerts and is basically this sort of mysterious, ai, vocaloid/miku internet personality that is very Carefully and elaborately Coded and ENCRYPTED to keep her identity Safe.

so her turning off her voice mod and speaking to stan, not as a fictional, larger than life computer-generated celebrity, but as a human being...is massive.

it's also very...Comforting to ravenstan.

who has not been himself...for a very long time. and it's not smart, it's not a good idea, but he decides to trust her and in turn,

in his real voice, says,

"stan. my name...is Stan.

It's Nice To Meet You, Wendy."

he shakes her hand and she shakes his.

she says, "it's nice to meet you too, stan." :)

and it feels...Nice. it should feel wrong, what they're doing, but it feels right, it feels fucking amazing to stop Preforming. she knows his name, she's seen his face...but realizes he still has not seen Hers and running on adrenaline, bolstered by a rare surge of bravery, chinks at her armor, or mask rather, and makes a motion.

literally.

bc he reaches up towards her face and goes, "oof. it's nice to hear your human voice; the dystopian robot voice was lowkey espantoso."

he laughs, it's genuine and super ugly, god bless him. so you Know he's being really real when he asks "but...if it's all the same to you. if were going to speak freely; i'd like to...see Who i am speaking to.

so can i, please, uh...see your Face? your whole face.

your...Real face."

and oof. this...is a little nerve-wracking for wendalends.

she's neeeever taken the mask off. ever. Ever. EVER.

For A-n-y-o-n-e.

but...she might never have the chance again and it is...really stuffy under there. so she Agrees and lets stan remove her face apparatus.

ravenstan does say "Wowza." HDLKSHDSl amazing.

he's also my boyfail king and says something very fucking stupid like

"sorry, you're REALLY Pretty. i was worried might look like deadpool under there." she smiles, it's beautiful. no one has seen her real smile before as call girl and thanks him. she goes on to apologize and is like

"thank you, stan. you're really sweet and i...am sorry i said 'ew'. it's not because you're ugly, you're kind of...Cute for a guy, actually? you have really nice bone structure and very kind eyes. it's just, when i said you weren't my type i meant Boys. in...general."

her voice shakes a little, she's never admitted this out loud before, not even to her girlfriend. but she trusts stan with the nice bone structure and dumb ugly laugh and very kind eyes, so she says

"i'm a...Lesbian.

i'm also Seeing Someone at the moment.

It's Complicated."

and stan is like, skhdlsd way too excited to talk about kyle, and is like

"okay, whew! i'm ALSO seeing someone! or well..." then remembers and is like oooof "well...i Was...seeing someone i guess. it's..."

my man is Depressed and is trying to change the subject because he realizes he actually can't talk about kyle because not only is cartman going to kill him if he does...he is also gonna freakin K!ll Himself because he's actually so sad that kyle currently hates his GUTS.

so he sighs, echoing her and admits "It's...Complicated." :/

he wants to hear something nice though, something real...and nice. because he is a romantico king. who believes more than anything...

in Love.

so he asks her what her girlfriend's name is. <3 :')

annnd i think she is About to say bebe's name...but realizes if she does, it will completely blow her cover.

like her ACTUAL Cover.

because stan knowing her first name and her what she looks like under the mask is one thing...but the second she says bebe's name, it's going to reveal that she is kyle's bebe's wen/wendyl which...is

Meeeeessy.

but she reasons ( as an intelligent, rational queen ) that regardless of how messy things get, her and stan are in this mess together and that the best time to make a mess...is when you are Coming Clean.

still...this is...very sensitive information. she’s not sure how he's gonna take it and needs some sort of collateral.

so she states her terms.

and call girl, who stan now knows is wendy, but not bebe's current girlfriend ( yet ) says "okay. i am going to tell you something, but in order to do it. i have to tell you...Everything. in exchange, i need YOU to tell me Everything. i am going to give you One Chance to do so willingly. if not...i do not care how untraceable you Think you are, i am very familiar with the dark web and i will find out everything i Need to know about you. and do with that information...What. I. Please.

...so /please./ promise me you won't tell anyone about what i am about to tell you...and then, tell me...stan...Something Real."

stan agrees and wendy goes into everything. comes out as trans to him and explains her origin story. ( i started to write everything in this ask but it got too long, i'll tell you all about call girl/wendy in another ask i have a couple in the box i can use, haha. ) she tells him pretty much everything ( it's a big therapy session in there ) up until this point, gaydhd ravenstan...manages to understand

Everything.

and when she finishes, true to the deal, she gently volleys the ball into his court, ( they are friends now, aw <3 ) and softly goes:

"okay...Your Turn."

and so ravenstan...who is Deeply Inspired by wendy...Wowza. he seriously thinks she is so fucking cool and ALSO A TRANS ICON??? HELLO? he feels v seen and heard and safe, so uh...jesus christ, he grabs wendy's hands, takes a veeeeeery deep breath and goes,

"so, i...

— Am DEAD."

LKHDSHSDLKDS HEEELP KSHLKDS

annnnnnd proceeds to tell her everything.

and i do mean...Everything.

they talk for the rest of the night basically, having this heart to heart, at the same time that, unbeknownst to ravenstan, jerseykyle and ike are also having a heart to heart....wendy and stan are platonic besties, they agree to keep each other's secrets as t4t legends stuck in cartman's fucked up marionette hell together, they agree to keep their crazy charade up while they try and find a way out/back to bebe and kyle, take some v convincing publicity pictures together ( i do think jk and bebe see them and want to die So Bad, it's not funny...bebe/jk or wendy/rs...choose your doomed broship. Fml. )

and that's...

Your Crazy Uncle Nina RM Lore Drop For The Night!

i hope you enjoyed it, haha. <3 please feel free to drop me a line in the ole ask box about it and ofc, as always, to ask me anything you would like! if you're still with me...after all this time. thank you so much for supporting me and enjoying my content.

it means...Everything to me.

and in writing something fake...

thank you all:

for being my Something Real. <3 c':

-uncle nina, callgirl/raven superfan

[poetry-protest-pornography]

TIME TO YELL ABOUT SAND AND RAY

Sand trying to figure out if he cares about Ray, if he's hurt by Ray leaving him for Mew. Spending time thinking about Ray and talking about him with Nick.

Ray seeking Sand out to apologize and to spend time with him, offering to pester drive him around him all day, asking for space in Sand's life, and being granted it.

Ray needing/expecting Sand to yell at him and call him names, in order to earn forgiveness hurts every one of my feelings. Like, he's just used to people telling him he's an asshole or a burden before they can go back to caring about him.

Sand gently rejecting participating in Ray's degradation kink self loathing, and instead asking him to be kinder, encouraging him to be nice to him, and to himself, and not ignore his feelings. And Ray just immediately leaning into that, because the novelty of people liking you just because you're kind to them, without wanting anything from you (not your money, not what you can give them, not even your sobriety -- you're still valuable, addiction and all, just be kind) is so appealing.

SHARING MUSIC IS A WHOLE LOVE LANGUAGE. I AM GOING TO PERISH.

Ray is genuinely interested in Sand, asking about him. Reaching out.

Ray only listens to old music that his parents used to play. I'm fine, this is fine.

Except Sand doesn't let it be sad, and whisks him away to listen to something he loves, that he thinks Ray will like, and the way Sand is looking at Ray in the record shop, holy shit.

The way Ray is looking back!?

HANDS. HAAAANDS. THEY ARE HOLDING HANDS AND ALSO MURDERING ME AT THE SAME TIME.

Soft, self destructive babies. I love them immeasurably. They're going to kill me.

[xecutivecucumber]

Executive Cucumber's Thoughts on the Bad Batch Season 3, Episode 5, The Return!

(And I'm doing this instead of sleeping)

Spoilers after the break

Notes may not be in order

At first I was a little disappointed that we didn't start immediately after the end of the last episode, but I think I prefer it. We can have the reunion any way we want now. It's possible that the writers thought that they would all just awkwardly and quietly get on the Marauder and fly off and they knew we would be disappointed by that. So they left it to us to imagine what happened next. I think that's also why they didn't show Crosshair finding out about Tech. For them, Crosshair might just stay silent, or disassociate or something and we wouldn't be satisfied. But now we get to imagine all kinds of angst for when that happened.

Oh, the contrast between Omega waking up on Pabu and on Tantiss. SHE DESERVES THIS SO MUCH.

Aww AZ really loves Omega.

Okay, but how did Crosshair accept the fruit? Did he say thank you? I NEED TO SEE CROSSHAIR BE AWKWARD AROUND NORMAL PEOPLE.

I honestly think Crosshair wants to train Omega as his replacement if he can't get over his hands.

Wrecker and Hunter just blatantly watching them is amazing.

MOM'S HOME

Crosshair's sass is everything to me in this episode.

I honestly think that Echo is the only one who really talks about Tech out loud because he's the only one of them who has experienced loss before. He knows how to handle it. The others...do not.

STOP MAKING CROSSHAIR GO TO COLD PLACES, ESPECIALLY WHEN THAT COLD PLACE TRAUMATIZED HIM

'Little brother' oh my gosh they are my everything.

I expected Crosshair to love Omega, but he ADORES her and I am here for it. I'm also here for the fury for when she is inevitably captured again.

Hunter, you are a butt. I still love you.

HIS ARMOR. YES. YES. YES.

'It still fits' it might not have because he was so skinny and that is devastating.

Oh my gosh Hunter and Crosshair's arguing is everything I could have wanted.

'Kill each other later' Echo I love you.

I love that Batcher is just a member of the Batch now. Also, Hunter, get your senses in order the dog is doing your job.

THE HELMETS. AAAAAAAAAGH.

Hunter: sees Crosshair tenderly arranging helmets

Also Hunter: this is unreasonably suspicious

TOOTHPICKS YES

HIS TREMBLING HAAAANDS

Ugh I love Crosshair and Hunter's fight so much. Crosshair isn't just pushing Hunter's buttons, he's legitimately angry that Hunter let Omega get captured and go through what she did. And then there's the beautiful subtext of 'you let Tech die.'

Crosshair and Batcher are best duo.

THE SNOW IS SO GORGEOUS

CROSSHAIR SOUNDS SO MUCH LIKE TECH HE EVEN SAYS 'OMEGA' THE SAME WAY.

This is their get-along-worm.

Wrecker hugging Crosshair and Hunter may be one of my favorite things ever.

'There's no blood.' I am requesting all fic writers to provide me with a plethora of fics featuring Hunter and Crosshair fighting to bloodshed, ranging from angst to the stupidest argument ever.

CROSSHAIR YOU BEAUTIFUL PERSON YOU OPENED UP.

Okay after Hunter said he did things he regretted too I'm now convinced that he has committed so many war crimes in trying to find Omega. Wrecker has nightmares about it.

I can't remember where, but Crosshair's theme was played in the major key!!! LET HIM BE HAPPY

Crosshair is such a joy to watch this episode. This is who he is and it really contrasts with chipped Crosshair.

I miss Tech so much. I want to see him in this dynamic. I also want to see Crosshair and Phee's dynamic.

I mean this in the most complimentary way possible: this episode felt like a fanfiction. The focus on their interactions and emotions feels like something we'd get from a fic rather than Canon. And I love every moment of it.

I adore seasons 1 and 2, but there were definitely episodes I preferred over another. This season has been 10/10 for me so far. And once more I have to wait a FREAKING week for more.

[lanaevyssmoved]

*breaks down the fucking door* ARE WE TALKING ABOUT KETHERIC THORM??

Are we talking about “try again?” And dropping that weapon??

Are we talking about that quiet look of desperation at the thought of redemption for a soul that he has sold off in bits and pieces for the love he has lost forever?

I have written gnarly sex scenes about him but all I wanna do is cup his cursed face in my haaaands

(I’m very normal about the General)

LKSADFJSDLFJSDFLK i think they're mostly talking about kissing him and holding his hand but we can also talk about these things

[beommiya]

"I was mainly talking about your personality, I think that when you are not acting bitchy and overly bratty, you can actually be a very enjoyable company to be around. Plus your smile makes you look very innocent and cute. Thus why I think you are sweet, but..." Xuan leans over Kibum's shoulder, to whisper in his ear, his breath warm and soft on the heated skin. "...If you'd let me taste you, I wouldn't mind testing the sweetness of your body too, although I am pretty sure that it must be even better than anything I've ever had before!~" His lips are so close to Kibum's skin that he could almost feel their touch, but Xuan pulls away before he could give him a proper kiss, half to tease, half to see what the younger will do next.

Now that Kibum was finally lying on his stomach, with his back up, Xuan could start working on prepping him up. Sure, he hadn't missed the positive movements of his body to his touch earlier, Kibum basically giving into every single one of Xuan's touches, but the man wanted to keep true to his word and honor his precious guest with that massage. "You seem to really be enjoying yourself." The Chinese comments with a snort and pours some of the cold oil onto Kibum's back, before starting to spread it evenly with his hands, in an almost caress kind of rub. "I must admit that this isn't something I would usually do. I don't really treat my hostages to 5 star meals, eccentric baths or relaxing massages. Most often than not they are pretty much dead, or beaten to a half dead bloody mess by the time I am done with their interrogations. So I guess you can count yourself as an exception from the rule. The only exception, to be more precise." The man was grinning and it translated into his words, hands now having moved to Kibum's neck, on which he now worked on removing the tension knots he could feel in the younger's muscles. "But if we stay to think about it, you aren't really a hostage now, are you?~" The question was more of a rhetorical one, meant to point out at the fact that their relationship had long ago stopped being one of a captor and his hostage and more akin to two partners... What kind of partners? That was up to Kibum to decide. "Gosh, your muscles are so sore that I'm surprised you can even move around!" Xuan eventually chuckles, lightening the mood with a little joke, as he continued working Kibum's neck.

At first, the words made his heart drop. Kibum misunderstood every single thing, from the longing looks to the soft touches. Realization hit him like a wrecking ball and he could feel the purest form of embarrassment filling him up. How is he ever going to be able to look Xuan in the eye after such a monumental mistake? A honest mistake, to be more precise. Was the whole flirting from earlier just an illusion that was playing inside his mind? Perhaps. The moment Xuan leaned in closer to his ear, thought, he was honestly expecting for the other to laugh and call him stupid. But no, the complete opposite happened. And now Kibum was conflicted like never before. Why was Xuan playing with him like he was just a little mouse, caught in a trap, not a deadly one but enough to keep him locked in a certain minds pace. It was thrilling, and the light brush of his lips made Kibum tilt his head to the side in hope that they would press against his skin. But that was taken away from him before it even happened. "You're such a tease..."

"Do I? Well, let's say it's all thanks to you, young master Xuan" he chuckled but that abruptly stopped when the cold oil got in contact with his hot skin. Of course he hissed and of course he was going to nag at his very welcoming host. "You're supposed to warm it up in your haaaands before pouring it all over me." he whined, even looking over at Xuan with a pout on his lips whilst a frown was also decorating his face. He huffed, resting his head back onto his arms. "Wow, I must be the luckiest guy in the world right now, I wonder what saved me from the saddest death ever known to mankind?" Xuan was talking about torturing and killing people but his hands felt like magic so that really took his mind off of any gore-ish visual images that were about to form inside his brain. At one point he got ticklish and he started to laugh, squirming a little under his touch "You're tickling me, Xuan" but it was not a complaint, not at all. It was tickling him in a rather good way. "This is so relaxing, I could really get used to such treatment every night." his body actually relaxing more and more under his touch.

@phoenix-of-jade

[enbyeddiediaz]

eddie just needs someone to look him dead in the face and say "you're gay" in a monotone voice and I think it should be chim

listen to me, he's been making comments abt buck, acting jealous as fuck, looking at him like he's hung on the moon and so one day chim just breaks and goes "so when the hell are you gonna ask buck out?" and eddie starts looking around bc why tf would chim be talking to him but no one else is there so he points at himself and goes "m-me?" and chim's like "no eddie, the fridge, yes you. when are you gonna ask him out" and eddie goes "I'm not???? I don't feel that way??? I'm straight???" and chim's like "well how DO you feel abt buck?" and eddie just talks abt how buck's his best friend and he doesn't trust anyone more than buck and how he wants to be a part of his life forever and that he doesn't like it when buck dates other people bc then he spends less time with eddie and chris and chim is looking at him with a slightly teasing smile on his face and goes "and do you want to hold his haaaand? maybe give him a little kiss 👀👀" and eddie blushes and groans and then goes "maybe? what does that mean? I didn't even feel this way about shannon" and chim is more serious now and says "you wanna know what it means?" and eddie nods and chim looks him right in the eyes and goes "you're gay" and eddies just sitting there for a few seconds and then he brings a hand up to his face and goes "ah man. you're right" and chim pats his shoulder and goes "you know we love you right? all of us? this doesn't change anything. well, hen might love you MORE if you come out but that's just how she is I think" and eddie nods and chin goes "hey man, you're my family, and I'm here for you if you need it" and eddie nods and says "thanks, it means a lot"

[mistyyyy]

Cw: No sex, heavy sexual tension, spit (receiving),degrading, small rough play, drunken state

Wc: 1627

Pet names: slut

The party was live, everyone grinding against eachother as the sweet sound of R&B rung through out the house, cheering and loud singing was flowing through your ears as you and your friends walked in the house. The smell of weed and cigarettes making your chest burn as you go through the crowd

This is the party he wanted me to be at?

You asked yourself as you make your way through the living room.

You didn't know how, but you found yourself standing in front of the back door, the blue lights from the pool reflecting all over the backyard.

Just as you was reaching for the handle, a hand lighter than your own grabbed your wrist. You was quick to look up, because why are they sneaking up on you like that?

"Hey, calm down~" there he was, your boyfriend for a few months , flashing his pearly whites and showing his cleanly shaven face.

He was quick to lean down and give you a kiss on the forehead, which you hummed as a response. "Why'd you invite me again? I thought we said we'd go public when we're both ready. Last time I checked, you weren't ready."

You knew something was up, he was never the type to just invite you to places,especially because you knew he had a "bad boy" persona to look up to.

Your hands were placed on his chest as you pulled apart, wanting to look up at him as he told his lie. "Well, I thought about it. I really wanted you to be here." His voice was soft as he held you close. Ugh, he was so bashful. Always had you wrapped around his finger, but, you weren't that dense.

"Because you wanted me here Hm? I'm not slow babe. Tell the truth." You slid your hand up his chest and around the back of his neck. "Welll... truthfully, I wanted to show you off to my friends. To finally say... that you're my girl, in public."

He leaned down to your height, noses touching and breath hitting your lips. You couldn't lie, that made your heart thump.

"Hmm~" you smiled against his lips as you pressed yours against his. "I believe you. But, you better introduce me to every single one of those friends, understand?" You pressed a long kissed on his lips, which he smiled into. "Mhm~ you've got yourself a deal-whooaaa watch your haaaands~"

You chuckled as you cupped his ass. "Sheesh what's up with you lately. You've been so... intimate." You pulled away from your boyfriend, making him sit up straight.

"If that's what you want to call it~ let's go."

The party went well, you danced right after you introduced yourself to his friends, Eren,Connie and blonde named armin. Shots after shots, you got tipsy, while your boyfriend was ass drunk and shaking ass in front of you.

...No literally. He was moving his hips smooth, almost grinding in front of you as you leaned on the back of the couch, while Eren and Connie recorded over your shoulder on as they stood on the couch cushions.

"Baaabe~" you whined in your raspy voice as you felt your face heat up. You weren't embarrassed to say, but you were definitely flustered. "Come ooon, dance with me~"his voice was slightly slurred as he pressed his back and ass against your front, while his arm went around your neck.

"Yeah come on girly, dance with him~" Connie laughed and taunted as he poked at your back.

You looked away for a few seconds to contain yourself. You hesitated a bit before placing your hands onto his hips. This was your first time showing him affection in public,so you were definitely shy with touching him.

But as new as this feeling was to you, you were quick to adapt. You bit onto your bottom lip as you begin trailing your hands up his sides, the bottom of his shirt rising and giving you the chance to touch his hot skin.

"See? Look at ya, getting all intimate~" his deep voice whispered in his ear, making you feel hot in the most sensitive areas.

"You're tempting me, baby" you mumbled as your hands graze his toned stomach, fingers running against his trail of hair. "I'm not sure what it is~"he whispers again before turning around, and forcing your hands down to his ass.

You gulped as he wrapped his arms around your neck, and leaning into your ear to give the camera a look. "But you've been acting so dominant recently. I can't help but to feel so fucking horny everytime you display it~" he chuckled in your ear, his deep voice making your thighs tense up.

"You make me want to cream my panties everytime you give me that look, I've seen it. Yet you're so timid and shy, you never act on it."  You shiver as you felt something hot and wet run up your ear.

Fuck.

"Well baby guess what?" You held your breath as you felt his hands go down your shoulders and arms, and gently pressing them against your hands and they rested against his ass. "I'll get that reaction out of you, and you'll fuck me good tonight, yeah?"

He chuckled in your ear once you were quick to nod, your face and body extremely hot as you gripped his ass.

God, you felt kinda pathetic, wrapped around his finger, even when he's ass drunk.

"Heh, let's party!" He raises his voice as he pulled off your body, making you take a deep breath and cough. "Oooh looks like ___ seems to be going through it." Armin comes back from the bar and ruffled your curls as you pushed your way over to grab a drink to cool down.

Shit, what the fuck was that!!?

You sat at the bar and pulled your glasses off your face, and wiped it down from the fog that coated the glass.

"Shit, aye you, make me a damn drink. I need to be drunk for the rest of this." You called over a short girl with blonde hair. "Yes ma'am!"

It's been about two hours into the party, and it only got more pack, and hot. Jean hasn't done anything since that first incident, but you couldn't help but to think about every chance you got. And each time had you the same way, flustered and hot.

God he was such a tease when he was drunk. If he was sober he'd never do this. You can already tell he was going to be sick and pissed in the morning.

Oh well.

Horny and drunk, you spinned in your bar seat and silently singed to yourself in a soft slurry tone.

"Babyyyy~" a cracked deep voice was close to your ear, making you flinch away. This made your boyfriend laugh and stumbled in front of you.

"H-hey Jean" you nervously greeted him as he leaned on your thighs, giving them a squeeze.

He was so close you could feel his breath. "Mm it's time for a little fun don't you think?" He took his veiny hands further up your thighs, his thumbs closer to your heat.

"Wh-what are you." Before you could ask, Jean grabbed your Hennessey filled cup and took a sip of it.

"H-huh?-" your eyes widen as Jean gripped your jaw, keeping your mouth opened and spitting into it.

"Whoa.."

"Dude?"

"Hot"

"That's jeans new girl, right?"

Your eyes were wide for a little bit, but from the alcohol in your system, they were quick to close and take it how it is.

"Oh my god!"

Jean eyes widens as he watches your pierced tongue stick out to catch all of it, your eyes lidded as you stared up at him.

"Did she just..."

"Oh she a fucking freak!"

"FAWK!"

"Mm~" You hummed your  raspy voice as you swallowed both the burning alcohol and his saliva.

Licking your glossed lips, you batted your eyes open at your drunken boyfriend, his lips glistening with Hennessey and his eyes filled with lust. You tapped your short nails against your glass cup as you listened to the gasping of your friends.

You never knew Jean could be such an attention whore. But to scoop this low just to show you how much he needed to be tamed? He only embarrassed himself.

"Jean...go ahead and get your hand off of me." You hand was gently placed on his large wrist, giving it a tight squeeze.

Jeans smirk widens as he feels your nails dig into his skin, yet your eyes stayed the same, drunken and calm. He loved seeing you like this, irritated, angry, it looked good on you.

You were never the one to let your anger out on anyone, so to see you like this, and to have your grip on his arm, it only made his drunk body aroused.

Jean listens to you after a few seconds of staring, his fingers loosening on your jaw before falling to his side.

I mean, theres no reason to rush, right?

You raised to your feet with the chilled glass still in your hand, the ring around your finger cold as you raised your glass up to your mouth and finished off the drink. Your head stayed up, watching Jean as you swallowed the burning substance.

"Jean Jean Jean.." you chuckled as you placed the glass now filled with ice back onto the table.

"You really are just a slut. I thought those girls were over exaggerating, but I'm glad I stayed."

"It's gonna be a long night for you."

________

Not edited.

Check out my twilight story on my SFW page! :)

Tumblr keeps on shadow banning so now I have to promote on my other stories 😒

[unbridgeabledistances]

okayyy so i had something heavier/hurt-comforty in the works as a gapfiller about mickey processing (bc we all need that!!!) but this fluffy little 3+1 about ian and mickey singing to each other happened instead— i hope u enjoy💞

a 3+1 of 3 times ian sang to mickey, and one time mickey sang to ian (to give context to the absolutely wild 11x09 serenade)

also the biggest shoutout to @southside-forever’s 80s gallavich playlist which has SO many bops and inspired bits of this😌

--

1.

Mickey didn’t really know when it all started— Ian was always fucking humming these days, always whistling or singing some tune under his breath when he came out of the shower. He was more buoyant recently, lighter— the security gig was going well, and these days it felt like something looming and heavy had lifted, releasing the crooked hunch out of Ian’s shoulders that had taken root the sour morning weeks before as he shoveled Fruit Loops and Jameson into his mouth. Since then, it felt like he and Ian were finally on the same goddamn page for once— like they had a purpose, like they were moving forward.

Or at least, moving forward on the weekdays— but today was a slow, lazy Saturday, and Mickey was still laying in bed in a tank top and boxers, sweaty and entangled in the crumpled sheets, laying back with his head on the pillow and playing some overly-gory sharpshooter game on his phone. He’d been trying to beat this fucking level a million times, but his thumb couldn’t move quickly enough at the pivotal moment when he had to shoot a bunch of enemy forces— he’d been at the game for a good half hour, since when Ian had sleepily stumbled off of the mattress sporting a full bedhead to go take a shower, and Mickey was starting to get a tinny, sharp headache from staring at his phone screen for too long. He was just starting to consider getting up, to peel off his sweaty tank top and head downstairs to grab some coffee— when Ian came into the room from his shower, a fraying towel wrapped around his lower half and his torso slick with excess water droplets. Mickey flickered his eyes up from his game for a moment, taking an… appreciative glance, and then quickly focused his attention back on his pixelated mission as Ian stood in front of the dresser in the cramped bedroom, and started to rustle through the drawers for a t-shirt.

Mickey maneuvered his buff video game avatar through a minefield, biting his lip in concentration— when his sharp focus was suddenly infiltrated by Ian, singing under his breath in an airy tone.

“Ooooooh we’re halfway there.”

Mickey gritted his teeth slightly and tried to pour all his attention into the pivotal moment of the level, but half of his mind was being pulled to listen to Ian’s gravelly voice, continuing to softly murmur to himself in a tone that was ridiculously off-key.

“She says we’ve gotta hoooold on, to what we’ve got—”

Mickey’s phone screen flickered. GAME OVER.

Mickey wanted to throw his phone at the fucking wall. He inhaled, then pressed “Start Game” again, one last time— and again, his focus was disrupted by Ian, singing under his breath as he pulled on his jeans and gently pattered his hands in a rhythm on the top of the dresser— which was endearing and sappy as fuck, sure, but it was not helping Mickey with the task at hand. Mickey puffed out a sharp, frustrated breath, keeping his eyes on his phone screen.

“The fuck are you singing for right now?”

Ian suddenly gave a sheepish smile over his shoulder as he rifled through their sock drawer, like he’d been caught in the middle of doing something wrong.

“Don’t know. Song was just stuck in my head I guess.”

Mickey glared at Ian, pressing his thumb to the screen to pause his game. “Cut that shit out.”

Ian rolled his eyes fondly, sitting on the edge of the mattress to pull on his socks. “You should be thanking me for serenading you with your fucking eighties dad music. I could be singing Carly Rae Jepson right now, or some other pop bullshit that you hate.”

Mickey felt an involuntary, amused smirk split onto his face, and he tried to turn it into a scowl. Fucking adorable motherfucker.

“Okay, tough guy. If anything you should be thanking me for cleansing your ears from the techno garbage that you used to listen to.”

Ian gave a soft smile, shoulders turning fully towards Mickey now that he’d finished pulling on his socks— and then he turned and clambered into the bed, hovering above Mickey and causing Mickey’s fingers to go slack around his phone case. Mickey could smell the warm, freshly-showered scent of him, all cheap bar soap and Old Spice deodorant, and felt the soft press of his t-shirt through Mickey’s thin tank top— an overly worn t-shirt, one of Mickey’s, that stretched just a little too tight over Ian’s torso.

Ian looked down at Mickey, fucking beaming for some reason, his eyes light. He swooped down, pressing a soft, quick kiss above Mickey’s eyebrow. And then—

“Take my haaaand, we’ll make it I sweeear”

Mickey felt an involuntary, uncomfortable chuckle bubble up out of his ribcage. Was Ian fucking… singing? To him? It definitely seemed like it. And as much as he didn’t want it to, because this was fucking sappy and ridiculous and… well, gay— Mickey couldn’t help the fact that his husband leaning over him, breathily singing the tune of one of their goddamn wedding songs in his husky tone-deaf voice, made Mickey’s blood run a little bit hotter; which was bullshit, because absolutely nothing about this should be hot, and it was probably the most disgustingly married thing that Mickey could think of— but apparently everything about Ian, every dorky and fucking god-awful cringey thing that he did, was a turn-on, or at least according to Mickey’s thudding heartbeat and sweaty palms right now.

Ian’s face was still hovering centimeters above his, his eyebrows raised triumphantly and sporting a sappy fucking grin, like he knew how affected Mickey was by this, no matter how much Mickey grumbled and complained and tried to hide it.

Mickey rolled his eyes. “You’re fucking soft, Gallagher.”

Ian just leaned down again, kissing up the slope of Mickey’s neck and biting at his earlobe—and, okay, maybe Mickey could get behind Ian’s singing after all.

 2.

Ian’s singing was starting to get fucking ridiculous— and as much as it made something deep inside Mickey feel a light pang of relief, to see Ian being his old bubbly self again in the rhythms of routine and held by the safety net of financial stability because of the security gig that made the air between them less stale, it also meant that they were also around each other pretty much 24/7, and Ian’s serenades were starting to get relentless.

While they pretty much had a common ground in liking nostalgic 80s music, they would still inevitably argue about what music to play in the ambulance every morning— and whatever shitty album they eventually chose to put on, whether it was Ian’s pop garbage of Mickey’s mellower 80s tunes, Ian’s brain would apparently absorb all the songs like a fucking sponge and he’d start singing them all day long—in the kitchen, in the shower, even when they were just laying in bed on their phones and Ian would constantly hum absentmindedly.

Today they were driving to some bougie dispensary in Glencoe, near a bunch of ridiculous mansions on the very outskirts of the city, and it was Ian’s turn to pick the music— Mickey usually elected one of the well-loved CDs that he’d jammed into the glove compartment as they were refurbishing the ambulance, CDs that he’d kept since he was a kid when he piled them high in the corner of his grimy room next to a half-broken boombox— but as much as they were Mickey’s comfort CDs, Ian could only listen to Bon Jovi so many times before he started to slander 80s music as a collective genre.

“Can we just listen to something by someone who isn’t older than us, just this once?”

“Easy for you to say, Gallagher. At least the music that I like has fucking words.”

When it was Ian’s turn to pick the music, he usually picked more modern stuff with heavy beats and a thrumming bass (though more often than not he also appeased Mickey’s tastes with some “80s throwback” playlist he’d found on Spotify that he’d noticed Mickey would bob his head along to)—but on longer drives, like this one, it was easy to butt heads about the soundtrack. Ian had allowed Mickey to play through one of his Queen CDs that morning, and then Ian had put on some whiny indie bullshit from a playlist on his phone for the other half of the drive— now they were heading home after a long day, with the stereo turned low to a local radio station.

They’d settled into a comfortable silence, as they often did at the end of the day when their energy faded— Ian had stopped pattering his hands on the steering wheel like he usually did when he was amped up and buzzing with energy in the mornings, and Mickey could tell they were both ready to collapse onto the couch the second they set foot in the door.

Mickey blew out a deflated breath and reached to turn up the radio, tuning in to some middle-aged host with a cheery voice chattering about the heat wave in Chicago that upcoming weekend—and then the airwaves went silent, and there was the overdramatic sound of a slamming door and a gospel choir.

Ian’s ears nearly fucking perked up at the sound as the opening chords began.

“Life is a mystery… Everyone must stand alone…”

Ian immediately raised his voice to join in, the tired slouch leaving his shoulders.

“I hear you call my naaaame”

He turned to Mickey and pointed overdramatically, causing Mickey to shove his arm away but unable to quell the overly fond grin that he knew was blooming on his face.

“And it feels like… home.”

The beat dropped, rolling into the chorus, and Ian energetically drummed his hands against the steering wheel once more.

“C’mon, Mick!” Ian laughed, throwing his head back dramatically as he sang while still trying to keep his eyes on the road.

“When you call my name, it’s like a little prayer, I’m down on my knees, I wanna take you there.” Ian’s pitchiness clashed with the melody, but he was too focused on singing and bopping side to side in this seat to really care.

Mickey rolled his eyes, his lips still turned upwards at the corners while he watched his absolute dork of a husband jamming to Madonna. “Isn’t this song about giving someone a blowjob or some shit?”

Ian gave an easygoing laugh. “Technically, yes. And it’s also definitionally a gay anthem, which means you have to sing with me.”

Mickey scoffed and flipped Ian off. “Fuck off.”

Ian raised a playful eyebrow, and continued to sing with relentless eye contact:

“It’s like a dreeeeam, no end and no beginning”

Mickey felt heat rise into his cheeks against his will. No fucking way was he going to sing a Madonna song about a blowjob stone-cold sober at 2pm on a Tuesday while driving home from work with his fucking husband—which, wow, that was probably the gayest sentence that had ever crossed Mickey’s mind in his 26 years of existence (which was definitely saying a lot).

This wasn’t ever a place Mickey thought he’d be in— sitting beside Ian so comfortably, singing fucking songs while they drove home from their daily commute; getting to soak up all the warmth, all the brightness that had always radiated out of Ian so intensely that it nearly blinded him, a warmth that he’d always wanted to lean in closer to even when they were just scrawny kids in a shitty neighborhood still figuring everything out.

Maybe, just maybe— it was okay to lean in a little more.

By the time the chorus rolled around the third time, Mickey was begrudgingly humming along, like he usually did whenever the songs that Ian was singing on and endless loop got stuck in his own head and popped up while he was brushing his teeth or making toast for breakfast— by the time the final rhythmic chorus faded to silence on the radio waves, Mickey glanced over at Ian, singing at the top of his lungs, face slightly flushed and grinning ear to ear.

“Just like a prayer, your voice can take me there.”

3.

Ian and Mickey were walking down the moonlit sidewalk, veering back home after an evening at Lip’s— the night had honestly been weirdly enjoyable, which was definitely a welcome reprieve from all of Lip and Debbie’s intense back-and-forths about the house over the past few weeks. Tami and Lip had needed to go over to Brad and Cami’s for some bullshit crisis management about the stolen bikes, and Ian had readily agreed to watch Freddie— which meant that whether he liked it or not, Mickey had spent his Friday evening at Lip’s half-packed apartment watching Ian coo over a one-year-old, which was… not a totally unwelcome sight.

Trying to keep his shit together, Mickey had snapped a picture to send to the Gallagher family group chat, and everyone had immediately given them shit about being so eager to babysit and get their hands on a toddler like a couple of baby-crazed newlyweds—which had caused Mickey to start overzealously complaining in the groupchat to compensate while Ian occupied Freddie. Kev had noticed the texts and swung by Lip and Tami’s house after closing the Alibi to keep the two of them company, bringing by a pack of beers—and now he and Ian were warm and happily buzzed, relieved of their babysitting duties and walking the chilly city streets back towards the Gallagher house.

Halfway through the walk Ian had interlaced their fingers, and now their arms were swinging slightly as they turned the final corner to walk down the last stretch of pavement towards the chain-link fence—when suddenly, Ian stopped cold a few houses away from the Gallagher front porch. He looked down at Mickey, raising their entangled hands and pressing a kiss to the inside of Mickey’s wrist.

Mickey raised an eyebrow in confusion, and Ian just looked back at him—his cheeks glowing pink from the few beers, his eyes light and unguarded under the streetlamps.

“This spot reminded me of something.”

Mickey rolled his eyes. Of fucking course it did. Ian was a sappy motherfucker on the best of days, but with a couple of beers in him he was practically uncontrollable.

“What?”

All of a sudden Ian let go of his hand, punching into the air dramatically.

“Cause love is a battlefiiiield”

Mickey laughed, feeling warm hot blood rush to his cheeks in delight—and fuck, he loved his husband so goddamn much. And just this once, mostly because of the own alcohol running thick in his bloodstream, Mickey made the lurching decision to join in, stepping closer towards Ian and raising his hands equally as dramatically.

“No promises, no demands”

“Woooooah”

Ian had practically doubled over with laughter, tears welling in the corner of his eyes—and Mickey let himself get lost in it, the warm feeling buzzing through his body, of love and joy and fuck knows what else, getting to sing on a fucking street corner with his husband a decade after everything had gone so gut-wrenchingly wrong, leaving him bleeding on this same pavement.

They stumbled over their own feet up the stairs, fumbling out of their clothes and collapsing into bed—and later, just as Mickey was on the brink of fading into unconsciousness, Ian mumbled the same refrain into the crook of Mickey’s neck in a sleepy voice, like the song was still stuck in his head and he just couldn’t help it.

“Love is a battlefield.”

4.

It was late— it was one of those slow, tender nights when the past was hanging heavy over them, laying pressed together in bed as thin streams of moonlight poured in through the blinds, pressing whispers into each other’s skin about all of the hurt and the doubt that had been seeped up and healed with time.

Ian was sprawled back on the bed and Mickey was laying with his head resting on his chest, feeling his ribcage expand and contract each time he took a breath. They’d absorbed so much the past few weeks— the sick, twisted blows of a loss that felt all the more jagged and painful because of how muddled the grief for Terry was—but after a few days had passed they’d found a place to settle, in the comforting press of the silence in their bedroom.

Mickey was mindlessly playing with Ian’s fingers, listening to his steady breathing—and without thinking, he ran a finger over the cool silver of Ian’s wedding band, letting out a breathy chuckle.

“I still can’t believe we’re married sometimes, man.”

Mickey could feel Ian’s lips curve upward into a smile from where his mouth was pressed against the top of Mickey’s head.

“Yeah, me either.”

And Mickey felt something bubbling, something welling— and he didn’t ever fucking sing, not unless Ian made him, but Ian was always fucking dropping song lines into sappy moments like this.

So he took a breath, and, half-singing but mostly talking, in a way that sounded almost mocking if it wasn’t so soft around the edges, he let out into the dark silence of the room:

“At last….”

He wasn’t even singing, not really—he was just sort of… saying the words in a singsongy way, but he knew that Ian could tell what he was doing, what he was trying to do. He was trying to be as fucking sweet and soft and pliant as Ian was, as Ian always was in moments like this, in a way that sometimes made Mickey feel brittle and hard in comparison. This time, Mickey wanted to breathe out the love he had for him into this moment, the love that made his ribcage feel like it was going to fucking burst— a love that he felt erupting outwards when Ian had played this song for him for the first time a few weeks before the wedding, and had asked with a shy smile, “D’you think it’d be okay if you walked down the aisle to this song?”

Ian’s chest shook with laughter, and he carded a hand through Mickey’s hair. And then, in his gentle, sleep-soft voice, in a breathy tone that tickled the shell of Mickey’s ear:

“My looove has come along”

Mickey rolled his eyes fondly, just to prove something to himself, even though he knew Ian couldn’t see him—and then he reached a hand upward and leaned back, drawing Ian’s chin forward to press his lips to his for a brief, lingering moment.

Mickey settled back against Ian’s chest again, and felt Ian press a kiss to the top of his head. He smiled contentedly, closing his heavy eyelids.

Maybe being a couple of sappy motherfuckers wasn’t so bad.

[dreamhot]

Oh gosh the thought of irl Dream content! Like I mentioned before, he is so expressive in his voice :) Along with his voice, there are many moments where he moves around so much when he is full of energy and when he is idly fidgety when he is relaxed. It’s such an endearing quality when people fully express themselves vocally and physically!

My brainrot just likes to remind me that clip of him saying that he blushes easily, if only I can find it for you :( The proof of that is actually in your hand gifs haha, you mentioned you had trouble color correcting because of the reddish tone. I don’t know, I’m just excited for irl dream team content and what comes with it! I know that is said a lot but I’m sure we all feel this excited because of close this moment will come :D

- Celestial anon

blushy haaaands man those gifs WERE a pain to colour like dream king can you get better lighting for your irl content in the future <3 the gifmakers who need to do colour grading could use the help <3 dskjhf but seriously yeah i feel like i might have heard the blushing clip?? if i'm thinking of the right thing anyway like i wanna say it was a discord stream but i may be wrong ... in any case, the thought of it is just www and i always talk about it but him laughing ?? the thought of getting footage of him goofing around with his friends ?? i'm not emotionally ready for it my heart might just explode and i'll die

[justanotherlifeff]

Levi Ackerman × reader

Genre: Angst, Hurt/comfort, Fluff, matured themes, slowburn

Warning: There's mentions and descriptions of underage rape and suicidal themes and self harm and other triggering stuff.

Hanji POV

I was giving a pep talk to my squad when I saw (Y/N) talking to Levi. We were about to leave the walls in a few moments. For a second, I think I saw shorty with a warm expression. It was surprising really, given that he always looked like a "constipated brat" in his own words. What was more surprising was that he found himself someone shorter than he is. When we were called to the lift, I saw (Y/N) and Levi giving each other some really intense looks and talking about something.

God knows what these two were talking about given that their looks could make new recruits piss their pants. Levi walked away from her when the lift arrived and stood beside me on the lift. I saw (Y/N) move slightly to stand with the crowd.

"Yo shorty, what were all those intense looks about?" I nudged Levi to which he answered, "Shut it shitty glasses". I smiled at his usual behaviour. Seems like even love can't change some things. I sighed at the thought. Moblit and I weren't able to go on a date because of how busy I was with my experiments. I need to make it up to him after the expedition if both of us come back alive. As the lift creaked up, someone shouted from the crowd, " HEY HANJI!". I looked down and saw, "Flegel?" I muttered, curious that he was shouting my name out. "TAKE BACK WALL MARIA! THE FUTURE OF MANKIND IS IN YOUR HAAAANDS!" he shouted.

Following his lead, many others shouted out encouragements. Some thanked Levi for saving the town and to that Levi muttered, "Someone's got a big mouth". " Well, with the commotion we made, of course they'd find out." I muttered, answering Levi. The replacement for Mike said, "The thing is, all the meat we ordered was from the Reeves company." The replacement for Squad leader Ness merely said, "Damn that Flegel".

Suddenly, I heard people beside us shouting "YEAH YOU CAN COUNT ON US!". I turned and saw Levi squad shouting out to the people. Other soldiers were muttering about how the Survey corps never had a send off like this before. Erwin replied to them by saying, "As far as I'm aware, this is a first" before starting to shout himself. Both Levi and I looked at him surprised. I looked down at the crowd to see (Y/N) gaping at the sight too. After all, this was completely unexpected for someone as calm as Erwin.

(Y/N) POV

It was surprising to see Uncle Erwin so excited about an expedition. Specially, one that could cause many casualties. The Survey Corps were gone after a while and the crowd dispersed. I went back to the Survey corps Headquarters to get my squad to help me receive all the furniture and make my home liveable. "I have a home now..." I thought gleefully. I finally was able to find happiness. I took my horse back from the stable and galloped towards the headquarter.

When I opened the door to the common room, I saw my squad complaining about not being able to join the expedition.

[(Y/N) Squad/ Special operations squad 2:

(Y/N) squad was supposed to be one of the four commanding squads beside Levi squad, Hanji squad and Drik squad but due to her pregnancy leave, Marlene squad was a temporary replacement for her.

Members:

Diana Becker: A graduate from 103 trainee corps. Very good at communicating with other soldiers and after being trained by (Y/N), 3DMG techniques are improving. Appointed as (Y/N)'s second in command.

Heinrich Fischer: A transfer from Garrison from 103 trainee corps. Area of specialty is medic. Good at 3DMG and getting better with (Y/N)'s training. Excellent at hand to hand combat according to (Y/N) as he was the only person who knew the right strategy to use on (Y/N), losing nonetheless. Not too good in social skills

Stefan Wagner: A graduate from 103 trainee corps. Area of specialty is Veterinarian. Good at 3DMG and improving. Good at social skills and will implement any command given as flawlessly as possible.

Marie Schwarz: A military police transfer from 103 trainee corps. Area of specialty is dealing with finance. A serious soldier who is good at almost all sectors except hand to hand combat due to a lacking in understanding of the enemy's moves but that could be improved by team activities. However, it seems like she had difficulty with authority, specially (Y/N)'s.]

"Damn it... This was one important expedition and we couldn't join... They will all be awarded as heroes when they return and we will only be watching.." Heinrich complained to the other bored soldiers as I walked in. They were all seniors in case of Trainee corps records but younger than myself by a few years given that I joined a bit late. "Heinrich, if you are so keen on being Titan fodder, go ahead, take your horse and follow them. They haven't gone too far yet." I told him, shutting him up.

"Sorry, squad leader (Y/N). He was just being an ass" Diana muttered, smacking Heinrich on his head. They probably were in a relationship or something, given that I walked onto them kissing one time. I pretended I didn't see it though. "Well, be thankful that you aren't fighting Titans with your lives in your hands and instead you're helping me with decorating my home. I want you all at my home in 30 minutes. I'll be going to the furniture store and getting the furniture." I ordered them as they answered with a "Hai!" before I left for the furniture store. It was already getting dark. I took my horse there, paid the furniture makers, rented a wagon and with the help of the furniture maker's apprentice, took all the furniture home. The squad was already home and with their help, I started arranging the house.

"Diana, go arrange the kitchen utensils. Stefan and Heinrich, move that shelf away from the window." I commanded. Most of the house was already decorated. I just needed to get the bedsheets arranged, bring all of Levi's and my own books from the headquarters, except of course, the work related ones. "Marie, we are going to get the books" I commanded her and we went to the headquarter.

It took a while to arrange all the books as I did that by dividing the books by genres. After the whole decoration process was done, I thanked the squad and dismissed them. It was about 10 pm when I started cleaning the house. After an hour of cleaning, I felt like the house was clean enough for Levi's standards and I locked the front gate and went back to the headquarter. We weren't supposed to be living in this house till we get married. I was tired beyond measures after all the work and decided to pass out on the bed.

A few hours later

Levi POV

"Looks like the beast titan has us in it's sights. This place is about to turn into a honeycomb. Erwin, if you tell me there's no way left for us to fight back, I'll start preparing for defeat." I told Erwin. This operation was meaningless. Of course there was no chance of victory after this. If we had to get some survivors... I would have to give up my life... Would (Y/N) be okay with it? I'm sure she would be devastated... But I had to do this. For humanity and for a good future of my child... Can (Y/N) raise him on her own? "It could be a she too you know" (Y/N)'s voice rang in my head. She always pointed that out whenever I called our child a 'he'.

"Eren's sprawled out there, right? Go wake him up. You and some of the others get on him and run. That way we'll have at least a few survivors." I continued. I remembered the last time I slept with her. She looks so peaceful when she sleeps... "The recruits and survivors from Hanji's squad can scatter on horses all at once and try to head home... How does that sound? With them acting as bait, you and the others on Eren will be able to escape." I concluded. I remember her snuggling into my arms, burying her head in my chest... "And what are you going to do, Levi?" Erwin asked me. Was that really the last time I saw her? And I really made a shitty promise that I couldn't keep that time?

"I'll deal with that beast. I'll lead him away" I answered. Am I really ready to choose humanity over her? Over our kid? "No. You can't even get close to him." Erwin stated. I remembered her rare smiles. I imagined a future where she and my kid will be safe. If this sacrifice is worth it, I can do this. "Probably not. But, if you and Eren make it back alive, there's still hope. Isn't that the kind of situation we're in now? This is a major defeat. Honestly, I'm not expecting anyone to make it home alive at this point." I replied. "True. If we don't have any way of fighting back." Erwin stated calmly. I was surprised. Did he have anything up his sleeve?

"Do you have one?" I asked him, genuinely surprised. "Yes" he stated. At this point, I was annoyed at him. What was he thinking? Why didn't he say this to me before? "Why didn't you tell me earlier? Why didn't you put that ugly mouth of yours to work sooner and say something?" I asked, genuinely annoyed. "If this plan goes well, you may be able to defeat that beast. But only if we sacrifice the lives of all the recruits here, as well as mine." Erwin mentioned. Sacrificing Erwin? Didn't I promise (Y/N) that I'll keep him safe? If he makes a decision like this, how can I face (Y/N) again?

"You're absolutely right. No matter what we do, most of us will surely die. Infact, it's most likely that we will all be wiped out. So our only choice is to assume we are all expendable and work from there. We'd have to ask these young people to give up their lives. You'd need the skills of a first rate con man to come up with a reason that convincing. So I doubt any of them will charge forward unless I was leading the way. Which would mean I'd be the very first to die. Without ever learning what was in that basement." Erwin said. "Huh?" I asked, confused.

This man was about to die and all he cared about was a shitty basement? He sighed and said, "I just want to go to that basement. Everything I have done, I did thinking that this day would come. That someday, I would be able to check my answers. There were so many times that I thought it would be easier to just die. Then, the dream I shared with my father would flash through my head. And now those answers are close enough to reach out and grab... They are right here... But, Levi, can you see them? All of our comrades? Our comrades are watching us. They want to know what we will do with the hearts they dedicated to our cause. Because they may be gone but their fight isn't over. But then again, I promised (Y/N) that I will be with her at her wedding... She doesn't deserve to lose more... I broke enough promises to her before. Will the last thing I told her be a promise that I couldn't keep? Or is it all pointless and nothing more than my own childish delusion?".

I looked at Erwin for a while, my mind full of doubt. He was implying that I have to make the decision. This was much worse. (Y/N) would never forgive me. She will despise me. I might lose the only chance I ever had of having a family. Then again, didn't I decide that sacrificing my life for the safety of (Y/N) and our child was worth it? Why should this be any different? If wall Maria is captured, humanity will be much closer to victory. (Y/N) and our child will be safer. I'd rather have (Y/N) hate me than get her killed because I was weak. I knelt down in front of Erwin and told him, "You've fought a good fight. We have only come this far thanks to you. I'm making the choice. Give up on your dreams and die for us. Lead the recruits straight into hell. And I'll take down the beast titan.". To that he smiled slightly at me. "Keep (Y/N) safe. You two have my blessings." he said, startling me before he explained the plan to me.

"You want me to approach the beast by myself using vertical manoeuvring? There's nothing around him! There isn't a single tree or house or anything else I can use!" I asked Erwin, not understanding what he was talking about. "No... You have targets that are the perfect height. They are standing there all in a row aren't they? Use the titans to sneak up on and ambush the beast titan." Erwin explained.

I stood beside him as he convinced all the soldiers to give up their lives. Deep down, I knew it was all my decision. I felt revolted by myself. Does a person like me even deserve the happiness and stability of a family? When I can decide to send so many people to their deaths, bringing tragedy to so many other families... "No. I won't regret my decision now. It is all for the greater good" I convinced myself as I stood, watching the faces of people who knew they were about to die meaningless deaths.

The plan was put into action. I maneuvered towards the beast titan, killing it's titan army in progress. I saw the suicide charge down there. "I'm sorry" I told them in my mind as I slashed the napes of titans.

"Turning into titan puts a heavy strain on your body... So you can't transform again while you're busy healing. Isn't that right?" I asked the blonde man who I had cut out of the beast titan and stuffed my blade in his mouth. I pushed the blade forward, making it come out of an eye socket through his mouth before saying, "Hey, answer me. Don't you have any manners?". "I can't kill him. Not yet. Isn't there anyone still alive? It doesn't matter how injured they are as long as they are breathing... I can use this shot to turn them into a titan... Then I can have them eat this guy and steal the power of the beast titan. Isn't there anyone?" I thought. An image of Erwin passed through my mind.

"Isn't there someone I can bring back-" my thoughts were interrupted by the cart titan's mouth. I assumed that it tried to eat me but I moved away and saw it taking the beast titan and run away. "Hey! Where are you going? Stop. I'm not done with you yet..." I said, my voice sounding like a defeated person. Did I just lose to him at the last moment? The beast titan commanded the remaining titans to come at me. "Wait... I swore to him... That I'd kill you no matter what." I muttered. Anger surged into me as I continued, "I SWORE TO HIM!" as I changed my blades and charged towards the titans coming at me, slashing their napes off as fast as possible so that I could follow the beast and end him.

I flew to the wall as fast as possible to find the beast titan in front of Eren. Eren had his blade to the throat of a limbless figure, possibly the colossal titan. The beast titan saw me and started running again as I flew towards Eren. My gas finished off just as I reached Eren. "That was the last bit of gas I had. I'm going after him. Give me all your gas and blades. Hurry!" I commanded Eren just before a black figure behind him coughed faintly.

The black figure was Armin. Eren was going insane after figuring out that Armin was alive. He shouted at me excitedly to give the titan serum to Armin. A certain gut feeling made me hesitate. What if Erwin isn't dead? I was handing the serum out to Eren when Floch arrived with Erwin on his back. He said that Erwin is alive and gravely injured. I took the serum back, sure that I will inject it to Erwin. "Captain?" Eren asked, surprised and scared. I checked Erwin's nose with my hand.

"He's still breathing. He's still alive...". I can keep (Y/N)'s promise... "We're giving this injection to Erwin" I stated. Eren suddenly stood up, facing me. "You just said you'd use it on Armin.." he told me, tears streaming from his eyes. "I'm choosing to keep alive the man who will save humanity" I replied to Eren. Behind me, Mikasa got her blade out.

"You guys, do you have the faintest damn clue on what you're doing? We are talking about Erwin Smith. The commander of the Survey corps. You're telling me to sit here and let him die? There's no time. Get out of my way." I told them before Eren held the box of titan serum in my hands. "Eren, look past your feelings." I told him. "My feelings? Why did you hesitate before handing over the injection?" Eren asked me. Wasn't it obvious? I was trying to keep a promise that I made. I just had to take the chance...

"I was considering the possibility that Erwin was alive." I answered. "I don't see how you ever could ever have predicted that Floch would bring the dying commander." Eren stated. "You're right. But now that Erwin is here, we're using it on him." I told him my final decision. To my surprise, he still tugged on to the box and I had no choice other than punching him on his face, and sending him flying. Mikasa ran at me with her sword and jumped on me with her blade on my throat. Why couldn't I fight her? I was always stronger than her, but, was it guilt that made me feel this way? The fact that I probably was being selfish? That I wanted Erwin alive more for personal reasons than just the fate of humanity?

Hanji pulled Mikasa off me. She explained to her that everyone lost people dear to them today. She lost Moblit, how she regretted not going out with him even once, how she wished to bring him back too along with many other comrades. I was up on my foot now, kneeling in front of Erwin with the injection out. Suddenly, I felt someone grab my feet. "Heichou, have you heard of the ocean?" he said. He told me how much Armin wanted to see it. Floch tried to stop him but he said it anyway. I realised that he wasn't any different from me. He wanted his best friend back. I wanted (Y/N)'s happiness. I didn't have any right to choose who is to live and who is to die but at that moment, I was forced to make a choice. I chose to give in to my personal gain.

"Troops, clear the area! Erwin will turn into a titan and eat Berthold!" I commanded. "Fools, all of them... Like little kids... The way they scream and flail..." I muttered as I walked towards Erwin with Berthold. Suddenly, flashes of my conversation with Kenny came to my mind. "They couldn't keep going unless they were drunk on something..." he told me. I folded Erwin's jacket up to his elbow. I brought the injection towards his hand. "They were all slaves to something. Even him", Kenny's voice rang in my ear just as Erwin's hand shot up. " Teacher... How'd y... find out that they don't exist?" Erwin muttered.

Realisation flowed through my mind. Someone as self obsessed as Kenny decided to die when he achieved his dreams. I remembered the conversation I had with Erwin before the expedition. The one where he said that he didn't have much plans for after he finds out what was in the basement. The conversation from before the suicide march rang in my head. "There were so many times that I thought it would be easier to just die." I remembered Erwin saying that. Erwin was able to work his wonders only because of his curiosity on what was in the basement. If he found out what was in the basement, he won't have any reason to fight anymore. Sure, he loved (Y/N) but that had nothing to do with this fight. He already gave the responsibility of (Y/N)'s safety to me before the suicide march.

Even if Erwin lived, he wouldn't be able to contribute much to humanity's victory anymore. Armin on the other hand, still has a dream that was far from being achieved. "I need to keep (Y/N) and my child safe. No matter what." I thought. Erwin's death was crucial for humanity's victory. With that thought, I injected Armin with the titan serum.

To be continued...

Taglist: @reality-is-often-disappointing, @kingtamakimurder

[partywiththedevildude]

He Tian got me crying this chapter. Like seriously, that boy needs all the hugs 😭

But the other thing that got me crying in a different way was the fact that Zhanyi was about to have A FRICKIN' MOMENT (loook at the haaaands; so soft, sliding on skin... WOULD THEY HAVE HELD HANDS?!)

BUT THEN MO WAS THERE LIKE

😂

[improbablecarny]

The Best Good Parts of Ghostlights

As according to me

The second half of the story that began with The Mystery of Time, Ghostlights is a promise of similar bombast, excitement, and generally killer music that sure ghosts my lights. ... Is that anything? No? Whatever. Let’s get on to the part we all actually care about:

The spooky skeletons.

Or, you know, the music:

Storyline: The Antiquarian’s shop has burned down, the little clock is as enigmatic as ever, and Aaron Blackwell realizes that the scientists he’s found himself entangled with are really a cult set on controlling the passage of time... and the minds of all at its mercy.

Quick Notes:

Character name changes! The Nobleman is now the Magician, the Antiquarian is now the Mystic (I think he’s the same dude, anyway).

The story is a little harder to follow now, as we’ve done away with the journal entries. However, there’s still a good amount of character interaction, you can suss out a thing or two. What do you think?

There isn’t as much orchestration this time, but the trend of cool, time-themed sound design continues, so keep an ear open.

You know the drill. Official playlist. Stuff it in your earholes.

Mystery of a Blood Red Rose

The Meatloafification is complete. Literally: this song was written for Meat Loaf, who ended up passing on it despite initial positive reception. Ah, well.

This is also the song entered to Eurovision, putting Avantasia in the running to become the German representative. They did not win. Ah, well.

Those points aside, this song really rules. It’s upbeat, catchy, and has a lot going for it.

“Don’t have no TIIIIIME TO WAAASTE”

*choir* BRING ON THE NIGHT

...”while the HOUR DON’T WAIT FOR A BLINK TO CRAM THE PAST” (yes!... what?)

LET THE SCENT OF A POISONOUS ROSE TEMPT ME AWAY

“BOY REACH OUT FOR WHAT IS DUE!” legiterally thought was Bob Catley. Was Tobi. A+

....we’re OFF INTO THE MOOOOOONSHIIIIIINE

Let the Storm Descend Upon You

Big dramatic piece, soaring and mysterious with multiple vocalists... including the return of Jorn Lande as a spirit known as “Temptation”, or as I like to think of him, “Stupid Sexy Satan”.

“Light... breathe and sleep tight...” fakeout prechorus getting me hyped

“It may be your vault... NOW IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT!”

“Oh that’s where I’ve been too... there’s nothing but a void over the sanity of foooools!”

Now the CHORUS FOR REAL: bright, almost gospel-esque 🤘😩🤘

“LIGHT... bring me the LIGHT!”

“I will bring uncertainty on a silver plate / like a mantlepiece / I will wipe out darkness!”

“Night! / BLESSED IS THE NIIIIIIiiIIIght!!!”

The “and I Will Make You Mine” lines first sung by Jorn and then Ronnie are both so wickedly ominous I love it

I said the chorus was fantastic in general but there’s something in particular about the last couple lines that musically always makes me go bonkers

THE BREAKDOWN

“For all the world will see it... tower to the stars...” Ronnie’s ACTING

“Let the storm descend upon me / let aurora fall upon me!” AARON...

Jorn does a Jorn thing, it’s badass, so it goes

The whole thing is badass, really.

The Haunting

Look out, Dee Snider is a spooky ghost on our next Sinister Theatrical Evil Guy song!

Again nailing the atmosphere. This is a “running through my mansion halls in a nightrobe holding a candlestick wailing as I’m chased by ghosts” song

S̺͚͙L̯̕E̞̞̼͙̤͝E̗P̟̖̣̟̣̝͉ TI͎G͖̥̭̦͈͉H̤̙̫̤͞ͅT̹͍̫͘ ̧̪͔̥͈S̫͕̱̼͖̮̞O̙̱̥͚̠͎͉M̤̥͔͠E̵̫̗͓̝O͙N̩̫̲E̞̯̱̩̞̣̟’͖S̵̺͖ ̺͍̼́A̖L̜̪WA͡Y͇̫͓̩̟̺͘S̝͇̬͇̟ ҉͓̘͍̯̣̗B͕͇̪͍̥͓͉̀Y͓̭̹͢ ̴Y̼O̰̥̯̭̻͍̖͠U͚̪̭̬̯R̘ ͈S͏̗̣̖̻͈̖̤I̸͎͎̟DͅE̮̺͍̠͙

“Don’t you waste your time to try / and understand this figment of the night” + crazy cool background instrumentals

This song is like if the Trans Siberian Orchestra’s thing was Halloween instead of Christmas

S̱͔̤̟̹̺͞W҉̭E̜̲̟̱̹͇ͅE͓̝̙͖ͅT̟̭ ̲͚̥̩͖͙͍D͔Ṛ̴͖̗̠E̬͝A̭͚M̖ͅS̴̪̲̙ͅ ̱̲͙̼̤S̲͎̖͈̝Ę̜̼̞̠̳̠͖E͙ ̺̗͎̞̞͍̫Y̛͖̭͔̠̭̜O̧̭̫͓̖͖̦U̘̯͘ ̳̦̼̯̘͉͝IN҉͔ ̡̥̯̥̳T̵͇͚͈̻̺H̶̫E̛̖ ̝̪̤̘T͚W̭I̛̼̦̣̘͉L̖̬̳̱̘̱IG̦͇̣̟͕̯H̤̱͎̦̳̝T ̜͕̻Z̠͍̣̩̥O͓̖̹̪̖͖ͅN̦͙̩̥͓͘E̷͓͓̬̮ͅ

😱: God I must contain my wayward fantasy!

👻👻👻: AHHH Ahhhh ahhh!

“I’m the spark they refuse to conceive...” DRAMATIC PIANO

Seduction of Decay

Hello, Geoff Tate. Welcome to Avantasia!

Cool instrumentation!

“You... m̠̻͉A̴̟Ý̳͖͍̱ ͍̦͠N͏̣̮O͇̘͕͖͈͘T̨̞̫ ̼̹̖̮͕̺F̞̩̼͇̯͓͎É͉̫͖È͖̞͎͇L͇̥͚̯̲ ҉̰I̘̰̪̪͓͖̱T͎̱͕̩ ”

This is a slower-paced one but it’s cool to chill out to when you’re in the right mood.

Ghostlights

Wait, we’re four songs in, it must be time for: the Michael Kiske power metal anthem!

“I don’t know if I’m right or wrong! I don’t know if I shall go on!”

“MINDS fly FREE when the gates fly open! Walk on through...”

⛈ “THUNDER AND RAIN AND THE WIND IN MY FACE” ⛈😭

“GHOSTlights DANCE will you HEED the TOKEN??? Blaaazing LIGHT...”

“BLINDING MY EYES GET ME OUT OF THIS MAZE!”

Time signature changes in the chorus... whew

“Fireworks surround me... wherever they GO THEY TELL ME always home!”

Sudden Jorn!

THEY. CALL. ME. HOOOOOOME

Draconian Love

You shed draconian love, you shed draconian love 🎶

Taking a hard turn into goth with Herbie Laghans, revealing to the world that he has a deep liquid chocolate voice apparently

“Tell me how should I embrace? / Like roses we’ll wither on the vine” 👀

HEY HEY HEY

The whole “infiltrate us with mercy” verse is Big Sexy

“Of an unbred cause / an unborn will / whatever THAT MAY MEEEEEEAAAAANN”

The last chorus and pre-chorus? Yes???

Seriously, does Herbie sing like this anywhere else ever?... Can he do it more?

Master of the Pendulum

There wasn’t a Sinister Theatrical Evil Guy song on TMoT so Ghostlights gets two

This one has Nightwish’s Marco Hietala, being crazy good at being a Sinister Theatrical Evil Guy (Ronnie also slays it in live performances)

SUPER cool atmosphere, the Watchmaker is wild.

“Tick-Tock Tick-Tock SOMEONE’S WATCHING OVER ME”

Catchiest chorus EVER

“That’s WHO I AM! I’m the MASTER of THESE haaaands...!”

“I feel your breath on my neck / I feel you behind my back / and as I’m turning around there’s just this frightening sound” 😱😱😱

“I feel it EVERYWHERE... oh I KNOW that you’re there....” 🕯👀

Alternating vocalists on the second run at the chorus!

The interlude with all the clocks ticking argh it’s SO COOL! SO COOL!! STOP BEING SO COOL!

MASTER OF THE HANDS THAT PUSH YOU!

Isle of Evermore

Sharon den Adel is here, it’s a sad ballad.

I like the weird quality to this one. The electronic quality to it reminds me of the intro to Savior in the Clockwork as well, it seems to be a way of representing dreamscapes in this duology, which is interesting.

Float away on Sharon’s voice... sail away through that opening door...

Babylon Vampyres

“A lot of good advice nobody’s keeping for themselves!” is a mood.

“The future ahead is not what it used to be” Tobi keeps using that line and it wrecks my shit every time

“BABYLON IS BURNING... SHINING FROM AFAR!

BABYLON IS BURNING... FROM SUNSET TO SUNRISE!

BABYLON IS BURNING AND YOU’RE GLOWING LIKE A FIERY STAR!

AND no one can tell... if we’ve been for real...”

Tobi and Rob’s tradeoff

The “Ever since I could remember...” passage

Lucifer

Beautiful mournful ballad, intense emotion, will melt some faces

Jorn as the embodiment of temptation is nothing new after The Wicked Trilogy but I think it’s interesting how his character takes a sympathetic turn in this one

“Morning star embrace me on these grounds” the plaintive desperation... INTO it

He WILL Take You Home Tonight

“I’ll make you fume with fury and rage / I’ll make you see what you’re made of tonight” 🤘😏

The last “TOUCHING THE FLAMES TONIGHT” dueting

Unchain the Light

That intro sounds like revving machinery. MUSICAL PICTURES. Have I said “this is SO COOL” enough yet?

The Kiske/Ronnie/Tobi tradeoff chorus is DIVINE

The second verse... I LOVE this character! Jesus CHRIST!

The “you look above to see inside yourself / and find time standing still” part... Aaron’s character turn...

“You turn this moment into what you think it ought to be / DEMYSTIFY THE DAAAAARK”

Great energetic climax. Just. 😭

A Restless Heart and Obsidian Skies

UGH THIS SONG. Again closing the album on a Bob Catley note, but this one is not 10 minutes long for once.

Beautiful beautiful denouement. 😭

The part after the first verse in the instrumental when you can hear time restart 😭😭😭

“Tender feet on stony ground” 🥺

“Sacred heart will you usher me now” 🥺🥺

The whole-ass chorus

“Wake to the SHADOWWW OF A DREAM / NOTHING’S what it seems!” 🥺🥺🥺🥺

“Ghostlights and matter / you know what is real / perception and facts all the same / truth’s what you feel” 🥺🥺😭😭

The whole “and the wind and the rain...” part

This song kills me based on what I think is happening in the story, the atmosphere, the melody, the everything

Cloudy’s “WE’RE UNDER OBSIDIAN SKIIIIEES” rip in the outro chorus 🤯

Bonus Track: Wake Up to the Moon

For a little bit of reference, I have “Wayward child / Wake up to the moon” tattooed to my leg.

This is a bonus track that seems to work as a thematically-related-but-out-of-character credits song, and yet is ALSO a sneaky Moonglow prologue! 💫

The driving melody in the verses... the continual Tobi/Jorn/Kiske/Ronnie/Bob tradeoff... 10/10

“Strange and magic, hear us CAAAAALL YOUR NAME” is a GOOD melody

And there we have it. The end... or the beginning? The past, or the future, or the present itself? Whatever it is, it’s fucking awesome. Thanks for hitching a ride with me, and see you next time!

Cast List:

Tobias Sammet as Aaron Blackwell Jorn Lande as Temptation Michael Kiske as The Mystic Ronnie Atkins as The Magician Robert Mason as Scientist I Geoff Tate as Scientist II Herbie Laghans as Eclipse Dee Snider as Nightmare  Marco Hietala as The Watchmaker Sharon den Adel as Muse Bob Catley as Epiphany

[jacquelineshyde]

I saw you are in a meta mood, so let me ask about your top5 Hyde/Jackie "things" (the nicknames, touches, all that jazz)?

Oh! This is lovely. Thanks :) Part 1 of 2.

1.1) the way he is always taking her face

KDHFOEHNFOEFNOENFOEFORFO

He does this a lot. For someone who is supposed to not be into romance and love, he is super touchy and affectionate.

This is my favorite thing ever because… It’s a really sweet way to show that devotion Hyde has for Jackie. He loves her in a way he can’t even stand to understand, and the enormity of that feeling is such, he has to be careful to touch her. 

To him, she’s too beautiful and too much, his hands aren’t worthy for that dollface and at the same time, is like this action of nesting her face on his hands also remind her she is safe with him. Her face is important to her, you know? And she lets him grab her that easily and with that big smile becaue there is no harm in any of that. She’s home, and she’s safe, and he loves her that much.

Honestly, is one of the cutest things ever.

1.2) I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAAAAAND, I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAAAAND

Or, Hyde is always holding Jackie’s hand after being shown to not want her to in season 2 (even when he ends up giving up in that moment, too).

This is something I love so much. For a man who is supposed to not be into relationships and all that jazz, Hyde is actually a very good boyfriend and definitely Jackie’s type of man when it comes to the important: he will never not leave it clear who she’s dating in public, even when he isn’t good with words.

I have always thought that Hyde isn’t truly comfortable with touch. He comes from a mother who didn’t love him, which makes me think she wasn’t affectionate at all. He seems to not like when other people hugs him or kisses him (in the case of Kitty, for example. When they are in public and she kisses him, he gets all nOnOnOoooOOoO) in public. So for him to be doing this where anyone and everyone can see him with Jackie says a lot about how he feels with her.

She’s his safe place and she’s real. His possessiveness towards her never comes from the kind of feelings that can destroy good things. He is this way because he has never had anything in his life, he wasn’t allowed to. And suddenly this goddamn perfect, sweet, loving, beautiful girl wants him and only him, so she must be some kind of allucination to him.

So, he puts a hand on her back, she’s there. Squeezes her thigh, she smiles at him and puts her tiny hand over his. He takes her hand and she takes his back. It comes natural to her. So Hyde touches her, because he can do it and she’s there. With him.

2) Jackie: *sits on satan’s lap* i’m home, what’s up?

Something I love about how touchy they are is Hyde actually making Jackie sit on his lap.

We saw her a couple of times do this with Kelso, but it never seemed like something as intimate as it looks with Hyde. They are seen like this on his chair, the one place nobody is allowed to sit on (as seen since season 1) and that, while he is not in the room, Jackie sits on and then stands up to sit on his lap once he is there. We have actually see her stand up to let him sit and then sit on his lap, like??? fucking cute, everyone????

I like to think there must be something for them about occupying the same space at the same time, and be that close every day. They are never tired of the other’s presence, phisical and sentimental, and it is obvious thanks to how we always see them together.

Jackie sitting on his lap is also takes me to the first point. The feeling of her weight must remind him she’s there, with him.

As for her, damn. You know what it means for Jackie to be held? She is the one that is always holding people, and then Hyde, who she loves and adore deeply, wants to held her all the time. All the time. That’s also why I think she never does a big deal of that, because it’s something only for her. It’s private, even when everyone can see it.

She’s home.

Gifs: (x) (x)

[because-imma-lady-assface]

I Know

A/N: This is my (24 days late) entry for @amanda-teaches Amanda Goes Undercover Challenge. Thank you for being so patient and forgiving with me. Beta’d by @impala-dreamer (you’re a saint and ily). This gif has to do with .7 seconds of this fic but do we care? because HAAAANDS

Words: 2,236

Warnings: Few swears otherwise nothing. 

~

“What? No. I don’t want to be the waiter.”

“Dean.” God he’s cute. Nope. Stop that. This is serious. “Stop pouting.”

“I’m not pouting, it’s too dangerous to just let you wander around with no backup.”

“Dean,” Sam finally decided to speak up. “We are the backup. One of us will be in the same room as her the whole time. Besides, she can handle herself.”

“Thank you, Sam.”

“I know she can! Y/N/N...I know you can, ok?” His shoulder sagged, argument leaving his body. “That’s not what this is about. You’re on a bum leg. I just…”

“Dean, we have to do it this way. The shifter is going after single women, I can’t exactly show up with a date. Besides, Bobby said the security at this place is tighter than a nun. You wouldn’t be able to bring a weapon in.”

“If I can’t, how the hell are you?”

“She has a cast. We can hide a blade in there and she could get away with a gun too. When she goes through the metal detector they’ll just assume it’s the metal on that going off. It’s not like they’ll make an injured woman take her cast off.”

“Whatever.” Dean huffed. He knew he didn’t have a plausible alternative to this plan, but that wasn’t going to make it any easier. “Two blades. Where’s your gun?”

“Right here.” You held the gun up, but before you could question him, Dean grabbed it out of your hand.

“I’ll clean it and make sure it’s ready while you and Sam are gone.”

“Are you fu-ya know what? Fine. Great. Thank you.” Grabbing your coat, you walked to the door. “We’ll be back soon. You guys have to be there by 4:30.”

“Y/N/N…”

“Dean, it’s fine. C’mon Sam.”

It didn’t take you and Sam long to find a dress for you to wear to the party that night. You just needed something long that didn’t cling to your legs so your thigh holster wouldn’t show. And nothing strapless. The last thing you needed to worry about on a hunt was your dress falling down, or things flying out. The only thing left was to find a pair of shoes. One good thing about the stupid boot you had to wear was that heels were out of the question.

“Hey, Y/N?”

You turned your attention away from a pair of gold ballet flats to Sam, who was sitting in a chair three sizes too small for him. “Sup?”

“You know Dean thinks you’re a good hunter, right?”

“Uh, ok?”

“Knows. He knows you are. We-we both do. I mean, he’s not the only one. He just, uh, he worries, ya know? Not that I don’t, because I do too, Dean is, uh...it’s different for him. I mean because he’s the big brother! Not that he’s your big brother, but it’s kinda his thing so-”

“Sam. Relax. I know Dean’s in love with me.” Grabbing your purse from the chair next to Sam, you headed for the register.

“Wait! You what?”

“I mean, come on Sam, it’s not like he’s all that good at hiding his feelings, but he thinks he is. He’s not ready so I’m not going to rush him or back him into a corner. He’ll act on it when he’s ready. That’s why-no matter how hard it is sometimes-I don’t flip out on him when he goes overprotective jackass.”

“I...wow. So, do you? I mean are you?” You couldn’t help but smile at Sam as he questioned you. His head bent, shy smile on his face, scratching the back of his head. No matter how ridiculous describing a giant of a man like him as adorable was, it was the truth.

“Duh. Holy shit boys are dumb. Let’s go. You’re carrying the bags.”

You stopped to get food for the boys on the way back to the motel, so by the time you got back it was almost 4:00. Dean was changed and ready to go.

“Hey. Brought you some food,” you announced when you walked in the door empty handed.

“Is it magical invisible food?”

“No smartass, Sam’s bringing it in with the rest of my stuff.”

When he smiled you knew that the tension from earlier was gone. “So Sam’s your personal butler now?”

“I prefer bitch, but yes. Problem?”

“Nope. I think it’ll do him some good.”

“Ha. Ha.” Sam came through the door, balancing food, drinks, and shopping bags in his arms. “How long before that stupid thing comes off?”

“Shut up. Bobby said you guys had to be nice to me.”

“Yeah, Sam. Bobby said so.”

“I hate both of you.”

Three hours later, you made you were fed, napped, dressed, made-up, and on your way to the party. You spotted Sam, tray of champagne flutes in his hand, as soon as you made your way through security. Perk of him being freakishly tall.

He greeted you with a smile as you weaved through the small crowd. Delicately taking a glass, you asked if they’d spotted anything yet.

“Not yet. Did you have any trouble with the metal detectors?”

“I set it off, but as soon as I lifted my dress a little and showed the boot they let me through. Where’s Dean?”

“Either refilling or in a corner hiding and shoving his face with food. You should go, we can’t hover around each other like this.”

“Yeah, ok. I’ll signal if I find anything.”

“Us too.”

You wandered through the makeshift gallery, gazing at the large black and white prints up for auction.

“Miss?” A voice called you from behind. When you turned, you saw Dean grinning at you, holding a tray of tiny appetizers. “Can I interest you in, uh, whatever the hell this tiny thing is?”

“Good sell. I like your apron.”

“I think I pull it off.” He shrugged. “You look beautiful.”

You could feel your cheeks heating up, quickly looking away from him. “Why, this old thing? Just something I slipped on.”

Dean leaned in so close his lips were right next to your ear. “Well, either way, I meant it. Absolutely beautiful.”

“I-uh.” You blinked, trying to clear your head. “Thank you.”

Dean didn’t say anything else, just went on his way. Turning back to the photo in front of you, you tried to get your emotions under control. You were still on a job. You moved on and kept weaving through the photos that were suspended from the ceiling. Each was for sale, raising money for whales, or the rainforest, or gluten awareness, or whatever the hell rich people were into this week.

It didn’t take long to notice you were one of the few unattached people at the event. One of the men in particular kept catching your eye. He was certainly handsome, moving through the rooms focusing more on the women in the room than the art. More than once he caught you looking, shyly smiling each time. Fiddling with the silver ring on your right hand, you waited for a chance to introduce yourself, when you saw someone take a picture of him. Waiting for him to leave, you made your way over to the photographer.

“Excuse me?”

“Yes?”

“Can I see the picture of that man you just took?” The photographer looked at you skeptically, and started to turn away from you. “Wait! I’m sorry, I know that probably sounds crazy, it’s just that he’s an ex, well I think. I just wanted to know if I need to be avoiding certain parts of the room.”

He didn’t look completely convinced, but pulled up the screen on the back of his camera. “Bad breakup, huh?”

“Yeah, you could say that.”

“Shit.”

“Something wrong?”

“Yeah, I don’t know what happened. Some kind of flare up or something. Here you can still look, but I don’t know how much help it will be, sorry.” He turned the camera in your direction. There was your mystery man, glowing eyes and all.

“I guess not, thanks anyway.” You didn’t wait for him to respond. Instead, you turned and looked for one of the boys. You spotted Sam first, and hurried over to him.

“See that guy by the bar? Five-tenish?” You shifted your positions so Sam would naturally be looking at the bar as you took another glass of champagne. He looked for a moment and nodded at you. “That’s him.”

“Alright. Get him out back, there’s a spot near the service entrance that’s cut off so nobody will see us. I’ll get Dean and we’ll meet you there.”

“Ok, but how the hell do I get him there?”

“Y/N, you look hot. He’s been watching you all night, and he’s not the only one. Trust me, it’s not gonna be hard.”

“I-Sam...that’s…”

“Fuck.”

“Um, rude.”

“No, Y/N/N, I lost him.” Sam began to scan the crowd.

“I’ll find him. Just get Dean.”

It didn’t take long for you to spot the shifter. He was lingering near the back of the foyer. There were a few stragglers around looking out the large French doors that opened onto a manicured garden. When you were close to him, you started digging through your purse.

“Shit.” You muttered, just loud enough he’d be sure to hear.

“You alright there?”

“Huh?” You snapped your head toward the sound of the voice, hoping he’d buy you had been taken by surprise.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” You had to fight to keep your eyes from rolling in the back in the back of your head. This guy was pouring on the charm a little too thick. “You just seemed a little upset.”

“Oh. Sorry. I just can’t find my lighter. Stupid tiny purse.” Holding up a pack of smokes, you looked at him and smiled. You didn’t even smoke, but you always carried a pack. Asking for a light or if someone wanted one was an easy and effective way to strike up a conversation without seeming like you were digging for information. Especially with men. Suddenly, they were all Cary Grant swooping in to offer the little lady a light.

“If you don’t mind company, I have a light.”

“I don’t mind company at all.” You lifted the hem of your dress slightly to show him your cast covered foot. “I could actually use the help on the stairs. That’s how I ended up in this thing in the first place.” You giggled.

Taking his arm as you followed him through the door and down the steps, you subtly turned to the left, leading him toward Sam and Dean. Once the two of you were out of sight, you stopped and opened the purse taking out the cigarettes.

“Shane Miller.” He smiled, taking one from you. “Thanks.”

“Lindsey McVie. And I should be thanking you. I’d still be stuck inside that party without an excuse to escape.”

“Oh, I’m sure you would’ve figured something out.” He winked at you. He actually winked at you. And not in that ironic, adorable Dean way. This guy thought he was hot shit, and all you could think was if Chuck was to strike you down right then it’d be ok.

“Hey! You can’t smoke back here!” Dean’s voice came from behind you.

“Oops.” You gave Shane a guilty look, turning around to look at Dean walking up to you.

“Sorry man, we didn’t think anyone would be back here.” He took a long drag on his cigarette and tilted his head to blow the smoke in the air. “No big deal.”

Sam was close behind his brother as Dean reached you. He didn’t say another word. His eyes never left yours as he bent down, and lifting your dress, sliding one of the silver knives from your boot in one fluid movement.

The sheer ridiculousness of the action worked in his favor, catching the shifter completely by surprise. Dean was able to throw a punch and knock him off balance by the time you’d pulled your gun from the holster on your thigh. Sam circled the shifter to cut off his escape as Dean set the blade against his skin just to be sure it reacted to the silver. When the telltale sizzle hit his ears, the knife was plunged into the shifter’s heart.

“Holy shit.” Sam whispered, staring down at the body.

“What just happened? Did that just happen? How did you? I-did that seriously just work?” You rambled. There’s no way that went so smoothly. Not a chance.

“I keep telling you guys, I’m Batman.” Dean shrugged.

“Yeah, you’re Batman.” Sam laughed behind you. “Let’s move this guy and get the hell out of here.”

You were stunned. Everything had happened so fast, none of it made sense.

“Y/N/N?” Dean was closer to you now, eyes full of concern locking with yours. “You alright?”

When he started to reach for you, you launched yourself at him. It wasn’t graceful, but you made it. He caught you. In that moment you knew he always would, so you wove your hands into his hair, and captured his lips with yours. It didn’t take him long to reciprocate, his arms pulled you closer as his tongue ran along your bottom lip. Sam chose that moment to bring you crashing back to the present, clearing his throat. Loudly.

“This is great and all guys, but I’m not taking care of the dead body by myself.”

You dropped your forehead to meet Dean’s as he huffed out a laugh. “You-uh you should probably go through the front.”

Nodding, you licked your lips as he set you down. “Ok. Right.” You carefully stepped around the body, holding your dress up to make sure you didn’t pick up any blood. “I’ll meet you in the driveway.”

“Y/N.” Dean called. You paused, looking over your shoulder at him. “Good work.” He winked at you.

“Oh, I know.”

Tags:

All of the Things: @amanda-teaches @casownsmyass @codexofwitches @emilypkuzu @emoryhemsworth @feelmyroarrrr @hexparker @ilsawasanacrobat @lynnebla @muliermalefici @skymoonandstardust @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan @the-winchesterboys

Supernatural Things: @bradygabrielle-blog @charliebradbury1104 @imascreamerbabymakemeamute @impala-dreamer @holisticdean @m0ther-of-drag0ns @mrsbatesmotel53 @myplaceofthingsilove @sunskittlex

Dean Things: @akshi8278 @jessilliam-caronday @torn-and-frayed

[kaedekisaragi]

Kaede Kisaragi Watches The Flash S3E20 - I Know Who You Are

I’LL PROTECT THIS EXTINGUISHER WITH MY LIFE!

Dark street at night. Flash and Savitar. Barry says he knows who he is.

And title card... Huh.

Cecile and Joe apparently had made a new year resolution to run the Central City marathon. Too bad Joe ain't the runner in the family. The two get all loveydovey together, with Cecile openly professing she loves him too much, aaaaand it makes things awkward. And Joe gets a call and heads out, leaving even more awkward.

Barry is showing the team the intel on Tracy Brand, the future developper of the speed trap. The plan is clear: find Tracy and help her finish whatever prototype of the speedtrap she has going for her. But Julian is taking offense to the entire team focusing on Tracy instead of finding Killer Frost, even complaining about Wally's excuse for being absent (going to Earth-3 to visit Jessie). Julian gets told off by Cisco, who says they ARE doing everything they can already, with both flashes having searched the city, using meta app, satellites, facial recognition... Everything they got. Julian and Cisco are still fighting over how Julian 'saved' Caitlin's life. They get a hit on Tracy, who is currently just a grad student. Barry Cisco and HR go off.

As Cisco exposits his distates for academia (and HR says Albert Einstein was Norbert in his world), they smell burning. They run into Tracy's lab, fire extinguisher, she complains she had it under control, her torch sets off, and HR is hysterical clutching the extinguisher XD Turns out she was burning her notes, for she's a failure as a researcher, her dissertation having failed. Ooooh this is gonna be awkward... As she exposits the wonders of her future Big Belly Burger career, the team scrambles to try and persuade her not to give up. Just as she asks how they even know her work... FROSTING DOOR! Barry saves Tracy, HR taking her out, while he gets blasted good by Frost. Aaaand every scene with Cisco facing Frost will be scary won't it? :( Don't take away his haaaands! Barry's sollution to make her flee is rather awesome, using the torch and a fingersnap to ignite it into a flamethrower!

The sketch artist in CCPD makes a perfect drawing of Frost under Tracy's guidance. Joe and Barry nervously discuss how to handle hiding the attack's evidences when Cecile appears to talk to Joe. Joe reassures her he didn't feel weird about her professing her love. Tracy goes to leave, having virtually no faith in Joe's opinion that Frost is after her, certain it was just a random attack.

Frost meets Savitar, who confronts her on letting Tracy go on purpose, saying she's not committing herself to her name of 'Killer', and that she can be free of the suffering of mankind if she is willing to kill Tracy.

HR approaches Tracy at Jitters, where she's ordering from the secret menu: A Zoom? Seriously? HR tries to charm her into helping the team, reciting all her theories with Cisco whispering in his ear. Julian confronts Cisco on how he did not take a very clear shot at Caitlin, but Cisco is not giving him any attention right now. Meanwhile, Barry and Joe discuss Cecile. Barry tells Joe a very Joe-advice: be honest with Cecile about everything, she can know about the Flash and Kid Flash. Tracy confesses to HR her theory about the existence of the speedforce. She thinks she might have found a way to harness it, even control it... But no one believes her, for she is a crackpot. HR turns on the flirting by laying hand on her hand.

Then his coffee freezes. Frost's here! Flash saves Tracy, the whole team assembled. Frost just smiles and runs off... or rather, ices off, going full on Bobby-Drake-Ice-Man-Ramp-Skating. Flash goes after her, telling Cisco to knock her out when he gets a chance. Flash lures Frost back to Cisco, but Cisco hesitates to harm his friend. Flash has to jump in front of him, taking an ice blast. Frost drags an ice-dagger with her as she approaches the fallen Flash. She complements last time's left-leg stabbing by stabbing it again, in the same spot.

Barry seems to heal up pretty fast, given he's standing up in the labs next scene :P. Tracy is taking her future news well, after briefly mixing herself up as being Sarah Connor (rather than Miles Dyson). They ask her help, telling her about the fact one of their own will die if she doesn't build the trap... She does not take this news well. HR goes after her.

Julian once again confronts Cisco on his not stopping Frost. Julian is livid that they could have Caitlin home by now if he had stopped her, but he didn't. Cisco goes off on Julian, saying he is afraid that he might not hold back his power if he attacks Caitlin, and he does not want to kill his best friend and would rather die. Way to go, Mr Sensitivity.

Barry and Joe talk about Cecile again. Joe says Cecile is his only normal thing in life. He doesn't wanna drag her into all of this. Barry reassures him normal is not real, and love is, and he should fight for it.

And Tracy's gone now. Way to go, HR. Also, he wrote a book on inspirational speeches. Not surprised. As they struggle to find her, HR suggests looking for clues on her future data. Good one, actually. They find photos of her near a stone statue of sorts, and HR immediately realizes where she is... Near a statue of Galileo Galilei. He brings her another Zoom (STOP MERCHANDISING MURDERERS! THIS IS AS BAD AS JOKER FRIES!). She admits that discovering she isn't crazy was scary intimidating, she had her own Galileo moment. HR apologizes for tricking her into thinking he was a genius, and does his wonderful peptalk stuff to reassure her of her own qualities. She needs only belief. And he has belief, for what it's worth.

Joe gets a visit by Cecile. She came to confront him, because she feels he's obviously troubled. Joe is hesitant to come clean. She reassures him that their lives changing forever wouldn't be a bad thing. AND HE SAYS HE WANTS TO BREAK UP, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS JOE?!? JUST BLOODY TELL HER!!! DON'T RUIN YOUR ONLY GOOD THING, FOLLOW YOUR JOE ADVICES THAT BARRY GAVE YOU!!!

ALSO, KILLER FROST CAUGHT CECILE AND IS HOLDING HER AT ICICLE POINT! She says she'll be sending him a message with an address, telling him to go there with Tracy or she'll kill Cecile. Joe tries to get his piece, and gets blasted away. But it's okay, as the team reconvenes, Barry has a plan. Julian confronts Cisco, reassuring him that he believes the Vibe powers come from a place of love, not hate, and that he can stop Frost without killing her. And doing so, save her. Also, HR apparently needs Tracy for their plan... What are you guys doing?

Flash, Tracy and Joe go to the meeting place. Flash tries to talk to Frost... Only to find her repeating his exact words back to him, simultaneously, sneering at him and commenting how similar he and Savitar actually are. Savitar will always be one step ahead, for this is all history to him. So she knows Cisco is waiting for a shot, and she detonates a charge in his hiding spot, blowing him away. She freezes Joe's gun. Flash takes another icy blast for Joe. She flashfreezes him (ba-dum-tish) into his spot, turning to Joe and Tracy. This time though, Vibe vibes her from behind. Icy blast versus Vibe blast duel ensues. Cisco's being forced back. Cisco manages to overpower her and blast her away. Still alive. But then Savitar appears. He takes Frost away.

At the lab, Julian goes over Frost's blood sample Cisco took. Cisco comments how Savitar's knowledge of the future was too precise for just history lessons... With a fully mutated frost blood, they might find her a cure now. HR tries to flirt with Tracy, fails hard, because she's in full on science mode now. She figures that Savitar is so fast travelling that he needs his armor to neutralize the excess heat. She figures they could build a trap to take advantage of this fact. This means she's staying, though she realizes this means her future might change.

Cecile comes for Joe. Joe apologizes for her getting involved... He comes clean, saying he's done lying to protect her. He shows commitment to this by removing his wedding ring, thanking her for not being upset about him always wearing it. He says the L-word to Cecile, and this is all awesome! THEY KISS! AND HE TELLS HER EVERYTHING!

Wally's back home with the family, and Joe tells them how it went. Joe is gleeful, saying love is all that matters, and what would we be without love...? What would we become...?

Barry's eyes go wide as he has an epiphany, finally realizing why Savitar knows everything.

Savitar blames Barry. Said he created him. Savitar said he created himself. He was creating time remnants and savitar kills them all. Savitar told Caitlin all he'd say. He knows his every move. Always one step ahead. All history to him. Alchemy saying... "I am the Future, Flash."

...I am the future, Flash...

Barry excuses himself from the house briefly. He runs off. He confronts Savitar in the street. He knows who he is. All about Savitar is time. Past, Present, Future. He knows it all. And all about Barry. Joe. Wally. Iris. Their strengths. Their fears. How much they love each other. How to use that. Barry thought he couldn't stop him because he was one step ahead, but that's not it.

Savitar didn't 'know' what was gonna happen to them. He was there. He lived it. He remembers it.

...when he was Barry.

Savitar "Like I told you from the beginning... I am the Future Flash."

Barry Allen. From the future. Half his face burned.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND the plot wasn't all that amazing. Problem? I got spoiled hard by tumblr (stupid infinite dashboard feed won't stop spoiling me). All the clues were there, but that comma where it wasn't supposed to be one? Good clue to hide in plain sight. Also, a bit of wicked irony, totally can see our dorky Flash pulling that off as a way to try to be clever. So let's focus on the good: Cecile and Joe. THANK GOD FOR NOT LETTING THIS DRAG OUT INTO A SEVERAL EPISODE WILL-THEY-OR-WON'T-THEY, JOE WEST DESERVES ALL THE LOVES!!! And HR flirting is never boring XD And Cisco's uncertainty about his powers being able to kill Caitlin was a very good touch, further showing how much Vibe is a great hero already.

Will Barry tell the team all about Savitar now? Or will he keep secrets, again? Three episodes left!