#I know this is a reference to the book all boys aren’t blue but I don’t know how

[inkwell-god]

You can fill me with all the wall anchors you want honeybaby

[abooklover]

Lines/things in the red white and royal blue movie that make me scream and laugh hysterically (bear with me cause there’s a lot):

‘an urge I currently share’ (Ellen)

‘Making it was one of the most depressing moments of my career and I once saw Mitch McConnell eating a banana’ (Zahra)

‘You can hate prince Henry all you want but the minute you see a camera you better act like the sun shines out of his ass and you have a vitamin d deficiency’ (made even funnier cause of how literally this turned out) - bonus ‘what if I set myself on fire’ (Alex), ‘we’d ship the ashes to Heathrow’ (Zahra)

‘That’s perfect, you can kill me and I won’t have to go’ (Henry)

‘That’s what makes you so charming. That and your eyelashes.’ (So fucking glad they included at least a reference to this. Taylor’s lashes were working fucking overtime in this movie.)

Henry’s text with the attachment and ‘but we were ever so careful, dear’ (One of my favourite texts in the book and I’m so glad it made it into the movie)

‘Can you think of anything more wasteful’ (Alex), ‘Perhaps this conversation’ (Henry)

Henry’s weird little attempt at dancing while chugging out of a champagne bottle with on fist pumping weakly into the air (he is so me it hurts)

‘He grabbed my hair in a way that made me understand the difference between rugby and football’ (Alex)

‘Princes aren’t allowed to be gay, you should know that’ (Nora)

Alex trying to look cool for when Henry walks into the red room (we love an awkward boy)

Alex and Henry jumping apart to do the most unnatural things (Alex inspecting flowers like it’s his job and Henry perusing the bookshelf) like the idiots they are when Amy walks in on them making out

‘Are you still…’ (Alex) ‘Like Stonehenge’ (Henry), ‘or Big Ben’ (Alex)

‘Henry and I are much happier against walls’ (Alex)

‘Are they known for their homosexual tendencies’ (Alex)

‘And I thought Alex Gabriel Claremont Diaz was a mouthful’ (Alex), ‘He is’ (Henry) - and the fucking looks that followed it (kill me now)

‘I went to an English boarding school dear, trust me you’re in good hands’ (Henry)

‘Once, unsuccessfully’ (Henry)

‘Oh gee kid I’m sorry to interrupt your process of becoming but you’re the one who decided to put your dick into the heir to the British throne’ (Zahra), ‘Technically I’m the spare’ (Henry), ‘Not talking to you sir’ (Zahra)

‘Every time I see you it takes another year off of my life’ (Zahra)

Alex’s ‘Noooo..’ and the little laugh he does

‘If I’d had more warning I could’ve made you a PowerPoint presentation’ (Ellen) - another incredible callback to the book

Oscar Diaz’s affectionate ‘you little shit’

‘I’ve been thinking’ (Alex), ‘I seriously doubt that’ (Henry) and Alex’s mimick of it (absolute gold)

‘Or find herself at the top of the staircase with Phillip around’ (Bea, you literally had no right)

Zahra’s face when Alex starts mooning over Henry after his speech, then Zahra saying ‘oh my god, I just have to do everything round here’ and do not get me started on her whole speech to Shaan (greatest thing ever)

‘You might be lousy at keeping secrets kiddo, but I’m not’ (Zahra), ‘Zahra, I could kiss you’ (Alex), ‘Touch me and die’ (Zahra)

‘They can’t keep you locked away forever’ (Alex), ‘We really need to get you a book on English history’ (Henry)

The way Stephen Fry says ‘homosexual’

‘You still haven’t noticed my tie’ and Henry’s little smile afterward (oh how far we’ve come)

BONUS: ‘Do you think anyone noticed?’ and Henry’s exasperated sigh afterward

[dark-frosted-heart]

Book of Memories ~ Chevalier and Licht ~

Card story

As usual, can’t guarantee 100% accuracy on this.

While taking a walk around court, I noticed that the training hall was unusually lively.

My instincts screamed that things were getting oddly heated and my curiosity made me go over to check it out—

I came across a suspicious figure hiding behind a pillar near the entrance, peering in.

Emma: Prince Licht, what are you doing here?

Licht: Shh.

With a single glance, Prince Licht gestures for me to hide.

When I obediently lined up beside him, his garnet eyes returned to the training hall.

Licht: If you’re here to watch, it’s better if you don’t get caught. Because he might charge you an observation fee later.

(What’s happening inside…?)

Like Licht, I peeked inside.

The large space was filled with knights belonging to the foreign affairs faction.

In the center was not Nokto, Clavis, or Luke, but Prince Chevalier.

The crowd watched as Prince Chevalier swung his sword against a knight.

The heat in his eyes was so intense that even I could feel it from the outside.

Emma: I’ve had the chance to observe some of the foreign affairs faction’s training sessions… I feel like it’s rare to see Prince Chevalier here.

Licht: Normally, this is either the head knight’s or Clavis’ job. But on rare occasions, Chevalier will take part.

Emma: To exercise?

Licht: No, I think it’s to boost morale. Chevalier’s the strongest knight on the battlefield, so all soldiers admire him. In fact, knights from the foreign affairs faction often assemble here for Chevalier. While many fear the brutal beast, his exceptional strength maintains high morale. It’s a different kind of charisma from Leon’s.

(...I’ve never seen Licht be this talkative)

As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Prince Chevalier.

Emma: …Do you admire him too, Prince Licht?

Licht: …

Emma: You do, don’t you?

Licht: Stop grinning.

Emma: I’m calm.

Licht: …You could say that.

Emma: By the way, may I ask what you admire about him?

Licht: Why?

Emma: I’d like to use this as reference when choosing a king as Belle.

Licht: … ..As you can see, every one of Chevalier’s movements with his sword is calculated. Not a single pointless movement, no hesitation, and no gaps.

His swordsmanship itself is a national treasure-level work of art.

(Certainly…Even the untrained eye can see that Prince Chevalier’s swordsmanship is beautiful)

(Rather than a technique for killing, it’s a martial art that captivates people)

Licht: Only Chevalier, or perhaps the legendary Knight of Roses in the past, can draw such refined swordsmanship. It’s not the sort of thing that comes from hard work or anything like that.

It’s natural talent.

Emma: But aren’t you similar, Prince Licht?

Licht: …How so?

Emma: I don’t know how to explain it, but…the swordsmanship, footwork… Look, I’ve also observed the domestic affairs faction’s training. For some reason, I feel as if you’re making similar movements.

Licht: That’s because… I’m imitating him.

Emma: Imitating?

Prince Licht sighed in resignation after a moment of hesitation. 

Licht: I saw it by chance, a long time ago. In the training hall at midnight, I saw Chevalier swinging his sword…

~~ Flashback ~~

Licht: …

The scene was like stepping into a world of art painted by a master artist.

Every time the blond-haired, blue-eyed young man swung his silver sword, it drew a line in the empty air.

The repeated swings drew beautiful, overlapping arcs with ease, leaving afterimages.

That was when a younger boy first learned the true meaning of “art”.

Chevalier: What do you want, shut-in?

Licht: …That was how I was a few years ago

Chevalier: You’re not that different now.

Licht: I’m…fine with swords now.

Chevalier: You seem to be avoiding people.

Licht: …

Chevalier: If you have nothing to say then get out of my way. Leave.

Licht: …No. Just let me stay for a little longer. I’ll be quiet.

Chevalier: Your staring is annoying.

Licht: Then I’ll close my eyes too.

Chevalier: …

Licht: Hey…

Chevalier: Aren’t you supposed to stay quiet?

Licht: I just want to ask you a question.

How can I become as skilled with a sword as you, brother?

Chevalier: Don’t ask worthless questions. No one swings a sword for the sake of improvement.

Licht: Then, for what reason?

Chevalier: For a good cause. On the battlefield, the weak die and only the strong survive. If you can’t handle a sword, you won’t accomplish anything.

Licht: What’s your cause?

Chevalier: What a foolish question.

Licht: …To protect the country?

Chevalier: …

Licht: I see… I never thought about that.

Chevalier: Of course you haven’t. You’re narrow-minded. This is a problem to address before skill.

Licht: …

Chevalier: If you’re also royalty then think on it. What do you want to accomplish next, now that you can keep yourself from killing your other half.

Licht: …

Chevalier: Then we’ll continue this discussion.

~~ Flashback ends ~~

Licht: —I’ve been thinking about that ever since. I’ve always been watching Chevalier’s sword like this.

Emma: Prince Licht…

Licht: That’s why I think the only similarity is movement.

But actually, it’s not the same at all, just an imitation… But, yeah…That’s why they look similar in your eyes.

Those garnet eyes shrouded in darkness seemed to soften a little.

Emma: You look a little happy.

Licht: I admire him…Is that bad?

???: It seems the domestic affairs faction has plenty of free time.

Emma and Licht: ?!

Suddenly, a chilling voice rings out and we turn our heads at the same time.

At the entrance of the training hall stood Prince Chevalier with his arms folded and not even out of breath.

(We got too caught up in our conversation!)

Chevalier: You outsiders are in the way. Leave.

Licht: Come on, just a little more.

It seemed like Prince Licht became defiant, stepping out from behind the pillar and brazenly confronting Prince Chevalier.

Licht: Let her watch. Emma wants to see.

Emma: Prince Licht, too, right?

Licht: I’m escorting…

Emma: Ah, you sneak.

Chevalier: I don’t care. But if you don’t want to be kicked out—

Icy blue eyes turned to the knights standing in line, led by a red-haired knight.

Chevalier: You’ll have to go against them and win.

Licht: Easy…

Prince Licht drew his sword and headed toward the center of the training hall without a moment of hesitation.

I felt the foreign affairs faction’s knight’s enthusiasm rise.

Emma: Prince Licht’s also very popular.

Chevalier: …

Emma: …He says he admires you, Prince Chevalier.

Chevalier: What nonsense. To think so highly of me… Beautiful swordsmanship means you don’t hesitate to kill. My swordsmanship is not human. If he does not want to become a beast, then stop imitating me.

(...This is what Prince Chevalier thinks)

Prince Chevalier leaned against the wall and began to watch Prince Licht swing his sword against a knight.

I stood beside him and followed his movements, which were as refined as a sword dance. 

Chevalier: In that sense, I don’t believe Mime will ever catch up to me. It’s too much of a “waste”.

Emma: That sounds like a compliment…

Chevalier: …

Emma: By the way, I heard something from a maid. In the castle, there’s this debate about who among you, Prince Leon, and Prince Licht is the best swordsman.

Chevalier: A pointless discussion.

Emma: It’s you, isn’t it?

Chevalier: No, the one who serves the greatest cause is the strongest.

Emma: I see…

Chevalier: If that one finds a cause, he will become better than he is now.

(Prince Licht respects Prince Chevalier, but…)

(It seems as if Prince Chevalier expects a lot from Prince Licht)

Emma: Are you looking forward to that day?

When I asked that probing question, he just laughed scornfully like usual.

(Thought so…)

(I’ll let Prince Licht know first thing when he comes back)

(No doubt he’ll be really pleased)

[blood-choke]

hiiii… i wanted to ask more about this particular val scene where mc and her talk about that portrait and mc is a bit stuck on the word husband and wants val to know theyre not a man. can i ask what inspired that type of convo? i wanted to know if it’s something you’ll touch up on again? is this underlying feelings mc had before their entombment… worried that val sees them as a man just because mc is masc? cause i know that’s kind of broader discussion in the lesbian community iirc….. was that why you wanted to incorporate it? this ask has so many questions LOL but basically i wanted to say i was intrigued and it did made me think more on those type of dynamics (thinking back to those resources you rb’d a while ago that go more into depth about diff things in the lesbian community)

oh boy get ready for another long-winded answer from me!

a lot of the feelings mc has about their gender are inspired by Leslie Feinberg's work (mainly Stone Butch Blues)

Feinberg was someone who lived & passed as a man for years of hir life, and wrote a lot about the complexities of hir gender and what it was like being a "gender outlaw."

there was actually a scene in particular from sbb that kinda put the kernel of an idea in my mind that led to this narrative of the mc feeling overshadowed by Standard and anxious about being perceived as a man. it's towards the end of the book when Jess (sbb's protagonist) meets Ruth (a trans woman that Jess falls in love with)

Jess offers to help Ruth carry groceries up to her apartment, and Ruth takes this the wrong way & is offended, partly because she thinks Jess is a man.

One Saturday afternoon I found her clutching two huge bags of groceries and fumbling with the downstairs front-door lock. I pulled out my key.

“Here, let me.” She didn’t say thank you. She hurried ahead of me on the stairs.

“Can I help you carry those?” I offered.

“Do I look weak to you?” she asked.

I stopped on the stairs. “No. Where I come from it’s just a sign of respect, that’s all.”

She continued up the stairs. “Well, where I come from,” she called out, “men don’t reward women for pretending to be helpless.” Once I heard her apartment door close I kicked the stair in anger and frustration.

later, after they get to know each other better, they have this interaction:

I laughed and picked at my salad. “Do you know if I’m a man or a woman?”

“No,” Ruth said. “That’s why I know so much about you.”

I sighed. “Did you think I was a man when you first met me?" She nodded. "Yes. At first I thought you were a straight man. Then I thought you were gay. It’s been a shock for me to realize that even I make assumptions about sex and gender that aren’t true. I thought I was liberated from all of that.”

I smiled. “I didn’t want you to think I was a man. I wanted you to see how much more complicated I am. I wanted you to like what you saw.”

i think the inspiration here is quite obvious, hahaha. i figure anyone that's read sbb can sense the similar through-line here in my work. though the conversation between mc and Valentina has a much different tone.

there's another scene later as well after something happens to Jess and she has to have her jaw wired shut. she's working at a new job and is unable to speak, and she's also passing as a man at this job. she overhears some of her female coworkers talking about her and they refer to her as a "creep" and speculate that she's always watching one of them. Jess overhears all of this and then walks out of the job, goes home and pulls the wires out of her mouth herself:

After I was sure I’d gotten the last piece of wire out of my gums, I rinsed my mouth with whiskey and then drank the rest of it so I could sleep without remembering how Marija’s words had stripped me of my humanity.

butches & gnc women still face this kind of dehumanization; compared or likened to men in a derogatory way, accused of being "heteropatriarchal," the predatory stereotype of the fat ugly lesbian, and on the other side they're also hypersexualized, especially online and in queer spaces. butchphobia is a specific kind of misogyny that hits from all sides, even from the people that are supposed to be a part of your community. and this attitude especially effects trans women and women of color, who are already experiencing all of these things due to transmisogyny and racism.

i also really wanted to use this to touch on the kind of gender essentialism that we see in a lot of these cis feminist discussions - to these women at this job, Jess had committed no real crime other than being quiet and being the “wrong” kind of man. something about this scene has always stuck with me and really bothered me, but it's hard to put into words; on one hand i can admit i have probably been one of those women who made some kind of similar remark about a man i barely knew, but i've also been someone on the receiving end, too, because of the way i look. the mc in blood choke is put into this box, but they can't fit in, as someone who has been on both sides and doesn't really understand where they belong because of it; how can she stand beside Valentina or Hana or Clear when they might see her as a perpetrator, someone who can't be trusted? how does this mindset harm both the women and the men of the council and everyone in between? how can we break this cycle?

one of the films i mentioned recently when talking about the character designs was The Same Difference, which is specifically about the Black lesbian community and the discrimination within that community based upon gender roles (though this is not something limited to just the Black lesbian community)

a lot of the women in that doc talk about the boxes they're put in as AG or stud lesbians - they can't have their hair long, they can't wear makeup, they can't do this or that, they have to be aggressive and hard or else they're not real studs. they discuss stud on stud (or butch4butch) and how other lesbians look down on those types of lesbians, as well as the disdain for bisexual women for "betraying" the community. it explores the way misogyny and the patriarchy still oppress these women and forces them into this restrictive gender role despite their refusal to adhere to the other role originally assigned to them, and the way racism specifically intersects and exacerbates it for Black lesbians. there's a stud that's an exotic dancer and wears a weave, and a lot of other studs have a problem with this because a weave is "a female thing." another section follows a pregnant stud, and how the community shuns her for that, because she "dresses like a man and acts like a man" so why is she getting pregnant when she should be "the man"?

mc doesn't remember how they felt before entombment, but waking up they feel this need to prove themselves - both in that they are hard and aggressive like a butch should be, but also in that they want to be this person for Valentina or Clear or Hana (or all of them) that is safe and comforting. but they aren't sure how to do that when the world perceives them as this one specific thing - as a husband, as Standard, as a man, specifically this man who hurt Valentina.

of course we've already seen this to not be true of the companions with the last chapter as the mc learns more and spends more time with everyone. but this is kind of the foundation of where this whole idea came from. it started with my novel & i chose vampires for that story & this one because there is a long history of lesbian vampirism (and also because it's sexy) but there's this "curse" that both Hana & Valerie talk about in their respective stories, the first one being the racism she's had to face, the transphobia, along with this alienation and perception of lesbians as predatory and conniving and aggressive, as vampires, which i just think really lends itself to expanding upon these issues lesbians & trans women face both in general and within the community.

anyways if you want to read more i suggest Stone Butch Blues, which you can get for free on Leslie Feinberg's website, as well as S/he, by Minnie Bruce Pratt, available on the internet archive, Gender Failure by Ivan E. Coyote & Rae Spoon also on the internet archive, and you can rent The Same Difference for $10 on vimeo.

[stillaclownlol]

FROWNY. I know I commented some of my thoughts already (and already gave you an ask about it) but I have more and the comments have a word limit so I’m just gonna say them here:

ADAM. ADAM. I’m sorry but I think he’s my favourite character. Like THE RITUAL WITH HIM AND PERSEPHONE?? HER SAYING “They didn’t believe me”????? EXCSUE ME??? HELLO?? GIRL?? I cannot BELIEVE the amount of happenings I’ve just read. Like WHAT. He hasn’t woken up yet but like omg my baby my boy please come here and let me HUG YOU. He’s been going through it this whole book and he genuinely needs a hug I just wanna squeeze him and keep him safe UGHHHH.

ANYWAY. SO. Gansey and Blue??? CUTE AF?? Sad her and Adam aren’t together but honestly saw it coming — I was just in denial really. Like he’s literally her TRUE LOVE. There’s NO WAY she wouldn’t fall for him. I’m happy they considered Adam’s feelings though, but like OMG THE MOUNTAIN SCENE?? It was so cute and I could picture it so well in my mind like… (if you don’t remember what scene I’m referring to it’s the one after Adam’s scrying where Blue and Gansey drive off to clear their heads and then they stop at this beautiful scenery and then feelings get blown and they are REALLY cute)

UM. KAVINSKY?? HELLO?? I thought he was just some random jerk?? HE CAN DO SHIT WITH HIS DREAMS TOO?? And what’s with all the gay jokes?? My guy is so fruity, he calls Ronan “sweetheart” and “princess” this man is NOT STRAIGHT. like at all. Also Ronan??? RONAN??? KILL ME RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I CANT BELIVE HE DID THAT?? WITH THE CAMARO?? GENUINELY SCREAMED WHEN THAT HAPPENED??? And HIS EUPHORIC LAUGHTER?? HE SMILED?????? PLEASE CAN I HAVE MORE OF THAT????

Gray Man is ehh still, like he and Maura are cute I guess and he figured out Greywaren was a someones instead of a something but also okay?? I mean at least he isn’t gonna kidnap them or kill them? (At least, I hope not because I’m not done with the book)

Last thing I wanna talk about before I go read again: I officially love the Lynch brothers (like maybe not Declan YET but I’m only on book 2) and the Gansey’s aren’t all that bad. I also just want Adam to find someone who’d love him because he’s been so deprived of it his whole life like UGHHH ADAM??? I wanna cry he’s such a wreck 😭

Ok rant over !

NOOOOO YOURE AT THE RITUAL SCENE? PLEASEEEE BROKE MY HEART FR 😭😭😭

Omg the mountain scene. THE MOUNTAIN SCENE. THE DRIVE- SLDHOSBDOD IT WAS SO- AUGGHHHH. anyways don't worry Adam will also get his happiness 🙂‍↕️

THE KAVINSKY PLOT TWIST WAS CRAZYYYYY LMAO. also yeah he's fruity af kshjdbfsi.

WHEN HE CRASHED THE CAMARO KAHDJHDKS RIGHT AFTER GANSEY WAS THINKING ABOUT IT 💀 KILLED ME-

Grey Man is whatever I appreciate his help but like lowkey you shouldn't have been there in the same place-

The Lynch Brothers drive me insane in the best possible way ~

ADAM WILL FIND LOVE I PROMISEEEEE <3

[respectthepetty]

I guess I have a question, which you may have answered before, but why are characters specifically colour-coded red and blue more often than other colours?

You also often refer to those colour-coded red as red rascals and those blue as blue boys, but do those colours always tie in with similar personalities? (Are there such few colour-coded personalities?!)

I lied. There are multiple questions lol

@sliceduplife - Well, hell-ooooh!

I love you for these questions, so let me dive in!

Quick Facts:

We color code the shit out of everything, all the time. We, as humans, are trained to do this. Think about your favorite cartoons growing up - PowerPuff Girls, Winnie the Pooh, Care Bears, Power Rangers, y todo. Color coded.

Therefore, we associate those colors with emotions and personalities: Yellow is happy. Blue is reserved. Red is passionate. Green is prosperous. Et cetera.

The written word came before mass visual media, so colors are still, even today, deeply embedded into literature. Harry Potter: Hufflepuff - Yellow = Happy; Ravenclaw - Blue = Reserved; Gryffindor - Red = Passionate; Slytherin - Green = Prosperous, Game of Thrones, and Scarlet Letter.

This tradition of color coding has continued into visual media - Heathers (each Heather has a different color), The Breakfast Club (each student has a different color associated with them), Pirates of the Caribbean (each character has a specific color), Bridgerton (each family has a color scheme that also shows their alliance)

Even stores and brands align with a color to promote certain characteristics that are associated with that color: Pepsi vs. Coca-Cola, Walmart vs. Target, Hulu vs. Netflix

Are there such few colour-coded personalities?

This is not Pantone. How many colors do you want, homie?! Since humans like categorizing items, we like to keep it simple or black and white (hehe). Colors aren’t solely the character’s entire personality, but they do help visually emphasize certain aspects of a character’s personality without it having to be explicitly stated. Characters are dynamic, but the colors help us see in a quick glimpse what are their core traits.

Also note that I downplay a lot of terms. When I use my terms like Blue Boy and Red Rascal, know that is my fun and simple way of categorizing the characters. Normally, professionals speak of hues, secondary and tertiary colors, tones, undertones, and schemes (mono, complementary, analogous, triadic). I already write too much. Ain’t nobody got time for me to be even worse.

Do those colours always tie in with similar personalities?

If people are doing their jobs correctly, yes.

Think about parents of sextuplets. They tend to buy the same item in six different colors, and each kid is designated a specific color. It can reflect the child's personality. It helps the kids not fight. It helps the parents keep track of the items. It helps maintain order.

That’s what most color coding does. It’s the wardrobe department’s way of maintaining order on a set that consists of several people needing several different outfits each day. On a set like Between Us where there were FIVE couples plus other side characters or My School President where we have a band and a student council, it helps to color code the main characters, so the department can instantly spot when someone isn’t wearing the right outfit for the scene or has the wrong item.

But the colors aren’t randomly selected. Wardrobe, as well as hair and makeup, set design, colorists, lighting, and many other departments, must work with the Director of Photography/Cinematographer to ensure that the colors and style align to the character. In Manner of Death, Bun, a Blue Boy, wore mostly collared shirts because he has a by-the-book personality, while Tan, a Black Brooder, wore crew neck shirts, even under button-up shirts to show his uninhibited nature.

If people are communicating, there will be clear plan for the style of a character which includes colors based on personality traits or situational needs. 609 Bedtime Story tied a color scheme to the different universes instead of a specific person: blue and black to Dew’s world; green, red, yellow to Mum’s world; purple to the in-between world. The colors were still carefully selected because Dew’s world is cold and isolating, Mum’s world is full of life, and the fantasy world is where the blues and reds meet.

Semantic Error’s colors were necessary for the plot because (I’m not using technical terms here) red, the color Sang Woo hates, is the color of an error, while green is the color of a command, and blue is the color of what should occur when the command is inputted, which is why they were a Green Guy and a Blue Boy because they work together to complete the task. Genius!

That’s why the cinematographer has to communicate with all the departments it oversees and the director to make sure the outfits, the lighting, the sets, and the post-editing all align to the director’s vision.

Would Legally Blonde’s Elle Woods wear brown? No! Pink is an integral component of her personality, and all the departments worked hard to make that clear.

The colors mean things! They add details to the narrative and reinforce the plot. Even if the character isn’t wearing the color consistently, the colors in the scene matter.

Why are characters specifically colour-coded red and blue more often than other colours?

Opposites attract.

On the color wheel, the complimentary colors are red/green and blue/orange (as well as yellow/purple but nobody cares about my faves). They are opposite of each other. HOWEVER, when color was introduced into film, the primary colors were the easiest to produce: red, blue, and yellow. These three colors when combined in various ways, make every other color possible. We now have cyan (blue-green), magenta (blue-red), and yellow. Not going to make this technical, so know that it boils down to convenience. If a company is going to spend a lot of money on filming, if a mistake happens, color-wise, the easiest mistakes to fix are going to be the ones involving these colors.

Also, blue and red represent opposite personalities. Red is spontaneous while blue is consistent. Red is passionate while blue is reserved. Red is dominant while blue is passive. Red is energetic while blue is calming. Red is fire while blue is ice. Red is the sun while blue is the moon. If the plot includes two people who are at conflict or appear as opposites, red and blue are the colors to demonstrate it.

However, America does love a good Red Rascal and Black Brooder in a romcom.

[midnightsilver]

Artist Process Post

Some process pics and behind the scenes for my Sam and Dean Costume artwork 😄:

My usual style for digital artwork is free-hand painting. I usually either build a reference scene in a 3D modeller or I draw a messy concept sketch from reference photos to get my basic shapes. Next I do a neater sketch on a new layer in Procreate and turn off my old concept sketch layer. After that I draw block colours on a layer underneath my sketch layer, before finally painting the shading and detailed features on a new layer over the top of it all. I use this process because I am a self-taught digital artist coming from a traditional art background. Plus I just really like painting 😄 - laying down colour in freehand brush strokes to build up my picture - it lets me adjust and change my ideas as I go (pre-planning is not my forte! 😅). However a lot of digital art originated in animation and anime styles, so it uses line art and colour fills in closed shapes to produce a much cleaner style. I thought I’d change up my regular process and give that style a go here and I’m really proud of my novice achievements 😄

I still started with a sketch of the boys. I drew the poses and body shapes in blue, using classic superhero poses and musculature. Then on a new layer I added the costume details in red. (I had loads of fun with this stage, it took me back to teenage me who used to draw comic book heroes instead of doing my homework 😂)

Next I lowered the opacity of my sketch and did some line work on a new layer. The trick here is to try and draw clean smooth lines in a single stroke and to make sure that the lines meet so that shapes are closed. (Later on you select individual closed shapes and fill them with colour, but if you have left gaps in your lines the colour floods out into other areas or fills up the whole page.) My lines aren’t the smoothest (I messy sketch for a reason! I have very shaky hands!!😂) and they also don’t have much nuance to them (lines should vary in thickness to add emphasis and flow to the design) but I was just pleased my work was neat-ish and still looking like my concept! 😄

The next stage is flat colour. This is a straightforward stage if you have taken time on the line work. I selected the areas that I wanted and used the fill tool to add my chosen colours inside the lines. (I also painted a freehand background to add atmosphere before I started on my shading.)

The final stages I did were shading and lighting. I drifted back towards my traditional painting style with the shading. Anime styles often use single colour shadows in block shapes, or gradient overlays to add depth, but instead I clipped my shading layer over the top of my flat colour (clipping a layer prevents you from accidentally going outside the edges of the layer below) and hand painted shadows, tone variations and highlights with freehand strokes and a blender brush. The final layer on top of that I used the hard light setting to paint on glows and shine.

And that’s everything. 😄 All in all this took me about 8 hours but that’s because I’m incredibly slow at line work 😭 (I spent soooo much time erasing and undoing crappy lines) and because freehand painting my shading layer is much slower than using block shape shadows - but I would need a lot more practice at that to make it look good, freehand painting is slower but it let’s me cover more of my errors as I go 😁. So while this art style for this pic is still not as clean or as efficient as typical anime/animation style digital artwork, I’m really pleased with the look of it compared to my usual loose style.

P.s. if you hadn’t noticed, I’m not an expert! This is not a tutorial, this is just an explanation of how I did this this time - and I’m learning more every day. If you wanna learn more about digital drawing from people who know what they are doing you can check out amazing artists like @kirathehyrulian and many others. 🤗

Stay awesome and happy Arting my friends

- Midnight

Art post on its own without the behind the scenes 😄

[likesunsetorange]

omg can i hear your thoughts about annie/armin as peeta/katniss i’ve been saying this for such a long time

omg yes!!! thank you for asking like nobody ever really sends me asks so this is so fun to me!!! also i’m sorry for getting on this train late but i’ve seen the light finally!

(also putting the preview thing bc i went on a long ass tangent, i told y’all if you get me started on this i won’t stfu 😭)

but my mutuals and i have been talking about it and we were saying how katniss is definitely not the kind of person who ever wanted to be a hero. she certainly isn’t a selfish person (her volunteering for prim shows this), but she never intended to be the forefront of a revolution. also katniss is very socially inept and pretty unaware, she thinks everyone hates her or she doesn’t like people but she constantly goes out of her way for people bc she cares! i think these are really similar (in my head at least) to how annie is. annie only became a warrior to help her dad (well he also kinda forced her but anyways), and her intention was always just to get back home to him, so that kinda reminds me of katniss. also annie is perceived as mean and aloof, but she’s just not the most social person and isn’t the best as socializing (i think this is most shown in aot jr high), and kind of misinterprets social situations, very similar to katniss! i think annie is a very caring and kind person but her situations have led her to be closed off and causing her goals to be the forefront of her mind, but towards the end of the series she realizes that people do care for her and starts to be more trusting/open (i.e. armin/mikasa/even reiner a bit) and we see a more lighthearted side of her (the okapi scene LOL)!! i think katniss and annie aren’t exactly the same but i see so many similarities between them, even with the whole aruani interaction too, it reminds me a lot of some of the more vulnerable everlark scenes. also annie is very aggressive and so is katniss, and that whole scene where katniss throws peeta into the wall after the whole “if it weren’t for the baby” shenanigans, that’s annie as hell LOL she wouldn’t want to be perceived as weak or vulnerable, it’s just not her

as for armin, armin is literally the equivalent to peeta to me. armin is actually my favorite character after eremika, so i adore the fact that he’s so similar to my favorite book character. i think armin is one of the most kind characters in the story, and his genuine care and devotion to mikasa and eren make me love him so much, but armin is also definitely a very manipulative person. he knew how to manipulate situations to his advantage in order to achieve whatever it is he wanted, and that’s definitely in line with peeta. peeta put on a performance as much as katniss did, but because he knew how to work the room and use his charms to his advantage. i 100% without any thread of doubt in me know armin is capable of pulling off the baby stint, because he would think of the same scenario, using the capitol’s pity to their advantage. being able to be manipulative stems from your ability to read people and your intelligence, and we can tell that armin is good at both of those (how he got eren to confess his true feelings for mikasa just by fucking around with him lol)!! also cute blond boy, blue eyes that’s so armin!!!! but beyond all the manipulation and working for the cameras, peeta did have a genuine care and he loved katniss his whole life, and armin had always been interested in annie as well and she was a bit naive to it too.

honestly i was never the biggest aruani fan (i like them but they’re not a fav basically) but seeing their everlark parallels made me have a new appreciation for the ship!! i could honestly say more but i just woke up and i can’t think of as many canon references to as i’d like!!! but sorry for going on a whole tangent i just love the hunger games a lot 😭

[iobsessoverfictionalmen]

The Temptation of the Immortals (3)

Warnings: cursing, canon typical violence for the Percy Jackson series, spoilers for the Percy Jackson series, nightmares, the gods being absent parents, references to Greek Mythology, mentions of starvation and trauma.

“Reading is boring (Name).”  Alexander complained once he’d eaten his lunch and after you asked him to choose his book.  The sudden change in mood startled you – when you introduced yourself to him, the boy was so cheerful and he had spent twenty minutes showing you all of his toys.  He had explained which ones were his favourites and which ones he loved to cuddle with.

“Why do you think it’s boring?”

Alexander scuffed the toe of his shoe across the floor, “It just is.”

“Okay.”  You selected a book at random and opened to the first page with pictures, “How about you tell me what is happening in this picture?”  You asked, pointing to a picture of a boy walking a dog under a blue sky.

Alexander glared up at you, “I’m six not stupid!  The boy is walking a dog and there aren’t any clouds in the sky.  Then later in the book, the boy gets wet.”

You frowned, “How does the boy get wet?”

Alexander shrugged, “I don’t know.  He just does.”  When he finished speaking, Alexander decided to stare out of the window as if whatever was on the other side was more interesting than your conversation.

“The letters float off the page when you read, right?  That's because your mind is hardwired for ancient Greek.”  The words that Annabeth spoke an eternity ago when she was explaining your place in the camp to you sounded in your mind as clear as if she were standing right next to you now.

“It’s a long shot but I wonder….”

“Do you have paper and a pen to write with?”

Clearly confused, Alexander nodded slowly and walked away from you.  You barely had enough time to figure out what he could do while he waited before the child returned clutching a writing book and a pen which he handed to you.

“This isn’t going to take me long,” you promised as you flipped open the book and began to copy the sentence out in ancient Greek.  “While I do this, do you have a favourite animal?”

Alexander nodded again and you smiled encouragingly at the boy.  You sat down and he mirrored your action, sitting cross legged opposite you.

“What’s your favourite animal?”

“I like dogs.”  The boy stated immediately with all the conviction a six-year-old could possess.  “They never lie and they always tell you how they’re feeling.  I wish we could get a dog but dad says no.”

“I wanted a pet when I was your age too but we didn’t have the space for one.”

“The place you lived in must’ve been tiny.”

“It was,” you agreed, knowing that Alexander’s understanding of the word tiny and yours were probably very different.  “We had enough space for my mum to buy ivy that lived in a pot plant so I looked after that instead.”

“What are you writing?”  The boy asked.

“Have a look,” you suggested and handed the book over to him while you fiddled with the pen.

“The boy is taking the dog for a walk outside.  He is wearing a red t-shirt, blue shorts, and a hat.  The dog’s fur is brown.”  Alexander read haltingly.

“That’s good!”  You praised when he finished the last sentence.  Inwardly, your heart sank.  “I can’t believe some of the Olympians are still repeating the same patterns of behaviour.  Is it a five-thousand-year-old habit?  Or an unwillingness to change?”

Then another, worse thought occurred to you, “How am I going to tell them?  They’re going to think I’m insane.”

“I did it!  I can read this!”  He cried happily.

The rest of the afternoon passed in the same way.  You would write a sentence from the book and Alexander would read it.  As the book progressed, Alexander grew more and more interested in reading and when he finished reading the sentences that you had written, he looked up at you as if to say, “Is that it?”

The door handle turned and Alexander jumped up happily.  The door cracked open and Alexander launched himself over to it as quickly as his feet could carry him, “Dad!  Dad!  I did it!  I read a book!”

Bryan must have been used to his son’s energy because he opened the door fully and scooped his son into a hug, “That’s my boy!  I knew you could do it!”

Feeling like you were intruding on a private moment, you climbed to your feet.  The movement drew father and son’s eyes to you, “It’s not often that I’m impressed.  You’ve done a good job today.”

“Why don’t you tell my dad what you think of him?”  Alexander recommended, resting his head on his dad’s shoulder.

A fog descended over your mind and all you could think about was telling Bryan how handsome he’d looked in his suit when you first met.  The fog felt invasive yet familiar and you bit down on your tongue in an effort to control yourself.  The sting of your teeth on your tongue sent a spark of pain through you and the fog cleared.  At the same time, you realised why the fog felt familiar and your heart sunk even further.

“I should be going,” you replied.  “It’s not fair if I leave Piper to close up the museum by herself again.”

Alexander was looking at you with wide eyes and you could feel his gaze on you even as you left the apartment and heard Bryan telling his son that he’d found a new school for him.  When you returned to the museum to find Piper locking up the doors a few minutes earlier than your usual closing time, you forced a smile and told her that Alexander was a bright kid.

“See?  I knew it would be all right!”  Piper crowed triumphantly.  “I do have good ideas!  Say it!  Say it!”

“You have good ideas, Piper.”  You admitted.

“And you should have more faith in me.”  Piper added as she linked her arm through yours.

“Piper, I trust you with the world and with my life.  Is that not good enough?”

“It’s more than good enough.”  She affectionately flicked you on the nose and grinned at the face you made.

You wished her a good night and then the two of you parted ways.  In your apartment, you stared down at the water streaming from the kitchen tap and into the sink.  Fumbling behind you, you grabbed your purse and pulled out a drachma.

“O Iris, Goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering.”  You prayed before flicking the coin into the stream, “Show me Chiron at Camp Half-Blood.”

For a moment, nothing changed.  Then the water shimmered and twisted becoming similar to a TV screen yet the image was still blurry.  Calling on your last shred of patience, you waited for the image to clear and when it did, you recognised the surroundings immediately and the occupant of the Big House.

“Hi, Dad.”

[the-fiction-witch]

Little Birdy P1

Media Lewis

Character Adam Douglas

Couple: Adam X Reader

Rating: Sweet AF

Concept ‘my Little Birdy’ 

"So… you going to explain, everything of the last like six months" Lucy asked sipping her prosecco in my dorm room 

"I guess I probably should" I laughed "I guess it's started with Aphrodite" I smiled 

I was six miles deep into the library scouring the dewey decimal system the library employed desperate for the book I needed on Aphrodite and Eros. I had to do a report on the variations of their statues though time for my understanding artist difference unit of my artist theory class so I desperately needed the book. I moved down the endless lines of books looking for the one I needed. I quickly spotted it grabbing the top of the spine but as I did someone else grabbed the bottom.

"Ohh excuse me" I said moving back

"No no I'm sorry I didn't see you there" he says I looked and it was a tall thin boy I a red patterned button down the sleeves rolled to his elbows with a plane red shirt under it, a pair of rather tight well worn blue jeans with a leather belt and tattered half broken red converses. 

We both looked and saw there was only one copy of the book on the shelf

"It appears we are at a stalemate"

"It would appear so"

"Why do you need it?"

"For the statues and dates for my artist theory class"

"That's fair that's very needed"

"What do you need it for?" 

"I have a Greek god and goddess paper for classics"

"Ummm this is troubling"

"When's yours due?"

"First period Thursday"

"Ahhh you see mines due tomorrow"

"Ohh dear"

"Yeah. So-"

"But mines sixty two percent of the unti grade"

"Damn mines only twenty" he says "but I have to use this book it's specifically on the paper print out so I have to reference it"

"It's on mine too"

"AHH… likely why there is only left left now all our classmates probably have them"

"Yeah" 

"Uhhh how about we share it? Go sit in the study room and we can both use it" he suggested

"You wouldn't mind?"

"Not at all" he smiled "I like having someone to chat to while I work anyway stops me procrastinating so much" he laughed taking the book so I happily followed him though the library to a study room which he headed into so I flipped the little in use sign on the door and headed in sitting at the table getting my space set up to work and he sat on the other side of the table setting himself up too

 "I uhh I don't even know your name"

"Ohh right yeah. Adam, Adam Douglas" he smiled offering his hand 

"Y/n y/l/n" I smiled happily giving his hand a shake 

"That's a very pretty name" he smiled giving my hand a kiss 

"Awww your sweet" I blushed before we both began our work flipping through the book each for references we needed he typed away on his laptop and I wrote away with my favorite pen 

"Artist theory you said?"

"Ummm hum had to take it as part of my sculpture course"

"I see. I guess you're one of those down in the art department throwing clay around"

"Kinda yeah" 

"You interested in Greek statues and history then?"

"I am very much, I find it fascinating the level of detail"

"Me too." He nods 

"Classic lit did you say?"

"No classics"

"Ohhh your one of those"

"Yes in one of those cunts"

"No no-'

"It's okay I get it alot."

"The shining example of the school"

"immo sumus" he chuckled

"Ummm?"

"Sorry Latin. Have to use it alot in classics" he chuckled 

"It's okay, it's cute"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah you must be very clever"

"Awww aren't you sweet" he Cooes leaning in his arm "tuum pulcherrimum" he smirked 

"What does that mean?'

"I said your very beautiful" 

"Ohhh thank you" I blushed 

"bellus tuus cum erubescis, libet cum loqui tibi latine, parum birdy" he smirked 

I had no clue what he was saying but I turned as red as a strawberry making him smirk more "venerabile" he Cooes taking my hand and giving it a kiss

"I uhhh I take it you're on the Latin debate team?"

"Oh god no. I would happily be on the team issue is its less of a Latin team and more a old boys club for wanking each other off"

"Fair enough" I nodded 

"Plus it would take up an awful lot of my time I prefer having the free time" he says 

"Understandable" I nodded as we soon finished up our work returning the book to the shelf 

"I uhh I really liked working with you" 

"I did too" 

"I wouldn't mind sharing a book with you again or even a study room"

"Me either"

"Maybe we could work together some other time?"

"I'd like that Adam"

"Could you think maybe I could get your number?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, if that's okay"

"Sure" I smiled getting a bit of my spare paper and writing my number down on it with a little heart and handing it over to him 

"Great I'll text you as soon as I get back to my dorm" he smiled taking my hand giving it a kiss "pleasure working with you y/n" he says before heading off out the library, immediately I grabbed a romance book and slightly fanned myself trying to bring down my blush.

[talenlee]

Why do Transformers Have Guns?

In a world of giant robots with special powers and abnormal body shapes, many times with bodies that can then take on the forms of impressive melee weapons or specially constructed predatory structures, how weird is it that so many of those characters run around with what is visibly a handgun, which they point at things to make a blue laser go pew pew pew?

Well, fool, joke’s on you, those aren’t guns. Autobots don’t carry guns! Guns are weapons of war! Why, you fool, you should know that all of those things aren’t guns, but are instead elaborate tools.

Here, lemme show you.

I’m just going to grab the Transformers Universe book resources for this, because it’s the last time I remembered seeing a single coherent text for this. It’s still something the Dreamwave books do and if you go digging into the comics, thanks to the endless reference spiral that is Transformers media, chances are you’ll find a comic panel where one of these characters explains what they’re holding and it will never matter.

Now, importantly, most Decepticons have guns that are, recognisably, ‘a gun.’ They work by shooting things. They are disruptor rifles, laser guns, missile launchers and of course, in one important and memorable site, fusion cannons. Decepticons are baddies, they’re allowed to have guns that are ‘just guns.’

Air Raid has a ‘torque rifle’ whose beams apply up to 80,000 psi of rotational force. Do you know what that means, or what that looks like? It looks like a blue laser going pew pew pew. Blades, beloved violence boy of the Protectobots, wields a Photon Pistol, which shoots light bursts with the equivalent brightness of 5,000 watt light bulbs, which supposedly can blind anyone but the most well-shielded. Know what that looks like? A blue laser going pew pew pew. Cliffjumper has a gun that fires what he calls ‘glass gas’ which turns metal into something as brittle as glass. Know what that looks like? A blue laser going pew pew pew.

This is one of those wonderfully weird, extremely unnecessary parts of the ‘lore’ of Transformers, which nobody in any book – even Marvel’s own books – needs to follow up on. This stuff shows up on the character bios on the back of the toy boxes, which will tell you, straight facedly that Windcharger attacks people with ‘magnetic charges’ and you have to make up the rest of that with your imagination.

It’s not like it’s weird for characters to have guns! Air Raid is a fighter plane! Why wouldn’t he have guns!? We’ve talked about Powerglide in the past, why doesn’t he, an A10 Warthog have actual guns? They would make his disguise better.

Then there are of course, some characters who just turn into guns. The most obvious example of this is the early versions of Megatron, who turns into the ridiculous Uncle Robo gun. It’s the least practical weapon in the world for what it is; oh, sure, size shifting technology allows the characters around him to use it, but fundamentally, Megatron is a guy with a big gun who turns into that same gun that others can use. The effect is that of a narrative spike in importance – if Megatron is turning into a gun he’s being a really dangerous gun as opposed to himself as a really dangerous dude.

Anyway, then along with him there’s also Galvatron, who is basically just the same guy trying out a different hairstyle, and Shockwave, the guy who can claim that Megatron is just a cover band. If you’re reaching out around things that are ‘basically just guns’ there’s some implied space between them. A tank isn’t really just a gun but dang if it’s not notable that the few Autobot tanks also swing around a gun that is just meaningfully described as a gun that shoots things to hurt them.

There aren’t a lot of Autobots who are guns, of course. In fact, there’s pretty much just one, Warpath, and to further compound him being ‘just a gun,’ Warpath’s personality is fundamentally a walking dick joke that gets hurt about potential harm to his ‘barrel,’ and anxiety about bad performance. This is to say, Warpath may not be a gun, but Warpath’s personality is that he is a gun.

Of course the real answer as to ‘why do transformers have guns’ is because of the normal tedious response to questions about Transformers as a franchise: It’s the optimal alignment of traits for making money without much effort. Guns are objects that can be low-effort combined with the toys to add to the play pattern, and any kind of narrative followthrough on the guns and what that means is something to be slushed to writers that are being paid by the word to see if they make product that more or less works, more or less.

It’s one of the funniest parts of Transformers canon, where for all that this is a huge, sprawling universe with a fanbase dedicated to integrating its parts and harmonising it with the sort of dedication you only get from Biblical Apologists, it’s also the byproduct of what a company could afford to produce as cheaply as possible to maximise the output of products that they only make now at this point because they’re on the hook for making them as part of their throughline. The system that makes money happen requires the toys that were only being made because they were already made for another purpose. In that time a lot of ancient texts were laid down and they were completely nonsense and now they’re part of this lumbering machine of, yes, undeniably imaginative and talented creatives who are doing their best…

… For the least cost.

And that’s boring! That’s really boring! Transformers is the way it is because of capitalism again! Oh no! This toy commercial that literally defines the way all culture is made and engaged with right now, not really even kidding, it’s just another outgrowth of the last stage of capitalism being perfected, and we know that, and that’s boring!

What if we instead re-invented the same thing and gave it a weird name and implied it worked totally differently, as long as we could represent it with a blue laser that goes pew pew pew.

Check it out on PRESS.exe to see it with images and links!

[ofstoriesandstardust]

back to december (lt. bradley “rooster” bradshaw)

a/n: we’ve gone too long without some angst. suffer.

summary: after all the time, Rooster agrees to have one last conversation, in order for the both of you to get closure. you find yourself asking him for one more chance.

inspired by taylor swift’s “back to december”

main masterlist | top gun: maverick masterlist

warnings: swearing, discussion of depression and symptoms of depression, mentions of therapy, mentions of a grandfather passing away, angst with a hopeful ending, this takes place somewhere arbitrarily on the timeline post-TGM, this is self-indulgent, but isn’t that what all fanfiction is, references to the selection because i can’t help myself, i saw the opportunity and ran with it, this has a mildly unrealistic ending and this isn’t the best thing i’ve ever written but honestly idgaf

word count: 2,412

You sighed, fiddling with your cup as you sat down at a table outside the cafe. It was a nice spring day out, warm, with a gentle breeze. Not too hot, not too chilly. Perfect. Had things been different, it would’ve been a day you and Bradley had spent in your backyard, enjoying the sunshine, lazily reading books and working and chatting and soaking up each other’s presence. Your heart clenched as you thought about it, knowing you were the reason it wasn’t like that anymore. Knowing you were the reason it may never be like that again.

He sighed, the sound of the metal chair scraping against the concrete bringing your attention back up to him as he set his cup down. The two of you sat in silence for a few moments and then you blink. “Thanks for agreeing to meet with me.” He nods and there’s more silence. “So, how’ve you been?”

“Good.” 

“Work good? Everyone still flying good?” He nods.

“Yep, all still the best damn pilots I’ve ever flown with.” 

“Mav good? No more plane crashes?” 

“Yep, everyone’s all good.” You nod. 

“Well, the weather’s nice today.” You say, looking up at the blue sky, not a cloud in sight.

“Mhm.” He responds, taking a sip of his drink. You look at Rooster, knowing his guard is up and you’re the reason why. You know he’s thinking of the last time you saw him, when he tried to save the relationship and you left him behind, telling him it was for the best. You sigh, blinking back the tears that are starting to form. You don’t get to cry, you’re the reason you’re here in the first place. 

“How’re things going for you?” You aren’t expecting him to ask that, so your brain short-circuits and you freeze, coming up with the only response you can think of. 

“Good. Good. Job’s good. Family’s good. Good.” 

“You don’t sound good.” You chuckle a little bit at that.

“Yeah, I don’t- haven’t been sleeping lately. I uh, got diagnosed with depression in February. Not sleeping is part of all of it.” He raises his eyebrows a little bit. 

“Oh.”

“Mhm.” It’s your turn to put your guard up, not wanting to let Rooster see the worst of you. Another silence settles between the two of you and you chance a glance at your ex-boyfriend. Your met with the same brown orbs that you’d fallen in love with. He’s looking at you with concern and care and a hint of something else and you’re hit by a wave of memories.

-

Rooster’s hand is on your thigh as you laugh loudly with him, the countryside flying by. The two of you are on your way to see Maverick at his hangar and it’s at that moment, seeing your boyfriend relax as he laughs at your story, that you realize you’re in love with the boy. He glances at you. “What?”

You shrug. “Nothing, you’re just cute, s’all.” He squeezes your thigh in response, eyes on the road. 

“I love you, you know?” You take his hand from his thigh and it intertwine it with yours, squeezing it. 

“I love you too.”

-

You blinked, swallowing your tears as you watched the time on your phone tick by. The day wasn’t over yet. You could still call. Still text. There was still time to reach out. You groaned as your entire body screamed to do something, to let him know you still cared but you didn’t move, watching the time run out. As the clock hit 11:59 PM, you sighed, clicking your phone off and standing up from your dining room table. Your house was dark and quiet, much like your life had been since you’d broken up with Rooster. 

“Happy birthday Bradley.” You whispered. 

-

You sigh as you take in Rooster’s defeated figure, collapsed at his dining table. 

“Fuck, (Y/N), I am trying so hard here, please, just give me something.” You sighed, biting your lip. He’s crying and you can feel tears of your own rising up. 

“Bradley, you and I both know this was never going to work.” He whimpers, his hands coming up to cover his face as his sobs take over, muffled behind his hands. Your heart cracks and you usually would’ve sat down, taken his hands, and let him cry into your shoulder as you hugged him, soothing his pain. “I’m so sorry, but- but you deserve more and I- I can’t give you what you want.” His head shoots up to look at you and you grimace taking in his red-rimmed eyes.

“You! You’re the one I want! I don’t care about all this shit, I just don’t want to lose you!” A cold feeling washed over you as you picked apart his words, wondering if he really meant them. He wanted you now, but would he in a year? Two? Three? Were you breaking his heart or just speeding up the inevitable, when the two of you burned out? Would he just resent you for staying when you both know it was meant to end? And did he even really want you or was he just with you because of how long the two of you had been together, for what the two of you been through together?  

“Bradley, I’m sorry, but I can’t- I can’t do this anymore. I can’t. We’re done.” You  whisper and you watch as his heart breaks. The cracks in every piece of him falling apart as sobs overtake his body and he breakdowns at the table, shoulders heaving. Your heart twists as you watch the scene and you turn away, biting back your own tears. You grab your keys and before you know it, the front door is shutting behind you. You breakdown in your car, collapsing onto the steering wheel as your own sobs wrack your body.

Goodbye, Bradley.

-

He smiles at you as he jogs over from the game of dogfight football. You not-so-subtly admire the way his tan skin glistens with sweat as he presses a kiss to your cheek. “How’s the book?” he asks warmly and you shrug. You’d long stopped paying attention to the murder mystery in front of you, instead admiring your boyfriend and his pilot buddies as they played. 

“Oh, just thrilling.” He lets out a loud laugh as a warm feeling settles in your chest.

You could get used to that sound.

-

“Yeah, okay. Yeah, thanks for telling me Mom.” You say, swallowing the tears as Bradley eyes you. “Yeah, love you too. Bye.” You say and you move the phone away from your ear as you look at the table, eyes burning. “Sorry, I just- I had a feeling something was wrong and I needed to-” You sigh, taking in a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears. The relationship with Rooster was still fresh and new and you weren’t sure you were ready for him to see you break. He stood up wordlessly, gently taking the phone from you and putting it on the counter. He wrapped you in a hug and you returned it, feeling your guard fall down second by second. “He passed away tonight.” His hug becomes tighter around you as the first few tears break loose. “My grandfather’s gone, just like that.” A sob breaks free and he moves a hand to run through your hair.

“Shh, let it out baby, I’m here. I’m right here.” 

-

You blink the memories away as Rooster sighs, shifting back in his chair. “What do you really want here (Y/N)?” He asks and you shrug.

“I told you, I wanted us to both get closure.” 

“I got closure the night you walked out. Try again.” He states harshly and you flinched and shifted uncomfortably in your seat, sighing.

“Uh, well, I uh- I’ve had a lot of time to think about about what I did and especially why I did it. And uhm, not that it’s an excuse but uhm, I’ve come to realize my depression was the driving force behind the breakdown of our relationship. It- it made it really hard for me to feel like I could be loved, that I was worthy of love. And the bad thoughts got worse and I thought that maybe if I left then I wouldn’t- wouldn’t feel so shitty. But by breaking your heart, I broke mine, and it just made things worse.” You feel your throat close up with tears and you pause. The brunette shifts eyeing you carefully. “And uhm, a few months after we broke up I decided to get help for whatever I was dealing with because I realized that this shit isn’t normal. So I started seeing a therapist and um, it lead to a diagnosis and I’ve been doing a lot better now. But I still struggle with it because I uhm- sorry I’m-” You sigh, putting your head in your hands as the tears threaten to consume you. 

“Hey, it’s okay, take your time.” He says softly. You pull your legs put on your chair to sit criss cross, picking at the skin on your finger. He move over so slightly to set his large hand on your knee. You sigh, taking a deep breath, not daring to make eye contact with him as his hand never moves.

“It’s been hard for me to get to a good place because I still have a lot of guilt and regret about what I did. Bradley, breaking up with you was the worst mistake I ever made. You were- you were my best friend, someone I could just laugh all night long with. You knew exactly what I needed and you supported me no matter what. You treated me so well and I know- I know leaving broke your heart and it broke mine too. I regret it more than I regret anything else in my life and I am so sorry. And uhm, I want to ask for a second chance. I don’t deserve it but God- it- I know it’s so selfish of me to ask but I have to because I need to know and if you’ve moved on or don’t want to let me back in, I completely understand but I- I want nothing more. If you gave me a second chance, I promise I would do better this time, I would love you right, I- I would never leave again.” He inhales sharply, moving his hand from your knee and your heart sinks as he does. You wipe away your tears as they slip down silently as the man in front of you holds your heart in his hands. “I still love you. My heart has only ever been yours Bradley Bradshaw, and it will only ever yours to keep.” He crosses his arms as he looks away from you. You continue to wipe away tears as you watch the gears turning in his head. 

“What you did destroyed me.” And there it was. You nod, already moving to stand up. 

“Yeah, I know. And I’m sorry you can’t forgive me.” You whisper, grabbing your keys, as the tears burn your eyes. You’ve already broken down enough, might as well go home and lick your wounds without having to hear him list everything you did wrong and why his life was so great without you in it. He reaches out for your wrist, effectively stopping your movement. 

“Hey, I didn’t say that. Sit down.” He says nervously, almost as if you’ll say no and run again. You sit down slowly and it’s only once you’re fully seated, that he’s sure you’re not going to bolt, does he let go of your wrist. It burns from his touch as you try not to think about how badly you want to take it and just hold it in your own again. “Look, if we’re gonna do this, we have to start over. I need to see that you’ve changed. That you’re truly doing better, that you’re doing what you’re supposed to, that if things get bad again, and they will at some point, because it happens with mental illness, that you’re not gonna run again. I need to be able to know that I can trust you to talk to me about whatever’s going on inside that pretty little head of yours. And that if you’e not gonna talk to me about it, you’ll talk to someone.” You nod slowly, biting your lip uncertainly. He hesitates, clearly choosing his words carefully. “Look, I’m not saying that we’ll- we’ll ever get back together. I can’t promise that, because I don’t know if I’m going to be able to trust you again. But... but I’m willing to try. Because I loved you and I still love you and I will love you for the rest of my life.” Your heart flutters at the words but you try not to get too hopeful. “So, we can start out as friends, and we’ll go from there.” You sigh, feeling your heart twist, knowing you need to tell him the truth.

“Bradley, I’m all in or not at all because I will not survive losing you again. I- if you get to the end of this and realize you’ll never be able too fully forgive me- I can’t handle that. I can’t get you back, even just as a friend, only to lose you again.” 

“Hey, I’m not going anywhere.” He whispers. “Look at me.” You hesitantly meet his eyes. “I’m not. No matter what, I will always love and care about you and if you needed me, I’d fly halfway across the world just to be there. It’s gonna suck and it’s gonna take a lot of time, and we stand a good shot at figuring things out but even if we don’t- I’ll always be your friend.” You sigh, wiping some of your tears away. “What was that book series you made me read, the competition of princesses?”

“The Selection?”

“Yeah, that’s one. What was it Maxon said, my heart was only ever yours to break anyways? Well, (Y/N), my heart was only ever yours to break.” You don’t mention that Maxon had also told America that he could break his heart a thousand times if she liked. You knew the implication behind his words. “I love you, and I love you enough to work things out. We’ll figure it out.” 

[stranger-chichka]

Why I think Dustin definitely knows about Byler and is more than ok with it

So, I already have a few posts about Dustin and his water-and-electricity-related lines, which I do believe are Byler-coded. As I was comparing Back to the Future with Stranger Things, I couldn't ignore the importance of two very similar buildings - the Clock Tower and the Hawkins Library, so I decided to look for every scene with the library in it (the post is already here). During this process, something different drew my attention. Dustin and Dart, to be exact.

So, Dustin finds Dart after treat-or-treating. What happened before? Will gets scared and Mike gets him to his home. We see Dustin trying to comfort Will, but Mike wants him all by himself.

I believe Dustin always knew Will and Mike's friendship was special (considering he called Lucas Mike's best friend in s1), but that was Dustin's oh moment. Let's move on. The next day he goes to the library to find some info about his "discovery" and then - to share it with the party and Max.

We see that Max, Lucas and Will aren’t really into Dart, they are kinda scared or even a little disgusted with him, but not Mike. He is really interested in it. Now, the interesting part. Dustin though it to be a pollywog. A tadpole. The larval stage of a toad. And ho is called "frogface" in s1? Mike.

From Dustin's research we know that:

most tadpoles are aquatic (=straight), but Dart isn't;

there are only two terrestrial pollywogs - one from India, and one from South America (during this line we see only Mike - in the light - and Will, so these words should refer to them)

Dart hates the sun, it hurts him (Will is associated with the light, and it hurts Mike to feel that way to his friend. Also, their love is forbidden and they have to hide it. There's no sun for them.)

The moment Dustin says: "I've discovered a new species" we can see a rainbow on the right. He's discovered that gay people exist but, specifically, he found out about Mike's love for Will, and Dart symbolises that (his growth symbolises Mike beginning to realise his romantical feelings and how he's feeling more and more insecure and scared about it because it doesn't feel right in that society). Next, we see disturbed Will. He already knows how Mike feels about him ("crazy together"), but he doesn't want others to discover, so he asks Mike for help.

Also, we see two young boys on Will's left, while Dustin is talking about his "discovery."

At that time Dustin, Lucas and Mike come to Mr. Clarke and again, we can see a rainbow near Dustin while he's speaking about his discovery, that "may change your perception of the world" (=gay people exist and this is normal). Also, behind Mr. Clarke there's a poster with the phrase "news from space" and in Back to the Future Martin's father wrote a book with the title "A match made in space." (And he's paralleled to Mike)

Of course, they're interrupted by panicked Mike, who calls this "a stupid prank" (stupid = love), and e see yellow, blue, and green (Byler colours) squares behind Mr. Clarke. (there are red squares - El's colour - too, but apart from others).

The party is at the AV club again, this time without Max = Mike and Will don't want her to know about them. During their talk, a rainbow apple is above Will and Mike. Will saw something like Dart last year = he was already in love with Mike. He didn't tell them, because wasn't sure about his own feelings.

Mike thinks they should take Dart to Hopper and it's better for him to be dead because it's from the Upside Down, which is logical because Will was hurt there and he cares about Will, but Dustin claims that the fact he's from the Upside Down doesn't automatically mean he's bad (=it's okay that you love Will more than a friend, don't try to bury these feelings).

the line "we have to take him to Hopper" made me think that maybe Mike is going to have some heart-to-heart with him in s5 (or maybe it was foreshadowing of Hopper's monologue telling us about Mike's feelings toward Will)

Mike is afraid of his feelings, so he decides to hit Dart, but Dustin pushes him away and Dart escapes because of Max. Mike blames Max in this situation, although it was him, who attacked Dart. It makes me think that Mike blames her for destroying his bond with Will because as soon as she joined their party, he was uncomfortable with being himself + after she started dating Lucas and El was back he felt like he has no choice but to date El.

While Mike wants to get rid of Dart, Will is trying to make a contact with him and doesn't want to hurt him (=he already accepted his feelings toward Mike and is okay with it).

We know that Dustin hides Dart and continues taking care of him until he's eaten his cat. Orange cat. It symbolises Max and how Mike treats her.

Mike tells Dustin and Lucas about the shadow Will saw and we see the rainbow apple above Lucas now (=he starts to realise something). Mike is afraid the shadow can hurt Will, so he is going to his home to check on him and ask Lucas and Dustin to look for Dart because he feels like Dart would help them to solve this thing (you're correct, Michael, just admit you love William already!)

Dustin closes Dart in the basement (can it be more obvious?) and after failing to contact Lucas and Mike (both spending time with their lovers) asks Steve to help him with it (by the way, Dustin shares his water-and-electricity-related lines with him). Dart escaped. Lucas and Dustin are arguing they both broke the rule of the law (telling Max the truth about Will and hiding Dart=Byler). + Dart once again is called "stupid."

So, if Dart symbolises the love between Will and Mike, then the Upside Down is the place where Will escaped because Mike had ignored his love confession in s1 ("it as a 7"). That's why he feels the Mind Flayer or has his episodes every time he feels some negative emotions connected to Mike/sees him with El etc.

Some posts, related to Dustin and Steve are here, here, here and here

There's not much interractions between Dustin, Mike and Will during s3 and s4. Not a coincidence. The Duffers made it definitely on purpose, to water down Byler, as to say. However, there are some interesting moments:

Dustin calling Mil3ven "a bullshit", looking at Will and wearing a green t-shirt = thinking about Byler;

Dustin is the one singing "Never Ending" story that is Byler-coded song (+ when Max and Lucas sing it he's wearing a green t-shirt and they change lyrics from "her" to "their face" and we actually see Will in a t-shirt with blue and red stripes)

in s4 we only know about Mike whining to Dustin about the phone, that's all, we don't even see their reunion. It's strange Duffers minimalised their interaction so much, but it also means we'll see it in s5 and that is whhen Dustin definitely will notice the electicity.

+ I somehow missed this parallel, but that’s not my main concern.

I remembered the meaning of the word “dart”. A small pointed missile that can be thrown or fired. The synonyms are “arrow”, “barb.” And who is associated with arrows in s4? Michael Wheeler.

NO WAY sign

arrow-shaped flag #1

literal arrow hitting his head + arrow-shaped pocket

arrow-shaped flag #2

Also, “to dart” means move or run somewhere suddenly or rapidly. And who’s always late? Whose playlist’s full of songs about running? No way, it’s Michael Wheeler again.

[marvelslut16]

The one with two Pietro’s

Pairing: Pietro x reader, Wandavision!Pietro (Peter Maximoff) x reader FORCED 

Synopsis: you find yourself in Westview living with Wanda, Vision, the boys, and your boyfriend Pietro. But happens when you start to remember your Pietro and figure out what Wanda’s doing to you and everyone else? 

Word count: 1.4k+

Warnings: Swearing I think. Angst. Fluff if you squint. Mind control. Forced relationship. Briefly mentions the idea of a forced magical pregnancy. Bullet wounds. Death. Grief I suppose. Mentions pmsing. The over use of italics. Kinda feel like I make Wanda a psychotic asshole. SPOILERS FOR WANDAVISION!

A/N: This was so much fun to write! Probably the darkest thing I’ve ever written, if you can really call it dark. Writing for Wandavision was a fun little challenge. Takes place in the 90′s so my title is a reference to friends, and so is a tv show character I use in the one shot. Pretend Evan Peters’ hair isn’t that blonde cause I will always see him with the silver he has in xmen and wrote him as such. 

"Vision, that's not my Pietro," you mutter in horror to your friend as the two of you stand in the kitchen. 

You’re not quite sure what makes you say it, but you’re glad you do when you glance at the new Pietro in the living room, he's been playing video games with Tommy and Billy for close to an hour now. He's sweet and funny, but he's just not your Pietro.

"I'm afraid not, (Y/N)," Vision's voice is sullen, but he's glad you're not in on Wanda's mind games. Unless you are, and this is just another way for Wanda to mess with him. He’s not quite sure what’s happening, but he knows from what you’ve reminisced in passing to him about Pietro on nights when Wanda isn’t in the room, that that’s not the Pietro you know and love. 

"Oh my god," you murmur, hand coming to your mouth as little bits and pieces of memories race through your head. The genuine pain, horror, and sadness that cross your face make it obvious to Vision you're being manipulated like everyone else, even if you are Wanda's oldest friend. "My Pietro, he had an accent."

Your knees buckle when you hear his native accent saying his catchphrase in your head, 'you didn't see that coming.' Vision rushes to your side to help you stand more firmly.

"His face was longer, hair a white blonde not silver, his body more toned, and he had gorgeous blue eyes- bluest eyes I've ever seen," you grip onto Vision's arms as you imagine moments with your Pietro.

You grew up in the cell beside his and Wanda's, immediately forming a sisterly connection with her at a young age while Pietro hated you. He would tease you, pull on your pigtails, and steal some of your food on the off chance you three were eating outside of your cells. Over the years the teasing turned to flirting, and your dislike for him turned into a huge crush.

One night-a night you can normally remember with full clarity- after Hydra fell and before Ultron, the two of you were out on a walk, much to Pietro's chagrin. You were telling him about this new book that you were reading and how the characters annoyed you so because they were obviously in love but wouldn't admit it. Pietro zoomed in front of you, causing you to smack into his chest and almost fall to the ground, you would have if not for Pietro's arms wrapping around your waist and bringing you close to his toned chest.

The wind was blowing his hair into his eyes ever so slightly, so without thinking you reached up to move it out of his face and away from his eye. The small act of tenderness that you had displayed caused Pietro to give into his desires, he leaned in and his wind chapped lips descended onto yours. You melted into the kiss, clinging tightly to his biceps to ground you. One of his hands slipped down from your waist to squeeze your ass, the other wrapped more tightly around your waist and kept you anchored to him.

"I love you, Printesa, I have since we were kids," he admits when you pull apart for air, leaning his forehead on yours.

"I love you too, Quicksilver," you use the superhero nickname he gave himself when you were twelve. He grins before attaching his lips to yours once more, it was an unforgettable kiss that filled you with warmth and hope for your future.

"(Y/N), are you okay?" Vision's voice brings you back to reality, or whatever this is.

"No," your voice cracks as you remember the last kiss Pietro planted on your lips, right before he protected Clint. The memory that still haunts your dreams, seeing him with all those bullet holes and knowing there was nothing you could do to save him. "What kind of person forgets the love of their life? I'm a terrible person Vis!"

"No you aren't (Y/N)," the sincerity in Vision's voice makes you really believe him. "Wanda's doing this, she didn't want you to remember."

You gasp as another memory floods your mind. You had agreed to go on a road trip with Wanda after being resurrected from Bruce's snap and defeating Thanos. You both wanted a break, or so you thought.

Wanda had stopped right when you had passed the entrance into Westview, she claimed to be checking her directions when you asked why she had stopped in the middle of nowhere. And no matter how weird it was that she chose to stop at the border to the town and not at a gas station, you believed your best friend and sister in law because she had no reason to lie to you.

A moment later her eyes and hands were glowing red as she touched your temple. She pushed all your memories behind a wall in your brain, then filled your head with memories of a happy life with her and Vision in Westview.

She did it again when 'Pietro' showed up on your guy’s doorstep, this time filling your head with memories of him. Memories of a different first kiss, but an eerily similar first date to the one you and your Pietro had. It makes sense to you now, you and Pietro had never told Wanda the real story of your first kiss, instead telling her you had it weeks later on your first date. You had tried to keep your relationship a secret for a little because you didn't want to make it awkward for Wanda if it didn't work out.

Another thing she didn't add was your engagement and subsequent marriage to her brother. In this reality you and 'Pietro' are just dating. You have to assume that it's because it happened weeks before the battle against Ultron and she doesn't want to remember anything that close to her brother's death.

The thing about the new Pietro is that he seems to rub Wanda the wrong way, something your Pietro never did. He makes comments that you know yours would never, and Wanda always tenses up near him. This Pietro likes to show you off more than yours did, which is saying a lot because your’s used to cling to your side, praise you, and show you off in town when girls would flirt with him. Every time this Pietro kisses you it doesn’t feel right, it’s nowhere near the earth shattering kisses that you had somehow managed to remember from the deep parts of your brain. 

"My ring," you shudder in horror when you realize the diamond ring that your Pietro stole from the jeweler in Sokovia is no longer sitting delicately on your left ring finger like it was before entering Westview. You hastily search your body for your most prized possession, sighing in relief when you find it hanging from a simple silver chain around your neck.

"(Y/N)," Vision says gently, resting a hand on your shoulder, it’s one of the few times he doesn’t know what to say. 

"He's dead," you cry, knees buckling under your weight again. This time you catch yourself on the kitchen table, before sinking in the seat to your right.

"Who's dead?" Wanda appears in the doorway out of nowhere. She has an innocent, concerned expression on her face, but the tilt of her head tells you she'll come take your memories away again if you slip up in the slightest.

"Dr. Drake Ramoray on Days Of Our Lives, the soap opera I was watching this afternoon when you and the boys were out. He fell down the elevator shaft, and I'm apparently taking it harder than I thought I would. I must be pmsing or something."

"Or maybe you're pregnant," there's a red glint in her eyes that scares you to no end.

"Oh," you swallow the lump in your throat, and hold back the bile rising up your throat from anxiety. "I don't think so, I'm not ready to be a mother yet."

"It would be so fun though," 'Pietro' zooms behind your seat, leaning down to place a kiss on your cheek. "Little mini me's and you's running around the house with Billy and Tommy."

"I think two super human children are enough for the house right now," you let out an uncomfortable giggle. You and Vision side eye each other, both very aware that you'll probably be as pregnant as Wanda was a few days ago within the week.

[dothwrites]

13 and 20

13. and 20.--Detective AU and Teacher AU

---

Castiel represses a sigh as he stands up straight. His spine pops as he subtly stretches out the kinks in his aching body.

He'd thought that he was a reasonably fit man, but bending over and scrubbing at filthy floors and tables every day is playing hell with his lower back.

The bell rings, and Castiel curses under his breath as he moves back against the wall. Less than thirty seconds later, all of the doors near him burst open and a flood of teenagers courses into the hallway.

Castiel's had a lot of unpleasant assignments in his life, but going undercover at Carver Edlund High School is among the worst. He thought that he'd seen some of the worst that humanity had to offer: murderers who cared nothing for the pain of their victims, kidnappers who plunged families into turmoil for years, robbers who were willing to kill just in order to get a few quick bucks. But upon seeing the horror show of the cafeteria after a group of freshmen finished lunch, Castiel has to start reevaluating his list of atrocities.

The tardy bell rings, and Castiel sighs as he steps out in the hall. He rolls his eyes at the debris that the students have left behind and grabs his push broom to start clearing it away.

Going undercover at Carver Edlund wasn't Castiel's first choice of assignments, but with several students ending up in the hospital due to drug overdoses, something drastic had to be done. Castiel's job is simple: gather as much intelligence as he can about where the drugs are coming from. If possible, he's to find the dealer and shut the whole production down.

In theory, it's a good assignment. Success here would mean a potential commendation, maybe a promotion if the operation is big enough. But the reality of the situation is much different. Castiel's been masquerading as a member of the maintenance team for a little over a week, and he's no closer to finding the source of the drugs than he was when he started.

His captain had ultimately decided to send him in as a member of the janitorial staff for access reasons: as a janitor, he has keys to every door. Not even lockers are safe from him. There's no place in the school off-limits to him. Unfortunately, it also means that his opportunities for questioning potential suspects are limited: no high school student wants to have long conversations with the janitor. He's reduced to sweeping around gaggles of kids, hoping that they'll just so happen to let something slip.

His plan hasn't worked. So far, he's learned about the latest TikTok challenge, who's rumored to have slept with who, and who on the football team is getting suspended, but drugs? Either these kids are savvier than he gives them credit for, or they don't know anything.

"Oh, sorry, 'scue me... Oh. Hi, Steve."

It takes Castiel just a second too long to respond to the name. Part of that is because he's still not used to answering to his cover name, and part of that is because he's still not sure how to act around Dean Smith.

He braces himself before he turns around, but that still doesn't prepare him for the sight of Dean Smith leaning against the wall. Looking at him is like looking into the sun, if the sun was in a dingy hallway with flickering florescent lights and questionable stains on the floor. Even with those inauspicious surroundings, however, Dean Smith, with his sandy hair, vibrant eyes, freckles, and bright, crooked grin, stands out.

"Hello, Dean." Castiel allows the hint of a smile to cross his face. He'd called Dean 'Mr. Smith' exactly once before Dean had put a stop to it.

"Oh, no," he said, grimacing in distaste, "I get enough of that from the kids. Just Dean, man." Castiel hadn't argued, and the slightly stuffy Mr. Smith became Dean.

"Another beautiful day cleaning up the debris of the world?" Dean gestures towards the small pile of dirt and dust that Castiel has managed to collect.

"It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it," Castiel answers.

No doubt his superiors would be screaming if they could see him right now. Zachariah, his Captain, would sneer, You're there to catch drug dealers, Novak, not to play nice with pretty boy teachers, but Zachariah isn't here right now. Plus, it's not like Castiel's making any headway on the drug dealers, so he might as well indulge his crush with a guy who's miles out of his league.

Dean is the kind of good-looking that gets noticed by modeling companies in the line at the cafe. Castiel has found himself wondering, more than once, what a guy like him is doing substitute teaching. It's obvious that Dean is smart, and he doesn't doubt that he could have a job doing whatever he wanted. Still, Dean's being a substitute teacher works out well for him, so he doesn't complain. Not if it means that he can be just a little closer to him.

Maybe if Castiel wasn't undercover and wearing an unflattering jumpsuit with the name 'Steve' stitched across the front pocket. Maybe if he were dressed in his customary suit and had a badge and gun to flash around. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

"Don't talk to me about dirty jobs," Dean says, his voice entirely too low and insinuating for the circumstances. Heat blooms underneath Castiel's collar.

"Well, I'm not sure what else to talk to you about," he confesses. He resents the broom handle in his hands.

Dean shrugs. His smile is still carefree, but there's something else in his eyes when he says, "What about any books that you've read lately? TV shows that you've watched?" His eyes flash to Castiel's, and his tongue flirts with his lower lip as he asks, "Restaurants that you'd like to go to?"

Castiel's heart stutters. For a second, it sounded like... But that can't be right. Dean can't be inviting him out. Guys like Castiel don't go out with guys like Dean. That's just the way the world works. Maybe if he was Detective Castiel Novak, but now when he's Janitor Steve.

He takes a second too long to answer. By the time that he's managed to figure out that Dean is serious, Dean's expression has shuttered. He flashes a painfully fake smile at Castiel. "Hey, man, don't worry about it. I'll catch you later, okay?"

He's turning to go, and fear grabs at Castiel. He knows that if he lets Dean walk away, then everything will change between them. No more jokes, no more stolen conversations in the hallways. They'll become nothing more than vague, uneasy colleagues, at least until Castiel's assignment ends and he disappears forever from Dean's life.

The indignity of his assignment and the frustration of his ineptitude rises in Castiel, and bursts out of him in a quick call. "Dean!"

Dean turns around. Hope flickers in his eyes before he hides it. "Yeah?" he asks. The carefully blank tone in his voice is like a knife twisting in Castiel's chest.

"I like Italian food," Castiel answers. He offers a hesitant smile towards Dean, hoping against hope that Dean will accept his overture.

After a second, Dean's smile spreads slowly across his face, as bright as the sunrise. "Yeah," he says, nodding slowly, "yeah, I think we could do that."

---

Dean's heart dances in his chest as he walks away from Steve.

He did it. After weeks of ogling and tentatively flirting, he finally asked out the hot janitor.

Steve is a lot more than a pair of pretty blue eyes and a five o'clock shadow that makes Dean's lip yearn for stubble burn, though. (Though Steve does fill out a jumpsuit better than anyone Dean's ever seen. One day, he was lifting a desk onto the dolly so that it could be moved, and Dean thought his eyes were about to pop out of his skull. Between the thick thighs attempting to pop the seams on his pants, and the biceps rippling, Dean hadn't known where to look.) Steve has a wicked sense of humor, an innate sense of kindness, and he's caught every single one of Dean's literary references (the pop culture ones, not so much. Seriously, who's never seen Indiana Jones?). There's more to Steve than meets the eye, and Dean's itching to peel back the dozens of layers.

He ignores the tiny voice in the back of his head (which sounds like an alarming mix of Sam and Bobby) saying Don't get too involved. This is a temporary thing. Dean frowns and tries to tell the voice to shut the fuck up.

He's only here for as long as it takes him to figure out who's bringing drugs into the school. At the first viable lead, he'll be yanked out, and Dean Smith, substitute teacher, will die, to be replaced by Agent Dean Winchester of the DEA.

Because of the environment, there are multiple law enforcement agencies working on this case. There's state police, the DEA, and maybe even a few FBI agents sniffing around. It's naive to believe that there aren't other agents working in the school, but he hasn't come across any yet that he knows of. He's not entirely sure; he lets Bobby deal with all of the inter-agency bullshit. He has his mission and his cover, and Bobby, as his handler, can navigate every other pitfall.

Beyond small talk and leading conversations, Dean hasn't tried to get close with anyone. Every smiling face could conceal an undercover agent or a dealer. With suspicion everywhere, it's best not to succumb to temptation.

Which makes his attraction to Steve all the more intriguing.

Just thinking of the other man sets off a series of fireworks in the pit of Dean's belly.

This is probably a terrible idea, doomed to failure, but Dean is going to enjoy the ride while it lasts.

Whistling, he goes back to the classroom and prepares for his next class.

[mickey-henry]

𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐲

pairing: bucky barnes x reader

summary: bucky’s been flirting with you, but hasn’t taken it further than that. frustrated, you decide to take matters into your own hands.

word count: 2.1k

warnings: occasional swearing (but not much) and frustrating flirting (I’d be melting if it was happening to me). besides that, this fic is pure fluffy fun.

author’s note: hello there! this is my second fic; I’m very excited to post it! I found the header image here, and if you want to listen to the song I reference in this fic, you can listen here. bold text indicates singing, while italicized text refers to inner thoughts. likes, reblogs, messages, replies, and comments are cherished! I hope you like it! 💖

Bucky Barnes is an acquaintance at best. The two of you rarely work together, and with conflicting schedules, you see little of each other around the compound. On a random Friday in April, however, something changes in you. The moment is nothing out of the ordinary. You’re sitting on the couch in the main living space, re-reading one of your favorite books. Bucky has just returned from a mission; you glance up to see his exhausted expression. He catches your eye, winking with a smile, before walking to his room. Your heart flutters and your head freezes at the response. “Oh, no,” you think to yourself. “Maybe that was a one-time thing? I don’t actually like him, right?” Wrong. 

Ever since that night, the mere presence of Bucky Barnes drives you crazy: his stunning blue eyes that squint ever so slightly when he smiles, his adorable nose that crinkles when he laughs, his pillowy lips that you lose yourself in, his  fluffy hair you can’t help but imagine running your fingers through, his scruff speckled jawline that you wish would brush along your hands, cheeks, anywhere really. He occupies your dreams; you can’t escape this man even if you try. Today, he drives you crazier than usual. He stands in the compound's kitchen in a tight black t-shirt, one that leaves nothing to the imagination. This is the first time you’ve seen him in short sleeves, in anything other than tactical gear. You can’t help but stare as he prepares his lunch. The shirt hugs his frame tight, accentuating his biceps that had no right to be that big. “Gosh, he must spend hours in the gym to look like that.” You then notice the vein in his right arm protruding from his skin, tracing it with your eyes. You didn’t think he could become any more beautiful, but here he is before you, incredible as ever. 

You’re pulled from your reverie when Bucky calls your name. “Yeah?” you reply, barely masking the startled stutter in your voice.

“Pass me the salt?”

“Oh! Sure, of course,” you muster, taking a sip of water from the glass in front of you as you hand him the salt shaker. 

“Thanks, doll,” he flirts with a smile, the same one he gave you that night when he got back to the compound. You nearly choke. “Bucky Barnes called me a term of endearment?!? Holy shit.” Your heart swells and you look down at your glass in a desperate attempt to hide the blush creeping its way across your cheeks. “Goodness gracious, I respond this way from a simple word?” You couldn’t imagine how you’d feel if he touched you. 

It didn’t take long to find out. The following day, you stand in the kitchen prepping your lunch, singing softly along to the song playing from your phone. Bucky appears soon after. He stands close to you for a moment, closer than necessary, but of course you don’t mind. He has just showered; his cologne lingers in the air, intoxicating you. Somehow, you keep singing along, showing no sign that your mind is elsewhere. 

“Ugh, he smells amazing. This man has too much power over me; this is ridiculous! I don’t even remember what I was doing—”

“You have a beautiful voice,” he compliments.

“Thank you, Bucky,” you softly reply, your heart racing at his praise.

“Let me get by you real fast, doll,” he says, moving to walk behind you. 

“There he goes again with the pet name. My god, could this get any worse—” 

He places his hands gently on your hips as he moves beside you. Electricity travels through your whole body; you’re internally screaming at his touch. His hands feel better than you imagined. Even though the contact lasts only a moment, the effects of his touch linger after, leaving you speechless. 

You hear a musical chuckle from the man behind you. “Is he teasing me? It sure feels like it,” you wonder. There is no way that he can’t see the effect he has on you. Before you can even formulate another thought, he touches you again as he moves back to the other side of you. “That was definitely on purpose; certainly he wouldn’t do this by accident. Right?”

Your eyes linger as he finishes putting together his lunch. He catches your gaze and smiles. “See you later, sweetheart,” he says with a wink before leaving the room. “Okay, that answers my question; that was very intentional. What am I going to do with myself?”

You don’t know how much longer you can take his teasing. Throughout the week, he ups his antics, calling you pet names more than your own, stealing touches whenever he can get away with it, smiling whenever you make eye contact. The tension is insatiable; thoughts of Bucky follow you everywhere. You decide to take matters in your own hands; Bucky did not seem to be planning to make a move anytime soon. If he is going to tease the hell out of you, you might as well get some payback. 

───────────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ･ ─────────────

Tony’s announcement of Friday night karaoke gives you a wicked idea. However, for it to work, you need to recruit help. You know just who to ask. It doesn’t take long to find Sam and Steve; they spent a ton of their free time sparring in the gym. They seem to be at the end of their workout, their movements slow and sloppy, relying on witty retorts to throw off the other. They stop when they notice your arrival. 

“Hey!” Sam says with a smile, hugging you as you approach. You squeeze him tightly, even with his sticky sweat coating his arms. You greet Steve with a hug too.

“What brings you to our neck of the woods?” Steve asks as you let go.

“Can I ask you guys something? And you promise you two won’t laugh at me? Especially if I'm reading this wrong?”

“Of course,” answers Steve. 

“Yeah, for sure,” replies Sam. 

You hesitate for a second, taking a deep breath. “Does Bucky like me? I swear he does. He keeps teasing me, and I don’t know how much longer I can take it. I think I am practically in love with the guy at this point, he’s so beautiful and��”

You stop as the boys exchange glances and begin laughing. 

You cross your arms, hurt. “You said you wouldn’t laugh at me! I can’t control how I feel.”

“No! Wait! We aren’t laughing at you!” Steve says between giggles. 

You furrow your brows. “Then why are you laughing?”

“Bucky’s obsessed with you,” Steve answers after calming his laughter. 

“God, yes, you’re all he talks about nowadays,” Sam adds. 

“What?! He does? Why? Are you shitting me right now? Because that would be really freaking mean—“

“No! Of course not,” Steve insists. “Don’t you see the way he looks at you?”

“And the pet names he gives you?” Sam adds.

“And how he can’t seem to keep his hands to himself lately?” Steve finishes. 

Now you feel stupid for even asking. Of course you noticed all of those things. They were all you ever thought about. “Well, yeah, but maybe he does that with all the girls.”

“What girls?” Sam retorted. “The only women who are here often enough to cross paths with him are you, Natasha, and Wanda. Wanda’s with Vision, as weird as that is, but love is love. Natasha shoots daggers at anyone who looks at her with love in their eyes. That leaves you.”

“Why in the world would he like me? Of all people? He’s out of my league,” you sigh,

Sam’s scoff pulls you from your thoughts. “Bucky? Out of your league? He’s a crazy ex-assassin with emotional issues! If anything, he's out of your league.”

“You’re a catch, why wouldn’t he like you?” Steve assures.

Steve and Sam always know just what to say to make you feel better. “I guess you’re right,” you admit with a defeated grin. 

“So, you know how Bucky feels. What are you going to do about it?” Steve asks. 

“I have an idea, but I need your help.”

“We’re listening.”

You divulge your plan to them. They smile, hyping you up. 

“Dude, I’m so down!” Sam exclaims, clapping his hands in excitement. 

“You think this will work?”

“Definitely,” Steve assures. “This is going to be amazing!”

“Okay then, we’re doing this. Let’s go find Bucky. Time to initiate phase one.”

───────────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ･ ─────────────

Bucky is sitting on the common room couch, flipping through a book when he sees you, Sam, and Steve enter. He exchanges a glance with you, smiling as your eyes light up. The three of you sit down. You’re sitting next to Sam, closer than usual. There’s a brief moment of silence before you speak. “Sam, are you going to karaoke night?”

“Of course! Wouldn’t miss everyone’s drunk-ass singing for the world.”

“Will you be my duet partner?”

This catches Bucky’s attention. He looks up from his book. Why the hell were you asking Sam to sing with you? You normally ask the girls...

“Sure thing, baby. It’ll be a ton of fun!” Sam smiles. 

Baby?! What?! How dare he call you a pet name, his girl, right in front of him? Well, you may not be his girl yet, but Sam knows how he feels about you. What the hell is he thinking?

“Yay! This’ll be so fun!” You hug him, grabbing his hand before continuing, “Wanna practice with me in a bit?”

“Find me when you’re ready, sweetheart,” Sam answers, kissing your knuckle before letting go of your hand. 

Sweetheart?! What the fuck was going on? Did he miss his shot? Would Sam really do that to him? Bucky can barely handle his swirling thoughts. He storms out of the room without looking back. 

Steve can’t help but laugh once Bucky is out of earshot. “That worked a little too well, wouldn’t you say so?”

“That wasn’t too far, was it?” you ask with a worried expression on your face. 

“Nah, don’t worry about it. He’ll just come on even stronger now. He won’t give up on you that easily,” Sam assures you. 

───────────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ･ ─────────────

Bucky can barely contain his anger as you step on the stage with Sam, giggling and smiling at your karaoke partner. Jealousy engulfs him. He can barely listen to the start of the song, ignoring the catchy beat blasting through the speakers. He doesn’t recognize the song, but looks up from his drink when you sing, “Hey Bucky boy, what you doing tonight? I wanna see what you got in store."

He looks right at you. Did she just say Bucky?

Sam echoes, “Hey, hey Bucky!” Well, that answers his question.

“You're giving it your all when you're dancing on me. I want to see if you can give me some more,” you continue, twirling your fingers through your hair.

“Hey, hey Bucky!”

“You can be my man, I can be your girl, and we can pump this jam however you want,” you sing, swaying your hips to the cadence of the lyrics.

“Hey, hey Bucky!”

“Pump it from the side, pump it upside down, or we can pump it from the back and the front,” you wink as you finish the line. Bucky sits up suddenly, crossing his legs, his face turning beet red. You smile, knowing the plan was working. Steve laughs from beside him. He keeps his eyes glued on you as the two of you continue the song, utterly entranced. You look him right in the eye as you end the song, “I want you tonight.”

You saunter over to where he is sitting after high-fiving Sam, confidence filling your chest. “So, what did you think of my performance, Bucky?”

You yelp as he grabs your hips and pulls you down to sit on his lap. His voice deepens, “you’re such a tease, you know that right?”

You laugh. “I’m the tease? Really? You’re the one who just pulled me onto your lap and taunts me with flirtatious remarks and smiles all freaking day. My god Bucky, make a move already—”

He cuts you off, pulling you in for a kiss, his flesh arm grabbing the back of your neck. The team whoops and cheers. 

“Glad you finally made a move, Bucky,” you pant as your lips part from his.

“Best decision I ever made in my life, doll.” Before you can respond, he kisses you again, the karaoke bar fading in the background as you finally embrace the man of your dreams.