#I mean it doesn't have to mean anything at all really I just find it interesting

[no-144444]

nothing has to change- o.piastri

your first season as an f1 driver doesn't start the best, and you quickly realise McLaren doesn't like women very much. On top of that, your race engineer is as smug as the rest of them, and you have to deal with him all the time.

pairing: race engineer! oscar piastri x f1driver! fem! reader

warnings: lots of misogyny, lando is an asshole in this, illusions to ed behaviour, reader is not in a good head space, all of mclaren is super sexist, mentions of crashes and injuries.

part one | part two | part three | part four | part five

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You were the World Driver’s Champion, as of 4pm that day. Yes, that could change in the next few races, half the season was still left, but you were proud. 

And so was Oscar. 

He stood at the very front of the barricade, a bright smile on his face as you ran over, wrapping your arms around him and the rest of his family. 

“You did it,” he whispered. “You’re amazing.”

You smiled, pulling your helmet off. “I did it.”

You felt proud of yourself. Proud that you could still excel in a team that didn’t want you. Proud that you had given them the points. Proud that you had let Oscar into your life. Proud that you had proved yourself worthy of RedBull, and much more. 

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You sat beside Oscar and Nicole at the dinner, across from Lando and Zak (who had invited themselves, much to Oscar’s chagrin). You quietly chatted to Nicole as Oscar made pleasant conversation with Zak and Lando. She noticed how you weren’t really… there. You kept looking at Lando, or Zak, or another team member. You were uncomfortable, nothing like the headstrong, loud girl she’d met yesterday. You were shy, reserved, and a little on edge. 

When you left the table to go to the bathroom, she tapped her son. “Get her out of here.”

He shrugged, sighing. “She won’t want to be rude-”

“Oscar, she’ll do anything you ask her to. Go.” 

He nodded, following you with your bag and jacket in hand. Kids these days. 

“Going to fuck her?” Lando scoffed, too drunk for his own good. A lot of the table stopped and gasped. Lando had never been so… vulgar. Oscar was disgusted. Just because neither you or Oscar worshipped the ground he walked on, didn’t mean he had to make the both of you miserable.

“What is your problem?” Oscar finally couldn’t take it. It was bullshit, Lando was an asshole. 

“It’s clear you’re in love with her,” he chuckled. 

“Fuck off Lando,” he shouted. “You’re such a dick! You’re so self-absorbed you wouldn’t even recognise someone interesting if they actually slapped you in the face. You don’t understand Y/n, and for her sake I hope you never get close enough to. You are a shallow, shitty, infuriatingly untalented asshole, with an ego the size of England. Maybe I’m in love with her, but at least I don’t act like she’s not there to feed my own tiny ego.”

And he turned around to see you standing there, a shocked expression on your face. You looked slightly terrified too, but he just decided to blame the shock. 

“Y/n I-“ he started but you cut him off by grabbing your things from his hands, and turning tail. The entire room was silent for a moment. “Fuck!” Oscar groaned, running out after you. 

He couldn’t have, he didn’t. He didn’t fuck this up. Lando didn’t fuck this up for him. He didn’t. 

He better not have. 

He raced through the streets of a city he didn’t really know, pleading that he’d find you. When he did, it was from a distance. You were sitting in a park. Your head in your hands. 

Lando had fucked it up for him. Slowly, he walked closer, too cautious to startle you. 

“I’m sorry about… back there-” he whispered. 

“You don’t have to explain yourself,” you sighed. “I just… it’s a lot, yeah? I don't exactly see myself as the poster-girl for romance.”

He looked at you. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve never really done this before. And I’m awkward and weird, and I’m rude to you-” 

“I don’t mind if you’re rude to me-” 

“You should,” you told him. 

You were both quiet for a moment, and he understood that this was a fork in the road. He could either push you too far, or he’d ruin everything if you felt the same by not speaking up now. The air was charged with an uncertain electricity, and he wasn’t perfectly sure what to do. Oscar was a man of logic, but love was illogical. He liked facts and numbers and a set of rules to follow. He didn’t like feeling uncertain. 

But he was happy to feel uncertain if it meant he kept you. 

“This doesn’t have to change anything,” he told you. “If you don’t want it to, we don’t have to do anything about it. I’m happy to be your friend. I’m not expecting anything.”

You looked at him, and when he saw the unshed tears in your eyes, his heart hurt. He gently reached a hand up and cupped your cheek, carefully wiping them away. 

“I don’t want anything to change,” you admitted. “I really like having you around Oscar.” 

He smiled, though he was slightly disappointed. Rejection from the pretty girl he was in love with was going to sting either way, even if she’d just told him that she actually enjoyed his presence. “That’s fine with me,” he whispered. 

You stared at him, silently asking for reassurance, and he nodded. 

“I’m sorry I can’t be-”

“Don’t apologise,” he reminded you. “You don’t owe me anything.”

“I think I do,” you said, looking down again. “I just… I’m not in the headspace to be in a relationship. McLaren is really… it’s a lot for me.”

So you did like him back? He couldn’t really decipher what that meant, but he’d work on it another time. 

“That’s alright,” he smiled. 

You couldn’t be more shocked by his behaviour. Yes, Oscar was the nicest man you knew, but you assumed he’d be mad, or at least a little bit annoyed at you. But he was just the same, kind, caring, lovely Oscar that he always was. 

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After he walked you back to your hotel room, you stewed over your decision for a few hours. Maybe you did want Oscar like that. Maybe you were just self-sabotaging yourself as always. Maybe you were just being more cautious than you needed to be. 

But then you reminded yourself that this was Oscar that you were talking about. The only person in the entire world who supported you. You couldn’t let him get too close, lest he see all of you, and then you were sure he’d be gone for good.

You couldn't lose him. 

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[thisapplepielife]

Written for @steddieholidaydrabbles.

Let Your Heart Be Light

Prompt Day 17: Lights | Word Count: 1000 | Rating: T | CW: None | Tags: Post S4, Eddie Munson Lives, Pre-Steddie, Steve & Wayne, Good Uncle Wayne Munson, Everybody Working Together

"What in tarnation?" 

Steve nearly falls off the roof of the trailer, but somehow finds purchase and hangs on for dear life, barely escaping toppling over the edge. His heart is pounding in his chest. He really thought he'd be able to do this without being caught.

But no, Wayne is standing there looking up at him.

"Christmas lights!" Steve hollers, as if that isn't blatantly obvious. 

"Figured that on my own, kid," Wayne drawls, and then takes a drag off of his cigarette. 

"Sorry," Steve says, holding onto the strand of lights, not wanting them, or himself, to fall. "Do you want me to take them down? I just wanted to surprise him when he comes home."

Wayne shakes his head, and Steve doesn't really know how to interpret that. No, don't take them down, or no don't stop? Wayne starts climbing the ladder, which wasn't even among the options Steve envisioned being possible. 

Eddie hasn't even been here before. He went from the hospital, straight to a rehab facility that Steve raised holy hell about until the government paid for it.

They created this mess, and Steve wasn't about to let them get by with their obvious plan to just let Eddie just suffer, barely slapped back together. He may never be good as new, but Steve was bound and determined to get him as close as possible. 

And it's been months. It's not quite Christmastime yet, but Steve thought this might be a nice sight when Eddie finally gets home.

Wayne leans against the trailer, and points a finger, "You'll need to secure those a little bit better, or the wind will get 'em faster than you can put 'em up."

Steve just nods like he totally understands what he's being told.  

He's not exactly sure how he'll secure them to metal any better than he already has without doing permanent damage, which he was obviously trying to avoid.

"Hang on, I think I still got the clips I used when Eddie was little. Out in the shed, maybe. I don't know where anything is these days after the move," Wayne mutters, like Steve should know about the clips, or where they might be. 

But Wayne disappears down the ladder, and it takes a long, long time, but he finally comes back with clips that he'd obviously made himself at some point in the past.

They're magnetic. 

Gutters aren't magnetic, and Steve learned that the hard way when he dropped the first one, but Wayne slides a washer inside the gutter, and like magic – magnetic.

And that's kind of brilliant.

"Did you make these?" Steve asks, holding it in his hand, looking at the magnet that's glued on the back.

"Yup," Wayne says with a nod, snapping the magnet in place, then running the strand of lights into the clip. It's perfect. "Old trailer didn't have guttering, but it had eaves."

Steve doesn't know what that means, but he nods.

And they work together, outlining the whole trailer, one clip at a time. It's relatively painless.

"You should sell these," Steve says, "like, the hardware store should stock them right next to the Christmas lights."

Wayne chuckles. 

Steve's serious.

"I'd help," Steve says, and Wayne laughs some more.

But Steve would, he really would. 

It's getting dark, and Wayne plugs the lights in. They look great. They'll be better when it's fully dark, even.

"Thanks for helping, kid," Wayne says, and it's not until Steve is pulling away that he realizes that Wayne made it seem like he'd done him a favor, and not the other way around.

"Well, look at that," Eddie says as Steve holds open his car door. He smiles up at the lights, and mission accomplished.

Several days later, Eddie's on the couch while they all bustle around the trailer.

Dustin is folding over the printed cardstock toppers. Smoothing the crease with a butter knife.

"Will drew this logo," Dustin says, and Steve knows that. They all know that. 

It's an assembly line they've got going after making more clips. Wayne only intervened once he realized they were trying to use a hot glue gun and not the J-B Weld he'd used. 

Once he'd straightened them out, showing them how to make them correctly, they got to work. Now, they're packaging them up. Counting them out and putting them into clear bags, then stapling the cardstock label to the top. 

They look good. 

The hardware store, Melvald's and the Big Buy all agreed to carry them. 

Nancy was persuasive, and didn't mention that they were designed by Wayne Munson. She'd just insisted they were invented and made locally, which they are, and that was that.

Steve hopes half the town buys a few sets to put up their holiday lights, and in the process, helps Wayne and Eddie recoup at least a fraction of what was taken from them after half the town lost their fucking minds, trying to pin everything evil that's ever happened in this hellhole on Eddie's shoulders.

"How many do we have?" Nancy asks, notebook and pen in hand. 

"Two hundred and fifty sets," Robin answers.

Maybe this will work, but if it doesn't, well, they tried. He bought the materials. Wayne insists he'll get his investment back, plus a cut. Steve's not interested in that, but agreed, just so Wayne would let them proceed.

Dustin did the math, and yeah, the mark-up is pretty great, without making them too expensive. 

Nancy already made Ted use them on their house, and she swears he's been telling his friends how easy they went up, no more staples ruining his shingles.

Steve himself lined the entirety of his own house with lights, and sold his neighbors on the clips after they saw the finished product. It really does look great. His dad never hung lights, never had the time, but the house finally looks like a home with them up there, Steve thinks.

It's crazy, but this scheme just might work.

If you want to write your own, or see more entries for this challenge, pop on over to @steddieholidaydrabbles and follow along with the fun! 💡

Notes: Looks like a least one type Christmas light clips were patented in 2002, so Wayne really could have been cutting edge. Never, ever underestimate redneck engineering and ingenuity. I can remember the heavy duty staple guns coming out to hang lights, so if there were clips, they must not have been widespread. (I love a good research rabbit hole, but this seemed like a goofy place to spend any real time digging, haha.)

[burrowkit]

Okay, I'll give this one a shot. Why not procrastinate further, right? Anyways, villain name inspired by the book name Lady Smoke by Laura Sebastian.

---

I down another shot of liquor, not even caring anymore what the contents of it was.

No, I do care, I realize as the lemon juice hits my tongue, causing me to cringe slightly at the taste. Sure, I love sour stuff, but straight lemon juice?

"Nice one, Fred." I comment, setting the shot glass back onto the bar.

"Anything for you, miss." He answers calmly, taking the glass back and putting it with the pile of dishes to return to the kitchen. Judging by the tray, he'll have to make a trip sooner rather than later.

I glance in the mirror behind the bar, my reflection always catching me surprise, even though it's been 3 years.

3 years since I pretended that Sir Wavesalot killed me. 3 years is a long time for everyone to believe it.

Hell, some days even I believe it.

The woman in the mirror doesn't look like me. Her eyes appear brown with the fake coloured contact lenses, turning my magenta eyes into a more normal shade. My hair was once many shades of red, orange, yellow. Lady Smoke, they often called me. Not that I really bothered to correct them.

No, a woman villain arguing over names would be seen as petty. And I'm not a petty villain.

"Another?" I ask Fred, my pen and papers discarded for the night. No, pen and notebook. I'm working on a novel. One could call it fanfiction on actual events. What If Lady Smoke Succeeded?

Fred hesitates. "Are you sure, miss?"

Of course he'll hesitate. Another shot of lemon juice? I must be slightly mad.

And yet, for the first time in a year, I almost felt something.

"Yes please." I force a smile. Fred has never once asked for my name. I always pay by cash. I once offered to pay by credit card, just so he'd learn a name.

He just smiled at me, nodded, and pulled the money out of the tip jar to pay my, incredibly small, bill.

"Of course, miss." He answers, flipping the bottle containing the lemon juice and pouring it into my previously emptied shot glass. How he remembered which one was mine, is a miracle. And yet, I know it's the right one. "I love seeing you in here, miss. But perhaps, you'd find better company at the library?" He suggests.

I know he's seen me writing in here. Night after night.

"The chaos soothes my soul." I offer, lifting the glass up. "Cheers!" I toast him. He just smiles at me, heading to the kitchen with the full tray.

I close my eyes and down my drink, not even caring about the sour taste of the lemon juice. Not that it matters.

Then, a hand rests on my shoulder.

"Easy there, miss. You don't want to get drunk."

I recognize that voice. My eyes snap open, briefly confirming in the mirror that my hair, also a muted shade of deep brown to hide my true origins, are all hidden.

They are.

I turn my head ever so slightly, trying not to drop my jaw in shock. Of all the places to be... who would've thought Sir Wavesalot would be in my bar.

Not that I own it. But...

"It's just lemon juice." I offer back, giving him a smile. I force myself to relax, knowing that if I were just a random civilian, I would be in owe. "You're Sir Wavesalot." I comment.

His eyes. As blue as the sea. Somehow, our abilities reflect in our hair and eye colours. His hair is a sandy brown. It's a tad surprising, considering last I saw, it was a brightly blonde as the sun.

"Ah." He forces a smile, taking a step back. "Another fan." His voice is tight. He glances back towards a group, his friends I assume, and turns back to me. "Look, if you want an autograph, I charge 20 bucks. 50 if you need me to supply the photo."

I stare at him for a moment. Is he... is he serious? "Oh, no, I'm fine." I wave him off, focusing back on my notebook.

Unfortunately, I fear I've piqued his interest by dismissing him. I mean, how many regs ignore a superhero standing in front of him.

He slides the book in my direction. "Is this a chronicle of my life?" He inquires.

I grip the book, hands covering his, trying to hide the words. "Sure." I grit out, desperate to keep them away from him. He can't know it's me.

He stares at me, likely notes the true terror in my widened eyes, and releases, allowing me to pull the book to my chest. "You aren't one of those villain freaks, are you?"

Villain Freaks. Either a villain, or a reg obsessed with the villains.

"I think she was handed a raw deal, is all." I answer quietly.

The heroes eyes flicker with pain. No, with fire. Some how, he must've absorbed a slice of my fire in our last battle. And the mere mention of me has reminded the flame of my existence.

I blink, and the fire is gone. Just... grief.

"Do you miss her?" I ask.

"Of course not." He answers automatically. He glances back to his friends. "Look... miss..." He trails off, clearly unsure of what to say.

"Fiona." I offer.

"Fiona." He nods, rubbing a hand over his chin. "Why don't you come join my friends?"

Is it a true offer?

I turn my head ever so slightly over to the table. There, the heroes are less in regular... well, regular appearance. Their abilities practically pulsing around them, giving them an air of undisturbed power.

It's a true wonder, how any of them because heroes instead of villains.

Although, with how the world's been going, maybe a villain is a hero, and a hero a villain. I've certainly spent plenty of time saving regs, even back as Lady Smoke.

"Call me Adam." He offers, holding out his hand.

My initial thought: It's a trap.

We were once pitted against each other because of our abilities. His was water. Mine was fire. And yet, we each hold a small sway over earth. Air. Life. What is the sun, but a giant fall of fire, after all? And plants do require water.

I tentatively take his hand.

A mistake.

He yanks me off the bar stool and I barely have a chance to grab my pen before we're moving towards his friends.

"Hey guys, I want you to meet Fiona." He introduces to me.

I meet the eyes of each and every one of them, keeping my mind guarded.

I recognize most of them by their hero names.

"Nice to meet you." I offer, hugging my pen and notebook to my chest.

"I caught Fi over there writing a story about Lady Smoke." He teases lightly, taking a seat and tugging me into the one next to him. I hesitate a moment before sitting down. Still, I feel tense. Prepared to flee at any moment.

"Fi?" I ask, trying to seem more calm. Adam shrugs.

"You can't seriously be interested in a fangirl? Come on, dude, she's into your enemy!" One of the other heroes practically cries out. Greg. I think I once heard his reg name as Greg.

"Greg, come on." Adam admonishes him. "Besides, maybe if someone else believes in Lady Smoke, I'll be allowed to look for her again."

Look for her again?

"Not this again. Adam, we all saw the videos! You killed her! Water beats fire and all that jazz!" A woman argues, she takes a sip of her daiquiri. "No offence, Fiona. I'm sure your idol would have loved to fight longer. But the facts are, she's dead."

I turn to Adam, surprised. Does this mean... has he been looking for me? Is this why he's here?

"I told you, Cat. She's still out there. I saw a flash of her before she left." He argues, staring down the woman with the daiquiri.

"Adam..." she trails off, looking sad, setting her drink down. "We all saw it. She lost control of her power. She turned herself to ash, and you spread her ashes across the globe. She'll never come back."

I watch Adam carefully. A flare of anger is there. I can almost hear the words I didn't cast the wind. And Lady Smoke was not suicidal!

"Look, maybe me sitting here was a bad idea. I'm clearly just bringing up old wounds." I quickly stand up.

"I'll walk you home." Adam stands up, offering automatically.

"No, no. It's okay. I'll just pay my tab and go. I don't live far." I answer, immediately retreating to the bar.

"Fi!" He calls out, and I can hear something in his voice. Grief.

I quickly slap the bills onto the bar, not caring if I over or under paid. Fred's been good with letting me skip by. I run out onto the street, needing to get away from everyone.

I'll have to find another bar. I'll have to find another city. Another province. Hell, maybe another country-

"Fi!" Adam calls for me, stepping out onto the street.

"Just leave me alone!" I shout back, storming away.

I'm wearing booties, and although they were comfortable for the semi-cold weather, and hanging out at a bar, they aren't exactly ideal running shoes.

"Wait, please." He calls out desperately. And then I feel it. His power.

He wraps me around in a wall of air. One that, if I outed myself as myself, I could break out of.

I don't. I turn slowly, watching as my villain chases after me. The hero to my villainous ways.

"I just..." he trails off, standing so close to me.

I hate being trapped in spaces, and I can feel my mounting panic. "Get me out!" I shout at him, shaking slightly.

"Please, just hear me out." He pleads.

But I can't.

"Please." He begs, ignoring how badly I'm shaking. "Look, if you're as much a fan of hers as I think you are, I can pay."

That... that hurts. He's just looking for some cheap woman to hook up with? Some of that old fire ignites in my bones. The one that becomes furious anytime someone abuses someone else.

"If you truly care about her, maybe you can find her. Maybe you can follow the trail I've been unable to follow." He pleads.

That fire fizzles out.

"What will you do, if you find her?" I ask, unsure if he heard me because he's connected to the air. Because he felt the words push on the oxygen atoms in such a way, or if they just carried my words to him.

"To say sorry." He offers, looking further down the street, then forcing them to look to me. "Look, I know I wasn't the best back then. But without her, I'm nothing."

I want to point out that that's not true. My death earned him a coveted spot on one of the many hero teams.

But then I remember the last several news reports. How he seems to be relegated to the sidekick.

"You could find another villain." I suggest.

"But they aren't her." He shakes his head, and I can see the tears brewing in his eyes. "I just... she was the villain to my hero." He practically whispers the words.

"You would have tried to kill her one day." I say, some of my anger returning.

"No." He shakes his head. "Maybe that was the expectation of the others. Some bit of glory. But here's something that the news never told. After every one of our battles, somehow, our combined powers would cause plants to grow. It was a pain for anyone to investigate anything, because rose bushes or trees would sprout. Sometimes, their seeds carrying for miles. That's how I know she's still alive. If she truly died... there'd be another forest. Another plant. Something, to show she was there."

I stare at him, jaw dropping slightly. "You're lying." I accuse.

"I'm not." He whispers. "Fi, please. She was my best friend. Well, my best enemy, I guess. But I knew anytime I was having a bad day, she'd have my back. And I saw what she was trying to do. Quote me, and I'll be forced to have your memory erased, but there were times that I let her actions go unpunished. She was making a difference, Fi. Maybe not the best way, but she was."

Adam pauses, looking up into the stars for another moment, then focusing back on me. "Were you there for the funerals?"

I shake my head. No, I would've have been able to go. Not with other villains waiting for me to show up. Not for the heroes, hoping I would watch my own fake funeral.

To watch as everyone cheered and toasted over my 'dead body'.

"It was a mess, Fi. The official one, at least. But... another one of her Villain Freaks handed me this." He pulls out something from his wallet. I reach out, and realize the wind shield has disappeared. I frown, staring at it.

The paper is painted in my colours. And it called for a proper funeral.

"I went." He tells me. "I went, because I wanted to see what was going on. And she never showed." He stares me down for another moment. "But what I heard... I heard her regular acts of villainy. She paid the rent for single parents struggling to come up with the cash. Sure, the money was frequently stolen. But then I also learned that sometimes, she came up with some inventions that she sold. She primarily used that to pay their rents. To buy them food. Does that sound like a villain?"

"No." I offer up, because really, how could a villain be running around selling what little they can come up with to keep others safe.

"Sure, she beat some people up. But after the died, I learned they were abusers. I've spent the last 3 years tracking down each and every one of them, and pursuing justice. I've called it the Lady Vigilante." He pauses. "I wonder how she found out about their abuses?"

I shake my head. "I don't know."

But he didn't seem to be looking for an answer. "Fi..." he trails off. I don't bother pointing out that I'm not a fan of the nickname. "Please. I've been trying to find her. To try and see if we can fix the world without the villainous plans. But I can't do that if I can't find her."

I take a few steps back. Because there's no way I can trust a hero. The heroes are the ones in it for the glory. Hell, he did start this conversation off, pretty much, with offering an autograph.

And then I stop. Because if he knows about all I did then, he could easily track me down to my current whereabouts, doing similar tasks.

Slowly, I open my notebook, ripping a sheet of paper out. I jot down my name, Fiona, and my number. "Here." I offer. "I... I don't think I'll find much. It has been 3 years..."

"Anything is better than this Hellscape." He says, taking the paper. "I just..." he trails off as he looks down.

I glance down, spotting a few rose petals.

His eyes flick up, eyes widening in disbelief. "Smoke?" He gasps.

I shake my head, taking a few steps further back. "No, it's just a coincidence." I offer.

"If you have amnesia, I can help-"

"Just leave me alone, Adam. Please." I plead. I take another few steps back.

He doesn't follow. Instead, he bends down, picking up the petals. "If you're her... please, Fi. I need her help."

I can feel my heart cracking ever so slightly. "I can't help you, Adam." I answer. "I wish I could."

"If you're her...?" He prompts.

I shake my head. "Lady Smoke is dead, Adam. Leave her to her afterlife."

He looks ready to make another argument.

"ADAM!" A voice shouts. Greg again. Followed by some laughter. My eyes move to the bar door. There, his friends are stumbling out. There's no way they could be drunk already. And yet... I had no doubt that a bunch of egotistical heroes would have fun getting drunk.

"See you in the next life, Adam." I offer him.

"Fi..." He whispers.

I'm not sure what makes me do this. I really can't explain it. Still, I tug on the wind around us, causing it to whip up, sending the rose petals flying. "Another life." I smile softly at him. Sadness tinging our meeting.

"Another life." He nods. "I'll never stop looking for her." He offers, emphasizing her.

Despite him now knowing exactly who I am.

"She'll never stop running." I answer, turning away.

"Yo, Adam!" Another hero shouts, and I hear the hands slapping his back. "What's up with you and the chick?"

"It's nothing." He lies, as I walk away. I hear him crumpling the piece of paper. "I think in another life, we could've been friends."

You, the villain, faked your death and started over years ago. But you never expected the hero to stumble into your new favorite bar, laughing with their friends.

[fookinhellcurly]

So, Harry x Lizzo's Juice live, ICONIC lyric change, and why is no one else talking about this?

Alright. Let's get to the point because I've been sitting on this for weeks aslhfasjas;fdha (I am not clowning, please bear with me)

Performed last January 30, 2020

Harry had already sung and covered Juice (at least?) two times prior to this duet performance. And during those times, he switched up the original "Louis down to my drawers" to "Gucci down to my drawers". Here are some of the ones from late 2019 that I could find just so we have some actual references here:

BBC Live Lounge (Dec 2019)

Electric Ballroom, Camden, London (Dec 2019)

It was common knowledge that he'd done so probably because of his ties with Gucci, right? Well, moving on.

Going back to the Harry x Lizzo duet: if you're like me who wasn't fully familiar with the original lyrics of that song, you wouldn't think much of it when Harry sang the 1st verse without switching up Louis to Gucci. You were probably a.) hyped that he said "LOUIS" or b.) found it nice that he didn't change anything in the lyrics because it was how Lizzo wrote and released it...

BUT DID HE THOUGH? DID HE NOT CHANGE ANYTHING?

BECAUSE IF YOU LISTENED TO IT CAREFULLY, HARRY ACTUALLY SAID:

"Louis ON TO my drawers"

Okay, fine, he switched "down" to "on". Why does it matter?

BUT WHY DOESN'T IT?

While English is not my native tongue, that small lyric switch had me shooketH, and I KNEW IT WAS A SIGNIFICANT AND DELIBERATE CHOICE. Here's my quick interpretation of the original vs the SXM version (thanks to our online bestie ChatGPT for making this sound legit jk I'm sleepy, it's late)

"Louis down to my drawers" This means the person is wearing Louis Vuitton-branded items all the way down to their underwear. It’s about showcasing a head-to-toe luxury fashion statement.

"Louis on to my drawers" This implies that a person named Louis is physically moving or getting "onto" the speaker's drawers (underwear). It could have a playful, romantic, or suggestive tone depending on the context, referring to physical closeness or intimacy.

The sentence probably wouldn't make sense either if you think H was still referring to LV while using "ON" as a preposition. Native English speakers, please back me up here. 😭 

Also, don't even dare to contest that with "he probably messed the lyrics up" - NO. He'd sang that song correctly before, only changing the brand name but HE KNOWS HOW IT GOES. It was an intentional lyric change. It was small but IT CHANGES THE MEANING OF THAT LINE.

Srly HAROLD we need to talk.

Thank you gurl @tonix3 for joining this Juice clownery with me and Gina @twopoppies for making me realize that I am in fact SANE. 😭

Please, feel free to weigh in bcs we really thought we were reaching lol I saw one person point that out in a comment somewhere on YT (as far as I remember), but that was it - so imagine how it felt when we found not a trace of discussion about this whole Juice thing 😂

PS: Don't even get me started with that mystery red/black shoe guy creepily sitting too close to the black curtains (and practically draped by it) of BBC Live Lounge, just jamming + stomping his feet to the beat the whole time of Harry's set 💀

[srslylini]

you know what I want to add a little bit more to that post. Mostly about the "Mel got removed from Jayce and finally became her own character" bit.

I fear my first reblog hasn't really captured the spirit of that yet. We get to know Mel in the second episode of season 1 and her first scene shows us how calculating and smart she is. She is also very aloof in this scene, not even acknowledging the person handing her the puzzles. Her conversation with Elora, while still showing some sort of relationship, is also distanced. She talks about her riches and how she is "still the poorest medarda" despite being the richest person in Piltover.

So what this tells us is this:

She is alone. In her family she seems to be the odd one out. She thinks herself to be standing in the shadow of her family (=mother though we only find that out in episode 8 of season 1). In short this basically tells us a contradiction. While everything they already gave us at this point in the show tells us she is incredible, smart, knowledgeable etc, she sells herself short.

When Mel talks to her mother about her banishment it isn't just a conversation, it explains to us who Mel is and why she is that way. It tells us that in a way she is self conscious and hides herself away. This is the starting point of her character, keep that in mind.

Ok, that brings us to my next point. How she used that childrens toy to her advantage. Again, smart as fuck. Had she not done this, then Jayce would have been banished. There were 4 votes against 3 meaning gaining that one vote changed the fate of Jayce, literally. She didn't find Jayce interesting as a person but as an investment during this time though. Nothing about him influenced any of her decisions, especially not here. She chose to give away that toy and she chose to vote against Jayce's banishment.

The look Mel and Jayce give each other after Jayce and Viktor found their way to Hextech also already spoke volumes. They obviously had the hots for each other and like good for them, lmao. After the timejump their relationship has shifted as well. While she still obviously sees the investment, she now also sees him as a person, too. They are extremely comfortable with each other.

Now after Jayce didn't show their newest Hextech project? She did walk away but that also gave us something:

She very obviously isn't resentful. That is also seen in how, while rightfully being annoyed, she immediately gets why Jayce left after their night together. Her giving Jayce the position in the council ALSO wasn't cause she loved him but for political reasons. That, again, tells us another thing about her:

She can clearly separate work and home life.

All of this, while maybe including Jayce, are of her own character and not because of someone else. We see her acting in the council too, and that's also interesting. Because while some others like Salo seem to be ready to jump around and scream, she never does. She waits, calculates, listens and then offers her voice. She is never holding back but she also doesn't just react crazy. Not once. Not after the explosion happens in act 1 of season 1, not when Jayce talks about Magic, not when Vi is in the council with Caitlyn, not even in the end of season 1 when Jayce proposes the peace treaty with Zaun. None of this is linked to Jayce or because of Jayce. She just is her own character.

And then season 1 did something incredibly fascinating. Now they actually introduced a character Mel seems to have some dependency to. Her mother; Ambessa Medarda. It's reluctant and it's awkward and it strengthens her character very much.

At this point in the story the love between Jayce and her is already blossoming, it's after their sex scene. Their relationship doesn't influence any of her other decisions, she doesn't suddenly act differently to before or becomes dependent on Jayce. If anything it, again, strengthens her.

When in the beginning we saw her as thinking she is standing in her mothers shadow, she now steps into the light when she steps up and calls out Ambessa. When she lets go of the weight of family holding her down to vote for peace, it also shows how she's grown. She isn't distanced anymore, nor is she someone who stills sees herself in her mothers shadow. Her character went from incredible with an arc before her to that arc being masterfully concluded. And that happened WITH Jayce and not BECAUSE of Jayce. When in the beginning she was aloof, distanced and calculating, in the end she was ready to show herself to Jayce, be herself and be caring. She wasn't distanced and gave Jayce a look into her life (telling him about her family after he told her about his troubles).

She was still very smart but also let herself be emotional about a decision, she gave away the weight of her family and left the shadow it cast over her completely.

Anyways yeah just wanted to talk more about Mel. Because she was nothing but very interesting in season 1 and saying she just now got interesting after not being with Jayce rubbed me the wrong way whoops

[whokilledsamara]

How about Mr. Stitch SFW / NSFW HCs?? :)

MR. STITCH N/SFW HCS

a list of n/sfw hcs for Mr. Stitch :D

warnings || smut, cunnilingus, rough sex, no aftercare, aggressive sexual activity, blood play, blood as lube, sadism, non-con aspects but not fully non-con

{an: sorry i haven't been active, im going thru a depressive episode rn, ily guys and i hope you are all well!}

SFW

its definitely hard to even call what you have with Mr. Stitch a relationship.

Mr. Stitch doesnt understand the needs humans have, nor the emotions they feel. he sees you more as a plaything.

there may be some feelings he has that he just cant seem to understand– but he shows them with little gifts he finds here and there, and even a jacket that looks all to similar to Mr. Humans.

if you sleep, you have to sleep where he can watch you. he refuses to have it any other way.

he often gets into fights with Mr. Crawling– most of the time having to be you who breaks up the argument.

he is a very touchy person. not in a perverse way yes it is but he is constantly touching you.

is absolutely aggressive. he manages to do it in a cute way, seemingly as a game or something. he doesn't act like a villain despite what he does.

even when he isn't near you, his gaze never seems to leave. he could be many rooms away from you and you can still feel his eyes on the back of your head.

he definitely likes scaring you. not in a mean way, he just likes seeing you jump.

a very playful man XD

NSFW

when you have sex, he seems more curious than anything.

he doesn't understand anything other than the fact that it feels really good– sometimes even leading to him overtaking you, not caring about your pleasure.

that however is rare, he wants his plaything happy. just teach him what to do and he will try his best. make sure to tell him not to actually consume you though.

his favorite position is up against a wall. he can easily lift you, but he likes positioning you so easily.

he isn't HUGE down there, definitely not longer than Mr. Crawling, but his length is very thick.

he much enjoys when you bleed as he pounds you. his pace is fast and rough– the blood making it easier for him to slide in.

is one to bite very often. expect to leave with many many bite marks and bruises on you.

takes pleasure in your pain. likes to watch you begging him to stop from the overstimulation leven as he doesn't.

most of the time, sex is random. he definitely doesn't warn you before he does it. as said, will just slam you against the wall.

has no idea what aftercare is, so unless you teach him– don't expect it.

{ made by @whokilledsamara }

[allbecauseoftheboys2]

"Wow! He finally locked you??" Justin gawked. "Oh you didn't know? Yeah he did." "Wow it's so shiny. And small. Were your balls always that huge, Hayden?" "It's an illusion, they're not that much bigger," Hayden insisted. Justin still stared. "What's it like?" "A little weird? I'm still adjusting to it, but I'm just starting to feel horny all the time, and it's super annoying to like, go to take care of it and you get cock blocked by yourself!" Justin laughed. "I guess I should ask you that question in a month." "Yeah, we'll see. I had some difficulty sleeping at first so I had to sleep with it off, so I guess I can adjust to anything? But I heard from Aaron that the frustration is insane, that having sex doesn't end with you not being horny, and I can't even fathom what he means. I guess I'll find out." "So you're still gonna get laid, but Seth comes and you don't? Am I getting that right?" Justin asked. "Yeah." "Wow that sounds super intense." "As I said, I'll find out. I have to get used to this anyway, Seth said I'll be locked up through college!" "Oh wow, Seth sounds so dedicated to you." "He's really sweet," Hayden gave a dreamy sigh. "He said it was just better for me." "He's gonna take care of you I hope?" "Yeah, he'll be taking care of my cleanings and helping me leak," Hayden cracked his gum. "Honestly it sounds super hot, you know? If I'm horny all the time and can't cum, I can let as many hot frat boys fuck me as I want." Justin groaned. "What a dream. I can't wait to get some hot boyfriends in the fall and break in my dorm room bed." "With some luck, we can break in beds together," Hayden added. "Sorry, I mean, we'll be 'studying',' Justin said with a cocky smile while making quote fingers with one hand. Hayden chuckled and snapped his gum again. "I don't know how much studying I'm gonna get done being horny all the time." "I'm sure Seth will help with it, he wouldn't let you fail." "That's true." "Man, I want summer to be long, but I can't wait for college to get here!" "I can't wait until Seth decides I can cum!" Justin looked at Hayden. "I think you're going to be waiting longer!" __________________ Captions are fictional. www.allbecauseoftheboys.com

[alexanderwales]

Person 1: You know when you think about it, Batman could stop a lot more crime by donating to charity. Person 2: Gee, I don't know, maybe it's a comic book? Get some media literacy.

I have seen this argument a few times now, specifically with this claim that this is "poor media literacy", and I find it really frustrating, because that's not what media literacy is. Reading a work in the way it is meant to be read is like ... basement level foundational stuff, but it's not the only way to read a work. I think it's good and worthwhile to understand what we're meant be getting from the work. That's just where we start from though.

Reading a work in a different way from the intended one is also a super important part of media literacy. What assumptions is the work making about the world? What fantasy is it appealing to? How does this fantasy intersect with the real world? What are the contradictions inherent to the work? What complex issues are we poking at the edges of?

Here's how I'd like the conversation to go:

Person 1: You know when you think about it, Batman could stop a lot more crime by donating to charity. Person 2: I don't think that would fulfill the fantasy that Batman provides. Person 1: Maybe, at its core, the fantasy is a bad one. Person 2: In some incarnations Batman is very restrained, and never gives anyone any injuries, never kills, puts the bad guys away but in a prison that offers rehabilitation. Person 1: I think even that variant is also a fantasy, and Arkham Asylum being a revolving door points to a particular view of rehabilitation, one that's negative. Person 2: Not universally. There have been a few stand-out episodes that are about these super criminals coming out and having to grapple with a lack of support structure, which is one of the things that leads them right back into a life of crime. How do you stay on the straight-and-narrow when no one will hire you, when all your old friends are criminals, when all your skills are crime-related? Person 1: And that's a support structure that you think Batman should provide? Person 2: Well, in those episodes the point is interrogating the real-world social problem of reoffenders and recidivism, so it would undercut the story if Batman came in and fixed the problem before it became a problem. Unless it's a fantasy of using money to help people. Person 1: There's also the question of corruption, which is a running theme through the franchise. Gotham City is depicted as deeply broken, with corrupt cops, paid-off politicians, and institutional decay. Person 2: Which brings us back to fixing those things, and why fixing them is usually not a part of the story. The stories are generally simple, rather than complex. We like simple things, and a comic book isn't the best place to try to tear apart the how and why of corruption. The fantasy is that if we had power, we could simply use our power to stop bad things. Person 1: Which is true, in a sense, isn't it? I mean there are times and places when everyone knows who the worst people in a community are, when there's this constant thorn in your side, and there's just no way to do anything about it. Person 2: Someone peddling drugs on the corner, gangsters going around strapped, the asshole who keeps stirring things up. Sure. Person 1: So there's this gap in society, sometimes, a problem that doesn't necessarily have a solution, and the comics are, in part, a way to fulfill that need. Person 2: And also a bunch of stuff about the nature of fear, the strangeness of identity, legacy and family, order and chaos ... Person 1: It's complex. Hey, sorry about earlier when I said you should get some media literacy. Person 2: Yeah, it's fine, I was just struck by the thought, this way that there's this tension there. Person 1: I mean, to be fair, in some continuities Batman does give to charities and supports criminals after they get out of jail and does all this other stuff that people say he should do. Person 2: But it never changes anything. I mean, the two examples I'm thinking of are Harley Quinn, who becomes an anti-hero more than a hero, and the guy that controls Scarface. Maybe that second one is a good example. But it's not a central example of how the franchise handles its villains, it's definitely an oddity. Person 1: A lot of it is just how comics are, and I don't mean as a deliberate fantasy, I mean ... the narrative just keeps going, and there's always pressure to bring back fan favorites, so the status quo has to keep going, and this runs against any kind of reform or rehabilitation narrative, both for the villains and the city itself. Person 2: Which I guess you wouldn't argue is intentional. Person 1: No, it's a bug, not a feature. But it's a very different way in which the question of why Batman doesn't give to charity has an answer.

[kitnjon]

Do you have any modern au fic recommendations where Jon and Sansa meet again after breaking up? Preferably nothing that includes infertility (those were the only ones I could find)

Yes!!! Some fics set after their breakup/divorce:

halcyon by @wandering-scavenger

“Is that a lightsaber?” Margaery asked Robb, attention fully on him as she reached out to touch the hilt strapped to his waist. If Theon’s hopes of hooking up with her hadn’t already flown out the window, it certainly did now. Robb cleared his throat, careful to maintain eye contact instead of staring at her breasts like the rest of the guys that walked past them to stop and stare. “Erm. Yeah. I borrowed it from my brother, Bran.” he managed to say, removing it from his belt to let Sansa’s friend hold it herself. The heiress weighed it in her hand and twisted it around like a baton before finally switching it on; the saber made its distinctive hum as it extended, glowing bright blue under the club’s red lights. “It’s bigger than I expected.” she remarked, tilting her head innocently. Jon choked on his drink then, his laughing eyes meeting Sansa’s own in a moment of shared understanding. She couldn’t count how many times they had shared that look with one another before she ruined things. Before he stopped being hers.

2. red lights mean you're leaving by @cellsshapedlikestars

"Did you need something?” he asks when she doesn't speak, and it feels like a slap in the face, though she knows it shouldn't. She showed up at his door with no warning, after five years of silence. He has every reason to be skeptical. “Your help, actually,”

3. You tend the ash, and I’ll tend the pine by @eruherdiriel

“Are we really never gonna talk about it?” Arya snaps. “We’re all gonna pretend everything is normal and happy when Sansa just got divorced?” “Statistically, it is normal,” Bran says. “The divorce rate is something like���” “It’s not normal! Not for this family, and not for Sansa. True love, forever and always, that’s Sansa.” “Jon isn’t the person she married,” Catelyn chides. “Not anymore.” — Sansa and Jon get divorced, but fully untangling their lives is impossible.

4. snow angels by @kingsansa

He finds, as the hairs on the back of his neck rise, as his heart completely fucking nosedives, that her voice is lower than he remembers, but unmistakable all of the same. Sansa Stark stands in the hallway of his shitty, hole-in-the-wall, egregiously outdated bar; unmistakable.

5. in good faith by @kingsansa

Her hand is a dancer on his back: light, graceful, and bold. “Mr. Targaryen.” She’s always been soft spoken, just a tiny hairbreadth away from shy, words inflected with a polite sort of girlish tentativeness. It isn’t, anymore. Jon doesn’t want to turn around. He doesn’t want to see what else has changed about her. “Miss Stark.” It feels wrong for them to refer to each other so formally. He doesn’t know why. They’re little more than strangers now if they had ever been anything else.

6. frozen pines by @cellsshapedlikestars

It hits Jon, then - the sharp smell of ozone. A scent that years ago, he’d become all too familiar with. The aftermath of a lightning strike, the burning of wires. Electricity heavy in the air. The hair on his arms still stands on end. The scar on his hand feels tight. His heart is still pounding. It’s just a storm coming, he tells himself. He’s in White Harbor, not Eastwatch. It’s just a storm. or, the Exclusion Zone spreads for the first time in almost fifty years, with Sansa trapped inside. Jon will do whatever it takes to get her out.

7. Beans series by @justadram

Jon and Sansa never seem to be on the same page about their relationship.

8. Hammerfall by @kittykatknits

Jon and Sansa are busy with their lives in Winterfell and White Harbor, unaware of the danger that would soon be upon them. Then, one day, Jon's friend Sam issues a terrible warning, leading him and his best friend, Robb to begin quietly making plans. As the day of Hammerfall grows closer, they are left with one problem, Sansa refuses to come home. With time running out, Jon goes to rescue Sansa before it is too late. In the horror that follows, Jon and Sansa realize that surviving Hammerfall was the easy part. It's the day after when the real work begins.

9. and now i see daylight by @theshipshipper

Sansa Stark is among the most notable celebrities in Westerosi mainstream cinema. When an ex-boyfriend smears her reputation with lies and deceit, she finds herself back in Winterfell and in the arms of her former lover, Jon Snow.

10. baby, it's you by @kit-kat21

“Sansa, please,” Jon had pled with her, grasping her hands. “I’ll tell Robb. I promise you.”

Sansa had shaken her head, pulling her hands from his and cursing the tears that had insisted on building up in her eyes despite her best efforts. “You won’t.” She said it in a whisper, but her words were strong. “I know that now.”

***

Sansa has only been in love one time during her life, but that's in the past and now, she's trying to start over - getting over a relationship that left her broken on the inside and out while trying to give her young son the best life possible. She doesn't have time to dwell on Jon Snow and pine after him. She's been over him for years now. Completely over him.

[harmonic-intervention]

So while I am all burnt-out for fix-it fics for now, I still wanna write down my idea for a kind of crack-y fix-it. I'll probably write it one day, but I wanna focus on other things. Still, enjoy my word vomit.

Buck is stuck in a time loop.

The night after Tommy breaks up with him and he goes drown his sorrows in beer at Eddie's, Buck wakes up in his bed on the morning of their six month anniversary.

The first time it happens, he's confused, chalks it off to a bad case of deja vu. Only it happens exactly the same. All of it.

The night after Tommy breaks up with him, Buck wakes in his bed. On the morning of their six months anniversary.

Buck goes through the motions three more times, and it all ends up the same. And he always ends in his bed that same day, never moving forward, and he believes that this is his chance to fix it.

Only he's not sure what he's supposed to fix. He tries several things.

He doesn't bring up women at the date. He still wakes up in his bed on the day of their six month anniversary.

He doesn't ask Tommy to move in with him. He still wakes up in his bed on the day of their six month anniversary.

When Tommy asks him "What's up?" and flicks his eyes down suggestively, Buck takes him up on it. He still wakes up in his bed on the day of their six month anniversary.

He asks for a last-minute restaurant change. He still wakes up in his bed on the day of their six month anniversary.

He gets Tommy something for their anniversary. He still wakes up in his bed on the day of their six month anniversary.

He takes the things in, he analyzes what happens. He keeps waking up back at square one. He guesses it means that every time, he and Tommy end the same way.

He changes things. He makes sure he's perfect. And every single time, he still wakes up in his bed on the day of their six month anniversary.

He wakes up, and he is angry. He is furious. He goes to Tommy's before they agreed to meet up. Finds him in the garage, and Tommy's smile when he sees him makes him angier. He yells at Tommy, screams all the hurt and confusion out, and Tommy kicks him out. Buck sits through the next day on his own, and finds a box of his things in the evenening when Tommy was supposed to come over. When Buck tries to call Tommy, it doesn't connect. He wakes up in his bed on the day of their six month anniversary.

He goes down that route all too easily, taking out his pain and frustration on a Tommy that hasn't even done anything yet. He still wakes up in his bed on the day of their six month anniversary.

He keeps doing it. Until he says something, and after everything that happened, he can't remember what, and Tommy looks at him, betrayal in his eyes, and he says that he was wrong, that Buck is just like everyone else. He wakes up in his bed on the day of their six month anniversary, and he welcomes it.

He sits down. Thinks about things. The next couple of times, he takes note of what really happens. He remembers what Tommy said in the heat of unexpected arguments. He stops Tommy from leaving immediately, and they talk about a couple of things. He still wakes up in his bed on the day of their six month anniversary.

He tries. He tries to remember every little tidbit. He tries. At the dinner, he has something for Tommy. When the woman comes up, he tells her he's on a date with his boyfriend. When he asks Tommy about women, and Tommy brings up Abby, Buck tells him the truth. He opens his heart a little, and he knows the moment Tommy gets scared because he's seen it so many times now. He takes Tommy's hand, asks him not to leave, to talk. He knows the moment Tommy decides to be brave, because he's been waiting for that for so long. They go home. They talk. They stay in the next day, and Buck doesn't go talk to Maddie and Josh. They don't go see a movie, and they're exhausted, but they have sex. They fall asleep in Buck's bed together.

Buck wakes up in his bed, and he's terrified he's back on the day of their six month anniversary. If this wasn't enough for them not to crash and burn, he doesn't know what will.

Only there is warmth in his back. An arm wrapped around his waist. And a mouth on his shoulder. A voice against his skin, whispering "Thank you."

Buck lets himself be held. He relaxes into Tommy's arms. He did it. They made it. In the most important moment, when Buck finally fully reached out to Tommy, Tommy reached back. They're making it right in this moment.

[dreamsarebutterflies]

This! Also, I love that Ranma always thinks of protecting Akane whatever the cost. I love that he doesn't want people's feelings to be hurt, whatever they did. I love how he keeps Ryoga's secret, because he knows the same pain, and how it is actually protecting the weak trust Akane has in men as well, even if it's a finger to boundaries.

I love how genuine he is, how he lets himself fall for Akane for who she is but when he feels stupid for it, he always says "you're not cute!" In a childish way to hide behind a lie and to frustrate her just as much as he is. He is such a child but in a pure and innocent way, really, and I can't wait for Akane to realize this and learn to enjoy this side of him.

I really enjoy the way Akane can be soft and kind to Ranma but it mostly happens when he's a girl. Akane will be more open about her negative feelings when Ranko is the one facing her, even if it means slapping her out of anger and frustration. When he's facing jealousy for example, she always puts on a mask with a "everything is fine but you're trash" smile. Ranma always allows Akane to hit him when he's a girl, too but she can avoid Shampoo's attack just fine. I don't know, I really like the different vibe between them according to which body Ranma has. So far, love has appeared more with Ranko, meaning they develop intimacy mostly when both girls. Honestly, I've never noticed before.

Side note but it's truly so sad that both Ranma's "first kiss" were nonconsensual kisses. One that was forced on him, to his girl body at that, and the guy who did it will forever think she wanted it, her words will always only be noises. The other that he thought would mean death or at least lifetime stalking but actually meant yet another forced marriage. And Akane is kind of insensitive about it, not caring or even mentioning the first one and thinking he liked Shampoo's kiss. That's unfair, when you see he fought so hard to protect Akane's lips so she would have the choice of her own first kiss.

I feel like the old anime had a different approach regarding Ranma's complex feelings about his body. He hated his girl body but used it as a tool, as a weapon, because that's how he was raised: turning what he thought a disadvantage into an advantage. I don't know if people would allow it in 2024 but he was totally allowed to see his girl body as a negative and unnatural thing which needed correcting, which made him weaker etc. Not because it was a girl's body but because it was not HIS body as he knew it (body dysphoria type of thing).

Here he doesn't seem to be too bothered by it, merely annoyed for now. I find him kind of passive in all these things happening to him. But maybe that's the VA that doesn't do anything for me. Anyway, his girl persona really gets Ranma in all kinds of troubles he never asked for, just by being here, avoiding starvation, defending a friend. So he gets more than anyone why Akane would hate men. When Ranma is a girl, what she says isn't taken into account, how she fights doesn't matter, and people give meaning into her actions that she never meant in the first place. The story itself hasn't changed since the first anime but I guess that the fact there are no fillers here makes everything more obvious. In a way, that's an interesting way to show double standards and advice on the importance of putting boundaries in place and respect them.

i love how the remake makes it clear that ranma only has eyes for akane and actually addresses the depth of akane's trust issues regarding men.

he wishes that akane was as straightforward about her feelings as shampoo is. he just wants confirmation that she loves him too.

meanwhile akane is struggling with trusting ranma, thinking back to his "akane is my fiancee" confession on the skating rink. since she's never been in love, she registers his flustered reactions to shampoo as mutual attraction instead of fear & a reaction to being stalked.

she was just about to trust ranma after the skating incident with her romantic feelings, but having shampoo come and be overly affectionate, throws a wrench in an already weak trust bridge between them that leaves her jealous, angry and confused. she probably thought that he didn't mean what he said in the skating rink even though the truth is the opposite.

i really appreciate how the remake highlights their love struggles as being connected to their own personal struggles. it provides a real and deep insight into their characters.

[shokosbunny]

CRAVE - chapter five

nav 𝜗𝜚 ⊹ ‧₊˚

masterlist 𝜗𝜚 ⊹ ‧₊˚ • previous 𝜗𝜚 ⊹ ‧₊˚

chapter warnings: use of profanity, mild toxicity

you wake up the next morning in an unknown bed, wearing unfamiliar clothes in a room you've never seen before. you don't remember leaving megumi’s apartment. in fact, after crying like a baby into yuta’s chest (awkward), you don't remember anything at all.

you stumble out of bed and take a moment to get your bearings, blinking the sleep out of your eyes and shaking the fog out of your head as you exit the door. you recognise the hallway; it's megumi’s apartment, as you suspected. so whose room is this?

“you're awake,” you hear a voice to your left say. you turn to the source to see that it's yuta. “you were out cold, so i got megumi to change you and put you down on my bed.”

“where'd you sleep?” you ask.

“the couch,” he responds. “i would've shared with toge, but he sleep fights, so…”

this manages to get a small chuckle out of you, which yuta mentally pats himself on the back for. he likes seeing you smile, and the only thing he likes more than that is being the reason for it.

he speaks up again after a few quiet moments. “you feel any better?”

“yeah,” you nod. “my eyes feel a little sore, but other than that i feel fine.”

“good, good,” yuta nods, throwing the both of you into a silence that's both awkward and natural at the same time.

“your boyfriend called. you should probably call him back,” yuta says finally, before walking past you and back into his bedroom.

you curse under your breath and go to the living room to find your phone on the coffee table. you unlock it and note that it's on full charge, meaning someone must've plugged it in on your behalf. but that doesn't matter when the flood of texts from naoya begin to fill your screen.

you put your phone down, registering the familiar pressure behind your eyes that foreshadow the tears you always shed at every mild disagreement with naoya. you don't know when he became so…oddly sadistic, but the change was so slow that you couldn't even pinpoint a specific date if you tried.

you feel sick despite your empty stomach, and every single thought you have is rushing through your mind faster than you can properly process them.

you hate who your boyfriend is becoming. or maybe he's always been this way, and just a really good liar.

next 𝜗𝜚 ⊹ ‧₊˚

tags: @toniseweje @tsukuhoe @itsafairytalekay @ayla-1605 @moncher-ire @rikaroses @starrysho @blu3-l0v3r @number0netrash @zayuriluvs @susiekern @mikamii25 @vorfreudevortex @q2uq2u @ermbehindyou @mayyhaps

[beomiracles]

troublemaker prince beomgyu sneaking him and his secret-more-than-friends-kinda-fwb out to play in the snow together in the forest, making snowmen and having a snowball fight and it’s all cute and silly. She doesn’t think he likes her seriously though especially since they can’t really be together anyway but confessions end up happening after making snow angels together and they’re both laying on the snow floor

𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐄'𝐒; 𝓐𝓓𝓥𝓔𝓝𝓣 𝓒𝓐𝓛𝓔𝓝𝓓𝓐𝓡 NUMBER 14 ; ❝𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤❞

“What’s wrong?” He asks, a small and adorable frown etched onto his forehead. Did he really not know? Did he really not realize how wrong this was, how this was bound to end? 

pairings — prince!beomgyu x maid!reader warnings — kinda angsty, confessions, forbidden love trope

#serene adds ✎.. I tried to portray the emotions in under 1k words but whew it was hard >_< idk man, I think I just yap too much.. tv girl inspired title coughhhh

⸝⸝

“Beomgyu I don’t know… This is-” Beomgyu’s hand clamps over your lips as he shuts you up, his other one linking with your own as he pulls you through the thick snow. “Come on now, we’ve got to hurry!” He exclaims as he swerves past the many trees crowding your way. The forest was casted in a dim glow, the first rays of sunshine barely having made it over the horizon as Beomgyu had woken you this morning. 

He urged you outside, whispering hushed nonsense about making snow angels and snowmen. Still, you followed along as the young prince scurried down the empty castle walls, your footsteps echoing off the stoned floors as you ran. — You half heartedly laugh as he pulls you through the snow covered woods, though your smile didn’t quite reach your eyes. 

Stopping by a small meadow, Beomgyu lunges toward the ground, his fuzzy coat getting drowned in a thick and heavy layer of snow, but he doesn't seem to mind. He’s already working on forming a large ball to act as the base for the snowman, mumbling something about you finding sticks for arms. You hum, patting the quickly melting ice from his shoulders as you glance around the area. 

“Arms? What about his nose?” You inquire with a small frown. Beomgyu smirks, stuffing a hand into his pocket before pulling out an orange carrot. “I’ve planned ahead”, he states with a smug voice and you can’t do anything but roll your eyes, of course he had. — You set out to find the perfect pair of sticks as Beomgyu works on the body, molding it out of snow. Stumbling across a few broken branches, you pick them up as you study them closely. If you squint hard enough, they could just about resemble a pair of lanky arms. 

You hurry back with your finds, presenting them to Beomgyu with a proud smile. He returns the gesture with a wide grin, “You’re amazing!” He lets you attach the makeshift arms and even the carrot for the snowman's nose. — Together you search the meadow for something to represent eyes and a mouth, finally settling on a pair of cones and some stones. 

Once the little figurine is done, you take a step back to admire the creation. “He looks a little like you”, you say, letting your head fall to the side as you close one of your eyes. Beomgyu scoffs, his tone changing into an insulted one as he turns to you. “You’re acting way out of line, do you know who you’re talking to?” 

Shaking your head, you clasp your hands in front of you, “I fear I have no clue..” The sickly sweetness to your voice makes for a poor excuse of innocence but Beomgyu plays into it as he smirks. — “Well I suppose I could forgive you..”, he shrugs, “But you’d have to pay me in return.” 

You gasp, throwing a hand over your lips, “But with what money? Surely I have nothing that could interest a prince such as yourself, I mean, a mere maid like me…” — The smug look on his face only grows as Beomgyu takes a step closer. “Oh there’s one thing you could give me”, his fingers brush along your cheek, his touch warm against your cold skin. 

“Really?” You say, cocking an eyebrow at him in challenge. Beomgyu chuckles, his grip on your chin growing firm as he pulls your lips against his. The kiss is sweet, it makes your stomach flutter and your chest tingle. And you don’t pull away, even when you’re out of breath. Because a small part of you feared that every time your lips connected, it would be the last. 

You weren’t stupid. You knew that this would never last, this…thing, whatever it was that the two of you had, it would never work out in the long run. You don’t think Beomgyu had quite understood that yet.. Or perhaps he had, perhaps it didn’t matter to him in the way it did to you. 

“Come on, let’s make snow angels!” His loud and cheerful voice pulls you from your thoughts, making you blink and before you know it your falling face first against the ground. “Beomgyu!” You whine, feeling the biting cold seeping through your clothes as the snow melts against your body. But Beomgyu ignores your protests as he spreads his arms and legs out, already working on his angel. 

You try to mimic his actions, to smile just as wide as he does, to bask in the tranquility of the moment, but it seems nearly impossible, and Beomgyu soon catches on. — His movements come to a halt, his head tilting to the side as he watches you from his spot on the ground. “What’s wrong?” He asks, a small and adorable frown etched onto his forehead. Did he really not know? Did he really not realize how wrong this was, how this was bound to end?  

When all you can give him is a small look of despair, a half hearted smile.. He sighs. Then he gets that look in his eye, the one that told you exactly what he was thinking of, and it was seldom something good. 

“I want to take you to the banquet with me on Saturday”, he blurts, the words coming out before he can even stop them. Your jaw falls open, your heart practically stopping at the proposal. He wanted to take you to the banquet?  Whenever you thought about yours and Beomgyu’s relationship, it was with an excited flutter in your stomach. Beomgyu made you feel desired, he made you feel wanted, that’s what all those nights in his bedchambers had been about. A mutual exchange of pleasure. So what if you did things like these every now and again? Did it mean he wanted more than the nights together? Did it mean he wanted more of you?

You hadn’t even dared think that thought, too frightened to be wrong, to get rejected. But now he wants to take you to the banquet… And he’s watching you with such adoration, you find it hard to ever look away. — “You do… want to go with me right?” He then adds, a bit of uncertainty creeping into his voice. 

Yes. Yes you did. More than anything. 

“I..” He begins, though quickly trailing off as he purses his lips, seemingly in deep thought. His warm eyes find yours, a glimmer of hope swirling behind them. “I really like you.” And you know he means the words. But he didn’t understand, did he? He didn’t understand that it was not how it was supposed to be. 

And you don’t know how to tell him. So you don’t. You decide to keep those feelings hidden for at least another fortnight. You decide to let your selfish fantasy go on for just a little longer. You smile, and this time it reaches your eyes. 

“I really like you too.”

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[thewertsearch]

Ask Comp 17/12

Anonymous asked: re: your responsive timeline theory: "There is nowhere, however huge the multiverse is, where Sam Vimes as he is now has murdered Lady Sybil. But the theory is quite clear. It says that if anything could happen without breaking any physical laws, it must happen. But it hasn't… So what people do matters! People invent other laws. What they do is important… It means the multiverse isn't infinite and people's choices are far more vital than they think." - night watch you and pterry seem to be on similar pages about this lol

Oh, nice! That's one of my favorite moments in all of Discworld, and I've brought it up before when discussing Paradox Space.

I'm pretty sure I was thinking about it when I came up with Responsive Timeline in the first place. Having someone reference it in an ask is a fun way to bring things full-circle.

@necrowyrm asked: Welcome Baaaaaaaack!!!!!!!! @whyequalsemexplusbee asked: I've literally had this date marked on my calendar, Act 6 by the new year let's goooooooo! @goldsleeps asked: it's very nice to have your particular pale green showing up on my dash again. @skaiamechanic asked: I am so happy to see your notifications again whenever you post. Welcome back, you're one of the main reasons I'm still on Tumblr, and good luck getting to Act 6! @elkian asked: Welcome back! I'm hype to see you post again :D good luck with your goal, but please take care of yourself! @nebularious asked: On the 1st day of Christmas, thewertsearch gave to me!

Thanks, everyone! I'm happy to be back, and I'm finding I have a lot more energy after taking a little break. Onwards to Act 6, indeed!

@morganwick asked: There literally, actually is a Burger King less than 40 minutes from Rose's house. That may sound simple and obvious, but when fans figured that out after this ran it practically blew their minds.

Her area is fairly remote - but there's a limit to how remote you can really be when you're living in the state of New York, right?

(^ she knows nothing about US geography)

@animation-recaps-by-sean asked: The troll sprites didn't automatically die at the end of the game, it's implied that Jack hunted them down and killed them

Wait, really? I had a little search through the comic there, but I can't find any statements implying that this is the case, unless they're in a walkaround somewhere.

Maybe I missed it - if so, send me a link and I'll take a look!

@catlikeascendant asked: idk if you go here but are there any ships you are interested in/think will be canonized? like it or not, it is a pretty important part of the story!

Thewertsearch dot tumblr dot com is a certified Rosemary nation. That's the only ship I'm really ride-or-die for, and the only one I am absolutely 100% sure will be canonized.

If you're interested, I made a full list of my ships back at the end of Hivebent, which I still mostly stand by - although I might need to rethink the ones involving Gamzee, specifically.

@relaxxattack asked: it’s so crazy that your “jump back in” point is perhaps the most fast paced and high stakes part of the entire comic. i absolutely love this arc, but i do NOT envy having to grapple with it directly after a hiatus!

I know, right?

Honestly, it's probably a good thing. The pacing is really energizing me - I haven't been able to blog at this pace since early Hivebent.

@morganwick asked: "The terms of a God Tier permadeath are defined according to the case of the individual - which implies that Heroic and Just are subjective, even to Sburb. It sounds like there might not be any ironclad rules, and that everyone's ruling works differently." Or as another liveblogger put it, when she got to the line in question: "In other words, 'by Andrew Hussie'."

Heh. That's what it ultimately boils down to, doesn't it?

I can grumble about 'canon' and 'meta shenanigans' until I'm blue in the face - but at the end of the day, the story will go in the direction that Hussie wants it to go. No ifs, ands or buts.

@krixwell asked: I actually think the "no lying" thing is essential to making Doc Scratch as intimidating as he is. He makes it pretty clear that (assuming it's real) it's a self-imposed challenge – he's handicapping his own manipulation just for fun, and he's still massively confident that what he's doing will work out exactly how he wants it to anyway. Normally such hubris would be a surefire sign of a character's imminent downfall, but because he's near-omniscient, we the readers know that his confidence isn't unfounded. We know he has very solid reasons to believe his main designs cannot not succeed, even with dark pockets here and there. I just think it does a fantastic job at selling the idea that his designs are inevitability itself, his guidance hopeless to struggle against, his words the rails on the one way track of the alpha timeline.

Hm. I do like that, I have to say.

It's fun picking away at Scratch's chatlogs, trying to find statements that are technically 'false' - but the fact that he presents himself as truthful and yet succeeds in his manipulations anyway is very strong characterization. And it's that much stronger if Hussie's intention was that Scratch really, truly never lies.

[merakiui]

Mera!! ( ˶ˆ꒳ˆ˵ )

What’s your take on the octatrio reacting to an omega reader using their clothes or other items in their nest when they’re going into heat? I’m particularly curious what you think of Azul since idk if you’ve ever characterized him as an alpha. But I think all of them could be so cute regardless! Omega/omega and omega/beta have such good potential! ( ⸝⸝´꒳`⸝⸝)

They could be in a relationship, but I think it’d also be fun if reader just snatches their stuff without asking. Aaaaaaaaa (╥﹏╥) I just miss classic omegaverse tropes sm

:O omg I have so many thoughts about this!!! I love this trope,,, it's so cute and there are so many ways it could go depending on dynamic. I like to write Azul as an alpha because of my own self-indulgent preferences, but also I like to imagine he was an incredibly late bloomer and everyone thought he was an omega for the longest time until he finally has an actual rut and !!!!!! I could ramble on about that forever. <3 but I do agree!! There's so much delicious potential with non-traditional abo pairings!!!!

Being besties with them...... something something they're so attuned to your scent because you're close and so it's fairly easy for them to locate you,,, quite literally sniffing you out!!! I think seeing you cuddled up in your nest with his clothes and any other things that smell like him would make Azul feel so much better about your relationship, whether platonic or romantic. It reaffirms that you like him and are comforted by his presence and scent. That you trust him. Of course there's also the characteristics of your heat that make you much more receptive to him, which he'll use to explain and rationalize everything. T_T but deep down he's pleased and hopes that one day you'll ask him for his clothes. He wants to see you clinging to his shirt or wrapping yourself up in one of his sweaters all the time!!!

Floyd...... oooohh he thinks you're just the cutest. He'll keep his distance at first. He doesn't want to startle you or stress you out. But since it's him, you're familiar with his scent and it makes him happy when your pheromones are purely sweet and stress-free. <3 waaaa he adores you!!! You'll have to invite Floyd into your nest if you want him to come close and even then he's still hesitant because you're not in the right mind (if you're just friends). He's willing to lend you as much of his clothes as you want for your nest. It's cute seeing Shrimpy get so particular about everything, even more so when he sees you bundled up in his sleep sweatshirt. Floyd has really good restraint, so if you aren't in an established relationship then he'll tread carefully and do as you ask (unless if it's something outlandish,, like you asking him to knot you, to which he'll giggle and playfully dodge the demand with: "Shrimpy doesn't really mean that~") he understands omega hindbrain is usually running on carnal instinct anyway.

Jade is impossible to read most of the time, and when you do try to read him it's like solving a complex equation. >_< he can be so difficult (usually on purpose) sometimes... most of his teasing is there to distract you from his body language, how he's always so relaxed around you, but when you're in heat the last thing you're trying to do is dissect and analyze Jade's behaviors. Beneath that sharp smile of amusement, there's genuine sweetness and it's quite a heartwarming sight to see you hugging a bunch of his laundry close. Jade wouldn't be Jade if he isn't taking photos to later tease you about when you're not so heat-brained. He'll ask you silly and obvious questions like "Do you find my scent that enjoyable?" just to have his suspicions validated. Jade will stay to look after you and ensure all is well if that's what you'd like, but if you want anything specific from him you'll have to use your words and ask~ >:) how is he supposed to know otherwise? Give Jade one chance and he'll spoil you rotten in that nest, tending to your every need.

[euniexenoblade]

Drama queens on this site calling me shit like a "trans lesbian separatist" are weird cuz I'm like obvi not a separatist and I'm not even a lesbian, I only think I get called trans cuz they're huge transmisogynists that hate trans women. Or getting called "baeddel" when I hold 0 baeddel beliefs and have been critical of the original baeddel ideology for years and years, since before the majority of the people on this site knew the term, but since it's modern usage has been warped to mean "faggot" that doesn't matter I guess. Getting called "trans radfem" is even sillier cuz if you've known anything about me at all I refused to id as a feminist for years because I find the term to be watered down and has a distinct history of racist, ableist and transphobic violence to it, and only really begrudgingly accept the id "feminist" nowadays cuz of the extreme amounts of misogyny that have started to come through. Like, none of these people have any idea what my politics are and yet they constantly try to deride them, and it just becomes such a weird experience.