#I want more vibes on what everyone has been doing beside the obvious

[aaeds]

I feel like some of the fandom is still a little blind to Evan's issues, and no amount of (insert character) can fix it is going to work. I don't see enough discussion on the topic of what is wrong with Evan Kelmp, specifically. Like, for real. I know we're only 3 episodes in but damn.

Evan rolls into the first island and is immediately like "don't freak out your old friends immediately by resorting to violence" gave me the impression that the reason he's covered in tons of scars and broken bones isn't because 'oh his shadow is gone now' making him inherently at risk for sad boi beat downs. I don't think there's a luck component to Evan off screen where he prat falls down a sewer drain and knife fights a Scottish street kid looking for a relic.

Evan is a deeply paranoid individual, would it matter if even half those encounters resulting in visual injury involved others with weapons or could someone say something to set him off? Followed too close? Escalate things too far until you're in the same situation as with the salamander kicking its face in because you can? If they were in service to Dr. Boodle, why Dr. Boodle so upset about weapons? Specifically stating his errands for Evan don't involve weapons (thus far.) That comes from somewhere, and Sam was valid in asking a dulled-emotion Evan to not kick his own body in the bag. It is a strange reflex. Not to think of your body as your object, but to physically kick it into a bag. We know about his past and how he was afraid he would hurt someone if he let his demons out, but he can delight in hurting others. Is it a form of retribution, or his pound of flesh for how he lived?

I see so many 'ship has sailed' 'Sam can fix him' 'Sam is what he needs' but that is just as toxic as referring to K as the 'I can fix him' individual. Sam has a lot more to give as a character on her own outside of Evan and I would like the cast to exchange meaningful scenes with one another. Evan needs so much more and a lot of that has to come out of the character himself through this adventure if he wants to change. Choosing to live is a step, and the amount of things he stuck around to haunt was another.

There could be more accepting of ideals and differences, even if intimacy feels partially alluded to playing some part in his break up with K (I can't overlook that.) The unwillingness to trust someone else's word. I want to see that growth or spark of trust that longer seasons can allow. Not everyone has had it easy, Jammer has had to work for everything he has and those values come from somewhere. You're never too late to change and surrounding yourself with people you feel safe to be around is important.

tl;dr I don't think this needs a Beauty and the Beast situation of character A sees character B for who they are and frees them from a lifetime of self sabotage. Also the table should tell a story together, not just two people. Ship and let ship as they say but I would be disappointed if the answer were as simple as "K was bad for him, Sam is good for him."

[mylovesstuffs]

OT13 almost out their relationship because they're just that whipped

Request: SVT being so whipped for their partner they almost outed their relationship.

A/N: It's kinda like a “oh no, did I just say/do that?!” moments for me lmao. Also, I used, “They/Them” here but let's just say they used a gender specific pronoun which kinda led them to fuck up even more...Also it low-key gives seoksoo, verkwan and junhao ship vibes TT

Seungcheol – Slipping Up in an Interview

He’s always been careful, okay? But today his is brain is not cooperating. During an interview, the members are joking about ideal types when the host asks, “What’s something you find irresistible in a person?” Without thinking, Seungcheol blurts, “When they pout because they want my attention.” The members snap their heads toward him. Joshua is choking on his drink. Vernon whispers "bro..." under his breath. Seungcheol realizes his mistake immediately, his ears turning red. He forces a laugh, “I mean—uh, you know, in a general sense. Hypothetically. Right?” His nervous chuckle does nothing to save him.

Jeonghan – Too Obvious with Fanservice

Jeonghan thinks he’s a genius at keeping secrets, but in reality he’s just so obvious. He always tells the fans he loves them, but somehow, every time he says “I love you,” his gaze instinctively flickers toward you in the audience. And then—he winks. Winks. At you. In the middle of a concert. Minghao nudges him, “Dude.” Seungkwan is facepalming. The fans start speculating immediately, and Jeonghan just sips his water like he didn’t almost out himself in 4K.

Joshua – The Accidental Instagram Clue

Joshua, being the aesthetic king he is, posts a random normal picture of his coffee and watch, thinking nothing of it. But what he does not realize is that the reflection in the spoon shows someone sitting across from him—you. Within minutes, fans are zooming in, analyzing every pixel. “WHO IS THIS?!!” Trends worldwide. The members tease him in the group chat, sending screenshots. Joshua just sighs, running a hand through his hair, muttering, Man, I really played myself.

LET IDOLS DATE FOR GOD'S SAKE!

Jun – Forgetting to Hide His Affection

Jun is always affectionate, he doesn’t even realize when he’s being obvious. So, when he spots you struggling to carry something backstage, he automatically takes it from your hands, in front of staff and half the members. The moment he does, everyone stares. Hoshi gasps. Jun blinks, realizing what he’s done. “Ah... I mean, uh, I do this for everyone?” He’s lying and no one believes him.

Hoshi – Screaming Your Name...by Accident

His emotions can get the best of him. One day during soundcheck, he’s hyping up the members. “YAH, LET’S GO! SEUNGKWAN, NICE! MINGYU, POWERFUL! BABY, YOU’RE—” silence. The stadium freezes. The members turn slowly. “Hosh...” Hoshi goes silent. His soul leaves his body. Then, suddenly, he yells, “AHHHH, CARATS MY BABY!!” He starts running laps around the stage to avoid any eye contact.

Wonwoo – Too Many Inside Jokes

Wonwoo is subtle, but his inside jokes are not so much. One time, on a livestream, he casually laughs and says, “That reminds me of something my par—” he stops. The chat explodes. “Your what, Wonwoo?” His expression is stone-cold, but his ears are bright red. He quickly changes the topic, but the damage is done. The speculations begin. And his company starts doing overtime hours.

Woozi – Forgetting You’re Not a Member

Woozi keeps things private, but his muscle memory betrays him. One day, while walking to a schedule, he naturally reaches out to grab your hand... in public. Minghao, walking beside him, subtly smacks his arm, whispering, “Hyung, no.” Woozi yanks his hand back like he touched fire, clearing his throat. “I, uh, thought it was one of you.” Carats does NOT believe him.

Dokyeom – Too Excited to Hide It

Dokyeom wears his heart on his sleeve. During a live, a fan asks about his ideal type. “Ahhh, someone who has a cute laugh, loves music, and—oh! And they have this habit where they scrunch their nose when they’re—” he freezes. The members stare. Seungkwan says, “You mean… like Shua?” to keep things in control as much as possible but Kyeom malfunctions. He screeches and ends the live immediately and that makes things even more worse ಥ⁠_⁠ಥ

Mingyu – Blurting It Out in Pure Panic

On a variety show, they’re playing a lie detector game. When asked if he has a crush, he confidently says “No.” BZZZT. Everyone erupts. Seungcheol, already enjoying this too much, asks, “So, who is it?” thinking he's comedian enough to make it funny but Mingyu in sheer panic, blurts your name. He outed himself. Pls—my man outed himself. The entire cast screams. Seungkwan falls off his chair. Mingyu is horrified. He buries his face in his hands, mumbling, Can I restart my life? He fr wants to restart his life.

Minghao – Slipping Up in Chinese

Minghao is careful...but his first language betrays him. In a Mandarin interview, he randomly mentions, “Oh, yeah, my baobei likes that too.” The moment the words leave his mouth, he stiffens. The interviewer raises an eyebrow. The members are staring especially Jun. He quickly clears his throat, “Ah, I meant—um—Carats. Our fans are all my baobei.” No one buys it. Not for a second.

Seungkwan – Talking About You Like It’s Normal

Seungkwan rants about you way too much without realizing it. In an live interview, he says, “Yeah, Y/N always says that—” stops. His eyes widen. He claps his hand over his mouth. The cast erupt with laughter. Seungkwan tries to run. He fails. Now, he has to spend the next five minutes convincing the camera, "No, no, no, you misheard! I meant my mom!"

Vernon – Forgetting the Camera is On

Vernon is way too comfortable on live. One time, he’s scrolling through his phone, half-paying attention, when he accidentally clicks on a message from you. It pops up for a split second. The chat explodes. The members who are also watching, start spamming his phone. He doesn’t even notice until Seungkwan texts, “END THE LIVE RIGHT NOW.” Cue Vernon panicking, fumbling with his phone, and mumbling, Oops, my bad.

Dino – Being Too Obvious About "Their Type"

Dino gets asked about his ideal type on a show. Trying to be subtle, he says, “Ah, someone funny, kind, and… um, someone who’s really supportive during my practice.” The members exchange looks. “So... like...?” The host asks since he's already too obvious and specific about certain someone. His brain shuts down when he realises. He stares at the camera like a deer in headlights. Then, he nervously laughs, “Hahaha... no, no, I mean, like… in general… not specific at all…” He fails miserably.

[ccupcakeyss]

hiyaaa can I request a similar vibed piece to the xavier comfort fic you posted recently but with sylus instead ? I've gone back and reread that piece at least 30 times I swear, it's genuinely so comforting :') but maybe reader comes home exhausted (or maybe Sylus notices and comes to them?) from a long day or week just like truly drained and in need of comfort.... yeah haha

no worries if not of course! thank you for sharing your writing with us :D

of course!! as a sylus girlie myself, this was extremely adorable to write 🥹 also im soso glad my writing was able to help comfort u<3

.  𓂃 ଓ ۪   ݁ FOR YOU, ALWAYS 𓈒      s

SUMMARY: after a long, exhausting day, you break down on the couch, overwhelmed and alone—until Sylus comes home. he notices your tears instantly. cold and composed to everyone else, he becomes soft for you, pulling you into his arms without hesitation. he offers quiet comfort, steady affection, and a simple promise: whatever you need, he’s yours.

WC: 570 <3

NOTES: quite short but it has all the fluffy caring sylus🙏 send in more reqs, id love to do them!!!

The apartment is quiet except for the faint hum of the city beyond the windows and the occasional sniffle you try to muffle in the blanket pressed against your face.

You’re curled up on the couch, wrapped in one of Sylus’s oversized hoodies—the only thing offering any comfort right now. The day had just been too much. Everything that could’ve gone wrong did. You’d held yourself together all the way home, but once the door shut behind you, it all crumbled. The tears came fast. Silent, angry, frustrated.

You weren’t even sure what was hurting more—the stress, or the way it all felt so… lonely.

The lock clicks.

You freeze, sitting up a little too quickly, hurriedly trying to wipe your face, but it’s useless—your eyes are red, cheeks blotchy, nose stuffy. You barely get the blanket up before the door opens.

Sylus steps in, sharp-eyed and unbothered as ever in his dark coat and gloves, shutting the door behind him with a quiet thud. He’s already scanning the room before he’s fully through it—and then his gaze lands on you.

His cold, calculating expression falters. Only for a second. But it’s enough.

He doesn’t speak right away. Just shrugs off his coat, tosses it to the side, and moves toward you with quiet steps.

“You’ve been crying.”

He doesn’t ask. He states it. Calm, observant, as if pointing out the obvious. But his voice—low and cool as it is—has a subtle shift. A soft undercurrent.

“I’m fine,” you lie, wiping your face again.

He stops in front of you, tilts his head just slightly, studying you the same way he analyzes the world around him. And then—without asking—he kneels down beside the couch, resting his arms on the cushion next to your legs.

“Liar.”

You let out a watery breath, trying to smile. “It’s nothing serious. Just… one of those days.”

His fingers brush against your knee, gentle despite the gloves, and then he peels them off, setting them aside. The moment his bare hand touches your leg, it’s grounding—warm, steady.

“Who do I need to hurt?” he asks flatly, as if that’s a normal offer.

You laugh softly through your tears. “It’s not like that.”

Sylus narrows his eyes slightly. Then sighs. He rises, leans down, and scoops you up from the couch without warning.

“Wha—Sylus!”

“Shut up.” It’s not mean. It’s just him. “You’re clearly falling apart and your first instinct is to hide from me?”

He carries you easily, settling down on the couch with you in his lap like you belong there—and you kind of do. His arms wrap around you, one hand smoothing down your back, the other settling on your thigh. Not possessive. Not demanding. Just there. Steady. Solid.

“I hate seeing you like this,” he murmurs after a beat. “Tell me what you need. Say the word, and I’ll get it. I’ll do it. Anything, you know that."

You don’t respond right away, just bury your face in his neck and let yourself breathe him in.

“I just wanted you.”

He exhales like the answer physically affects him. His hold tightens around you.

“You have me,” he says, softer this time. “You always have me.”

And for the next hour, he doesn’t let go. Doesn’t pull away. Just holds you close, his fingers tracing idle circles on your skin, whispering things he’d never dare say out loud in front of anyone else.

Only for you.

[fbfh]

Could I request a drabble with Dave Lizewski and his best friend who has a major crush on Kick Ass and tells Dave all the dirty details?

OOOOOH SCRUMDIDDLYUMPTIOUS. aged up to 18+ obvs, give me a hoot or holler in the notes or my ask box if you want a fluffier version lol

Dave always wondered why girls never noticed him. he figured it was cause he's a quiet geeky nerd who likes comic books and superheroes. nope. it's because of you. when you first met Dave - however old you were, freshman, middle schoolers, kindergarteners - you latched the fuck onto this boy so fast. you've always been protective over him, always had that vibe that says you fuck with him, I'll fuck you up. besides, having a best friend as hot as you immediately made everyone assume he's totally off the market. like, it should be obvious. being "best friends" with someone as hot as you, spending all your time together - you have sleepovers for god's sake. EVERYONE at school fully believes you're fucking. the only ones unaware of this are Dave and Todd and Marty and possibly yourself.

it's at one of these infamous sleepovers that you finally spilled the beans. you've been obsessing over kickass for weeks, constantly talking about him and his exploits to Dave. you just got your hands on another grainy, horribly low quality picture of kickass stopping a purse snatching from someone's video doorbell. you're sitting at Dave's desk while he's flopped on his bed, finishing some homework.

"fuck I want him in my mouth so fucking bad..."

it just slips out, but Dave is instantly hard. he startles, sputtering and desperate to know who his best friend is practically moaning for.

"y-you want who?!" he demands in confusion at your sudden outburst, causing both of you to laugh. you turn the monitor towards him, and Dave sees himself looking back. his stomach does the thing, that flippy jerky oh shit thing from both anxiety and horniness. he is really, really hard now.

"k-kickass?" he asks, his voice getting all whiny and cracking in that way you've always found so cute.

"yes!" you exclaim with a laugh, looking at him incredulously. "come on Dave, you told me about a sex dream you had about our math teacher two days ago. he groans half heartedly at you bringing up.

"I already regret telling you about that." he protests playfully, his voice muffled into his duvet.

"just look at him," you sigh, already looking at the pictures of kickass. "look at his arms... I'd probably cum just from him putting me in a headlock."

Dave nearly chokes on his spit. He's really glad he's laying on his stomach so you can't see the way he's kind of rubbing against his mattress. it's not on purpose or anything, it's not like he's trying to get off to his best friend (even though he has before. like a lot. like he has to clear his porn search history because it's all descriptors of people who look like you) but when you're going on and on about how wet you'd get from being choked by a guy without realizing he's actually inches away from you... well, what is he supposed to do??

"christ, you can see his whole bulge in this one," you murmur, biting you lip. "I have never wanted to suck someone off so bad."

Dave lets out a choked noise, which you interpret as more playful disgust over your thirsting.

"I'm serious!" you exclaim. "I swear to god, he could keep me barefoot and pregnant and I'd thank him."

Dave's hips have started moving faster on their own as he grinds against his mattress. he knows he shouldn't prod for more details of what you'd do to kickass - to him - he knows you're his best friend and that you'd probably think he was some sick freak if you knew the truth, that he's kickass and he's getting off to you listening to you talk about him like that. Dave loves you, he respects you and admires you and cherishes your friendship so much, so why is feeling guilty and conflicted about about listening to you unintentionally dirty talk like this making it feel so good??

"literally, I would make sure his balls were always empty. like, always." you state.

each word that tumbles out of your mouth makes his blood burn with lust.

"U-uh huh," he chokes out, fighting for his LIFE not to moan in front of you right now.

"just one chance," you sigh, "I just know he's majorly packing. Bet he cums a lot too." you murmur.

you're pouting now. pouting over not being able to taste his cock. the same cock Dave is trying to discreetly jerk off just a few feet away from you. he whines softly, praying you won't notice as you continue to look through photos of him as kickass.

"I don't think I've ever been so down for someone," you whine, throwing your head back and sighing. "okay, you can't tell anyone about this-"

you start seriously.

"but I literally got off thinking about him last night, and I came so hard-"

and if that's not the straw that breaks the camel's back. Dave lets out a strangled, stifled whining moan as his hips rut and stutter against his mattress. his head swims as he cums in his pants, blinded by a raw, pure pleasure.

"O-oh god!" he pants, head spinning as he comes down from his high. his cheeks are flushed, and he can't fucking believe he just did that in front of you. he swallows thickly, terrified - and for some reason, a little thrilled by how you'll react.

you look over at him, eyes locked on him for a moment. it only takes you a second to realize what just happened - your horndog best friend got so turned on from listening to you thirst over kickass that he actually creamed his pants.

"You're so gross," you laugh playfully, throwing a pen at him. "I hope you know how lucky you are that I'm great at keeping secrets." you finish, an unspoken promise that tonight will stay between the two of you.

you turn back to what you're doing, unperturbed by the fact that your best friend just came in his pants from hearing you talk like that, chalking it up to Dave being Dave. this isn't the first time he's gotten hard at an awkward time, but usually he just sneaks off to the bathroom or something to take care of it himself. you had a hunch he might resort to something like this eventually, so you're not too surprised.

"Anyway, what do you think his type is?" you ask, swiveling around Dave's desk chair to look at him. your arms are crossed on the back of the chair, and you lean down on them as you look at him.

"Like, from an objective, guy perspective?"

"U-uh," Dave starts with a soft, nervous laugh, still unable to believe that just happened. "I- I don't know..." he shrugs.

he thinks that's the first time he's lied to you. he knows exactly what kickass's type is, because he's looking right at you.

[cheemscakecat]

Bucket Scene Analysis pt. 1

So I’m revisiting the Bucket Scene from Expiration Date, and I noticed some things. Spy’s feelings got really hurt, but the other Mercenaries didn’t mean to seriously upset him. Let’s go over their POV first.

Engineer and Medic are doing more experiments on the teleporter, so they aren’t present for the bucket scene. They’ll be trying to figure out a way to stop the tumors for the next three days instead of accepting the team’s deaths.

Soldier is too dumb to understand what’s going on, and Pyro presumably isn’t aware enough of his surroundings.

Demoman comes from a family with really disturbing traditions; they let him live as an orphan and only revealed themselves after he killed his adoptive family in an explosion… Because he was showing his skill. He’s actually expected to lose his sight entirely like his parents. Out of anybody there who knows what’s happening, he’s the most unbothered by them dying because of that twisted heritage.

Sniper calls his parents every week, and I’m sure he’s told them/about to tell them what’s happening. But he also has a plan to kill everyone he meets, so even if he is bothered by the fact that he’ll die, he’s not going to make the others privy.

Heavy has been responsible for his three sisters and his mother since he was a child. Around them, he’d be a bit more open and accept their hand on his shoulder.. But not Spy. Around co-workers, Heavy’d rather think on what’s happening and be left to those thoughts. Besides that, he already provided a secluded cabin in Siberia for his family to keep them safe, so if he dies at work he’ll be at peace knowing they’re ok.

I very much get the vibe that Spy never puts his hand on the others like this, and that’s why Heavy hit him with that Side-eye Claire face.

Now Scout? He’s an interesting case because he’s about to humiliate Spy with the fake cards, but in terms of them dying in three days:

“Ve have three days to live!”

It’s subtle, but he looks like he might cry. Not in front of them, but still. And that tracks, because he and Spy are the most sensitive members of the team. You can look at Spy’s reaction behind Medic, and it becomes more obvious.

But Jeremy wasn’t raised by Spy.

He was raised by his mother [who’s doing her best] and seven older brothers who are terrible role models. I have no doubt that his brothers were involved in petty street crime and gangs when they were younger, even if some came to their senses as adults. And gangs are not well known for emotional stability.

Scout grew up around seven guys that wanted to be “hard” and ignored their emotional needs/daddy issues… As the youngest and the most sensitive one. I imagine that crying and showing that something is getting to you was met with mockery. And being labeled a weakling. So Scout did his best to stop showing that “weakness”.

Now he’s graduated from the criminal fights his brothers used to get into, and joined a group of mercenaries. Since he looked up to his brothers and grew up imbedded in their worldview, he seeks approval from the other Mercenaries in the same way. That’s why he chooses to mock Spy instead of asking for the last wishes. It makes him look unbothered and he can call Spy the weak one instead of being cruelly labeled himself.

But RED team doesn’t operate like Scout’s siblings or a gang. They’re all individuals that specialize in a certain area of mercenary work, who could leave for a different team or independent work if they weren’t happy on the team. [Provided they don’t release any information that the Administrator wants hidden, or rebel against her.]

So when Scout pranks Spy, they aren’t seeing his as a weakling; it’s not even crossing their minds. They’re smiling because Scout seems happy despite impending doom. And why shouldn’t they be glad that he’s having a good time of it? Beats being dejected and since he’s the youngest, they’re more worried about his well-being.

What’s interesting is that Heavy seems to sense that Spy is upset, because his smile noticeably fades when he looks up. But I still don’t think he realizes how much this prank and the teams’ indifference hurt Spy.

[cameronspecial]

Hi I know I just requested one but I Kinda have and idea and I tought just to send you cause I have nothing to lose. The reader is Topper’s sister and she again is Rafe’s girl, the whole island knows she’s off limits, the difference between her and her brother is that she gets along with everyone including the pouges. The idea is that Pope developes a really huge crush on her, without even realizing. The reader is kinda clueless because she’d been with Rafe her whole life but Rafe knows for sure because he’d seen how Pope acts around her and he’s not happy about that (I imagine him being really touchy with the reader when pope’s around them and smirking when he sees the sad puppy face he makes). And maybe at the movie party where they fight cause of topper’s boat the reader tries to defend pope and tells Rafe to stop he’s insisting pope has a crush on her and when she says he’s just jealous for no reason he’s something like “then kiss me princess/angel” but when she gives him a quick peck on the lips he smirks while rolling his eyes and he get’s her really close to him saying “not like that” and they fully make out in front of pope who looks at them with a really sad face kinda proving Rafe’s point.

It’s okay if you don’t want to do it, I kinda went overboard with the details and I really like the concept and the extremes here cause I mostly see imagines with the reader between Jj and Rafe. Jj is the poor bad boy and Rafe the rich bad boy. Here Pope is the poor good guy who’d love you and cherish you and Rafe is the rich bad boy who’s really posesive and gives the “she’s mine” vibes

The Lesson

Pairing: Rafe Cameron x Thornton!Reader

Warnings: Violence, Ass Grabbing.

Pronouns: She/Her

Word Count: 0.5K

A/N: @a-j-stuffs feel free to send as many requests as you want as long as my requests are open. Hope you enjoy it!

Everyone knows that Y/N Thornton is off-limits. If not because of her protective big brother, then because she is Rafe Cameron’s girl. The difference between her and both boys in her life is she doesn’t mind hanging out with the pogues. She can often be found getting drunk with them at the Chateau or getting caught up in their hijinks, much to Topper and Rafe’s chagrin. This leaves Rafe to have to pick her up so she can get home safely just like he is about to do right now. 

She’s hunching over the toilet, puking out all the alcohol she just consumed. Pope sits beside her with a reassuring hand on her back. He moves her hair out of her face, “Let it all out. That’s it.” Rafe isn’t blind to see that Pope has a thing for his girlfriend. He clears his throat and moves to sit beside Y/N. He swats Pope’s hand away. The other boy stands up with his hand in the air, watching sadly as Rafe kisses her temple with comforting words. Rafe catches Pope’s sad look from the corner of the eye and smirks as she turns into his hold, which causes the pogue to walk away. 

———

Y/N begged Rafe to go with her to movie night, which he was happy to comply with. Little did he know that Pope would be there giving his girlfriend love-sick puppy dog eyes throughout the whole movie. This goes unnoticed by Y/N as she enjoys the movie, but Rafe has had enough. Pope and JJ get up from where they sit and round their way behind the screen. Rafe gets up from the blanket, promising to return with more snacks for her and motions for Topper and Kelce to follow him. “I’m tired of that pogue always ogling my girl,” he explains with an edge in his voice. The boys find JJ and Pope zipping up their pants. They wait for the both of them to turn towards them for the attack. Rafe punches Pope in the face and gets on top of him, continuing the battery. 

The scream let out by Y/N stops Rafe. He looks up to see the disappointed look on her face and rushes to her. However, she heads to help Pope up. “What are you doing, baby? Are you crazy?” she criticizes, looking over Pope’s face. Rafe just shakes his head, “He has a crush on you, Princess. It’s obvious. I’m just reminding him who has your heart.”

“This is very childish. You don’t need to remind him of anything. I love you. I only have eyes for you.”

Rafe smirks at the look of pain that crosses Pope’s face, “Then prove it. Kiss me, Princess.” She sighs, knowing this would be the only way to get him to stop. She walks over to him and gives him a quick peck on the lips. He again shakes his head, pulling her in by the waist. “Not like that,” he growls. Y/N attaches their lips and this time, deepens it. She allows his tongue entry to her mouth. He slips his hand down to squeeze her bum. Pope observes the scene with a sense of defeat and signals to JJ that they should go. Rafe catches this happening from the corner of his eye and smirks. Looks like Pope got the message.

[shieldofiron]

Vibe Check Part 17

I'm a Lover, but I still Fight

Also on Ao3 here and tumblr here

Steve looks too damn good to be in here. He seems totally unaware of the attention, pausing on the dance floor to gather compliments like a beauty queen.

Billy’s dying for it on the other hand, every inch of his body buzzing with awareness when Steve glances his way, mid-dance, bopping his head and grinning like a maniac.

Billy’s a pro at acting like he’s not in love with Steve. In fact sometimes he feels like that’s what he really goes to college for. But tonight is his toughest test yet.

He stays close on the dance floor, always just friendly, keeping himself and Carver and Buckley around Steve so it isn’t too obvious when he shoots an admirer a harsh look.

Carver’s little friend from the gay straight alliance is lurking around too, possibly the only person besides Carver who seems to pick up on what Billy’s doing. But he’s just skulking with his friends, ignoring them.

Some asshole reaches for Steve’s hips and Billy pulls Steve into a goofy spin.

Steve’s all giggles, bopping to the beat, his brown eyes closed in bliss. The plan, so far that Billy’s brain can form one, is just to keep them dancing. It’s easier to keep Steve spinning so he can’t pay too much attention to Billy.

Because after that it's not too different from any other frat party: running Steve interference to keep him from going home with someone.

He doesn’t do it all the time, can’t for obvious reasons. He doesn’t own Steve. But he’s redirected sometimes. Pulled Steve into a game of beer pong or a keg stand to keep him stuck to Billy’s side.

Guilt sears him like a steak, but he justifies it to himself by promising that he’s showing Steve a good, and most importantly safe first time out at a gay bar. He’s just doing his due diligence as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Buckley tugs at Billy’s sleeve, miming sipping a drink. She lost her cup a while ago by trying to pull a complex “get low” maneuver and she agreed to be a DD, so Billy will happily buy her all the Shirley Temples she wants.

Steve bounces on his heels, eyes glowing with excitement. “Yes!”

“Water,” Billy says sternly at the same time as Buckley, who points at Steve knowingly.

Steve spins and throws a heavy arm around both their shoulders. “Boo, you whore.”

“Jason?” Billy tips his chin at the bar.

Jason smiles softly, disentangling from the tattooed guy who’s wrapped around him like an octopus. Somehow he’s much more loose and free than Billy’s ever seen him at frat parties.

It makes Billy want to find this so-called boyfriend of Carver’s and give him a talking to.

Steve tows them toward the bar where the music is slightly lower and they crowd around the only open corner of the bar. Steve pulls out his dad’s credit card and squeezes between two people, waving off everyone’s protests and ordering shots.

“Do you guys come here often?” Buckley asks it generally as they make their way to a free spot a little ways away from where Steve has shoved in, but her eyes are glued to Billy.

“Why, Buckley,” Billy giggles and turns to fully face her, batting his eyelashes coyly, “buy me a drink before you throw me a line.”

She tosses her head and laughs. “No, but seriously.”

Billy looks at Carver, who seems totally checked out, staring at his phone like it owes him money, and then shoving it back in his pocket only to pull it out a millisecond later.

“We just went out once, a while ago. Carver’s the big Cottonmouth cowboy, not me.” Billy says with a shrug.

“You know any other places?” She asks.

“I’ve been to the sugar skull out in Muncie a few times, but I’m not like… into clubs.” Billy can hear how obvious he sounds, and he can only hope Buckley doesn’t pick up on it. He doesn’t like clubs so much as parties with his friends. Parties with Steve. And he doesn’t go out, he stays in, because the one he loves is at home.

Buckley’s eyes narrow the slightest bit and Billy can feel a cold sweat breaking out under what he worked up dancing. But luckily the spell is broken by Steve’s hearty laugh. Billy glances back over his shoulder helplessly, just to watch the way Steve’s head tips back as he hoots to the ceiling.

Billy turns a little more so he can see who makes his Steve laugh so hard.

He knows with his head to doubt what he sees. He knows that it’s not his dad, because that’s impossible.

But for a horrible second, the bar drops out from under his elbow and Billy’s pitching forward.

It’s partially the haircut and mustache, and the eyes, those icy blue eyes. They’re not quite what Billy sees in the mirror but it’s close enough that it has his breath tightening up to double time. And Steve is laughing, laying his hand on the guy’s chest, and the guy is old with blue eyes and a normy haircut and Billy knows this is fine but his heart… his heart…

His heart is gonna explode.

Buckley says something but it can’t get past the ringing in his ears and he can’t see any more because his eyes are swimming in something. She puts a hand on his arm and it feels awful, it feels like his heart is going to wrench out of his chest and fall to the floor with a wet splat.

Somehow he’s able to force his frozen muscles to move and make it, with slow staggering steps, to the bathroom. He closes himself into a stall so that he can die in peace.

Because that’s all he can think, all he can feel. He’s too locked in his dying body, stall swimming before his eyes, hands locked around the side of his head. His heart is pounding so hard that the stall is rattling and it’s all he can do to hold himself in one place.

He forces breath through his lungs by instinct more than anything, but the stall won’t stop rattling. There’s something at the edge of his vision, by the floor, and he shuts his eyes, too overwhelmed to know. He’s dying, he knows he’s dying. His dad is going to come. He’s going to see Billy, and that may as well be dying. If his life is about to flash before Billy’s eyes, he really wishes that it wouldn’t.

Slowly he becomes aware of something squeezing him from all around. It anchors him back in his body, bringing him back online to reality. He’s not dying, he’s just breathing really fast and sobbing, a combination that’s leaving him lightheaded.

He sucks in several breaths, gradually coming online to the strong arms around him and the scent of that $30 an ounce shampoo he knows all too well. Soft brown curls are tickling his nose and he breathes deeply to have a little more of Steve’s air inside him.

“I’m… I’m… how did you get in here?” He gasps.

“Crawled under the stall,” Steve murmurs, but it’s just soothing rumbles really. Billy melts into him, not even caring to hold back.

He doesn’t know how long they stand there until Billy’s sobs totally even out and he’s able to pull away.

“You ok?” Steve asks. He’s lost the cowboy hat somewhere so there’s nothing shading those big brown eyes from the bright overhead lights.

“I… yeah…” Billy says.

“What happened? I thought you were going to puke or something.”

“I wish.” Billy’s totally given up on making sense, he guesses. He suddenly feels far too tired for this conversation, entirely exhausted. He just wants to go home.

“What happened? Are you okay?”

Billy doesn’t want to repeat himself again, and he really doesn’t have anything prepared but the truth. “I saw… it’s my dad.”

“Your dad?” Steve blinks a few times, his head twitching in that adorable way it does when he’s trying to compute. “He’s here? He’s… gay?”

“No… I… that guy you were talking to. He looked like my dad.” God, that’s so pathetic. That’s nothing. And what’s more he really needs to wipe the snot off his face but he doesn’t know if he can do it with Steve watching.

“Oh.” Steve doesn’t remove his hands from Billy’s arms.

“I had just… a…” Billy shakes his head. “It was just a stupid moment of panic, that’s all.”

“It’s not stupid.” Steve tugs him forward into another full-bodied hug and it makes Billy’s worn-out eyes prickle. “Man, I’m so sorry. Do you wanna talk about it?”

No. “Yes, I… I don’t wanna ruin your night though.”

“Who the fuck cares about that?” Steve speaks the words and they shake loose something in Billy’s chest that has the tears free flowing again.

“It’s just… obviously a worst nightmare. I mean he wouldn’t be… obviously he wouldn’t be caught dead in a p-place like this but I just saw that guy and I… I locked up, you know?”

“Your dad,” Steve holds him tighter, squeezing gently. “He’s really homophobic?”

And Billy can’t blame Steve, because it’s not as if he’s ever talked about his dad beyond a comment here or there. Billy knows instinctively that Steve assumes Billy hates his dad the same way Steve hates his dad. With like snipes about politics and the occasional strained conversation. Steve’s dad hates that Steve is a film major, and sends slightly out of touch texts about his high school basketball team.

Billy’s dad wants Billy scorched off the face of the planet. But it’s easier to pretend, for everyone’s sake, that he’s just kind of an asshole who never calls.

And Billy was and is very cool with Steve assuming that, because it makes him feel almost like a real person.

Not what Billy is, which is broken and desperate. The kind of person who cries in bathroom stalls.

Billy has to suck in a few more breaths before he can go on. “My dad… when I was sixteen he found a guy’s p-picture on my phone. He… he hurt me so bad I woke up a day later in the hospital. It was a miracle I didn’t suffer more permanent brain damage, because it was almost a coma.”

Steve says nothing, and Billy was grateful Steve doesn’t immediately stop holding him, because Steve is the only thing holding him up right now.

“He wanted to move us out of state because the nurses were asking questions, I guess a cop was sniffing around.” Billy sniffles again.

“What happened?” Steve prompts when Billy takes a beat too long to continue.

“Argyle. His mom’s a lawyer, family law. She took me on pro bono after Argyle snuck a picture of me in the hospital. She helped me get out, get emancipated. And my step-mother, she was able to use it in court too. B-because it was on record,” Billy sniffs again, and Steve pulls back from the hug. Billy’s about to panic again that he said something finally so wretchedly pathetic that Steve would leave. But instead Steve just wipes sloppily and Billy’s face with his hand, and then leans down to get some toilet paper to clean up.

“What… was it the first time he’d hit you?”

Billy laughs just a little too hard, because that question hurts, and it’s either going to be a laugh or a sob.

“Not by a long shot.”

Steve’s open face shutters for a second, all the light gone from his pretty boy eyes, and with it something vital in Billy’s chest begins to fail. This is why he never told Steve. He couldn’t stand to see that pity and derision.

But just as quick as it came, the look was replaced with something else, something much craftier.

“Want me to pick a bar fight with Dale?” Steve says.

Billy sputters, “who the fuck is Dale?”

“The guy who looks like your dad. He’s a total sweetheart.”

Billy laughs, a lot less painful this time. “Why would you do that?”

“It’s the closest I’ll get to punching your dad. For now, at least.” Steve smiles, and rubs Billy’s shoulders. “You wanna go home?”

Billy’s shoulders relax just a little, and he feels marginally less wound up. “Fuck yeah. I’m fuckin’ exhausted.”

“Then let's go home.” Steve smiles just a little brighter, and Billy was too damn tired to analyze it. He’s too tired to do anything but rest on his best friend’s shoulders as they stumble out of the bathroom. Carver and Buckley are waiting for them, but one look at the two of them and they clam up. Billy does his best to avoid everyone’s eye but unfortunately he can’t ignore Buckley is giving him mad side eye.

She accepts Steve’s keys without much comment and Carver doesn’t kick up a fuss either, waving off his GSA friends and scowling at his phone as they make their way out of the bar.

Billy can see the night’s stars and neon signs reflected in the parking lot puddles, feeling breathless for no reason. Steve all but shoves him into the backseat and joins him there. Billy can see Buckley glance back several times as they back out of the lot. But Billy ignores it in favor of closing his eyes and resting on Steve’s shoulder, and letting the rest of the night drift away.

[yannaryartside]

Shapiro’s angle

I don't think this guy is bad news, or a bad guy per se.

I think he is just an opportunist. And I think he is doing this mostly for himself.

I may be wrong, but for me, the most on-the-nose foreshadowing about Shapiro was Luca telling him:

"Are you getting your sticky fingers on everything again?"

This was right before he asked to talk to Sydney (about the partnership) at Ever's funeral. It was definitely a sign.

Now, it could be a warning about his bad intentions; sticky fingers could be related to wanting to trap someone and never let them go. Maybe Syd should have Pete revise that new partnership agreement.

Mostly, I have a hard time thinking Andrea Terry would have a CDC that was actually toxic or damaging; his true colors would have shown at some point, and she would have known. Maybe that's me being optimistic. Maybe he would show his actual colors when he doesn't have to answer to anybody. Luca hasn't seemed to get awful vibes from him, either.

FINGERPRINTS OF LEGACY

But I associate the sticky fingers comment more with Shapiro wanting to get a "fingerprint" on Sydney. The way a fingerprint may alter the presentation of a fine ceramic plate. Is about marking it as yours, it was in your hands.

Shapiro may think that he has gotten as good as he can get on his own merit, he said he would have stayed with Andrea forever if she hadn't closed Ever, which is a remark on his lack of ambition as a cdc. I think he may be a chef who (also, as he said) is tired of the all-day cooking job, but he still wants to get some glory under his name without all the work. Proteges are a good way to do that.

The only thing about Sydney he knows that could indicate her potential (besides her cooking, which he only tested once) is that she works for Carmen. Carmen has been awarded the best in the world, and the fact that he sees something in Sydney may be enough for Shapiro to bet on her (and a huge bet, considering how much freedom he promised her). Now, what kind of mentor would he be? I would like to think he will try to be Andrea and see where it gets him.

He may have seen the bear's kitchen's obvious lack of functionality and seen it as an opportunity to steal Carmy's best asset from him while she is still unknown by the industry. She could become more expensive to get in the future if she gets a name under Carmen. Shapiro has better chances to get her now. He may even say in the future that he was the only one capable of forming her like a chef while Carmy didn't.

So yeah, he is making a bet on an unknown asset with the hope that it will pay off later since Carmys is not looking. We don't know much about his character besides the fact that at Ever, everyone was cool with him.

I DON'T WANT SYDNEY TO FAIL OR GET SCREWED

Besides how much I care for her—I know it sounds obvious—I don't think it would be a good narrative for the show either way.

Because she has survived Carmy, that has been horrible, but in terms of women in the workplace, at least she doesn't have to worry about being exploited (or other horrible things that we know could happen in these spaces) because Carmy cares about her well-being, the same as the rest of the family.

So, if she hypothetically goes with Shapiro because her voice is being drowned under Carmy's madness, and then Shapiro screws her over, and Carmy has to rescue her.

I am sorry, fuck that.

Because what is the lesson on that? Women should stick around toxic behavior, being grateful that at least they are not taken advantage of? Better the devil you know than the one you don't? Sydney is very capable, and you will punish her for believing in herself?

image by @gingergofastboatsmojito

[gaykarstaagforever]

As a vocal Star Trek fan, it occurs to me that at this point, I haven't actually seen most Star Trek.

I've rewatched every TOS and TNG episode 20 times. And all the (pre-reboot) movies. (I saw that first Abrams movie and...no. No thanks.) But beyond that? I've only seen a handful of DS9, Voyager, and Enterprise episodes. And what I heard about Discovery made me mad. And the two episodes of Picard I saw made me madder. Lower Decks seemed okay for 15 minutes but I never gave it a chance.

My point is, I am a fake old man Star Trek fan, and while that's an okay thing to be...I feel bad about it.

Why do I know more lore from wikis than actual shows? That's weird. I should at least give all this other Trek a chance.

So I swallowed my bile and got the Paramount+ app. It's free for a week, plus it's still cheaper for Premium than other similar apps. And this way I can at least shotgun a sample of these and see what I've been missing. I hear this Brave New Worlds thing is good.

But I'm starting with DS9. It premiered in 1993, when I was 11. I didn't really care about Trek then, and when I got into TOS and TNG in high school, I didn't move on to DS9, because "they're stuck on a space station, this is a bunch of boring soap opera crap."

Even after seeing several episodes and liking the characters, I remained sure that my initial impression was correct.

So I'm watching Emissary, Part 1, atm.

This is immediately great. Writing and acting are a little rough, compared to what comes later (based on what I actually know of this show). But being that this is a new show being new, that's to be expected.

This is AWESOME. Everyone hates everyone, and no one wants to be here. Besides Bashir, and he's a creep and an idiot. Sisko hates Picard because Picard killed his wife, and Picard hates Sisko because Sisko is being a total dick about this. Quark is basically a hostage, Odo is a fascist, Kira wants to kill everyone, including most other Bajorans. And Dax is a 300 yo slug, not taking anything seriously, and cracking wise inside of a young woman's body that you know the slug will TOTALLY exploit sexually. Sisko is a Federation human with an obvious atheistic bent, and he's been on this ruined station for like an hour when some Bajoran holy-woman he doesn't care about tells him he's Alien Jesus. And he is NOT COOL with this. But too bad, dude.

This is everything Roddenberry never wanted Star Trek to be...and that's why it's perfect. This place is a shithole and everyone on it is a jackass. And yet it feels 100% Star Trek, because they're careful about how they do it. Like they actually get the heart and soul of the IP and are trying to do something both new AND traditional, at the same time.

It actually has real TOS vibes. I never got that before. It feels like The Cage, like there's a progressive underpinning, but also, what the hell are all these stupid aliens up to, will yelling fix it? No? ...What about more yelling?

I never saw these episodes of this. Maybe it gets boring later on?

Let's find out.

[creatingblackcharacters]

Where is the line when it comes to calling out how people draw black characters? Im genuinely asking. Just did some digging in the elphaba tag. 28/35 of the top art did a great job of depicting her microbraids. Of those 7 that did a bad job, all but 2 of them put in effort to draw microbraids, its just that some of those artists arent very good. So… theyre practicing. Additionally, there were 2 pieces of art (in addition to that 35) that were clearly depicting the musical and book art (obvious fans for years, from before cynthia was cast and the movie). So… wheres the line? Do we call out just those 2 who didnt put in a real effort to draw her microbraids? Do we call out all 7 who didnt draw them well? Do we message them privately, even though we really dont know them at all besides this one piece we happened to come across? Do we send them an ask about it and hope they arent malicious? It stands to reason that they KNOW they should put in an effort, theyre in the *obvious* minority of artists in this fandom so… odds are they do not give a fuck about depicting Black hairstyles well. I dont want to make a fuss where its not beneficial, especially as a non black person, for the obvious reasons of how fandoms typically treat black fans. But, there IS an issue, however small a percentage… so wheres the line?

I must admit, this one gave me an off vibe 😅 To one of your concerns, Let me put it this way:

"I know that Nazi will never change his mind, so I'll let him keep speaking loudly in the room where I and everyone else is sitting. It won't make a difference if I say anything to him. If we ignore him, he'll go away."

Is that true?

Or will speaking up let that Nazi know that at least ONE person in the room hears their bullshit and doesn't accept it? Will speaking up let the people in the room that the Nazi was targeting realize that everyone else in the room isn't also a Nazi that condones the way they're being treated? Will it allow them to feel stronger in speaking up? Will it at least show that you are not a fellow Nazi, because your actions are what deliver- and silence and tolerance delivers nothing, in this case?

"Making a fuss where it's not beneficial"- I always say here that my entire purpose is not to change your minds, but to shatter the excuse of your ignorance. I could have always just ended it with "everyone's a goddamn racist for funsies on here and I hate all of you"- because in my experience when we talk about "where's the line" on here, it's almost non-existent for the majority, not the minority! It's incredibly tempting to damn you all!

Instead, I made an entire blog to give people a chance. If I, who actually undergoes the very bigotry I teach about, have the grace to do that for you, I do believe that everyone else can reach inside for the strength to apply and hold accountable. There's always a benefit to speaking up against racism and injustice, even if it's not "changing their mind".

Now, if you genuinely just don't want to do that, then don't- but recognize that that's not because nothing can be done! That said, you don't have to fight every battle, and every battle doesn't have to be a fight! For those who you genuinely think are just "new" or "learning" artists, when you point out the issue, you can offer guidance. "Hey, here's an idea on how to better capture this braid pattern in a way that more accurately reflects Black hair". It doesn't have to be a "callout" off rip. If they don't take it well, then that's on them. That's a reflection of their character, not yours. And as a nonblack person, that is a role in your allyship that is important, because I don't expect Black people to have to show grace and teach to those who do wrong by us.

So no, I can't give you some statistically defined line of "oh this is antiblackness". because it's not that simple and it never has been.

[nalesnik-z-morela]

Good Omens The Final bingo bc i've been having Thoughts sice i watched s1 and s2

About the way of presenting the movie:

🔹Narration like in s1

🔹Minisode(s)? (i'm almost hopeless)

🔹"The present day" boards [btw how tf long are Aziracrow going to be in the divorce??]

🔹S1 and s2 references

🔹New stuff from s1 and s2 we'll understand better/differently after watching the final (like Crowley jokingly pointing some weapon at Aziraphale in s1) (or i hope that w/out reading the book but after watching The Final, for example, it would be more obvious that it was Aziraphale who set this policeman's notes on fire)

Stuff i really hope to see (🔶) and everything else i think would make sense in the series (🔸):

🔶Book references that weren't used yet (well, im pretty sure we'll get those)

🔶Clear Terry Partchett vibes from the book (i need this, the whole fandom does)

🔶Aziracrow dancing waltz to the main theme PLEASE

🔶The dance ending (inspired by "Tango" by S. Mrożek, i will elaborate on that because i came up with beautiful symbolism to this, the link will be here when i make the post)

🔶Aura Centauri reference? (It would make perfect sense with the theory post to-be-linked above at at least two levels)

🔶Aziraphale and Crowley wearing clothes that aren't they usual colours as a symbol of not belonging anymore to Hell or Heaven

🔶"Just enough of a bastard to be worth liking"

🔶"My dear", "dearest" (PLES IM BEGGIN ON MY KNES)

🔶Silly Bible references

🔸The thing opening car window -?? The time corb?

🔸Crowley saving Aziraphale

🔸Or Aziraphale saving Crowley

🔸Aziraphale in Heaven doing Inteligent Stuff™/looking for clues, trying to break the system

🔸Aziraphale getting that the system is broken? Quitting paricipating in it??

🔸They both feeling lonley ;-; (the Bildad episode reference intended)

🔸Crowley stopping time

🔸Or Crowley trying to make time go faster? Or just sleeping? [Fuck nah, that's too depressive] (is it even possible to wake him up if he can sleep any amount of time?)

🔸14th century? Aziraphale alone? (Aziraphale bringing 14th century vibes to the function [Heaven] bc it's the only time he was alone for such long time??)

🔸Crowley not following fashion or trends bc he feels that what he has now is somehow connected to Aziraphale

🔸"Show must go on" by Queen

🔸Aziraphale "falling" (realising Heaven doesn't want everybody's good and neither his, loosing his beliefs in it)

🔸Aziraphale not being able to handle stuff in Heaven and missing Earth (that he misses Crowley is obvious, he will fkn discorporate)

🔸"Nothing lasts forever" in a positive way

🔸Aziracrow holding each other's hands, touching (protectively), physical touch as love language pls ;-;

🔸Other love languages

🔸Aziraphale being protective about Crowley

🔸[Will this be the season where it's Aziraphale of them two who walks first again in the intro? Will they be there together at all? Probably not, maybe they will take turns] (edit: will there even be an intro? I hope so)

🔸The end of Earth? What will it be? Will it happen at all?

🔸The end of Crowley and Aziraphale? (Please don't)

🔸 Aziraphale and Crowley doubting their decision? At least not being sure anymore about it?

🔸Crowley honestly talking about his feelings of any kind

🔸So fkn tired, everyone

🔸Aziraphale being badass (just as in the books), maybe the "fall" would make him be more like this

🔸Aziraphale not being able to think while stressed (like when he made up Jim name, or told angels the Half Miracle was about love etc)

🔸Wings (maybe Aziraphale protecting Crowley from Hell and Crowley protecting Azi from Heaven)

🔸Aziraphale getting suddenly obsessed and lit up over something (like with The Clues, magic tricks, gavotte etc.)

🔸Crowley's flat again

🔸Any Crowley's music besides Queen and The Velvet Underground (because not only he has the Bentley, at his flat he has a whole collection! Ordered alphabetically! We get tones of Aziraphale's books but no Crowley's music. Or am i overlooking something?)

Because i need it and Aziracrow needs it but i'm afraid to hope for it:

🟡Aziraphale and Crowley hugging, embracing (comfortingly, comfortably)

🟡"If performing at the West End doesn't make you a professional conjurer, i don't know what does" paralel but the most honest, from the bottom of heart

🟡"I told you to trust me. And you did!" paralel

🟡Angel and demon dancing on a top of a pin

🟡"Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen (it wouldn't really add much in most contexts i'm imagining but one: as a contrast to those tough, depressive even, times of separation, i just need Aziracrow to have a really good time together, pretty please)

About characters and lore bc im curious (or just because):

◽More Gabriel & Beelzebub content

◽More angel Crowley content

◽Bentley playing Aziraphale's music

◽God

◽The rooftop scene from s2 intro

◽"You get people wet, they're standing in the rain, look each other in the eyes and - vavoom! They realise they were meant for each other" but it's Aziracrow (jk... unless?) (edit: well it actually already happened as im thinking about it now)

◽Adam?????

◽The four horsepeople because the world is ending again (i want those bikers who were behind them in the book to have The Conversation)

◽Characters like Tyler, you know the kind

◽Agness Nutter prophecies?

◽Past apology dance(s)

◽Maggie and Nina seeing that something is definitely not alright, also not knowing where Aziraphale is

◽Muriel learning to interact with people (i mean the process)

◽Aziraphale-Adam paralel: Aziraphale telling God that they're not his parent (the paralel shouldn't be exact but the line should stand, i think)

◽Aziraphale telling God/Heaven that he's a fallen angel (as he thought in the Bildad episode), maybe telling other angels that they are/should be fallen

◽"That is not on!" and present Cowley as contrast paralels (;-;)

◽Stairs to/from Heaven/Hell (not elevators)

◽Why is Metatron a thing

◽What did Metatron need Muriel for (except for replacing Aziraphale)? They're literally waiting to see

◽Who miracled Bentley? Was it Crowley or was it not?

◽Aziraphale's golden marks

◽The 1941 photo

◽I'd like to point out that tartan probably WAS fashionable at some point, what does Crowley think about it? Can we see him in it?

◽Aziraphale lying to God. Again.

◽Is Aziraphale insecure about his body? ("Crowley's" fit while bathing in holy water, his everyday fits, his reaction to Gabriel telling him he's fat etc he's litterally me, no free will in that brain)

◽Did something happen between 1941 and (as far as i remember) 1967 and if so, what was it

◽Miscomunication as a parallel to the wink of the two nuns (or was what we've got everything we're getting?)

◽Nina being silly in a sister Mary way

◽War between Heaven and Hell, before the beginning (also i want to know what monkey Furfur was talking about. Or if it's just me not getting a reference)

◽Creation of Hell, Lucifer and all the demons

◽Time loop?

◽Aziraphale's ring lore (maybe it has something to do with Heaven, i want symbolic stuff with it)

◽Who called Aziraphale to ask about Agnes Nutter's book in s1?

◽Other demons pre fall

◽Heaven lore

[saltminerising]

I’m usually kind of annoyed when a new breed drops and ppl are making those positivity threads about them in response to criticism but in this case I’m really supporting the positivity threads because they’re being made in response to fatphobia. every ‘criticism’ I’ve seen has just been people complaining about the dragon being fat. which isn’t criticism it’s just you being weird and shitty.. with the other recent ancient breeds there’s been legitimate things to criticize (auraboa lore, dusthides looking halfbaked) but in this case it just bothers me a lot to see people act like they’re just ‘criticizing a design’ or ‘criticizing lineart’ and they’re definitely just complaining about everlux being fat. someday yall are going to realize how obvious you are lol..

i like the dragon even more knowing it pisses off people in light.

Dear everyone who are crying about the new breed and telling others who enjoy it that their enjoyment of the breed offends you: It's time to leave your computer and go touch grass

As soon as the disappointment thread unlocked I think some people must have deleted their posts lol. Feeling shame after posting something gross? Good, you deserve it

flight rising users will see something that looks like a maggot and write 1500 words about why you're literally evil if you dislike it

salt to all the "light flight purists" like omgggg. this doesn't match your perfect flight aesthetic that you made up? dont buy any then. easy. how do you think plague and nature feel sharing a modern. and you have two!! 2 moderns!!! please stop complaining, you have three lovely dragon designs.

after witnessing this whole clown show, i think my main takeaway is that you have to be SUCH a strong person to be an official FR artist

I'm well hydrated from lapping up the tears of the snobby Skydancer f pose silk lovers sobbing about the Everluxes being fat bugs. Keep on crying you pitiful weaklings.

"deviated so far from other dragons of the flight" genuinely what other flight besides light's moderns has dragons that are similar to each other. Like just ice maybe and even then the vibes of the two different fluffy dragons are very different. Skydancers and spirals? Wildclaws and auraboas? Coatls and banescale? Why now is it suddenly unacceptable to have a different looking dragon 🤨 If it was yet another vaguely 'majestic' dragon with whiskers and a mane that would be incredibly boring sorry. And I love imps and pcs. Would not have wanted a third one however

I hope every breed ever released in the future is fat, just to spite the people pissed off that they didn't get Lanky Snake number 873.

[ksfnmoments]

SHADOWs of GHOST Character Playlist💜

Heyo! So I’ve been working on this over the course of the year, typically having some days where I go on a rabbit hole to find songs and then other times just throwing songs in as I hear them and see them fit. It’s finally at a place where everyone has a fair amount of music to share: I’ve been aiming for 3-5 per character and have finally reached that.

Everyone involved is a major character of the SHADOWs of GHOST trilogy, which includes: E.G.O vs A.L.T.E.R, GHOST vs SHADOW agents, and the Drifters. My goal was to find music with lyrical meanings that I thought fit my headcanons/interpretations of the skins, or music that fit their general vibes (but not necessarily music I think they’d listen to, though I did try to keep it to genres I associate with them). I’ve been fairly picky with every song and though most of them are carefully and intentionally chosen, a few are them are biases from my own music taste/favorite artists (The Warning, A7X, tøp).

I’m aiming for everyone to have 5 songs in the end and will continuously be updating (and sharing the updates as I do, hopefully). Currently, the ones who don’t have 5 are: Maya, Jules, Outcast, Riptide, Chic, Rue

Fusion and Chaos Agent are included, with Fusion having only 3 and Chaos Agent only having 1. Chaos Agent’s one song is intentional; I’m satisfied with Fusion’s only 3 but this might change.

Without further ado, here’s the individual list (with occasional comments :))

GHOST

Midas

The Fever - Foreign Figures

Glitter & Gold - Barns Courtney

Only One King - Tommee Profitt, Jung Youth

Feeling Good - Michael Bublé (a classic and obvious choice, if a bit cliche)

Gold - Imagine Dragons

Brutus

Indestructible - Disturbed

All Eyes On You - Smash Into Pieces

M.I.A - Avenged Sevenfold

This Is What I Live For - Graffiti Ghosts

Fight For My Survival - The Phantoms

Brutus was one of the more difficult ones to choose songs for, I’m not sure why. I’m not 100% satisfied but I don’t hate it either; Indestructible is really the only 100%.

TNTina

Take Cover - UNSECRET, Emily Kopp

Bomber - Girlschool

S!CK - The Warning

The Trouble - Club Danger

I Come Alive - Dorothy

Meowscles

‘Till I Collapse - Eminem, Nate Dogg

Ready For It - J.Pollock, Manwell

Ready To Play - Club Danger

Die For You - The Siege

Undefeated - Skillet

Skye

It Is What It Is - Jenna Raine

Irony - majiko

Cloudy Day - Tones And I

Wildflowers - Maddie Poppe

The Pines - Roses & Revolutions

Maya

Younger - The Aces

Best Excuse - Saint Chaos

Hero - Halestorm

After The Storm - Kali Uchis, Tyler, The Creator, Bootsy Collins

[Gravity - Against The Current] (Still unsure on this one, replaced again&again and I want to stick to Against The Current here.)

Drifters

Jules

overwhelmed - Royal & The Serpent

Conversations - Marney

Idle Worship - Paramore

Gasoline - Halsey

CHOKE - The Warning (bias pick but I also feel it fits her story well.)

Ocean

Protector - City Wolf

Wildfire - The Warning

I Am The Fire - Halestorm

Born For This - The Score

Warrior Inside - Leader

Fade

Last Semester - twenty one pilots

Feel Good Inc. Gorillaz

Bad Habit - Steve Lacy

Dynasties & Dystopia (from Arcane) - Denzel Curry, Gizzle, Bren Joy

Butterflies & Hurricanes - Muse

Fade’s songs are entirely based on vibes if I’m being honest, though I believe Last Semester/Butterflies & Hurricanes do fit more than that. I actually do see him listening to Gorillaz and twenty one pilots :)

Kit

Running Free - Iron Maiden

Riot - Three Days Grace

Burn It Down - Skillet

Welcome To The Family - Avenged Sevenfold

Get Up - All Good Things

Cute little kitten’s built-in emote is rock/metal in game, so I had to incorporate it into his music here. A7X is for vibes and bias; okay maybe most of the songs besides Running Free are for vibes.

Siona

Runaway - AURORA

Subterranean Homesick Alien - Radiohead

Starlight - Muse

Saturn - SZA

No Roots - Alice Merton

Eternal Knight

Noble Blood - Tommee Profitt, Fleurie

Ruins - Ella Isaacson

One Time - King Crimson

Throne - Saint Mesa

Breath of Life - Florence + The Machine

I tried the hardest to match vibes with meanings for her songs for some reason, which was slightly difficult because she’s a knight and so I wanted the vibes to reflect the medieval theme. I feel Ruins kind of breaks that but the meaning fit too well with her journey and falling out with the knights.

E.G.O

Journey

Mountains - We Are All Fossils

Stand By You - Rachel Platten (biased because it’s one of my personal anthems)

Pocketful of Sunshine - Natasha Bedingfield (Journey’s personality is like the definition of sunshine so)

This Mountain - Faouzia

Marigolds - early eyes

Turk

Eye of the Tiger - Survivor

Angler - The Rills (entirely vibes + the title)

It’s My Life - Bon Jovi

Ride On - AC/DC

Somewhere Only We Know - Keane

The decision for Turk to have mainly classic rock was so easy, but not as easy for me to incorporate because I don’t listen to a lot of classic rock. Regardless I’m satisfied with the choice :)

8-Ball

Rain (from The Suicide Squad) - grandson, Jessie Reyez

Raise My Flag - ill Factor, Graham Cochrane

Losing Blood - Weathers

Stressed Out - twenty one pilots

The Unforgiven II - Metallica

Give this guy a hug bro

Remedy

Gilded Lily - Cults

Free To Decide - The Cranberries

CROW - UPIKO

Taking Care of Things - Cavetown

anemone - BAND-MAID

Give her a hug too wow. As a medical professional she’s seen a lot, and in my headcanon backstory she went through some rough patches growing up. These things made up the choices of pretty much the first four songs. anemome is a bias pick because I’m obsessed with the song, but also because I headcanon her as Japanese alongside 8-Ball and Scratch.

Cameo

Ready Or Not - HAYZ

Me Too - Meghan Trainor (such an obvious pick when i finally heard the song again)

Machine - Misterwivez

Make It Look Easy - Valley of Wolves

Little Girl Gone - CHINCHILLA

Outcast

Airhead - Honey Revenge

Six Feet Deep - Neoni, Besomorph

Walking on Water - Astyria

Running with the Wild Things - Against The Current

DISCIPLE - The Warning

A.L.T.E.R/SHADOW

Toxin

Maybe, I - Des Rocs

Used To The Darkness - Des Rocs

In The Shadows - Amy Stroup

Cold Blood - Valen

Pick Your Poison - Black Pistol Fire

Hazard

OUTLAW - Neoni

Never Say Die - Neoni

Cynical - Emei

yes & no - XYLØ

Fallin’ - Your Neighbors

Riptide

Get Over It - The Eagles

Leading The Pack - Sam Tinnesz

Come and Get It from Me - Sun Heat

The Hunter - Adam Jensen

Don't Follow - Alice In Chains

Scratch

Last Man Standing - Graffiti Ghosts

Winner - Walgrove

Hustler - Zayde Wølf

Run This Town - Konata Small, Zayde Wølf

Reckless - JAXSON GAMBLE

The last two are also shared with Zadie—I like to imagine them as an epic assassin/mercenary duo before Scratch gets tied up with the Alter Ego stuff.

Chic

Hush - The Marías

Smile For The Camera - UPSAHL

Bubblegum Bitch - MARINA

O.D.D - Hey Violet

Messy - Lola Young

Sorana

Hit and Run - LOLO

Teach Me To Fight - YONAKA

Traitor - Daughtry

Are You Ready? - Kat Meoz

Bad Reputation - Joan Jett

Rue

god sent me as karma - emlyn

Crystallised - The XX

Back With A Vengeance - Portals

mother tongue - liana flores

Technically, her whole thing is vengeance based on her skin description but in SoG there’s a little more than that going on. I already have two vengeance songs and I don’t want to make all of it about revenge. There was another song but I removed it for that reason.

Fusion

Misfit Lunatic - MISSIO

The One To Survivor - Hidden Citizens, Josh Bruce Williams

Rebel Renegade - Tommee Profitt - Beacon Light

Chaos Agent

The Reckoning - UNSECRET, Matthew Perryman Jones

And finally, what felt like the one and most obvious choice for Chaos Agent.

Thanks for checking this list out! As I said I will continue updating it as I find the last few songs or switch ones out if I see fit. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays or Happy Wednesday everyone!! Have some good food, enjoy time with family, and overall have a great day <3

[rawliverandgoronspice]

I absolutely love your analysis of the gerudo and Ganondorf because they put into words what bothers me about how TOTK portrays Ganondorf. That being they remove his agency as a character in favor of having some great evil against the good guys.

[Major story spoilers ahead for the end of the game]

At the end of the game, when you’ve defeated Ganondorf, he swallows the secret stone and becomes a dragon, like Zelda, fully knowing the consequences of what happens when that happens. And it’s just kinda left me with a bitter taste in my mouth? In the context of the story it makes sense, he’s portrayed as a egomaniac who just wants to destroy Hyrule. But compared to other versions of him, this one just feels more openly biased against him and the gerudo, with no reason or justification other than “he’s evil, hate him.” As far as I can tell… They never really show us that he’s done anything horrible or deserving of being feared before the show of fealty cutscene, other than not submit to Hyrule, attack them once, and generally have bad vibes. It feels forced how much they want us to hate him and the people who follow him. I’m not saying character in video games always have to be nuanced or complex but comparing like, Wind Waker Ganondorf next to TOTK Ganondorf…. 🙃 Waste of an excellent design imo.

Heyyy sorry for being a billion years late with this ask!! I was busy finishing the game!!! among other things!!! Thank you so much for your kind words, I'm super happy it resonated with you in that way!

I mean, the whole draconification plot beat doesn't really work for me. Like yeah, sure it's sad that Zelda is now a giant dragon and it's cool to have her soaring above your head while you have no idea where she actually is (a situation that isn't nearly tapped into enough in the narrative imo, like it gets obvious way too fast if you happen upon the wrong memory, etc), and I actually think the whole sequence of you removing the Master Sword from her head was the best scene in the entire game in terms of mood and emotions --even THOUGH it would have been so much better with a stronger story and stronger stakes-- BUT. How does that build up thematically?

I think what doesn't work for the Zelda side of this plot point (I'll get to Ganon next) is that... she doesn't make that choice. It's not like she's being tempted by an easy way out and decides to sacrifice herself for the sake of Hyrule or Link or whoever: she has no choice in the matter. Her powers activate (?? somehow? once and never again also, talk about dropped plot threads), she finds herself in the past, is the passive witness to a bunch of shit that only tangientially relates to her --it's like she's visiting estranged family in a foreign country and watch their drama awkwardly before being dragged into it against her will even though she was just trying to renew her passport and get back home (if there had been any callback to her relationship with her father it would have landed better, but it's just completely ignored so vOv). Then her relatives all die or corrupt or something, and she still can't get back home. What is she meant to do besides draconify? Grow old and die in the past? What would that accomplish?? Her adventures in the past are just basically about solving a shrine puzzle with a particularly weird solution --but the game treats it like a huge sacrifice when it's basically her only way out, and she lost absolutely nothing making that sacrifice (and then she... cries about the weird family drama? sure. Honestly I think it would have worked better if the tears were Rauru's, it's his bullshit everyone is dealing with right? He's the one who feels broken and aggrieved by the whole thing.)

So, if we ignore the draconification precedent builds up to zero thing thematically beyond cheap drama that reveals nothing about neither the characters nor the world, I think Ganondorf's case is a little more compelling because he does make a choice here: dying as he tries to achieve his weird lofty goals (and fail), or postpone his victory eternally by sacrificing his objectives but reject death and defeat --while also barring himself from victory. In a better crafted story, this could be utterly excellent and it feels very Ganondorf to me. BUT, my beef with that plot beat isn't that he chooses the second option, making him kinda active for the first time in the entire game (and makes an appropriate hideous smile: *loved* this second one, the first one didn't land for me but this one really captures the ecstatic insanity and transcendance and desperate madness of the act --I have nothing against Ganondorf offputting smiles and cackles when they feel earned, and the Sonia one just... doesn't to me, it just feels like weird rigging and mesh deformation choices getting out of control).

My problem is that his existence as a dragon contradicts everything we knew about dragons before --both for him and for Zelda. I thought the big issue with draconification was that you'd lose yourself to the act entirely, and would become this sort of organic landmark of infinite power and eternal life but without will to act on your precedent goals and understanding of yourself. But the second the big man becomes an evil dragon, suddenly Zelda zips in to the rescue (apparently remembering who you are? understanding she's meant to fight Ganondorf? I mean, this kind of works emotionally as a climactic ending and the power of love or whatever, again it would have worked better in a better story), and Ganondorf is still very much into destroying the world as well as you and Zelda.

Also, he's very definitively mortal (and he has the stone on his head again? And so if you destroy it you destroy his immortality? why???)

So... What I dislike here is the suggestion that he was somehow so evil and rotten and bad that all of these rare moments of interesting worldbuilding and ambivalence gets completely swallowed in the bossfight logic, making his choice (and Zelda's) completely meaningless in retrospect.

also: let Zelda remain a dragon you cowards, that way Hyrule gets any sort of chance to escape and reimagine its horrying eternal monarchy instead of re-establishing it even harder than before!!!

[mariana-oconnor]

The Beryl Coronet pt 2

We continue the tale of Mr Holder, who last time made an astonishingly bad sequence of decisions that ended in him accusing his son of theft and handing him over to the police.

And I definitely, in no way decided arbitrarily that other characters were guilty. There was evidence. I presented it.

Mary did fail the vibe check. Although I do sort of support her given that a) she was stealing from the state/the royal family, and it's not like they can't afford it b) apparently her uncle wants her to marry her cousin and c) I want her to break out of the conventional Victorian gentlewoman mould the narrative is painting her into.

Sure, if she's guilty, she's causing a national crisis, but really Bertie, Prince of Wales, did that already, she's just leading everyone else's dumb ideas to their inevitable conclusions. Can we really blame her for that?

Yes, we probably can. And it does seem likely that the (not at all an archfey) Sir George Burnwell may be manipulating her into it, which would detract from her agency in the matter.

I suppose it could still be Lucy the maid, but I still think it's more likely that Arthur is covering for Mary.

“She is of a quiet nature. Besides, she is not so very young. She is four-and-twenty.”

She is a baby.

Also, she doesn't go out and Sir George Burnwell has been around 'several times lately'. Yep.

But yeah, this does twist it more towards a 'Georgie has been manipulating and grooming a young sheltered girl' and less 'Mary is breaking out of her societal prison with a jewel heist.' Pity.

“Terrible! She is even more affected than I.”

Yeah, he took the jewels and ran off and left her.

Well, let's all hope he dies in a shipwreck.

"If his purpose were innocent, why did he not say so?” “Precisely. And if it were guilty, why did he not invent a lie?"

Guy's too damn honourable for his own good. Refuses to lie, refuses to condemn the woman he loves. It would be romantic if not for the whole... cousins sort of raised as siblings thing. She calls your father 'dad'... that's weird. Maybe not weird for the time. But it feels weird.

“What did the police think of the noise which awoke you from your sleep?” “They considered that it might be caused by Arthur's closing his bedroom door.” “A likely story! As if a man bent on felony would slam his door so as to wake a household."

I love how outraged Holmes is by this theory. The exclamation mark is perfect. Of course, the door might have been slammed by the wind, but then you wouldn't go and steal the gems immediately, you'd wait until you were sure people weren't getting up.

"Consider what is involved by your theory. You suppose that your son came down from his bed, went, at great risk, to your dressing-room, opened your bureau, took out your coronet, broke off by main force a small portion of it, went off to some other place, concealed three gems out of the thirty-nine, with such skill that nobody can find them, and then returned with the other thirty-six into the room in which he exposed himself to the greatest danger of being discovered. I ask you now, is such a theory tenable?"

I confess that the guilt of the banker's son appeared to me to be as obvious as it did to his unhappy father, but still I had such faith in Holmes' judgment that I felt that there must be some grounds for hope as long as he was dissatisfied with the accepted explanation.

Once you have jumped to a conclusion, any evidence to the contrary, no matter how ridiculous it may make your theory look, must be completely dismissed.

I'm not being fair. Caught holding the remains of the coronet is not a good look. But if they can't find the missing beryls, then clearly someone else must be involved at least.

Disregarding my presence, she went straight to her uncle and passed her hand over his head with a sweet womanly caress.

The phrase 'sweet womanly caress' upsets me on a fundamental level. But also it makes me really want Mary to be the villain of the piece. Like, I'm 90% sure that Burnwell has done a runner, but I want Mary to have set some part of this in motion just so she can scream and go a little feral, y'know, as a treat.

I kind of want her to catch up with Burnwell, maybe make sure the police catch him with one of the gems, then take the other two and go off on her own.

“But I am so sure that he is innocent. You know what woman's instincts are. I know that he has done no harm and that you will be sorry for having acted so harshly.”

Woman's instincts or... knowing he's innocent because you're the one who is guilty?

“You have a maid who has a sweetheart? I think that you remarked to your uncle last night that she had been out to see him?” “Yes, and she was the girl who waited in the drawing-room, and who may have heard uncle's remarks about the coronet.” “I see. You infer that she may have gone out to tell her sweetheart, and that the two may have planned the robbery.”

But why would Arthur protect the maid? Also, I feel like Mary is a little too eager to push the possibility of Lucy's guilt here. She adds that bit about the drawing-room all by herself. Yes, she seems concerned about Arthur, but still... she's very much been leaving all the breadcrumbs about Lucy.

Lucy makes sense as a suspect apart from why Arthur would be covering for her. Unless offpage they are having a romance, despite him having canonically proposed to Mary multiple times, then I just don't see that happening. But then we have also been told that canonically Mary dislikes Burnwell. There is clearly a secret romantic relationship somewhere in this tale. I'm inclined to think Burnwell (who has been noted as a wrong'un) rather than Lucy.

“Which key was used to open it?” he asked. “That which my son himself indicated—that of the cupboard of the lumber-room.”

If Mary locks up at night, she also has access to all the keys. Just saying.

“Then I will.” Holmes suddenly bent his strength upon it, but without result. “I feel it give a little,” said he; “but, though I am exceptionally strong in the fingers, it would take me all my time to break it."

Even Holmes, who once bent an iron poker back to straight again, cannot break off a part of the coronet on his own. So... struggle.

"I understand that you give me carte blanche to act for you, provided only that I get back the gems, and that you place no limit on the sum I may draw.”

Considering the sums of money involved in this story, I fear that Mr Holder is going to be left bankrupt even if he does recover the jewels. Buying them back might be the only way to recover them. But maybe he won't have to actually buy them, just pretend to be willing to buy them in order to lure Burnwell in. (I'm pretty sure Francis Prosper, the one-legged greengrocer is not involved, but I hope he and Lucy are happy).

He hurried to his chamber and was down again in a few minutes dressed as a common loafer. With his collar turned up, his shiny, seedy coat, his red cravat, and his worn boots, he was a perfect sample of the class.

And Holmes is in disguise again! Always fun to play dress up. I assume he is fact gathering in order to work out where Burnwell is and how to reach him to try to 'buy' the gems, but I have no idea why this particular disguise is the way to go.

I'm not sure how happily this can end, as the coronet itself has already been broken, so there is clear evidence of it having been tampered with. I fear that Bertie is going to have to have a little chat with his mother about this. Clearly it's going badly so far.

[nateslehky]

⭐ cribbage fic? either part I love them both

below a cut cause it got a lil long :) fic for reference

come into my ask box and ask for the “director’s commentary” on a particular story, section of a story, or set of lines. 

Or, send in a ⭐star⭐  to have me select a section they’ve been dying to talk about!

so one thing i struggled most with in this fic is the conflict that happens near the end where nate is jealous and a bit a dick about it. because my overall goal for this fic was for it to be lighthearted and silly (it's about cribbage lmfao), but i also wanted the emotions/actions to feel real and authentic, and part of that is nate being an asshole. so this scene, in particular from nate's pov , was interesting to write just because i needed to find that balance of lighthearted-but-still-real-and-believable-emotions-and-actions.

There’s a stirring in Nate’s gut as he sits across from Cale at the restaurant, both of them donning nice clothes while the flickering candles cast the table in a warm glow. [this is the first time in a bit nate and cale have interacted outside of the rink, and nate's struggling with that especially cause cale is ohhhh so cute] Nate can’t help but wonder if this is the outfit Cale would actually wear on a date to a restaurant like this instead of just a team dinner—or Teamsgiving, as Gabe insists on calling it. 

He’s in snug dress pants that hug his ass and a soft, cozy cashmere sweater. [there's a lot more detail in this scene from nate's pov vs cale's, and part of that is because i wrote cale's first so i already had something to work with/fill in, but also cale as a narrator is pretty oblivious to what's going on, like that's kinda the whole vibe of the fic. oblivious and in love.] He looks very datable. [i deliberately included this in nate's pov because in cale's pov of this scene, when nate call's him out he thinks 'Especially coming from Nate. Who clearly thinks Cale is undateable on principle.' it's a direct parralell and another indication that these two are sooooooo stupid at telling how the other feels lol]

So much so, that if Nate were to ignore the rest of the team, he could almost pretend he and Cale were on an actual date. That is, if they were actually talking right now. Which they aren’t, not really. [and whose fault is that, nathan?]

Nate’s chest aches. [oh right, yours]

Beside Nate, EJ is ranting about the complexities of whatever absurdly expensive wine he ordered, but it’s going in one ear and out the other. [more about ej later, but i liked adding him into this scene a lot lol]

Nate does try to listen, but he’s too distracted by Cale and the way he is somehow completely oblivious to the fact that the waitress is definitely flirting with him. She laughs at his polite comments, her hand lingering on his arm as she flicks her hair behind her ear. It’s obvious to everyone at the table, except apparently to Cale. [obviously from cale's pov we get that he's oblivious to this. to him, she's just being polite and doing her job, and he is being polite in return. it mirrors the fact that cale is also completely oblivious to nate's feelings towards him, which of course is something nate doesn't even consider in this moment (or ever)]

Nate’s trying—and failing—to ignore it. 

“She’s cute, Cale,” says Mikko after the waitress leaves. “If you ask her out, I think she’d be into it.”

Nate stills, gripping the stem of his wine glass harder than he should. Mikko is correct, she definitely would, but that doesn’t mean he has to say that. He slams back a gulp of his wine, ignoring EJ’s instructions on the proper way to taste the intricacies of its flavor.

Cale flushes, embarrassed, color rising high on his cheeks and low down his neck, below the collar of his sweater. [nate thinks cale is blushing because he likes the girl or thinks she's pretty etc etc.... cue ensuing jealousy]

Nate frowns, the wine tasting bitter on his tongue, matching his attitude.

“Cale doesn’t date,” he says before Cale can answer. [from cale's pov, this is the first time we're even made aware of nate in this scene. cale's entirely oblivious to both the waitress and nate and meanwhile it's all nate can think about lol]

Across from him, Cale takes a sip of his wine, then says, “I date.”

Something suffocates Nate’s chest then, his heart squeezing tight. [Even as Nate does this it makes him feel like shit and he's aware of that, but does it anyway cause he's stupid (both in general and about Cale)]

“No, you don’t,” says Nate firmly. 

He isn’t sure where this is coming from, this necessity to make it clear that Cale isn’t dating anyone. The urge to press him, goad him into admitting something Nate knows is correct. [nate is incredibly desperate to be correct in this situation and we all know why lol. his actions stem from a fear that he isn't correct and this guy he's been crushing on is actually in love with someone else.]

“Yes, I do,” says Cale immediately, voice firm.

Who the fuck is he taking on dates? He has never once mentioned a girl to Nate or to anyone else, not in the locker room, not during team outings, not anywhere. That is something Nate would definitely remember. [in both povs of this fic, there's moments/line like this that make the reader aware that both these guys are fucking idiots and they're obviously hanging out a lot even though both of them act like they aren't. Nate knows Cale, both as a teammate and as a friend, and besides the obvious jealousy, there's also a sense of hurt because if cale were dating he would've expected cale to have told him, as a friend, because they're friends.]

“All you do is talk about your stupid board game and the books you read and the shit you get from grocery stores.” [again, this line is another indication that they actually talk quite a bit. and nate pays attention to what cale says. and even though he's an asshole about it in this moment, he actually very much enjoys and finds their conversations interesting]

The screech of Cale’s chair as he pushes away from the table causes Nate to flinch, but he sits still, acutely aware that everyone else has fallen silent. EJ glances between Cale and Nate, his wine glass in his hand, looking bewildered. [i adore EJ in this scene and had a lot of fun writing him in. in cale's pov he isn't mentioned at all except for when cale hear's him say "the hell was that" (and doesn't even know it's ej saying it), but adding him into Nate's pov was a lot of fun and i think it helped break-up the asshole-y behavior from nate's internal monologue in a fun way and kept it more light hearted]

Cale grips the edge of the table, his knuckles turning white. “I go on plenty of dates, Nate,” he says, his voice shaking slightly. “Just because I don’t talk about them doesn’t mean they don’t happen.” [this is obviously, as we know from cale's pov, a lie. and nate, deep down, knows it is, but there's also a part of him that wonders and latches onto the belief that it isn't]

Momentarily, Nate deflates, feeling as though he kicked a puppy. He hates the look in Cale’s eyes and he hates that he’s the one that caused it, but the whole team is watching them now, and he refuses to back down. [nathan is nothing if not stubborn] He crosses his arms and smirks, but there’s something coiling in his gut, causing him to shift uncomfortably. [even, and often especially, to his own detriment]

Cale storms away, and Nate swallows before delicately grabbing his wine and taking a sip. [he's trying to play it cool. like it's no big deal that cale's dating and that he wasn't just a bit of a dick]

“The hell was that?” asks EJ, breaking the silence that has fallen over the table. [ej's statement, of course, calls out both of these things haha]

that's where cale's pov of this scene ends, but i enjoyed writing this next bit because as a whole, i think the team is both used to and also doesn't put up with nate's shit. so him acting like this, while weird, is not entirely surprising, even if most of them don't know the context

“Yes, Nate,” says Gabe coldly. “What the hell was that?” [gabe obviously does know the context]

Nate shrugs, looking around at the guys, but no one really meets his eyes. 

“I’m right. You all know I’m right.” Please tell me I’m right. “Cale doesn’t date.” [this calls back to the beginning of the scene and reminds the reader that nate's doing this out of almost desperation because he's scared the boy he likes not only doesn't like him back, but likes someone else instead]

ok ok i'll call this quits here, but this was so much fun! thank you for sending <3