#IT DOES NOT MAKE THEM ANY LESS WONDERFUL!

[luxcuriousao3]

inspired by/continuation of this by @rawme-price

You don’t know what you did to make your pack hate you.

But they do hate you, of that, you’re certain. It’s been weeks of avoidance, of glaring when they see you, of “accidentally” hitting you too hard during spars. Ghost and Gaz seem to hate you the most, but you can’t be sure, because you’ve barely even seen Soap in weeks, and whenever you do, he refuses to make eye contact with you, his tail tucked between his legs. Price is slightly less antagonistic, but there is no more warmth in his interactions with you, all of them coldly professional.

It’s tearing you up inside.

You’re considering putting in for a transfer when the news comes—you’re being loaned out to the Americans for a mission that will take several weeks, maybe months. No one else from the 141 will be coming with you.

You hold off on your transfer request, as a favor to Laswell, who apparently personally recommended you. You know it likely won’t be accepted until after the mission is finished, anyway.

You’re up and on the tarmac at 05:00. None of your pack comes to say goodbye.

As the helo lifts off, you feel the bonds you’d formed with each and every one of them—once so strong and a great source of comfort—break, unable to hold up under the strain of rejection any longer. It’s agony, but it’s freedom, too, in a way. 

Johnny wakes up with a pained gasp, clawing at his chest as he shoots up in bed. Beside him, Simon sits up sharply as well, reaching for the gun under his pillow before realizing the room is empty.

“Just a nightmare,” he soothes his sergeant, heart breaking at the horrible whines coming from him. He pulls Johnny close, kissing the crown of his head. “S’olright, Soap. Go back ta sleep.”

And Soap does, the ache in his chest slowly fading, but never quite disappearing entirely. He wonders what he was dreaming of, to have such an intense reaction…

[rafeslvbug]

was just thinking about military!rafe reacting to lovebug reader and one of the twins telling her to shut up, as a joke, since she saw it was a trend going around!

you knew it was dangerous to even suggest the idea. but callum was all for it. grins and giggles, watermelon slice in hand, water dripping down his hand.

carrying the remaining tray of fruit slices in your hand, you ushered your son out behind you, into the backyard where rafe was occupied playing a game of tag with his son, easily scooping emerson into his arm. he hauls emerson over to you and callum, the little boy laughing and trying to get out of his dad’s hold.

“callum! baby, come back here!” you call out to your other twin, who’d begun to wonder off with his fruit as planned.

he continues to march away, and rafe looks down at him through his sunglasses but chooses not to intervene; sometimes you like to handle this stuff by yourself. “callum!” you repeat, but this time, he whips back around.

his best annoyed face, something he practiced inside the house multiple times, your son yells back, “shut up!”

rafe tenses. emerson’s set on the ground. silent. rafe’s immediate anger can be sensed from a mile away. it’s a shrouded look, hidden under his sunglasses, but it doesn’t make it any less effective. the way his muscles bulge when he crosses them over his chest. voice stern when he orders, “come here. now.”

you’re silently praying callum isn’t terrified, but when he stomps over to his dad, you know he isn’t. it makes you wonder how much of a troublemaker he’ll be for rafe when he’s older. you exchange looks with emerson, who shuffles behind you, munching on a watermelon slice you hand him.

rafe crouches down to callum. “when did you decide talkin’ to your momma like that was acceptable? hm?” his voice is low, careful like he’s waiting for his son to say the wrong thing.

callum shrugs.

rafe’s jaw ticks.

“i asked you a question son, you’ll give me a proper damn answer!” his voice raises slightly, and callum glances at you. rafe doesn’t miss it. his eyes dart over to your ill-contained smile, hand over your mouth.

his eyes squint. “what don’t i know?” you break into soft giggles, and so does callum, watermelon around his mouth. rafe rolls his eyes, standing up straight. “what don’t i know?” he reiterates, agitated.

“i made him say that…” you smile sheepishly, giving him a light-hearted shrug. rafe scoffs, shaking his head, looking back down at callum. “in that case…sorry soldier, i blame your momma.”

callum grins up at his dad, mouthful of watermelon, “it’s okay.”

“swallow your food and speak,” he grumbles about table manners, pulling you closer by the waist, pressing a kiss to your cheek. “what’re you teachin’ our kids? how to be a pain in my ass?”

“of course,” you beam, and rafe chuckles, oressing another soft kiss to your lips. “oh! and good job baby!” you give callum a thumbs up, before he runs off with emerson onto the trampoline.

“don’t encourage him.”

[namilettes]

hello vro .

I LOVE your writing oh my lords ,, esp the yandere ones !!

Speaking offf,,,,, would you be so kind to write some yandere 1x fanfics ,,? Heheeh,,,,,,,

YANDERE 1x1x1x1 X READER HEADCANONS

SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR 1x CONTENT????? YOU GREMLINS ARE THE DEATH OF ME)))

hi soggynugget!!!!!!! THANK YOU YOUR WORDS MEAN A LOT TO ME :BROKEN_HEART:

I have a 1x1x1x1 NSFW alphabet incoming but they take a while to make so I'm currently writing off the less task-requiring requests, like this! I love making headcanons for all of my followers!! Feel free to ask for a full fanfic but I made a headcanon list + a drabble for now :')

1x1x1x1 is genderfluid, in this fic i'm using He/Him and masc for them!!

warnings: abuse, blood/murder, abduction, slight non-con.

YANDERE 1x1x1x1 HEADCANONS

For a dude that's quite literally made to serve purpose only for pure hatred, he sure felt threatened when he first saw you

As he gripped his sword, he felt his breath latch onto his throat.

he hated it.

he abSOLUTELY fucking hated.

he was practically ''programmed'' to thrive only for hatred.

You awakening a new emotion in him triggered his fight or flight response.

Soon enough you noticed that he started to target you each round.

because in his head the only way to get rid of these emotions was to exterminate them

but it made it worse, the closer he got, all the whimpers he gained from you every time he penetrated your chest with his blade- it drove him further into fascination.

each glance he got of your face-

it was too much, the targeting soon turned into full on avoiding

to the point you won each round.

seriously you could see this dude looking at his wrist acting like he had a watch on it

he didnt have a watch

every time he sleeps he has dreams of having stupid tea parties with you

and.. other nights he dreams of corrupting you, making you his, taking away your innocence for him to keep.

yeah every time he has THOSE dreams he snaps awake wondering what the fuck is wrong with him.

soon enough he talks to Noli about how he's felt these past few weeks.

Noli lowkey laughs and points at him

he doesn't hesitate to tell 1x that he has a crush on a survivor.

1x CRASHES OUT and accuses him of lying, that he would never like a puny mortal like a survivor paying time for their sins in purgatory hell

though he eventually comes to terms with

yeah i like this person.

still doesnt make him hate the fact any less though.

seeing you interact with other survivors makes him- seethe.

one time, during last man standing, he uses his entanglement on you.

and oh boy does he feel the rush of adrenaline.

he runs his fingers against your chest, the claw like nails tearing a hole.

He gasps out a chuckle of excitement, he couldn't kill you now, no, not like this.

and poof, the spectre has awarded a new plaything for 1x.

you spend most of your time in his quarters.

everytime he comes back, he scans VERY hard to make sure you havent gotten any smarter to escape his claws.

In the past he's always been treated roughly as the offspring of Telamon. Never really had anyone to rely on so if you do anything to show him the slightest bit of love everything will become worse for you.

if you stay silent, he'll crash out and yell at you, tell you how because of him your living situation is a lot better and how you can't even appreciate that.

grabs you by the hair, and talking about the same corruption i brought up earlier, definitely forcefully steals your kiss

despite not having any romance in his life this dude is an absolute god at kissing and handling you????

leaves marks all over you so that theyre SUPER evident, definitely forces you to go back to the survivors, tell them that you and 1x are wed to be together now and watch as they turn their backs on you so you lose all hope and can only rely on him now.

definitely doesn't take no as an answer, all he cares about is corrupting you and keeping you at a rank underneath him so he can keep you as his personal pet.

as much as he likes you, to him that means you must obey him to keep you 'safe'

even though he hurts you on the daily.

scans your reactions thoroughly whenever he brings you food

like this man doesn't wanna ask you about your favourite things because he thinks its pathetic

literally doing anything but the bare minimum

brochacho literally just goes all on assumption and randomly walks in with a piece of something he thinks is your favourite.

''you behaved rather well today. Here, i brought your favourite.''

smacks the plate infront of you. Even if it isnt your favourite which is highly unlikely- since.. this dude is actually really good at analyzing you?

if you dont eat it then he smacks your face, like ROUGH.

leaves you alone in the dark for HOURS upon hours, maybe even a day so that you grow attached to him as your only source of comfort.

has a tendency to threaten you with ''i can always replace you, do so much better.''

just to make you appreciate being alive, and it works all the time.

#masteratmakingyoudevelopstockholmsyndrome.

Yan!1x1x1x1 x reader

[Don't ruin what we have.]

It's been almost a day now, the ropes grinding against all your limbs, you've tried crawling around trying to find ANYTHING to let you escape. The blindfold on your face doesn't help things at all, you keep hearing C00lkidd's exclamations as he begs uncle Noli to play with him from.. Downstairs? You can't really tell as the noise around you keeps shifting.

You find a handle- after hours of crawling around and using your teeth. You use what you suspect to be a door handle to gently lift the blindfold off your face, even the dark room hurting your eyes after not seeing anyone. Suddenly you appreciate your eyesight a lot more than you ever have.

Your hands were still bound behind you, your ankle as well, you could only crawl or hop around really funky. Having an estimated 50 bruises on your legs, or at least that's how it felt like... Your small sobs were pathetic to anyone's ears innocent or guilty.

The blindfold slipped just low enough to let in a sliver of light- just enough. Your heart hammered in your chest as you inched forward, wrists and ankles bound, elbows scraping the cold floor. The air stank of metal and damp stone. You didn’t know how long you had until he came back- if he was even gone at all.

Fingertips brushed the edge of something- was it a hinge? A crack in the wall? Salvation? You didn’t care. You were ready to drag yourself through hell if it meant away from him.

But then-

click.

The door opened.

You froze. You felt all the blood you desperately harbored to keep inside run cold. You felt your life flash before you, the scary part was- you didn't know what would happen next.

Heavy static spilled into the room like oil, thick and humming. You didn’t have to look up to know who it was. That presence- glitching, warping- twisted the air itself. You felt his hand on your hip, running his cold, almost lifeless hand across your spine to gently run his fingers through your hair.

'Oh...' his voice crackled, distorted with feigned sweetness. ''Look at you..; Crawling.. Bleeding... Trying so hard.... Clever little bug.''

You felt him crouch behind you, a low whirr echoing as if his form tried to stay stable. Gentle fingers ghosted over the blindfold still clinging to your temple. He plucked it off completely, slow and deliberate.

''You weren’t supposed to see anything,'' he murmured. ''But I suppose I underestimated how desperate you are.'' He roughly yanked your hair, dragging you to the bed this time, clearly a simple binding wasn't enough for you, of course it wasn't he felt stupid to have given you the mercy of minimal binding.

His hand moved to your chin, tilting your face up. You refused to meet his eyes.

''I’m not angry, darling...'' he whispered. His face told a whole other story, it was filled with disgust, disappointment, anger. ''Not yet.''

A beat. Then, softly, almost lovingly-

''Just… don’t ruin what we have again, okay?''

That was almost enough to make you feel safer than you were. Or maybe that was a part of you thanking whatever god that awarded you with the mercy of seeing him roughly smash his blade into your chest. The worst part was that he'd make sure you didn't die.

[deerspherestudios]

Asking about Mycheal’s sense of morality and thoughts on kindness sort of got me thinking - what are his thoughts on justice?

Some examples on what I mean (that you do not have to specifically address!): If someone has harmed someone else, does he think that justifies hurting them back in any sense? And if someone in power continually abuses that power, does that justify hurting or killing them to prevent more harm in his opinion? Does it depend on the degree? Where does he draw the line? Or is it completely unacceptable - does he think we should always try to use mercy to solve conflicts? What about in situations where mercy can’t be used? And how does what he’d say verbally on the matter differ from how he’d actually act in a satiation where justice might be needed (eg. he says that he would never hurt anyone in any situation, but in reality there might be situations where he’d bring harm - or he says that he would hurt someone to prevent more damage but couldn’t bring himself to in reality). I’d be interested how his isolated upbringing impacted his thoughts on right and wrong as well - I’d imagine he prioritizes interpersonal relationships over the good of the whole (of any group he’s been rejected by especially), but, if so, by how much?

Again, these are just examples of generally what I’m going for by asking for his take on justice, please don’t feel pressured to answer any of the questions in that wall of a paragraph specifically! I’d love to hear your thoughts on his opinions in the area of morality in general - whatever comes to mind, even if it doesn’t relate to any of my example questions or the points I brought up. Thank you so much for your time and the love you pour into your work, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Oo now this is a doozy of a question, from an anon no less :-0! I actually love these kinds of questions, but save them in my draft for months until I'm up to answering since I wanna do my best for them haha. Now's the time for this question to shine!

Long!!!!!! (possibly mad?? character opinions about justice and morality???) ramble below:

Regarding justice, I find myself struggling to answer to be honest! While I, the creator, have my own views on it, I'm not sure how someone like Mychael would feel about the concept of justice. This kind of thing warrants a society, of which he is isolated from. You don't really bother to be justified if something you did was wrong unless it's in the eyes of someone else, if that makes sense? Otherwise you'd end up arguing with yourself. And when stuck between committing a crime to survive or moral righteousness, it's obvious which one he would go for.

From your example, he's not really the type to believe in "an eye for an eye" as he's a pretty forgiving person. But of course, an extreme situation would change his mind like any of us!!

Now morality is a pretty nuanced topic, but after digesting the question a bit and gathering my thoughts, for the sake of conversation, I think his sense of morality can be simplified into a few traits:

First, he tries to be kind in all situations.

In the past, he's seen cruelty and kindness, how humans are capable of both, and the effects of those actions. Whether it's towards himself or others, he obviously prefers the latter treatment over the former. No matter what, he'll try to do the good thing (or at least, what he perceives to be the good thing) in most situations. He's aware it's naive to think so, but when you claw for something to live for, he insists "kindness above everything" is the best he could hold on to without losing himself.

Second, at times, he will be self-serving.

Just because he tries to be kind, doesn't mean there aren't moments where he'll be selfish. While his self interest isn't his top priority, in the rare instance he wants or needs something for himself, he'll likely skew odds in his favor. This is kinda clear from the game itself with how he treats MC when they start pulling away from him (another example is how he got his chickens and it's implied he does shoplift groceries/supplies no matter what he wants you to think.)

And finally, mercy is a tricky thing.

Let's say we equate mercy to forgiveness or compassion. Already in the game we see Mychael being callous towards the injured rabbit but also refuses to kill Rosie even though she doesn't really serve a purpose anymore other than being an attachment for him. With that said, you are definitely correct in saying "he prioritizes interpersonal relationships over the good of the whole" since with his background, interpersonal relationships are few and far in between. He might forgive a lover of his for murdering someone in front of his face, but wouldn't do the same for a stranger. He doesn't have the same sense of a judicial system like us humans, so with the above traits combined, he'd brush off the frankly heinous crime easier than most.

I hope that answers the question? Re-reading my answer a bunch I'm not even sure if I gave the points you're asking for but mmMM I spent spoons on this so have it like so 🫴❤️❤️❤️!!

[siryouarebeingmocked]

Sure there's a lot of Republican's who can be friends with anyone regardless of politics - but they still vote for an administration that hurts people with its policies.

News flash: That's every administration.

They may want to be my friend, and I may want that in kind, but they're leadership says/does otherwise.

That is remarkably and conveniently vague.

. So is it any wonder why some on the left have chosen to not befriend the right?

That's a nice steelman you built there.

Thing is, a lot of people on the left hate people on the right because they believe negative and incorrect stereotyping.

Look how many still paint the stereotypical Trump voter as a white man, even though he gained bigly with minorities in 2024.

Heck, look at Trump's inauguration. The left decided that fractions of a second were a secret doubel reverse backflip coded Nazi gesture, from a pro-immigration immigrant working under a president who married an immigrant and had a highly diverse cabinet and loves Israel.

And then many of those upset people went out and started committing terrorism.

If so many people can get a simple wave so badly wrong, why should we trust their assessment of any other conservative leader to be correct?

The left mostly hasn't been saying "well, some republican voters are OK, but we can't trust their leadership".

It's been openly calling the right public racist bigot white supremacists for a decade now.

Saying that the right is "anything past Stalin" downplays the extreme ends that gets ignored because to therefore make the accusation of increasingly dangerous rhetoric or political action gets waved off with "anything you hate is fascism".

Why, yes. People blatantly misusing labels makes other people trust them and those labels less.

This is not the fault of the people reacting.

There are people who say anyoen who wants to reduce the government's size and power is fascist.

In fact, when Elon said Hitler had help from countless public employees to murder millions of people - which is objectively correct - people called him a Nazi for it.

Criticizing people for going along with the most infamous fascist in human history is now fascist, somehow.

I'll take, "Things we already knew" for 300-

[spenceragnewfics]

Spencer x chubby reader maybe? About him helping them feel comfortable about their body

I love this one so much!!!

EXACTLY AS YOU ARE | Spencer Agnew x Plus Size F!Reader

Summary: You’re used to loving the little things about yourself, but some nights, the insecurities get loud. When an old sweatshirt doesn’t fit the way it used to, Spencer reminds you that you’re not too much, not a placeholder, and never anything less than exactly what he wants.

Word Count: 933

There are things you love about yourself.

Your laugh. Your sense of humor. The way you can turn any awkward silence into a joke. But your body? That’s always been harder.

Even in your relationship with Spencer—kind, thoughtful, endlessly loving Spencer—there are moments when the insecurities creep in. Quietly. Ruthlessly.

Like tonight.

You’re getting ready for bed, ready to relax after a long day of editing social media posts for your job at a local non-profit. The organization has a big event coming up, and so you’ve been spending more hours in the office and at home making sure all the materials are as perfect as possible.

As you exit the warm shower, you dry your hair and grab one of Spencer’s sweatshirts. It’s one for the gaming channel that you like to wear to sleep because of its smell. As you slide on the sweatshirt, you look in the mirror. You are only wearing your underwear and Spencer’s sweatshirt, but your imagination of looking like a girl in a movie where the sweatshirt swallows her is killed by reality. His sweatshirt seems to have gotten tighter on you.

You sit down on the edge of the bed, blinking back the burn in your eyes, frustrated that this is what’s getting to you after a long, exhausting day.

Spencer walks in a few minutes later, freshly showered, hair damp and curling at the ends. He stops mid-step when he sees you hunched over, shoulders drawn in like you’re trying to shrink. He doesn’t say anything at first. He just walks over, kneels in front of you, and gently takes your hands in his. “What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?” he asks softly, his thumbs brushing over your knuckles.

You let out a breathy laugh, one of those I-know-I’m-being-ridiculous-but-I-can’t-help-it laughs. “I was just thinking… that this sweatshirt used to fit looser.”

He tilts his head, not in pity, but in full attention. “And that makes you feel…?”

You look down. “Gross. Bigger than before. Like I’m trying to be one of those girls in movies who wears her boyfriend’s hoodie and looks tiny and cute, and instead I just feel… like I’ve outgrown everything.”

Spencer doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t try to fix it right away.

Instead, he reaches up and gently rests his palms on your hips, grounding you. “You didn’t outgrow it. You just grew. There’s a difference.”

You scoff. “Not a good one.”

He looks up at you, eyes full of something so fierce it startles you. “It is. Because now, I get to see you in my hoodie and see you. Your curves. Your body. My girl.” He kisses your thigh, then leans his head against it. “You think I ever cared how tight or loose it fit? I care that you’re in it. It smells like us. That it’s wrapped around the person I love.”

You blink fast. His words settle in deeper than you expect. “All this does is make me feel like I’m holding you back. I see the looks we get on the street, people wondering how the hell or why the hell we’re together,” you say, looking down as the memories come back, some as recent as today.

Spencer doesn’t rush in with a “don’t be silly.” He doesn’t brush it away like it’s irrational. He takes a breath, deep and steady, and shifts closer.

“Those people don’t know me,” he says firmly. “And they sure as hell don’t know you.”

You look down, fiddling with the edge of the sweatshirt. “Sometimes I just think… if I looked different—if I was different—then maybe we’d make more sense to the world.”

Spencer cups your face, tilting it gently so you’re forced to meet his eyes. “Who gives a fuck about what makes sense to the world? We make sense to each other, and I love being with you and how you make me feel. I love being able to talk to everyone about my amazing girlfriend, who has the biggest heart in the world. Those people aren’t in this relationship; it’s just us.”

The words echo in your chest like a heartbeat. You blink hard, trying to keep it together, but your voice wavers anyway. “It’s hard to shut them out sometimes.”

“I know,” he says, brushing his thumbs under your eyes as if he can wipe away the doubt just by touching you. “But if I have to remind you every day, I will. You are not too much. You are not a placeholder until I figure something else out. You are it for me.”

A tear slips down your cheek. He kisses it away without hesitation. “I’m proud to be with you,” he continues, his voice lower now. “Not just in secret, not just when no one’s looking. I want to show up with you. Laugh with you. Love you out loud.”

You let out a small, shaky laugh. “You’re gonna make me cry.”

He smiles, leaning his forehead against yours. “That’s fine. I’ve got tissues and really strong boyfriend arms.”

You giggle through your tears, wrapping your arms around his waist and pulling him closer. He holds you like he’s anchoring you to something solid, like you’re the most important thing he’s ever been allowed to keep.

“Thank you,” you whisper into his chest.

Spencer presses a kiss to your hair. “Always.”

And somehow, even in a body the world keeps telling you to question, you feel things you haven’t in a while, safe, wanted, and loved.

Exactly as you are.

[friendlyrandomperson]

Jello

“Eddie, Dear, I’m thinking of making Jello tonight.”

Oh no.

It’s not that Eddie doesn’t like Frank’s food. He loves it, it’s amazing! But…

oh that Jello.

It started years ago, when they first met. Julie invited the entire neighborhood, including Eddie, who was the newest, to a party. Nothing formal, just punch and snacks and chaos, but that’s to be expected from anything Julie does.

Frank had brought this neon green Jello with tomato chunks, blueberries, and squash.

Yes, tomatoes, blueberries, and squash. Don’t ask either of them why. Frank doesn’t recall exactly what the point of doing this to the Jello was and Eddie is far too afraid to interfere with The Jello.

Frank had noticed Eddie eying the masterpiece, lighting up and offering him a piece after the mailman had asked about it.

That first bite sealed his fate.

Not wanting to be rude, he swallowed that bite and said, “This is mighty nice, Mister Frankly!”

From then on, Eddie would try any and all Jello Frank had brought along, with a compliment to follow.

And… this continued even after they got married. They have shared everything. Secrets, heartaches, tears, laughs, smiles, hearts.

This is the only thing Eddie has never said a word about to anyone, especially Frank. So…

Eddie swallows his pancake, setting his fork down and leaning on his hand. “Oh really? When do ya think you’ll be done, sweetheart?”

Wiping his mouth with a napkin, Frank speaks from behind it. “By the time you’re off, I’m sure. I’ll have a slice waiting for you.”

Eddie smiles wider. “I’m excited ta see what chu’ve got planned.”

~~~

Oh, why did he say that, why did he say that, why did he say that?

Eddie continues sorting letters, dread filling his body the longer he does this and the closer closing time gets.

Usually he is filled with excitement, to see his spouse and to get to relax. The excitement is still there but… so is the knowledge that in less than thirty minutes he will have to face whatever abomination to the name of Jello his husband has made now.

Ding, dong, ding, dong!

Glancing up at the sound of the clock’s toll, Eddie smiles at the realization he’s finished sorting and can go home. “Closin’ time!”

~~~

“You know,” Frank begins as he slices some tomatoes for a snack, “I wonder if Eddie actually likes the Jello I make. I mean, even I can’t stand more than a few bites before I have to toss it out! Yet he can clear his plate!” Just as Frank says this, the door opens and he hears Eddie’s kind voice. “Howdy, darlin’! I’m home!”

A soft click of the door shutting follows, and a smile reaches Frank’s face as he walks to the door with a happy “Hello dear!” Wrapping his arms around Eddie’s shoulders and kissing him on the lips.

Eddie’s arm wraps around Frank’s waist as the mailman takes off his hat, placing it on the coat hanger before wrapping his other arm around Frank as well, holding him there as Frank pulls back and instead presses their foreheads together, the only words spoken just whispered nothings about the day and plans for the night. After a few minutes, Frank rests his head in the crook of Eddie’s neck. Eddie places his nose in his hair, his wide smile growing even more.

“Oh, right! Did ya finish the Jello, darlin’?”

Frank’s head shoots up, a delighted grin on his face as he grabs his husband’s hand and runs to the kitchen, letting him go at the kitchen’s door and running over to the fridge, opening the door and pulling out the Jello mold.

“Could you grab the large plate from the cabinet, dear?” Frank says, tapping the bottom of the Jello and watching the subtle waves that follow.

“O’ course, darlin’.” Eddie walks to the cabinet, pulling out two plates, one small and one larger than his head. He sets both down and smiles as his husband pecks him on the cheek, the shorter man flipping the mold over and tapping the container repeatedly until he hears a “schluorp” sound, lifting the mold carefully and grinning broadly at the way it keeps its shape.

“Oh dear.” Eddie thinks, his smile never faltering.

The color is… unique to say the least. Pretty, but… he’s not sure where the orange came from and, from past experience, he knows it is most likely not orange flavored.

“Here sweetheart, I cut you a slice.” Sure enough, on a plate, is a medium slice of Jello and a small fork. To get it over with, Eddie smiled even wider with a “Thank you darlin’.” Before scooping some into his mouth.

Well, the orange is carrot.

“I taste peanut butter? Is there s’posed ta be peanut butter in this?” He thinks.

He hasn’t realized that his face fell ever so slightly.

“Do you… not like it?” Frank’s voice comes out smaller, cautious. It makes Eddie choke on the Jello before forcing it down his throat.

This, in hindsight, is one of the more bad decisions that Eddie has made, because right after the Jello goes down his throat, he coughs violently, setting down the plate and leaning on the counter. Frank gently rubs Eddie’s back as the mailman catches his breath.

“You could have just told me you did not like it.”

“It’s not that you’re a bad cook, I swear it’s just… unique an’ I promise you they’re alright but… oh, I’m sorry baby, I didn’t mean ta hurt ya.”

“PFF- EDDIE-“ Frank doubles over howling with laughter, his entire body shaking.

“The only reason I give you these is because you’ve always said you loved them!! I don’t like them at all, I just think they’re pretty!” Eddie’s jaw drops.

“You- you don’t?!”

“I thought it was just how you are, another little trait to love. I just told myself to get used to it!”

“So- you’re not mad at me?”

“Eddie, even I don’t eat these. But.. are they actually that bad?”

Eddie scoops a bit of Jello onto the fork and offers it to Frank, who pops it in his mouth without hesitation before gagging and running over to the trash can, spitting it out.

“YOU’VE BEEN EATING THAT?!”

Eddie cackles, clutching his stomach.

“I s’pose I’m off Jello duty then?”

“I am never letting you eat my Jello again.”

[sokkastyles]

Not only is Sokka hunting most definitely NOT an example of him doing "food prep" or being "feminine" or "motherly," as I've seen many people argue (mostly in bad faith to combat criticisms of the way the show writes Katara), hunting is also not something he continues to do throughout the show. I was arguing with someone who was claiming that Sokka deserved to be called a mom friend moreso than Katara and when I pointed out that Sokka actually is really sexist about hunting and dismisses all the other stuff that Katara does to take care of the gaang (including him). that person argued that he stopped being so aggressively sexist by the end of the show.

But not only am I tired of this desire to pretend that Sokka had a "feminist arc," which would require him to learn, throughout the show, that sexism is not cool, not just a lesson he learns in one episode about respecting one woman who is also better than him at masculine things and his girlfriend, but for him to have an actual arc of unlearning sexism, he would need to do more than just refraining from making sexist remarks (as much).

Sokka's arc is more explicitly about learning to be a leader, and from that perspective, learning to be less sexist can be a part of that, because he learns to be less insecure. But that aspect isn't actually remarked upon past the fourth episode of season one, so for all we know, he stopped making sexist jokes (as much, it never fully stops) because the writers received backlash for it, so they just quietly toned it down.

But then, do you know what also stops when Sokka stops making sexist remarks on a constant basis?

He stops being obsessed with hunting. I don't think it comes up once in season three, other than when he leaves the note about him and Zuko going fishing, which is a lie.

Because it was never shown to be something he did to care for the gaang, it was always something he did out of bravado, a desire to prove himself a man. So it makes sense that he would stop doing it once he becomes more confident in himself.

And I do think there is a criticism to be had here in the way the show uses this for humorous effect, since it's also linked to Sokka's identity as indigenous and feels a lot like joking about how savage the NWT is, especially when compared to Aang being portrayed as morally pure and vegetarian (even though it doesn't make sense for a character inspired by Tibetan nomads to be a vegetarian).

But it is a fact that the show never shows Sokka's hunting as something that's necessary for the gaang or done in a caretaking way. It's certainly not a feminine or motherly trait in any case, but if you're going to argue that Sokka had a "sexism" arc, at the same time that you're going to argue that he's a "mom friend," (and that Katara isn't and it's bad for people to criticize the show for writing her this way), then you also have to admit that Sokka's obsession with hunting also drops off when he stops being such an overtly sexist prick.

On that note, I also wonder, since doing domestic or emotional labor is never somethng Sokka ever does or learns to do (even if you want to argue that he learned to respect Katara for doing it for him, although he doesn't want you to tell her that!), what the future of his relationship with Suki would have actually been, and whether he would have still expected her to do those things and continued to see them as the domain of women alone, even though he accepted her as a fighter. I don't think it's a coincidence that Bryke decided to never show us.

[miraclecereal]

Rating the Holy Quintet’s new designs + Other stuff

So we got a poster that shows the holy quintet’s new designs mostly in full. Yippiee! Also please keep in mind that these are just my opinions. I’d love to hear what other people think even if it doesn’t match my opinion! Like what you like and dislike what you dislike

The poster:

Madoka: It’s very magical girl! It keeps a lot of components from Madoka’s original design, it simply looks like a more upgraded version of her original attire which I think is very fitting since Madoka is Homura’s priority. If she’s the one who made Madoka a magical girl in this world, she could be giving her a more idealistic experience with her in the center.

The only things I don’t like are the buttons and the bow that seems to be connected to her soul gem but in a way it also works. Homura is practical and so it makes sense to me that in Homura’s world, things would be more practical such the clothing having buttons and the soul gem being connected to the clothing rather than just on the skin. I love the symbolism of the lock and I do believe that her hair bows having a longer tail could represent her long hair in her goddess form.

I personally think it’s too busy but it’s very cute and very Madoka. I’d give it an 8/10

Also just talking about how she looks. Her face in the poster isn’t angry but it’s determined. Instead of taking Homura’s hand she’s pointing at her. I don’t think this means Madoka dislikes Homura and is now completely against her, but I’d say she’s condemning her actions.

Homura: The original Holy Quintet designs were almost perfectly symmetrical so seeing them be asymmetrical now does bother me, even if it is intentional 😅. One shoe having a bow on the back and the other not having one does annoy me more than I wish to admit. (So does the red ribbing only being one leg but not as much)

I love Homura’s sleeves and the detail on the back of the dress. The chunky heels also look good on her and do remind me of her original magical girl attire. I miss the socks she had in her original devil form.

I always thought her original devil form had some good components but could have looked better and I feel the same way about her new one. But I can appreciate it for what it is. 6/10

Also I do wanna say that I think the designs being asymmetrical is intentional given the imagery we have seen in Rebellion and the new trailers, mainly the half moon. Honestly, I never knew how much I loved symmetry until now lol.

Kyoko: Her design isn’t too different. In my analysis of the first trailer, my theory for this is that the girls’ outfits are based off of how Homura sees them because it appears that she’s the one making them into magical girls. Kyoko has always been the more reliable one to Homura and who she seems to work with best besides Madoka in some cases. So to me it makes sense that Kyoko’s outfit wouldn’t change if Homura seeks Kyoko for who she is.

I don’t like the slit on the chest but I think its purpose is to draw your eye to her soul gem which it does a good job of. The puffy sleeves are cute and add a fairytale element to Kyoko’s costume, slightly pulling it away from the original design being similar to a priest’s attire.

I love the braids in her hair that go into her ponytail. It’s a cute little addition along with the red stripe on her skirt. It’s small but it also changes the vibe for me. It makes me wonder if she’s going to be less spunky and more sporty in terms of her energetic-ness. Overall: 7.5/10

Mami: I really want to like her design more than I do 😅 She doesn’t have any ribbons in her new form so they had to change the way her shirt and corset look.

I like the top with the over shirt and undershirt. I personally think it looks cute. I’m not a big fan of the new corset though. It’s loose but stiff which makes it look clunky compared to how flowy her outfit is. Mami’s original corset being tighter accented the silhouette created by her shirt and skirt and added a fullness to her skirt.

It looks like she’s wearing high brown boots over her socks and I don’t like how they look just by the color. My biggest problem with Mami’s new outfit is that there are too many different shades of yellow and brown that feel like they’re all competing against each other. The amount of different colors is weird to look at when the original usually followed a pattern of having a main color, one or two accent colors, and then white. Her new outfit kind of follows those guidelines.

I’m glad they kept the way her gloves are, I like those. 4.5/10

Sayaka: Sayaka is my favorite character and I really wanted to like her design but some parts of it do throw me off. 😭

I’ll start with what I like: The bandage around her face looking like it forms the bow on her head is hella cool. I also believe that the sleeves and the gloves are supposed to be similar to a nurse’s scrubs but I could be wrong. Something that I think is interesting is that her stomach is less exposed and only shows a peek of her soulgem. Her belt and skirt are no longer slanted at an angle which I think could represent taking on a more responsible look and presence in the group. Or maybe I’m reading too much into it.

I also think the diamonds on her chest plate and as buttons do look cool and could make her tied to Homura in someway since diamonds are a motif on Homura’s costume. 👀

Back at it again with the symmetry, I don’t like how she has a knee high sock on one leg and a bandage on the other. I think it fits the look for Sayaka being somewhat indisposed by Homura but I personally don’t like it. Her cape looks like it’s split into three sections which isn’t bad and can create a cool silhouette but it also looks a little strange to me. A similar problem I had with Mami, the different shades of blue. The blue of her arm sleeves and her gloves don’t compliment each other very much. 6.5/10

Nagisa: I think her design is just okay. It has a lot of cute components but it also feels really bare to me. It’s fancy compared to regular attire but too plain for magical girl attire. I personally don’t like how much of her midsection is shown, it kinda reminds me of winter clothing that isn’t meant for winter at all.

I like how her leggings and boots look, it’s a cute pair and the color of her skirt and shawl compliment the brown really well. The gloves are cute but I’m not a fan of the two puff ball tails it looks like are attached to her skirt. They’re just kind of there. I do like this design a little bit better than her original design. 4/10

Green girl: I’m a big fan of her hair color and style + The contrast it has to the dark green of her outfit. I love her gloves and the yellow ribbons on it. I also like her outerwear but I’m not too sure about the color of her inner shirt. It makes it look like a sweater which would add a clunky look to the layers. I like the look of the skirt and the socks too.

The form of the skirt does get me though. I think having it be a bubble skirt is cute but it looks too bulbous. It’d probably be easy to move around in but also a pain to fight in because it probably bumps into a lot of things. I’d want to see her design more clearly and close up so I’m just going to give it a 5/10 for now.

Patchwork Girl: I’m calling her this because of the sewing needles in her hair, red stitches holding her cloak shut, her skirt having a quilt-like pattern, and the string holders around her ankles.

Honestly her design looks like it would fit Magia Record more than the original series but I still like her design. Her cloak and her skirt have multiple colors but these colors are used more than once in both garments creating a reoccurring theme. The brown shirt or corset underneath her cloak is a nice neutral color along with her stockings. There’s a nice mix of bright and toned down colors so your eyes aren’t too overwhelmed. The red bow and stitches is an interesting choice and I do think there’s other colors that could have worked but the red works too. I’m not a big fan of the thread holders around her ankles.

I think her purple eyes do look a little out of place and could have been a mauve or dark pink color but it doesn’t ruin the look for me. I do think that the large sewing needles hanging off her pigtails are a bit excessive though. Maybe if they were smaller or they could have been replaced with the pincushion as a tiny hat. 7/10

Final thoughts + Mini theory: I’m excited for the next movie! Some of the main five’s designs are a little disappointing to me but I still think there’s a lot of love and creativity in each design so I’m still happy! Seeing the two new girls’ designs is neat too.

At the end of the new trailer we get this scene of Mami eating some sort of treat

It immediately felt very strange to me because it’s not very Mami for her to take a big cutesy bite like this. She’s still a teenager and certainly acts like one but she also acts very proper.

One theory I talked about in another post was that the reason why she doesn’t have ribbons in her new magical form could be that her wish is no longer to be “connected to life” which could mean that her parents are still alive and that her wish is something else. Another reinforcement for that theory is the gif above. If Mami’s parents were still alive there’s a chance she wasn’t rushed to grow up and is having more goofy moments as shown. Because her past was different, Mami could have a whole different demeanor.

But hey, that’s just a theory.

[myomie]

Hi!! I read all your twst alphabet headcanons and loved them all! I was wondering if you could do a Jamil one? Thank you!

J. VIPER ─────────────────────────────────────────── " Jamil Viper SFW Alphabet Headcanons! " GN! Reader Warnings (∩>؂•)⊃⦆=͟͟͞͞➵ None!!, not proofread.. thank you!! :D i luv jamil sm hfaihf!! <33 This was written over two days so sorry if anything is contradictory or repetitive TT

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Jamil expresses his affection for you primarily through acts of service. He doesn't mind physical touch or anything of that matter, and does invite it- But PDA is something he isn't a huge fan of. There are many reasons for this, whether the main one being he doesn't think everyone should be seeing you both be cheesy or the fact he's especially awkward when it comes to you. He feels he has a sort of reputation to uphold, both being himself and being a servant of the Al-Asims. He'd never shame you for indulging in PDA, but he won't be the type to initiate anything big, especially if it's outside of the Scarabia dorm. In private, he's still a bit more reserved than most, and honestly... I think he partially just doesn't know how. He constantly grew up around Kalim, catering to his needs, and he just recently began to branch out He's never had a crush, much less a significant other.  He's reliant on you to show him the ropes, and after you express your love for him through your actions a few times, he begins to be the one to initiate.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

You both are in similar situations... In some ways. You have to take of Adeuce and Grim, while Jamil has been tasked his whole life with caring for Kalim. Although your rants about the trio are always filled with adoration, he still finds comfort in the way you're comfortable ranting about your struggles, eventually opening up about it himself.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

As most partners would, Jamil does like cuddling- But he is one of the least straightforward about it. He finds it to be a part of his nighttime routine, relaxing into your arms, maybe even grumbling about his day into your skin. It's a way for him to finally unwind, and he likes it that way. Outside of nighttime, he doesn't cuddle you often unless you guys just so happen to have free time together. He prefers to be held by you than anything, arms around your waist as you squeeze him.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Settling down is a bit of an iffy subject for him, he doesn't expect to break up with you at any point, but he knows his life isn't one where he can constantly be by your side, as he wishes. Long talks, and hours of consideration on both of your parts, would have to be made before he could give a definite answer. As we know, Jamil is insanely good at cooking. Hopefully, the food he makes is to your taste... Because being with him with certainly up your spice tolerance! Similarly, it's just in his nature to be clean. There is not much cleanup for him to ever do, because he always puts stuff where it belongs immediately after he's done using it.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Breaking up could be for two reasons. One is your fault.. the other is his fault. He would never do something to hurt you on purpose, but sometimes he feels as if he is negatively impacting you. No matter the reason, whether you hurt him, or he worries he is hurting you, it's a quick message, followed by no answer. He goes completely avoidance style, no matter how much you text and call him to explain further.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quickly would they want to get married?)

As said in Domestic, he doesn't see much worry about getting married right away, and it would only be done after a lot of confirmation... To the point, you know it's coming before it happens. He likes it that way, anyway. However, married or not, he's committed from the get-go. He's 100% not the person to cheat... You're the first person he's felt this way with, and he wants you to be the last.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Physically, Jamil is a very gentle person. When hugging, you're always the one to squeeze him, whilst he just holds you like you're made of glass. Alternatively, though, when it comes to vocally, he can be rather straightforward. He wouldn't yell at you, or berate you, but he is clear about how he feels about whatever transpired, and he'll make sure you know.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Not in public! He's accepting of your short-lasting goodbye hugs, but after a few seconds, he's letting go, and if you cling to him, he'll feel awkward under everyone's gaze. However, in the safety and privacy of his dorm, he's very quick to stay in a long hug. Depending on your height difference (and hair length), he might tangle his fingers in your hair, or just plop his hand down on your head. If you're taller, with short hair he can't reach, he might still fidget, running his finger along your back.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

He makes a huge deal about it. In some cases, it is indeed a huge deal, but to you, you say it so casually. Your constant "I love yous!" makes him realize he needs to say it back, but before he can stumble it out, you're already gone. He has mumbled it a few times when he thinks you're asleep as if practicing... But he doesn't know you hear it .. :3 However, eventually, he will try to say it as casually as possible. "Iloveyou" his words are all jumbled together as he stammers it out, causing you to brighten up, and immediately repeat it. After that, it becomes more like second nature, "Love yous" leaving his mouth now and then casually.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

He's not the kind of person to state his jealousy, nor does he often get jealous at all in the first place. He's secure in his relationship, but even he can't stop himself, especially when he sees you around Kalim. Although he grew to be more accepting of Kalim, and the fact you two were friends, no matter what, the prince had taken countless things from him (albeit, all unintentional) so, the very thought and threat of the boy's presence is enough to cause a shiver to wrack up the Viper's spine. When he does get jealous, you can expect him to grab your hand, making an excuse for why you both must go elsewhere... Even if it comes at the cost of lying a bit.

Expect a mumble of, "Hey.. You forgot we were doing {this} later." However, when you check your calendar and messages later, there is not even a hint of evidence that you both planned this.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

As stated earlier, Jamil isn't super into PDA. It's not that he's shy about his relationship, he just thinks some things are better kept in private. His kisses are usually sweet and soft, small ghostly touches against your head, or right beside your lips. He doesn't have much of a preference for where you kiss him, and if you're into kissing his cheek or nose in public, he doesn't mind. He would just prefer you to not try and make out with him mid-hangout. Something he is far too sheepish to admit, though, is that he enjoys it when you kiss him whilst praising him. Such an intimate activity combined with sweet words coming from your mouth... It just makes him melt.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Jamil is neutral with children, he spent his whole life caring for Kalim, so his only experience taking care of a kid.. was when he was a kid himself. When children run up to him, he's just stiff. Sometimes he'd try to brush them aside, especially if he's busy, but overall he just lets them goof around. If the kids were to be his own, he'd be more relaxed. He's stern, but kind- Always encouraging his children to do what they know they can do best, not wanting them to grow up the way he did.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

He has a rigorous and precise morning routine. He is up early in the morning, and you won't see him for a while unless fate is on your side. (If you share classes, or see him in the halls.) However, despite the fact you likely won't see him until lunchtime, his presence is very obvious. From the coffee (or tea, or orange juice if that you fancy) made just the way you like it steaming on the counter, to the packaged lunch fully in a heat-absorbent box, it was clear you were the first thing on his mind as he got ready for the day.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Nighttime he has his whole dedicated routine to making sure you're there, holding you tight, maybe exchanging a few words... and then he's out. Jamil is certainly exhausted after his long and tedious days, so you know not to expect much late at night.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

You know a bit about his feelings regarding Kalim due to his overblot, but even then, everything said then was combined with an intense amount of pent-up rage. So when it comes to how he feels, it takes a lot longer. In all reality, it could easily take a year before he feels comfortable telling you the things he's only ever told his journal. He trusts you enough to know you won't blackmail him, but even then, it's been trained into him to not talk bad about Kalim, and how he truly felt growing up.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

He is rather patient and is careful with how he acts around others. In acting so patient all the time, he tends to bottle up his frustrations, causing them to ultimately spill out one day. He has the *ability* to be patient, but it's more a trait he harbors to keep his and his family's status positive, and not a real reflection of how he feels.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

He listens attentively to everything you say, and even when he is preoccupied, he responds to what you're saying. So safe to say, he remembers what you tell him. He always makes sure you feel heard, but even when you're unsure if he is listening or just going "mhm", he somehow manages to ask a question that reassures you he's paying attention.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

Literally whenever you praise him, especially if it's something he's not used to hearing. He appreciates all compliments on his cooking, but he hears it often- So when you first see him dance, or play basketball, and rant about how "cool he is", he finds himself flustered, the memory staying with him forever as he dedicates himself to becoming even "cooler" at the things you enjoyed.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Not being a magical student, Jamil is mostly just aware of your surroundings. He used to take care of Kalim constantly, so while he might not taste test all your food, he does have a preference for you eating his food, something he knows is safe. He tries to avoid being violent, his reputation tanking slightly after his overblot, causing him to make up for it in such ways... But he is not above casting a cold glare someone's way if he feels suspicious of them. Over time, he learns the biggest issue in NRC wouldn't be bullies coming after you for being magicless, but yourself. After all, he did just watch you fall on your face like twenty times. When it comes to him being protected, he's not super receptive to that. He's not used to such actions and gets a little worried at how heated you get over protecting him. Standing up for him, to people much more powerful, makes him a bit flustered, but almost always ends with him having to drag you away.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

He does spend a lot of time on your anniversaries and dates. He likes to stay inside, and doesn't often splurge a bunch of money on things like cruises; however, you can expect to be provided with the yummiest homemade dinner known to man. It's not flashy, but you know he secretly spent hours preparing everything. Gift-wise, he is very practical. If he knows you want a certain keychain or plushie, he'll buy it for you, but you should expect more gifts that he knows you'll use in your day-to-day life.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Sometimes, he still finds himself holding back. Maybe when playing a game together, you find yourself winning too much, even though you've never played these magic-based games before. At first, you assume he's taking it easy on you to help you understand, but as he continues to do so, looking a bit bored, you get frustrated, and ask why he keeps doing that. He hadn't even meant to, usually, and snaps out of it. His lack of effort, due to being used to letting someone succeed above him, impacts his fulfillment in certain activities.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Jamil likes what he has, and wants to keep it as it is. He doesn't make any crazy changes to his appearance, but he does take pretty good care of his hair. He likes to look neat, so he makes sure to at least have some basic skincare. He has canonically stated that without his haircare routine, his hair becomes a bit unruly!!

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Yeah for sure :( He finally finds someone he trusts, so having that ripped away would incredibly ruin him. Would he be able to adjust? Yes, he'd force himself to. But for the rest of his life, your memory would drive him just slightly more mad.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

Music helps him focus! Similarly to hearing music during dance, or during basketball, it gets him into a confident and motivated mood. So when he's studying, he'll oftentimes listen to similar music, even if it's a bit off-putting to some people... After all, most people study with piano in the background, not dance music.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

He kinda reminds me of how when kids want to do the dishes, but then their parent asks them to and they no longer want to do it. That is certainly him, as he does enjoy caring for you, but if you get demanding and force him to do everything around the house, he begins to get frustrated. He does not want to be treated as a servant by you, especially if you are richer than him, it just feels like a kick in the face.

Z = Zzz (What are their sleep habits of theirs?)

Although when he's awake he's always sure to hold you gently when he's asleep it's a bit of a different story. Feeling your squirm while he's out caused his grip to tighten, even if you just had to use the restroom or get water. You usually just accept your fate at that point, trying to go back to sleep, as he eventually loosens his grip again.

[thats-the-biz-babe]

my final(ish) thoughts on 8x06/confessions/the break up (and tommy's pov):

so obviously my initial reaction when 8x06 aired was to go. okay. this is the most stupid break up of all time. nothing about this makes any sense (*sobs*). this is still true, and i'll say for the most part i just have to put it down to bad writing. but it's canon regardless, so we have no choice but to take what we're given lol. if anything this serves as proof of why arguing about who is really to blame for this whole thing is pointless.

i'm sure this isn't news, but the problem with confessions as an episode overall is that it brings up so many questions and proceeds to answer none of them. i'm not gonna answer them either, because i'd be lying if i said i knew, but i have some ideas so i'm gonna talk about my thoughts on it anyway, including the areas that i think are the biggest offenders for shitty writing.

if this comes across as more sympathetic to tommy's perspective, it's because it's his pov that we're missing the most context for / that i have the most questions about (bc he's not a main character). so that's going to be the focus here, but this isn't intended as a criticism of buck whatsoever. and yeah, a lot of this has definitely already been said, but i wanted to compile my thoughts on everything before we go into season 9. and hopefully we get a reconciliation, even if it is half-arsed and we don't get any resolution or even explanation for their initial conflict (not holding my breath, especially after they tried to retcon the whole thing in 8x11).

i love bucktommy, we know this (i hope?). i think they're perfect together and they love each other and they should get back together and get married and buy a house together yadda yadda yadda. however, one of my biggest criticisms of their story line is we really didn't get to see much of them when they were actually dating. there were a few (super sweet) moments we did get shown on screen, especially in masks (so right before they broke up) but as often is the case with this show, we were left to fill in a lot of gaps. we really don't know what point they were at pre-breakup because after they got together their relationship was more or less neglected on screen. most of it happened during the hiatus, and they can't focus ALL their time on them (this isn't the bucktommy show after all). but any guesses as to what they were like as a couple are just that, guesses. did it feel like it had started to develop into something more serious at that point? or was it still early stages? what pace were they actually going at?

an example of what i mean is at the anniversary dinner, buck was checking out those girls in front of tommy, and when they flirted with him he didn't tell them he was on a date. he looked pretty guilty about it too, but whether or not it was just supposed to be generally over the fact that he was checking them out (hence tommy reassuring him), i don't know. maybe it was because he knew he was supposed to correct them, but he obviously didn't feel comfortable doing it for whatever reason? this isn't entirely relevant, but i always wonder whether it was supposed to be a really clumsy way of reminding the audience that he's bisexual (screaming at you: he still likes women!!! even though he's with a man!!!) i mean it would be better if they just used the fucking word...

anyway, what we also don't know is whether this was a common occurrence, we know buck is out to the people closest to him at this point but how does he act in public around strangers? is he still uncomfortable being seen out with a man? can tommy sense his reluctance / hesitation at holding his hand when they're out together? does buck correct people when they assume him and tommy are friends? he was a lot more openly affectionate at the coffee date, so i like to think that after that he was okay. but realistically, him grabbing tommy's hand to prove to him that he's ready in the moment doesn't actually mean all his discomfort is suddenly gone or that he won't still struggle in the future. who knows.

this part is purely speculation based on what i know about tommy, but i can imagine that not being something he wants to push buck on for fear of making him uncomfortable. so as long as he doesn't go back into first date territory, how much would tommy let slide? the impression i have is that he doesn't see the things he wants and needs to be any where near as much of a priority, especially in a relationship he doesn't think will last. it's all about buck's pace, not making him uncomfortable or pressuring him before he's ready. does tommy ever ask for anything? if that was what they were trying to do, the writers didn't exactly do a convincing job in showing us a relationship that was equally balanced.

this isn't me accusing buck of any of these things, and if it is true i definitely don't think it was intentional on his part. i don't think he was a bad boyfriend, and it was tommy's responsibility as much as his to express how he was feeling and what he wanted (buck isn't a psychic!!). it was an active choice on tommy's part to play the role of the "perfect starter boyfriend" for buck and not put himself into a position where he gets too invested (which didn't work, clearly). but my point is that we have no idea whether things like this were a one off or not. we only really see tommy taking care of buck and not vice versa, but i won't dwell on it too much because at the end of the day buck is the main and they only have so much time on screen with each other.

another example is we also have no idea whether buck has called himself bisexual off screen at this point. not that he is required to label himself, but was the conversation they had at the anniversary dinner the first time they broached the topic of sexuality since they got together? it certainly seems likely that they didn't ever go deep into it before considering what that conversation onscreen entailed. they had takeout the night before, they were obviously spending a lot of time together, so what went wrong? (looking for an answer other than "they spent the whole time fucking" preferably lol)

asking tommy if he had ever been with a woman was weird (they did sort of touch on that during their first date), so did they never talk about dating history again in the six months they were together? tommy never mentioned being engaged before? he didn't seem reluctant to give that info up, he wasn't exactly hiding it, and it seems even stranger that buck never mentioned abby in all that time considering she was so influential to him, especially with the whole buck 1.0 -> 2.0 thing. buck also implies to eddie that he know's tommy's gay in 7x05, but it comes up again at the anniversary date like he doesn't know, and it's a strange thing to not have established already given they're six months in. sure, asking tommy why he wasn't checking out those women doesn't necessarily mean he didn't know that he's fully gay, it was probably just the opening he chose to get to the second question. but it seemed like a strange way to go about it when they could've just had him ask about tommy's past relationships / relationships with women straight up. then again this is tv and people can't just have conversations, they have to be triggered by something else (sigh). there's just so many better ways i can think of to naturally bring up the topic of exes, they do it in 7x04. anyway, buck says in season 7 that he wants to get to know tommy, but it does make you wonder how much they did actually get to know each other once they got the chance.

again, i'm fully aware that a lot of what the episode comes down to is lazy writing because they were just trying to get from point a to point b and the easiest way they found to do that was buck checking out women -> notices tommy isn't -> asks him why -> tommy says he's gay -> buck asks if he's ever been with a woman -> abby reveal -> buck spirals -> josh convo -> break up. you can say "oh but it doesn't matter because the writers clearly didn't think this far and any explanation you come up with won't actually be what they intended". true, but the fact is that that IS what happened canonically, and i feel like if i'm gonna meta any of this show i have to meta all of it, even the parts that don't make sense (and i'm having fun, sue me). if nothing else this stuff is interesting to delve into and fix in fanfic world. and yes... this also isn't exclusive to bucktommy. madney and bathena at the very least have had similar issues. athena didn't even know bobby's mother was still alive until recently after being married to him for years. i'd love to see them stop trying to manufacture cheap drama and do something substantial with the characters (if you need ideas, i'm right here tim) but we all know that's not gonna happen (sigh).

none of what i'm about to say is necessarily true because AGAIN my whole point is we don't know. but suddenly i start becoming far more sympathetic of tommy's position if after six months his boyfriend is still uncomfortable being seen with him in public and has entirely ignored and skipped over thinking about or talking about his sexuality in all that time. at this point it feels like he's avoiding it on purpose, and how can you be with someone who still seems ashamed of who they are with no real attempt to deal with it. despite it seeming that way it could just be that buck doesn't deal with having feelings for people well regardless of gender (which yes, does seem to be true). but you know what it looks like to someone who doesn't know that. and tommy likely sees buck as a super open, honest guy who doesn't normally hide how he's feeling.

again (i'll keep saying it), this comes down to lazy writing, but the whole josh convo and the comments about tommy being cruel was crazy to me because how do you not know this already? he knew michael, who went through something similar. tommy already admitted he used to be a dick back then and regrets his actions, and specifically on the subject of abby said that she deserved better. so the judgement over his past all of a sudden was really strange? obviously when it's someone really close to you it's harder to picture them like that, and even harder to get your head around when you hear the specifics. but does buck not know any queer history? did he not do any research? has he not spoken to josh / hen (still mourning the hen+buck scene we didn't get post coming out) at all about any of this since coming out? this part was clearly put in to hand hold the general audience through a lesson about how it used to be harder to be gay (and sucking ryan murphy's dick about it) but like i said, it's not the first time they've done a comphet storyline, and if they wanted to go back over it again it needed to be done better than that imo (not even getting into the fact that the abbytommy of it all makes no sense). anyway, i'll get back on track, it is what it is. it just makes me come back to the fact that buck seems not to show any interest in engaging in / learning about queer related things. it's a shame because sure, we've seen buck make out with a man on screen, refer to having a boyfriend, imply he sees a future with him etc but there has been no indication that he has started... looking at himself as a queer person ig? i mean since the last update we got on this front which was in 7x05 where he referred to himself as an ally multiple times (which i get, but times have changed). is this the show being scared to commit? a compromise for the homophobes who were upset about bi buck, by letting him date a man but not focusing too much on the "gay thing"?

so getting back to the point, if what we learned in confessions was anything to go by i wonder how much else they didn't talk about? and then buck asked him to move in? i understand why tommy didn't think they were gonna last if they were skipping so many steps. you don't want to start living with someone when you still feel that you aren't able to be honest with each other. you can't avoid bringing up certain subjects with each other and still expect any level of trust between you if you don't want the relationship to collapse very quickly. tommy seemed okay with buck checking out the women at the restaurant. he said it was okay to recognise they were attractive, which i get, but the actual flirting and the lack of a "hey i'm actually on a date with my boyfriend" would personally make me uncomfortable. and in that case i'd wonder if jumping into asking me to move in with him was just him being impulsive and not something he'd actually thought out, or something he was doing for the right reasons. is tommy gonna take that risk and uproot his entire life for someone who makes big decisions on such a whim? like, i don't even think this was just him being insecure, i think there could potentially have been some valid concerns here.

another thing is okay, buck could've said "move in with me" to mean they should move in together generally, but it did kinda sound like he was asking tommy to move into the loft. y'know, his tiny bachelor pad that didn't have walls between the rooms and certainly didn't have a muay thai gym or room for a carlift? this doesn't seem well thought out at all... or like he's properly considering how tommy might feel. not that i think this was something that buck didn't actually want (though how was tommy to know) but even though the sentiment was real the fact is it WASN'T well thought out. it was clearly (to the audience) something he decided as the result of the conversation he'd just had with josh, where he admitted he could see a future with tommy. and again, tommy doesn't know any of that because buck doesn't share his feelings with the only person who really needs to know!!! and whether tommy knows it or not, buck does have a history of making impulsive decisions like that.

it's true, this whole thing could've been a one off and the rest of their relationship could've been perfect. but we can only extrapolate based on what we're shown on screen, and i do think these are questions that are worth asking and that there is room for more nuance here. either way, tommy was still a complete idiot for running rather than saying how he felt, but i don't necessarily (key word) know if him being worried was as out of nowhere as it seemed. that's really gonna be down to however you want to interpret it, because i don't actually think we'll ever get the answers that we want. i don't think this is something the show cares about or has ever properly considered, but i'd love to find out more about tommy's perspective because there are two people involved and only one is a main.

i think the most important take away from this is that the writing of this show is horrendous, so it's probably best not to dwell on it (doesn't take his own advice). this is what happens when you dig too deep into a show that doesn't ask for anywhere near this much attention and makes absolutely no effort to be consistent or logical in it's writing. welp, at the end of the day despite the gaps in what we were shown on screen, the parts that we did see were enough to convince us that they do have amazing chemistry, and that they care for each other so intensely in a way that is really a first for both characters. a perfect fit, with so much potential left to explore. if they get back together, they definitely need to have some big conversations they put off the first time around (not that i expect we'll see any of it), but i don't think it's anything unfixable if they want to make it work. and as it's looking right now, it seems like they both still love each other and want each other back.

what do i want to see going forward? more screen time for the relationship, buck being open about having a boyfriend (yes, in public too), for tommy to continue being as caring as he has been, but maybe to see the reverse of that as well? more conversations, things that show us they do actually know each other and are comfortably being open / aren't hiding things from one another. more casual physical affection, the fact that they're a couple being obvious when they're in public together. i'd love to see them both out together with the 118 too, or just interactions with the rest of the cast in general. am i still holding out to hear the word bisexual on screen? idk. but i'd like to, i think it's important especially after all the weird jokes about abby turning men gay and buck not knowing which pool to jump back into. i want to see the show commit to this thing.

[elizabeth-mitchells]

I keep wondering how andromaquynh’s dynamic changes now that they’re reunited. Like Andy’s already softer and more intense once Quynh’s in the picture and we got a little bit more of what they’re like together at the end with their flirting too. I know with the way this one ended there wasn’t any room for a time jump where things are good and they’re with the others but I wanted to see how they acted with everyone else too!

yeahhh me too!! like ngl i mostly just cared about seeing andy and quynh together but it Would have been interesting to see her with the others! like. my personal feelings aside. joe and nicky did spent centuries with quynh too! i want to see that reunion too! is she/how angry is she with them? how much or less forgiving is she with them? how is she with them at all? we got a little glimpse of her with booker and well it was just her asking about andy which is fine by me lol but omg quynh and nile?? i need sooo much more of that. like the innitial animosity. i want to believe quynh feels something like a distant cousin of jealousy for nile because she Was with andy when quynh couldn't be. and nile even though is like impossibly younger than andy has actually been kind of protective of andy since the first movie, since even before finding out andy lost her immortality. and with the way she talked to quynh about betraying andy... oof i'd love to see some tension in that dynamic before they become friends!

and about the andromaquynh dynamic specifically. omg i could talk about it forever. like andy has definitely changed so much since the last time they were together. sooo many years of years. finding a purpose, losing it, finding it again, losing her immortality and being at peace with it, then getting it back??? and like. does she remember how to act when she isn't 90% grief? does she remember who she was when she wasn't missing quynh and blaming herself? WE haven't see her like that except for those last minutes! she already would have turned all her devotion to quynh now that she got her back, but now that quynh is mortal??? i just think andy is going to be a version of herself that she's never been before i think. or at least in a long long time

and then there's quynh!! like. we know that she forgave andy enough to stay with her and join her and go find joe and nicky and nile and get revenge on discord. but i'm willing to bet she isn't done with her complicated feelings toward andy, humanity, her centuries of pain, and omg after everything she went through, being mortal now???? she should be angrier than ever. BUT on the other hand, mortal quynh deciding to make the most of her time and put down her grudges to love and live and be happy and enjoy it and have fun and make up for lost time with andy... there's not a version of their dynamic that i don't absolutely love <3

[cinnamonsikwate]

i'm really curious about what marcille's mother's deal is. seems like she's not too big on the rest of elven society. here's what we know about her so far:

mage at a human royal court (adventurer's bible)

courtship with marcille's father donato lasted 17 years (adventurer's bible)

specialty is roast pork, which was also donato's favorite (chapter 81)

had a cheerful personality up until the point donato got too sick to eat his favorite food. her extreme emotional reaction to this left a lasting impression on marcille (chapter 81)

remarried to a gnome and moved away from the city at some point after donato died (adventurer's bible)

several portraits of her appear in marcille's nightmare (chapter 42); this is the second time we see marcille dream of her (chapter 3)

preferred non-elven food and didn't introduce marcille to any traditional elven dishes (chapter 74)

from the canaries' reactions in chapter 74, it appears elven society looks down on elves who go to live among and work for short-lived races. they seemed especially put off that she would have a mixed-blood child. when they're talking about the lyrikmumare to get marcille to trip up, marcille envisions her mother saying that the food "here" (i.e., the northern continent) tastes so much better. so the picture we're getting here is of an elf who has removed herself from elven culture, but the question is, did she do it willingly or was she forced to?

keeping her other actions in mind, i'm leaning more towards the former. the most intriguing thing for me is that she eventually married a gnome, despite elves and gnomes having infamously waged war against each other over differences in the practice of magic and presently tending to discriminate against the other on sight. (one thing's for sure — marcille's mother is winning the idgaf war!)

marcille never talks about her gnome stepfather though, and it's unclear what she thinks of her mother's remarriage. the timing of the remarriage is also a mystery. donato married marcille's mother when he was 32 (after having courted her for 17 years) and died at 82, meaning they were married for 50 years. marcille is also currently 50 years old, but we know she wasn't born immediately after the marriage: in chapter 81, donato's doppelganger says marcille was born when he'd started "getting on in years." based on marcille's memories of him and the established fact that the average tall-man lifespan is 60 years, i'd hazard that he was in his 50s then. this gives him 30 years or less with marcille — definitely less than 35, which we know is the age at which she left for the magic academy.

we don't know if marcille's mother remarries before or after marcille leaves (if before, than that's definitely a shockingly short time), but it's interesting that she chose to marry someone from a long-lived race this time. maybe this is her way of ensuring she spares herself another heartbreak? or maybe she *is* still heartbroken and is trying to cover it up.

but. i can't help but kind of agree with chilchuck in chapter 81, that marcille's parents are not blameless for marcille becoming the dungeon lord. since it's apparently well-documented, they surely must have known — as well-educated people — that mixed-blood children face not just discrimination but also mental anguish that comes with their unstable aging (not to mention the sterility). so the way they raised marcille feels frankly irresponsible 😭

anyway. i'd love to get spin-off content where post-adventure marcille and her mother meet again. i feel like there's a lot of unresolved issues there (that can of course be hashed out over a good meal).

[br1ghtestlight]

sometimes i forget im mlm cuz im like huh why do i tend to gravitate towards mostly mlm creators online/mlm ships....?? 🤔 like yeah i wonder man. maybe bcuz u are gay

[roots-symphony]

dylan george for the mvp of this episode <3

[pynkhues]

I hope this doesn't seem like a pressuring ask but I was curious if you were planning to finish like a dogless bone? Under the circumstances it's understandable and within your right to leave the fic incomplete but I was wondering if it was going to be completed. And if you choose to update please update at your leisure, I support you whatever you decide and I know many other readers also support you and want you to be safe.

It doesn't seem pressuring at all, anon! Honestly, I haven't opened the doc since that last round of threats and harrassment on Thursday, which is kind of a bummer, because I suspect that was a part of the intent, especially given I increasingly do think those negative comments on Ungodly Hour were probably from the same cohort of people. I do still plan on finishing it though, and am actually even planning on having a look at it this afternoon, so wish me luck! :-)