#Instead it's because I realize how fucking sad it is she gets the short end of the stick repeatedly for cheap ship fluff

[silencesscreams]

love is never logical

james potter x reader (angst)

summary: you had been james’ girlfriend for more than a year, his close relationship with his friend lily has always bothered you, specially because he would always pick her instead of you. once you find out they almost dated when they were younger, things change.

100% inspired by logical - olivia rodrigo, the beginning of the fight was inspired by the all too well short film (it was also lari’s idea because she’s a genius)

warnings: muggle au, drinking, swearing, jealousy, breaking up, fighting, shouting, mentions of younger jily, petnames (babe, love, darling), use of y/n once, mention of sex, kind of short, sad ending

special thanks to @mrsaluado for helping me and giving me ideas for this one!!!!! you’re incredible, lari!!!!

when you first started dating james, the first friend he introduced you to was lily. he said she was one of his best friends and that she was incredibly important for him. it was almost as if he said: don’t fuck it up with her. afterwards, he said she absolutely loved you, it made you feel great about yourself, but a part of you wondered what would happen if she didn’t.

there were times when you’d ask if he wanted to hang out or do something different during the weekend. most times you were too late, he was already doing something with lily, but you could come if you wanted to. you always did. you wanted to be with your boyfriend, it shouldn’t matter that his girl best friend was always around, right?

you even asked him once or twice if he ever had anything with lily, which he defensively denied every single time. most of your friends saw it as a red flag, but what could you do? you had never loved anyone like you loved james potter.

until it all fell apart.

you both had been together for a year. you were always invited to his reunions with his friends, so when he told you he was hosting a small one at his place, you were excited to go. you helped him get the house ready. you even bought appetizers.

so when his friends showed up, you tried talking to most of them, but when you got to sirius, you both ended up talking a lot.

you both had been chatting for about half an hour when he asked:

“where’s that boyfriend of yours anyway?” he took a sip from the cheap wine remus had brought.

“with lily, i think.” you say, looking down at your cup.

“really? doesn’t it bother you?” he asked innocently, like you already knew.

“no, i mean, why would it?”

“well, i’d be stressed knowing remus was so close with someone he almost dated like two years back” he casually stated. your heart could’ve just fallen to your feet then, he never told you that. sirius quickly realized he’d fucked up because of how quiet you got. “you didn’t know?” he questioned, his brows furrowed and his voice more caring now.

“oh, i did, don’t worry.” you lied, your voice quiet.

god, you felt so stupid. you had asked so many times, and he lied, he always said no.

you never thought james could hurt you like that, until he did.

“that reminds me, i have to talk to james about what time we’re putting out the dessert. i’ll be back soon.” you didn’t have to talk to him about anything. you knew that you’d bring out the dessert at 10:30. you just wanted to know what they were talking about.

“hi, babe.” he greeted you, pressing a kiss on your cheek as you sat next to him. “my two girls at the same table, how lucky am i?” he joked, but you didn’t laugh. since when was lily his girl? “sorry, that was badly phrased.” he apologized to you, chuckling and going back to lily, not bothering to insert you in the conversation.

you didn’t really mind staying quiet, he usually did that. they talked for about 10 minutes, during that time stayed quiet and didn’t even touch him, you listened to their conversation, smiling every single time she looked at you.

the night ended for you when he didn’t hold your hand. as he excitedly laughed and talked to her. you tried to interlace his fingers with yours, which he did, giving your hand a quick squeeze before letting go of it and laying it carelessly on the table.

you take a deep breath.

you count to ten.

you hold back your tears.

he had never denied your touch before. ever.

“excuse me,” you said lowly. “i’m gonna freshen up.” you fake a smile, going as quickly as possible to the bathroom. you shut the door behind you and lock it, giving the key two turns.

you can’t believe him. he couldn’t possibly be doing this to you.

you had known ever since he introduced you to her that if he had to choose it’d be her. you knew that deep down, you just didn’t believe it.

you couldn’t believe he lied like that.

he made you believe it was in your head. everything he ever said just always sounded right. how could he do that?

you weren’t going to fight. not in the middle of a party.

you look at yourself in the mirror,

inhale, exhale.

inhale, exhale.

it was fine. you’d talk to him about it later. it was probably a misunderstanding, right? you probably heard him wrong, right?

still, you took it in and kept quiet until everybody left.

james had obviously realized how mad you were when you dodged his hug in the kitchen.

“what’s wrong?” he asked, looking all sad and lonely like a wet dog. like it was your fault.

“you dropped my hand, you know that, right?” you stop and look at him, your hands hugging your own torso nervously.

“what? when?”

“when you were talking to lily.” you say, looking down.

“sorry, i don’t really remember.” he casually brushes it off. he did remember.

“did you and her ever have a thing? tell me the truth, did you ever like her romantically or anything like that?”

“god, no! why are you bringing this up again? i’ve told you before, she’s just my friend, why are you-”

“you’re lying to me.” you cut him off, staring at him.

“no, i’m not. what’s gotten into you?” he squints his eyes at you.

“why are you lying? i know you both had a thing a year before we started dating!” you didn’t want to speak loudly, but you couldn’t not raise your voice at him.

“who told you that?” he questioned quietly.

“it doesn’t matter! why did you lie to me about this?” he didn’t answer. “god, i’m so fucking stupid!” you exclaim, laughing at yourself.

“darling, stop. it’s not like that.”

“i should’ve known something was happening. you spent more time with her than with me ever since i became your girlfriend.”

“I’m not cheating on you, you have to believe me” he tried holding your face in his hands. his touch was inviting, but you pulled away.

“but you love her, don’t you?” he doesn’t answer. “how can i possibly believe you?” you ask, your eyes tearing up. you were trying to hold back the tears, but they were just begging to come out.

“i don’t know. i just need you to trust me, love. please.”

“i don’t know if i can.” you turn around, facing the refrigerator door. you rub your eyes, stressed.

“hey, james.” you call, not turning around to face him.

“yeah?” he answers, staring at your back, a confused look on his face.

“what color are lily’s eyes?” he wanted to bury himself in a hole and never come out. he knew what you were doing and he knew he’d fail.

“i don’t see how that-”

“james, what color are they?”

“green.” he replies, his voice low.

“what color are my eyes?” no answer. you can feel your stomach twist and turn. “james, what color are my eyes?” your voice was louder now.

“i don’t know.” he whispers. you started crying, and he never hated himself so much. you turn around to face him, your head moving in a ‘no’ motion as he tried hugging you. “darling, please. you’re the love of my life, stop it.”

“sure, and you’ve only ever seen her as a friend, right?!” you push him away. “i’m the love of your life and you can’t even tell me my eye color! that’s not fucking right, isn’t it?!”

“you know how much i love you!” he shouts, desperately trying to fix it.

“do i? because you never even say it anymore! hell, you don’t even hold my hand!” you shout back at him. he can’t answer you, he doesn’t know how to. he doesn’t know what to do anymore. “i’m going home.” you announce, grabbing your purse from the kitchen table and heading to his front door.

you didn’t want to leave, but you knew that if you stayed he’d probably find a way to make you believe him. he’d hug you. he’d say he was sorry and that everything would turn out okay.

that wasn’t what you wanted to hear that night, you weren’t really sure of what it was you wanted from him in that moment, but some stupid apology and sex wasn’t going to help.

“i have been your boyfriend for the past year! I haven’t been lily’s!” he exclaimed, following you. you ignored him, cleaning your tears from off your face

“you’re not being fucking logical about this, y/n!” he screamed at you, his voice strained as you open the door to his apartment.

“i guess love isn’t logical, is it?” you say, shutting the door harshly as you head out.

you stop in front of the door, waiting to see if he’d open it and try going after you. if he’d try to make you forgive him.

you waited for 15 minutes.

he didn’t do anything at all.

[bi-scottsummers]

Hi, hello, just came here to say that I love your fic "trending in Japan". I was wondering if you had headcanons regarding Kenji or Emi or interpersonal relationships and stuff. Many hugs for you.

hi hello, thank you for the encouragement and hugs! After some thought ive realized I do in fact have some hcs about some of the character dynamics in the movie as well as just kenji himself, cause hes captivated my entire brain:

Kenji & Emi

Emi does not have teeth but she does inexplicably have a teething phase. kenji is forced to hide all his (salvaged) fancy cars in the garage bc the corvette's already been chewed to hell and his heart is gonna give out if he has to watch any more classics get wrecked

he reads her bedtime stories. A lot of aesop's fables, because theyre short and fun and hes trying to raise his monster daughter with good morals. emi goes hogwild for these but its unclear if she actually understands what hes saying; kenji's pretty sure she just likes the silly voices he uses for different characters

they go flying together! they go first thing in the morning before breakfast - it helps kenji shake off the grogginess of sleep and emi gets to stretch her wings. shes not able to go very far for very long initially, but as she grows and gets those cardio gainz she almost gets to be quicker than him. they have races and play air tag :)

while she doesnt have the vocal range to speak english herself, it becomes clear that emi does understand it well. (kenji also develops an ear for her chirping/squawks, though body language & facial expressions play a big part in communication for both of them) during her (much later) rebellious phase she'll simply pretend not to know what's being said when kenji is telling her to do something she doesn't wanna do, which frustrates him to no end

Kenji

developed a pretty massive chip on his shoulder after moving to the states. it wasn't just bitterness over his dad staying behind, though that was a part of it. this is canon but he was picked on in school for "how [he talked], how [he looked] and what [he ate]." he felt like he had something to prove to both his father and the world. he threw himself into sports - specifically baseball - and his academics, and he did so well that it forced everyone to shut up about how he was different from them and focus on how he was better than them

^ playing off this: kenji had a bonkers fucking yonkers routine when he was a kid/in highschool. he'd get up hours before school started to practice his swing, go for a ~1hr run, workout, study, etc. He'd go to school, come home, and do it all again. this is exaggerated but my point is that this kid was DETERMINED and had the discipline to see that determination through to the end

didnt have many friends because of all aforementioned things. he had acquaintances, and he was invited to parties and outings and stuff (never went), but he spent most of his free time hanging out with his mom. he never really had a "parents are so embarrassing" phase. he always liked to do anything with his mother: going to the bank, going grocery shopping, watching cheesy telenovelas till ungodly hours in the morning, etc. she was his no.1 supporter, confidant, and best friend

he played for his university's baseball team and got scouted at 19. his mom forced him to finish his bachelor's first so once he graduated with his degree in kinesiology at 21, he was drafted to the dodgers

Kenji & Ami

both of them, up until meeting each other, were totally dedicated to their career (and child) so they had basically 0 time for friends. theyre both borderline losers but theyre juuust good enough at what they do for people to admire them instead of finding them sad and lowkey pathetic

kenji is way more into the idea of being friends than ami is. hes pretty enthusiastic about it; he thinks that they have a kind of rapport, since they share a similar work ethic and are both (unbeknownst to ami) single parents. he calls her to chat abt random things. ami initially isnt superrrr into it; she thinks kenji is kinda lonely and desperate for human connection, & it isnt until her mom points out that she has not spoken to anyone outside of work-related reasons in 10+ years that shes like oh shit, i am also lonely and desperate for human connection. so she grudgingly acquires a friend. theyre both really bad at it

need to clarify that in my mind their dynamic is 95% kenji yapping about work and drama in his personal life (circumventing the 8m baby kaiju hes raising) while ami goes "mhm mhm" and takes notes until kenji notices and is like What are you doing. at which point ami is like...... right . nothing. im listening. and forces herself to put the notepad away. she has a hard time disengaging from the reporter mindset and just hearing something intriguing without turning it into an article. the other 5% are the rare moments where theyre connecting super well - ami's psychoanalyzing the hell out of whatever kenji just said and hes like what are you my therapist. over time she starts opening up to him, too, and eventually theyre comfortable enough to be having philosophical discussions over breakfast just for funsies

before kenji reveals that hes ultraman, ami thinks hes in a gang. he keeps showing up to their lunch "dates" with like bruised eyes and fractured bones and gets all shifty when she tries to ask about what happened. when she eventually confronts him about it, hes so offended that she thinks hed be involved in something like that that he tells her about being ultraman

thats about all i can think of rn, though im sure ill think of more after rotating all the characters in my head for a while. thanks again for stopping in, i appreciate the support :)

[theredcuyo]

Hmm, so today i worked with a bit of horror and this came to me

What if we make the Batman into a cryptid but the cooler kind, the leyend to scare young kids type

Before you write or send a comment, i'm mexican, born and raised, still live there. Thank You.

This came from me thinking about La llorona, a leyend (scary one) here in México and some other parts of latam it seems(?) and it's in short, about a woman whose kids die and she dies from sadness over it, with her eyes drying up from so much crying, becoming a spirit that haunts the world while calling for her children in desperate screams

The reason behind the kids' death changes depending on who you ask, either she killed them or it was an accident, but they die by drowing in all versions, and, as a result of the above, any kid she comes across gets taken away because she mistakes them for her own, they end up dying by her hands too tho (because she thinks they're hers and drowns them, or because she realizes they aren't)

She's also a single mother (the story goes back to the 1500 btw)

And I think Bruce fits this. So. Fucking. Well.

Like, Jason and Dick die, and he becomes this, and then Tim was trying to help him pass from the world but he couldn't and instead became his child too, and the rest followed along, by accident, by choice or not

Can he be a hero here? I don't think so, but, maybe he does care for the children somehow, the ones that he realizes aren't his, that they have parents to go to are the ones he protects

He cares for the people, who are not at fault for his loss, so he protects the city he also haunts

He cares for the nice old man who's never been afraid of him, who gives him a sad smile and who he feels like he knows but all the memories of his life are buried down and forgotten behind his children dying

He might not even want the children he takes to die, it's like the pit rage in canon, it takes over him and they world gets too blurry to think right

And he cares for those kids, he really does, it's not their fault, but there's one he can never remember the name of (Dick) no matter how many times he repeats it

Dick forgave his dad (whatever the reason for their deaths might be) and wanders around him in a nice way, doing his best so all of them can finally pass away

Jason hasn't. He haunts Bruce, most of the episodes where he snatches more kids away are Jason's fault, as he appears and dissapears in front of him, making him believe any kid is his boy, Jason doesn't notice and actually tries to protect other kids.

Steph's 'your not my dad!' call hits harder in this au-

Cass was wandering around town alone, she didn't stand a chance because she couldn't even scream for help. She's like a second shadow to Bruce, always near, always watching, and some who have scaped them swear her eyes never stop looking at you. She might be the only kid who's not mad at him for taking her away

Duke is similar enough, he didn't like the dark, but when there's no other choice is the worst thing that happens.

Damian's tale as a child of his that Bruce originally thought to have died gets worse when he gets taken, reunited but only by death, one that is his dad's fault.

One where Bruce got another one of his kids killed.

||||

Hoenstly, i'd like to work on this au? If that's like fine?

I'll try to make some designs and maybe like some draws, if i get to, a series of one-shots

Oh, and if you non-latam people want to know more about la llorona, well, there's a kids animated movie :D is called "La leyenda de la llorona" pretty sure you can find it with subtitles (always better than dub tbh) it's part of a saga on mexican leyends too, can watch the others if it calls your attention, they're fun

[tuliptiger]

I just saw a short on YouTube that pointed out how Jinx made the decision Vi couldn't and let go of the people she loves to move on and. If it was like any other story? Like any other one maybe but I personally can't read it that way because that's sad as fuck.

Jinx didn't NEED to let go of Vi, Vi loves her and frankly isn't a bad person or sister. They never really got a chance to reconcile in a calm environment except the like week they were chilling at Viktors commune. And I get the feeling with the lack of scenes there wasn't a ton of interactions between the two? My guess is Jinx already knew things weren't right, with all the comments about and to Viktor. She's smart as a whip, there's no way she didn't notice things weren't right she was there for Vi and Vander though.

Tbh the main reason I'm ok with Jinx leaving though...FOR NOW is I don't see how she could have stayed in Piltover and Zaun at this point. Story wise and character wise. She is a criminal and she did kill a lot of people both justly and unjustly. Plus I don't think she could heal in the way she'd need to in that environment. I want her to come to the realization that her just being alive isn't killing, it's not the cycle and loving her and being around her isn't a death sentence.

I do want Vi and Jinx to meet again in better circumstances, and the opposite side of the coin gets to flip to the sky. JINX gets to let herself be held onto instead of being forced to choose to leave. Some main themes are parallelism, duality, good and bad being similar forces. So the flipped side is her eventually coming full circle and them meeting in a heartfelt, easy way. And actually being able to learn and explore who the other has become.

Fuck me if breaking the cycle means moving on and leaving a few things behind. Fuck that man that would break my heart too much why is the collateral for that Vi and Jinx. I'm holding onto the fact that it isn't the end, this is just the end of an arc and not the end of their story. To me.

[touchoffleece]

while when I stopped watching Naruto during shippuden I was not a fan of Sakura at the time (I was close to a anti sakura fan as I recall), extended storylines like Retsuden just makes me feel Naruto somehow got more convoluted and worse for character regression as it keeps going. It's like they are trying to build up, but Naruto and it's character's foundations from part 1 have been crushed so much that it's turned to dust. Characters haven't been built up they have been replaced by new versions that fit the needs, and this feels even more true for the female characters of Naruto. Sakura being the main girl of Naruto's squad, just has her suffer more then others. Taking away her strengths to let Sasuke be a white knight, and to also let the SasuSaku shippers feel there's a connection between them because it was non existent aside from the fact Sakura had a kid with Sasuke during a timeskip post end of shippudem and that is not the empowering move they think it is.😓 Sakura could have been a character to rival Kakashi, considering she's got not god eyes or god chakra, but we all have heard it before and the whys.

Is it me? Or the author of Retsuden never really thought about Sakura's strength considering this is a Shounen Anime.

Let us have a reminder here Sakura stans hype the fight with Sasori.

You can see this is teen Sakura and she was still standing healing herself even before Chiyo injected medicine to her.

Sasori is an Akatsuki member with a very dangerous poison and he's a protoge in puppetry.

She was also stabbed by Madara.

She regenerated quickly. Of course we already know who Madara is.

Then in Sasuke Retsuden we have this.

She didn't even sensed he was about to stab her, I thought she's a sensory Ninja of objects in this novel?

She collapsed after being stabbed by a kunai just from a guy named Jiji. The author seems more focused on the lovey dovey parts and seemed to not read the manga. Some Sakura stans don't care. They just want to be a self insert and have Sakura what they want.

[alessiathepirate]

Far Cry 5

SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL: John Seed x fem!reader

Summary: She wasn't blind. She really wasn't. She just chose to love all of him.

Notes: English isn't my first language. I apologize for any mistake I may have made while I wrote this short story.

Warnings: mentioned and/or referenced torture and/or abuse, religious references (come on, it's the Seed family), swearing, reader isn't the Deputy

•••

"Fucking Hell!" Mary May looked at her in surprise, both shock and betrayal clearly seen on her face. "You love him..."

After her words, the whole Spread Eagel turned quiet. Pastor Jerome looked away and Nick seemed more than upset.

She felt her cheeks burn red, but not from shame - never from shame. It burned, because it was true.

"Holy shit..." Mary May cursed again, still in disbelief. "No shit you can't see how crazy that whole family is! You don't want to see it!"

"I--" she began, but shut her mouth instead when she realized she has no idea what she should say.

"John Seed is fucking hurting people!" Mary May continued. "And you decided to just- I don't know-- love him?"

"Please, he's not that--"

"Not that bad? That's what you wanted to say?" Mary May pulled her shirt down to show her the scars what stayed behind after that quick tattoo removal. "Does this seem not that bad to you?"

She looked at the scars, then back at Mary May. She let go of her shirt, then pointed toward the door.

"You should leave..."

"Mary M--"

"Get out!"

So she left.

She left so she could continue to love John with all his flaws.

•••

As John wrapped a fluffy blue towel around her body after they finished their shared bath, she wondered how people could think of him as evil.

Sure, she knew John wasn't purely good - she could see the flaws, but then again is anyone out there perfect? She herself wasn't perfection, yet John chose to love her anyway.

She wasn't blind, she saw the issues he had - but she could also see the things others couldn't. Because John didn't want them to see those. But he allowed her to see all of him.

How could he be pure evil, when he was capable of loving her so gently, so honestly? When he was capable of touching her so softly as if she was made from the thinnest glass? When he liked to hum those old songs, when deep down he was so full of joy and love to give?

"You're being quiet." John suddenly stated as he stroked her wet hair. "What's going on in your head, sweetheart?"

A lot. A whole lot.

"Mary May..." she confessed with a shy, sad smile. "I know it shouldn't upset me, but she was my friend and I--"

John shut her up with a kiss so soft, she felt dizzy.

"She and all the others in Fall's End are blind. They know nothing, they see nothing. You can't do anything about it, so don't let it bother you; alright?"

She just nodded and pressed a kiss to his chest, right above his 'sloth' tattoo. By then she knew all of tattoos by heart. She'd trace them and kiss each of them - yet her favourite was the one that said 'yes'. It sat right above his stomach and each night when she rested her head on his chest, she'd follow the dark lines with her fingertips.

"I love you, John."

He liked to hear it a lot. He had to hear it a lot so he would believe that someone was capable of loving him. And she loved saying it, no matter the time or place.

"I love you too, sweetheart. More than anything." he kissed her forehead, a sign of affection he picked up from his brother, and gently stroked her cheek. "Now let's get you into some comfortable clothes, okay?"

She smiled up at him. "Can I wear your shirt?"

"Of course you can."

She knew John loved to see her in them - in his shirts, in his coat. It gave him a sense of belonging. That act alone made everyone know that he was hers and she was his.

John turned to grab a clean shirt and she followed his movements. Then her gaze was on his back, and her smile turned into a frown.

The scars were there, proving that the wounds he had recieved when he was young, once existed. She hated them - not because they were ugly, but because ugly and deformed people gave him those.

Fall's End wanted to talk about bad people? They should've started with the monsters who gave John those scars.

She stepped toward him, hugging him from behind and pressed a kiss to his spine. She felt him freeze from both shock and surprise. To John her touching those scars, that ugliness, was more intimate then anything they did - more intimate than confessing their love, than kissing, than making love... It meant she truly accepted all of him and loved him anyway.

"I never want to leave you, John."

His answer was a kiss so full of adoration and passion, she forgot how to breath. Her legs felt weak, while the butterflies in her stomach went insane. John wanted to hold every single part of her, and she didn't mind at all - because it just proved he'd never want to leave her either.

And later, when they were in bed, curled into one another, she knew that no matter what others said, how they tried to point out John's or her imperfections - to each other they were perfect.

[hbyrde36]

Updated 10/23/2024

Fuggi Regal Fantasima

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Two days after they failed to defeat Vecna, after Max died and came back, after Eddie died—and didn’t. Two days after they were forced to leave his body behind in the Upside Down because everything had gone to shit, a bright yellow pizza delivery van that looked like it’d been through its own apocalypse pulled into the Wheeler's driveway. Jonathan, Mike, Will, and El finally made it home to Hawkins with the help of a friend. On day three, Max woke up. She’d have a long road to recovery, but the doctors seemed fairly confident she’d walk again. Though, no one could be sure how much of her eyesight would return, if any. The same day, in a twist no one saw coming, Joyce showed up, fresh off a plane from Alaska after escaping Russia—yes, Russia—with a miraculously alive and mostly well Jim Hopper. And four days after the world both did and didn’t end, the ghost of Eddie Munson appeared in Steve’s living room.

Midsummer Nights

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This summer they were eighteen, part of the graduating class of 1999, on the brink of college, and finally old enough to be hired as full fledged counselors with paychecks and days off and everything. Not that it paid much, but Steve wasn’t in it for the money. He was in it for the love of the place. Sunset Lake Camp had become a second home to him over the last decade of his life, his real home, and the people there like family. Robin was mainly in it for Steve, excited at the prospect of getting to spend the entire Summer with him for once instead of the single session, two short weeks, she was used to—all her folks had been able to afford each year growing up. It was poised to be the best summer of Steve’s life. Then he met Eddie.

Caught in the Undertow

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Against all odds, Steve Harrington saved Eddie Munson from certain death. And Eddie doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to forgive him for it.

Canon divergence - Eddie lives, suicidal ideation, sad with a happy ending, angst with happy ending, POV alternating, good uncle Wayne Munson

It's Only Forever

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Labyrinth AU | 43K | Mature | Mild Sexual Content

Little did Steve know that uttering the ridiculous phrase, “I wish the goblins would come and take you away,” would turn his world upside down, and buy him a one way ticket to a nightmare maze.

Thirteen hours, one for every year of Dustin’s life, was all the time he had to solve the Labyrinth, make it to the castle beyond the Goblin City, and save his little brother from being trapped there with the Goblin King forever

…The extremely hot Goblin King, who was maybe not quite what he seemed, but still tried to thwart Steve at every turn.

Teaser & snippet

“Goblins” Promo

"Helping Hands" Promo

No Vacancy

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When Eddie Munson arrived at the Buckingham Beach Motel to spend the summer with his best friend Chrissy and her business partner Robin, the absolute last person he expected to see hanging around in the lobby was former King of Hawkins High and renowned jock asshole, Steve fucking Harrington. To make matters worse, Eddie found that Steve's presence was just the tip of the iceberg—long story short? Mistakes were made and it turned out the motel was a little overbooked...

Who even goes on blind dates anymore?

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After several failed long-term relationships with fuckboys that weren’t worth his time and heartache, who ran the second things got real, he joined the apps—quickly realizing that most of the guys he found on there were only looking for sex. Which was fun and all, but Eddie wanted more. He was looking for romance, a spark, someone he could see spending his life with, who was also looking for a partner. Someone who wasn’t allergic to commitment. So, he’d quit the apps. And when Chrissy told him she had a guy she wanted him to meet he figured, fuck it, he’d tried everything else.

Times Like These

Anniversary Post

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When Eddie finds himself back in his living room, staring down a very alive Chrissy Cunningham, after just having bled to death himself in the middle of a nightmare world, he was rightfully very, very fucking confused. -Or- What happens when the new guy, who only just got inducted into the fucked up world of monsters and mayhem, gets stuck in a time loop and finds himself responsible for saving everyone?

I Don't Think We're In Hawkins Anymore, Big Boy

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After being run off the road in a freak accident during a terrible storm, Steve and Eddie find that not only have they committed vehicular manslaughter, but they’ve also somehow been whisked away to a strange land. The journey is rough and they are being hunted for revenge, but through it all Steve and Eddie grow closer than ever as they try and find their way home with the help of some new friends with familiar faces. -Or- Steddie Wizard of Oz

Hellfire Ink

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Written for the Stranger Things Reverse Big Bang 2023/2024

Not for the first time, Eddie was really regretting his decision to book a client on a Friday night, a new client at that. It wasn’t as if he had anything better to do, exactly. There were no dates on his calendar, and going out to random bars and clubs on the weekends to look for quick hook-ups had begun losing its appeal lately. But it’d been a long week, and he’d much rather be getting ready to plop down on the couch with Chrissy to split a bottle of red wine while they watched Drag Race, than preparing to do a cover up for some idiot who’d gotten their girlfriend’s name tattooed on his body, only to fall victim to—The Curse. Ask any tattoo artist and they’d be the first to tell you, there was no surer way to guarantee a breakup than to ink your significant other’s name on your body forever.

Life is a Game (and True Love is a Trophy)

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For years Eddie has been playing D&D with his cousin Dustin and his friends. It’s a crazy home brew campaign of his own design that plays fast and loose with the lore, weaving in heavily embellished events from their real lives. They play themselves, filling out a full cast of NPC’s with the likenesses of friends, family, and strangers. It’s been a wild ride. The game is set in Hawkins, but not quite their Hawkins. This manifestation of their hometown is full of dark secrets, including a shady government agency, evil scientists, and another dimension full of dangerous creatures hiding on the other side of reality. They’ve just wrapped their most recent session before spring break 1986. It was a bittersweet end to an epic part of the story. A blast to play through, but they didn’t beat the bad guy, and the party has been left in ruins. Eddie’s character is dead, one of their favorite NPC’s is in a coma, and the world has literally split apart at the seams. Honestly, Eddie’s not sure how they come back from this. - In 1983 Steve Harrington joined the search for a missing boy and found something he never bargained for. In 1984 Steve Harrington disappeared.

Honey, You're Familiar

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Written for the Stranger Things Writer's Guild Hozier Project, a collection of one-shots inspired by songs from Hozier's self titled album. The word count limit was 3,000 and I chose the song From Eden

🖤The Crawl

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Inspired by the VERY little information we have about the Stranger Things writer's plans for season 5 Time travel stories love to play with the idea that one small act can have an incredible impact on the future. What if, in a crazy twist of fate, Will Byers was rescued from the Upside Down a day early and with just a little knowledge of what was to come. Would it be enough to change everything?

POV Will Byers, POV Eddie Munson, POV Steve Harrington, time shenanigans, fix-it of sorts, angst with a happy ending, friends to lovers, falling in love, confessions, first kiss, character death, HAPPY ENDING

Steve Harrington: Vampire Hunter

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Steve Harrington is an animator. It’s a job that involves raising the dead; sometimes as a service for mourning relatives looking for closure, often as a tool for the courts to settle disputes. He is also a licensed vampire hunter. Two years ago, vampirism became legal in the United States, granting its undead population citizenship. With this new legal status comes a complication for Steve, as he finds himself tasked with helping the very creatures he is accustomed to killing. Speaking of complications, Steve struggles in more ways than one when he finds himself working closely with none other than Eddie Munson, an undeniably sexy several-hundred-years old master vampire. Or, The Anita Blake/Steddie mashup that nobody asked for but I’m having far too much fun with.

Modern AU, Vampire AU (Anita Blake AU/mashup),  aged up characters, enemies to lovers, slow burn, eventual smut, dream sex, vampires, wereanimals, zombies, other supernatural things eventually

Shelter In Place

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Written for Lex’s Spicy Six Summer Challenge! My prompt was : Hurricane

When a major Hurricane is projected to hit Hawkins (technically it’s more like the remnants of a hurricane, but the residents of Hawkins don’t really know the difference or care), Dustin is worried about his new friend and DM, Eddie Munson, who lives in a trailer, a structure not known for its resilience against severe weather. He invites the older boy to ride the storm out with him and his mom at home, unaware that she has made arrangements for them to stay with family that live far away from the storm's trajectory. Dustin doesn’t want to leave his friend high and dry, enter everyone’s favorite babysitter: Steve Harrington.

[whimsicalcotton]

2, 8, and 12 for Rachel

2. What’s your least favorite aspect of this character?

is it a cop-out to say that it's the fact that we never actually get to see stuff from her pov. i need to hear her internal monologue so bad i bet it's Fucked <3

12. How do they act when sick/injured? Is it obvious or do they hide it well?

Rachel is really really good at hiding literally anything that could possibly be going on with her, but even when it's becoming obvious to everyone else that she's under the weather it takes nothing short of holding her at gunpoint to get her to stop and rest it off. and when she's proper sick to the point where even she can't deny it she gives up The Facade & gets extra clingy and whiny like a sad little melodramatic cat <3

8. Describe your ideal whump scenario for this character.

slapping this one under a readmore bc i got. a wee bit carried away

(and quick CWs for suicidal ideation, emetophobia, & a mention of calorie counting)

overindulgence after a bad day. 

maybe it's been a long week and her patience for everything has worn thin, or maybe she's been thinking too much and looking for a way to shut her brain up for the night. whatever the underlying issue, she’s insistent on not bothering Chloe & Max with it and instead turns to her preferred solution of invoking the sin of gluttony via getting as shitfaced as possible. 

it starts out normally enough; roping people into various drinking games, finding an excuse to smoke with anyone and everyone. and then she's drinking straight from the bottle while playing cards, and she just won another couple of joints so hey why not head outside again, and everybody knows it's not a real Vortex party unless she does a line with Victoria.

and then later on when most people are starting to wind down their intake for the night Nathan offers her a tab and Vic (who is often forced by process of elimination to be the voice of reason when it comes to these three being inebriated) tries to dissuade her from it by pointing out she already has like three different substances in her system — “isn't that enough for you, you greedy son of a bitch?” — and adding another is a monumentally boneheaded idea. 

but Rachel looks her dead in the eye and says, “nothing is enough for me,” way too genuinely and that's when Victoria realizes this is gonna be a Problem. 

and imo Rachel is one of those people who is very much aware of her limits she just pushes them intentionally & without mercy, so even when she's starting to realize she's overdone it she just. keeps taking whatever the fuck winds up in her hands. what's another cooler? what's another cigarette? what does it matter if it feels like her head is gonna fall off any second? (Vic ends up confiscating no less than three drinks from her, which she then has herself bc she is a tripsitter by technicality alone.) 

but ultimately Victoria can only run so much damage control when she's Also completely blasted and has to keep an eye on Nathan too, so she's having a Tenth Doctor choosing between Rose and Mickey moment where she has to go after Nathan instead bc she knows he's more likely to cause collateral damage But. she does call Max and has just enough remaining pride to demand rather than beg that pricefield come get Rachel because, “your girlfriend is whacked off her ass and convinced she has the drug tolerance of an elephant and i have no idea where the fuck she went but wherever it is i can't guarantee she isn't about to waterboard herself with a bottle of smirnoff.” 

which is an unfortunately accurate summary bc Rachel is in fact attempting to drink More and she's at the point where she's thinking shit like i bet if i said i was taking a shot of bleach everyone would cheer me on and then maybe the applause would make it all hurt less. so when she finally pulls out her phone and sees all the missed calls and messages from Max — hey we're on the way over to get you, is everything alright? where are you? Rachel please answer I'm getting really worried — and Chloe — yo why is Chase calling at half past stupid to tell us you're being a dumbass? Rach c'mon pick up you're kinda freaking me out. you'd better just be too distracted to look at your phone and not out cold somewhere i swear to god — whatever emotional hellstorm she'd been trying to stave off finally breaks through the fifty pound haze of drugs and alcohol she's put herself in and she devolves into a big ol' shame spiral. it's definitely not the first time Chloe has seen her messed up six ways to sunday like this but she Does try really hard to keep Max from ever seeing her anything worse than drunk so the thought of them both trying to find her right now is a little too much to face.

and it was never that good of a trip to begin with but this is where it starts heading downhill fast. now that The Fun has worn off, being sloshed from several different sources is no longer the remedy she'd been pretending it was. fading in and out of feeling restless from the acid and lethargic from the alcohol, stumbling everywhere, can't keep focused long enough to think up an escape plan, and it's just starting sink in that Victoria was right (god forbid) and she shouldn't have taken up Nathan's offer because she's going to be stuck like this for a While before she starts coming down.

by the time Max and Chloe actually find her she's off all by herself white knuckling a bottle and staring at her phone and when Chloe semi-gently asks what the hell she's doing her answer is something like “oh, well I just thought the next few hours might be easier if I wasn't conscious but I've puked twice and I'm still awake so I don't think it's working.” 

which pretty immediately upgrades pricefield into Hyper Crisis Mode (bc let's be real Max has been having a crisis ever since Victoria called.) so Chloe slowly detangles her from the alcohol and helps her up, and Max gives Rachel her sweater bc she's a shivering shakey wide eyed mess. and the entire time Rachel is just babbling on and on about how they're not supposed to be here, how they should be off on their own having fun and not worrying about her because she doesn't need any help, nothing is wrong, she can take care of herself. when they're walking her out to the truck she's got leftover eyeliner streaks from crying in the bathroom and she's like two shades away from being printer paper white but all anyone says to her is stuff along the lines of, “hey looks like someone had a good night!” 

and once they're finally outside she turns to Max and Chloe all “see, see, you're doing it wrong. who cares if i’m fucked. you should ignore it and pretend i’m just having fun like everyone else does.” 

Max is (reasonably) horrified and Chloe is like “yeah, no, that's not happening,” and so they begin the arduous process of getting her back to the dorms in one piece. they have to stop halfway bc she gets sick again and at this point she's so out of it she's laying in the backseat openly waxing poetic about how throwing up is divine punishment for losing count of her calories but at least this way she can still have breakfast with them tomorrow. poor Max is back there with her trying to keep them both from tipping over the verge of a panic attack and just barely succeeding. 

then pricefield get to spend the rest of the night looking after her and trying to calm down & distract her jittery, incredibly unwell ass bc she physically can’t sleep until like 7am. Chloe conks out with her but Max is solidly in Worry Mode and stays up keeping an eye on them both. when Rachel finally wakes up she has a super mega thousand degree ultra hot knife son of a bitch wish-you-were-never-born hangover that lasts like two fucking days and she can barely keep anything down and she’s just wasting away like a waifish victorian woman on death’s doorstep in Max’s room the whole time and pricefield are running around like a pair of chickens with their heads cut off trying to take care of her and the entire time Rachel is thinking wow i sure love them and i’m so going to have the biggest breakdown known to man the minute i’m on my own. 

and to top it all off she gets an “i told you so,” text from Vic <3

[fairyhaos]

Moot game asks 👀 Count me in on that stuff, I absolutely love them.

We've had crimes so far, but what would your mutuals be as meet-ugly tropes, rather than meet-cute? To shake things up a little.

(🧚 anon, possibly?)

ohh cool!! and yes ofc you can be 🧚‍♀️ anon ^^

@wheeboo sees you as you're destroying a tombstone in the cemetery while she's with her friend to pay their respects at their grandmother's grave. you're destroying the tombstone bc it belongs to some ancestor of yours who was an ass/ dealt with the devil/ did some fucked-up shit that led you to have a horrible fate or curse, but of course rania doesn't know that, so now she has you branded as a grave-vandaliser and speaks to you so coldly when she sees you next, before reluctantly having to partner with you to save the world from some cursed/ crazed lunatics who were just like your ancestor

@slytherinshua is in the middle of a breakdown in the campus library when you meet her, and honestly you feel bad for telling her to leave, bc you know how stressful midterms can be so you try to tell her as nicely as possible that she needs to leave. but she's so stressed that she blows up on you, before blinking in surprise at her own outburst and promptly scrambling out of the library, taking her laptop but leaving her textbooks. you meet her in the library again, as she awkwardly apologises and asks if you have her books, and you give both the textbooks and your number to her at the same time

@weird-bookworm trips over her own feet and slams right into you during your first meeting. she's horribly late to her class, so she doesn't even turn around to apologize before speeding off, leaving you disoriented and pissed. and weirdly, you two keep meeting, where she runs into you and then runs off bc she's always late for something, causing you to view her as this impolite clutz until one day, she catches your hand as you're about to fall down the stairs, and then gives you such a relieved grin that you think- oh. well, that's new.

@rubywonu borrows a pen from you and then never gives it back. she'd tapped you on the shoulder and asked for it so sweetly, but then at the end of the class she simply zoomed out of the door with your favourite pen, never to be seen again. you don't see her until a few months later, and turns out she's a friend of a friend so you reluctantly get close and eventually realise she's a rlly cool person, deciding to forgive her for the pen. you bring it up one day, though, and her eyes widen bc she totally forgot too, and the next day she brings you a whole pack of that same exact pen that she'd bought just for you

@etherealyoungk hnnjg it's hard to think of meet-uglies for skye but,,, the first time she sees you, it's when you're cursing out your ex in public while dramatically breaking up with him. your ex played up the role of an innocent victim, even though they were definitely in the wrong, and you'd looked like an utter bitch to the public. but then she sees you again, as the barista in a cafe she decided to go to one day, and all she can think of is that you look so sad, not like a crazy bitch. one day, while she's sitting in the cafe (because yes, she's now a regular customer) your ex storms in and starts tearing you apart in the near-empty cafe, and without even thinking about it, skye jumps in to defend you

@mesanthropi is so mesmerised when xe first sees you that xe just . just blanks you. you're trying to ask what role xe'd most likely to get in the school play, but xe's just blinking, totally straight-faced, so your friend has to be the one to talk to xem instead. you're thinking 'wow, rude', without realizing that xe was just so in awe of how pretty you are and short-circuited. as the play rehearsals go on, with you and your friend as co-directors, you see weiss relax around u and deliver stellar performances and slowly, you start to become friends. and who knows? maybe you'll fall in love too.

@blue-jisungs meets you for the first time when she's walking her dog (idk if u actually have a dog but PRETEND YOU DO) and you've recently lost your dog, who looks an awful like axe's..... so you accost her in the middle of the street and demand that she gives your dog back, even though it's hers, and everything is all just a bit too chaotic and confusing for axe on a sunday morning, so she tells you to go away and ushers her dog away from the crazy stranger. then, she passes a missing dog sign on her way back from work that looks a lot like hers, and realises you were telling the truth. she dials the number, tells you that she's the person you saw the other day, and asks that maybe, if you're willing... she could help you look for your dog?

@wonwoonlight is yelling down the phone at her desk when you first meet her, and that has you being terrified of your colleague for all of six months after you meet her. you're a new addition to their department, with khione as your team leader, and she's so frustrated with some idiot when you first see her in the office, basically (justifiably) tearing them a new one for their incompetence, but after that, you're always seeing her as this strict, horrible person until one day she takes care of you during a corporate dinner while you're not feeling your best, scolding you gently for coming when you feel ill and calling a cab to take you home early

@icyminghao is someone you know from childhood, and honestly, you can't remember your first ever meeting. but you do have an early memory of her playing 'got your nose' with you and making you cry, and ever since then, she's been a nuisance in your life. that is, until some school project has you being forced to truly work together, and after you put aside your annoyance, your irritation melts away into something akin to fondness, finding her cheerinees something adorable rather than annoying

[astridthevalkyrie]

major spoilers for crossroads!!!

the part of me that hates happiness really needs to know how levi was after we died. like what were his thoughts. we got fucking married the night before and specifically never told him “i love you” because he requested to say it first. he was ready to drop his dreams at a dime for us. he finally, finally decided that-fuck it- life’s too short not to show how much he cares. and it turns out that our life was much shorter than he thought. if he decided to stay with us and fight instead of going after zeke like erwin requested we would still be alive. not only that, he got away in the end. he probably knew we were dead on that field before he came back out for us. did he wait cause he was scared? if he did do you think he feels guilty like it’s his fault?

and my biggest question yet; how could you write this as the ending? don’t get me wrong, it’s probably the best ending you could’ve done BY FAR. it’s so sad yet so realistic for that world. we didn’t think we’d make it till the end right? i’m more of talking about the writing itself. cause i don’t think i could go without the happy ending.

and now that i think about it what a place to end it. we didn’t see the ocean, we didn’t make up with our mother, we didn’t get to know the truth of the world, to see the world. and we just got to a place where we were happy with ourself. you ma’am, are a creative genius. i started reading this series like 2 years ago when you were still updating it consistently. stopped reading cause i wanted to watch it beforehand so i could have context. never actually watched aot until about a week ago. remembered your fic, started to read it. and now i’m a sobbing mess who has been pacing around in my room all night like a lunatic pondering the heartbreak of a pretty anime man cause i want someone to grieve for me as much as i’m sure he does in your story. hands down one of th best fics i’ve ever read. thank you for making it

thank you for the spoiler warning! even though it's been out for a while i really appreciate it just in case someone's on my page for the first time <33

levi is a mess. obviously the final chapter will be alllll about him going through the motions as plot things keep happening. it's like, everything you said. he realized life was too short, but he still never heard the magic three words from her, and he never said them to her either. and hahahahahahahaaaaa yes, in the end, her death in hindsight could very much have been avoided if he'd stayed and fought with her, with little to no difference in outcome since zeke got away in the end. he might have even had some support during the serum debacle. who would reader want the injection to go to, i wonder?

as for why he waited, yeah—he very much knew she was dead. she was up against 25 titans and on her last set of swords. he left her knowing she was gonna die, and pretty quickly at that. what's funny is that...if she didn't engage and just kinda stood there, the titans wouldn't have gone for her. zeke's order to the titans is "rip him to pieces!" they were only after levi, none of them even try to eat her, more like just bat her out of the way. of course if she hadn't fought them, levi would have way more to deal with and would either have died or at the very least been overwhelmed enough that catching up to zeke would be impossible.

levi doesn't regret his choices. that's what erwin taught him. but how long can that last when even erwin isn't there to remind him of it? he's guilty. he's beyond guilty. but what he regrets isn't the final moments, after all, those were her choices. it might be those sneaky confessions he never verbalized that he's more agonized over.

reader's story is.....completely cut short. she doesn't see her mom or millie again, doesn't get to tell levi she loves him, doesn't get to see the outside world or even find out about it. she never even finds out why annie did what she did! and i'm really, really glad you think it's a good ending to the story despite all that. (of course, we're not done yet, but reader's journey definitely ends here.)

it wasn't always 100% the plan. when i posted the original Superior oneshot, i had a backstory forming in my head, and then a loose canonverse plotline. i'd love to say that there was a story i wanted to tell that everything was built around, but honestly all my favorite moments just appeared in my head, and the story formed around them. if someone is curious i can delve into alternate endings i thought of, at least one of them is pretty wild LMAO. but by the time i started summer rain her death was sealed since i had to start setting it up.

the FACT. that you read my silly little story before watching aot. means the whole WORLD to me. rest assured the pretty anime man loves you in that story and every other one. thank you sosososo much, i hope you liked watching the show too! thank you so much for the kind words <3

[olsenmyolsen]

Shit

Part 13 of On The Inside With Elizabeth Olsen

Word Count: ~4.2K

masterlist

Y/N POV

I smile down at my phone after just sending a text to the twins, letting them know I made it home. I don't even remember the ride back. My mind was too preoccupied thinking about Liz and the things I wanted to say to her. But yet here I am standing with my back to the closed front door.

I take a look at the state my studio apartment is in. "Shit." To my disappointment, it hasn't been magically cleaned and organized, so with another day off, I think it's time to do something useful for myself and clean this place up.

I place the tote bag I had on my shoulder onto my couch before kicking off my new Birkenstocks and making my way into my bathroom. I rummage through my medicine cabinet before finding the ibuprofen bottle. I dump three in my hand and turn on the sink. I throw the pills into my mouth and cup a handful of water, lifting it to my mouth before I swallow it, letting that NY tap water work its way down my throat.

My head isn't killing me like before, but this will still help. I turn off the sink and walk into my bedroom. I yank off the jeans MK gave me and my underwear, adding them to my wash pile before slipping on a pair of basketball shorts and cozy socks.

I make my way back into the living room area, load up my Cleaning on a Sunday morning vibe playlist, set my phone down on my cheap wooden coffee table, and get to work.

_

Just over an hour later, I am sweating as if I had just run a marathon. I smile to myself. I have the wash going, the living room cleaned, and the bedroom spotless, except for the piles of stuff that shouldn't be moved because I know exactly what's in there and how I like it. The bathroom still needs work, but eh.

I grab my phone and stop the playlist to look at my messages. I got a message back from Ash but not MK in the twins and mine group chat appropriately named Y/N & Twins. Ash came up with it until we pick something else.

In addition to Ash's message, I got a message from Max, so instead of replying, I just decided to shoot her a call. Why not? I got time. After a few rings, she answers.

Max: What up Bitch!

Y/N: Sup! Just got done cleaning my place.

M: Ew. You're cleaning instead of spending time with the Olsen twins? If Mary-Kate had texted me that you'd leave her and be cleaning today I would've made sure your ass came into work.

Y: Well, too late. And yes, I cleaned. I got home and realized what a shit show it was. Plus, if it's not clean, how in the hell will we watch the MCU?

I get no response a part of me is worried the call dropped.

Y: Max?

M: Are you serious?

Y/N: About?

M: Watching the rest of the MCU because I don't want you to get attached and then have Liz-

Y: No. No, it's okay. Plus, I think I'm going to try and talk to her.

I hear a sharp intake of breath over the phone.

M: Fuck, dude, really?

I pause.

Y: Yeah... Anyways! What do you say movie tonight? My place. Captain...

Damn, what's the character's name? 

M: Marvel! Captain Marvel! Yes, James and I will be there arroooouuunnndd 6:30/7. Maybe do a double feature tonight?

I nod.

M: Y/N?

Y: Oh yeah, sorry. Sounds good.

M: Yes! Time to prove to my little bitch of a brother how badass she is. Okay, see you tonight Y/N!

Just like that, the call ends. So now I'm left sitting by myself alone in my living room. I look around my studio apartment. Before living here, I had a place with Naomi; before that, it was my place at college.

I get a little sad as I look around the space. I realize it's because I spent a long time with someone who never let me be fully me. I see that now as I look at the empty spots on my shelves and tables. I take note.

I know I have a lot of things back home with my mom that I wouldn't mind having back into my life, but that means calling my mom, and let's not forget last time she spoke, she wanted our next call to be about my future and all that business. Because God forbid, I don't go back to school and decide that I want to work at a coffee shop.

So in the meantime, I open my Amazon app and purchase a few small things to add to my space. I think about getting a plant, but that's never worked out well in the past. You know how people have green thumbs? Call me Grey Thumbs. Plus, I wouldn't even know what to get.

God, I'm such a bad lesbian.

A smile comes across my face because I know exactly who could help me.

I open up my text conversation with Liz. My eyes gaze over the last words she sent to me. "Wow." She tried last night. After a minute of thought, I jokingly type the message:

"Got any plant rec?"

I laugh to myself about how stupid this is. I hover over the send button before backspacing and deleting the message. And before I can contemplate what else to do or say, I catch a whiff of something. I breathe in through my nose again. "What the hell is that?"

My eyes get a bit bigger as I look down at myself. I open my shirt and take a sniff. "Oh my God!" A night out, a wet dream, and one clean apartment later makes you this freaking stinky.

I quickly run to my washing machine and chuck in the clothes I have on before sprinting my naked ass to the bathroom in an effort to get rid of my smell.

Liz POV

After my call with MK, I didn't hear from her until Ash texted our shared group chat named Thing 1, Thing 2 & Lizard.

Ash: Hey sis MK just got back from helping Y/N downstairs Ash: 😏

MK: Ewww Ash! MK: Anyways! She's free from our clutches now

Thank you both! I'm somewhat busy atm so I'll call you guys when I do it

Ash: 💕

It being calling Y/N.

And I lied to the girls. I'm not busy today. Today is my final day to relax before I go back to filming for the next couple of weeks. And so far, all I've done is stress myself out, be on my secret social media accounts, and order room service breakfast which wasn't the best, but oh well.

It's now around 4pm London time, and I have yet to hear from Y/N, meaning if she is going to call, it will probably be late tonight. I huff and roll onto my back. At the edge of the bed is the half-eaten tray of food. My face looks disgusted, but my stomach speaks up. I think my stomach needs more food. Better food!

For the first time today, I get out of bed and plan to stay out of it for more than 5 minutes. I place my hair into a makeshift bun as I waltz myself into the bathroom. I look myself up and down before washing my face. Yes, I do it every night, but I feel gross, which will help wake me up from my afternoon tiredness. In addition to that, I quickly run the ZIP Beauty Device over my face. Once finished, I promptly examine myself. I smile at a job well done.

I make my way into the main room and throw my suitcase open in search of my comfy clothes section. After a rifle through it, I find it! One my favorite sweaters ever! My navy NYU sweater. I take off the clothes I've spent all day in, in favor of my NYU sweater and a pair of form-fitting sweatpants. I make sure I have everything phone, sunglasses, wallet, hotel key, and a black hat before slipping on my black birks, heading out the door.

Within minutes I'm down and walking around the streets of London. Thankfully no paparazzi seem to know that I'm back in the country or if they do, I don't see them.

I do love the city, but I enjoy the small towns more. That's why Robbie and I got the house in Richmond. I'd love to walk around and familiarize myself with the area whenever I had free time. I've also done that here before. Like in 2014, when we were shooting for Age of Ultron, I loved it.

I've been in my own little world for a while. I didn't even realize that my stomach had taken me to a place I hadn't thought of in years. It's this bistro called Padella; it's not the crème da la crème, but the pasta they serve is something that wooed me over from day one. And the little tarts they have - perfect.

The second I enter the, it's like I'm back to 2014, Lizzie. I'm led to the same table I use to get. I give the waitress the same order I use to give. I look around at the few people here at the same time as me. I look at each individual person and think of the reasons they're here. Ya, know people watching, coming up with stories for each of them.

I laugh at the silly scenario I just came up with for the older man with the red beanie in the corner. As I compose myself, I feel something I haven't felt since the last day alone I had with Y/N. Bliss. Happiness. Those feelings I want to share.

Y/N POV

After my long and hot shower, I got dressed like usual. Opting for a more casual fit. Black slim track pants and an oversized pocket tee. Now I find myself staring at my text messages between Sam and I. Just like I have been for the last couple of minutes.

Sam 🫐 Today 8:48 AM

Hey Y/N! So I just got a text from Max. You might not be coming in today?? Is this because of last night? Once again, I'm sorry, like really fucking sorry. Whenever you see this, please text me back.

Sam 🫐 Today 2:16 PM

Hey Are you free?

I close out of my phone. I'm a little nervous about trying to meet with Sam. How they acted, last night was not cool. Yes, I know how MK was, but at the same time, I literally just met and worked with Sam. For her to assume we'd become anything more right off the bat is a little worrying.

I laugh to myself. Maybe I'm the hottest bitch around and never realized it.

My phone buzzes in my hand. It's Sam.

Sam 🫐 Today 2:16 PM

Hey Are you free?

Yes I'm on my way home now. You okay?

Yeah I was wondering if you wanted to meet up and talk?

Sure. Where would you like to meet up?

I think about that. There's a little diner near me. I was like a regular after Naomi. They have these tarts that I used to consume like it was my job.

Is here good? (address attached)

Yeah. Give me like a good half hour. See ya there!

I exit my text messages. I want to stay friends with Sam, but I don't want her around if she is going to be a problem. That sounds mean, but we know how people can be. Plus, she knows about my connection with the Olsens. We didn't try and hide it, but still, I need to make sure Sam doesn't try and blow everything out of proportion.

I look down at my phone again. I click on the clock app. I move my finger over the world clock adding in the location, London, England.

"Damn," I mutter to myself. I don't know how many hours I thought England was ahead, but 5 seems fitting. So for Liz, it's 7:17pm. Meaning, if I want to call her, it will have to be sooner than I want. I roll my eyes and throw my head back. I let out a big yawn. I didn't know I had hiding. I close my eyes and succumb to a nap I didn't know I wanted.

Liz POV

The walk back to the hotel from Padella was more eventful than the walk to Padella. After leaving the spot, I decided to spend stop by a new wine bar. It's quiet on the inside, and it's clear this place is designed for an older crowd. I remove my sunglasses and hat.

The lady behind the counter gave me a monologue about the array of wines they carry and how different each one was. I appreciated hearing it, and I like the amount of care she has, but all I want is a glass of red.

I let the woman choose an excellent wine for me and thank her once it's in my hand. This place has rows and rows of books free for anyone to use. I find a book that's probably been taught in every English class know to man. The Great Gatsby. It's a classic, so I pick it up and place myself in a cozy corner.

_

A few chapters and an empty glass later, I feel a pair of eyes on me. I'm used to it, but today I haven't had to experience it yet, so I close the book and search for whoever is looking at me.

It doesn't take long because they're still staring. It's a younger woman. Early twenties, black hair, tight ponytail. She reminds me a lot of a certain Age of Ultron character. They're cute, but she's no Y/N.

The woman smiles at me as I assess them. I offer a friendly nod and wave that she mistakes for an invitation to join me at my table. I frown slightly as the woman becomes closer and closer. Luckily they don't see it as much as I like my personal time. I'd hate for a fan to feel unwelcome and disrespected. Yes, it's weird, but that's just being famous.

The woman walks up to my table, clearly anxious. "Hi, I hope it's okay, but could I get a picture?" She holds her phone and asks in that English accent we know so well.

I don't want a picture taken of me right now. But she's being kind. I stay seated and give the younger woman a gentle smile. "No. I'm sorry." I watch the girl's body deflate. "But if you'd like to join me, we can talk for a minute, and I can sign something for you." The girl immediately gets a smile and sits down across from me. "Oh my gosh! Really? Thank you!"

I hold my hand out to her. "Lizzie." The girl laughs. "I know." She takes my hand and shakes it. "Y/N."

You gotta be sitting me.

I lean toward her and pretend I didn't catch the name. "Sorry?" "Y/N." Our hands part. Yep, that's her name. What are the odds? "I feel like I should ask what brings you to London?" Other Y/N jumps right into it.

"You know how it goes." I look around. "Kevin's snipers are always watching." I offer a little chuckle. Thankfully Y/N gets the reference and laughs too. "Well, I have to say I loved you in WandaVision you're a shoo-in for an Emmy!"

I beg to differ. "No one does a Marvel job and thinks that you're going to get nominated for something." "You never know!" Other Y/N is starting to break out of her shell, and it's to know I can make fans feel that well.

The silence is starting to cloud us. "Is there anything I can sign for you?" I ask, trying to move this along. I watch as the girl across from me starts searching her bag. It looks like she might come up empty, so I look down at the book she brought over with her. Little Women. I love this book and what Florence did in the most recent movie adaptation made me so proud.

I slide it over to me and open the cover. It has a little excerpt in it from her mother. Before I have a chance to read it, the girl stops me. "Oh yeah, you can sign that!" I smile over at the girl as she hands me a Sharpie. I flip over to the title page of the book and sign it: Lizzie O. ❤️

I close the book and give her back her Sharpie. She holds the book up to her chest and smiles at me. "Thank you so much!" She's beyond giddy! "No problem. Just don't sell it or anything." I say the last bit in my Sokovian accent, causing the younger woman to be unable to speak. Instead, she nods her head as I start packing up my things. I return Gatsby back to where I found him and wave bye to Y/N as I walk out of the wine bar.

_

As I walk into my hotel, I look at my phone; it's now almost 8pm, and I still have nothing from Y/N. So I guess it's up to me.

Y/N POV

I don't know what is vibrating my boobs right now, but if it doesn't stop, I swear it's catching these hands. I peel one eye open and see it's my phone. I grab it and see I'm getting a phone call.

"Hello?" I say while yawning.

Sam: Finally! I thought you were setting me up!

Y/N: Sam?

Sam: Yeah?

Y: What time is it?

I groggily ask. Oh, shit, wait!

Y: What time is it!!

I pull my phone away from my face. Fuck I was supposed to meet Sam fifteen minutes ago!

Y: Shit! Sam, sorry I passed out! I promise I'm coming right now. Don't leave!

Before I give Sam a chance to speak up, I end the call and grab everything I need before heading out. Sunglasses, hat, wallet, keys, and my phone.

I run out the door before running back in, realizing I never put my shoes on. I come back in and slip on my red vans. I take one last look around my place before once again leaving.

_

I haven't run this fast since track in high school. I burst into the little shop and instantly see Sam. She's sitting at the counter in front of all the tarts and pies they sell.

I give her a wave as I catch my breath. Sam looks me up and down. "Dude, did you run here?" I nod, reaching out for what I assume is Sam's water. Sam opens her mouth but doesn't say anything. I chug and chug the water until it's gone. "Sorry. But yes! I didn't mean to be late. Thanks for the water. I'll get you a new one." I let out as fast as I could as I felt the water land in my stomach.

"That was here and when I got here." Sam points to the empty water glass. My face becomes flushed with disgust, and my mouth dry. "Wha-" "I'm just fucking with you. Come sit down!" Sam pats the stool next to her. I can tell by Sam's reaction that a look of relief came over me. "Sorry, I just had to get you for being late." I sit down and look at her. "Valid."

A man walks up to us and asks for our order. Since I'm tired, I order water, black coffee, and a lemon tart. I turn to Sam, looking over the menu on the wall that hasn't changed in over 70 years. Well, the prices have. Sam orders a coke and a piece of apple pie. The man gives a warm grunt and walks away.

I look over to Sam. "Once again, sorry about being late." She nods her head. "It's okay." The elephant in the room has made itself known as silence surrounds us.

"So uh-"

"Sam I-"

We both start but stop and end up laughing at our miscommunication. Sam raises her hand to go first. "Y/N. I just want to apologize for how I acted last night." She quickly paused and purses her lips before continuing.

"It's just that the day you came into work and looked me in the eyes. You looked at me how I wish everyone looked at me. I just felt this instant connection to you, and trust me, I know that sounds super weird and stalkery, but it's true. As the day went on, you and I worked as one. We clicked!"

I go to stop Sam, but I don't. Because I know the exact feeling, she is talking about.

"And then once I saw that dirty blonde with her arm wrapped around you, I got so jealous and mad at myself. But then when-" Sam stops and looks at people around us before turning back to me. "When I figured out the blonde was Mary-Kate-" Sam whispers when she says MK's name.

"That's when it all clicked. That's when I figured out why you looked so familiar. I've seen the articles!" Sam puts her head into her hands before pulling it back to face me. To make sure, I look into her blue eyes.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for being so fucking rude to you. All you did was be nice; I took that to mean something else. That's unfair to you, to Max, to the Olsens. I'm just so incredibly sorry! And don't worry, I won't ever tell anyone you know them or anything."

Sam finally finished, and she looks so fragile. It's like the stress of the conversation was keeping her up. I stand up and hug her from behind. I only let go when she squeezes my hand. I sit back down on the stool next to me. "I forgive you, Sam. Trust me. I know what it's like. So it's okay." I don't go into details or let my forgiveness go on any longer. Sam smiles. "Friends?" I chuckle because, yes, "friends."

We smile at each other just as our food and drinks arrive. After a bite of one another's treats, we start to learn more about one another to become better friends.

_

"Text me when you get home, so I know you're safe!" I yell out to Sam as she gets farther and farther away. "You too!" Her and I wave before focusing on our own routes home.

After two blocks, I pull out my phone and decide to let the twins know that I spoke to Sam. Not surprisingly, Ash responds instantly.

Y/N & Twins 4:02 PM

Spoke to Sam Everything's cool now She says sorry to you MK as well she felt awful

Ash: Awww well I'm happy you two figured it out

I wait for a text from MK, but it doesn't come. She hasn't talked in this chat all day. Maybe she's busy? Oh well, I won't sweat it. I go on about my walk back home.

Liz POV

It's now after 9, and with my call time being in twelve hours, I need to be in bed now! I've already done my nightly routine, but all that's left is for me to go to bed, put my head on my pillow and sleep, but that last step is the tricky part.

I can't drift off and sleep without thinking about Y/N. I let out a frustrating noise as I reach for my phone. I look at the blank screen. No calls. No texts. No emails. Nothing from Y/N.

"Screw it." I let out before reaching her name in my contacts. I click on it and hit the call button.

Y/N POV

I make it back to my apartment in one piece and let Sam know I'm safe. I start getting a few things ready for tonight's movie fest. Nothing major just extra pillows and blankets I have stored in my closet since it's going to be Max, James, and I tonight.

I flip on my tv since I have time to kill. I go to the Netflix app to put on New Girl when a movie thumbnail catches my eye. I furrow my brows and walk closer to my tv screen. "Liz?"

Netflix doesn't let me get a better look. Instead, it does the auto-play thing that I hate and starts playing this movie called Wind River. I know I have time before Max and James get here, so I decide to let the movie play.

I can feel myself getting pulled into this movie only five minutes in. However, I feel my phone buzz next to me, breaking me out. I pause the movie, answering my phone and expecting Max.

Y/N: What up whore?

There's a long pause before I hear Max's breath come through my phone.

Y: Max?

Liz: Y/N?

I pull my phone back from my face because that's not Max. My eyes go wide, and my face goes red, realizing what I've done.

I open my mouth, but nothing is happening.

Oh my God, I can't breathe!

Speak!!!

Y: Liz!? I- Oh- I'm so sorry I-

Before I can continue, her angelic voice cuts me off.

Liz: Y/N I-

Part 14

[venus-is-thinking]

Disventure Camp All Stars Power Ranking (Round 13 - Venus)

Recap: Yul's Elimination (8/9 pts)

Total Points: 8/9

Well, I sure did rank those powers! Not bad for a first week, I think. Yul's elimination was pretty obvious, but I did think it was possible to likely that we'd set up some other plotlines with some other characters BEFORE getting rid of Yul.

Instead, the Yul plot thread is over, and other than the Alec/Riya kiss, we don't have that many active plot threads. We're probably gonna start some new ones this episode! The scary thing is that if we're starting the plot threads next episode, I have, like... almost nothing to go off of for this week's power rankings. I'm not even good at trailer analysis like Accirax, soooo... good luck to me, I guess.

Anyways, here's my best shot! I fully expect this to be my worst week this season!

1: Gabby

I really struggled with where to put Gabby. She and Grett just completed a major friendship plotline, so like... where to?

I don't really think either Grett or Gabby will go down this episode, just because I think it'd be nice to have a full episode of them getting to be friends without Yul being there without one of them getting kicked out at the end. Sacred space. Plus, if you roughly assume the heroes are still working together, as are Alec and Riya, Gabby and Grett might be swing votes. I assume they'll be working together, but there's reason to believe the pair might go in either direction. That gives them power, at least in the short term.

2: Grett

However, unlike Gabby, I think Grett is more at risk of going home. Grett's arc this season is clearly about breaking free from needing Yul's approval and finding a genuine friend in Gabby. I think it would be sort of fucked up to have her realize Gabby is the friend she always needed and then IMMEDIATELY cut that friend out of the game, leaving her alone again. Plus, I'm not sure exactly what Gabby's arc is, whereas Grett has pretty clearly completed hers.

That being said, I'm only barely putting Grett in the bottom half. I still don't really think she's going home for the reasons I mentioned in the Gabby section. I could definitely see her going soon, if she's not intended to be an end gamer, but I definitely also think she could be. Grett as a final 3 pick with Gabby on her bench feels really viable to me. I even think she could win, if they wanted a pretty thoroughly redeemed villain.

3: Jake

When in doubt, hopefully my winner pick is safe.

I just feel like Jake's been set up to have more character to arc! He's definitely getting better about working with other people and not being incredibly paranoid and all that, but he's still got some room to go until he finishes his arc.

It seems like he's fighting with someone (could be literally anyone lol) in the trailer for this week's episode, which also means that he's not above bickering or anything. He's still Jake.

Basically, that's a long way to say that it seems like this season has big plans for Jake, and I don't think they'd take him out with little enough setup. I do worry a LITTLE bit putting him so high, just because there's probably a lot of people who'd be willing to vote Jake, but I just don't see it happening from a narrative perspective.

4: Alec

My list, my rules. Alec is GOING to go further, trust me bro.

In all seriousness, I don't think Alec would go home this upcoming episode. He's spent a lot of the season being a successful mastermind, and it seems like last episode kicked off his cringefail loser arc. I think it'd be sad to only give him two episodes to be a cringefail loser, plus it might be a little unsatisfying if he just... leaves off there. Obviously there'd still be the losers' motel; similar to how Ally and Hunter wanted to work things out off screen, it could make sense if, say, Alec and Riya got to talk without the cameras being on. Still, I think Alec's got at least a few more episodes in him.

Obvious cons: Alec is a super big threat (he won like 3 challenges in a row and probably only lost last challenge because he didn't claim a superpower) and is running short on allies. I'm kind of assuming the villain/hero dichotomy is largely dead after last episode, and I don't know how much loyalty, say, Grett and Gabby would have if they're not bound by the alliance. Alec is also seen talking to both Connor and Riya in the trailer, which could be a good way to tie up some of his loose threads.

Whatever, he hasn't failed me before. Just win immunity again or something.

5: Connor

Still cannot shake the unshakable feeling that Connor has More To Do. He once again wasn't super important last episode, so everything I said last time about him needing to do more to justify being the returnee still holds. This time, he's at least talking to Alec, which probably means development for both of them. He'll also probably be very cringe in the seemingly TikTok themed challenge, so there's that.

As with the two above him, I'd be a bit worried about Connor pulling votes again, given that he was the previous target of the villains. However, I don't REALLY think anyone heroes side would vote for him, meaning that he shouldn't pull a majority of the votes, at least.

Additionally, I think it's very possible he'll be a major part of Alec's way back into the game (possibly mixed with some kind of redemption arc for Alec?), which means that he'd need to stick around a little longer. I definitely feel like we're about to enter the Connor plotline zone, which means he really should have a couple more episodes in him at least.

6: Ally

I still don't really know what to do with Ally. I continue to put her third from the bottom, just because there's less reason to actively put her higher in my mind, but there isn't really anything that pushes her towards the very bottom either.

I am excited to see what Ally's up to this episode, because if the challenge does have to do with social media, I'm expecting it to be something along the lines of "whoever gets the most likes wins the challenge." Based on her obsession with whether or not the viewers like her, that certainly seems like it'll do something.

I also have this crack theory I only half believe that Ally could join up with Riya and Alec if she sees that, like, the villains are more popular on social media or something because they're taking the game more seriously (which I'm pretty sure was what she got criticized for not doing last time). That would help capitalize on Riya setting that up earlier while also giving Alec and Riya a way to not necessarily get straight swept. If that's the case, I'd bet on a Riya immunity win, which further highlights the popularity of the villain character she portrays.

I don't super believe that theory, though, so who knows what Ally's doing! I just want to record it on the off chance that it's how the story actually goes.

7: Aiden

In my mind, Aiden and Riya are both in danger as people who made the finals in their original season. I feel like either of them being a losing finalist again wouldn't have much spice to it, and I don't really expect either of them to win. Additionally, Aiden and Jake seem to have fully made up at this point, their collective immunity win last week serving as a good symbol of that, so I could see Aiden getting cut.

My vision for the next couple episodes is that we're transitioning from the midgame to the endgame. As a result, the people who will be in our top 5 or 6 or so and have plot significance as the finalists are being picked will be getting new plotlines, and people whose plotlines are already more or less resolved will be at risk of getting eliminated, just kinda because. Aiden definitely feels like he could be cut in that group to me.

The big thing with Aiden is just that I'm not sure exactly where the votes come from. I do think it could be nice to take out a hero, just so that it doesn't feel like Alec and Riya are both doomed, but it's also obviously possible that one of the two of them will go down and the other will have to play in isolation for a little while.

I think the most likely way for an Aiden boot to happen is either a clutch immunity totem from, say, Riya, who would probably want to eliminate Aiden or Connor if she has her full shot, or if Ally does flip to join Alec and Riya. I think Ally would probably rather target Jake, but whatever.

8: Riya

I am by no means confident in a Riya boot, but when I assess the cast, it makes the most sense to me by far.

I think both Alec and Connor are going to make late game (if I had to lock it in right now, I'd say the final 5 are going to be Alec, Connor, Jake, Ally and either Gabby or Grett, meaning that one of Gabby/Grett, Aiden and Riya will collectively make up our next 3 boots). However, leaving Alec, Connor and Riya around is just... a large percentage of people to remain in that group. Similar to how Tom got eliminated when it was about time to cut one of the Aiden/Tom/Jake trio, I think Riya is the most expendable of the Alec/Connor/Riya trio.

She could easily get a lot of votes if we are in a weird in-between period of alliances, just because she is pretty problematic and a lot of people would be willing to vote her out. It's true that Grett might still be somewhat aligned with her, since Riya defended Grett from Yul, but I don't think that's something she can bank on, at least.

I also think it would be interesting to see how Alec and Connor move forward alone, as two people that Riya rejected romantically in favor of the game and her camera appearances. Assuming Riya refuses to budge on that for the rest of the season, which I am, I don't think she has much to say to Connor, and after talking to Alec this episode, I can believe she wouldn't have much room to grow in her relationship with Alec with the cameras on, either.

I definitely think Riya could win immunity here; I honestly think that timeline I discussed with Ally is probably her best bet. Though, barring anything weird, I still think she's the most likely so far.

[quetzalpapalotl]

not necessarily for the reverse unpopular opinion meme, but do you have any opinions on CLAMP and their works to share

I'm so sorry anon, I overthought this and this is not what you came to hear, so the short version is that, I have not revisited CLAMP in a long time and so I can't confidently state any opinion my current self would stand by.

The long version is that, you see how some people organize their timeline by what they were fixated at the time? For me the CLAMP years lasted from when I first watched Sakura Cardcaptor at the tender age of 5 to some time after Tsubasa/Holic ended when I was what? 14???

I liked other anime sure, but ultimately, it was CLAMP that drove me to watch fansubs and grainy manga scanlations, which shaped my life in no small way. Do you know what's like to try to understand Tsubasa: RESERvoir CHRoNiCLE's plot with a broken English because the Spanish translation couldn't come soon enough? I am who I am because of CLAMP, but at the same time I am not the person who read CLAMP all those years ago.

(god, was I still Catholic at 14???)

I read the last chapter of Kobato. and only the first chapter of Gate 7 and never finished Blood-C and haven't reread any of their series ever since. But I think about them often, and I've changed my mind on certain things as I grow up, or realized what was really behind some of the things the works made me feel. Then when Clear Card came out of course I watched the anime and read the manga, CCS was the most important thing for me in my formative years and then... I got bored of it.

I may just have outgrow it, which felt a bit sad, but it's to be expected. Except it all feels so pointless. Why does it exist? Why did it have to exist??? CCS was complete, why did it have to get a sequel and why is the sequel set on the present time with smartphones?? It's only been like what 3 years in-universe?? When these kids got brick phones it was a novelty! Why this instead of one of the like 6 series you have on hiatus, CLAMP? Oh my god, X is never gonna get a fucking ending.

So I'm kind of afraid to read anything again and have been putting it off, not because I think I won't like them any more but because I know I am going to feel different and this was all so, so important to a younger me that I sort of don't want to step on her domain?? In memory of someone I used to know, I want to preserve these works as she experienced them. I don't want her feelings to be updated with those of someone that doesn't care as much. This doesn't happen to me with anything else.

I'm probably just being overly dramatic. I'll probably reread Tsubasa and Holic to pick up Rei... if it ever comes out of hiatus which... well, look at the track record.

Honestly, I should reread CLAMP, I'm pretty sure one can tell how her brand overlaps with my current tastes...

[lunawings]

Yesterday was quite the emotional rollercoaster for me.

I'd been doing my best to stay positive about not making it into the idol showcase at PopCult, but, while I was waiting outside and already feeling slightly down I overheard someone say that they were surprised they got in considering they only learned their dance in two days or something like that. (It turned out in the end this person is AMAZING and that was well earned), but... I auditioned after practicing on and off for almost a year and I got waitlisted. But, also it's not like I don't understand why I was waitlisted either. Even though I started practicing early, I've had a lot of obstacles along the way. Specifically, it's been difficult to find places to practice due to the uhhh challenges presented by my place of residence. Also, not to mention, my body has been against me almost every step of the way. (To make a long story short, after much time trying to avoid and pretend, I've recently started embarking on a medical journey that's looking like it may end in me getting diagnosed in a... second autoimmune disorder......)

I tried to fight through these negative feelings and enjoy the show, but I just couldn't. Until. UNTIL.

Until people I knew began to take the stage.

Whenever I get to see people I know perform at idol showcases (and the number is slowly increasing every time) I... *ahem*... LOSE

MY

FUCKING

MIND AHHHHHH!!!!

Don't get me wrong, I loved going to big shows with professional idols in Japan. But this is like, a completely different kind of happiness. After some reflection, I realized that it's because it's not a parasocial happiness. I actually know these people and sometimes I even saw them practice and I know how hard they worked and what it means to them and I can go up afterwards and tell them how much I liked their show and they can be happy to see me too and thank me for coming and and and...

Yeah it's just, it... Being involved in the community brings me so much joy. I love love LOVE being able to cheer for my actual friends.

But. While I was still feeling down before the show, I took a picture of the stage. A picture I would use to upload to Idol Land PriPara so I could superimpose my idolsona, Luna, onto the stage. If I can't be up there, at least she can, I thought. Looking at that photo is bittersweet. Luna the idol has done so much for me. She's able to do all the things I want to, but I cannot. Even if my body breaks down, she'll keep on performing. For me. There is some crazy serendipity in the fact that this was the weekend Idol Land PriPara finally became playable.

I look at the picture. And I like it. But I also remember behind that photo is a somewhat sad and pathetic girl who grinded Idol Land PriPara for hours the night before instead of sleeping to unlock the character parts to complete her OCs look because she knew it was the only way she could get on that stage.

I might, if my body lets me, apply to an upcoming event. But either way, I am planning to take a long hiatus from my idol activities to reevaluate what kind of an idol I want to be and how I can perform. I hope to return to the real-life idol performing scene sometime next year with a new goal and a new energy.

[kmze]

2x12 - 2x22 Alright I did something different this time, I put my thoughts down while watching (usually after I finished the episode) instead of doing it after I finished all the episodes. So I have way more thoughts this time lol, my short term memory was struggling before. All this is to say this is much longer than my last recap thoughts, also this is one of the best seasons of the show so it made the rewatch more enjoyable.

Poor Rose and very dumb on Damon’s part to leave Elena with her having absolutely no idea what the werewolf bite was going to do. The dream sequence he gives Rose is one of the best Damon scenes ever IMO. RIP Rose and that awful wig.

Elena told Damon to be the better man and the groan I let out... I wish you an eternity of misery Kevin Williamson!

I could not stop laughing at Stefan's brilliant idea of talking to Tyler involved him sneaking into his house and then slamming him against the wall LMFAO!! Genius idea Stefan that definitely made him want to help you and be friends, truly a mystery that you two never get along.

The Lexi flashbacks made me sad I was 100% with Stefan glaring at Damon like BTW you’re awful in case you forgot.

Is Alaric wearing eyeliner sometimes or am I seeing things?

The Damon/Andie scenes just make me so mad and uncomfortable, there's moral ambiguity that always exists in this show and then there's this disturbing storyline, fuck the writers.

Ok I admit Matt and Caroline have one good scene (though Caroline does the heavy lifting here) when she sings to him at the grill and they kissed. I clapped, a moment of weakness. Matt ruined the good feelings by the end of the episode though so balance has been restored.

Unintentional Intentional Foreshadowing? At the 60s dance Stefan and Elena are dancing and then Caroline and Matt come in. Stefan leaves Elena to go dance with Caroline and spins Elena into Damon’s arms. While this is happening the song playing is Last Kiss, which is a song about a guy who lost his girl in a car crash. I don't think it was intentional but if I were the writers I would totally take credit and say it was.

I'm sure this is part of the Delener manifesto (which I will never read) but the line "I don't mind being a bad guy. I'll make all the life and death decisions, while you're busy worrying about collateral damage" had me like DAMNNNNNN. Maybe I don't give Damon enough credit because that was a pretty great summarization of why Stefan eventually lets Elena die in 3x22 by "respecting her choices".

I am so tired of the suicide missions this season, choose life!

At least Caroline chooses life! This is when I really started seeing how Caroline is climbing up in the narrative and especially how her love life is gaining more depth and importance. The porch and door scenes in particular because lovers and potential lovers on the porch was something Elena got in S1. For Caroline the doorway represents her heart. We got Tyler inside while Matt is outside in 2x10 because that's when she was helping Tyler and started falling for him, meanwhile she broke up with Matt to protect him. Then Tyler fucks up and he gets the door slammed in his face. Stefan says he can come in if she wants him to in 2x13 but she's not ready to let Stefan in yet, and he realizes that so he brings back-up. Then you've got Matt back inside her heart but really her Mom put him there to spy on her. I really like the shot of Matt at the door looking at Liz in 2x18 before the dance.

IMO most of this season Elena has a relationship with both brothers; she has a physical one with Stefan and an emotional one with Damon and she does that so they are both all about her. And I think this current version of the triangle was the only way she could have both. Because Stefan doesn't care that Damon is also in love with Elena because it means he'll protect Elena (re: quote above) and he'll be in Stefan's life which is all he ever wanted. And Damon because he's so obsessed and consumed by Elena will stay there pining and flirting and acting out when he feels ignored because Stefan will be there to "clean up it up." Everyone wins in a very fucked up way. The problem is she couldn't keep Damon at just an "hopelessly pining" distance and once Elena chose Damon, Stefan wasn't interested in being the one in an emotional relationship.

Klaus knowing all the Mystic Falls gossip already lol.

Tyler saying who’s Klaus my poor boy I wish you never found out. Really loved the Tyler and Caroline scenes the last few episodes (I mean the heart eyes he gives her in the tomb *melts*), they'll always hold a place in my heart.

I'm sorry Liz but you were a terrible sheriff, my god. In fact MFPD is up there with GCPD as the most inept police department in all of fiction. How the hell could they not take down one vampire who was weakened by werewolf venom?

The Stefan and Elena goodbye in 2x20 was so heartbreaking damn, they absolutely have moments where I totally ship them and that's one of them.

2x21 is the best episode of this half and overall the storytelling in this season is really solid. Everything with the sacrifice ritual was well done and even though I knew exactly what was going to happen I was intrigued the whole time, the best was Bonnie coming in with the wind and the fire and the magic. I feel like the show often has a problem where one half of a season will be good than the other meh, this season was solid throughout. Loved the twist that the sun and moon curse was made up.

Some of the acting choices Joseph makes while Klaus is watching Stefan drink the blood bags are… sir I see you and I appreciate you.

Lines that made me laugh:

Damon: Don't mistake the fact that we haven't set you on fire in your sleep for trust. (this made me laugh so hard I had to pause LMFAO his jabs at her were so good)

Caroline: Everyone just needs to stop kissing me! (a classic! Caroline's milkshake brings all the boys to the yard)

Not a line but Alaric having to write “The dagger will kill you…” on a piece of paper and then their mad faces was hilarious! They are just so dumb.

[tarabyte3]

Reprieve

Fandom: Andor

Characters/pairings: Kino Loy, past Kino Loy x OFCs, past Kino Loy x OMCs

One shot (846 words)

AO3 link

Summary: Kino Loy finds reprieve in his memories every night while lying in his prison cell.

Warnings: Explicit rating, masturbation, hand job, sex, PiV, anal sex, oral sex, infidelity, prison

A/N: This is the very first Kino fic I ever wrote. Originally posted to AO3 November 18, 2022. It's a short, introspective piece where he thinks back on his past relationships as masturbation material. Also I made him bi because why not? So there are descriptions of sexual encounters with men and women. Enjoy!

A part of Kino thought it was sad and pathetic that he looked forward to this every night, but he worked hard. Had been locked up there for years with no comfort or touch of another person except born from necessity or violence. And though he could see the light at the end of the tunnel, as faint as it still was, he had no one waiting for him when he got out.

So every night he laid on his hard mattress pad and tried not to think of parts or numbers or keeping forty nine men in line. Instead he thought of feminine hips and masculine hands, of tongues and moans, and he silently thrust into his own hand until he came in hot streaks across his belly.

He thought of his first girlfriend and the way she had tentatively stroked him, not quite getting the rhythm or pressure right, but it was his first handjob so he still finished in an embarrassingly short amount of time. Before prison, he hadn't thought about it in decades, but here every memory of touch and release was precious so he tried to recall how her hand had felt. Tried to recall how she looked up at him, shy and flushed, unsure of herself, but emboldened by his groans and the feeling of him twitching in her fist.

He thought of his first boyfriend. A co-worker from his first job. The two of them had fumbled around with much more expertise with their hands and enthusiasm with their mouths until they had found that rhythm as well. That had eventually led to fucking each other like they had just discovered sex. Truthfully, they had, in a way. He'd never buried himself inside another person or been filled and used before him. There had been a moment where he believed he could do that for the rest of his life and be happy—until the novelty wore off. Then they realized they didn't have much in common outside of bending each other over beds and chairs and desks, and then showing up to work at the same place.

After that he had fallen in love for the first time and sex became more than release. It had been prayer and worship. The thrill of seeing another person undone beneath you while your heart soared and your fingers itched to clutch them to you and never let go. But he hadn't loved Kino in the same way Kino had loved him, so then he had also felt true heartbreak for the first time.

To soothe his pain he'd sought out company in the arms of someone else. Found her in a cantina, and she had fallen to her knees in the bathroom and taken him so deeply into her mouth and throat that she had swallowed around him and driven him nearly cross eyed. He'd come, fully buried and hips pressed firmly against her lips, with a quiet curse. Then the high had worn off and left him feeling worse than before. As he dressed, he said an awkward thank you before scurrying out and never seeing her again.

He had a few more partners, a few more awkward fumbles, a few more loves lost and hearts broken, before he found something solid. The woman he thought he would spend the rest of his life with, even when the fire of their sex life simmered to embers after nearly a decade. He had known her body so well that sex was like coming home. Like saying I love you, even as the Empire closed around them. When life seemed bleak, he found hope and release in her arms. But then there had been an accident at work, and he came home early that day to find her in bed and not alone. Truthfully, he would have stayed. Tried to find a way to keep their love going and get past the hurt, but for her that was the end.

By then he was too tired to try again. Too angry. So he put all of that righteous fury into something he could fix. His factory had been taken over by Imperial forces, and, as a result, the work conditions and pay had gotten worse while the hours got longer. Injury got you fired and replaced, and there was no empathy for illness or weakness. No community. He put all of his passion into fighting for something better for the people around him, workers he oversaw. For it he'd been arrested for treason and crimes against the Empire.

That was how he found himself in his cell: a patchwork of heartache, loss, and laughter. Of every hand that had touched him and tongue that brought him pleasure. A patchwork of memories that he clung to as his hand reached into the pants of his uniform to find himself already hard with the anticipation of release. So he palmed himself, spread the moisture already gathering at the slit of his erection down his length, and let his memories give him a reprieve.