#all of this is made hilarious by the fact that they can't fucking stand each other

[batfamdcposts]

Cass and Jason are such interesting foils. To me. Cass. Raised with assassins, found freedom (also trauma and difficulty, but still freedom) in the streets, then found her way to the bats. Her mother issues deserve their own post. Her complicated reverence for Batman deserves its own post. Dying was a ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. (not great but not the worst thing that happened to her) Jason. Knew love, was orphaned, and the streets were a downgrade. The vigilantism was an upgrade, "magic", for him, while for her the assassin part was a stain she could not wash off. He tried to protect his mother until the end. THEN. Training with the League (differs based on the comic but a pretty consistent thread). Dying was earth-shattering, world-ending, table-turning. Given this, one could almost expect their opinions on killing to follow suit--Jason found death earth-shattering, perhaps he cannot inflict it on anyone else. Cass found death to be not as earth-shattering, perhaps she would have a more cavalier response. but NO!!!!!! Because Jason never killed as a child, and Cass was coerced into killing as a child. To Jason, death will always be something he was the victim of, and to Cass, it will be something she can never wash her hands of. One would THINK. Maybe this scares Jason. NO!!!! Because they FLIPPED!!!! Cass came at the conclusion she cannot kill, Jason came to the conclusion he must. And they got there because of their life experiences do you understand me

[love-byers]

i had the misfortune of ending up on mileven tiktok by accident and found some gold

dude. how many times do we have to say its not the fact that they're standing next to each other. its the fact that they're standing next to each other when all the other characters are paired off with their significant other with significant space between them. they are SANDWICHED between two couples that they have numerous other parallels with. like you have to be playing dumb if you think we're just saying byler is endgame because they're in the same proximity. and WDYMMMM MIKE ISN'T EVEN LOOKING AT HIM why does that matter?? the whole point is that they're all looking forward at the fucking apocalypse beginning. nancy and jonathan weren't looking at each other, joyce and hopper weren't looking at each other. why does that matter?? and holy shit watching them try to analyze media is hilarious. the byler commenter was very concise an respectful and ofc the mlvn has to be backhanded. no, the 2 minute scene of mike saying i love you is not random, it's actually meticulously crafted so that we're able to tell mike is lying...

uhh because WILL IS THE MAIN FUCKING CHARACTER OF SEASON 5 AND THE WUOLE POINT OF AN ENDING SHOT OF A SEASON IS TO FORESHADOW THE NEXT SEASON???

do they think we're making this up???

he is the center and lead of season 5 and his arc is going to tie the whole series together. but nah they just paired him with mike and left him in the background on the hill just because el needed to be in front. they could've done a million other set ups where it actually comes off that mike and el are a team and in love and want to work together. they could've had those couples together and then had will alone or behind them and done a close up like they did with el in the actual scene, but no, he had to be with mike. and not only is he with mike, he and mike are paired off together and CENTERED. the CENTER of season 5 is CENTERED in the final shot of the season and he is standing with his long time best friend who he is desperately in love with. and all of this is foreshadowing for season 5, which if you've forgotten, is all about connection and finding belonging with others.

"People talk about mythology and The Upside Down, and all that is huge, but the magic of S5 are the characters who find a sense of belonging with other and through that connection, become heroes."

"[Season 5] It's about a group of people who question their value, who find each other, and who find superpowers in connection."

remember when mike beat himself up and questioned his value as a person because he feels weak and powerless and stupid next to el and then will gave him a painting where mike is a literal knight in shining armor and and confessed his own feelings about how mike holds everything together and makes him feel like he's better for being different and gives him the courage to keep fighting and how he'll always need mike and that finally made mike feel reassured

yeah...

alright you guys have to be lying. you can't think of a single reason why people would ship byler?? not a one??? you know what actually, you're right. why on earth would people ship two characters where one is canonically in love with the other, they've been best friends since the first day of kindergarten, they are always a duo, they have a special friendship compared to the others, one said asking the other to be his friend is the best thing he's ever done, one thinks home isn't the same without the other, they hold hands, put their arms around each other, always look out for each other, etc etc ETC. no yeah i don't see it

was the person who confirmed this named mike wheeler...

no yeah we just say random things. those of us using the knowledge we gained in film school/creative writing school to analyze a form of media are just saying random things. i just love making shit up!

mlvns are so silly lol like they really think they know more about film/writing than people who STUDY IT AND DO IT FOR A LIVING

[murasaki-cha]

A little book rant! I love dual pov in romance books! I love them so so so much!!

And I especially love them when there's a closed off love interest who doesn't really emote much!

Because we go to character A (main character) and we see things from their perspective. They might do something stupid. They might be doing the most normal thing ever. They might be doing something very romantic. Heck they might be just breathing. And they look at character B and they're just standing there looking blankly, or looking grumpy, at most they might have a small smile.

AND THAN WE GET TO CHARACTER B POV!! AND THEY ARE JUST SCREAMING ON THE INSIDE!! LIKE THEY ARE GOING AKSKLDKSNSLDKNSKSPSNSKSOKS! They are in fact this close👌 to crying because of the feelings character A is making them feel.

I go feral over this!!

If I have to give some excamples

I would say one of the greatest moments in my existence was when I was reading Assistant To The Villain and Evie kissed Trystan AND THAN IMMEDIATELY we jumped to Trystan's pov! I almost cried ngl. I freaking screamed for 3 minutes straight (on the inside because I was in public). Honestly it was hilarious going to Evie's pov and she's all "Oh my god I would kill for him, I can't let him figure me out" and than we go to Trystan's and he's all "Crap I'd kill for her I can't let her figure me out".

Wes isn't the type of love interest I described but the extra chapters from Better Than The Movies that were from his pov (The party, Liz's proposal, Basketball Night and their road trip chapters) might have completed my entire life. Might have been the missing piece of my soul. Might have given me a new purpose for living. Might have rewired my brain. Just might have.

A Thousand Heartbeats by Kiera Cass made me experience all the emotions THEY JUST LOVE EACH OTHER SO MUCH THOSE FREAKING IDIOTS!!

*punching a wall* AARON! FUCKING! WARNER'S! POV! CHAPTERS!!!!

I'm reading the Shepherd King duology and book 2, Two Twisted Crowns has 3 pov but 2 of those are between the main character and her love interest in the first book so it counts (also this series is amazing please read it!!!)

I rescently read The Brightest Light of Sunshine by Lisina Coney, NA romance with an age gap, and it was so so cute and touching and when you read their povs you could tell they both were in love with each other from the begining but they were too stubborn to admit it to themselves! Again the love interest isn't really the type that I described but still they're idiots and he constantly fangirls over her so yeah.

Butcher and Blackbird gets a special mention because I love them! Idiots! Bafoons! Dumbasses in love! Both of them just go asjjskdjdd over each other tho so into the list it goes. God I'm eating this audiobook up like Rowan ate that beef niçoise (iykyk)!!!

Some very specific NA hockey player books and book series. I have needs.

I have to mention Defy The Night, I have to. I have yet to finish Defend The Dawn so shush don't tell me anything. Though I loved the dual pov there less about the romance and more when it came to presenting the current situation of the kingdom from both perspectives of the Royals and the Wilds. So it doesn't really fit with what this post is about but I just wanted to mention it because I really liked this book

And if I had to pick one book that I wish would have a dual pov...... Red White And Royal Blue. Even if Henry's inner monologue would have been a long string of "FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKK I'M SO GAY I'M SO SO SO BLOODY GAY!!!!!". I'd pay good money for that actually

[axailslink]

Judy Harmon Hc's

• Judy is the definition of acts mean and is mean

• Doesn't smile much but when she does you are usually the reason

• Loves hearing you talk she calls you 'songbird' because as she's said before "you talk so damn much"

• Completely different when you both are alone

• Kissing is her love language and she takes it very much to heart if you peck her lips instead of giving her a full kiss

• Demands your attention with just a simple look

• Feisty as hell

• Loves holding her rifle it's something about having a little extra weight in her hands that makes her feel good

• Can be violent but never to a lover of course however anyone else she's quick to throw punches first talk later

• Do not let the height fool you she is the dominant person in the relationship

• She has a stone cold face however when you are anywhere near it lightens you can literally see her eyes smile before she does

• Judy loves when you touch her in any kind of way whether it be sexual or a simple hand hold

• Can not deal with being away from you for too long she will complain the whole time

• OVERPROTECTIVE? Absolutely if you're joining her while she's patrolling anything black panther party related she's standing in front of you rifle in her hand and she's made you grab her switchblade. "That pig moves you better be gone"

• If she sees you hurt her in any way, shape or form all of her morals are thrown out of the door

• Surprisingly was very nervous your first time like didn't know where to put her hand nervous you had her sweating and shit

• Not easily jealous or threatened by another attractive person in fact she laughs at someone trying to get with you. (It took her a while to get your number so yeah seeing anyone else trying is a hilarious sight.)

• Arguments with her can last forever because she's so damned stubborn

• Claims to hate cuddles but loves skin to skin contact 🙄 make it make sense

• After an intense night -whether it be fighting the pigs or fucking- she just wants to lay with you skin to skin completely nude the only warmth you two are using is each other. She loves that.

• Can't do the whole secret thing and doesn't care that you're both women

"I don't see the problem I love her just as much as a man loves his wife. Sounds like some made up bullshit to me y'all stay tryna control the next motherfucker"

Nsfw kinda 🤷🏾‍♀️

• Wants your eyes on her at all times especially when you're climaxing "look at me"

• Walks you like a dog it's honestly kind of embarrassing but if she's missing you and gets the smallest moment alone with you she's grabbing you by your pants and pulling you to a corner with some sort of privacy

• Does not like repeating herself and she won't

• Heavy on wanting you to beg for her "I'm sorry what did you say? I couldn't hear you...did you say faster?"

• Loves to overstimulate you just because she loves seeing your legs shake and hearing your mumbles, whimpers and whines drives her crazy

• Aftercare is a must and will never leave you without it

• Loves teasing you while you're in the bath will touch will bite will nip but she won't give you what you want. Her fingers will rub every part of your skin except where you truly desire it. So long story short she's fucking annoying and will tease you for her own personal fun.

• This woman lives in your thighs you will wake up to her kissing up your thighs on many mornings it's a tease thing of course but sometimes she furthers the action especially if she knows she won't be home at a reasonable time

• Her favorite thing to do to you is to bend you over a counter and ram her fingers inside of you knuckle deep just before she has to leave because she knows that's all that will be on your mind as you're working, eating and going about your day.

• Never leaves you unsatisfied if you're unsatisfied she's unsatisfied

• Oh my God's you let her anywhere near your cooch oh she ain't stopping until her jaw is locked and in pain

• Your legs squeezing shut or shaking is only motivation for Judy in fact call her name out while you at it because it does nothing but rile her up

• "Captain Harmon" yeah you might want to remember that she prefers that name

• Seeing as you are rarely seen with a man she does everything possible to make sure people know you are taken so you have plenty of marks to show it. Hickeys usually trail from your neck to your inner thigh when it comes to Judy.

• You licked her fingers clean once and now she loves to see you do it all the time

"there we go clean that shit up"

• Loves to try new things and is always open to an experiment

<3 <3 <3 ᴊᴜᴅʏ ʜᴀʀᴍᴏɴ

uoɯɹɐH ʎpnſ <3 <3 <3

"Cum on my tongue and I'll be home on time tonight to finish this off correctly"

"stay still"

"You know my name don't play with me"

"I should tie you up next time... I hear that's something new folks are doing"

"If I have to repeat myself you gone piss me off"

<3 <3 <3 ᴊᴜᴅʏ ʜᴀʀᴍᴏɴ

uoɯɹɐH ʎpnſ <3 <3 <3

A/n: I had way too much fun with this shit anyways enjoy buh bye ✌🏾(I'm so I'm love with this woman y'all have no fucking idea.)

Taglist:

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@shuriszn

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[ratsandfashion]

@SHOFARSOGOOD SORRY TUMBLR WOULDN'T LET ME REBLOG???

BUT

OH MY GOD YOU HAVE OPENED THE FLOODGATES HNNNGH

Okay, so you're in France in the 1760s. Specifically, you're a peasant in the Gevaudan province.

AND SOMETHING IS KILLING THE SHIT OUT OF EVERYBODY

It's described as being "like a wolf, yet not a wolf" and these people, they're shepherds, they see wolves ALL THE TIME, so if they say this thing WASN'T a wolf, I trust them. But the problem is, we don't know WHAT it was. Descriptions vary a LOT, probably owing to the people who saw it being terrified and trying to get away, combined with a typical "game of telephone" deal where the thing got changed each time someone told someone else about it, combined with people just lying and SAYING they'd said it, combined with the fact that if it was an exotic animal (more on that later) people just had no idea what they were looking at. But some fairly consistent traits are that it's BIG, it's got a long tail with a tuft, and it's a reddish color with a black-striped back and white underbelly.

Sounds like a tiger, right? That's a common theory. A lot of nobles kept zoos of exotic animals that peasants would never have seen before and have no reference for, so the fact it's a big furry predator on four legs was probably enough to make it "like a wolf but not a wolf" if it wasn't a bear (and we don't think it was a bear because people also knew what bears looked like) Some good candidates are a tiger for the aforementioned reasons, a lion (tufted tail, some drawings have a mane), and a hyena (wolf-like, has the bite force necessary for decapitation, as many of the corpses had the head removed from their bodies, another unusual feature)

So this thing just fucking runs around the countryside savaging peasants. And they can't do much about it because it's illegal for peasants to have guns. If you ever have to make an argument for the right to bear arms, bring up the Beast of Gevaudan, gurantee no one will see that coming!

Some peasants made do with what they had though. A group of boys managed to save their friend with, iirc, sharpened sticks, though they did not escape unscathed. One had his cheek basically TORN OFF, and as a result the king funded his education for the rest of his life, which was a big deal for a peasant boy who wouldn't ordinarily receive it. And a girl, Marie-Jeanne Valet, successfully fended it off with a homemade spear (she described the beast as a large dog) A statue still stands in her honor today.

Speaking of the King, the news about all this was reaching him. So he started sending out hunters and dragoons (a type of cavalry that would dismount to fight) to get the wolf. But, to no avail! They couldn't seem to kill it. And when they DID finally get a great big wolf, as well as a female wolf with unusually large pups that had traits not normally seen in wolves (ex: double dew claws, which some large dog breeds have, indicating wolfdog hybrids) the killings stopped for awhile. . .and then started again.

This became one of the first international news stories; other countries thought it was HILARIOUS that the King of France and all his men couldn't handle one little WOLF!

Eventually, it was brought down for good by a local hunter named Jean Chastel. Legend sprang up that the beast, which was said to be immune to ordinary bullets, had been felled by a bullet which had been made by melting down a medallion of the Virgin Mary. At the time, the fact it was killed by a holy icon was what was significant, as some people thought it was a werewolf and those were seen as creatures of the Devil at that time (rather than innocent people afflicted by a disease/curse as in modern media) but the fact the medallion was silver may be the source of the modern "silver bullet" myth which isn't from any real werewolf folklore and seems to be an invention of Hollywood.

The royal notary examined the animal after death and recorded in what is known as "The Marin Report" that "This animal which seemed to us to be a wolf; But extraordinary and very different by its figure and its proportions from the wolves that one sees in this country." and details a "monstrous head", unusual body proportions, aberrant morphological characteristics, and unusual fur colors. The report also includes the dental formula (number of molars, number of canines, etc) of the animal, which does seem to indicate a canid of some type. The report is preserved in The French National Archives.

So, this wasn't an unsubstantiated cryptid. It was pretty darn meticulously documented.

Unfortunately, photos didn't exist then, and by the time the corpse was taken to Versailles, it was so rotten and badly decayed that no one wanted anything to do with it, and it was in all likelihood dumped somewhere like garbage. I reckon everyone was just happy to be done with it.

While the beast was dead (or at the least, the attacks ceased) the speculation never has. Some people think it was just a big wolf or wolves, but like I said, I think these people knew what a wolf looked like. Other people think it was a wolfdog hybrid or family of such, which would account for the large size, unusual features, and lack of fear of humans. This, I think, is the most likely option. The escaped exotic animal is the next most likely imo; I remember that there's no records of. . .it was either of any such zoos themselves at the time or of no escapees, but like, if I was a noble and my tiger got out and it was eating people, I don't think I'd say anything.

Then there's more fringe theories. The werewolf thing, of course, but also the idea it was a conspiracy against the king, or some big political plot, often involving Chastel (the hunter who shot it) or his son, or that it was a serial killer dressed in animal skins, or a serial killer that had trained a dog to hunt with him as his method of killing. I...kind that pretty unlikely, just because I've never heard of a serial killer doing anything like that, like using an animal is just not 'intimate' in the way serial killers seem to like to be? But I'm no expert.

My PERSONAL favorite Unlikely Fringe Theory is that it was a mesonychid. See, some descriptions of the Beast claimed it had hooves. And while no modern carnivore has hooves, there is a prehistoric class of carnivores called mesonychids who are often described as "wolves with hooves" and whose appearance---monstrous head, longer tail---do match up pretty well with a lot of accounts.

Now, is it likely that a breeding population of huge prehistoric predators just...survived THAT long into the present and just NEVER got noticed by humans except this ONE time, and no other remains to indicate their survival have ever turned up? Yeah, no. But I really like the idea! That and the werewolf are my FAVORITE options, but in all likelihood it was a wolfdog(s) or escaped exotic.

[yanderu-deredere]

I got a semi hilarious/sad request idea, hear me out. How would Liam, Fujio, Ryouta, and Ryuu react to a darling that rejects them during their confession? Darling is sobbing while she tells them about being confessed to/asked out on dates as a cruel joke. She insists there's no way they'd be interested in a weirdo like her, this has to be another elaborate joke or a lie. The yanderes which impulsively kidnapped darling are going what??? You're handcuffed to the bed and that's what you're worried about? Just how low is your self esteem girl

a/n: honestly this is a whole ass relatable mood LOL i fucking love this so much

hope i understood clearly but i wrote it so that darling rejects them, they kidnap darling, darling has a break down, chaos ensues LMAO i love love love this request so thank you for sending it in!

warning: female pronouns as requested, around 700 words each yandere, mentioned bullying, kidnapping, mentions of knocking reader out

It wasn't enough; stalking you wasn't enough, watching you from far away wasn't enough, all of it wasn't enough. His greed for you was hot, was growing, was finally bubbling over.

He needed you with him immediately, needed to know that you'd belong to him and only him, nobody else.

He would ask you out, would try to approach you as someone normal, someone who happened to want to ask you out on a lovely date.

The thought of a first date with you made him feel warm.

And, if that didn't work out, well, there would always be a plan B, a plan C, plan D. Whatever he needed to do to make you his.

liam arieh ★ profile

Liam laughed at your words, all soft and huffing, before his brain finally processed it all. You had said no to dinner. You had rejected him.

You didn't want to belong to him.

"Wait, what?" That signature cocky smile of his was quickly wiped off of his face, replaced with a look of both confusion and slight irritation.

Not the best approach when it came to you, apparently, because you quickly frowned and curled into yourself a bit "I-I'm sorry, I can't go out with you."

"I don't want to—"

"You don't want to?" His feelings for you seemed to broil in his chest, creating an uncomfortable pressure that he didn't exactly want to acknowledge, much less accept.

Instead of clarifying, you just apologised again and scurried off, probably scared in the face of Liam's anger. Made sense but it didn't make him any less angrier.

He stood there by himself, fists clenching and unclenching beside him.

If you didn't want to, so be it.

When you awoke, you tried to remember exactly what had happened right before you fell asleep.

You were at home and then what?

The gap in your memories worried you enough that, for a while, you just sat there, eyebrows furrowed. Then, you realised, you had your arms tied behind you with a silken something and you were in a room that you didn't recognise.

It was a gorgeous room, well decorated with reds and golds that made it look opulent without being too gaudy. But it was also a room you'd never been in before.

Your heart started thumping wildly in your chest.

You wanted to leave but, unfortunately, your legs were also tied. Specifically, they were tied in a way that made it impossible for you to stretch your them out, much less stand.

Before you could truly panic, a door opened. Your head snapped to that direction and you were relieved to see Liam.

"W-What's going on?" You asked, voice a little small and pathetic. You were relieved to see him but that didn't change the fact that you were a bit too scared and confused.

Liam just gave you an easy smile that would've normally calmed you but, instead, made you even more nervous "Oh, angel, I've taken you here because you've made a grave mistake."

You were only further confused.

So, as Liam approached you, he continued to explain "See, when I asked you to go on a lovely date with me, when I asked you to be mine, you'd replied that you didn't want to."

"Angel, you're not allowed to 'not want to'." He then cupped your cheek when he got close enough, that smile on his face turning more and more into something you couldn't recognise "I wanted to take the easy route, make you mine slowly, over time. But, unfortunately—"

"Wait, wh-when you asked me out... you meant it?" Your eyes watered as you looked up at this man you'd held feelings for "It wasn't—It wasn't a joke?"

Liam's face suddenly fell. That was certainly not the response he'd expected. He wasn't stupid, of course. He knew that kidnapping you wasn't exactly ethical. He'd expected you to fight back or something. Instead, it was this.

"What do you mean a joke?"

You cried more and more until the tears fell, caressing your cheeks "Wh-When—Before—Pe-People used to ask me out as a j-joke. They used to—And I didn't think— I mean, me? Why me? Wh-When you're—You're you!"

Normally, Liam would've preened when met with your praise. However, instead, he felt rather rankled in the face of both your self-effacing comments and the little glimpse of your past.

He moved to cup both your cheeks in his hands, his thumbs wiping away your tears "I don't want to fucking hear that from you, hmmm?"

You stiffened a little, expression showing exactly how bewildered you felt. Instead, Liam continued "I love you, my sweet angel. You are the light at the end of this fucked tunnel and I love you enough to forcibly make you mine."

"So, I don't want to hear you saying anything self-deprecating anymore, okay?" He asked in a rather faux nice tone but, before you could even answer, he nodded your head for you.

"Good girl." That easy smile returned to his face but the way he looked at you, eyes dark as his gaze ran up and down your body, was anything but easy "Now, I should free you from your little predicament but why don't I punish you a little first?"

fujio watanabe ★ profile

Fujio didn't even seem put off at all by your words. In fact, he looked like he expected it. Instead of anger, you were met with an unnerving nonchalance. “A’ight.”

And, really truly, he had expected it. He had known since he’d met you that you’d be different than any other woman that he’d met before, and he knew that meant there might be problems with making you his.

First obvious problem: he didn’t exactly know how to make anyone, much less someone like you, his.

He’d always enjoyed the impermanence of one night stands and fuck buddies. He’d never wanted anyone desperately, insistently, like he’d wanted you and it threw him for a rather enjoyable loop.

So, he expected a bit of a road bump and planned accordingly.

“I-I’m really sorry.” You apologised again and, haltingly, you moved towards the door “I-I should probably go…”

Fujio let you go, of course. But only because he knew that you wouldn’t be able to go.

When you tried for the doorknob, you were stopped by one of those chain locks. Your eyebrows furrowed but you reached for the chain lock to undo it. Except, it wouldn’t be undone. Like it was locked in. And there was a second like it a bit further up the door.

“F-Fujio?” You glanced back at him, and he just continued smirking at you.

He took one step towards you “Sorry, forgot to tell ya’. I don’t take no for an answer.”

You pressed your back against the door, eyes darting here and there around Fujio’s rather small apartment in an attempt to find an escape route “I-I don’t understand.”

That was expected too. You wouldn’t understand his obsession over you. No one would, not even himself. He didn’t get why it was you, why it had to be this way. But he gave up on fighting against the feeling a long time ago.

He knew he wanted you, in any and every way he could have you. Not just as a fuck buddy, not just as a girlfriend; he wanted you wholly to belong to him.

So, he just continued approaching you, smirk turning less nonchalant and more predatory “That’s okay. You don’t got’ta understand, baby.”

“You’re taking this joke way too far!” You finally snapped, your anxiety hitting the roof.

That was when Fujio stopped in his tracks, his body only a step away from you. That predatory grin widened into something else, something crazed and unhinged. “Huh?”

Then, his fist slammed onto the door right next to your head, making you flinch “Is that what this is to you? A joke?”

You immediately shook your head, your entire body trembling with nerves “N-No! I-I—I thought that you were j-joking! W-Weren’t you?”

Oh. His broad grin fell into a frown. “Jokin’ ‘bout what?”

“A-About asking me out.” Your gaze suddenly fell to the floor, your face flushed like you were too embarrassed to look Fujio in the eye “P-People do that a lot. Ask me out a-as a joke.”

“I-I mean, makes sense, right? I-I’m me and y-you’re like so out of my league that it’s funny.” You added, tucking your hair behind your ear as you continued to fidget in place.

The fiery anger he had about being treated as a joke was replaced with an even hotter anger for the people that had treated you as a joke.

“Fuck’s sake. Who the fuck cares about their opinion?” Fujio spat the words out like they were bitter, the anger in him still boiling. “My opinion is the only thing that should matter to that pretty little head of yours.”

“And my opinion is that you’re mine. And nobody, not even you, can insult what belongs to me.”

You grew even more flustered by his words. Still, you nodded, happy to figure out that he was so serious about you and that your feelings for him were returned so fiercely.

Fujio chuckled a bit, pressing his body a bit more against yours “Damn, baby, what the fuck? Why are you agreeing to that?”

“Not that I’m complaining.” Fujio quickly added, that grin returning to his lips “I wouldn’t give you a choice anyhow.”

ryouta watanabe ★ profile

On any normal day, Ryouta’s face was always somewhat emotionless. He’d furrow his brow a little, maybe a corner of his lip would twitch up or down, but, really, they were such small changes that they were almost negligible.

Today, that impassiveness felt more frigid than flat.

“I see.” He nodded easily, voice mostly monotone with a hint of something you couldn’t quite put your finger on “Understandable.”

You just frowned at him, both anxious about his reaction and heartbroken that he’d replied so casually “I-I’m really sorry—”

“No, I should be the one to apologise.”

Before you could really ask him to clarify, Ryouta was suddenly pressing something against your face that smelled slightly sweet but artificially so. You jerkily tried to move your head away but, before you could do much else, you were overcome with sleep.

When you woke up, you tried to recall exactly what had happened. You came over to Ryouta’s apartment to hang out, he confessed his feelings to you and then—

You bolted upright, concerned expression on your face as you looked around. You were in Ryouta’s room, laying on his bed. You tried to get up from his bed but, immediately, you were pulled back by your wrist.

You looked down. A thick fur-lined cuff was wrapped around your wrist and attached to the headboard of the bed.

You quickly looked up at the only light source in the room just as Ryouta turned his gamer chair to face you. His computer set up was right in front of his bed but you knew for a fact that it hadn’t been there before.

Instead of the emotionless expression you expected, there was a bit of guiltiness on Ryouta’s face “You’re awake… I’m sorry it had to come to this but you have to understand.”

You only continued to stare at him, confused and bewildered, so he continued “My love for you— It’s much stronger than normal love. I-I know you rejected me yesterday but, I’m sorry to say, I can’t take no for an answer.”

Suddenly, your eyes watered. Ryouta expected this. It would’ve been hard for anyone to accept being cuffed to a bed and kidnapped by someone they’d considered a friend.

“S-So your confession wasn’t a joke?”

Ryouta’s previous calm immediately turned to one of alarm. He had expected the tears, yes, but he hadn’t at all expected your question.

“Of course not.” He immediately answered, noticeable frown clear on his face “Please don’t treat my feelings like a joke.”

Your crying worsened and Ryouta quickly hurried over to you. He stood by the bed, unsure whether or not he had the right to comfort you or if you’d feel uncomfortable being touched by your kidnapper.

“I-I—Before! Before! When people asked me out! Th-They—It was always a joke so I thought—” You practically hiccupped out, your cuff too short to let your one hand wipe away your tears so you used your free hand desperately.

Ryouta scowled and it was something so dark and angry, something so obviously fury personified, that it made you pause. It was definitely the most expressive that he’d ever been in your presence.

He seemed to quickly realise that because he half-turned his body away from you, his hand coming up to cover his face “Sorry, I—”

He sounded like he didn’t exactly know what to say, like he was floundering for a way to respond to the absolutely heartbreaking fact that you’d just given him. Another first, for sure.

Then, he fully turned to you and knelt in front of you, his hands settling on the tops of your thighs, his touch firm but gentle “I love you, darling. I love you to the point of burning.”

“Please take me seriously when I say that there’s nobody I’ve ever loved close to as much as I love you. And, if you don’t think highly of yourself, think highly of me. I chose you to love.” Ryouta then reached up with one hand and wiped away your tears.

His touch was soft, almost fleeting, and it made you want to lean into him and collapse into his arms. Still, you responded with a pathetic little sniffle and an eager nod.

Ryouta made a mental note to talk to you about your unconditional acceptance of him. Though he was glad, there was no way your odd reaction to being kidnapped was normal.

ryuunosuke yamamoto ★ profile

The bright broad grin on Ryuu’s face didn’t falter at all when you rejected his confession. In fact, it seemed to only widen “Huh?”

You curled into yourself a little, self-conscious in the face Ryuu’s odd reaction “I-I’m sorry—”

Ryuu didn’t understand. The thought seemed to bounce around in his head, unable to really truly settle down where he could process it.

The entire time he’d known you, the entire time he’d loved you, he had thought that you returned his feelings. If not, why did you lean into him so much? Why did you laugh at all his jokes? Why did you treat him so kindly, so warmly and sweetly.

This wasn’t you! You were in love with him too and he knew it! It was why he confessed. He knew you’d return his feelings and then you could be his, just like how he was yours.

“I think—I think you should think about it some more!” Ryuu spoke with a hint of desperation, that grin still broad but definitely turning a tinge forced.

“Actually, I-I think I should go—” You made a small halting wave before turning to leave.

Ryuu’s heart suddenly started galloping a hundred miles an hour, panic settling into his chest. He couldn’t let you leave! He needed to clear up this misunderstanding! He needed to understand why you were lying to him.

Before you knew it, Ryuu's arm was suddenly wrapped around the front of your neck, pressing you close to him. At first, you were just confused. And then, when you started getting lightheaded rather quickly, you started panicking.

“It’s okay! This is all just a miscommunication!” He muttered into your ear, his breath warm against your cheek “We’ll sort this out, you’ll see! The secret to any good relationship is proper communication—”

You couldn’t even respond to him before you promptly fainted.

When you woke up, you recognized the room you were in. It was Ryuu’s living room. You were sitting up on his couch. He had choked you out and you had passed out. You tried to reach up to touch your neck but you couldn’t actually move your arms.

You were tied up. Just your hands. Your feet were free but one of your ankles was cuffed. You couldn’t see exactly where the chain led but you knew it wasn’t very long.

“R-Ryuu?”

You heard thumping and he emerged from the kitchen, spatula in hand and frilly pink apron on over his clothes from earlier. “You’re awake!”

He disappeared into the kitchen again and you heard a bit of scuffling before he came back out, apron gone and spatula put down somewhere.

There was a bright smile on his face as he approached you and sat in front of you on the couch “How are you feeling?”

“U-Uhm, good?” You answered hesitantly before looking around “What exactly is g-going on?”

“You—There was a bit of miscommunication between us so I brought you back to my place for dinner while we talk it out.” Ryuu answered happily “I just don’t understand why you’d reject my confession when I know you love me too.”

You flushed at his blunt words but you couldn’t find it in you to lie and deny them “O-Oh, because—I really want to be with you Ryuu.”

Ryuu’s grin only broadened and you could make out a soft pink flush under the plethora of band aids on his cheeks.

“But—” You continued and his grin faltered “I-I don’t want to accept your joke confession.”

His grin fell into a bewildered expression, his eyebrows furrowing as if you’d said the weirdest thing he’d ever heard “What do you mean joke confession?”

You opened your mouth to answer but he gripped your upper arms and suddenly got way too close to you “My confession isn’t a joke. Don’t say something like that.”

Your eyes watered “B-But I don’t understand. Why would you ask me out?”

“Because I love you.” He shrugged like it was the simplest thing in the world.

You fell forward, your face burrowed into the crook of his neck “N-No—I—I don’t deserve to be loved. Someone like y-you asking me out—When you’re so out of my league—It’s laughable!”

You couldn’t see it but Ryuu scowled, the expression looking so out of place on his face. Still, despite the anger he felt at your very incorrect words, he wrapped his arms around you and pressed a kiss to the crown of your head.

“That’s not true at all, baby. I love you with all my heart and I won’t ever let you go. I promise.”

Somehow, you found yourself believing every word.

[jakesbrain]

My opinions on The Substance

This is going to be a review, more or less, so I've done my best to avoid giving away the entire movie for those who have yet to see it. I am writing around spoilers and discussing the film in vague and general terms without telling too much of what's actually in it. If you're interested, read on.

TWs: Medical stuff, gore, body horror, mental health, unhealthy standards

I'll get right to the point. This film is brutal, as much of a pitch-black comedy as Dr. Strangelove and simultaneously as horrific as David Cronenberg's darkest work. The fundamental problem that it addresses, as a satire, is the hypocrisy of the entertainment biz; while that's been spoken of many a time before, this film aims its attack squarely at the fact that supposedly progressive and enlightened Hollywood still harbors attitudes toward sex and aging so hideously retrograde as to make the most diehard alt-righter cringe. You are asked to imagine that somebody out there is offering a way to beat that disastrous system, a way to become once again the kind of person Hollywood wants you to be (especially if you're female) — young, fit and pretty. Although only for seven days at a time.

The premise is more fantasy than science fiction; no effort is made to explain how the Substance does what it does, and we never learn anything at all about the company behind it. But it's not long into this movie that the fantasy recedes and the real visceral body horror begins, starting at the moment when Demi Moore's character ties her arm up like a junkie and injects into it a clear, puke-green "ACTIVATOR" fluid that looks like something Herbert West might have cooked up — and the film never really lets up after that. The effects of her new addiction, as she begins flouting the simple but clear warnings provided, begin to pile up quickly... and with them some of the most incredible makeup and practical effects seen in horror in years, maybe even in decades. Seriously, Rob Bottin and Screaming Mad George would be proud of an achievement like this; everything on screen is stunningly imagined and conceived, and the sheer grotesqueness of what you're seeing just grows and swells until a literally explosive ending.

The acting by the two leads is award-worthy at all times, even when it's not naturalistic; this is arguably the greatest performance of Demi Moore's career, and the real-life subtext just adds depth to it. Moore and Margaret Qualley do a great deal of wordless, physical acting here that speaks volumes; as the film gets more and more outlandish, they never fail to sell it. The whole movie exists in a dreamlike heightened reality that feels practically Lynchian (or even Kubrickian), and some over-the-top performances by the supporting cast — especially a hilariously evil turn by Dennis Quaid — only add to that impression.

The characters' attitudes are some of the most pointed bits of the satire. What does Elisabeth Sparkle, a/k/a Sue, do with a second lease on life and youth? Does she go back into acting, start her career over, become an Oscar-caliber star once again? Fuck no, she just wants her TV show back, no matter how much she gets ogled for it. She has been put through the Hollywood meat grinder so hard that she can't think of a better idea; she doesn't want to be accomplished again, she only wants to be desirable and desired again. That is the only thing that gives her — Elisabeth or Sue — a sense of fulfillment. And she cannot feel desirable in her older body anymore: so much so that she stands up a date with a man who is genuinely in awe of her (the only such example in the entire film) because she can't make herself look the way she wants to look. No wonder her newly created double selves (which, the creators of the Substance remind her repeatedly and fruitlessly, are still only one person) begin to resent and act out against each other — Elisabeth is bitter that Sue is eclipsing her and achieving the kind of success she herself can now only dream about, and Sue despises having to go back to being Elisabeth every other week when all Elisabeth ever does is hide at home and veg out.

The Substance wears its influences on its sleeve: Cronenberg is only the most obvious point of reference, although you could probably throw Brian Yuzna, John Carpenter and Frank Henenlotter in there as well; the practical effects and makeup, as I've said, are stunningly imagined and conceived. The careful use of the camera, in combination with the incredibly detailed and vivid set design, suggests comparisons to Stanley Kubrick and maybe even Wes Anderson at his darkest. But I really can't think of anything to compare the last act of the film to. Some might call it drawn-out, but really the agony of it seeming like it would never end just added to the overall effect of pure dread. You keep wondering how it can possibly get worse, and then it gets far worse. The audience I saw The Substance with spent the last fifteen minutes laughing in horror, if there is such a thing; the whole ending sequence is simultaneously shocking, nauseating, cathartic, and hysterically funny.

This film does not aim to terrify or frighten, except after you leave the theater and start thinking about the real-life implications of it; there are no real jump scares except for a few Catapult Nightmares. What it really wants to do is horrify, quite a different proposition, and in that respect it succeeds wildly. The Substance is both very funny, in a Strangelovian sense, and profoundly disturbing — and I should say it deserves to be seen in a packed theater.

[unofficial-book-of-quotes-tm]

Series 7 is done! My final thoughts as always under the keep reading.

Now, I'm going to level with you here. Series 7 has never been a favourite of mine, in fact, I used to dislike it a lot, so I put rewatching it for this blog off for quite some time. I actually can't recall how many times I've watched each series of Taskmaster at this point, but series 7 always kind of annoyed me, therefore I didn't particularly look forward to watching it. Now, let me tell you how surprised I was that I found it a lot of fun on this rewatch. I mean, it's still not in my top five, but I had a lot more fun with it than I expected to have and I'm not entirely sure why. For me, Rhod Gilbert and Kerry Godliman carried the show, and they were the contestants I enjoyed most when watching series 7.

I think Kerry is probably the perfect Taskmaster contestant. She's incredibly competitive and wants to win at all cost, but she also accepts Greg's ruling (with a little push back sometimes), doesn't throw a fucking tantrum whenever she feels treated unfairly, and doesn't overstep the line into annoying the shit out of me. And I have to agree with Greg here, her approach was rather simple most of the time (get the task, do the task, bosh) but I think that has a lot of charm, especially when contrasted with some of the overthinkers. Series 7 is one of those series where I don't care at all about Greg's scoring thus I don't mind Kerry winning the series by one point or what it was.

Now, Rhod. I honestly think he took the gig mainly to embarrass / annoy Greg, though his mission then seemed to change to either getting Alex to strip at every opportunity or to tying him up. There is something to be said about these two things and I don't know if it was a conscious decision of Rhod’s, but I’m absolutely here for it and refuse to analyse it closer.

Jessica Knappett is a bit of a wild card for me ‘cos there are moments when she's utterly hilarious and she made me laugh out loud a couple of times, but that was usually accidental on her part, though there are also a fair few moments when I despaired watching her. Overall, I did enjoy her.

I think similarly about Phil Wang, though I do have to say, what the fuck had he been thinking when picking his outfit?! I won’t complain about Phil repeating his haggling joke, just as I won't complain about Rhod basically recycling his prize task entry over and over again. I thought it was funny.

Now, on to my probably most controversial take yet; I don't like James Acaster. Before I get stoned to death, I'd like to say that I don't know a lot of the guy. I've seen him like once on The Big Fat Quiz Of The Year, but I haven't watched his stand-up or listened to his podcast(s), etc, though to be fair I don't do that in general for any competitor. I just found him too… bratty (if that's the word) or too confrontational. Yes, him butting heads with Rhod is entertaining, but I think he lacked what I really appreciate about older comedians; The understanding of when to move on / let others have the joke. I know there are several ways of watching Taskmaster and everyone finds other contestants funnier or other bits of the show more important and that's all totally valid. I'm just some bloke on the internet, don’t let me tell you how you should watch / enjoy something, but personally, I find contestants who constantly seek Greg's approval and praise a bit irritating. I'm certain James is a lovely guy, but his comedy persona unfortunately doesn't work for me.

However, James’ persona allowed for really entertaining clashes with Rhod, which made the boys team a bit more fun to watch than the girls team, simply because they had conflict. But it was also nice to have a team be wholesome and just get shit done.

The prerecorded tasks in series 7 were amazing, but I do think they could've done better on the studio tasks. Some could've done with a little polish. But there were so many tasks, which I think I really would've enjoyed having a go at, chief amongst them the video game task and those where they had to figure something out guided by clues.

I don’t have to say much about Greg and Alex, only that after series 6, their interactions seemed to have cooled down in this series, but fortunately Rhod delivered. Watching Rhod watch Greg and Alex interact is fucking hilarious. That man looks like he knows something we don’t (I have no evidence to support any such claim). So, yeah, overall I enjoyed series 7 more than I expected I would, but it will never be a favourite of mine. Can’t wait to get to series 8 as I barely remember anything at all about this one. Thanks for sticking around! See you in series 8!

[mejcinta]

As someone who joined the hotd fandom recently (its a shitshow lmao), and has read many funny (albeit a bit toxic) discussions, I think it's hilarious that, just like his brother, Lucerys Velaryon (I had to search his name because I don't know their names lmao) is often only mentioned/relevant in the discourse when the topic is about his obvious bastardy, his horrific action of maiming a child (and not being apologetic about it), his accidental death (which, I'm sorry, but the moment his tiny dragon attack a war hardened giant dragon, I knew he was fucked, literally fuck around and find out, this kid), or the need to propped Rhaenyra up for the morality ranking bs. Like, the greens gets so much discussion about their dynamics with each other, as well as their personality, despite having less screen time. But Lucreys, the only gist I could get from both teams is that, he was a bully (but he was a child uwu) then struck a kid with a knife in a 4 vs 1 fight (he was trying to protect his brother uwu), wasn't punish for it, was heir for driftmark, and that's about it. Like, the closest hint of personality I could find was him admitting he wasn't ready to inherit driftmark, and being an awful human by smilling unapologetically towards Aemond but other than that I see nothing? But a plankwood, a literal npc that occasionally says something and has to stand next to Rhaenyra, looking like he shat himself. Like, I could've been more sympathetic towards him but nah my man is boring af and that godawful smile at the dinner scene still pissed me off lmao. LMAO, sorry about this rant but I saw a post claiming that they took Lucberys traits and gave it to Aemond and, say, even in the book, there's no mention of anything about his traits? The show tried their best to give him one but made Luchekrys even more bland and annoying lmao.

Urgh! When will people stop being envious of Aemond?

You see, something I've observed about the writing on Team Black is that it suffers terribly from a case of favoritism.

Yes, you can love something to the point of utterly destroying it!! Just like you can spoil a favorite child to the point of serious illness by giving them too much candy.

The writers WANTED the audience to favor team black, and so ended up making them the most boring, upstanding people in an asoiaf show, WHILE sugar coating and making excuses for every single wrong thing they did!!! There are no evident consequences for their actions (everything bad that happens to them is someone else's fault), but what i find more annoying is you will never find team black characters acknowledging their shortcomings or explaining their actions. THEY JUST DO AS THEY PLEASE, and any inconvenience they face is a plot against them...certainly NOT the fruit of their labors.

None of that shit is realistic. We all know for a fact that people like these in real life are the most insufferable and stuck up pieces of shit to live with!

Team Green benefit from more organic writing. Their flaws are acknowledged, even by themselves. They're imperfect people trying their best to get by, trying to change and failing, forced in a corner that they must fight their way out of and harboring ambitions that they often fail to achieve. They struggle as a family, they fight a lot, but by the end of the day they understand that they need to work as a unit to ensure their survival.

ALL OF THIS IS HUMAN, REALISTIC AND UNIVERSAL. What makes a character compelling is showing their inadequacies, making them acknowledge their inadequacies, making them fail, making them win at a cost, making them fight, making them struggle.

Characters that easily get what they want and whose actions can always be excused are boring, boring, boring.

It is ironic that even with all the excessive vices the writers added on Team Green's plate, they only wound up making them more fascinating and worth talking about.

I really can't say the same about Team Black. Daemon is the only thing happening for them because they let him be controversial, just like the Greens.

Long rant, but you can see why Lucerys comes nowhere near being as interesting or layered as Aemond and the rest of the Greens.

His fans can complain all they want, but the fault ultimately lies with the writers, who diluted these characters in efforts to make them the perfect protagonists.

And I don't think much will change in s2.

[dykedragonrider]

Finished AI: Nirvana initiative and on the one hand, that game cooked my brain a little bit to the point I had to sit down and think about things. On that same hand, that's fucking awesome and exactly what I want out of art. There is no other hand that's just sick and I like that. Spoilerific review/ramble under the cut.

First things to praise, we got more Mizuki! I wanted that from the first one and the game delivered on that twofold, and the Somniums are generally much less trial and error (i feel like they made more sense while still maintaining that dream-like quality, whether that was my own experience or design idk but I'm attributing it to design to praise that more), and the difficulty settings, while pure numerical tweaks, are also proper numbers to tweak for difficulty settings stuff (qtes/button mashing/more time to think) in my opinion in the Discourse Of Difficulty, but that's not the point of this I just want to say that's good. Much like this game.

The six year difference thing took me going through the helix and reframing things to actually *get*, but when I got it everything slotted into place? It's really clever, and I really like the way it particularly shifts the view of Ryuki's mental state because of the incredibly strong before/afters and the good/bad days from things.

On that note, Ryuki's a really strong character! Him and Date have a really good dynamic that got me invested early on since well. I really liked Date and Ryuki's relationship with him feels super natural, especially in regards to how they feel about each other and some of the guilt they carry, they're foils, parallels, lovers, everything they have going on Works and that's all there is to say on the matter. Tama also works with him well as this like, mommy figure to him. Not maternal, mommy. I am standing by that because GOD she's so much. I love that for her though. A friend mentioned that she was designed how she is because I think it was Uchikoshi who got introduced to the word "thicc" and it just spiraled from there? However it happened it's hilarious and she's fantastic, she's assertive, she's caring, she's sitting in Boss' tits, what isn't to love about her.

I adore the way the game handles its sexual content tbh, because this game is Horny and I love that for it. It's empathetic even when it's crass (Boss talking about Bibi as her daughter wrt "she hasn't said anything otherwise" and also a well made penis joke) and it just has really good comedic timing on everything. There's some playing with expectations when it does stuff, there's the fact that it once again leans into absurdity, and also they explained Date's porno mag power stuff??? I think it's erroneous and they didn't have to, I could have just taken that as is but the explanation was funny so I don't really care, it made me feel a human emotion (whimsy) which is a good thing when talking about the sheer volume of sexual jokes in this game. I was also really glad to have Greg Chun's Date the entire time because well, that's Date to me and I think his generally very subdued delivery creates *incredible* contrast with when he's hamming it the fuck up.

Like the first game, it's incredibly tightly designed. Basically everything has an explanation, information is always relevant to something and I think it's especially good in this game since there's more twists that are foreshadowed expertly, or you can again, conclude on your own by making inferences with given info, they're really intellectually satisfying and that's fantastic, love that. It might have just been a me thing, but I was completely blindsided by the six year parallel thing, which was the only thing I didn't catch onto beforehand? It comes with a fourth wall break during that reveal but also stuff is foreshadowed before then (mostly through omission imo) so like, maybe you can catch on maybe you can't, kinda wish I could have but it is what it is, the point is that's the only one I'm a little mixed on the execution of, even if I still feel positively about its existence.

Ending wise and thematically, again citing the very empathetic reality of it I mentioned earlier in the context of its sexual humor, this game firmly believes in the potential of humans to work together and be with each other, that moment in the ending where Tearer says "come, look upon true humanity" is really good! We are, it's us working together! It scratches that same kind of itch that Yoko Taro's works do, where things are both very direct and also a little clever about it all depending on the moments. I think Mizuki's speech in the ending is a little ham fisted but it's also Mizuki, it fits her character even if I think spelling it out feels a little erroneous to lay out the entire ethos there. Amame, and to some degree, Ryuki, also give the theme of "yeah life dealt you a shit hand and you made some bad choices, that doesn't mean you're irredeemable it just makes you human" which I am always a sucker for.

I think my only real complaint about this game is Lien. When he's not being Kizzybrained I don't mind him but everything else with him just really did not land with me. His stuff feels like it doesn't have enough time to breathe, and his Somnium does add to it well! It's just not enough.

Other than that though, peak fucking fiction. I love strong women, pathetic men, lots of thought and humor, and a very human story.

[reikunrei]

really intrigued by this new stage play delving more into Henry's past and how it will inform/add to what we've already gotten of him in s4, and what we may potentially get in s5, so i kinda just want to ramble lol.

the way i see it, and how we as an audience and how some or all of the characters are meant to view him, is not necessarily that he's the stereotypical "big bad" villain. sure, he's villainous and the overall antagonist, and while he displays extremely monstrous behavior, he's not the "monster" that Eleven envisions.

she has a very black and white view of good vs bad. she's been fighting with this for a while, especially internally and how she views herself. from season 1, she thinks she's "the monster." she opened the initial gate, which made Will go missing, killed countless others, and got all of her new friends in trouble.

in season 2, we kind of started to touch on the idea of what kind of behavior is "good or bad" when she meets Kali. they share an unfathomable bond and love each other dearly through their shared experiences in Hawkins Lab. Kali teaches her how to be stronger, that she shouldn't hide from her powers, she should use them to help herself. and El leans into it, allows herself to be fueled by her rage and sadness. but she hesitates. she wants to strengthen this bond with Kali, her sister, but it feels wrong.

she's killed people, yes, but it's different when it's in self defense in the heat of the moment vs ambushing someone who, while he did hurt them, is currently unawares. plus, there's other innocent children involved. he may have hurt her, but El knows the pain of losing a parent. that's what brought her there in the first place. she can't do that to someone else. her grief hurts, but any relief will be fleeting under the further pain she now causes. she doesn't want to be the monster.

in season 3, this topic is mostly only broached with Billy. Billy is not a good dude. in fact, he sucks major chode and has approximately zero redeeming qualities, and the only reason Max is so torn up about his death is because of survivor's guilt.

but still, in order to beat the Mind Flayer, El has to break through to him, so she finds those happy memories of him with his mom on the beach, and makes him remember that, makes him fight for his mom, rather than the hell he's been through for the last X number of years. he might be a fucking shitty asshole, but he can pull off one valiant deed to save those around him, because he doesn't want to entirely give in to his misery. he wants to remember those happy moments, and wants his mother to be happy, wherever she may be, and that means making sure this monster (the Mind Flayer) is dead.

(plus i guess it's also like a stand-in for his dad. Billy's been abused his whole life, and has become the abuser, and he's sick of all of it. so now, he finally fights back and stands up for his mom like he's always wanted to.)

season 4 is a fucking smorgasbord. they went so heavy-handed with the "good vs evil" "monster vs superhero" shit that it would be hilarious if it weren't totally understandable bc all of these characters are 14 years old and don't have a full grasp on the nuances of the world just yet. again, we get El worrying that she could be the monster, that she'll make everything worse, that she's the one to blame for everything. Mike, Dr. Owens, Will, Brenner, none of them can convince her that, no matter what she did or does, she is their "hero." Owens gets pretty close, he at least gets a few smiles out of her, but she's still uncertain.

she thinks she can no longer be the hero because she lost her powers, that now she's useless, and even if now she's like a "normal kid," she knows she'll never really fit in. but then, when she starts at Nina, she fears that her powers will make her the monster all over again. that she's already done something so monstrous that she won't ever be able to forgive herself.

enter, Henry and the truth. that he killed all of those children. that he was the one behind everything to do with the Upside Down. that he was the reason that Brenner started all of these experiments and built his little "family" in their prison.

so she says Henry's the monster. or rather, Brenner was the monster, and he built Henry into the formidable monster that he then became when he fledged into Vecna. she's now dead-set on blaming it all on those two men, and it all started with Brenner, her Papa. even so, when she's saying goodbye to him, she's receptive to his touch. she leans into his hand, she accepts his affection.

she is so close to getting it. no, Brenner is not a good man, but she did love him at one point, and she still does to some degree. she might say he's the monster, but i think she doesn't really believe that. she just wants to convince herself that it's true so she can find someone to blame, to make it easy, to make it black and white.

and then Henry pushes her closer to the truth! he says that, no, Brenner was not a monster. he was just a man. a mediocre man, who sought power in others. Brenner was just a person.

again, he may have done monstrous things in that lab, but he was not the monster that El wants him to be.

and that leads us to how she views Henry.

where we left off leaves it a bit gray for me. obviously she tries talking him out of all of it, to stop his plan, to leave her friend alone, etc. "you are not the monster, Henry." but he doesn't listen. he likes being the monster. he's good at being the monster. he feels entirely justified in his actions and believes he's helping. and he's so entrenched in his own pain that he doesn't see any need to stop now while he's so close to his goal. Henry even turns it back on El, saying that she was the reason Henry even became Vecna in the first place. so, again, she could be called the "true monster" here for being the major catalyst of it all.

i think if El had the chance in that moment, she would have killed Henry. she was terrified watching him kill one of her best friends, one of her only friends in the whole world. she's killed people to protect her friends before, she isn't going to stop now.

but she couldn't. she had to rely on the teens in the Upside Down to take out his body. and, obviously, that didn't work in the end.

we don't see El talk about it any further, but with all of these prior conversations and experiences, once she's out of the heat of the moment, i think she would not want to kill Henry. just like Kali, the two of them have a bond and their shared experience under Brenner. she sees Henry as a sort of role model, a guardian, an older brother. at least, she did when she became so devoted to helping him, but just like with Brenner, i don't think that's entirely gone away.

she's terrified of him, disgusted by him, horrified at his behavior, but she simply can't see him as the pure "monster" that she wants him to be. she has to start to realize that it will never be possible to group either of them into one category. and she has to learn that that includes herself.

Eleven very easily could have become "Vecna," so to speak. she was just lucky enough to have a support system when she escaped the lab. she found the right kids who would love and support her through it all, the good and the bad, so that even if she does monstrous things, they'll be there for her to help her pick up the pieces and fix it together.

Henry didn't have that. he hid himself away, didn't admit to his family when things were bothering him (or, if he did, they didn't give him the support he needed), and allowed himself to become jaded with anything and everything that inconvenienced him. after all, nobody was helping him fix it, so he has to do it all himself.

he was trapped. just a little kid stuck in an unsavory situation, perhaps aggravated by whatever "shadow" it was that was living in the Creel House and stoking this burning ember inside of him. he was upset, hurt, felt abandoned and lost, and lashed out. it's no different to the times that El killed people in self defense, though perhaps Henry had a smidge more premeditation.

regardless, the core of both of their behaviors is the same: wanting to get out of their cage.

El was just lucky enough to have friends, and Henry was unfortunate to not have any strong, loving bonds like he so craved and needed.

Kali is sort of a middle ground for me at the moment. she is somewhere between El and Henry. she's using her hurt and anger and sadness as fuel, like Henry, but she still finds light and love in the world with her friends and family, like El. she wants to hurt people, like Henry, but she understands that there's only specific people who deserve that hurt, like El.

Henry just wants to throw out the whole baby with the bath. sure, there's specific people he's upset with, but it was the whole world that was set up to make his life harder. he wants to take out everyone because he believes the flaw runs all the way to the roots.

Eleven and Henry are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Henry wants to only see the bad, and El only wants to see the good.

Henry was hurt and then left to wallow in it for his entire life with no one offering out their hand to him. so, if everyone else is going to be "evil," why shouldn't he? he finds power that way, makes himself stronger, so he relies on it to build himself up, to the point that he actively avoids the happy memories of his victims. he can't admit that there might be good in the world, because that would strip him of all of his power. his stance would suddenly have no foundation if he were to acknowledge that there is good and love and light mixed in with all of his grief.

with this play, we'll get a glimpse at the possible happy memories that Henry has. we'll find ammunition for El to use against him, to point at and go "see! you were happy! you can still be happy! you don't have to be the monster! you can choose to get better!" that he has other qualities he can nurture other than his hatred. like Billy, he can find the good in an otherwise shitty situation and hang onto it like a life raft.

i'm not entirely sure what to expect from, nor do i know what i really want out of, the ending of season 5. will they kill Henry? will they reform him? will Henry kill himself? will Henry sacrifice himself? there's many options, and i could have a field day going through the possibilities of all of them.

at the very least, i'm almost entirely convinced that El will not want to kill him. especially with a potential time skip leaving her lots of room off-screen to mull it all over. i think she will be determined to talk him out of it. i even get a kick out of the idea of Max being trapped in his head and rooting around in his memories, playing the Ghost of Christmas Past to dredge up his younger years and go "remember this? you were happy! it's not all bad all the time, here's the evidence!"

when it comes to the other characters, i think a lot of them will still want to kill Henry. he caused all of this, after all. he's actively trying to kill them, destroy Hawkins, and potentially drag the whole world into darkness. they have to kill him, right!?

i do believe that El could potentially convince some of them to not try to kill him. especially Will, but i need to stop myself from going on that tangent or this will turn into a 20 page essay lol.

but even if they do reform him, i don't know if i want an actual "redemption" for him. like, that's not really the right word, i don't think, but i am also stupid, so.

like, i think there's lots of room for El to admit that she has done monstrous things, but her friends still stand by her and work with her to fix anything and everything that she may have caused, deliberately or not, because they love her. and she wants Henry to understand that he is just the same as her, and he is also deserving of understanding and help in fixing anything wrong he may have done, whether deliberately or because he was pushed into it.

but i haven't quite worked out where he would stand if they kept him alive. like, i can imagine two paths for him right now off the top of my head:

they fight and Henry is gravely injured. El tries to convince him and it doesn't work. Henry is petulant and stubborn and stuck in his anger and pain, and he doesn't want to listen to this child, his protégé, talk down to him and try to boss him around. so, he kills himself because, if his plan is going to fail, he'd rather be dead.

El tries to convince him and it does work, but he's in too deep now. the plan is in motion, and the only way to stop it completely is his death. so, he sacrifices himself to close the gates and keep their worlds forever separated, saving the Right Side Up from its horrible fate, but losing his own life in the process.

i hadn't thought of the 2nd option until today, and i'm actually quite fond of it. could you imagine our big villain, the one behind all of the characters' misery and pain and death, actually working on their side to fix the mess he's made?

i can totally see Henry's death being framed as a big tragedy, like Barb or Bob or Eddie, rather than the triumphant "win" it otherwise could have been. their antagonist dies, and it's sad.

and even if it was something like Will landing the final blow and killing Henry, or him killing himself, or even El taking his life, it will all be sad, because El will have learned that Henry was not purely the monster of Vecna that they'd been envisioning. he was an ordinary boy, trying to live an ordinary life, and that was ripped away from him (again, like Will, but again, i have to control myself!!!).

i so badly want El to acknowledge that she could have become our story's "Vecna," and Henry always had the capacity to become like Eleven.

in this story, there is no "monster" and no "superhero." every single person is capable of great good and great evil at the same time, and El and Henry need to meet in the middle on that spectrum. if you aren't already, i think that by the end of season 5, every member of the audience will be sympathetic toward Henry Creel, because everyone will understand that we are all capable of becoming as "bad" as him, and even he is capable of becoming "good."

should Henry be forgiven? probably not. nobody owes him forgiveness. nobody should go "aww he saved the day in the end, he was good all along!" that's not the point. the point is that despite doing bad things, all of these characters are deserving of understanding. you don't have to forgive to understand.

i really am just so interested to see more of Henry's past in an objective manner, rather than through Victor's or Henry's memory. we'll get some real meat to chew on and humanize this man that has been unfairly placed into the cookie-cutter mold of "monster."

[whoslaurapalmer]

so i really like the 1960 ocean's eleven (for obvious reasons. look at that cast.) but my brother doesn't like it at all (he agrees sinatra was an incredible actor, but not in ocean's eleven, and is bothered by the real lack of motivation and plot. i just like the rat pack out to have a good time, and that sinatra famously said he just wanted to pull the heist irl.) so i was really surprised when he said he wanted to watch the 2001 remake!!

and then i got invested and made NOTES

-it was a lot of fun!! -I really. REALLY. fucking love heist movies. across the board, heists are so damn fun, in any movie era -uggg the 2000s era heist movie is so slick and colorful. just GORGEOUS

-was surprised that danny's motivation is pretty much strictly about his love for tess -- it's simple, but effective, honestly almost incredibly effective, does what it needs to for the characters, it just also threw me for a loop after danny and rusty's Hardcore Intense Sexual Tension -YOU WATCH THAT CARD GAME SCENE AND TELL ME THAT'S NOT FOREPLAY. I DARE YOU. I WAS STUNNED. -me, while eating dinner as we're watching: /i can't say this out loud but god i have never seen two characters with more They've Fucked energy in my life -- wait you want me to believe his motivation is strictly tess????? I mean. alright sure fine but They've Fucked, ted griffin. and they will fuck again -DID YOU GET THE COOKIES I SENT YOU?? -THE WAY THEY LOOK AT EACH OTHER!! THEY WAY THEY STAND NEXT TO EACH OTHER!!!!! THE FULL CONVERSATIONS WITH BARELY ANY DIALOGUE!!

-carl reiner was there!!!!! love carl reiner. god his little bucket hat omg

-i think george clooney is a good choice to fill a sinatra role. they go in relatively opposite directions (although sinatra's danny ocean is also divorced and you see his ex-wife throughout the movie, but she's not a central motivator at all) but he's, george clooney. not on par with sinatra but like.........that's george clooney

-I knew they'd get away with it. in the original, they do NOT get away with it, bc it was 1960, and the way it works out so that they don't get away with the money is actually incredibly well-done to me. and again it was 1960, getting away with the heist would have been rare. But in 2001? oh of course your movie heist will be successful.

-and i like that it's successful! It works here. There's a lot to discuss though in the heist/caper/crime movie about the narrative place of success, in a story centered on, usually, greed, but greed is not the central motivator here -- for terry benedict, for sure, but not for danny -greed is, i think, technically the motivator in the original, or not necessarily greed but Just Out To Have A Good Time which still at the time circles back around to mostly straight monetary gain

-oh! my brother liked this one a lot too!! i was happy he did bc it would've really sucked if he didn't. would have also been kinda funny though, sorry joel. but he was more pleased with this one plot-wise than the original.

-i feel obligated though to stress that sinatra really WAS an incredible actor, and so was dean martin!! so was like, all of the rat pack!! they're just not on, uh, super top form in ocean's eleven. -the original is still a very fun movie too, though. the ending always makes me laugh. just the way it works out. it's so!!! aaaaaaaa. -horrible for the characters. hilarious for the audience.

so then i watched ocean's twelve by myself, mostly bc i was curious if specific ideas i was seeing in a variety of fics had any canon backing or were purely fanon invention (the verdict -- unless people are pulling from deleted scenes or scripts, which i also went through, to the best of my ability?? fanon. fascinating.) (especially seeing multiple people include those details!! the way fanon spreads is delightful but also horrifying.) (but now i'm seeing them to the point where i'm wondering, did i in fact miss something, or are these details really truly fanon? fuck, who knows.) (see, the last time i saw something in multiple fics (in a different media) that i thought was fanon, it turns out, that delightfully precious and sentimental detail everyone was putting in WAS canon. so, man, i don't know.)

-very ambitious, plot-wise? like.......there's a LOT going on in ocean's twelve, to the point of almost too much? at least in comparison to the first movie, which was much more straight forward, and honestly that's not BAD, like i think the complexity weighed twelve down just a little -not necessarily to make a bad movie, but just...........not quite as tight as the first one -i LIKE the main center as terry benedict's revenge on them all, though. that's peak. but then adding in europol, and the master thief, and night fox, and they're all sort of contained together, honestly, idk i think it's just a little too complicated -and then the actual egg theft being entirely different, but with very little hints to it in the first place besides the focus on the bag? -i get hints of the sting (1973) in the ocean's series and even the sting let you have a little more than THAT -things went so well for them in the first movie overall that i see the need for the second time around to have more difficulty, otherwise it's like what's the point if it goes relatively smoothly both times, but, idk, i just don't think that's the angle i would have taken, in my onion, to put in the whole europol etc line

-i don't know if benedict's revenge would have stood on its own, although it absolutely may have, but it also wouldn't have had to, bc i think, like the first movie, the other half should have been character work -because the first movie is evenly split between 'heist' and 'danny ocean's interpersonal relationships' and moves like a dream, honestly -so the other half in twelve being tess and danny navigating their relationship even three years in? WOULD'VE BEEN CHEF'S KISS -i wanted to see so much more of tess in twelve omg :( -and also bc we've all met me, how danny and tess' relationship intersects with rusty. ideally. it wouldn't have actually happened but IDEALLY. danny and rusty will do anything for each other but danny also clearly loves and adores tess and rusty and tess were clearly hanging out in the three to six month parole violation and the three of them circling each other is so AAAAAA. -me going through fic tags: 'pairing if you squint' well i don't want to fucking squint!! commit, you cowards!! me watching these movies: i'd squint for these stupid fucks in these movies. i'm begging you to let me squint. please put them back in the same scenes. -but also danny and rusty felt very separated in this movie compared to eleven which also, read a little weird -it's an interesting parallel to danny and tess that rusty gets involved with isabel, and also interesting that she's the daughter of the master thief but also, oh i don't want this to come from a place of I Just Think They Should Kiss but also be meaningful narrative critique -however. they should -but i do get the Necessity for a character like isabel, like i said -but, idk idk -their relationship doesn't really successfully go anywhere, i feel like? -isabel is INTERESTING though!! this europol agent trained to be a master criminal by her dad and she's WORKING FOR THE GOVERNMENT. she does things by the book. -and then she forges her superior's signature. -isabel you're done dirty by this movie too girl. isabel needed to exist on her own in her own movie separate from these men and their shenanigans. -i See her as a match for rusty, i do, it's just, danny and rusty can stand in a room and have more chemistry than rusty and isabel, even with their floaty european romance music soundtrack, which is doing a lot of heavy lifting here along with catherine zeta-jones' absolutely gorgeous long hair, girl they should've kept that for you

-overall i still would have liked to see more of danny and tess's second marriage!! make her more pivotal!!!!! -HE WENT THROUGH THAT WHOLE HEIST FOR HER AND YOU CAN'T CENTER THEIR RELATIONSHIP IN THE NEXT DAMN MOVIE????????????????????

-does it make sense to say in twelve that danny got the idea of robbing terry benedict from that one guy talking about him? -i really don't think so?? -because it's not JUST about terry benedict alone, it's about tess, and tess's connection to him -like again yes some of it is for The Heist. but. -tess.

-but twelve still has such INCREDIBLE SCENES OH MY GOD bruce willis, i absolutely shrieked. julia roberts impersonating julia roberts. "and you don't even LOOK like her." how old is danny ocean. linus's mom!! saul showing up in the middle of the julia roberts con and slipping right in!! danny and rusty drinking wine! LINUS AND BASHER AND TURK BEING LEFT ALONE AND HAVING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO!!!!! the discussion of "are we ocean's eleven? is he even the leader? who do you go to when you have a problem?" "rusty."

then i ate dinner and i was gonna watch that hitchcock documentary but i had the wrong day for it (this was still tuesday night, the documentary which as we all know i did watch was on wednesday) so i was like, oh. well. may as well get to thirteen (i like movie series. it's fun to see the same characters getting into shenanigans. it's part of why i like the thin man movies, and, silly hallmark murder mystery movie series.) (curious caterer is very fun, btw. i love seeing lochlyn munro play a regular person, he deserves it after riverdale. ANYWAY.)

-maybe just bc i marathoned twelve and thirteen basically but i was actually a little heist-ed out by the end of thirteen. -thirteen was definitely better than twelve -- much of a tastier feel and chew to the movie -- but still not quite right -they're really just not as slick as the first one, although thirteen brings back the like, okay look -i think the core of the ocean's trilogy here is actually, love. thirteen works better because they're doing this con for reuben, bc they love him and he's their mentor and their friend and christ basher writes him all those touching letters!!!!! the sentimentality of it works bc it ties back to danny doing the first heist for tess. -twelve was missing that piece. that's part of why it's not as successful. isabel and her dad at the end does not really do it, or compare to the emotional depth in the other two -it's not just about the money or the con, although the con is certainly a delight for them all, it's the purpose. it's the fact that they're doing it for someone dear to them

-but what thirteen is missing is tess. i was very sad about that. tess you should've been there. tess should be in on their cons now and having a good time with them fucking christ!!!!!!! -danny and rusty were back on form though in thirteen and that was nice. -tess you deserved better though goddamn. -thirteen was less complicated than twelve but maybe also still complicated?? -i do think the main thing that makes thirteen not as incredible as it could have been is really the absence of tess, honestly, honestly

-ending with a sinatra song. good choice -i liked the repeated phrase of 'you shook hands with sinatra' as like. you've been here forever/you know the score/you know what it meant if sinatra shook your hand, sinatra prided himself on a VERY strict standard of character (-although sinatra was also stubborn and principled and sometimes in two VERY different directions, simultaneously.) -thirteen also had some fun scenes although i've successfully blanked on them now. i watched four hours of movie and i'm tired!! -BASHER'S FUCKING LETTERS THOUGH. AND LINUS'S DAD!!

-going to terry benedict for help was such a move. chewy. i'm just chewing on that -danny giving benedict's cut to a charity so that benedict technically got his cut but had no say in what happened to it, which is definitely payback for TRYING TO KILL THEM ALL and making things hard for them in thirteen AND! trying to get away with the diamonds, but is also now forced into philanthropy? after one of the pivotal pieces of the first movie was his reckless disregard for tess's existence when he valued her less than money? -tasty.

-al pacino. can't believe al pacino was there. i have literally never seen him in anything but the godfather. incredible

so then i had to watch ocean's eight.

-anne hathaway is so pretty omg she's just so beautiful. look at her go i'm always so happy for her -it was fun overall!! it wasn't bad!! it really wasn't. was it slick and incredible? .......pieces of it were? -it lacks some of the character work, i think. give me these girls hanging out more -what would've been FUN is if a heist actually happened in the first half, and then there was maybe a SECOND HEIST after they got daphne in. she makes it a point to say she has so few female friends!!!!! -love is not the core in this movie. it should be friendship (and love) but it is, i think, revenge, but even barely that -yeah it's overall a character work problem. distresses me greatly. -i still enjoyed it, though!! i'd watch it again!!

-the nancy sinatra song was a FUN move, i must say

-you go OUT OF YOUR WAY to have a THROWAWAY LINE implying debbie and lou were together and then you DON'T EVEN FOLLOW UP ON IT IN ANY WAY???????? -I'M SO MAD -yeah it's probably just for like, their crime partnership, but debbie saying 'lou and i were going through a rough patch' you want me to not think about that implying they were together?? -especially bc they're clearly modeled on danny and rusty????? -i'm grumbling. i'm mad about it. i'm making a frowny face at my cute pusheen lights in the corner. pusheen doesn't deserve that!!!!!

-very much patterned after the second ocean's eleven, which was a chewy little choice -the opening, both danny and debbie were in a jersey prison, debbie+lou and danny+rusty, both rusty and lou having less than stellar jobs without their significant other partner in crime, the theft hiding a revenge heist for romance reasons, danny and debbie both getting chewed out by rusty and lou for that -although...............that part is less successful here. That Guy Whose Name I've Already Forgotten is no tess. it's a fun choice to have him take the fall for the theft, but there's really not as much payoff as there was with tess -of course debbie approaches this at a different angle than the way danny was approaching it, but that's fine i just felt like there was something missing overall there

-i liked that ocean's eight is what solidifies 'ocean crime family' even beyond debbie's presence -that's just fun!! That's just a fun character detail. i like it. you start the movie going 'does it make any sense for danny to have a sibling?' and by the end you're like 'okay cool i can dig it!!' -just the detail that that insurance agent got their father twice and danny once, the parole board pointing out debbie is surrounded by criminals in her life, everyone in the ocean family barring aunt ida was a criminal, it's just fun -the FACE I MADE at james corden, but he was actually not bad in this movie. i'll let you go this time, james. this time alone.

-helena bonham carter was a choice. honestly at this point in my life i've kind of forgotten she exists, sorry helena, and i felt like, well her character was fun but she also felt a lot like. that's just helena bonham carter

-REUBEN!! -i felt like reuben's dialogue implied danny was 100% alive, right???????????? -IT'S SURE A CHOICE TO START OUT WITH HIM DEAD, I TELL YOU WHAT -but reuben just flat out says danny knows about the heist and doesn't want debbie to go back to jail!!!!!!!!!! -the script (if this is the script) makes that sound like it happened pre-death though, and actually has the funeral and a cause of death and linus! and saul keeping tabs on debbie! linus seems to imply danny isn't dead but THEY HAD A FUNERAL -fascinated. god. -and also a STUNNING about of debbie/tammy of all things?????????????? while having debbie/lou backstory???????? incredible. we could've had it all, or something

-me, when the old women appeared: oh, who is that? me: oh, that's marlo thomas me: .... me: THAT'S MARLO THOMAS!!!!!!!!!!! -marlo!!!!!!!!! -and elizabeth ashley!!!!!!!!!!!

then i rewatched the original back to basics 1960 ocean's eleven.

-maybe it was just the day when i watched, i was like, fucking having a time, so i sat down after dinner to watch it when i was feeling better but. -you know........... -it's not subpar. it's still fun. -but it is slower! much, much slower. not a slow movie, but it is really paced entirely differently than the 2001 movie, and, maybe a little to its detriment. definitely not sleek. but it is still fun. -delightful that dean martin and sammy davis jr are the only ones that actually get to sing in it, on-screen. not you frank!! oh frank. -but god every time i see frank sinatra i really am stunned by how accurate the nickname 'ol blue eyes' was. his eyes stand out so much. gorgeous. -danny's wife in the original, beatrice, functions in tess's role but also just barely? like it's not even worth beatrice being in the movie, she has no bearing on how it all works out, which is a shame bc you had fucking angie dickinson and you didn't make her have a good time here???????????????? -there's very little character work going on here, but still some fun bits -- peter lawford's character and his mom, mostly, and the serious angle of richard conte's character's health problems driving his participation in the heist

-they don't all actually seem to be career cons or criminals in the original? they group together because they were all in WWII together, and this danny says they may as well put what they learned in the army to good use outside of it. as in, theft!! good for him.

-but there was VERY VERY TASTY callbacks to the original that i'd forgotten since it'd been a while since i'd seen it --

-james corden's insurance investigator in ocean's eight kind of drew from cesar romero's character in the original -- duke santos, the almost-stepfather of one of the eleven, who's also a less-than-on-the-level insurance investigator, although duke, like the rest of the eleven, does not make out as good as corden's investigator -very fun that danny thomas is on one of the casino boards as a performer, and then marlo my beloved, his daughter, was in ocean's eight!! -richard conte's character has a real, legitimate heart attack during the heist in the original, while carl reiner's fakes a heart attack during the heist in the remake -both of the heists involve a momentary blackout! -both of them, of course, are about stealing from multiple casinos!! although the original had five casinos, with unconnected vaults, and also takes place on new year's eve, instead of during a big fight. -the original's version of reuben is the one who comes up with the heist, not danny, and he's perpetually more nervous and exasperated than elliott gould

-like ocean's eight, there is a split of, some of us need this/some of us want this, compared to the remake which is less about need and more about, again, love revenge etc the joy of a tasty tasty crime -and, of course, in the original, they do not get the money!! i've seen reviews call that a flaw in the movie, but i still think it's fun the way it works out, and i stand by, in 1960 they weren't going to get away with it. comparatively, it's a mad mad mad mad world from 1963 also has the main characters not getting the money in the end, but the characters are approached very differently. there's a review that says in the original ocean's eleven, there's no moral judgment on the characters for seeking the money, but i think you could say, based on the rate of Absolute, Sheer, Completely Unbridled Shenanigans happening in mad world, and how that movie in particular works out, there is a moral judgment there. so maybe they aren't comparable. but i stand by the original ocean's could never get away with it!! it just wasn't going to happen then!! -there's no other way mad world could end, then them not getting the money, despite me wanting at least spencer tracy to get it -- the madcap greed of the money assures it won't work out -could the original ocean's eleven have worked out differently, or was it also fated, narratively, even beyond that it was 1960? -there's so little of a narrative in it, though. but we are definitely supposed to root for them, in the way you root for the eleven in the remake, you want the original guys to get away with it too -maybe it's hubris.....there is hubris in sinatra's danny ocean

-compared to, now, fitzwilly (1967), where, technically, they do get away with it, to an extent -- but fitzwilly is not a heist. it is a caper. and there is a distinct difference, especially a sort of moral difference, between a heist movie and a caper movie. but we're also getting closer to the 70s, there. movie eras, you know. -you know, is mad world a heist? mad world actually leans more caper but has the morals of a heist. -see, heists, and theft movies, from asphalt jungle to the killing to even the ladykillers or a movie like the maltese falcon (bc it's a theft movie), function around a core of greed. even if the characters are financially desperate. and they cannot get away with the heist. it will never be successful, under these thematic circumstances, it can't be. they can't get away with themselves AND the money. -but a caper is less strict -- and the characters in a caper, like fitzwilly, or how to steal a million, are usually committing a crime to actually remain on the right side of the law. -the sting straddles some line between these two........it also operates on a core of love and revenge, but johnny and henry, or at least johnny, walk away from the money at the end. and they don't actually commit a heist! it's a straight con! -oh, i don't know.

-i would loved to have seen a callback actually to sammy davis jr in any of the remakes!! considering the song associated with the original ocean's eleven, eee-o eleven, is sung by sammy davis jr. -i see the desire for the sinatra callbacks, though, of course. -unrelated but i love how sammy david jr's one eye is like, canon to the characters he played, much in the same way peter falk's one eye was!! both of them wore glass eyes! in a very late-era columbo episode, he canonically references having only one eye, and in ocean's eleven sammy davis jr's character does the same. -i just think it's fun!!

[district4loading]

My Sweetest Obsession (WLW)

Twice Sana!Sub x Female Reader!Dom

5k Words

Content Warning: smut, fingering, oral, pussy slapping, praise, edging, use of toys, situation-ship, little bit of angst

Minors DNI

A/N: I wrote this one to honor what is potientially one of my favorite songs this year. I watch their performance of sweetest obsession daily and not just because of the hilarious sanayeon kiss. The song is so good and it sounds like pure, authentic TWICE, can't wait to have it on my playlist Friday.

Like I said, i'm not too confident in my writing or my creativity when it comes to writing more plot based fics. I hope it makes sense to everyone reading!!!

On another note I got a really good request and I'll be posting that very soon. (Yes it will be fem reader)

Anyways, enjoy this one! It has more plot.

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"I really fucking hate you"

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"I think we should stop seeing each other"

It's the first thing that comes out of Sana's mouth the moment you open the door. You stand there for a moment, hand on your doorknob when your eyes immediately notice her appearance. She was nothing short of breathtaking, like always. "You came all dressed up just to see me?" a smile grows on your face as you purposely fail to process or acknowledge her words.

Sana rolls her eyes, pushing past you to enter your apartment "I had a few errands to run before I came here" She kicks her shoes off and takes a seat on your couch.

You close the door, "And you just figured you'd stop by to what? break up with me?" Your tone is sarcastic and it causes Sana to scoff.

"For me to break up with you, you'd have to be my girlfriend" You walk into your kitchen, deciding that now would be a better time than any to knock back a drink or two as she tries to end things with you. Again. "Beer?" You offer, opening the fridge and taking out two after hearing her hum in response. You walk to the couch and hand her a drink before sitting next to her.

"So let me get this straight" You open the bottle and take a sip "You don't think were basically a couple by now?" She nods "We fuck maybe five times a week" you mention and she just nods again "You have an entire drawer here with your clothes in it" You gesture in the direction of your bedroom and she nods "You also call me babe and baby among other cute pet names" You mock her tone which makes her laugh a bit and you watch the moment as she drinks from the bottle. How her lips come into contact with the rim, smushing a bit against the hard glass surface and the way her eyes squint at the first taste of the bitter substance.

"The bottom line is that we never made anything official Y/n, so all that stuff doesn't matter" She looks a bit more serious about what she's about to say "We just can't be together"

"But you like me" You say and a hum escapes her lips "And I like you so..."

"So?"

"Then why can't you just be my girlfriend?"

Sana gives you a look, it isn't her usual annoyance or the subtle eye roll or even a huff. You observe that it's kind of serious and you should probably listen to what she has to say next. "That's what I came here to tell you Y/n, were not good for each other—i'm not good for you—" She continues to speak, going on and on about why the two of you would quite literally never work. Sana mentions the fact that she's always busy and she can't make time for a relationship right now. Then she's explaining to you how much emotional baggage she has and her tendency to push people away and maybe say and do hurtful things. Blah.. Blah.. Blah.

You weren't at all focused on any of it, you've heard it all before, the irrelevant excuses she makes all because she's afraid of commitment. That should probably be a red flag in and of itself but there was no such thing as a "red flag" when it came to Minatozaki Sana. You were in love with her, head over heels and you'd do literally anything for the chance to call her your girlfriend but Sana was too afraid, terrified even, of opening her heart to someone new. So now she's here trying to end things because she can feel herself falling for you.

Fuck that

Sana stops her long tangent which you stopped listening to midway because something else caught your eye "Did you dye your hair darker?" You asked, noticing the slight difference in hue.

"What- Did you even listen to anything I just said?"

"I didn't have to, this is the third time you've come over here in an attempt to push me away when we both know that you'll just end up in my bed sooner or later" You don't mean for it to come out as harshly as it did and of course she gets upset, lips parting idly as she tries to find a reasonable rebuttal. You wait, taking a longer swig at the drink in your hand before swallowing. "What?" You ask, observing the look of pure shock and anger on her face "I'm just saying the quiet part out loud"

"You're a fucking asshole" She puts her beer down on the coffee table, without a coaster you notice, but before you can say anything about that she's getting up probably to stomp out of your door angrily. If that happens who knows when she'll be back, so of obviously you got up and went after her.

"Sana wait" You grab her arm and she snatches it away from you, her dark eyes warning you not to test her. But you note that she's still standing there in front of you, waiting for you, silently hoping that you'll say something to make her stay. Girls are confusing that way. You want to say something—you try to—but you get distracted again, fixated on her hair and the way it's tucked behind her ears. It showed off her perfect facial structure, her sharp jawline and high cheekbones which had a cute shade of pink blush blotted on them. A few strands of hair deviated, sitting gently by her eyes, probably obstructing her vision a little.

You can't bring yourself to form words because you're so affected by her beauty even after all this time. Some may say its crazy, you've seen and touched almost every part of her body by now and you're still getting flustered by her appearance. Get a grip. It takes a moment of staring for Sana to speak up "What?" She questions you, pursing her lips with her eyebrows pinned together and a growing impatience in the quickened tapping of her foot against the floor.

"Look, I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have said that but come on Sana. If you're falling for me then you should just let it happen. I know you think you're not perfect.." True, she's more than perfect. "but who says you have to be perfect to love someone and be loved?"

She bites her lip, it's something she does when she's nervous or thinking really hard about something. You've picked up on that by now as you have with every single one of her little mannerisms. She steps back, placing a hand on the doorknob as if she wants to leave and you feel her slipping, like she's trying her hardest to get out of that door but somethings holding her here. "Y/n, if you really want it.. the truth is that I'm just not as obsessed with you as you are with me. I mean we have good sex but that's it, in fact it's really the only reason I keep you around"

Sana says it expecting you to be hurt, expecting for you to maybe call her a bitch and tell her to leave so what? It'd be easier for her? Instead you just tilt your head and quirk your eyebrow. "but somehow it's always you who shows up at my door. Often unannounced might I add." You chuckle a bit at the irony catching the way her demeanor subtly weakens. So you take a step forwards and an idea pops into your head, seeing the way she's staring into your eyes.

Hoping you won't regret it later, you reach your hand out to touch hers which is on the doorknob and you push it off. Then you open the door all the way, she steps out of the way so the door could fully swing open and now she's standing in front of you facing the wide open door. She's so close you catch a whiff of her shampoo. It smells so divine, so her. "Look, the doors open. If you really feel that way, then you can go because I'm not stopping you"

Sana just stands there, staring out the door and into the empty hallway. Before she even realizes it, your hands are on her shoulders feeling the soft material of her knitted wool sweater. She sucks in a breath through her teeth as you step closer, unable to take any steps away from you. Sana knows she should leave, you've just presented the opportunity to her but it’s like you're magnetic and it's fucking impossible to get away. Your hands eventually slide down her arms slowly then you close the gap and your front is flush to her back.

At this point, theres blood rushing to places it shouldn't and Sana's forgetting how to breathe. You lean down a bit so you're level with her ear and by this point your hands have found their way to her waist. "Sana, baby it's your choice" You whisper and your voice is so sexy and smooth flowing into her ears, just the perfect balance of husky and feminine which always drove her crazy. You knew exactly what you were doing, you were proving a point. The point being that she indeed feels the same way that you do about her. The point that she needs you.

Sana turns around in your arms kicking the door shut with her foot "I really fucking hate you" she mutters and she's pulling your shirt, stretching the cheap fabric as she gets your head down to her level. She kisses you, hard, like she's been thinking about it all day, like it's all she's wanted to do the moment you let her into your apartment. You don't hesitate to kiss back at all, in fact you were actually aching to get her lips on yours as soon as you saw her looking so beautiful with her newly dyed dark brown hair and those beautiful eyes. It's like an addiction, if there’s anything she was right about, it's the obsession.

You were obsessed with Sana in ways that were probably really unhealthy. It was evident in the ways you'd worship her body when you had it on display in front of you, only for you to have.

Now you're pulling at each others clothes and in the midst of this heated kiss you reach for her belt, she reaches for the hem of your top. When her belt is off and somewhere across the room, your shirt is being pulled up and Sana breaks the kiss so she can take it off of you. The only sound that could be heard is your heavy, inconsistent breaths as your shirt falls to the ground. Sana stares at your breasts for a moment, the way they're sitting in your bra and you can hear her breath hitch. Before she even knows it you've got her pressed against the door. You unzip her jeans as she takes the initiative to take her sweater off.

Sana's loose jeans fall to her ankles and she kicks them off her feet. You press your body against hers, already obsessed with the way her warm, soft skin feels against yours and you're kissing her again. It's slower this time, softer. You wrap your arms around her body, unclipping her bra in one swift movement. Sana's heaving and you're lifting her off of the floor her legs immediately wrapping around your waist. Her body is high enough and her full, perfectly round breasts are now in reach, waiting to be appreciated.

You take your lips off of Sana's and dip your head, first into her neck where you can suck and lick as much as you want. She would never protest about marks or bruises. There was a particular thrill she got from letting you decide whether or not you'd leave your imprint on her, like a brand that claims her as yours. Either way she's enjoying it, enjoying it way more than she should. Biting her bottom lip, head thrown back against the door, soft moans leaving her lips. Theres a few red spots on her sensitive skin when you're done and you move on to her collar bone. Her skin smells and tastes so fresh, so sweet, so Sana. You have to stop yourself from groaning when you get to her breasts.

In, no time there's a nipple in your mouth and a small "Oh fuck" leaving her lips. She loves it when you suck on her nipples, swirling your tongue around the bud, taking it between your lips and maybe even biting it lightly. The erotic passion of it all is what always gets her going and you could bet everything you owned that she's absolutely dripping right now. You switch to her other nipple, treating it with the pure care and affection you gave to the other one until its covered in your saliva, your marks.

You get a good grip under Sana's thighs and you're carrying her towards your bedroom and you silently thank God that the door is already cracked open. You kick it closed, hearing the lock click before you're laying her on the bed. She looks up at you, bottom lip tucked between her lips and she pulls you down by your neck eager to get you lips back where they belonged--literally anywhere on her body. Now you're kissing her harder, sliding your hands down her body and in between her legs. You just rest it there, feeling the warm heat exude through the damp fabric.

Sana's hips buck and she moans in your mouth, even muffled it's still so soft and pretty. She breaks away from the kiss for a moment "Please" she's already begging and you, craving your touch just as much as you crave hers. You begin kissing her neck some more, right over the red marks you just left there "Please - mm - touch me" she's struggling to speak, grinding into your still hand to achieve just that little bit of friction, anything.

So you do. You slip your hands underneath the waistband of her panties and she's wet, like really fucking wet. Yeah, there was the expectation that the teasing would've turned her on but the first feel of it never failed to surprise you each time. You gasp, leaning upwards to see her face. "You're soaked, baby" You say it with a slight smile on your face, using your fingers to circle her clit. Her sticky arousal coats your fingers immediately and she's whining—writhing on your fingers for more pressure. 

Insatiable

You drag your middle finger up and down her slit, prodding the hole directly before slipping it in and it goes in so fucking easy. She's so relaxed for you. "M-more please" The words escape her lips almost too beautifully and you just have to comply. You watch her face the exact moment you slip your ring finger inside, her eyes shut and her lips part. "So fucking.. good" She mumbles, pulling your body down onto hers again. It's hot, the way she enjoys feeling all of your weight on her as you pump your fingers in and out, keeping them curled just the way she likes it.

She's moaning in your mouth now and it's louder, letting you know just how good you're doing. You're smiling in the kiss, noticing how she's struggling to keep up with it because she's really falling apart on your fingers. "You're so pretty" You compliment her, almost getting lost in her squinted eyes when you pull away. Then you begin pounding your fingers into her, hard and fast. Her reaction is priceless. The way her jaw drops, how her eyes widen then roll back even the way she presses her hips deeper into your bed in an attempt to minimize the overwhelming pleasure.

"W-wait baby.." She squeals and reaches down to grab your wrists because everything you're doing is too much and her grip is tight, but not tighter than how she is inside. Seriously, the way her hot walls squeezed you always managed to throw you for a loop. "God" She groans and it's guttural, her legs already beginning to shiver as her body arches into yours. Unfortunately for Sana, you weren't ready to send her over the edge just yet so right as she's beginning to get close you slide your fingers out "Fuck" She sighs an unsteady breath.

Sana has a love-hate relationship with edging, on one hand it's frustrating and it makes her hate you. On the other hand, the thought of you deciding when and how she cums is the hottest thing in the world. So she allows her breathing to steady, observing the slight smile on your face "You were right there, weren't you?" You ask and Sana just swallows, nodding tiredly in response. You grab the waistband of her panties and you slide them down her perfect thighs, then her legs and around her ankles. "These are drenched" You observe before tossing them elsewhere.

You go back to the position you were in before, laying beside her with one hand in between her legs and you plant a kiss on her lips. Unexpectedly, you slap her cunt and a loud almost splashing noise comes out. Sana yelps and her legs clamp shut around your hand that's now rubbing up it and down. She whines as you force her legs back open with your hand and you do it again, harder this time. Sana moans' but keeps her legs where they are "Good girl" You mutter.

Then you're slapping her cunt again, one time, two times, three times, four... and by the looks of it she's fucking loving it. The way her body jolts and she winces just a bit with each blow. "Ah - baby" She's stopped mid sentence with another slap and it makes her squeal. You hum in response, soothing the area with some slow, soft rubs "I could.. cum like this..." You slap again "Fuck.. if you're not careful" She tries to warn and you chuckle, leaning down to leave a short peck on her lips.

Another blow follows the kiss and she gasps "But you won't, because you'll be good for me, right?"

"Mm-hm" Sana hums hesitantly.

You slap her down there, and it's a bit harder "Words, baby"

"Fuck - Yeah, I'll be good" She looks into your eyes, saying it with a little more conviction in her tone.

You smile and then you're shuffling down, all the way to her belly. You suck and lick on the skin, tasting the flavorful sweat that sits on the surface. There's a low groan that escapes your lips and it's driving Sana insane. She loved how primal you get when whenever you have her like this in front of you. How you're just unable to control your urge to just get your mouth on every part of her body and nearly eat her alive. Sana fucking lives for your obsession.

"You're so perfect" You mumble softly on her skin and Sana feels butterflies so strong, her entire body jerks subtly. It was completely true. In your eyes, everything about her just made so much sense. Instead of merely just meeting every impossible beauty standard that society puts on women, she was the beauty standard. With her dainty legs, her plump and soft thighs and a waist so thin you'd think she had some kind of surgery done. Not to mention her porcelain like skin or her striking eyes.

Pure perfection

Now that almost every inch of her body was littered in your kisses, you kneel in between her legs and grab her thighs. You squeeze them lightly first then you spread them and push them back "Hold them here, princess" You ask her with a certain softness in your tone that still maintained your dominance.

Sana does as you say, holding her legs open for you and you're just staring. She looks so picture perfect here "I wish you would let me take a picture" You mumble, realizing that you kind of pushed your luck with the glare she gives you. So you only take a few seconds to admire her body some more, taking in this wonderful sight before you continue on. Then you get your head in between her legs and you're face to face with Sana's slippery cunt. It was everywhere, even some dripping down and staining your bedsheets.

You breathe in her musky scent before sticking your tongue out and then you're lapping at the wetness lathered between her lips, swiping over her clit at some points. Sana's watching the entire show biting her lip so hard it'll probably leave a mark just to stifle her moans. You notice the grip she has on her thighs tightening and her nails are digging into them which'll likely leave tiny crescent marks in her perfect skin. You take her clit in between your lips and you suck, tasting more of her tangy arousal, swallowing it completely. "Fuck baby that's so good—you're so good" She whines, feeling her legs slipping out of her hands.

You bring two fingers up when you notice then you plunge them in "Keep your legs where they are" You take your mouth off of her for a moment as you begin to fuck her. Sana keens, pulling her legs back farther than they were because it's getting hard to keep the position. Her palms are sweating and it's causing her grip to loosen but she holds strong anyway. You just watch as she struggles to be good for you, another thing you love about Sana.

"H-Harder.. please" Sana pleads so you lean your head down and start planting quick kisses on her clit, providing enough stimulation to have her cumming in no time. Sana's breathing heavily now, lips quivering when you start fucking her harder as deep as your fingers will allow you to go. "j-just like that - fuck!" Her thighs almost clamp shut with a small stutter, but she keeps them open anyway.

Sana's pulsing inside, looking at you with those big brown eyes and her pupils are absolutely blown. You're still kissing, the sound filling the room as you stimulate the sensitive girl below you.

"Gonna - fuck - gonna cum if you keep~" She sobs, squeezing her thighs so hard that they're turning red. You slip your fingers out and Sana wants to cry, but she doesn't complain, she just sighs again "Shit" A shaky whisper escapes her lips.

You crawl forwards and you kiss her slowly, gently, like her lips are fragile. Then you pull away and bring your fingers up, you don't have to tell her to open her mouth either. Sana just pulls her head up a bit and takes them into her mouth, sucking every bit of the sticky substance off of your fingers. You watch her, your lips parting absentmindedly as you observe how she's looking into your eyes as she sucks. It’s erotic and you feel a surge of heat go straight to your cunt. It's when you begin to long for her mouth, to feel it all over your body but that can't happen yet, not until she's satisfied.

So you pull your fingers out of her mouth and you get off of the bed, she's still in position, holding her legs up for you as you grab something from underneath the bed. It's a small box with a bunch of your toys in it. You open it and grab a vibrator, arguably one of her favorite’s. It's subtle, but you can see the way Sana's eyes light up when she spots it in your hand. You crawl back onto the bed "You've been so good for me tonight, princess" Sana just whimpers, acknowledging the praise.

You turn the vibrator on to the lowest setting, the low hum filling your ears. You put it directly to her clit and press down, rubbing the toy around in tight circles. Your eyes dart up to meet hers but you only catch the moment her head falls backwards. Sana moans softly "Baby~" A pretty whine escapes her lips.

The look in your eyes is pure adoration, her body, her voice, her small actions and reactions to the vibrations. You flick the vibrator up to a higher setting and she moans louder, her head falling forwards, a look of genuine devastation on her face. Her body's shaking and so are her legs, threatening to fall out of her grip again. "You're so perfect" You tell her again, feeling your heart flutter.

She falls apart so beautifully

Your fingers find the highest setting on the vibrator and you flick it on. "I want you to cum for me" You mumble.

"Fuck" She huffs "Right now?" She nods

"Right now, sweetheart" You nod back

Her hair's everywhere now, disheveled brown strands stuck to her face. Sana chokes a little bit as her orgasm begins to hit her. "Fuck... fuck, fuck!" She moans and you've gotten all the signs down like it's a science. First she freezes, then her moans go silent, her jaw goes slack and her body falls back into the bed. You're watching intently as it happens, her moans come back after a bit and they're high pitched and sweet. You smile, watching the way her back arches as she stops breathing for a moment.

"Jesus... good fucking girl" You mutter, shutting the toy off and tossing it to the side. "You can drop your legs now" You say as you crawl over Sana. She lets go of her thighs and you kiss her lips again, she holds your face kissing you back like you're the only girl in the world, kissing you like you earned it, like she loves you.

"I think I might actually love you" Sana sighs. You watch as she covers her face, a frustrated groan leaving her lips as if there was something wrong with loving you. Your lips part and your eyes furrow as you try to process her words, process the fact that she actually said them. Like they really came out of her mouth. Sana loves you.

It takes you a moment for you to finally get some words out. This is the moment you've been waiting for, she feels comfortable enough to say it to you, that's a step. "Sana... that's not a bad thing" You decide to get off of her to give her some space.

"No, you're right, it's a horrible thing"

"and why's that?"

"Cause I have major commitment issues, see? I admit it, I can't commit!" Sana sits up and looks around the room "where are my clothes?"

"By the door"

She gets up and walks out of your room, picking her panties up from off of the floor on the way. You follow her and she's already putting her clothes on presumably to leave, like actually leave this time. "The first step is admitting it" You mutter, figuring that you might as well put your shirt on as well. "I can help you commit, i can fix you" You immediately regret saying it like that, because the face she makes is pure disdain. "I mean fuck.. not like that. Like... I can help you get over that if you'll just let me in"

"I'm not going to open up my heart to you just so you can destroy it, it's already broken enough" Sana mutters the last part as she pulls her sweater over her head.

"Is that how you're gonna go through life? Pushing away everyone who loves you?"

Sana gives you a look, "You don't love me. You're obsessed with me"

"Isn't it the same?"

"No! It's not the fucking same! You only love the idea of me. You tell me i'm perfect as if i'm not a train wreck, like i'm some fucking barbie doll. Once you see me—the real me—you're just gonna leave" She grits, her tone harsh but she's just trying to push you away, you know it. It's not gonna be that easy though, not when you love her this much.

"But you love the way I treat you, Sana. Just face it, you like when someone is actually being good to you. What? Are you rejecting me because i'm too nice?"

She rolls her eyes again "You're so fucking full of yourself."

"I know you think you do, but you don't deserve to be treated like shit. Whatever you've done or whatever has happened to you in the past doesn't define you. I love you and I think you deserve to be treated like a fucking queen and I can do that but only if you'll let me"

Sana doesn't say anything, you see a flicker of vulnerability in her eyes but it goes away in a flash. Sana grabs the door knob but as soon as she goes to open it, you press on the door and slam it shut. Now you're closer to her, too close. She turns to face you, her back against the door. There's a look of shock on her face "Just let me in" You're pleading now, trying to hold yourself together.

It's so obvious that someone's hurt Sana beyond repair in the past. They took her heart and shattered it into maybe a million pieces so badly that it was fucking hurting you—stabbing you in your attempts to pick them up. That isn't going to stop you though, nothing will. Maybe it'd be better for you to let her go and never come back but your heart won't let you. You need her.

"Y/n, please" Sana closes her eyes, tears threatening to fall from them. "Just let me go... I don't deserve someone like you" The way she says it almost fucking breaks you but somehow you manage to stay composed.

You swallow "Sana, I love you. How many times do you need me to say it? I love you, I love you... I-"

You're completely stopped in your tracks when Sana kisses you, she kisses you and this time it doesn't feel like she's holding back, nor does it feel like she's only trying to get your clothes off. It's pure love, the way you move your lips together, it's so slow and affectionate. You feel like you're on cloud nine, like nothing else in the world exists but the two of you. You pull away after God knows how long. Now you're both breathing heavily, foreheads pressed together as you're hoping her heart is beating just as fast as yours. Soon you pull back just a bit and your faces are just inches apart "Just.. stay tonight, please?" You whisper.

"Okay" There's a single tear rolling down her cheek when she sniffles. "and by the way.. I love you too"

[madwomansapologist]

My forever in this twilight request is so good! Thank you for letting me know that you didn't include Dammon because you didn't have enough information about him! It's good to know 👍 I really agree about your life philosophy which is "it's our duty as human beings to care for others"! Especially when not only we deserve kindness (unless given a reason not to 😤), our lives would actually be easier if we're even a bit kinder to each other! Your Tav is a menace and I love it! Your Tav is just wonderful! I love it especially how unfair their lives are after the fall of Elturel 🥺, it's even worse when they're just civilians not some threat that must be taken care of 😫, just how much the discrimination has taken a toll on them, how ironic that they're the only one they have met that genuinely sees all living beings as another part of nature despite not being the only Druid they have met 😞, how kindness should be the norm not a surprise 😩, how they have a lot expectations of the world but reality is disappointing in general 😒, how exhausting it is to keep surviving that even Zevlor has limits, how much weights Zevlor had to carry even before Elturel fell, just how they helped others & bring hope to others 🥹, even how they talked of success as if failure isn't a possibility, how he sees them everywhere, he even thought of what would they do in this position when they left, he's not sure if people are always talking about them or he only pays attention when they're mentioned, he thought about his last good moment that involves them 🥹, his thoughts about Volo are accurately hilarious 🤣, they still drank the bad wine even though Astarion had warned them about it XD, they said it's much better although it hurts a lot, how shocked he is while they just shrugged saying they were curious, Zevlor couldn't help but just laugh, the fact he could laugh while temporarily forgetting about his troubles is because of them & they're a beacon in the darkness to him 🥹, they remind Rolan of what he could have been & his regrets, & his mistakes 🥺, they have a lot of good qualities he "hates" & feels jealous of, he does admit to himself that he can't hate them for real, he's aware it's not his fault but he wanted someone to direct his anger to, just how much he can't stand the idea of losing his siblings 😭, he noticed that they're there but he ignored them, he thought they would leave to find someone who would give them attention but they didn't, they literally just drank as they sat next to him before going to camp for a few days, he's the one who broke the silence, he asked why which they looked at him but didn't answer 🤐, he tried again then they answered like me, he couldn't think of anything else except why which their answer especially the last line is something I can relate to a lot 🥲, he took a drink that looked like it could kill someone from drunkeness into their empty glass 🫗, his answer though and his thought of finding someone else to hate 🤣 Thank you so much for doing my request because I love it so much :)

the reason why it took me so long to answer this was because i kept going back into my asks just to read it again and again and again. that made me so fucking happy. i don't think you can even imagine how excited i was for the rest of the day (because i was online the moment you send it).

i will probably do another one with dammon and alfira, just so all my favorite tieflings will have a chapter on their own hihihi

[pesterloglog]

Karkat Vantas, Terezi Pyrope, Dave Strider

Act 6, page 5927-5938

KARKAT: DAVE ARE YOU THERE

KARKAT: COME IN DAVE.

KARKAT: THIS IS KARKAT.

KARKAT: OVER.

KARKAT: ANSWER ME YOU JACKOFF.

KARKAT: DON'T BE ALL LIKE YOU'RE TOO BUSY TO PICK UP, WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO KID.

KARKAT: YOU ARE QUITE POSSIBLY THE ONLY PERSON ON THIS METEOR WHO'S GOT EVEN LESS ON HIS NUTRITION PLATEAU THAN ME.

KARKAT: EVEN THE MAYOR HAS A MORE DEMANDING SCHEDULE THAN WE DO, LET'S FACE THE FUCKING FACTS.

KARKAT: WHAT. DID YOU THINK CAN TOWN RUNS ITSELF??

KARKAT: FAT CHANCE.

KARKAT: DAVE.

KARKAT: GOD DAMN IT DAVE.

KARKAT: I HAVE A PROBLEM.

KARKAT: NO.

KARKAT: *WE* HAVE A PROBLEM.

KARKAT: SKAIA IS NOW VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE.

KARKAT: WE CAN'T BE MUCH MORE THAN A FEW HOURS AWAY.

KARKAT: THIS IS IT. THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR.

KARKAT: THREE OF THE LONGEST HUMAN "YEARS" WE'LL EVER HAVE TO LIVE FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES.

KARKAT: SUNK INTO THIS DEPRESSING LABORATORY WHICH BY ALL ACCOUNTS SHOULD NEVER HAVE FUNCTIONED AS ANYTHING BUT OUR ETERNAL TOMB.

KARKAT: I HAVE NO IDEA HOW WE'RE EVEN SUPPOSED TO STOP THIS THING. DO YOU?

KARKAT: OH WELL, SENDING IT BLASTING OFF SOMEWHERE AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT SURE SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME!

KARKAT: AND NOW THAT WE'RE FINALLY HERE, AFTER ALL THE WAITING AND DRAMA AND BOREDOM AND STUPID BULLSHIT WITH OUR ANCESTRAL GHOSTS

KARKAT: AND EVEN DISREGARDING THE ONE HILARIOUSLY NEGLECTED DETAIL THAT THIS METEOR HAS NO FUCKING BRAKES

KARKAT: I STILL DON'T THINK WE'RE READY FOR THIS.

KARKAT: *SIGH*

KARKAT: I DON'T

KARKAT: ...

KARKAT: HOW DO I EVEN BEGIN TO ADDRESS THIS SHIT.

KARKAT: OK, HOW ABOUT THIS.

KARKAT: SINCE I CAN'T THINK OF A BETTER GENERAL PURPOSE QUESTION TO HELP BREAK THE ICE IN LITERALLY ANY IMAGINABLE SOCIAL SITUATION.

KARKAT: WHERE ARE YOUR FUCKING PANTS?

TEREZI: ZZZZZZZ

DAVE: my pants

DAVE: what are you talking about

DAVE: theyre on my legs

KARKAT: I WASN'T TALKING TO YOU.

DAVE: oh

KARKAT: DAVE, WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM HERE.

DAVE: what

KARKAT: I THINK IT'S TIME WE HAD A...

KARKAT: WHAT DID YOU CALL IT?

KARKAT: AN INTERVENTION?

DAVE: for rose?

KARKAT: NO, NOT ROSE.

KARKAT: WHY WOULD I BE TALKING ABOUT ROSE?

KARKAT: SHE DOESN'T HAVE A MAJOR PROBLEM THAT SHE NEEDS TO BE CONFRONTED ABOUT BY HER FRIENDS BEFORE SHE FLUSHES HER WHOLE LIFE DOWN THE GAPER, DOES SHE??

DAVE: uh yeah kind of

KARKAT: WHY? BECAUSE SHE LIKES TO DRINK THAT GOOFY HUMAN SOPORIFIC THAT MAKES HER A LOT FUNNIER AND MORE CHARMING THAN USUAL?

KARKAT: HOW IS THAT A PROBLEM?

KARKAT: I WAS TALKING ABOUT TEREZI.

DAVE: man terezi doesnt need an intervention

DAVE: she just drinks a lot of soda

KARKAT: HOW CAN YOU NOT SEE HOW THAT IS A *HUGE* FUCKING PROBLEM.

DAVE: its red fizzy shitwater dude who cares

KARKAT: OK, CAN WE JUST ONCE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE MUTUAL ALIENS TO EACH OTHER AND AS SUCH POSSIBLY HAVE DIFFERENT VALUES AND STANDARDS ABOUT THINGS???

KARKAT: JUST THIS ONE TIME DAVE? THANKS!

DAVE: terezi has made her choices

DAVE: among them was to begin guzzling untold liters of that putrid circus cola

DAVE: think of it as like a rite of passage

DAVE: like something that just goes with the territory when someone you know almost imperceptibly begins turning into a juggalo

DAVE: wait fuck

DAVE: maybe she does need an intervention

KARKAT: SHE NEEDS TO WAKE UP SO WE CAN TALK TO HER ABOUT THIS.

KARKAT: SHE WON'T WAKE UP, WHAT DO I DO.

DAVE: did you try kicking her

KARKAT: YES.

DAVE: im out of ideas

TEREZI: SNOOOOOR3

KARKAT: WELL, WHENEVER SHE WAKES UP, WE ALL NEED TO HAVE A SERIOUS TALK ABOUT THIS.

KARKAT: IF SHE'S IN THIS CONDITION WHEN WE GET TO THE NEW SESSION, IT'LL BE A GODDAMN EMBARRASSMENT.

KARKAT: NOT TO MENTION DEADLY! NEED I REMIND YOU WHO'S STILL FOLLOWING US? SHE DOESN'T LOOK PRIMED FOR BATTLE FROM WHERE I'M STANDING!

KARKAT: WE NEED TO ACT AS A UNIFIED FRONT, DAVE. WE NEED TO LET HER KNOW THAT AS HER FRIENDS WE CAN'T STAND BY AND WATCH HER DEGRADE HERSELF LIKE THIS.

DAVE: man i dunno

DAVE: sounds like you wanna make this needlessly melodramatic

KARKAT: STAND BY. I'M PUTTING YOU ON SPEAKER CRAB.

DAVE: speaker crab

KARKAT: YES. SPEAKER CRAB.

DAVE: man dont put me on speaker crab

KARKAT: SHE NEEDS TO HEAR FROM YOU DAVE. SHE TRUSTS YOU.

DAVE: god

DAVE: honestly she can do whatever she wants i put this all behind me a while ago

DAVE: why do you really want me in on this conversation is it just that you dont know what to say by yourself

KARKAT: MAYBE IT IS DAVE!

KARKAT: MAYBE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT FUCKING IS.

KARKAT: I'M SORRY. I'M NOT A "GOD TIER".

KARKAT: I AM NOT SO FORTUNATE AS TO BE BLESSED WITH THE "GIFT OF GAB" LIKE YOU.

DAVE: what

KARKAT: THAT BADGE YOU EARNED. YOU KNOW, THE ONE THAT MAKES IT EASIER TO TALK TO PEOPLE?

KARKAT: LIKE, REALLY OPEN UP ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS AND SAY WHATEVER NEEDS TO BE SAID?

DAVE: hahaha thats what you think that does?

KARKAT: ISN'T IT??

DAVE: no dude thats not what gift of gab does

KARKAT: OK WHAT DOES IT DO THEN WISE GUY!

DAVE: its utility isnt really comprehensible to lowly mortals sorry

KARKAT: YOU SNIDE CHUTE HUFFER.

KARKAT: WHY DON'T YOU COME UP HERE SO I CAN PUSH YOU OFF THIS BUILDING?

DAVE: nah

KARKAT: I'M PUTTING YOU ON SPEAKER CRAB, AND THEN TOGETHER WE ARE GOING TO KEEP IT *REAL AS SHIT*, DO YOU HEAR ME?

DAVE: what do you actually want from her

DAVE: do you want her to stop drinking faygo and falling asleep in puddles of red fructose corn slobber

DAVE: or do you want her to somehow address the root of those habits and cut all that out for good

KARKAT: YES! I WANT HER TO DO THAT!

KARKAT: THE LATTER THING.

DAVE: yeah i can understand where youre coming from

DAVE: but in situations like this i think you need to remind yourself theres only so much you can do for somebody

DAVE: and maybe they arent going to want or need your help and you just have to figure out how to deal with that

DAVE: like at some point in your life one of your friends might start spending all her time with a guy you think is bad news

DAVE: and you have to decide if you need to intervene as a friend or just let it go because people can change or drift apart or whatever because thats just something that happens

KARKAT: DAVE

KARKAT: YOUR WISDOM, MY GOD

KARKAT: IT'S KNOCKING MY SOCKS OFF. HOLY SHIT, PLEASE TELL ME THE SECRET TO YOUR WISE WAYS.

KARKAT: AND WHILE YOU'RE AT IT, MAYBE YOU COULD TELL ME WHAT THE FUCK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

DAVE: look all im saying is

DAVE: there comes a time in every young womans life when she has to come to terms with the decision to gradually morph into a juggalo while all her friends and loved ones watch in dismay

DAVE: terezi has strolled through the dark carnival and taken a great brooding whiff of that decisions festive asshole and the choice she has made is all too clear

DAVE: shes down with the clown

KARKAT: NO, DON'T SAY THAT.

DAVE: its true man

DAVE: you can live in denial for only so long

DAVE: but as your bro i have to say it like it is

DAVE: she and gamzee man

DAVE: that is literally a thing

DAVE: they are in the hate square together

DAVE: total kismespades dude

KARKAT: NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEAN.

KARKAT: I MEAN, I KNOW THAT.

KARKAT: JUST WHY DO YOU HAVE TO PUT EVERYTHING SO "COLORFULLY"?

KARKAT: I GUESS I DO THE SAME THING, BUT YOU ALWAYS SEEM TO TAKE THINGS TO A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF GROSS. JUST PLEASE SAY SHIT NORMALLY FOR A CHANGE, OK.

KARKAT: REGARDING GAMZEE, YEAH. I KNEW ABOUT THAT ALREADY.

DAVE: oh

DAVE: really?

DAVE: then what the fuck have i been tiptoeing around all this time god damn

DAVE: i thought this was supposed to be like this "big secret" that would "destroy you" if you found out

KARKAT: MOTHERFUCKER, PLEASE.

KARKAT: DO YOU THINK I'M AN IDIOT? I'VE SUSPECTED THIS WAS GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME.

KARKAT: I WAS JUST BEING LIKE YOU, PLAYING IT COOL, LETTING HER DO WHATEVER.

DAVE: then why is it a problem now

KARKAT: BECAUSE THIS IS THE LAST STRAW! WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE READY FOR ACTION BY NOW.

KARKAT: NOT COMATOSE, HALF NAKED AND FAYGO STICKY.

KARKAT: GOD, I WONDER WHAT SORT OF BULLSHIT HE'S GOT HER BELIEVING IN NOW? ABOUT THE MIRTHFUL MESSIAHS AND SHANGRI LA AND ALL THAT GARBAGE.

KARKAT: IT MAKES ME SO SAD TO THINK SHE'S CAUGHT UP IN HIS SUPERSTITIOUS WEB OF LIES.

KARKAT: IT'S BEEN AWFUL WATCHING THE PERSON I USED TO KNOW SLOWLY DRIFT AWAY FROM ME, TO THE POINT WHERE SHE MIGHT AS WELL BE GONE.

KARKAT: HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO DEAL WITH THAT?

DAVE: what

KARKAT: YOU AND SHE USED TO SEE EACH OTHER ALL THE TIME. WHAT HAPPENED?

DAVE: like i said i just put it behind me

DAVE: she started sneaking around in vents and stuff acting suspicious trying to hide the fact that she was seeing him

DAVE: like she was obviously ashamed of it and worried how id react

DAVE: but it was hella transparent that was going on so i just said

DAVE: thats fine yall can do your blackrom thing with the juggalo its your decision

DAVE: but i cant keep playing along

DAVE: i cant do the quadrant thing its just too weird for me

DAVE: im not a troll and im not all open minded about gettin multicultural

DAVE: i still dont understand the spades thing and it makes me really fuckin uncomfortable even trying to imagine how that works and i sure as fuck dont want to date anybody whos got a hateclown on the side

DAVE: so i said no hard feelings i still like you and all, do whatever makes you happy ill just be over here in the hyper gravity chamber training to beat lord english

KARKAT: WE HAVE A HYPER GRAVITY CHAMBER???

DAVE: no

KARKAT: OH

DAVE: but what about you

DAVE: havent you been talking to gamzee this whole time

DAVE: or is he just balls out lying to you about sneakin around the meteor with terezi

DAVE: i thought moirails were supposed to be open with each other about stuff like that

KARKAT: YEAH. UH.

KARKAT: GAMZEE ENDED OUR MOIRALLEGIANCE QUITE SOME TIME AGO.

DAVE: oh shit

DAVE: sorry to hear about that

KARKAT: IT'S FINE. IT WAS REALLY A DEAD END PALE RELATIONSHIP.

KARKAT: AT FIRST IT REALLY SEEMED LIKE I WAS A NECESSARY PART OF HIS LIFE, KEEPING HIS SHIT UNDER CONTROL...

KARKAT: BUT AS TIME WENT ON HE JUST GOT COMPLETELY DISINTERESTED AND WASN'T KEEPING UP WITH HIS END OF THE THING AT ALL.

KARKAT: HE STARTED GETTING SO UNBELIEVABLY SELF SATISFIED AND PIOUS, LIKE WAY MORE THAN HE EVER WAS BEFORE.

KARKAT: LIKE HE'S JUST SO COMPLETELY CONVINCED HE'S FOUND HIS CALLING, THAT THIS SESSION IS THE GATEWAY TO THE PROMISED LAND WHERE HE'LL FULFILL HIS DESTINY.

KARKAT: HE'S SO CAUGHT UP IN HIS IDIOTIC SCHEMES HE COULDN'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT ME ANYMORE.

KARKAT: WHATEVER. AT LEAST HE STOPPED KILLING PEOPLE.

DAVE: amazing i spent three years on this rock and never said one thing to the guy

DAVE: i saw him once tho

DAVE: just a glimpse in a dark hallway

DAVE: it was kinda like seeing a blurry purple bigfoot with a huge boner

KARKAT: OH GOD!

KARKAT: THAT FUCKING GOD TIER OUTFIT.

KARKAT: WHAT A GODDAMN FAKER. I CAN'T FOR THE LIFE OF ME IMAGINE WHERE HE GOT THAT THING.

KARKAT: I KNOW KANAYA SURE AS HELL DIDN'T MAKE IT FOR HIM.

KARKAT: THE MAN LITERALLY HAS NO SHAME.

DAVE: why is he wearing it

KARKAT: I DON'T KNOW!

KARKAT: I DON'T THINK EVEN HE KNOWS.

KARKAT: MAYBE TO MAKE A "GOOD IMPRESSION" ON HIS FAKE ASS RELIGIOUS IDOL, AFTER HE THRUSTS HIS SACRED COD PIECE THROUGH THE GATES OF SHANGRI LA.

DAVE: ahahaha the best thing we ever do together is slam this assholes dumb religion

KARKAT: YEAH!!!

DAVE: really its the most hilarious fucking horseshit ive ever heard

DAVE: i mean pretty much all religions are wrong but theres wrong and then theres WRONG

DAVE: as in ZERO CHANCE YOU ARE EVER PROVEN RIGHT ABOUT EVEN A SINGLE THING DUDE, EVER EVER EVER

KARKAT: HAHAHA! IT'S SO TRUE.

KARKAT: I WISH I COULD SEE THE LOOK ON HIS FACE WHEN HE FINALLY REALIZES EVERYTHING HE BELIEVES IS A LIE.

DAVE: be one sad clown that day

DAVE: his bulge will probably deflate and make this high pitch noise plus corresponding flatulence

KARKAT: HEY DAVE.

KARKAT: WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN TO US AFTER WE MEET UP WITH THE OTHERS.

KARKAT: I MEAN, AS FRIENDS.

DAVE: what do you mean as friends

KARKAT: I MEAN WILL WE STILL GET TO BE BROS.

DAVE: uh

DAVE: yeah?

DAVE: no offense dog but thats a dumb and neurotic question

KARKAT: NO BUT SEE

KARKAT: WE'RE GOING TO MEET ALL THESE OTHER PEOPLE.

KARKAT: JOHN AMONG THEM.

KARKAT: AND JOHN IS YOUR BEST FRIEND, SO YOU WILL OSTENSIBLY RESUME THAT FRIENDSHIP WHERE YOU LEFT OFF.

KARKAT: AND JOHN AND I HAD A FEW TESTY CONVERSATIONS WITH EACH OTHER ONE DAY, AND IN MOST OF THOSE I MADE A FOOL OF MYSELF.

KARKAT: AND I GUESS WE BECAME FRIENDS THAT DAY? MAYBE??

KARKAT: BUT THE REALITY IS IT WAS JUST ONE DAY, AND HE'D BE WELL WITHIN A REASONABLE FRAME OF MIND NOT TO GIVE A CRAP IN HINDSIGHT ABOUT THE GUY WHO TROLLED HIM ONCE THREE YEARS AGO.

KARKAT: AND THE SAME GOES FOR JADE!

KARKAT: I THOUGHT WE HAD A DECENT RAPPORT, BUT AGAIN, IT WAS ONE DAY FOREVER AGO. SHE PROBABLY BARELY REMEMBERS ME AT THIS POINT.

KARKAT: WHEREAS THAT DOESN'T MATTER FOR YOU, BECAUSE YOU GO WAY BACK WITH THEM. THIS IS LIKE A FUCKING *HEARTFELT REUNION* FOR YOU GUYS.

KARKAT: BUT WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE ME??

KARKAT: I CAN HARDLY CALL GAMZEE A FRIEND ANYMORE. WHO KNOWS IF MY FRIENDSHIP WITH TEREZI WILL EVER BE WHAT IT WAS BEFORE. I USED TO BE PRETTY CLOSE WITH KANAYA, BUT NOW SHE AND ROSE NEVER LEAVE EACH OTHER ALONE FOR MORE THAN A FUCKING MINUTE.

KARKAT: ALL MY OTHER FRIENDS ARE DEAD, AND NOW WE'RE LEAVING THE DREAM BUBBLES BEHIND.

KARKAT: AND THEN THERE'S YOU.

KARKAT: SO

KARKAT: I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.

DAVE: you forgot the mayor

DAVE: youre pretty damn tight with the mayor arent you

KARKAT: THE MAYOR'S FRIENDSHIP IS A UNIVERSAL CONSTANT, AND I AM INSULTED BEYOND COMPREHENSION AS WELL AS MY CAPACITY TO VOMIT THAT YOU WOULD INSINUATE OTHERWISE.

DAVE: yeah the mayor rules

DAVE: but as usual you are overcomplicating this

DAVE: just like you overcomplicate everything

DAVE: friendship leadership romance

DAVE: shipping grids and dick battles

DAVE: this is real simple

DAVE: our meteor will somehow tokyo drift to a dead stop in the new session

DAVE: at which point we will keep being bros for life or something

DAVE: i will start being friends with john and jade again because they are my friends and never stopped being that

DAVE: john will also be your friend because hes cool and also a doofus who is easy to be friends with

DAVE: jade will be your friend too cause shes nice and likes being friends with people

DAVE: i can personally guarantee that she will be happy to see you

DAVE: and as for the new people i dont know about them but theyll probably be your friends too

DAVE: all i know is two of them are my parents and two of them are johns parents and aint no rule that says you cant be friends with your bros mom and pop

DAVE: especially when your bros mom and pop are a couple of sassy teens

DAVE: as for terezi i dont know i guess well see what happens

DAVE: and as for gamzee fuck that guy with a balloon poodle

DAVE: friendship lesson secured the end

TEREZI: ZZZZZZZ ZZNK SNOOORT

TEREZI: SM4CK SM4CK

TEREZI: NNNRNNNNNNNRRNGNGNHGHGL3

KARKAT: UH OH, LOOK WHO'S STARTING TO COME AROUND!

KARKAT: WAKE UP SLEEPY HEAD!

KARKAT: HONK HONK HONK, YEAH THAT'S RIGHT! IT'S TIME TO FACE THE FUCKING MUSIC.

[mirajanefairytailmage]

Rambling About a Show (02/21/2023)

⚠️SPOILER?!⚠️

So, I started this drama Thursday (02/16/2023) night and finished today. Honestly had only meant to watch maybe the first three episodes, and I ended up getting through nine episodes before calling it a night.

I had seen an edit (that had piqued my interest) of this drama on tiktok. Of course, I made it my goal to figure out the drama name and find out where to watch it. 🤣 I regret nothing! I would have finished this in two days tops, if it hadn't been for the fact that I ended up loving it so much that I didn’t want it to end. 🤣

It's the way it starts as a contractual relationship, and slowly develops into wanting to be a real relationship. And of course there had to be that one relative that goes 'fuck your happiness, it'll bring shame to the family and company. I won't stand for this and must interfere now'. 😒 Aunt He Jia Qin was one of the characters I didn't like. She kept trying to interfere with their relationship. Her motive was because she didn't want He Qiao Yan to remember he was driving the night Xioa Bao an orphan. The main reason she didn't want Qin Yi Yue around is because she was the woman who saved Xiao Bao. Only she had no idea until later on.

At first I didn't like Lin Wei, but she redeemed herself towards the end. In the beginning she was all for sabotaging what Qin Yi yue and He Qiao yan had with each other. Of course her motivation was pressure from her parents and from He Jia Qin. I suppose his Aunt also redeemed herself when she confessed to Qin Yi Yue about why she shouldn't be with He Qioa Yan. It was heartbreaking to see Qiao Yan blame himself for his brother's and sister-in-law's death. Thankfully that was cleared up and it turned out to be brake failure due to sabotage from a rival company.

On the topic of side characters I feel like we were robbed of seeing Zhou Xiao An's character development. I'm talking about this person.

I understand that she was a side character. What I had seen of her, I thought she was hilarious and adorable. So, it would have been cool to have seen her more. I admit that sometimes I find the side characters to be more interesting. 🤣 Sometimes, it can't be helped. Ning Fang was a decent character. I didn't have a problem with him. I did feel bad that his love was unrequited. Then he falls for Win Lei and she goes to France. My first thought was 'well, damn. Yet another missed opportunity'.

I thought the side couple was iffy, but comical. I love Yang Rui Wei. She's such a great character in my opinion. I do agree with her that Wen Gu over stepped boundaries by bringing her mom and brother into the picture. Although he had good intentions, it was a poorly executed plan. The way schemed with Chairman Wen was extremely clever. They both wanted proof to see if what he felt towards her was real. He proved it was. I love it.

This series was an emotional roller-coaster, at least it was on my opinion. At one point I felt like I was getting whiplash from their on again, off again relationship. One minute, they're happily together and then the next, they're sadly broken up.