#and it wasn't even about simon looking pretty. it was wille seeing the person he loves after a long time

[frogprinsen]

One thing that really endeared me to young royals is the fact that it never seemed to be about physical appearances. Wilmon's relationship wasn't about how they found each other good-looking or anything.

It's so refreshing to see in contrast to other series or dramas (especially straight ones) how there always seem to be the case of how beautiful / handsome etc their love interest is. I'm not saying that's the whole foundation of their relationships but it's so blatant in a lot of romance. That slow-motion effect closing up on someone's face and how the other person will be affected by their beauty. Or how someone (who at first they consider only as a friend) end up having changed something in their appearance like putting on special clothes or getting a haircut etc and all of a sudden they'll be considered a love interest by the person. Not saying they're bad but I am so tired of it. It sometimes makes it feel like you can only find love if you're conventionally attractive. Or if you do something to make yourself look attractive.

But with Wilhelm and Simon, their physical appearance never even seem to matter (even though they're both gorgeous af). They just fell for each other without it being about how attractive the other is. And it feels...real.

And to me, that's the most beautiful thing.

[thirstyforsimonghostriley]

Simon (Ghost) Riley's wife.

All of the shorts and fics I see of readerxsimon are all of the reader being this pretty much sweet little thing who can't look after themselves and are weak and while that's great and I could see Simon with someone like that I also could see him with someone strong and independent and doesn't put up with shit. So In saying that here is strong/ independent reader (Will be described as fem)

Simon wasn't a normal man I mean sure he had hobbies like every other person but still then his hobbies were a little different to others, Instead of enjoying watching TV or playing pool he enjoyed the feeling of crushing someone's neck underneath his hands and yes sure he had a wife he would come home to but even that was still different, his wife wasn't some little gullible thing, she was extremely strong-willed and stubborn, If there was groceries? Simon wasn't able to bring them in Because she would be it to him, Opening doors? No, his wife did that she would get up to him if he tried to because she "was a big girl and could open a god-damn door if she wanted to." Don't even get him started on the gym, in fact he often felt himself having to constantly keep in good shape because he didn't want his own wife to be bigger than him, she was ruthless in everything she did and honestly, that's one of the things he loved about her but although she was though she was also kind, and loving, and forgiving. She was everything he could ever want and need in a woman even if sometimes he wanted to spoil her and she didn't let him that was honestly alright with him because as long as she was happy and content he was fine with that. That being said he made sure that she was spoilt as much as he let her even if her version of being spoilt was going on runs with her every morning, and watching true crime documentaries together. Another thing he adored about her was the fact that she didn't let anyone push her around, If she knew what she wanted she wouldn't let anyone get in her way or tell her what to do? Expect to be cussed out, Try and correct her about something? Expect to be cussed out some more and possibly smacked at the back of your head. Although his wife wasn't a small little thing he loved her with his whole, He couldn't imagine a world without her, when he woke up in the mornings he looked forward to his jogs with his wife, he looked forward to the arguments about who was cooking dinner and most importantly, he looked forwards to the cuddles at night in the comforts of your shared bedroom as he admired his strong and pretty wife.

[sflow-er]

I heard people are mad because they feel like August should be apologizing to Simon also, and I think that’s like, a no-brainer because of course he will – – he’s changed now. He’s not the same person who did that thing so – – we saw him suffer and now he apologized to Wille whom he knows and then – – I’m sure when [August and Simon] meet, he’s going to talk to [Simon] about it too. Linnéa Roxeheim, director of S3 eps 5& 6, PRP interview 59:00-59:22 (– – used for legibility, the redacted phrase is 'you know')

So...this kind of seems to confirm something I've been thinking since I watched the season: the lack of apology from August to Simon feels less like an intentional, character-defining writing choice and more like a mishap overlooking or even retconning the August-Simon conflict.

Some thoughts under the cut.

That conflict was one of the central building blocks and driving forces back in S1. Simon wouldn't have ended up selling drugs if it wasn't for August looking to buy, Wille wouldn't have found out about August's finances and been able to use them against him, and Alexander would not have been framed to save Simon. And for that matter, August's eagerness to pin the blame on Simon was likely fuelled by the fact that he wasn't just a sosse sleeping with Wille, but also a constant thorn in August's side. Someone who had even physically roughed August up at one point.

Still, I do believe August's decision to post the video mainly concerned Wille. I've written about that too many times to rehash it again; let's just take his dismissive reaction when Sara says Simon is distraught in S1E6 at face value. And that made perfect sense for his character, considering his only moral code at the time was (elite) loyalty.

However. From S2 on, the history between August and Simon has been sidelined, and the focus has been on the conflict between August and Wille.

We didn't see Simon suffer any more daily consequences from the video in S2. He could already sing karaoke in Bjärstad without people giving him dirty looks, and both the rumour mill at Hillerska and the hate comments online had stopped. Not being allowed to sing his song at the Jubilee was a concrete consequence, but even that felt more like an obstacle for Wilmon and an opportunity for Wille to stand up for them. Simon and August barely even interacted over the season - but at least Simon did refer to Sara knowing everything August had done to him in the gun range scene, so that was something.

I had hoped for the August-Simon conflict to be picked up again in S3. Even if the writers wanted to focus on other relationships and tensions, to me, it felt too essential to pass up. It would have been a clear sign of August learning the accountability and empathy that he needed to grow, and it would have also provided some much-needed closure for Simon (and tied the series together as a whole). I guess the writers felt differently.

Even though the focus on Simon getting hate on social media again could have provided an easy tie-in, the vile hate messages focused on his and Wille's relationship, as well as him being a POC. Apart from Linda's comment in the settlement negotiation, I don't think the video was even mentioned once in all the hate comments we saw. There was no indication of the media or the public having dragged it back up either (or asked who filmed and leaked it, but that's another matter entirely). Nor were there any references to Simon having already received some hate after the leak - on the contrary, it seemed like he was completely blindsided by all the vitriol. I do realise that the scale was much bigger this time around, but still.

Circling back to the August-Simon conflict, there's also another aspect that is easily overlooked. Namely, that Simon himself actually seemed pretty content to just put all his dealings with August to rest after the settlement was finalised. The only time the two of them even interacted after that was all about Sara. It could have also been an opportunity to show Simon's own feelings, but that didn't materialise.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure Simon could still use that apology, but I never got the impression that he needed it the way we fans needed to see it. Based on S3, you might even think their only source of conflict was Simon coincidentally being on the video, and when that was settled, Simon was okay just moving on with his life.

Which brings me back to the ending.

I always figured that August was portrayed as genuinely remorseful towards the end. Yes, I would have liked to see more of his growth and development (even just showing his reaction to the sale of Årnäs instead of having Simon say that Wille said it was a fitting punishment would've worked wonders)... But the authorial intent seemed to be that he had already taken enough steps. His and Wille's reconciliation was as sincere as anything could get, with Wille not forgiving him as such but agreeing to move on, start healing, and even wish each other well. Wille was sincere when he congratulated August upon graduation and tapped him as the next king, thinking he was well suited for the job (it's the narrative that frames it as a sort of punishment, not Wille).

Crucially, Simon doesn't seem bothered by this. If both Wille and August had truly just ignored the harm caused to Simon and reconciled amongst themselves, with Wille essentially giving August the position that everyone but August still thought was all August ever wanted...while Simon was still hurting and needing the closure of an apology...well. That would actually make Wille look like kind of a terrible partner even right at the end, which clearly wasn't the intention.

We can't be sure if Wille told Simon about the reconciliation when they talked at the lake, but Simon will still know that Wille stepping down means August stepping up, and he is happy about it. Wilmon are off to start a new chapter in their lives, and we don't get the feeling that the lack of an apology to Simon is left as an unresolved issue between them (or between them and August).

So...yeah. I guess I'm just trying to point out that this seems to be another example of a previously important plot line being dropped from S3, and to a lesser degree, also another example of execution vs. authorial intent.

[captain-mj]

Monsterhandler part 4? :3

I can’t help but speculate. Is Simon not being able to shift back maybe a stress response??

Oh i can definitely do that!!! So excited about the number of asks I've gotten for it!! Previous part here

Soap had spent years trying to work with... Their technical term was ESUs but that was a boring name. The other soldiers had casually called them monsters or freaks, but he didn't want to use those terms. He had seen the way they flinched when that got thrown around. Though, he doubted something like that would ever rattle Ghost of all people. The guy was tough. Big, bad and almost indestructible with a track record to put most units to shame by himself.

The SAS had been a wonderful achievement, but being a handler had always been the main goal. Ghost had been right. This had been a chance for career development. Though, exciting didn't begin to cover it. This was it. It was perfect. Especially since it was Ghost.

Except Ghost did not seem very willing to work with him. Which was fair, he had been with Price a few years.

Soap sighed and started to reread his file for... who knows how many times. It started with Simon [REDACTED]'s achievements. Excellent sniping record, extremely high amount of kills for such a short period of time, third best time for the military drill tests his scores from where he aced simulated investigations. Then his deployment ended and he went back home to a giant [REDACTED] though it took five minutes of talking to the guy to know he was from Manchester. There was a large section blacked out before getting to where he was found. Apparently he was just... found like that.

Defective was actually in bold. Huh. Soap hadn't really noticed before.

Pictures of his body were there. The scarring looked... intense. Most of his body either covered in scarring or bandaging. His wings... They looked gorgeous.

Ghost wasn't too bad himself. He was so tall and broad shouldered. The photos were strategic, never showing his face. Soap felt pretty disappointed by that.

There were a list of restrictions that had caught him off guard.

Don't let him be alone for long periods of time

Keep him muzzled

Keep his wings bound

Don't allow him off base without supervision

Don't allow him alone with recruits

Don't allow him alone with medication

Do not expose him to Christmas lights.

Soap had been under the impression he'd be dealing with a feral monster trying to kill anything and everything. But Ghost was... something else. When they had first met, he had already known he'd be getting Ghost. Despite that, he didn't make a comment on it. He hadn't been aware that Ghost was uninformed, so that was a smart move. If Ghost had found out on the field, Soap doubted he would've made it back. A simple accident in the field. A bullet that came from nowhere. Or maybe his body just never would've turned up. Soap chose to not take that knowledge personally.

Ghost had been interesting. Brushed him off and only really paid attention to him if Soap initiated first or he needed to give him an order. All in all, it had been... informative.

The Christmas lights part of the restrictions caught him off guard. Why the fuck couldn't he be around Christmas lights? Worried he'd strangle himself with them??

Soap sighed and put the file away. It wouldn't do any good to keep going over it. There was nothing new or useful in it. He stretched and got up to get himself a cup of coffee. To do so, he didn't have to pass Ghost's room. In fact, it was really out of his way to even go in the same general direction, but he still went by his room. Ghost's room was completely silent, so Soap knocked.

Ghost answered almost immediately and Soap almost stumbled when the door opened. Besides his mask and gloves, he didn't have his other stuff on. His wings were out, fluttering behind him and Soap could see his ears perk up through holes in his ski mask. They were a soft blond color. His hair was probably blond too. Weird considering his feathering, usually they matched.

"It's almost midnight." Ghost commented. He stared down at him. Another thing Soap had noticed about Ghost was the staring. It would be predatory if it wasn't so clear that's just how he was. Then, it became almost endearing.

Maybe he was drowsier than he thought. To think this mo- To think Ghost was cute.

"Yeah. You want a cup of coffee?" Soap asked, smiling at him. Goddamn he was pretty.

Ghost stared at him for a minute before crossing his arms. "I don't drink coffee."

"Tea then?" He was a Brit. They all liked tea.

"Sure."

Hook, line and fucking sinker.

Soap walked with him to the mess hall. Because of how late it was, no one was around. Most people respected the whole lights out at 9 pm thing. Good to know his... God he needed to think of something to call him. His Ghost he guessed. His Ghost also didn't care about them.

They could hang out whenever.

He turned the kettle and the coffee machine on. Ghost perched on the counter immediately. His bulk made it look rather funny, though without all the gear he looked slightly more human sized. Slightly.

Tattoos covered his right arm though. Skulls and flames. What a dorky sleeve. He looked up and saw that he had been caught staring.

"Johnny, right?"

"Ah. You looked through my file." Good to know you're just like me. He wanted to ask how many times he read it.

"Yes. Don't get why they thought we'd be a good fit. You locked a military police in his trunk." Ghost sounded amused, but his eyes didn't give anything away. They were so human. Soft and brown. It was unnerving.

"What you a bleeding heart for the police?"

"Nah. Can't stand them."

Soap smiled. "Ever get arrested?"

"Once. Got off easy." Ghost grabbed the kettle since it started to whistle. He poured the water in the mug on top of the teabag. The smell of vanilla filled the air like perfume.

"Aye. You seem like the type."

"Dick." Ghost looked at him for a moment, staring hard and Soap quickly turned around. He fixed the cup of coffee and drank it for a moment.

"Can I turn around now?"

"Nah, appreciate the view." Soap felt a blush creeping up his neck at the implication. "Your hair sucks less from the back." Nevermind.

"And you called me a dick." Soap mumbled, drinking his coffee.

Ghost laughed. It was… melodious. Soap wanted to turn around to see if he could catch him.

“Johnny.” Ghost’s voice had a growl to it. A lot of them did, it just wasn’t noticeable when they were relaxed. Soap wondered if Ghost was just never relaxed or if it was part of him being defective. He really wished he knew why. It wasn't a problem for him, but it clearly was for Ghost.

Soap went to say Simon before deciding he didn’t want to do that. They were having fun. He settled on copying his tone. “Ghost…”

Ghost sighed. “I want to get it out of the way, you understand?”

“Get what out of the way?”

“What do you plan to do to me? What do you consider punishment for me?” Ah. Fair question he supposed.

“It’s like you said.” Soap answered, getting the urge to be gentle with him. He wondered what Price considered punishment before deciding he didn't want to know, worried he'd come out thinking less of the man. “You’re not feral. I don’t need to treat you like a dog."

Ghost was very quiet for a minute before Soap felt a weight on the top of his head as Ghost patted him. “You’re a good one. That’s nice.” His hand was huge. Claws gently running over Soap’s hair. Sharp ends that could cut through his skin easily. He hadn't noticed it before but it was obvious now. The gloves he thought Ghost was wearing was his skin. It felt normal but it was stained a black color like it had been tattooed. His fingertips trailed along the back of his head to his neck. 

“Alright, Johnny. I’ll work with you for now. But one wrong move.” His hand suddenly wrapped around Soap’s throat. Extremely gentle, not an ounce of pressure. But a threat nonetheless. “You understand?”

Soap tilted his head back just a little, letting Ghost’s hand settle a little more firmly on his throat. “I understand.” He knew for a fact that Ghost wouldn’t. Couldn’t. Killing his handler wouldn’t be good for him. But he wanted Ghost to trust him. Fuck it. He wanted Ghost to like him.

Ghost squeezed carefully, making sure that he cut off blood flow but not his actual breathing, before letting go.

Soap counted to 10 before he turned around. Ghost was gone. The mug sat in the sink.

Soap sipped his coffee.

A very exciting career development indeed.

[mejomonster]

What's so wild to me is like. Wille technically hooking up with anyone in Hillerska would've been a scandal. Simply because like. While within the student body it would've likely been fine (the same way all the girls pretty much KNOW it was really wille in the video with Simon but publically it "wasn't wille"), if his cousin August wanted to fuck up his life he could still leak info and hurt Wille. Like... Wille could've immediately gotten with Felice, and any public leaks of a video would still have led to his mom going "We need you OUT of that school and making a press statement." Or if it had leaked to the public they had the party with drugs, which is why getting Alex not to rat them out was such a big deal.

Within Hillerska, in fact, even if he'd been with a boy... if it had been say one of the inner group that knows August, most likely everyone would've kept their mouth shut. Still it would be a risk, because being with a boy means scandal blackmail they can use over Wille if they want to hurt or threaten him to do something (cough August cough). But still, in the grand scheme, Wille could've probably been fine crushing on some person like Alex along with a non disclosure agreement.

But Simon. Simon and his sister Sara in particular are the outliers of the school. Sure, it would be a scandal in PUBLIC either way if anything Wille does at school (that isn't picture perfect) gets out. But Simon is partly such a Risk, because INTERNALLY Hillerska does not approve. They don't want someone who isn't elite to talk to them, sit with them, converse with them. Sara gets off slightly easier because Felice does make an effort to see her as equal, use her own status to back up Sara (and since Felice is queen bee there's no bully pushing back on it the way August tries to push Simon back down if Wille tries to treat Simon as equal), and Sara tries hard to blend in and not stir the pot. Simon gives zero fucks about blending in, about playing nice or tolerating bullying, he is himself pure and simple. And Hillerskas elite little teens don't want to be seen mixed up with a regular teen, and in particular the guy's don't want to look chummy with a guy with zero power (is it fragile masculinity? That they all NEED TO OWN MASSIVE PROPERTY to be respected by each other? need to have tangible POWER which is why season 2 Wille has a pretty easy time pushing August down since August doesn't have any). So for the guy's and their fucked up values in particular? It hurts their ego, to see how HARD they have to try just to get a speck of respect. And then to see Wille, the PRINCE who's automatically got more than they ever will (and who they like pushing down in the hierarchy on technicalities to feel he at least has to conform to be powerful too), to see Wille talk to Simon as an equal? Absolutely unacceptable to them. Even without the crush, just being Simon's friend is so unacceptable to them. Seeing Wille value Simon more then them is like throwing all the hoops they jump through and maintain in their face (much like Wille starts breaking things for August season 2). It was always going to be a massive hurdle for Wille to want to be close to Simon. Not even to the country or the monarchy, but also at a much smaller level. In their world in their school, its not a possibility that their peers can allow to exist. At least not when Wille starts school. (Though ill say Felice and Wille have done a bit at starting to dismantle that)

[kitausuret]

Hi! As the local Venom Girl who started as a Scarlet Witch fan, I'd like to jump in, if that's okay.

I'll preface this with the disclaimer that I can't speak to anyone's characterization in Marvel Rivals, and while Venom and Wanda did have marginally more shared screentime in Marvel Midnight Suns, it wasn't anything to write home about. I'm most familiar with who they are in 616 comics, so that's the perspective I'll be speaking from.

Let me first say I think there's a lot of potential for interesting interactions for Eddie Brock and Wanda Maximoff, and by extension the Venom Symbiote. Let's go on the assumption this is modern times for both of them. Venom has been an antihero since 1992, while obviously Wanda has been an Avenger nearly all her adult life.

I'd probably be remiss to not acknowledge the time Venom tried to kill her ex-spouse (Avengers: The Vault was a whole thing) but she and Venom have no reason to have specific beef with each other. Whether that's good or bad is a matter of opinion (Venom has a history of good interpersonal chemistry with former enemies) but there's no real reason to actively oppose each other.

MOVING ON!

Let's take a look at what they have in common:

Weird child situation wrapped up in cosmic weirdness

History of throwing down with Chthon (with Eddie, as Toxin, having been mostly useless but decent moral support - see Carnage (2015) for more)

Bizarre cosmic destiny story that either gets acknowledged or ignored depending on the writer

Spouse got unceremoniously killed off for shock value by a writer I don't like

Massive bisexual vibes (if you ask ME)

✨ Clinical Depression ✨

But most of these are pretty vague, not to mention common for Marvel characters. They also have a few mutual connections (Victoria Montesi being the one that comes to mind for me first, and I suppose Peter Parker but like, were those team-ups he had with Wanda very memorable? no), perhaps the most hilarious one being Simon Williams. Remember when Simon led the Revengers, featuring Eddie Brock as Anti-Venom? And Eddie was practically hanging on Simon's every word? Haha, yeah. Good times.

They're both into literature, though, which I think is nice. They both know what it's like to lose bodily autonomy - and what it can take to get that back. They know what it's like to be seen as a villain, and the efforts it can take to try to repair one's reputation.

I suppose all of this is just to say while I think they could become well-acquainted, maybe even friends... I just don't see them as having much romantic chemistry. I think Wanda would be fascinated by the Symbiote, and would sympathize with Eddie in many ways, they're not really each other's type. Eddie tends to go for strong personalities; very limited number of partners, though. He reads as very asexual-spectrum to me. Wanda needs someone who isn't going to scoff derisively every time she mentions magic, or give her flack for being such a devoted Avengers.

As for the Symbiote, specifically -- I think it would warm up to her, but probably not while it's attached to Eddie. The Symbiote tends to lean towards potential "thirds" based on whatever its host likes (see: Eddie and Beck Underwood; Flash Thompson and Betty Brant or Brunhilde). "We have only our hosts to tell us who we are," and all. It would probably love hearing her stories of Avenger-ing across time and space, learning about magic from her just because it thinks everything about its adopted homeworld is interesting. It truly loves Earth, and anyone willing to see past the goo and the fangs is worthy of its affection.

Oh wow, okay, I got a little carried away.

The tl;dr is that while I don't think Venom and Wanda, or any combination of the three, would specifically hook up, I think they need to be forced into an uncomfortable team-up and learn they have a lot in common and then become friends who get tea together and talk about books and ignore things like Destiny(TM) that keep getting in the way of their happiness. Or, hell, maybe Wanda can teach Eddie and the Symbiote to stop running from the cosmos for once and instead look it straight into the eyes.

I just think they're neat!

What do you think of the Wanda x Venom memes bc of Marvel Rivals?

I'm not taking it seriously, but if you really want to know, I just don't think Wanda is well-suited to being in a throuple.

I'm actually not very familiar with Venom. I have no clue whether or not it makes sense for either of them to be attracted to Wanda-- aside from the fact that, y'know, everyone seems to be attracted to Wanda. I don't think Wanda would have any qualms about dating a "monster," as it were, but I'm not sure if Venom, or Eddie, are really her type.

[cupofteainme]

Some thoughts of Wilhelm's silent power and many sides of his personality brought to you by my fourth rewatch of Young Royals.

When I first saw Young Royals, Wilhelm looked pretty tough to me in the beginning. How he was in the fight, how he listened to the angry music in the car, raising his hand to block the cameras, like he's so used to the attention and fed up with it. He was also rude to the PR person and his mom. (As a side note, I sympathize with Kristina here. She's just another tired mom. Sure you can go to public school Wille, just behave. Then there is a video with him headbutting a guy. When she slaps Wille's hand down, she's just disappointed, not evil.)

In my last rewatch I was paying attention to how much Wille is swearing. He's no angel nor overly sophisticated, but a normal teenager.

In Hillerska he immediately seems more lost. It's a new place with rich and pretentious kids that Wille doesn't care for. August is always hovering around him. He says he's pro-monarchy and Wille's friend but he's constantly jabbing him, calling him lazy, questioning his choices, telling him to keep better company. (being a total cockblocker 😡) You can see that he makes Wille uncomfortable. In my opinion, it bothers Wille so much because he wants to make his own decisions. He has anxiety, but he isn't a sad shy boy. Wille goes for things he wants. He already made his own decision about public school. Then we see him introducing himself to Simon, grabbing him, following him, sending him text about why he doesn't come to practice, etc. He's consistently courting him and going out of his comfort zone for him, like taking the bus (a big thing for a teen with anxiety) and offering his hand at movie night, even when he wasn't completely comfortable with his sexuality.

With every rewatch I adore the first episode more and more. I love seeing all the different sides of Wilhelm. The misbehaving rebellious baby prince, the anxious new boy, who people treat differently because of his title, and then his expression when he sees Simon at the party. That's the first time I saw some of his inner power that doesn't come from people being awed by his title. He's so comfortable checking a boy out across the room. Maybe he's already a little drunk, but he knows what he wants and he acts on it too.

He also seems comfortable partying and being the centre of the attention. I think it's about familiarity and alcohol. We see him act in similar way when he joins the society. He knows how to deal with these rich boys. Wilhelm has many sides to his character, I don't think the party prince is something he dislikes. I'd like to see some conflict between Wille and Simon about his alcohol/drug use and partying.

The big moment of him using his power is of course when he takes over in society. He's rash and he didn't need to expose August like that. He's using his power for Simon and for his selfish reasons because he can't let his crush be expelled. Wille is young and a bit of a hothead. He'll learn to play diplomatic games later.

For me that silent power is there all the time, but only in the last seconds of the season, we see Wille connect with it. It makes me so excited for next season.

[beclynn-herondale]

Similarities that I see between Jace and Céline

(these are just my thoughts. Press read more to see them.)

↑ this chaotic energy. You think he got it from Stephen? Nah.

Her anxiety reminds me of Jace's. And like their thought process was similar in ways.

They both struggled with belonging.

Céline corrected Robert when he said "Just like a warlock. Always for sale."

And Céline was like "Always on sale."

Again Jace energy.

Céline knew Amatis, Stephen's wife. At least, she knew enough. Amatis was sharp-tongued and stuck up. She was opinionated, argumentative, stubborn, and not even that pretty. There were also rumors that she still secretly associated with her werewolf brother. Céline didn't much care about that—she had nothing against Downworlders. But she had plenty against Amatis, who obviously didn't appreciate what she had. Stephen needed someone who would admire him, agree with him, support him. Someone like Céline. If only she could make him see that for himself.

_

Jace's smile was as bland as buttered toast. "Go on, go after him. Pat his head and tell him he's still your super special little guy. Isn't that what you want to do?"

But he couldn't look at Simon without wanting to kill someone.

“And even back then, in that stupid coffee shop. When I saw you sitting on the couch with Simon, even then that felt wrong to me—i should have been the one sitting with you. The one that made you laugh like that. I couldn't get rid of that feeling. That it should have been me.”

↑ Their bitterness, anger, jealousy, and envy towards the person who had the person they wanted and in general has the same energy in my opinion.

They both were angry and jealous of people who had it better or they considered to be good—Like, that was why Jace hated Simon so much at first, because Simon was everything Jace thought he'd never get to be, he just didn't realize it.—And Céline was angry of the kids in the academy who had loving parents and good childhoods, and weren't damaged like she was—they both were angry because somebody was someone or had something they thought they'd never get to be or have. (In Céline's case she never actually got it, not really.)

They both like to wander around when upset.

They both aren't too fond of the Silent Brothers. And I think that has to do with their head being full of certain things they don't want others to know, and the Silent Brothers speak in your mind, almost like they're reading your thoughts.

They're both observant, which could be from growing up in abusive and toxic environments but could also just be they're observant people.

They both can tell when someone is off. We see this when Céline sees through Valentine's mask. Jace often saw through the lies of people in TMI and still does.

And the both hate being pitied. Like it angers them when people pity them, we see that with Jace quite often in TMI, but we see it when Dominique says this: “Every Downworlder in Paris knows about poor Céline Montclaire, wandering the city like a murderous little Éponine. We all feel a little sorry for you.”

And then Céline thought this: Céline lived with a steady, secret simmer of rage, but now she felt it boiling over.

↑ Again, the above reminds me of Jace. He lived with anger that he kept under control but would boil over when triggered.

They're both sensitive. And get hurt easily.

“I wish I could be more like you,” she admitted.

In what sense?

“You know, just shut off my feelings? Feel nothing. For anybody.”

There was a long pause, and she wondered if she had offended him. Was that even possible? Finally, his cool, steady voice spoke.

This is a wish you should dispense with. Feeling is what makes us human. Even the most difficult feelings. Perhaps especially those. Love, loss, longing—this is what it means to truly be alive.

__

“I think—my father was sorry he had a parabatai,” he said. “Now I have to go live with a man my father was sorry about. I don't want to be weak, I don't want to be sorry. I want to be the best.”

If you pretend to feel nothing, the pretense may become true, said Jem. That would be a pity.

↑ They both wished to feel nothing, and had Jem tell them that wasn't as great as they thought. But they both still desperately wanted to not feel.

When she was a child, her parents had often refused her iratzes after training sessions, especially when her injuries were caused by her own mistakes. Let the pain remind you to do better next time, they told her. All these years later she was still making the same mistakes.

_

“No! it's better for your parents not to know it happened at all. It was just bad luck that one of them got me. I'm a good fighter,” Jonathan protested sharply.

“It's my fault I got hurt,” said Jonathan. “I know excuses are for incompetents. It won't happen again.”

↑ this bit on making mistakes, or when getting hurt.

Céline always carried a misericord blade.

↑ Reminds me of someone else who always carries blades.

They both were aware of the consequences of putting a rune on someone that they weren't 100% sure were Nephilim, and it was different circumstances but they did it anyway. Jace gave Clary her first rune and Céline gave Rosemary her first rune (I think).

More furious at her own instinct for mercy. After all, her parents had never shown any to her. Her parents had done their best to teach her that mercy was weakness, and cruelty was strength.

_

Jonathan said the word "weakness" with horror. Jem wondered what a man who had drilled a boy to fight like that might have considered weakness.

↑ Mercy, kindness, gentleness, etc. Was taught as weakness to them both growing up.

They both hate being predictable. Kinda like when Rosemary knew Céline would keep her secret. Céline hated that she knew that. Remember in CoA when everyone was guessing that Jace said no to Valentine, and he hated it.

They both never really felt like they were ever a kid. Because again, the environment they grew up in forced them to grow up faster than they should have. Which is why Jace didn't think of himself as one when he threw himself into battle.

like Jace I don't think Céline liked to upset the balance of things, meaning they don't pry and don't pressure. Which often gets them labeled as "not too bright" or "unobservant" they're both observant, they just don't say it out-loud. Jace is definitely like this, but I see Céline as this too. Stephen said she always needed to be told what to do, but I don't think it was that exactly, I think she just didn't like to upset things. Which growing up in an abusive and toxic environment does that. But I think it's also just part of who they are.

That sweet and obedient daughter of the provençal countryside. They knew how devoted she was to her parents. Such a dutiful daughter.

↑ Valentine often called Jace his obedient son. I see Jace in this part as well. Sebastian called him Valentine's "sweet boy."

She could close the door on the past, start again. She could choose a life without pain, without suffering or fear.

But who would she be without pain?

This also reminds me of Jace. Obviously he did end up choosing to walk away from Valentine. But there are times he doubted, because in reality he himself didn't know who he was without the pain he'd experienced, without his past with Valentine. And they both believed that the pain and suffering had made them stronger. Jace later knows that isn't true, but I see the similarity there.

They're both said to have vulnerability about them that made you wan to protect them. To keep them safe. Jocelyn said you couldn't really hate Céline, and I think it's kinda the same with Jace.

Both of them refused to ask for help. Thinking they could do it all on their own.

Céline could tell how much it hurt—and how determined the woman was to reveal no pain. She knelt by her side. Rosemary flinched away. “Let me see—I can help."

_

“Tell me what happened first.” She tried to yank her wrist back, but his grip was incredibly strong. “I can help you.” �� this is in Clary's pov.

↑ Their willingness to help the pretty stranger they didn't know.

They both often felt they didn't have a choice in some things.

They both felt achingly alone at some point. And very much misunderstood.

The thought of losing the only family they ever had scared them, and they were willing to do anything to keep them. Even if in Céline's case hers wasn't that real.

They were both said to be beautiful, and breakable. Fragile almost. These were Jocelyn's words. That beautiful things were easily broken.

They both grew up denied of love and care.

Céline had low self esteem in a lot of areas. We often see Jace as the confident character who doesn't have insecurities or low self-esteem. but he does. Jace didn't like himself, his looks don't play a part here, he didn't like himself. He actually didn't feel good enough or worth much, that's why he made so many superiority jokes, because he truly didn't feel good enough but had to make everyone believe he did. Céline didn't feel good enough either, but she tried not to let it show.

Their childhood gave them bad coping mechanisms and suicidal tendencies. They both self harmed in ways, believing that pain made you stronger is one of them.

We often look over the fact that while some of Jace's mental struggles did come from the trauma of his childhood and growing up around war, that he was already at a high risk with a mother who experienced similar things. Because if you have a parent who has mental illness the offspring are at higher risk of developing one. And his childhood didn't help with that.

And we know what they both truly wanted was to be loved and safe. Really. Jace always thought he wanted to fight all the time, but by the end of tmi he realized he just truly wanted to be happy and left alone, he just wanted Clary and his family. Céline wanted that too, but she never got it.

You all realize they would understand each other, right? Like if Cassie ever did something where they somehow met, Céline would understand Jace and he would understand her.

Céline would have never raised Jace with anything but love and care. She would have made sure he never knew a childhood like hers. But he did. He ended up knowing what that was like. And it would have broken her even more to know that.

But she would probably stab Valentine in the face, which I'd like to see.

Friendly reminder that Jace looks like her around the eyes (no I won't shut up about this.)

There's probably more but until we learn more we won't know. Just remember he may be a Herondale but Céline is also there.

@khaleesiofalicante I tagged you 😎

[embracedthevoid]

Oh! For the missing moments thing: I don't remember who, but someone on the production team mentioned that there was a cut scene where Simon discusses with Ayub and Rosh what Wille could be thinking about when he invited Simon over for the weekend in ep 3. I think that sounds like it could be a super cute and fun scene, so if you think that too I would love to read it! No pressure of course ❤

Hello! This has been very difficult to write, I'm not sure why but I always find Simons POV a lot harder to capture than Wilhelms. So hopefully the characterization shows through! I watched so many scenes of Simon, to try and get in the zone, but I kept on getting distracted by his pretty face.

Company

Word Count: 1722

Rating: General audiences

Read on ao3

Simon misses seeing Rosh and Ayub every day. They never fail to make Simon smile, and when he's upset, they know what to do to make him feel better. The time the three of them share is effortless, the type of friendship that recharges and leaves Simon feeling better.

It's been the most challenging adjustment for Simon since switching schools –not having Rosh and Ayub there– he's always been a bit of a loner. Fitting in hasn't always been the most essential thing to Simon. It's not that he doesn't want any friends. He just has no intentions of making any long-lasting ones at Hillerska –aside from one person, Simon wouldn't mind being something to him– which is why Simon invited his friends over in the first place. But, he should have known better because their relentless teasing is almost enough to make Simon send them home. Of course, Simon would never actually do that. As much as his friends annoy the hell out of him, he loves them.

"Simon," Rosh chuckles with disbelief, "only you could manage to get the Prince of Sweden to fall for you," she taunts and reaches across Ayub to punch Simon playfully in the leg, distracting him enough to swipe a bowl of chips off his lap. He grunts at the impact and glares at her, unable to hold back his amused yet disappointed laugh. He'll never see those chips again.

"I don't even really know if he likes me like that," Simon scowls playfully in response.

"Haven't you kissed?" Ayub asks thoughtfully –his eyes still glued to the television– the interruption startles Simon. He thought his friend had abandoned them, being grossly invested in the scary movie that Simon hasn't been concentrated on for the last twenty minutes. For as long as Simon can remember, they've always let Ayub pick the film. He's usually the only one who watches it all the way through anyways.

Simon turns his body to face his friends more fully now that he knows he has both their attention. His legs cross in front of him as he rests his back against the couch's armrest. "We kissed like," Simon pretends to think in an attempt to seem relaxed about the whole situation. Except he knows precisely how many times his lips have met Wilhelms, how could he forget? "Twice," Simon tells them, trying and failing to sound casual. He attempts to ignore the thick layer of yearning that buries itself in Simon's chest. He savours the memory of Wilhelm's chapped lips brushing smoothly against his own and how easily Simon could melt into them.

Both Ayub and Rosh look at Simon like more explanation is necessary, clearly finding the whole situation entertaining.

"The first time, he was drunk, so it obviously didn't let it last long," Simon starts as his fingers tap restlessly along his knees. "The second, he spent almost the entire time panicking." Simon sighs, unsure of how to continue. Ayub tilts his head curiously as he listens, signalling for Simon to keep going. "He kept saying he isn't," Simon groans, trying to find the right words. Ones that won't riddle his friends with concern, "that he wasn't–" he tries again, "that he's not– I don't know," Simon abandons defeatedly. He doesn't want to define whatever Wilhelm is, that's not Simon's place, but it doesn't make the way Wilhelm kissed him any less confusing.

It's clear to Simon that whatever feelings might be growing between them is new to Wilhelm. It was obvious when he hadn't immediately returned Simon's kiss the night they watched the film. Simon remembers how his heart dropped into his stomach, nausea taking hold when he was sure Wilhelm would reject him. He had been ready to drown in his own idiocy, thinking someone like Wilhelm would never be interested in him. Then Wilhelm drew him back, pulled Simon closer and initiated his own careful embrace. Despite their nerves and hesitancy, it didn't take long for them to fall into each other, finding a tender rhythm for their lips to fall into, like they were meant to be there.

"Why don't you just hang out with him again?" Rosh interrupts Simon's pleasant thoughts, like it's simple, shovelling more chips into her mouth.

Simon had been crushed by Wilhelm's decision to forget about it. He was barely able to look at the boy without his stomach binding itself into a mess of hurt and confusion. It's baffling to Simon how a single boy has managed to make him feel so many complicated things. They barely know each other, yet Wilhelm is the first thing Simon thinks about every morning and the last thing every night.

It's completely unfair.

"Well," Simon begins, and his face goes warm as his friends watch him expectantly, waiting for him to continue. It doesn't take Rosh long to catch on to Simon's flustered embarrassment. When Simon sees her put the bowl of chips on the coffee table, lean casually back to prop her feet up with crossed arms and eyebrows raised, Simon knows he's done for.

"Well, what?" Rosh pushes for Simon to continue with a clever smirk.

Simon presses his lips together, trying to hide the smile that they'll only ridicule him for. He eventually holds it together long enough to go on. "He invited me to stay at Hillerska for the weekend. While the res students have gone home," Simon explains through a flustered laugh which escapes as he hides his face in his palms.

"Simon," Rosh gasps theatrically, "are you actually going to fuck the monarchy?" She teases loudly, which manages to capture Ayub's attention again, eyes now bouncing between Simon and Rosh. Apparently, Simon's dalliance with the prince has officially been dubbed more significant than whatever character is supposed to die next in the film.

Simon drops his face further into his hands, pressing the tips of his fingers lightly against his eyes, hoping it will magically hide him from his embarrassment. He curls himself into the couch, eventually peeking through his hands to observe his friends' impressed and amused reactions.

Simon eventually looks at them entirely, but only after he gets his blushing under control, " I don't know what he wants," Simon admits, trying his best to sound optimistic, "all he asked was if I would keep him company."

A slight smirk plays on Simon's lips when he recalls how difficult the question was for Wilhelm to ask. Simon hadn't exactly made it easy for the boy, having him practically spell it out for him. Simon needed to be sure that Wilhelm meant it, that he wasn't being set up to be hurt again. But, when Wilhelm said he'd changed his mind, Simon felt like he could breathe again. The weight hovering over him dissipated, and the knots in his stomach untangled like silk. It's terrifying how quickly Wilhelm can change his world. But when Simon said yes, and Wilhelm smiled, it was enough for Simon to understand.

Simon would be lying if he said he didn't have hopes for what might happen between him and Wilhelm during their time alone, without anyone breathing down their necks. He's trying not to set any expectations, but there is still a flicker of desire that something might happen. Maybe Simon will get somewhere with Wilham, even if they simply talk, he could find more clarity on where they stand and what all this means. If they were to kiss, well, that would just be a bonus.

"Company," Ayub snorts, raising a suggestive eyebrow.

To anyone else, Wilhelm's intentions might seem suggestive. As much as Simon internally hopes they might be, he also can't wait to openly talk to the boy. "He might just want to hang out," Simon implies, still trying to grasp the concept of he and Wilhelm being alone for an entire weekend. A nervous shiver charged with anticipation sweeps through Simon, and he finds himself a bit breathless.

Rosh laughs to herself, rolling her eyes, "in my experience, that's not what a boy says when he wants," she sarcastically lifts her hands, signalling sarcastic quotations, "just wants to hang out."

"That's not saying much, considering half you're dating experience is from the women's football team," Ayub jokes with a humourous judgement that holds no real meaning. Rosh reaches for the bowl of chips and chucks a hand full at both Simon and Ayub, pretending to be scandalized by the remark.

"Yo for real," Ayub grabs both their attention, breaking Simon and Rosh's miniature food fight, coating his words with care. "We don't want you to get hurt. Will you be okay?"

Simon takes a deep breath, studying his friends, who are expectantly waiting for his reply. But Simon isn't sure how to answer. He's filled with anticipation, but his confusion is nearly equal, and the more intensely he thinks about it, the more his heart does somersaults. What Wilhelm means to him is something Simon is still trying to wrap his head around. He loves spending time with the boy. There's not a single moment that Simon doesn't enjoy Wilhelm's company. Somehow despite how completely separate their worlds are, they never run out of things to discuss. Maybe their differences are why they got on so well.

But, it's not only that. Simon can feel something strong building between them, even when they're sitting in silence during workies –pretending they're not studying each other– it's comfortable. Simon doesn't need to hunt for things to talk about like he does with other students, not that he tries with them. It's refreshing, especially when Simon is constantly surrounded by people he can't help to resent, even the slightest bit.

When he's with Wilhelm, they can just be. There's no pressure for Simon to pretend he's something he's not. Not that he's ever been great at that. The best part is that Wilhelms doesn't seem to want Simon to pretend either.

"Look at him," Ayub teases, "he's blushing." He nudges Simon with his elbow, a teasing grin on his face as he pulls Simon from the complex thoughts in his mind to where his friends are staring at him with amusement.

Groaning, Simon curls deeper into the couch, hiding his face in the cushions, "Whatever," He mumbles with a smile as both his friends continue their teasing.

[someotherdog]

anita was angrier than he expected, but he certainly did expect her to be angry. when their last conversation ended, she had made it clear that she was hurt by his cleaving. that he had no right to know about her personal life anymore. she was absolutely right. if he was to cut her off, she was going to cut him off right back. that didn't stop him from caring, though. the diocese could relocate him to another town, another state even, and he'd still have his feelings for anita. she could be married to simon for the rest of her life and he'd still wish it was him instead. despite standing a few feet from each other, they'd never been further apart.

he swallowed dryly. her pain was evident in her voice and it was partly his fault. more than partly, probably. he didn't have the right to know anymore, if he ever had it at all. anita allowed him into her life because she had no one else. no family, her husband was a prick, women were intimidated by her. not only finn coveted her; he saw the looks she got in church, he saw the proud-but-possessive look on simon's face as he noticed all the men admiring her as they walked to a pew. it was just gross. did they not realize how kind anita was? how sorrow had burned itself into her ribs and how incredibly lonely she was? finn knew. she told him so.

i don't know what you want me to say, finn.

what exactly did he want to hear? that she missed him, that she'd stand up to the church for him because he was conditioned to keep his head down? that she was going to leave simon for him? none of those answers were satisfying, because finn knew himself. he could yearn and desire her all he wanted, but he'd never do anything about it. a life of quiet contentment felt more like cowardice. fantasies of their life together, their love, had swam through his thoughts nightly and he would never, ever make a move, for three reasons. first: he was a priest, and he took a vow of celibacy. one that he took seriously, just like all his other vows. second: she was married, even if her husband was a piece of shit. he did respect the sanctity of marriage, like any good catholic. third: he did respect anita, even if she thought he didn't. he wouldn't want to touch or kiss her without permission. her beauty was unmistakable, but not the only thing about her. not even in the top ten most amazing things about her. she must think he's just another objectifying, lecherous man. he felt like one. and a coward.

he'd never touch or kiss her without permission, because it was clear that was the last thing she wanted, evident in the way she crossed her arms around herself. it was finally becoming clear to him that he lost her. finn lost her before he ever had her. he was pushing and pulling her and it wasn't fair. he didn't care if it was fair. he wanted her. that was the honest truth, and one he could never say.

yeah, he didn't understand himself either.

finn nodded, looking away from her. it felt very final. maybe that was what he needed after all. maybe he got her alone for closure. yeah, that must've been it. he still wasn't looking at her, "i'm sorry, anita." his voice sounded watery and he hated that. he must've been the weakest man in the world. he willed the tears to not gather in his eyes. "i'm sorry for being weak and i'm sorry for turning my back on you. i don't know. i guess that's what i wanted to tell you." he finally returned his gaze to anita, his one hand still resting on the trunk. "maybe in another universe, y'know. you and me." certainly not this one, though. he was starting to accept that now. "this has been pretty confusing for me, too. i never thought..." finn faltered, then sighed deeply. "anyway, i am sorry. next time i see you around church, i won't bother you." / @finclgicls

what did he want from her?

was their imposed distance not enough for him? must he come around and torture her with his presence and his concern? here she was, being reasonable, trying to comply to his wishes, with what he had asked of her. staying away and not being friends—if that's even what they were in the first place. him asking how she was doing, him seemingly wanting to sneak this moment with her, it was messing with her mind. she hadn't seen or heard of him for weeks, and now what? now he felt some sort of protection over her because her husband was around? because simon had decided to show off and stake her claim right in front of him? if he knew or didn't know, it wasn't finn's concern anymore. either it was protection or guilt, she would have to deal with it. as she had done her entire life.

alone.

she looked at him for a moment searching for answers, but could only think about how much she missed being this near him. she had every damn right to be angry at him, but all she could feel was how intoxicating his scent was. he was so good, too good for her. life had proven time and again that it would rip away everything she held dear to her one way or another—everything she loved. her heart clenched and her throat closed. anita didn't know how to be around finn anymore. she wasn't aware of their limits toward one another. would it be okay if she touched him? was he still a source of comfort for her? could she still feel for him? want him? be near him? her hand wanted desperately to reach for his face as it had done so many times before, but anita forced it back.

"i don't know what you want me to say, finn. if i tell you i'm fine—if i tell you I'm happy, does it make what happened okay?" it was an unfair question, she knew. "if i tell you i've been feeling miserable, what will you do about it?" his hand had been as forced as hers, but it didn't take away of how hurt she felt. the moment he turned his back on her, he forfeited all his rights to be in her life. the situation was unfair on both of them, but at the end of the day, finn would go back to the clergy house with the other priests and anita would be back to living in her own hell.

she wrapped her arms around herself, putting more distance between them as if there wasn't enough. she was scared of him coming closer because she needed him. she needed him unlike she had ever needed anyone before. still, the disappointment with their current situation was more overbearing than anything she could feel. it was etched in her features. marked further and harder than any bruise simon had ever given her. a small scoff escaped her lips, a low curse under her breath as she realized what she was submitting herself to. was it not enough how many men had hurt her yet? must simon hurt her body while finn aims at her heart?

"i don't understand you, father, and i'm honestly tired of trying." ＋ @someotherdog

[polkadotpatterson]

OH lachlan and simon + 30?

takes place at the end of S21, right before Lachlan's trade to the Tigers

30: laying their head on the other’s shoulder

There aren't any stars to be seen tonight even from the roof, the clouds persistent in covering them up. Lachlan might consider this a bad omen if he hadn't spent plenty of beautiful starry nights up here with Simon only for new and exciting terrible things to happen in the game the next day anyway. Once you've witnessed firsthand what blaseball weather can do, you never really feel like complaining about the regular weather anymore.

“Hey!” Simon pokes him, jolting him out of his thoughts. “You're not paying attention to me! I didn't come all the way from Charleston on the eve of an election just to be ignored, you know.”

“Right, because Charleston’s so far away from everywhere else.” Lachlan declines to poke aer in return and kisses the top of aer head instead.

Ae grins. “I mean, that's kind of the point, right? It's not far from anywhere. No matter where you go, I can be right there when you need me.”

“They want to send me to literal hell, Comet.”

“And I can easily visit you there! C’mon, you know there are worse places to be than literal hell.”

He does know that, yes. It's not so much about the place itself as it is the sentiment. Being taken away from the team by feedback was one thing; fans may have celebrated it, but it was out of their control. With the wills, though, the fans don't have to wait for the feedback to take him again. They can finally get rid of him themselves.

“The Tigers will love you,” Simon continues. “Because the Beams love you. And you're just lovable, of course.”

Lachlan snorts. “Tell that to the fans.”

“I have been! For years! They never listen to me.”

“Not to mention that the Beams only love me because I just won them the underchampionship.”

“And do you regret that?” Ae already knows the answer.

“No.”

Regardless of what it meant, hitting that grand slam had felt good. It wasn't for the Talkers, or the Beams, or the fans, or the leaderboards. It was for himself.

“I know it's only a possibility,” Lachlan continues. “But it feels so… real now. It's not their main plan, but it's a plan. It could really happen if enough people want it to. Or even just if one person wants it to and I get really unlucky.”

Simon tilts aer head to the side. “How unlucky would it be, really? I mean, yeah, it's hard to adjust to changing teams, we know that, I'm not downplaying it, but… if you had to go somewhere, well, I think a lot of people would pick the Tigers, if only for safety. They're sending you somewhere you won't die. Not a lot of people get that opportunity.”

No, they don't. But Tony had taken Lachlan's place in Halifax and burned, and Simon had taken Lachlan's place in Charleston and been cursed by a god. Would Lachlan be dooming someone else by going to Hades?

“I wouldn't have to worry about you so much,” Simon says softly. “I wouldn't have to check the weather every morning to see if you're playing in an eclipse, or panic every time I get a notification during a game because it might be telling me you're dead. And… and I know you would still have to do that for me. But I want you to be safe. Being in Hades might not be the most fun thing in the world, but… I want you to be safe.”

“Yeah,” Lachlan manages. “God. I hate that this is what safety means. Leaving home. Feeling guilty that so many others are still vulnerable. I know it might not even happen, but I already hate it.”

“Well, if it makes you feel better,” Simon’s grinning again. “You also might get to kill some umps. I think that would be pretty fun. And sexy.”

Lachlan sighs. “I'm not you. You'd kill umps and look damn good while doing it. I'm the kind of person who hides if they look at me funny.”

“Hey, I'm not going to be killing umps anytime soon, can't I live vicariously through you?” Simon nudges him. “C’mon, give yourself some credit. If you can hit a grand slam in the underchampionship and stare down the fans, you can stare down an ump when you're fireproof.”

“Well, I need to be fireproof first. Might not even happen.”

“Might not,” Simon agrees. “But no matter what happens tomorrow, I'm gonna run right over from Charleston and find you wherever you are, okay, Human?” Ae shifts even closer to him.

Lachlan rests his head on aer shoulder and closes his eyes, too tired to talk about it anymore. “Okay. Yeah. Thanks, Comet.”

Neither of them look up after that, but if they did, they'd see a few stars start to twinkle above.

[marciego]

For the ship/don’t ship ask

Lutteo

Leonetta

Marciego

Answer whichever you feel like!

let's go!! since you asked for all of them i'll gladly tell for all of them <3 thank you so much for that!! ripping the bandaid off first by starting with lutteo (since i will obviously lovemail leonetta and marciego zdefr)

lutteo

Don’t Ship It

Why don’t you ship it?

i think luna is a good person and matteo simply isn't, put clearly he's a dick and the show keeps kissing his ass when he clearly doesn't deserve it and it honestly gets on my nerves. also "misunderstood uwu boy changes when he finds the Right Girl" is absolutely never a good trope

What would have made you like it?

if matteo didn't act like That and he genuinely became friends with luna because she seemed like a nice person and he felt they could have been friends, AND if he didn't flirt with her while dating ambar, then yeah maybe i could have been ok with them

also i really believe they shouldn't have casted ruggero as matteo, simon's actor already looks quite older than karol but clearly not as much as ruggero so it's not as disturbing, and i haven't watched s2 but in s1 lutteo scenes are annoying because of the characters and also because seeing a very obviously grown man play a 15/16yo's love interest is. uncomfortable to say the least, especially because karol looks so young (and she WAS young)

Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it?

their banter can be pretty fun at times, and i really appreciated matteo during the daniela arc because he made luna laugh and she needed it (he managed to ruin it right after but i'm gonna ignore that for now)

leonetta

Ship It

What made you ship it?

leon coming in s1 with his princely manners, his bitchy attitude, and his arrogance and fucking over literally every other man in this show by respecting vilu changed me as a person. i fell in love with them so fast, and for so many reasons. for how open they were to each other, for how honest they've always been, for how they NEVER had any problem clearly talking about tomas, for how much leon respected her, her opinions and her choices, and how you can see them falling more and more in love every episode, for how he was willing to let her go if it meant letting her be happy with someone else, but how vilu kept choosing him over and over again, no matter how conflicted she was, because she saw this man and went "he is my happy ending" and she was RIGHT. they're everything to me

What are your favorite things about the ship?

honestly i'm not even sure i could choose what i love the most about them, but the way they look at each other is very special to me, vilu's eyes shine so bright whenever she looks at him and she looks SO HAPPY, her eyes are always beautiful but the way she immediately lights up when leon is in the room.........it's everything to me. and every single time vilu is singing on stage and leon is watching her from the backstage, utterly in love with her is like, so fucking good. so yeah, maybe i'd say that even tho i love everything about them

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

leon wasn't as jealous as everyone makes him out to be and i will die on this hill

marciego

Ship It

What made you ship it?

the way diego would have been ok with hurting everyone around him, including his oldest friend, but drew the line at involving marco in his mess, and the way marco stood next to him through everything, even though sometimes he shouldn't have done it. the way marco saw him for who he was (awfully fucked up little man) but still believed he could become better (not so fucked up anymore), also the entirety of s3. they were so fucking gay. good for me

What are your favorite things about the ship?

the PINING holy shit. they are PEAK best friends to lovers, all diego does in s3 is pining after him while refusing to compromise what they already have and so he pushes him to be with fran even if it hurts him, that IS what happens here

also the idea of mr international fuckboy (got to be one in spain and in argentina!) who's always so painfully clear about what and who he wants, who's so fucking flirty he makes you cringe every time he opens his mouth, being actually scared of his feelings? keeping them to himself? diego being into someone and not hitting on them because for once he's scared of the consequences of his actions? it's so good. like it's SO good it makes me go insane, like the flavor of diego not flirting because he's in love with his best friend and doesn't want to scare him off is so. it's so good. also marco is super chill and always acts like nothing affects him but the dude is SMOOTH, and like? for once diego is the one being flirted with and he has a hard time keeping up because he's been so scared of wishing for more than what they already had that his brain has to catch up with his heart to get what's happening when marco hits on him? it's so GOOD ugh

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

let's be clear here are there even unpopular marciego opinions? like does that exist? we're starting to be quite a few people into them (<3) but that's mostly me running around frantically like an ice cream vendor with my cute little ice cream cart, ringing my bells and yelling "WHO WANTS MY BI BOYS!!!" and y'all are kind enough to join me, taste them and realize how good they are, so i don't think you could talk about unpopular opinions here

[sflow-er]

I don’t think August will have any kind of legal repercussions unless the drugs do come out and/or he gets officially accused for the video and it becomes a Wilmon vs August situation. I do think though we might get social justice and honestly that’s the biggest punishment for August since his status is all he cares about and needs in order to succeed in life. If they take that away from him he is done (which is also why I could maybe see his mental health getting even worse).

That being said, 6 episodes (even if one of them might reach a one hour length) aren’t enough and I’m scared the multiple storylines will be rushed and some things not even properly addressed…

Hi anon! Sorry it's taken me a couple of days to reply.

I'm a little confused about the first part, as the drugs and the video are the only things August has even done that could lead to legal repercussions. But I'm guessing this ask is more of a general response to my criminal justice post...? That post was never meant as a prediction of what is likely to happen in S3. It was an attempt to describe how things could potentially turn out if the show did go down the police investigation + charge route. Around the time when I wrote that post, many fans seemed to be hoping for August to get 475 years in prison for making and posting the video, which simply wasn't consistent with legal precedent or the basic tenets of the Swedish justice system. So, I wanted to try and explain the framework. As for the most likely outcome in the show, I do think 'social justice' (in your words) or perhaps even 'poetic justice' is a decent prediction! It would be a pretty fitting end to August's arc for him to be locked out of the inner circle he was so eager to gatekeep, and to see his own actions cost him everything when he started out telling Wille that people like them could get away with murder. That being said, I do think it's a bit of an oversimplification to say that status is all August cares about, as there's a lot more to it than just him being hungry for power and success. I mean, he definitely is, don't get me wrong! But his status is also inextricably linked to his father's memory and legacy, which he cares very much about, and his sense of self-worth, which is very low underneath all the bravado. In other words, you are spot on that losing his status would be a critical blow. I also agree that we'd have every reason to worry about his mental (and physical!) wellbeing in that scenario - and that's where my opinion probably diverges from the majority of the fandom. No matter how awful and wrong August's actions were and how much I want to see him held responsible (whether legally or socially), I personally believe in rehabilitation through accountability and effective intervention. Especially in young people whose brain isn't even done maturing yet, but also in adults (as my spouse's work in a relevant field proves to me over and over). I want to emphasise that I'm not talking about August being forgiven. His victims don't owe him that, nor does he deserve it when he doesn't even fully understand the gravity of his actions or regret the harm he caused to Simon for example. I'm just saying that seeing some consequences is an opportunity for him to get some help. To start dismantling his warped views, building the true self-worth he lacks and the resilience he needs to weather the loss of his status, and somewhere down the line, growing into someone who no longer hurts others and himself the way he's been doing. I'm aware that we probably won't get to see that growth in the six eps we've got left. I'm just crossing my fingers for some hints in that direction - him looking into therapy, picking up a pitchfork to muck out Rousseau's stall at a decrepit Årnäs, or if he does end up in community service for example, getting started on that. I am also reasonably prepared for some of his issues to not be addressed, even if I do see that as a huge missed opportunity. But I dread the possibility of the show ending with him in a state where we can expect him to end up like his father, completely alone and unable to cope with the consequences of his own actions. It would partly sully Wilmon's well-deserved justice for me and make for a tragic ending (and as August is quite universally hated in the fandom, I'm not at all sure how that would be received).

[echo-three-one]

Whatever It Takes

Sequel to A Forgotten Memory

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

With more and more information revealed via Augustus' burner phone, The team now has to make an important decision, one that would change the course of their lives, forever.

Chapter 15 to another story made by Ray (echo-three-one) Comments and Reviews appreciated! I hope you enjoy! Love you all ❤️

Previous Chapter : Meet Me Halfway

Unexpected Alliances

Gary "Roach" Sanderson

Task Force 141

Flying above Russian Airspace

Roach was speechless. Admittedly the dark and messy battle at the Gulag was something worth noting but the thing that kept his head preoccupied at the moment was Soap and France kissing in the middle of warfare.

Guess love knows no boundaries huh. He thought to himself as he looked at France kneeling beside Soap who passed out from exhaustion. Another person laying beside him was an old man named Jack. The 141 records had a match to Jack, he's apparently Alex's mentor who got missing when their safehouse got raided.

Guess the force will be having two reunions tonight. His eyes turned to Price, who sat by the huge window and gazed into the sea of clouds, he's always serious and in thought that Gary found him intimidating, even after that short mission in Germany. 

Then there was Ghost. He's surely heartbroken now that she saw what France did. And Gary was slightly to blame, well not necessarily his fault but if he pushed him enough to confess, maybe this won't hurt more than it did to him today.

Gary spent the rest of the trip observing, noting his comrade's actions, discussing with their thoughts, especially after the invasion. He was glad 141 extracted Soap before the deliberation, where none of them are allowed to perform missions. Gary felt scared, he just got here, got the hang of it, and was afraid to cut ties with the 141 on such short notice. But he hoped Shepherd would talk sense to the board, especially now that the burner phone filled with leads was within their possession.

"You're awfully quiet…" Ghost nudged to Gary while fidgeting with his gun.

"Well, I got nothing to talk about." Gary replied, turning to the masked man.

"Well I've got a lot, and it's pretty nasty. Can't say it here though." He replied, his tone was almost relieved, as if he just blurted out something that was bothering him for a long time.

"Is it about them?" Gary whispered, pointing his thumb to the couple back at the med bay.

"That's a different story, and I told you I was right, they already had a thing going on since day 1. Who am I to interfere…" Gary could feel him frown beneath the mask, he got defeated in the war of love.

"That's okay… You'll find someone better." Gary consoled and Ghost automatically shrugged it off. 

"Eh. I hope…" he said, turning to the window opposite to Gary's position.

~

Task Force 141 Base - Infirmary

"The audio from this room's camera is muted so it's best to discuss it here." Ghost sat on the chair as concerned 141 members circled around him, Jack, Alex and Soap occupied the beds as they recovered from injuries.

"What you got for us, lad?" Price crossed his arms as he leaned by the door, his hat tilted perfectly on his head.

"An anonymous number sent Augustus coordinates of the base prior to the attack." He held up the phone and everyone murmured.

"Looks like we have another mole in our hands." Alex grunted, turning to Jack for nostalgia.

"But this time, we have a solid lead to who it is…" Ghost added while everyone braced themselves for the slap of reality they're going to get.

From out of nowhere the infirmary doors opened, Maxine was panting and sobbing at the same time, her hands held her thigh desperately enduring some sort of pain.

"It's Samantha… haaah… Shepherd took her!..." she panted as Gary quickly assisted him while everyone who was capable of fighting dashed to the scene.

"Go, Gary. I'll take care of her." Soap quickly got up with Jack, they were already fine and just required to complete their nutrition so assisting her would be the best option.

Gary nodded and dashed outside, bracing himself for the unbearable news.

"Shit. What's going on! I thought we already agreed not to take Samantha elsewhere!" Gary caught up with Ghost and the rest of the available team.

"I have my wild guess, but you're not going to like it." He replied, adjusting his shades as they exited the building. From there, they saw the General's aircraft already far away from their reach. Behind them Alex, Soap, Jack and Maxine followed, their faces were drawn with extreme sadness. 

A few seconds of staring at the sky and Price's comms received an incoming message.

"Captain, I regret to inform you that the 141 is no more… I'm sending the High Value Individual to their care as the threat escalated and is being designated to a different force. I'm sorry. Please tell the rest of the group that in two weeks they will be returned to their prior assignments before 141 was established." his voice was nonchalant, emotionless and straightforward, like he's reading it from a diner table's tissue paper.

"No…" Price muttered. They were this close to Nero.  The rest of the team looked down, others started to disperse and did as ordered while the more concerned group stayed.

"Shepherd's working with Nero. He wants the EMP based weaponry to help his marines in Afghanistan." Ghost blurted, raising the heads of everyone around him.

"He's trading the economical side of the world to win a war?" Gary asked, as the information doesn't add up.

"It's a wild guess but the global economic pressure is already influencing the government to allocate more funds to anti terrorism. Cutting off 141 shouldn't be in play but he found a way to do so… He wants us to stop fighting back." 

"Then fighting back is what we're going to do." Price muttered, grabbing his phone.

"I'm going to make a few phone calls. Those who want to stay and save the world could stay. Those who are content to return to their past lives, you could leave." 

"What about me?" Maxine asked, raising her hand.

"Come with us, We'll take care of you while it's not safe out." Gary said, almost pleading her to say yes.

"I don't have anyone else but France and Samantha. I don't know where to go from here…"

"Then that settles it. Nikolai will take us somewhere safe. If the 141 is no more, we could still salvage weapons and ammo for ourselves. But after this, there's no turning back." Price added, his voice sparked inspiration to everyone. 

And that was it, from that moment. They've gone rogue, for a good cause. And they have to defeat Nero, Whatever it takes.

The Next Step

John Price

Task Force 141 - Disbanded

Former Task Force 141 Base - Helipad

A small group of his comrades were willing enough to stop the war, even at the cost of losing a lot of privileges. Price was always one to work under strict jurisdiction, and this rogue act he's going to commit will be backed up soon, it's going to be dependent on how Laswell influences the board.

The idea was easy. Create another task force which had to be approved prior to the 141's disbandment so that the papers for their redeployment would never be processed. Of course a few strings needed to be pulled and an organization must be able to absorb them. Interpol was willing to help along with Jack's influence to the CIA and Price was lucky enough to have them two on their side.

And there they were, with Nikolai's majestic aircraft, they set course to a temporary camp thanks to Jack. Price noted that he'd get along with the CIA, given they're age similarities and stance toward warfare. 

He surveyed his trusty crew and took note of their abilities. There's Alex, former CIA and fought alongside him in Verdansk and Urzikstan. He's got a clear objective and will and it doesn't matter to Price whether its love or world peace. He's good at terrible hostile locations and can single-handedly turn the tide of war by local agreements and persuasion. A good weapon.

Then there's Simon Riley, or Ghost. Excellent Sniper, the team's tech guy. He's a keeper, his ability to reject emotions while in combat makes him focused and a keen observer. He also excels in weapon usage. You give him anything with a trigger and he'll be sure to hit enemies no matter what.

Another one is John MacTavish, or Soap, what kind of a name is Soap? Price thought. Price looked at the muppet proudly. He rose among his comrades during recruitment and stood at the top of his batch, showing exemplary combat skills and demolitions expertise. Excellent at handling air support machinery and his keen eye never misses a tango hiding from the field. He's got it tough recently, Price believed luck wasn't on his side that's why he got injured a lot.

There's Gary Sanderson or Roach. Price calls him the team's therapist. He sees the willingness to help from the guy. He's eager to train hard and be better and he was impressed on how he handled the German Infilnitration they did together. He has initiative and a clear goal. Something useful at these times.

There's Francine Winters, France a.k.a. Shepherd's prodigy, the last minute addition. He's still quite skeptic as to why she's placed here, but so far he knew that with her sister mentally disturbed by the enemies she's bound to use her emotions as ammunition. She's great at stealth and close combat especially great for breaking and entering missions. She could be trained of open area battles and she has the drive to do so, making her another good addition to the team.

As for the remaining ones, Jack and Maxine, he has no idea yet but them tagging along and using their resources to the fight would greatly increase their chances of killing Nero and destroying the era of EMP machinery.

"Looks like you got yourself a pretty nice team, pal." Jack patted the Former captain's shoulder.

"Yeah. Small enough to remain secret and powerful enough to defeat Nero." he muttered. Jack held his phone and showed it to Price.

"I got us a place. An old CIA Safehouse."

"Are you sure this is going to be okay?" 

"Positive. This one's not used for decades. Classified as dormant and unmaintained. It's situated near a city that once housed a lot of terror activity but after it got neutralized it became very peaceful." Jack convinced. Price no longer hesitated, the team needed the help they can get.

"As long as we're under the radar." He replied and gave Nikolai the coordinates. From there they would begin their revenge toward Nero's attack, plan Samantha's rescue, and discover what Shepherd is really up to...

One step at a time.

Doing everything they can.

To set things right.

Whatever it Takes.

END OF PART 1

Wild ride first half. I hope you stay for the second part right around the corner!

Notification Squad my beloved 💝

@smokeywhalee @samatedeansbroccoli @enderio @ricinbach @beemybee @whimsywispsblog

[neoistic]

what's going on with STAYs?

the hyunjin (and woojin) situation - a (very long) rant

DISCLAIMER : This post was not meant to slander Hwang Hyunjin or Stray Kids, it is intended to educate others on their problematic behaviour.

I'm gonna start at the beginning of all this. So unless you a.) live under a rock or b.) unlike the rest of us you have a life, then you have possibly heard of the idol bullying scandals. If you dont know what that is, I'll give a brief summary. A bunch of idols were being accused by former middle school or high school classmates of bullying. It started with Soojin of (G)I-dle and then the whole thing started rippling. Aisha of Everglow, Kihyun of MonstaX, Mingyu of SEVENTEEN, and many more. It's even gone as far as SA allegations. Basically everyone and their mothers were being dragged into the mess. However some of these accusation were later to be proven as false. Others have been somewhat half-true. The point is the majority of these idols end up going on a hiatus and stopped contributing in their groups activities for a while. It was a very frustrating situation. There's been apologies, addresses, fights occurring left and right. While these idols were being accused, everybody was like "let's wait for the official statement from the comany and see what is up, and then we make our decision from there. So for now lets stay our best to be neutral". That was the norm for a majority of fandoms. And then there were STAYs.

_____________________________________________________________ I think we've learned in the last five months that STAYs are anything but a normal fandom. After what has happened and the way they chose to behave entirely was embarassing. I feel like toxic STAYs really ruined the name of this fandom when the Woojin situation happened. But after Hyunjin was accused of bullying, they pretty much just shredded any redeeming qualities that fandom had left—all of it—everything went down the drain. Soon enough I feel like people are going to be embarassed to become a STAY or to mention that they're a STAY, because those motherfuckers really screwed this up If some of you're really confused right now, as to why I called STAYs toxic. It's because the base of this fandom is pretty privilege. Ok, let's start with the definition. What is pretty privilege? Pretty privilege is the principle that people who are deemed more attractive (based on societal beauty standards) have an upper hand in the world and are afforded many opportunities that us regular folks don't have. Like most other biases, pretty privilege is something we're all aware of—whether we have experienced it first-hand or not. Yet, it's not often that we are willing to admit or even talk about it, especially if we're on the receiving end of its benefits. This bias, also known as lookism, is defined as “Prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of a person's appearance” and occurs in a variety of settings such as social environments, workplaces and especially in this godforsaken fandom. Let me explain; everything that they do for the boys is simply based on looks. And how do i know that? Because when the baseless accusations that targeted woojin came out one of the things that i kept hearing over and over again was that they always thought he was 'ugly'. And that to me is very intersting because this fandom found him ugly but they didn't say anything, because he was in the same group as their faves. So they kept their mouths shut, and they acted as if they loved him they told him all the sappy bullshit. When he left they decided to pull an "Okay let's tell him how much we miss him, then dump it, and leave it there."

Consequently by cause of his so called 'wrongdoings' you're now telling people "Oh I found him ugly all along, but now I can finally admit it" which is an incredibly pathetic move. They were throwing shit everywhere based off unsubstantiated allegations. Through this I realised that everything goes down to looks. Because when this exact same thing happened to Hyunjin and his accusations, which at the time we did not know the legitimacy of it, the first thing they chose to tweet was"uhmm hyunjin is too cute to be a bully," say what now? You wanted to tell me you decide whether someone is capable of bullying based on their looks, how is that supposed work. Not everybody's heart is as beautiful as their face, I'm just saying. Like why on earth would you think that Hyunjin isn't a bully based on the fact that he's handsome but you believe the accusation about Woojin based off the fact that he is quote 'ugly'. You see the parallel difference between their behaviour towards them and that's because all they care about is looks and they will do just about anything to garner the attention of these boys. Yes, you're right, the reason behind their doings is because they know pefectly well that Stray Kids read their comment. Their defending them because they are desperately wanting their faves to pay attention to them. And they think by letting Hyunjin get away with everything, he would thank them for it.

_____________________________________________________________

Exhibit B; When the posts against Woojin came out the very first thing they told us was that, you have to believe the victim no matter what. It got to the point where even when we tried to reason with them about how there was no solid evidence, all they said was how they would rather believe a possible liar then a possible r4pist. ikr, oh. my. gosh. However when it's Hyunjin's turn to get blamed, believing the victim doesn't matter anymore. The actuality that people were already putting a judgement on the victim, and refusing to hear them out is just shocking to me.

The energy was completely different, for some crazy reason it didn't matter when it came to Hyunjin. When it came to Woojin we had to believe the victim because it's so damn important, and it got to the point that people were saying they believed Stray Kids that he 'bullied' them. Although Stray Kids didn't say anything, they never said a peep, a word, nothing. Everyone kept saying I believe Felix saying #8, i believe Chan and his vlive, are you for real? First of all what is Felix supposed to say then?? The group has 8 members not nine, is he supposed to put #9 in? #13? #24?? And with Chan he has already clarified that his statement on vlive that time wasn't about Woojin.

Then they were diagnosing them them of depression they were victimizing the poor boys of something they were not a victim of. So not are they speaking for them, they're telling us that you believe them off what you've stuff in their mouths, not things they said themsleves. On the other hand when Hyunjin was accused of bullying no we don't believe them we believe Hyunjin. What? Do you know him personally or what? You dont! I don't know what's the matter with you people. This fandom is just a no. You guys are left with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Then you know what it gets even worse because if you think this is bad. It's not even half of it. How does it get worse? They were people saying that "It's bullying, its normal everybody does it," I don't know what universe you live in, but where I live down here, on earth bullying isn't something that everybody comes around and do. It's not a phase in life. "From ages 15-20 you're a bully" That doesn't happen it's not a chapter in life that everyone goes through like puberty, that's not what happens with bullying. You dont just wake up and go through a phase in you life that is inevitable, that you have to be a bully and a jerk to everybody, that's not a thing. You can't just sit here and justify bullying. Because how are you supposed to sit here and say that bullying is normal and that everybody does but when Woojin does it... You see where I'm going with this right? They said it wasn't okay for Woojin to bully Stray Kids and that he is a horrible person "how could he?" But then you bend over and said "Bullying is okay because Hyunjin is the one doing it" When he is on the receiving end it wasn't okay, though when he was the one administering it was completely fine and forgivable.

Do you not see how problematic you're being right now? You're justifying bullying because you think he's pretty? Are you playing with me? I read his statement and he apologized for his immature and insensitive demeanor, even he wasn't justifying it. the reason behind me mentioning this is because even JYP themselves specified that they would do a better job at picking trainees. That alone says something. They forthrightly threw him under the bus. Why would they do something like that? Because the allegations were true. Here's the thing, Hyunjin has not admitted to bullying anybody, what he has admitted to was being immature and hurting people with the way he spoke. That statement felt like he was beating around the bush about a lot of things. It's like "ok i hurt someone, I can't justify it, therefore I'm sorry" Okay but did u bully anybody? yes or no? That wasn't clarified. You guys can decide for your selves, but this was Hyunjin's and his former teacher's statement.

_____________________________________________________________

The message I'm trying to get accross from all this is that Stray Kids have way more power over you than you realized, and that is definitely not okay. To the point where you are throwing your morals away, just to defend them. You know what? no idol should have influence over you like that. I don't care how good looking, how hot, how sweet, how talented they are. I don't care if they grew up with a single mother and a story so sad it will make Simon Cowell cry. I don't care how many time they have supported the lgbtq+ community. I don't give a damn about how adorable they act on camera with their members. You can not validate immoral actions whatsoever. And no, you absolutely can not sit here being a desperate, self-absorbed, pick-me, dusty girl for a man who doesn't even know you.

Exhibit C; Before we end this I want to clarify something. STAYs did not became toxic because of the Woojin fiasco, this fandom always was toxic, and the Woojin situation simply revealed that. The facts are that they were always toxic, they were always messed up, they were always fake. The wreckage with Woojin showed us their true colors. That is the reality, my friends. As of now this fandom is directly taking the crown for trashiest fandom alive in kpop. At this degree I honestly don't know what else to say. I have no respect left for them. I do though want to say that I am genuinely sorry to all the kind STAYs, I'm sorry that you have to deal with this. Because in the near future I don't see this issue going away. Since Stray Kids is becoming more and more popular and it's never going to stop they're going to keep getting bigger and bigger, the story will just become more aparent. Thank you for listening to my long rant. And at the end of the day all I can say to STAYs is good luck, cause you'll need it.

_____________________________________________________________

anywho stream Still Dream

Sources:

https://www.myimperfectlife.com/features/pretty-privilege

https://www.koreaboo.com/series/stray-kids-hyunjin-bullying-allegation/

[gracie-p8-officialblog]

Spilling Tea On Phantom of the Opera 2004

DISCLAIMER: I just want to say from the start that it is not my intention to offendanyone, you're entitled to your opinions and I'm allowed to have mine...

Ok, so, I just watched this movie a few days ago on my laptop and it was pretty much my first time sitting through the movie. I watched a few clips of the movie on YouTube but... Then, I decided to watch the whole movie. And this was my reaction.

Don't get me wrong! There WERE parts I liked but... That was just half of the movie... But overall... Um... It was meh. Ahem. Down to business!

My opinion on Gerard Butler as the Phantom? Um, wow. And not in a good way. I feel like this was a case of a talented performer being grossly miscast as the Phantom. I think this Tumblr post best describes on what I thought of his singing.

"He's supposed to have the voice of an angel, but it sounds like he's been gargling vinegar" ~Quoted by @faded-florals

Don't get me wrong. His voice is quite good for an untrained singer but... The Phantom is one of the biggest musical theatre roles of all time! It's right up there with Jean Valjean. It's really not a role that could go a competent singer, someone who's never sang professionally before but could be good once they've been trained up a bit. The role demands a truly great singer... And he wasn't right for the part.

His voice felt too strainy, growly and rock-ish for the Phantom. I didn't like how Joel Schumacher bought into the whole "sexy Phantom" thing and cast a hunky heart-throb, who was nowhere near disfigured enough. It's meant to be a gothic thriller novel with a small romantic subplot, not a B-grade vampire romance movie!

As for Emmy Rossum as Miss Christine Daae... it's true, her voice is good. She should know though, should she wish to excel, she has MUCH still to learn (Heeeeehee. Sorry. Couldn't resist.)

Emmy's Christine had little-to-no character growth and personality but I don't think it reflects her as an actress, but reflects more on the director and casting director because of how young she was (but more on that later)

Not only that, her Christine was SIGNIFICANTLY dumbed down and oversexualized. I mean, the entire point of the story is that Christine grows strong enough to overcome the trauma of an abusive relationship and make sure that her abuser never hurts anyone ever again but still shows the Phantom compassion and sympathy. I mean, her story arc is her becoming strong-willed enough to overcome the Phantom's pull/spell/enchantment/hypnosis or whatever you percieve it as on her! And don't get me started on her costumes because of the SEVERE lack of modesty.

The chemistry was a little flat because she was underage and her two male love interests were both in their 30s (which totally isn't HER fault, of course, but the directors could easily have cast someone else older)

Her voice, too, strikes me as being much too young and undeveloped. She has a very pretty, sweet-sounding quality to her singing but she doesn't sound rich and operatic enough to be a convincing Christine. Rebecca Caine and Amy Manford do the best job of singing the way I think Christine ought to sound- a maturing opera voice! Though POTO is NOT an opera (you wouldn't believe how many people actually think it is...), it does revolve around opera, and Christine is an opera singer, not a pop star.

And now onto... Everyone's favourite vicomte!!!!!!

C'mon people, put your bottles down. It is a truth universally acknowledged (or at least in the wee Raoul Defense Squad Circle) that Raoul is one of the greatest and most underrated boyfriends to ever exist in musical theatre and it's almost impossible to hate him because of how relatable he is.

Ladies, puh-leeze. He's much more relatable than you admit and face it, we all have a little bit of Raoul in us. Failure to see things staring us in the face, saying or doing the wrong thing at the wrong time, having a 'see it to believe it' attitude when we have little-to-no evidence on something... yeah, don't pretend you don't see a trend. Raoul is relatable whether we want him to be or not.

My thoughts on Patrick Wilson as Raoul, he was one of the few redeeming qualities of this not so great movie. Yeah, the swordfight and Tarzan leaps were a little too much but can you blame him?! And though I feel like that foppish wig made him look more like a magic elf prince than a vicomte, he couldn't control that!

His Raoul was so gentle and caring! Yeah, his acting was a bit stiff but at least his voice wasn't a chore to listen to, it has this warm, tender, comforting quality to it which suits Raoul. I really loved the way he sang "Don't throw away your life for my sake" and "I fought so hard to free you" in the Final Lair (😭😭😭) It feels like Raoul is genuinely apologising to Christine.

I know, I know... The Hadley Fraser fans are approaching with menacing expressions as we speak but let me clarify. I still think Hadley is amazing but... His Raoul kinda felt a little too shouty for me and his Raoul was closer to the LND-canon than POTO-canon (not his fault though).

Miranda Richardson (aka. Rita Skeeter) as Madame Giry is kind of weird. I mean, I know Madame Giry's supposed to be a little Strange and Mysterious. But this Mme. wasn't really Strange or Mysterious at all, or even slightly Spooky at all. She was just kind of an oddball. Popping up in random places to give warnings about the Phantom and looking at people as if she were questioning their life choices or something. As for her daughter... well, Jennifer Ellison's Meg was so-so. She's got a sweet-sounding voice and that added scene where she looked for Christine in the lair was a nice touch... But... Her Meg was kinda forgettable and uninteresting. Meg is supposed to prance around shrieking that the Phantom of the Opera is here, not whisper it in a blase manner that you half expect to be followed up with, "by the way, what's for lunch?" Not to mention, she rivaled Christine as far as low-necked costumes went.

Minnie Driver as Carlotta was spot on! Yes, I know she didn't sing the score but her acting was alright. She was very over-the-top and self-centered, which is great for Carlotta, but I felt her portrayal was a little too childish to be accurate. Carlotta is a successful middle-aged diva who's willing to scream and storm when she doesn't get her way, but she isn't a two-year-old pouting and throwing tantrums. (Yes, there's a difference.)

Ciaran Hinds and Simon Callow played Firmin and Andre, respectively. Their managers kinda felt like twits and nothing more. Also, Firmin's masquerade costume was ridiculous. The stupid kind, not the funny kind. ...Well, okay, it was a little funny.

I'm not going to touch on every song here, but I will say that "Hannibal" was beyond awful (if you thought the costumes in the stage version were a bit risque, you should see the movie ones- no, actually you shouldn't) and that "Think of Me," while very nice, was not particularly memorable. Christine's dress, however (despite its less-than-ideal neckline) was GORGEOUS, even though it looks completely out of place in a musical that supposedly takes place in ancient Alexandria.

"Little Lotte" kinda lost its charm by being spoken instead of sung. And Gerard Butler's voice in "The Mirror" was too rough and raspy for my ears and made me cringe in sympathetic shame. The title song was like a cheesy, campy B-grade horror movie tbh, trying way too hard to be spooky and chilling ("ooh, look, Phantom's Lair! It's DARK and SCARY down here!") and succeeding only in being cringeworthy. Not that I've actually ever seen a bad horror movie- or any horror movie at all, for that matter. Unless you count this one.

Christine's costume, too, annoyed me no end. She was basically wearing a corset and drawers under the dressing gown. *facepalm* The dressing gown is supposed to go OVER your COSTUME to keep it CLEAN, peeps. It's not a BATHROBE. And the amount of eye makeup she had on would terrify a raccoon. Yikes.

Though I liked the random horse because of its nod to the Leroux novel.

"Music of the Night" was so blah-slash-touchy-feely that it made me summarily uncomfortable.

I'd like to be able to say something nice about "I remember/Stranger than you dreamt it" but I have none. One thing that bugged me to no end was how Christine is no longer wearing stockings, like dude, that gives some GROSS implications. Anyways, let's skip to Il Muto!

Oh, but first I should say that "Notes" was rather a flop and that "Prima Donna" is unmemorable and indeed should probably be fast-forwarded as there's a rather unsavory bit involving a crew member showing the audience what he thinks of Carlotta's behaviour.

"Il Muto," I must say, was pretty doggone funny. Carlotta's "Your part is silent. Leetle toad," cracked me up into a bunch of giggling little pieces, and the little vignette of the Phantom tinkering with Carlotta's throat spray made her croaking later on a lot more believable.

Now for "All I Ask Of You", SQUEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! I honestly can't understand how anyone could listen to this song and still maintain that Christine and Raoul don't belong together. He represents everything she needs- stability, protection, a guiding hand and affirmed affection. She represents everything he needs, in turn- someone to show affection to and his childhood friend.

One thing I definitely think could have been left out was the scene in which Erik kills Buquet- we totally did not need to see him being chased, terrified, through the rafters and finally strangled. Gross.

And the Phantom and his rose crouching behind that statue... I think this was supposed to be sad, but there was too much snot mixed with tears for it to be sad. It was, again, gross. So was Gerard Butler's pathetic attempt at the "all that the Phantom asked of you" line. And the lack of a chandelier crash in that scene made the song anticlimactic.

And "Masquerade" was so-so but... The Phantom's entrance is anticlimactic somehow, and his Red Death costume (if indeed it's supposed to even BE the Red Death) is unimpressive. I don't like how Raoul just runs off to desert Christine as soon as things start looking ugly (yes, I realize he was going to get his sword, but still... something could have happened to her while he was gone. Duh, did this guy learn anything from "Little Lotte/The Mirror"? Just sayin)

As for Madame Giry's flashback immediately following, I like how it gives us some of the Phantom's backstory, but it seems really abrupt. You don't even realize until she's done that she was talking to Raoul the whole time- it sounds like she's just randomly reminiscing about Stuff, and if you didn't know the story you might be sitting there thinking, "who is this strange woman again?"

Also, Christine leaving wherever-it-is at, like, five in the morning to go to who-knows-where, completely oblivious to the fact that the Phantom is driving her. Whaaaaaaaaa? How'd he know she was planning to go for a graveyard stroll? Was he watching her through the mirror again? THAT'S JUST CREEPY.

"Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" was rather mediocre and dulled down the fact that it is a Christine Empowerment™ song. Why, exactly, does Christine's father have the biggest monument in the cemetery? If he were a rich and famous violinist as his crypt seems to suggest, why on earth was his daughter struggling along as a chorus girl taking free music lessons?

The swordfight... Well... I had mixed feelings about it. Sword fights are all well and good, but... The swordfight takes away the element of mysterious danger to the Phantom. Okay, fine, Christine getting Raoul to spare the Phantom's life is a nice touch, I guess, but did it strike no one else that his "now let it be war upon you BOTH" makes absolutely NO sense after that? If she just saved his life, why would he suddenly be all, "thanks, but no thanks, I'M GOING TO MURDER YOUUUUUUUUUU"?

And "Twisted Every Way" was after "Wishing" which made ZERO sense. Plus, I didn't like how they cut most of it because in the musical, it gave Christine a spine!

"Point of No Return"? Hooooooo boy....... There are so many things wrong with this number. Let's just a list a few.

*HOW did no one recognise the Phantom through his "disguise"?! At least in the stage play, it made more sense because of how he was wearing a cloak that obscured most of his body.

*Christine's sleeves falling down over and over again were REALLY annoying.

*It was just too touchy-feely for my taste.

*The fact that Emmy Rossum was a teenager during filming made this scene gross because of the way they oversexualized Christine in this scene.

*Gerard Butler's voice in that scene made me cringe and shake my head in sympathetic shame.

*In the stage play, Christine ran from him, showing her own agenda and resistance to his pull! While in the movie, she didn't resist him!

*Now for the one that took the cake... The disfigurement! Or it would be a disfigurement if it actually made him look, y'know, deformed. Instead, as several people have put it, he looks like he got a bad sunburn or something. It's really rather pathetic. It makes him look more like a drama queen than he already is! Yeah.... I really don't like this movie.

On to... Final Lair!!!!!!!! It was a flop. From Raoul's whining and flailing around and his stringy hair flopping about (shallow complaint, I know, but it's so ugly) to Christine's sappy melodramatic "don't make me choooooooose" faces to the Phantom's prancing around with his ropes and maniacal laughter that somehow wasn't really scary at all... yeah, it was a flop. A major, major flop. And though The Kiss wasn't all that bad, all I could think of was, "She's SIXTEEN! SIX! TEEN! THIS IS CREEPY, DISTURBING AND GROSS!"

Which is why it's so difficult for me to admit that, um, I... cried at the end.

I COULDN'T HELP IT GUYS HE WAS ALL ALONE THERE IN HIS LAKE WITH HIS MONKEY AND HIS SMASHED MIRRORS AND HE WAS CRYING AND IT WAS SAD.

And then that rose on the gravestone? That single red rose? And the look on Old Raoul's face (still Patrick Wilson, by the way, under all that makeup) when he saw it and realized he wasn't the only one visiting Christine's grave? Yup, I lost it again there, too. And I really didn't want to. Because I tend to cry over movies I love, y'know? And I didn't love this movie. At all

Yet I still cried at the end. I'm not really sure why. I think perhaps it had something to do with the way the story still "got" me, deep down inside, despite the lousy casting and less-than-perfect singing and ridiculously unnecessary elements that totally didn't need to be there. It's still a tragically beautiful romance, and even a bad film can't kill that.

In conclusion, I think Mary Poppins can best express what I thought of POTO 2004.

In conclusion, I rate it a 2.7/5