#and something else will have to take its place. and in s4 that thing was ‘rachel is now a moon landing denier’.

[a-dotrivenitupontop]

i really think the main problem with s3 and 4 of mq is how scrambled the jobs have become. like in s1 and 2 it starts out pretty simple.

ian: the head-in-the-clouds creative director with your typical weirdly spiritual man who wields power over others moments

poppy: the shut in coding genius lead engineer who longs for power and then lets it get to her head when she becomes co-creative director

david: the awkward and pathetic boss who really does not have a grip on his company

brad: the money-hungry head of monetisation

jo: the helpful yet slightly deranged assistant

rachel and dana: the overlooked testers who know they’re worth more

cw: the kooky and more than vaguely racist writer

other characters are the overworked art department head, phil. the hr head carol, who’s treated like a therapist. the mansplaining other tester who appeared for a bit, lou. and of course, autistic latina icon, maria.

it’s a typical sitcom setup. each character has a job in the Setting and that job allows the writers to explore that personality. brad works with money so his ultimate goal is a scrooge mcduck money bin. cw wrote sci fi books in the seventies so of course he’s gonna say odd things about women. poppy’s job is to sit at a computer all day, there’s no way she’s developed appropriate social skills. but then in s3 and 4 the jobs get so much weirder and jumbled?? like??

ian: co-creative director and grimpop studios. then goes back to mythic quest, then quits but finds he can’t when poppy tries to leave.

poppy: co-creative director at grimpop studios. then goes back to mythic quest, gets a boyfriend, gets pregnant, debates leaving for the netherlands.

david: still the executive producer. becomes evil for a bit then pathetic again. becomes evil again. becomes pathetic again. becomes evil again. becomes pathetic again.

brad: the janitor. then he’s invited back to be the homie. then joins dana. then fucks over dana playing poker. then he has to choose between his girlfriend who works for danas rival (who never gets mentioned again) or mythic quest. chooses mythic quest.

jo: still assistant. that’s solid. kinda. idk who she assisted in particular in s4 but she assisted. now she’s head of playpen??

rachel: decides she wants to be a writer. fails at berkeley or wherever. joins monetisation. then she becomes evil?? and defends child labor in playpen?? then mopes about it for a few days before david needs her back??

dana: randomly decides she’s the best coder of her generation because she can make a roblox game. works for ian and poppy but then makes her own studio which is owned by mythic quest. brad gambles her new game away after she’s bested by a 17yo. makes a new game.

carol: montreal gives her a job as head of diversity and inclusion (hodi). does mq have an hr department anymore?? who knows. who cares. hodi isn’t really a job that involves anything so carol spends her time fucking the old gay testers.

the old gay testers: old and gay and testers. for some reason they’re at davids meeting in telephone even though s1 rachel complained about how testers are never invited to meetings. btw what happened to the other gay testers from s3??

other characters include like 2 mins of screen time from porn addicted anthony who i think is a coder and an episode about pootie shoe. why so few side characters? because brad got as much screen time in s4 and michelle got in s1. does anyone miss michelle btw?? does anyone miss when this show had people actually working in each department??? does mythic quest have a writing department anymore???? can this show do plot line that doesn’t involve a character getting fired then coming back then quitting then joining another thing then quitting then going back to mq???? while getting completely flanderised in the process????

[miwiheroes]

Dropping Byler Evidence Every Day Until Season 5

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ Day 1 - The M&Ms scene . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

So yeah, this scene is never really talked about that much as like actual proof, more like a funni little thing where Mike looks at Will for a moment when he walks away, but analysis of the cinematography, framing and narrative of this scene can be revealing.

First thing: as soon as El wipes her nose, revealing it was her that helped Mike and Lucas, the camera zooms in on Mike, as if to be like 'oooh wonder how he's going to react'! and the audience is then in suspense, because they're probably expecting him to smile or try to take this opportunity.

What does he do? He just says 'Thanks." And the moment of suspense is broken. It's almost like a record scratch. We will come back to this reaction later, basically because it shows that Mike really does not mind being on these terms with El.

Second thing: At first glance there seems to be 3 main characters of this scene: Mike, Lucas and El. However, Will also seems to be included in this scene unlike Max who is also there. There is no reason to have Will be in some of these shots that, I want you guys to understand, is intentional. The directors didn't just accidentally set up this frame:

They didn't just forget to move Will out the way. In this shot, the Rule of Thirds can be applied. While El and half of Mike are in the second third/ third third, both half of Mike and Will are in the same third. This is also the third on the left, which is where (in western cultures) people begin to look at images from (reading from left to right). The fact that Will looks at Mike when he says 'Thanks' is the first thing that the audience is intended to notice (because its on the left), even if it is very subtle.

It is also important to note that the writers of the show know, in this moment, that Will is in love with Mike, they've had that planned out from the start (this is undeniably canon, unlike Mike's feelings to Will). Therefore, it is interesting that they included him in this shot and the next part too:

Like?? what was the point of the directors putting him in this part? Placing him in an interactional role with Mike in a Mike and El scene is just interesting to me. Like,,,, also could Mike not have talked to El with Will there?

After Will gets up, there is this really awkwardly long part where Will goes from the left third to the right third of the screen and just stays there? Like he's still in the shot (which they can easily catch and retake if they needed to). Why do the writers/directors want you to take such notice of his presence?

Also, going back to the fact that Will has to leave for Mike to be able to talk to El. Again, the directors did not need to put Will in this scene, they could have had him doing something else. Instead, they had him there to subtly further his character arc of being selfless/being shoved away by Mike in favour of El. It's also maybe simply because Mike just can't handle having both Will and El in the same context without ignoring one for the other, because he holds them to the same romantic standard.

We see this mishandling of El and Will in the airport scene, the whole time Mike is with El in the beginning of S3, Rink o Mania, the dinner after Rink o Mania etc. Basically, when both El and Will are around, he feels like he has to get rid of Will to be able to be romantic towards El, despite being able to talk about it to Lucas. When it's just him and Will, he's pretty happy (we see this in the 'Cool. Cool.' scene and the 'Guess it's up to us again' scene which are the only two scenes in S4 where Mike believes he is no longer in a relationship with El and just thinks he needs to team up with Will and go back to Hawkins without El). Therefore, he needed Will out the way because he can't be romantic with his girlfriend with Will distracting him lmao <3

Third Thing: Lucas is the one to encourage Mike to make up with El.

To be honest, him encouraging him alone isn't really that convincing of the fact that Mike is queer coded blah blah, like, your friend is allowed to say 'That was the Olive branch! Your way in!' without it being queercoding. The queercoding however, comes with the reaction to that information.

First, I want to point to something I may bring up in the future of this series. In S1, Lucas is the first person to ever suggest that there might be something romantic going on between Mike and El. When he says "Why don't you just marry her?", Mike does not go all ooooh flustery and blushy, he does not go 'EW GROSS' like a lot of boys that age would, instead he just acts confused. Multiple times.

The first time is when he goes, "Lucas what are you talking about?" The second is in response to Lucas going "Mike, seriously?" saying "What?" again. When Lucas then teases him about caring about her, he just says "Shut up Lucas" in this really tired tone, rather than a flustered or angry one. He basically gets the idea that he probably should like El romantically, if he shows even any care towards her.

Now, throughout S3, Lucas is the one to constantly question Mike's actions towards El. He's confused on why he won't tell her the truth about Hopper, and everything else, which all culminates into this "Oh my god. You're hopeless," when referring to picking up signals about girls.

I must say this rn too: You don't pick up on signals you don't want to receive. You do pick up on signals you do want to receive. I think most of us know what it's like to have a crush. You constantly look out for little things and overanalyse their actions towards you. But Mike has no clue. Maybe because.... he just doesnt feel that way.

Okay going back to reactions. Basically, you would kind of expect Mike's reaction to hearing that his girlfriend, that he's sooooo sad about losing oh nooooo, has decided to reach out and say that she's okay with him would be excitement, right?

When Lucas is describing how he's going to let Mike talk to El, Mike looks extremely nervous, which I get. It's normal to feel nervous in this situation, but the thing is, El seems okay with him, surely he would at least have a little light in his eyes?

When Lucas has to say 'Talk to her, alright?' (as if Mike has no fucking clue) Mike nods and then there is a swell in the music, the camera zooms in on him, and instead of the music swelling to some nice, positive tones, it's almost foreboding, mimicking the mixed feelings swirling in Mike's brain. His face also kind of looks.... weird like he's unsure, or maybe he's disappointed? Nervous? idk

I would understand this to be a little romantic if he smiles, but jesus, he does not crack a single grin at this part.

It almost seems like he's deciding to do something he doesn't really want to. I think he was completely content with the fact that she helped them, but didn't want to do anything about it because he's totally fine being on good terms with her, obviously, but not necessarily on romantic terms with her. Maybe he's fine with the fact she doesn't really want to be with him.

However, after Lucas says this stuff, now he's looking over at her and thinking, wait, maybe she does want to be with me.

But instead of a:

Wow, maybe she does want to be with me! :D

It's a:

Oh, so she does want to be with me.

^basically this means Mike decides, based on his encouragement from Lucas rather than his own feelings, that he should talk to her. What can he say to Lucas here? That he doesn't want to? That isn't really an option for him.

Fourth Thing: Okay this is very small but for some reason this scene is interspersed with scenes of Jonathan and Nancy getting almost killed by the mindflayer army like???

Why would they cut from this very tense scene where these beloved characters are about to be killed to this scene between Mike and El where everything is fine!

It's like.,,,, they want the audience to be tense watching them, even if it's not directly for the right reasons. They want the audience to maybe feel the tension in the foreboding nature of the fact that the mindflayer is in the same building as them, meaning there is always some danger lurking in the background.

Okay hope you enjoyed today's byler evidence :) stay tuned for tomorrow's!

[duskstarskies]

bro i hate itzsubz why is he like that. wrapped up in his stupid one track mind of getting banned. repeats repeats i dont care i dont care i hate this place get me out. ignores the burning untouched feelings in the back of his mind. focus on getting banned to push anything else to the side. because he’s thought and thought and thought… came to this one conclusion, final solution of leaving after countless hours of isolation with his thoughts (sounding familiar…)

and it’s like, he will ignore uncomfortable feelings. he believes he can run away. if he goes far enough he doesn’t have to deal with the server. he’s tried. but now, the sun burns, stars bore their eyes into him, and he’s surrounded by deepslate… where everything bad happened. he cant run from ANYTHING. even the end… his first safe space… so he thinks that by leaving the server, he can leave it all behind. and he’s cluttered up his base, no place to channel zam onto the walls. his s6 base was his starter so it makes sense that it’s cluttered and messy but not to this extent.. like he’s purposefully making it garrish and distracting. so that he can grind villagers and zombies instead of., well think of anything else.

because he never processed those s4 events he can’t move past it he’s genuinely still very bitter about it. nobody is surprised at this. like his hand is still stained with purple ink and he sees it and he hates it. he doesnt build anymore because he sees quartz and glass and its just too much. his thing with mapicc he indulged in because it felt like old times and he can still pretend nothing ever happened. it’s so .grrrrrr. (not to mention how i think they r kinda similar in that if there’s nothing left for them they will leave. i think subz understands why mapicc left on a personal level…)

it’s also he’s embraced being the ’villian’ something vitalasy couldn’t handle and it’s sooooo. he saw how attachment was vitalasys downfall so hes making sure nobody not even us can get an emotional grasp on him. he can only bring up eclipse in a detached way, or at least he tries to. (he ‘dgaf’ abt zam but he still read all of his signs abt mapicc. sure girl!) u can see the bitterness leak out of him. and there’s moments of sweetness too, where he keeps his promise to vi, if vi needs him, he’ll log on. i guess this is subz picking up where vitalasy left off, ending the world.

subzam convo would make me worse. it would not save me. zam accepted subz resignment, because he understands it now why subz leaves. the first time he tried to bring him back and well… zam got told before (by subz himself) why subz can’t stay but he didn’t want to believe it before. he still doesnt want to believe in it, but he understands it now. if that’s what subz wants. 3: (i still think there’s hope… but maybe im too optimistic) zam’s feelings abt subz r still unresolved, mirroring subz feelings abt eclipse. taking a good long look at zams new shield and the subz princeaxe-> eclipse axe. i hope that bubble pops and they are so so so so messy about it.

i hope bacon talks to subz more and i hope they get freaked out by each other more. bacon is probably internally sighing to himself abt getting zam to break up with vitalasy 2 yrs ago. cuz these guys r too messy…

but anyway yeah fuck this guy.

[mrsdesade]

hi, I loved your s4 writings (the one with sister sage and the other one with ryan). if you want to, can you write something with firecracker and ophera as rivals? maybe ophera wants to kick her out of the Seven or she protects Ryan from her. I'm sure anything you write will be great.

btw your art is gorgeous, I love your ophera design!! I'm a beginner artist, and your work really inspires me to learn and be better in this.

Sure!! I love exploring interactions and relationships with other characters from the series (any suggestions is more than welcome), but I suppose now is Firecraker's turn ❤️‍🔥

Btw, thank you for your kind words, I'm honoured! Keep going and never stop drawing! ✨

The fire inside;

Pairing: Homelander x fem!super (Ophera) + villain!Firecracker TW: dark themes, violence, blood, torture, revenge p**n and nsfw (mentioned), Herogasm situation (mentioned) Timeline: season 4 Words count: 6,2k

''I know what's better for him. And for his father too. Anything. I'll do anything for them.''

Firecracker's pedantic voice filled the Seven's common room, while you were the only ones there, waiting for the morning meeting. At first your interactions seemed to go well, there was a sort of mutual respect. She didn't get in the way of your plans. You didn't get in her way as well.

But for some reasons unknown to you, from the moment you were introduced to Ryan, something has changed. Jealousy. Horrible jealousy had begun to flow through the veins of the fiery new addition to the team. You are what she always wanted to be, famous, admired, probably loved.

''I don't expect the same from you. But have the decency to step back and make room for me, who knows what I'm doing."

''You don't know what you're talking about Firecracker. Stay away from Homelander business, it's better for everyone."

The coldness of your demeanor and the superiority complex you exuded, clearly touched a raw nerve.

She took a step closer towards you, trying to look intimidating. Though it felt more like an act than anything else. Firecracker's slender form was considerably shorter, the height difference making it even more ridiculous.

''Better for everyone? Including Ryan? Do you think you're good for him?''

You had no difficulty maintaining a cold gaze, your expression remaining completely stoic. You stood confident, exuding a sense of superiority over her, as if letting her know that you were definitely better, without a doubt. You hadn't appreciated Homelander's decision to make you responsible for Ryan, as if you were his ''mother'', but you decided that you would protect him at all cost.

''Do you know your place or do I need to remind you?''

Firecracker was taken aback by your cold response, not expecting such a confident and dismissive reply. She gritted her teeth, her fists clenching involuntarily at her sides.

"You really think you're something, don't you? Just because Homelander choose you as his public partner? You're just a clown performing on the stage. I bring the truth to people!"

You kept your composure, not showing any signs of intimidation or defensiveness in the face of her aggression. Instead, you let out a soft, mocking laugh, the sound dripping with disdain.

"Please, spare me the charade. You think I'm intimidated by this little act of yours? Things cannot change."

"Act?!" she replied, her voice taut with anger. "I could burn you alive without breaking a sweat. Do you really want to test me?"

You raised an eyebrow at her threat, silently amused by the level of her arrogance. You took another step closer, your confident smile refusing to waver.

''Your weak fire cannot destroy the metal in my body.''

Just as the tension between you was reaching its peak, the sound of the meeting room door opening broke through the air, interrupting the heated moment. Before any further exchange could take place, the door to the conference room swung open. Homelander and The Deep entered, breaking the standoff between you two.

They were deep in conversation, not even noticing the tense atmosphere in the room. Firecracker quickly composed herself, masking her annoyance with a forced smile, while you maintained your composure, watching the two as they approached.

"Ah, there you are. Arrived early this morning, good girls." Homelander said, finally taking notice of you two. He gave you a friendly nod before turning his gaze to Firecracker, his eyes showing annoyance at her big smile.

The Deep shifted uncomfortably, clearly feeling the lingering tension in the room. "Everything okay?" he asked, glancing between you and her.

Firecracker's fake smile remained plastered on her face, her voice dripping with faux cheerfulness. "Everything's perfect!" she replied, shooting you a quick, insincere glance.

And the scene ends like this, you took your seat beside Homelander and you really hope you've been clear enough with her. You hope it no longer intrudes on the extremely delicate balance you're trying to maintain between you, Ryan and his father.

The day quickly transitioned into night, and with most of the Seven dispersed for the evening, you were walking through the now-deserted hall when you heard footsteps approaching. Turning, you saw Firecracker walking towards you, a malicious smile on her face.

''No, not you again, please.''

"We're on the same team silly, did you forget already?" she said, a sly smile playing on her lips. "I was hoping I'd run into you tonight, I have something important to discuss with you."

Her tone was almost too sweet, the false cheerfulness making your stomach churn. "What do you want?" you asked curtly, keeping your voice cold and detached.

"Come on, no need to be so cold." She stepped closer to you, invading your personal space.

You roll your eyes, bored by his extreme closeness. And you decide to move the conversation with a sarcastic tone. ''If you get any closer, I'll start to think that you have some special interest in me. And I don't think Homelander would be happy about that. He is very jealous of his possessions.''

Firecracker's smile faltered for a millisecond at the indirect mention of Homelander. She clenched her jaws, her eyes narrowing slightly, before regaining her composure.

"Don't flatter yourself Ophera. I don't have any ''special'' interest in you." despite her denial, you caught the hint of defensiveness in her tone. Clearly, the idea of you being the object of Homelander's interest and not her had struck a nerve.

"Then what do you want?" you asked point-blank, crossing your arms over your chest.

"I got something about you.''

You raised an eyebrow, trying to appear unruffled. "Oh? And I'm curious what that might be?"

"I have a video. A video of you in… a very compromising position. That, If it were to go public..." she began, her voice dripping with venomous honey. "...would really damage your reputation."

A chill went down your spine as her words stung. You managed to keep your expression relatively blank, but inside you felt a wave of anxiety. How did she get a video of you? Your mind raced, trying to remember any situations where you could have been secretly filmed.

Or she was lying, maybe it's just a bluff, of course, it has to be like that. "Oh please, you're bluffing.''

"Bluffing? No, unfortunately for you, I'm not." she replied, her voice dripping with feigned sympathy.

''Then prove it. Show me this so-called video." you say with a confident grin on your face, keeping your arms crossed over your chest, still thinking she's lying.

"Sure, just to make things clear, let me show you…" Firecracker pulled out her phone, scrolling through the gallery to find the video. Your heart sank into your stomach as you watched Firecracker produce her phone. She was not bluffing. She really seemed to have something. A real video that would certainly cause a scandal.

She found the video and held the display towards you. You could clearly see yourself in the video. In one of your best Herogasm performances. You were always untouchable at that particular event, no one dared to touch you since you were Homelander's public partner. But someone's company wasn't necessary, you could perfectly satisfy yourself on your own, all you needed was an adoring audience watching you.

You had always been so careful, so meticulous in keeping your activities discreet. And yet, here was proof, captured on camera. HD. 4K.

Your initial reaction was anger, both at her for having the video and at yourself for being so unwary. But there was something else behind the anger, an even more primal feeling: fear. The fear of having your reputation and your place in the Seven ruined by one video.

She pushed the phone closer to your face, forcing you to look at the damning footage again. "Imagine this being leaked. How do you think the public would react? How would Homelander react?"

The thought of the whole America seeing this video, the idea of Hoemlander seeing it, his reaction, the damage it could cause - it was all too much to consider. The rage that had just barely been contained now exploded. You could feel your heart racing in your chest, your mind swirling with worst-case scenarios.

"Where did you get this?" you asked, your voice slightly shaky despite your attempts to keep it steady. "Who else has seen it?"

''I have my sources." she responded with a smile. "And don't worry, as of now only I have seen it. But who knows what might happen if this were to get into the wrong hands…"

You stared straight into Firecracker's eyes with a burning glare.

''You have ten seconds to give me just one good reason not to punch you in the face, and destroy your phone with that damn video inside.''

She had underestimated the anger beneath your cool veneer, and now she was taken aback by your threat. Her bravado waned slightly.

"Oh, look to you, all threatening and violence." she said sarcastically, trying to mask her momentary alarm. "Are you sure you want to do that? Even if you break my phone, I have the video backed up. Now, you, the American sweetheart, are about to do exactly as I say."

"I'm listening." you answered coldly and defeated, the anger in your voice barely leashed.

''Mmh. Rather than just listening, maybe you should pay more attention to your surroundings, danger can hide at every corner.'' she smirked, triumph radiating from her. She had you exactly where she wanted you.

You can sense something is wrong, a negative feeling invades your chest. It's too quiet around you, and the Tower of Seven never is. She gave you a smile as realization slowly dawned on you. You had been so focused on the confrontation with her that you hadn't noticed the silence that had enveloped the area around you. Her words, though vague, were starting to paint a more alarming picture.

''What the hell are you talking about?''

''You'll see. Very soon.''

Your worst fears were confirmed when unexpected hands seized you from behind. Strangers. They grabbed you from various points around your body, rendering you unable to struggle as they forced you to the floor.

You feel a needle prick your neck, and an icy liquid invade your veins, making your powers temporarily unusable. You struggled against their grasp, but it was in vain. Now the masked strangers were stronger than you, their grip on you unyielding. You were in the middle of what seemed to be a very well-planned and synchronized kidnapping.

"Don't even bother struggling. They've been paid a lot of money for this. And they're very professional." she said, approaching you as you lay helpless on the floor.

''Ah! Good luck trying to kill me, it won't be that easy!'' you reply, but the strength that usually coursed through your veins seemed to have deserted you, leaving you at the mercy of these unknown individuals.

"Who said anything about killing? Oh no, no. I have something special planned for you, love. I have more creative plans for you.''

''Fuck yourself, crazy ass bitch.'' you're spitting venom with your words, the desire to destroy them all is tearing you apart.

"You see Ophera, I know you're invincible, or that you like to think yourself of such." she continued, her tone mocking. "But now, thanks to that little injection of Compound V inhibitor they've just shot you with, you're quite defenseless."

''The effect of the inhibitor will not last forever, you know that?''

''Yeah, I know silly! But it will last long enough to make you disappear. Gone, forever. No more shows, no new albums, no afternoon with Ryan, no gala dinner with the Seven.''

Then Firecracker reached down and grabbed your chin, forcing you to look at her face.

"And Homelander won't be happy, when he comes back and finds out you're gone. Without any warning or goodbye messages. Oh, I can't wait to see the look on his face."

Despite the effects of the drug rapidly dulling your senses and your powers, a little smirk escaped your lips.

"Oh please… You really think that's going to work? You really think Homelander won't figure it out? He's not blind to obvious sabotage, trust me. He'll find me."

"You think you know everything, don't you? It's time for a reality check, love. This isn't just about a spot in the Seven, this is about making sure Homelander looks at me, me and not you. I want his attention, his praise, his everything. He's the one I want and nothing will stand in my way."

You locked eyes with her, your voice strangely calm despite the effects of the drug and your weakening state. You laughed bitterly.

"You think it's all sunshine and rainbows, being his favourite? Please, you're more stupid than I thought. Homelander's love could be a death sentence. To have his twisted obsession on you. His attention can be a curse as much as it can be a blessing. You're pathetic. And you don't know anything about the burden of being his beloved, trust me."

Surprise is clear on her face. The way you talked, the way you described being Homelander's favorite... for a moment, she didn't know how to react to your words.

"Oh, I bet it's soooo hard being Homelander's little sweetheart, getting all the fame and recognition while the rest of us have to fight for scraps." she spit with venomous sarcasm. "Boo-hoo, poor you, suffering under his terrible twisted obsession. You have everything! His love, his attention, his hands on you… Fuck, you're his damn public girlfriend! You have no idea what I'd give to be in your place."

There it was-the truth. The real reason behind her hostility, her jealousy, her attempts to bring you down.

''I don't think... I don't think you know... what it means to be in my place. His… isn't… love. You're going to...hurt yourself-''

Before you could finish your sentence, your vision began to blur and your head grew heavy with fatigue. The drug finally taking hold, you lost consciousness, sinking into oblivion.

Firecracker gestured to the group of men, and one of them picked you up effortlessly.

"Now. Time for the final act. You know the plan, take her somewhere isolated and secret. And make damn sure no one finds her. Respect the orders, no one will have to recognize her, ruin that pretty face as best you can.''

The masked men nodded in response, lifting your unconscious body with ease and proceeding to carry you to a waiting van outside the Tower. Once you were safely inside, the van doors shut with a loud thud, and the vehicle soon vanished into the night.

Firecracker felt a surge of triumph. Her plan had gone flawlessly. You were gone, out of the picture-at least for the foreseeable future. But the taste of victory was bittersweet. Deep down, she knew that once Homelander discovered your disappearance, hell would break loose.

Indefinite moments, minutes, hours pass. You can't say how much has passed since that evening.

Your eyelids flickered open, a disoriented groan escaping your lips. Your head throbbed with a dull pain, and for a few moments your vision remained a blurry mess. Then, slowly, your surroundings began to come into focus. You were in an abandoned warehouse, the air thick with dust and a musty scent. The walls were crumbling, and the silence around you was interrupted only by the sound of your own shallow breathing.

You tried to move, but quickly realized your limbs were tightly bound to a chair. You felt the bite of rough rope against your skin, the tight ropes digging into your flesh as you struggled. The abandoned warehouse was cold and eerie, the only company provided by the ominous figures that stood guard around you. They were all wearing masks, making it impossible for you to identify any of them.

"Oh great, this isn't a cliché scenario at all…" you muttered sarcastically, your eyes scanning the area for any potential escape route.

One of the men, the tallest one, stepped closer to you at the sound of your voice. He took a couple of seconds to assess your situation before speaking up in a low voice.

"Looks like our little songbird finally woke up. I hope you're comfortable." he said, a hint of mockery underlying his words.

"Well, this is a lovely place you've brought me to." you drawled, feigning nonchalance. "Not exactly the five-star hotel I booked last week."

Despite the situation, the guard chuckled at your sarcastic reply. "Oh, sorry to disappoint. Our five-star prisoner need another room? Unfortunately they're all booked.''

You rolled your eyes, silently thinking of the countless witty comebacks that were at your fingertips but couldn't be voiced at the moment.

Then the men leaned in closer, now mere inches from you. "Now, enough chitchat. We've been paid to keep you here and we have strict orders to follow. So, do us all a favor, stay cooperative and keep your pretty mouth shut."

Their cold demeanor and close proximity sent chills down your spine. It was clear they were not here to joke around. One of the other guys stepped forwards, standing almost directly behind you.

"We were paid for a specific task." he chimed in, his voice dripping with a mocking sweetness. "And that task is: to make you as unrecognizable as possible."

His words sent a new wave of fear coursing through you. Unrecognizable. What the hell did that mean?

You swallowed heavily, a sense of dread beginning to grow in the pit of your stomach. "What exactly do you mean by unrecognizable?"

''Just a few…adjustments to your lovely face, body and maybe hair." the man behind you said.

They really intend to disfigure your face? Ruin your body and fill you with scars? Of course. So that you are no longer fit to be in the spotlight. That's one of your greatest fears, even more than great heights perhaps. You struggled against the ropes binding your wrists and legs, trying to break free, but the only result was the ropes digging into your skin even more.

The man behind you chuckled at your struggles. "Don't bother trying to break free. You aren't going anywhere.''

Another man, the largest one, spoke up. "Yeah, so save your energy for what's coming next."

The tall man started to circle around you, examining you from different angles like a piece of meat on display. Each circle he made around you sent a new wave of disgust through your body, and you had to resist the urge to spit at him.

''So, what's coming next assholes?''

He stopped in front of you, a cold smile on his face. He pulled out a shiny little knife from his pocket, the blade glinting menacingly in the dim light.

"Now, now, that's not a very nice way to talk to the people holding your fate in their hands." he warned, holding the weapon close to your face. Then the blade of the weapon traced a light, teasing line from your chin down to your chest.

The cold metal against your skin sent a fresh wave of fear coursing through you. You didn't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing your terror, though.

"Is that supposed to scare me?" you retorted, attempting to sound defiant. You could feel your heart pounding in your chest, but you forced yourself to remain calm. You refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing you break.

The group was momentarily taken aback by your apparent bravado. "Playing tough uh? But we'll see how long that lasts once we start carving up that pretty face of yours.''

When he moves the knife in your direction, you instinctively move your face and pull back in your uncomfortable sit, showing how scary this thing can really be for you. Fuck. How long does it take for your powers to return?

What you need now is just a bit of time, extra time.

''Wait- Wait! Just for a moment! If Firecracker paid you to do this, I can pay you a lot more, absolutely, no doubt!''

The mercenaries exchanged glances, clearly caught off guard by your attempt to stop them. The man holding the knife pulled back, a skeptical look on his face.

"You're really trying to buy us off right now?''

You mask your fear behind a ridicoulous smile, the same you use to charm your fans.

''Oh come on, everyone has a price. Just kindly asking what's yours.''

"You're quite the charmer, aren't you? I never would have guessed beneath all that sparkle and charm is just a desperate, bargaining diva.''

''Desperate? Me? Hardly. I just know how to play my cards and get what I want.''

The mercenary chuckled again, but his expression took on a more serious note. ''But I gotta admit, you're right about everyone having a price. Let's say hypothetically we were open to negotiation. Just hypothetically, of course. What's your offer?''

You took a deep breath, mentally calculating the worth that you could possibly offer to these men if it means they'll spare you.

"How does 25 million sound?" you said, keeping your tone casual.

The men all looked at each other again, clearly surprised by the amount you had just thrown out there. One of them whistled lowly.

"Sweet lord, that's a hefty sum. You're really willing to pay us that much just to spare that pretty face of yours, huh?"

As you talk with them, you feel the time ticking away, and you are still tied to a chair and unable to fight. Frustration would soon turn to anger and you would lose your temper. Then, all your diplomacy suddenly fails.

"What, you didn't think I had that kind of money to spare?! I'm a damn Seven! Of course I can afford it! Believe me, I'm worth much more alive and well than disfigured or dead."

Bad move, really bad move.

Your sudden outburst and loss of diplomacy did not go unnoticed by the men. They were clearly enjoying seeing the cracks in your composure. The idea that you were worth more alive, that they could get even more money from Firecracker to ruin you, was already setting in.

This was turning into a game of cutthroat negotiations.

"Well, well, well." the tallest man chuckled. "Looks like the little diva's mask is coming off. All this time, pretending to be so calm and collected, and now you're getting desperate. It's quite entertaining, isn't it, boys?"

As the men closed in on you, the situation was starting to feel hopeless. You had miscalculated, and now your attempts at bribery seemed to be backfiring. The reality of your predicament was setting in as the men circled around you like a pack of hungry wolves.

"No more deals. You're worth more alive for sure, and we'll talk to Firecracker to get more money to end this work, but in the meantime we can make sure you're not quite as perfect anymore..."

You quickly weigh the options. These men are more interested in doing their job than listening to you. You're tied to a chair. No powers. No escape route. All you can do is bargain, and hope to delay them long enough to get out of this mess.

''Fine...do your worst.''

You lower your head and close your eyes, your only option is to try to resist, until the Compound V inhibitor has finished its effect.

They began to pummel you, their fists raining down on your body. You tried to resist, to fight back, but your strength was fading. The Compound V inhibitor was still there. Each blow felt like it was tearing through your very being, pain radiating throughout your body like fire through a dry forest. You held onto consciousness by sheer determination and will, refusing to show weakness even in the face of pain. You gritted your teeth, refusing to let them see your weakness. Hiding your face, your most precious possession. Your uniform was stained with blood, your skin bruised and battered, but you managed to resist the urge to cry out.

You couldn't give them satisfaction.

Time passes, and your desperate plan finally takes effect. They wasted their time hitting you, without thinking about their main task anymore. How stupid humans are. And you bought the time you needed. The time it takes to regain your powers.

As the men's fists continued to rain down on you, you felt less pain, finally. With a burst of strength, you managed to break free from your bonds and pushing them back. Gaining a few meters of breathing space around you. Your vision was blurred, and your body ached, but you were free. You lunged at the nearest man, knocking him to the ground. The others were taken aback, their surprise momentarily stopping on their places.

The leader, the one holding the knife, was the first to recover. He quickly recomposed himself, a dangerous gleam in his eyes. He quickly realize the situation has changed. You're no longer tied up and sedated, and you've already shown that you're a threat. He quickly pulls out a syringe with another dose of inhibitor inside.

"Grab her, don't let her get away!"

You stay dead silent. Full of fury. With fire inside your body.

As they rush at you, you spot the weapons they have on them. You feel the familiar pull and tug of your powers coming back to you. Taking a deep breath, you focus all your energy on the metal objects around them, using your powers to grab and pull on them. You can feel the weapons being yanked out of their hands, as if invisible strings were attached to them.

With a flick of your wrists and your powers now back in full effect, the weapons float around you, like obedient puppets waiting for your command. Metal barrels, knives, and a few firearms all levitate in the air, circling around you. A dangerous gleam in your eyes. You look like a terrifying sight.

A dangerous goddess dressed in red of her own blood.

Their eyes darting from you to the weapons floating around you. They look at you with fear, finally seeing you for the supe you truly are.

In the meantime, Firecracker stood before the massive glass windows of the Tower, looking out over the New York skyline. Her heart was racing, a feeling of triumph coursing through her veins. She had succeeded in her plan, you were gone.

Homelander was nearby, staring out at the city with a mixture of anger and confusion. The news of your disappearance had already reached his ears, and he was anxiously pacing back and forth, waiting for anyone to give him an update.

Firecracker approached Homelander cautiously, trying to mimic a concerned and empathetic expression. But it was evident that her words were nothing more than a facade.

"Hey..." she said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I know this must be hard for you. I can't imagine how much you care for her. But you know how she is, she's unpredictable, fickle, frivolous.''

Homelander turned his red burning eyes at her. "I don't need your sympathy, Firecracker." he snapped. "I need her back."

Taken aback by his harsh tone, she started caressing his shoulder. "I understand, I really do. But we have to be realistic here. Her role was heavy, she did this job for many years, maybe she was tired. But of course, it's horrible that she didn't tell you anything.'' she adds, to make him doubt your loyalty.

Homelander's face darkened at her words. "She has always done everything I asked of her. Never once did she waver. No, this isn't... right.''

She continued her act, feigning concern while trying to sow seeds of doubt in Homelander's mind.

"Maybe her loyalty wasn't as strong as you thought. Maybe she was just waiting for the right moment to escape.''

"You're trying to say she betrayed me? That she's a traitor?"

He hated the idea that you would betray him, but Firecracker's words were starting to sow seeds of doubt. She could almost see the wheels turning in his mind, the seeds of doubt starting to take root.

But without warning her phone rings, and an unknown number appears on the screen. Her heart skipped a beat, and quickly she excused herself from Homelander, taking a step away and answered the call. She expected to hear the news of your complete disfigurement. So she spoke in a low voice to avoid others from hearing.

"Hello?"

''Kindly, could you accept my video call?'' a familiar voice answered on the other end of the line.

She froze. That was the last thing she expected to hear. It was you, asking for a video call? How? This was not supposed to happen. She quickly looked over her shoulder, making sure Homelander was still occupied and out of earshot.

''Did the cat got your tongue? Turn on that goddamn phone camera.''

She turned away again, her mind racing. She had no idea how to handle this situation. She had been so sure that the plan would be a success, that you would be disfigured and taken out of your position as a favorite.

This wasn't part of the plan. Now you're playing by your rules.

She reluctantly pressed the video call button, turning on the camera to reveal her worried face. Your face appeared on the screen, a small smirk gracing your bloody red lips. You looked exhausted, your face a bit bruised, with a small cut on your cheek. Your uniform, stained from head to toe with blood. And behind you, on the ground, the lifeless bodies of the men who had dared to harm you.

''How...?! How the hell are you-''

"Oh, I'm sorry, you thought I'd be sitting quietly, waiting for my face to be carved off?''

Firecracker snap on the other line, realizing she had been outplayed. With anger slowly boiling inside her, she raised her voice. "Don't act so cocky. I still have that compromising video of you." she warned. "One click and your career is over."

''You know, while you left me with your nice masked friends, I had a lot of time to think. At the beginning I was very worried about that video, it would have really created a big scandal for my image...''

''And you should still be worried about it! Indeed, terrified!''

Your laugh echoed through the speakers.

''But then,I came up with a realisation. Maybe he will get angry at first. But Homelander won't take kindly to anyone who threatens me. He'll eliminate anyone who has seen that footage. And If you release it, you'll become public enemy number one."

Firecracker's heart sank as she realized the truth in your words. Homelander's protective nature towards you was a well-known fact. Anyone who had seen that footage, especially someone within the Seven, would quickly be targeted.

"You... you wouldn't dare. I'll deny everything." she stuttered, her confident facade starting to crumble.

A wicked gleam appeared in your eyes as you smirked again.

"Oh, I would. And Homelander will believe me over you any day. He'll tear you apart If you try anything. So I suggest you delete that footage, love. Because If it ever sees the light of day, you won't be able to save your pretty little face."

Firecracker's hands trembled as she gripped her phone tighter. Your words rang through her mind, each one cutting deeper than the last.

You started walking outside the building, still holding the camera, your voice calm. "And by the way, I found the phone of one of your mercenaries. And guess what I found there? Evidence of your little plan to ruin me. Messages between you and them, planning every detail. If you're still in doubt of what to do next, know that have all the proof I need to expose you."

Her blood ran cold as she watching you in horror. You had evidence, solid evidence, of her plan to ruin you. She could feel the walls closing in around her. She became ridicoulous.

"Wait! L-listen, we...we can talk about this! You're alright! You're fine, you're the mighty Ophera! Mine was j-just...a prank. Sure, a prank! You were never really in danger"

It was a desperate, last attempt to save her own skin.

And you are a merciful goddess, right?

''Mmh. An interesting way to spin things. A prank involving hired mercs, secret planning, blackmail attempts, and the risk of disfigurement. Just a little prank, right?"

"I…I…y-yes. A sick, twisted, and stupid prank. I never meant for it to go that far, really. Just a way to get back at you for…being so perfect all the time. I envy...I envy you, you know!''

Your eyes rolled at her attempts to rationalize her actions. She was really going all in, trying to save herself with excuses and half truths. You could practically see the desperation on her face even through the video call.

With a single wave of your bloody hand, you tell her to stay silent. And she stop with her rambling, confused.

You leaned closer to the phone, a lovely grin on your face. "Just a friendly reminder, Homelander can hear pretty well thanks to his powers. He might be listening to this conversation right now."

She had been so focused on her own survival that she had completely forgotten about Homelander's incredible sense of hearing. The thought that he might be listening in on this conversation sent a chill down her spine.

From her reaction you can guess that they're in that same room, maybe with Ashley and all the other super waiting for any news about you.

''Now, be a good girl and go to Homelander.''

"You…you can't…please, I-" she pleaded in a small desperate voice.

''And give him the phone, now.''

She slowly started walking towards Homelander and the others, the phone in her hands, hardly mantaining a smile on her face. ''Uhm- H-Homelander...I've some good news!''

''Spit it out, what's going on?" raised an eyebrow, dead serious.

"Uhm- I-it's for you." she held the phone out to him

The moment Homelander laid eyes on the phone, his emotions were a mixture of relief and anger. He quickly snatched the phone from Firecracker's trembling hand.

"Ophera?! Where the hell are you?!" he repeated, his voice echoing the frustration he was feeling.

"Hey, love. Sorry to worry you. I'm safe and well, just had a little unexpected adventure."

He clenched the phone tightly, his fingers leaving cracks on the device. "Damn it, woman. You had me worried sick. What the hell happened? Where are you? And are you covered in blood? Is that yours?!"

You felt a tingle of satisfaction as you heard the edge of worry in his voice. You can barely imagine Firecracker's defeated face at that moment.

''Don't worry, isn't mine. You know, the usual, anti-super criminals. I got my ass kidnapped, but don't worry, I took care of it. The morons have no idea what kind of trouble they stepped into."

"Why didn't you call me sooner? I could have come and rescued your ass.''

''I am an independent and strong woman. I never ask anyone for help.'' you smiled confident and charming on the screen.

Homelander couldn't help but smirk at your response. Despite his concern, he knew that you were more than capable of taking care of yourself. "Damn straight you are. Now. I'm coming to get you. I need to know everything about this absurd situation of yours.''

''Sure love, I've a lot of things to tell you. Like a good and all blooody bedtime story.''

Firecracker stood nearby, watching the exchange between Homelander and you on the phone. Her heart was in her throat as she listened to your conversation.

Her eyes widened as you continued to talk with him, your confident and charismatic persona shining through even in your bruised and battered state. She couldn't believe how calmly you were handling the situation, while she was the one who had orchestrated the whole disastrous plan.

''I'm at the old abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. You know, the one with the graffiti and the broken windows?"

"I'll be there in three minutes, don't move."

Admiration for you filled her, and jealousy as well as she observed Homelander's reaction to your words. The concern in his voice, the protectiveness he still had over you, it was all too evident.

As you hung up the phone, Firecracker couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. You were unfortunately safe, and he was on his way to get you back to the Tower. But she also knew that her actions had consequences. She had crossed a line, and there was no going back.

You ended the call, a satisfied smirk playing on your lips. You had turned the tables on your rival, and now she was the one who was in trouble.

"Well, well, well. Looks like someone's in quite a pickle." you said, your voice dripping with sarcasm. "I suggest you start thinking about your next move, Firecracker. Because whatever it is, I'm one step ahead of you."

The future was uncertain, but one thing was clear: the dynamic within The Seven had been irrevocably changed.

-------

ALRIGHT, WHAT A RIDE WAS THIS ONE?? I absolutely wanna write more with other canon characters! Thanks again for the request, it was really good to write, hope you like it! Kisses ❤️‍🔥

[kradogsrats]

Just a Quick Revisit of the Rolly-Cube

Looking at the cube roll scene in s6e2 again because honestly I'm still kind of mad that I whiffed it so hard.

So the first and only other place we see this feature of the Key explicitly referenced is in Callum's Spellbook, where he notes:

I've been noticing that something interesting happens whenever I roll the cube on the ground. It leaves marks pointing in the same direction every time. Once we got to Xadia, the marks started getting longer, but still pointed in the same direction. Is the cube BEING PULLED SOMEWHERE?

It's hard to pinpoint exactly when Callum's Spellbook is "set," but most of it is written as if referencing a point shortly before the Battle of the Storm Spire. It doesn't get any later than that, at least. The pages about the Key do reference Harrow wanting Callum to have it, and then "once we got to Xadia," so they can't be from any earlier than early s3.

By the start of s4, Callum would also only have visited at most three of the marked locations on his map: the Cursed Caldera, the Storm Spire, and maybe the vicinity of Lux Aurea. He also, at that point, has never heard the name "Aaravos" anywhere beyond the single reference in Harrow's letter. He stops to pick up the mirror because of its association with "Fallen Star," and grabs the Key on his way out—hey, the gang's back together(?) for a road trip through Xadia, might as well bring it along for old times' sake.

Anyway, I think we can conclude that Callum didn't pursue or even really think about the Key during the two-year period between s3 and s4. For one thing, it's something that reminds him of Rayla, so he probably doesn't want to think about it. He also has plenty of other stuff going on to occupy him—being high mage, the mirror, researching primal arcana that are not Moon... the Key is a low-priority curiosity compared to all the other stuff he has access to, now.

Obviously, s4 then properly kicks off the "Mystery of Aaravos," and suddenly it's relevant again.

When he returns to it in s6, we get this literally 30-second scene involving what's actually a kind of weird sequence of actions and reactions. He rolls the Key and it makes a sequence of visible marks:

He then picks up his pencil and we cut to the book, in a way where it's not actually clear whether or not he writes anything down (but presumably he does):

He checks the other page, and only then does he mark his current location with an X on the map... as a two-line X, not the outlined cross in his little chart:

Finally, he picks up the Key again and looks from it to his map like he has received some unexpected and confusing result:

So like... look, I don't think I was totally insane for interpreting that as "Callum is marking the location derived from the Key's rolling on the map," rather than him apparently adding a new entry to his data and recording the marks before marking on the map where the data was collected.

What's interesting to me now, though, is why is he so baffled by this?

Here's a theory: the Key has two main associations, those being Aaravos and the primal sources. Callum has, up until this moment, only been recording the Key's behavior at the primal nexuses: Lux Aurea, the Storm Spire, Umber Tor, and the Cursed Caldera. He obviously had the Key on his mind at Umber Tor, and it's entirely possible it only occurred to him then, given everyone's sudden preoccupation with maps, to start keeping that record.

I think what might be surprising him here is that he's not at a nexus, and yet has gotten a new set of marks. He's only now connecting that they converge on a single location from anywhere else on the map. After all, he could have pinpointed the intersection of the lines from basically any two other nexuses. He could literally have rolled the Key at the Storm Spire at the end of s3 and then the Cursed Caldera in Through the Moon and already been done. (Though it's always smart to collect more data.) So there's some reason it takes until s7 for him to do this:

We also see here that there's a sixth point added, from somewhere in the same vicinity as the Cursed Caldera—presumably the Banther Lodge or similar, now that he's finally sat down to pull together some results.

The two immediate problems with this theory are a) it's a pretty significant regression from where he was in Callum's Spellbook as far as figuring out what's going on, and b) as of s6e2, he hasn't been back to the Moon Nexus. The Moon Nexus issue could be explained away as him having pre-s4 records from there and the Storm Spire that he dug up after the fact to add to his data pool.

As far as Callum's Spellbook is concerned, I'm willing to accept some fuzziness in maintaining consistency on something like this—the way its described isn't very clear or consistent with what we see in s6e2 anyway, in terms of how the marks appear. (Callum also does not approach the question with any real degree of scientific rigor.) After all, the way it's shown in s6e2 also doesn't match the way it's shown in *checks watch* s2e7, which is the first place in the series itself it's implicitly referenced:

It's obviously a plot point that has always been intended, but the exact way it manifests and appears has drifted a bit... which is fine, it's not the first time that has happened.

Also I checked and the way Callum has written "Elarion!!" with double exclamation points does ultimately suggest to me that the "Ruins of Elarion" map location is known to the characters. The other option—that the location of Elarion had been lost, and Callum is speculating that the Key's target is the city itself—would make sense if the note was "Elarion?" or similar, but with the association between Aaravos and Elarion not actually being known to the characters, it would also be a bit of a leap for him to be making. Without that association, there also isn't any real reason for Callum or anyone to go to Elarion's location... until now, when it's finally linked to Aaravos through the Key. With the countdown already ticking and the archdragons gone (along with all their knowledge of Aaravos), it's actually probably their best lead aside from a return trip to the Starscraper.

Of course, now we have the problem that whatever they find there needs to involve seven years of delayed resolution, but hey...

Anyway, not really anything revelatory here, just me going back to lay out and understand where the characters themselves are coming from on finally figuring out shit that we've been Chekov's Gun anticipating for literal years.

[lune-moon-nuit]

i remember watching s2 and thinking mike and will are so sweet together. We didn't get much of them together in s1. We did get a lot of Mike's perception of Will and his feelings for him in s1. I'm not saying that i think Mike in s1 had romantic feelings for Will just that he had A LOT of feelings towards Will. I don't think he had time to really process or think on those feelings they just kinda poured out of him in way. I think Will being gone made a lot of Mike's overall feelings towards him come to the surface sorta speak. When you are a kid its also easier to have a lot of feelings about a particular thing/person without anyone passing too much judgment. El coming along served as kinda of a distraction for Mike and the audience. They're all trying to find Will and get lost on this path finding El and uncovering her story, which ultimately leads them to Will. Almost like a detour. {I wonder if Mike never found El would he have discovered his feelings sooner.} When we get to our destination Mike thinks he has feelings for El. Why wouldn't he? One of his best friends is telling him he does and Mike's never spoken to a girl before so maybe Lucas is right and El is really cool so maybe he does. I wonder too what it would've felt like if El wasn't there as a love interest. Would people have rooted for them to get together or did they only think of it because they were told. Much like Mike was told that he had feelings for El. He, like us, believed it until we were shown something better, something way more powerful. I always thought El and Mike's friendship was cute and then it felt almost forced when it got more romantic. It felt off as if Mike was thinking "is this what i'm supposed to do?" or "is this what i should be feeling?". Then we get to s2 and we get to see all of those feelings that Mike had towards Will put into action. He's so attentive to him and supportive. He checks up on him. He panics, almost on the verge of tears, during Halloween when he couldn't find Will. Sleeping next to his bed. Staying in the hospital. Hes the only one out of the friend group that goes in the shed to talk to Will when he's tied up. He offers up this beautiful story of when they first met and how it was so special to him. Nothing every feels forced or out of place when he's with Will. He may not understand his full feelings but you can't deny that they ARE there. Even when we get to s3 its the still there. Albeit a little harder to see but still there. Mike is trying to play this role--be a boyfriend to your girlfriend. BUT Mike and El don't match energy. He tries to give the same back but it always feels forced or odd. Lucas had to hold his hand and basically show him how to be a boyfriend. The second Will is upset or in trouble Mike is right there running after him or being attentive. I guess what i'm trying to say is it feels so natural with Will. Mike isn't forcing feelings or trying to match energy when he's with Will. It just happens. its genuine because its just there. It's there whether Mike wants it be or not. They only time we see him be truly weird around Will is s4 when he is heavily trying to deny those natural feeling. When he is actively stopping himself from his normal reactions towards Will. Even then his feelings are still clear because he can't fully hide them. If any of the other canon couples did half or even a quarter of what Mike did for Will in s2 no one would have any doubt they they like each other.

Sorry for the late reply. Since it was a long text, I needed to take some time to sit down and reflect on what was written and how to respond. Unfortunately, I caught a flu-like illness, so I wasn’t in good enough shape to reply earlier.

Indeed, Season 2, with Mike and Will spending most of it together, is truly touching. It really highlights the deep and unique bond they share while also subtly confirming that Mike’s determination to find Will in Season 1 was stronger and more personal than anyone else’s.

As you said, we only get three scenes of Mike and Will together in Season 1—the D&D game before Will’s disappearance, their reunion at the hospital, and the final D&D scene, which parallels the first scene of the series. The longest of these is their very first scene before Will goes missing, and they only have five seconds of one-on-one dialogue: "It was a seven. The Demogorgon, it got me."

However, through Mike’s actions, we can clearly see that Will is special to him. Mike is the one who first notices that Will hasn’t shown up at school the day after his disappearance. He insists on helping with the search alongside the police. He has an entire dinner scene with his family centered around the argument “I’m the only one who cares about Will.” He’s the one who comes up with the idea to sneak out with Lucas and Dustin to search for Will in the woods. He’s the one who understands the significance of Eleven’s connection to Will and takes it seriously. He refuses to believe that Will is dead. He breaks down crying in his mother’s arms after seeing Will’s (fake) body. He keeps an entire binder filled with Will’s drawings and gently runs his fingers over them. He instantly recognizes Will’s voice when Eleven tunes into the radio frequency. He is the only one (besides Joyce) who is fully convinced that Will is still alive, despite the body being found—whereas Lucas and Dustin lean toward rational explanations, like it possibly being a ghost or just misinterpreting random noises. He sees Eleven not just as a mysterious girl but as a tool to find Will (not to reduce her to that, but you see where I’m going). He’s the one who doesn’t sleep and is shown in a close-up shot anxiously waiting in the hospital to see Will. And he’s the first to run up and hug him when he wakes up—I love how he presses his ear against Will’s chest to listen to his heartbeat, as if to confirm that he’s alive. Even in the final scene of the season, his entire D&D campaign is crafted as a tribute to Will and his character.

Just from everything I listed—and I doubt I even covered it all—it’s evident that, even without Will being on screen, we understand that he holds a uniquely significant place in Mike’s life.

What’s interesting is the conversation Mike has with Dustin when Dustin points out that Lucas is frustrated, feeling like Mike is abandoning them for Eleven. Dustin tells Mike that Lucas is jealous because he’s his best friend, but Mike immediately denies this, saying that Lucas, Dustin, and Will are all his best friends, putting them on equal footing. There are two key points to consider here:

Lucas’s frustration over Mike’s attention toward Eleven is based on a misunderstanding. When Mike hides Eleven on the first night, he explicitly explains that it’s because they can’t tell their parents about her yet—if they do, their parents will find out they snuck out to search for Will, and they’ll be grounded, meaning they won’t be able to keep looking for him. So, he keeps Eleven hidden as a temporary solution, planning for her to “randomly” appear at his doorstep the next morning so his parents will take her in, allowing them to continue searching for Will. Later, the second time Mike decides to keep Eleven hidden, it’s because she’s in danger—and, more importantly, because she recognized Will in a photo. If the “bad men” looking for her are linked to Will’s disappearance, then she’s their best lead. Every single moment where Lucas sees Mike focusing on Eleven is actually just Mike trying to understand what she’s saying in order to find Will. But Lucas misinterprets this and jumps to the conclusion that Mike is simply obsessed with some strange girl.

If Mike truly sees all three of them as his best friends, then why does he treat Will differently from Lucas and Dustin (as we see even more clearly in Season 2)?

As you said, it’s hard to determine whether Mike had romantic feelings for Will at that point. After all, what are romantic feelings when you’re only 12? It’s very likely that Mike had an unconscious attachment to Will, which was heightened and brought to the surface by the fear of losing him forever. We often don’t realize the value of someone until they’re gone. What’s certain is that it was all subconscious.

Eleven wasn’t just a distraction for Mike—she was also a way for him to emotionally and psychologically cope with the overwhelming stress of losing Will and feeling powerless to protect or find him. She wasn’t just a tool to find Will—she also, on some level, became a way for Mike to feel like he could actively protect someone his age. And notably, she was a child with a shaved head, often mistaken for a boy/for Will. She appeared the day after Will disappeared. It’s a pure survival mechanism, a way for his brain to handle trauma.

At this point, it’s been extensively discussed how Mike likely began to unconsciously perceive Eleven as a romantic interest because three of the people closest to him planted the heteronormative idea in his head throughout the season. So I won’t repeat all that. But what’s clear is that Mike’s most genuine and heartfelt moments with Eleven happen outside the lens of forced romantic expectations. Take the scene where he shows her his house and they play with Ted’s recliner—it’s simply two kids bonding and having fun. Because that’s all that can realistically happen in the span of a week. Season 1 takes place over just seven days. No one falls in love or even truly gets to know someone deeply enough to trust them romantically in seven days. The audience fell victim to heteronormativity just as much as Mike and Eleven did.

Their relationship—without the romance—is genuinely beautiful and deep. The romance, however, was subconsciously forced by the societal norms and expectations that all the characters (and people in real life) are subjected to and reinforce—Mike included. And we can clearly see in the kiss scene that Mike is simply following the script of what he thinks he’s supposed to do rather than what he wants to do. He invites Eleven to the Snow Ball only after Lucas, Dustin, and even his own sister Nancy start suggesting that he has a crush on her—simply because he’s kind and caring toward her. This is on top of all the homophobic remarks and jokes he’s heard and received regarding Will. Then, when Eleven says, “So, you'd be like my brother?” he rejects the idea at first before hesitating and saying, “I don’t know... maybe.” This proves that, like any 12-year-old, his views and opinions are heavily shaped by those around him.

Mike seems especially sensitive to the opinions of others and follows them subconsciously. “Lucas, Dustin, and Nancy say I have a crush on Eleven? Maybe they’re right. Oh, but Eleven says I’d be more like her brother? Maybe she’s right.”He’s completely lost because he doesn’t rely on what he actually feels—he relies on what others tell him he should feel. That’s why the kiss in Season 1 happened: Mike was simply imitating what adults and movie heroes do, not acting on his own desires.

Then, when we reach Season 2 and finally see how Mike and Will are together, everything becomes clear. We finally understand how their bond is uniquely deep, especially when compared to Dustin and Lucas. You’ve already listed all the Season 2 examples that show how Mike treats Will differently, so I won’t repeat them. But there’s something worth emphasizing for those who might not have noticed: he does all of this naturally, without any external influence pushing him to do so or accusing him of it because he’s "in love." He does it instinctively, without even questioning it.

If one could deny Mike's romantic feelings for Will in Season 1 and interpret them as a deeply emotional friendship, that becomes undeniably harder in Season 2—even if Mike himself is still unaware of it. I remember watching Season 2 for the first time last summer (without any prior knowledge of the story, fandom debates, or anything like that) and asking my friend, "Are you sure nothing is going on between these two? They’re just friends?" during Mike's monologue scene. Because even though Mike’s monologue describes a purely platonic memory, the raw emotion and vulnerability in his voice (and Finn's great acting), which, on top of that, manages to reach Will while he’s possessed, are enough to make their love palpable.

I also really love how that one simple line—"I asked. And you said yes. You said yes. It was the best thing I’ve ever done."—not only sounds like a marriage proposal when taken out of context but also contains one of the most profoundly romantic statements in the entire show. The weight and symbolism of that line are far too deep to be minimized, especially when considering the full context: after an entire season of Mike standing by Will through his worst moments, watching him suffer unbearable pain, watching him be possessed by something evil that forces him to cause a massacre, after the "crazy together" scene—which is their first moment with explicitly romantic subtext and an unspoken promise to each other—Mike makes it clear with that line that, despite all the horrible things that have happened in his life since Season 1 because he befriended Will, he will never regret asking Will to be his friend and bringing him into his life. That, despite all the trauma, the wounds, and the losses, it was the best thing that ever happened to him.

As I’ve already said, the power of Season 2 lies in the fact that all of Mike and Will’s scenes that carry romantic undertones come purely from Mike’s instincts—something that sets them apart from his so-called romantic gestures toward El in the previous season. And to me, it’s crystal clear that the Snow Ball scene, where Mike pushes Will to accept the girl’s invitation to dance, is a moment of Mike unconsciously replicating the same heteronormative pressures and behaviors that were imposed on him in the previous season (by people who were also subjected to them themselves). Mike is simply repeating what was done to him because it’s what he’s been led to believe is "normal."

But we can immediately see the regret in his eyes and on his face right after. He has the exact same sorrowful expression as Dustin while watching Lucas and Max dance together. That shot of both of them watching with funeral-like expressions while those four dance isn’t there by accident. They could have just shown Dustin in that frame, but they chose to show Mike too. They could have only shown Lucas and Max to highlight Dustin’s reason for feeling dejected, but they also included Will and the girl dancing. Then, they cut to Mike sitting with a sad, troubled expression, directly paralleling a shot of Dustin sitting there, looking just as heartbroken.

It’s undeniable that this is the moment when the unconscious, buried feelings Mike has developed for Will start surfacing. He is completely thrown off by the jealousy he feels upon seeing Will dance with that girl. "I was literally the one who encouraged him to say yes—so why am I feeling this way while watching him dance with her? I shouldn’t be feeling this. He’s my best friend, and he’s a boy, so what the hell is wrong with me—OH, EL IS HERE! COME DANCE WITH ME! I TOLD YOU WE’D GO TO THE BALL TOGETHER, DIDN’T I? LET’S KISS! WHATEVER I MIGHT HAVE BEEN FEELING FOR MY BEST FRIEND THIS WHOLE TIME, THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NO REASON I CAN’T JUST PROJECT IT ONTO EL INSTEAD, RIGHT? SHE’S INCREDIBLE—A BEAUTIFUL GIRL, WITH SUPERPOWERS, AND SHE LIKES ME? WHAT MORE COULD I POSSIBLY ASK FOR???"

For Season 3, I think the expression "you can’t outrun your true nature" defines Mike best. He tries so hard to become something he's not—changing his style to resemble his parents more, overcompensating and exaggerating the fact that he has a girlfriend, not even bothering to call El, apologize, or fix things when she breaks up with him. He asks Lucas for advice, which proves he has no idea what he’s doing and that nothing about his relationship with El is instinctive.

But when he fights with Will, it’s far more dramatic than his breakup with his girlfriend. He doesn’t hesitate—he rushes out into a thunderstorm to apologize and beg for forgiveness. As you said, unlike his relationship with El, Mike doesn’t perform with Will—it’s genuine.

I believe the only reason he acts strangely around Will in Episode 2 of Season 4 is because, unlike in Season 3, he has finally realized that he doesn’t feel for El the way he should and that he feels something much stronger for Will than he should. And I think the moment he came to this realization was their kiss in the final episode of Season 3, when El tells him she loves him too. That scene was the revelation—he doesn’t feel what he should in that kiss. He doesn’t experience the joy and relief he should when she says, "I love you too." He was in deep denial, but he had no choice but to acknowledge both the presence of certain feelings and the absence of others.

So what does he do in Season 4? He tries to force it. "Maybe if I dress like this and act like this with El, and if I avoid physical contact and pretend he’s nothing more than just a friend, maybe it’ll work. I have to control these feelings that make no sense. Above all, I have to be normal—it’s vital."

As you pointed out so well, even when Mike tries to hide it, he betrays himself through projection—"It’s not my fault you don’t like girls"—and through his defensive insistence—"We are friends. WE ARE FRIENDS." (Yes, Will never said otherwise, Mike—you’re the one interpreting "What about us?" as something romantic, Michael.)

And he also betrays himself through micro-expressions, though that requires the audience to take the time to observe him closely.

One thing is certain: if we only had Season 2 to go on, if Will had been a girl, no one would doubt the truth of Mike’s feelings for him. But conformity and heteronormativity are a vicious poison ingrained in all of us—it’s up to us to refuse to let them control our perception, little by little.

[rosemuc]

content: childhood friends angst, hurt/comfort but like 90% hurt, romantically ambiguous relationship, matt holt centric. takes place at least after s4 e3. no pronouns specified for reader

wc: ~1.8k

"I told myself, sometimes," Matt says, slowly, "that if I ever made my way back to you, I hoped that you'd have found someone else.”

The mattress creaks beneath you. His words hang still in the air — dappled by the thin starlight, tentative, solitary things, not quite themselves when out in the open. The Castle of Lions is unforgiving in its cold. Your skin prickles. Hands ache to grasp at the ghost of someone you’ve never really known before. 

“Do you still believe that?” You ask.

Matt’s eyes shift in a way that makes your heart jump, and you think that maybe it is the wrong thing to say. You amend, voice nearly inaudible through the inexplicable tightness of your throat: “Did you ever believe that?”

The silence eats you whole. It is dark inside the maw, your bodies resting gingerly on its tongue, so precarious that when you breathe it ricochets off of cavernous walls. Eventually: 

“No.”

There’s a resignation in his truth. Bereft and lonely and weightless. “No, I don’t.” His smile catches on the corner of your peripheries, aching. “Guess that makes me a horrible person, huh?”

“Of course not,” you answer automatically, although your head is still swimming. Your voice meekens into something raw. “I felt that way about you, too. You were my best friend.” 

He was, wasn’t he? You're struck with a sudden, vivid memory: winter, nine years ago. A soft shelter of mismatched blankets teetering overhead, cascading down like the walls of a heaven you thought you’d find forever in. Plush cushions. Giddy smiles. That feeling of invulnerability. You and him, pressed shoulder-to-shoulder in the warm air, flashlights pinned on planets, moons, stars, circumstellar discs, fragments of a world you swore you'd one day seize in your bare hands. You got your wish in the end, but if this is the cost–

“You were mine, too.” Matt says, just as your heart threatens to cave in. Then he shakes his head. Lets out a soft puff of air. “God, what am I saying? You’re still mine.” His elbow presses into your side. “Who else would’ve stuck with Pidge all the way through the Garrison?” 

You huff. “Hey. Put some respect on her name.” He chortles and your head slips against his shoulder. “Besides– she wasn’t the only reason I stayed. I kind of wanted a career, you know.” The levity of the moment cuts through the haunting, if only for a moment; a sudden burst of courage sparks in your veins. Lower, just a fraction: “And I wanted you back.” 

It shouldn’t be so hard to say. This is the Matt you loved – the one who used to hold your hand whenever the dark would close in on you, who taught you all the constellations as you saw them reflected in his eyes. Who was everything you could never find in all your textbooks and prizes and sleepless nights. You’d cried over him, curled up in a half-empty bed with an emptier heart, begging for an answer that only came once you’d finally been able to wrench your gaze away. Too late. Always too late. This never should’ve been something time could seize, but it is.

If you’d never left, would we have been fine? Questions, questions. All unasked. Am I still the me who could love you the way you deserved? 

Matt lingers at the boundary where your vision dissolves into the black, and you are dimly aware of the warmth of his palm enveloping yours, the quiet pulse of his blood. You think you could map out his veins in black ink blindfolded. You could model him from clay and electricity, angles and planes and geometric forms coalescing into the flickering image of your heart. You could drag your fingertips across the ravine seared hypertrophic into his cheek, chart each new valley and bound crossing the landscape of his skin, and would it be enough?

My best friend. You squeeze your eyes shut. 

You can lift a weight off your shoulders, but sometimes that does nothing more than remind you of how empty you are without it. Matt is here, and he’s alive, and he holds you with a tenderness that cleaves you open raw. What do you do now that he isn’t just a wish? Now that he isn’t the spectre you carried around like it was breathing before you drowned? You’d wanted him without thinking about having him, because the last time you got what you wanted you ended up fighting a war. 

(Scared. That’s what you are. That’s what you’ve always been. Scared of loving things — scared of losing things — how different are they, really?)

Matt’s palm closes over your own. 

“You know what I’d think of, whenever everything up here just got too…” A vague gesture. You track the movement greedily. “Too much?” He swivels towards you, eyes soft and devastating as twin nebulae. “I’d think of you. Of— of us. And Pidge, and Mom, of course— all of you, back on Earth. I promised myself that I wouldn’t give up until I said everything I needed to say to you. It kept me going.”

He exhales. “It was like breathing to me.” 

He's warm beside you, older, sharper features painted a mute silver by the rays trickling in through the window. It winds over him, wraps him up in a way that makes him look so fragile you worry that all it would take to whisk him away again is a single tug of the rope. 

“Well,” you offer him a sliver of a failing smile, “We’re here, now.”

We. Self-forgetting. An easy facade. Matt might be considering it.

“Yeah.” He mumbles, finally. “You are.”

It could be cruel, the way you look at him. It’s selfish to want when you yourself have nothing to give – and yet something tells you that to tear your gaze away would be to undo the seams of your very existence. What happens next? He could say a million things, each of which you are more undeserving of than the last. Maybe you could learn to pull him back into you again, natural as anything else that has ever existed. As if it’s the only thing that was ever really meant to happen between the two of you – no forsaken missions and no alien warships and no fabled weapons at the edge of the universe which landed you here to begin with. Just us, the dream murmurs. Wouldn’t that be nice? 

Maybe it would be. Maybe it would wreck you. Maybe you’d deserve it. 

Still, you look, and Matt’s hand falls from your own.

(It’s a pity that no amount of searching will ever yield the truth before you. You don’t know how many times Matt sat, surrounded by the Coalition’s chaos and the deafening silence of the stars, thinking to himself that maybe it all would’ve made sense if you were there. You picked things apart like no one he’d ever met before – plucked at the threads of fate until they sounded a tune you were satisfied with, unrelenting in your pursuit of something of your own. You with your quiet eyes and brittle edges you’d sometimes snap against the outside just to see if they would crumble. He would’ve given you every good thing in the world, if only he’d had the chance.

You’re sitting beside him now, sadder than maybe anything else he’s ever seen, and he thinks: his chance is here. But somehow, the good things are all out of reach.

So nothing comes. Ordinarily, the words would beat against the trapdoor of his throat, raining fists down on soft tissue in unceasing droves. I love you. You are the one part of me I never lost. I love you. You are everything to me; there’s nothing I’ve ever known more. I love you I love you I love you. He’d crafted all those beautiful words so clearly before. There’s nothing to show for it, now, but he remembers the thoughts and how they’d swarmed him in the unending night.

Matt wishes you could see into him.) 

Tentatively, your hand strays. It’s a cautious act – Matt is glassy-eyed in a way you’ve never seen; all you know is to handle it with care. Your pinky curls around his own before the warmth of him greets you, and when his fingers bloom over your palm you close your eyes and try not to think of the deeds they are nestled in. A doctor’s hands, Colleen once jested after you’d accidentally split the tip of your finger on a kitchen knife. Got to be careful with them. Would she still say it if she knew the things you’d done with a bayard lodged in your grip? If she knew how you’d let her only son drift like an hourglass run between your fingers? 

“You’re always slipping away from me.” You whisper, voice fed through a mirthless smile. 

Matt humours you again, and relief washes through you as the sheen over his gaze starts to thaw before your own. “I disappeared into space one time.” 

He knows that’s not what you meant. It’s a strange, liminal place that the two of you find yourselves stranded within — not quite friends, not quite lovers, but soulmates, definitely, maybe. The thought shatters you just a little. 

“Hey – look at me.” Calloused hands retreat from your own to fall on your shoulders. Your gaze flickers up, unsteady waves crashing against warm, fractured brown pools – the same, you think. Always the same. You know that ability to hold. “We’re gonna be okay. It’s still us, isn’t it?” The muted little glimmer of hope in his eyes is the heartrending kind. “It’s still us.” 

Matt holds you like his pleas perfuse your very being. People seem to do that a lot, these days. 

“Yeah.” You force the word past and taste salt in your mouth. “Of course it is.”

I don’t know how not to grieve you.

He has to know it. In the low light, you can see yourself swimming in his eyes, and you can only begin to conceive what stares back at him from your own. A returning prayer. Please see me, it goes. You have been searching for the right words for so very long, and your limbs are growing heavy. Please find a way to love me that I will understand. 

(Is there even such a thing?)

Steady arms engulf you. 

“We’ll be alright.” Matt murmurs into your skin, and you think that it is more for himself than it is for you. “I’ll make sure of it.”

I’m never letting you go. Not again.

You can only hope. 

end

notes: thank you so much for pulling through to the end! i will be honest, i don’t know how i feel about this one but my love for that boy transcends my lack of ability. matt holt you will always be famous

[joulex]

Predictions for bridgerton s3 part 2 from someone who hasnt read the books but vaguegly knows what happens

- im kind of conflicted on lady w, cause it would make a change in the show if penelope were to quit as she does in the books, but given that penelope wont be as prevalent in the show moving foward, it leads me to believe that they would stick to it? Idk if thet would revele it, maybe they come to some agrement with the queen so that in order for her to not be like shamed in society, she will not tell everyone that penelope is lady w if she quits and they can move foward from there

-prudence (i think thats her name) will be revealed to be a lesbian or some kind of gay. she looks so sad whenever shes kissing her husband and shonda has talked about exploring queer stories and as much i would like it to be cressida and eloise i asume they would go that route

-i kind of want to see colin find out about lady w once hes already married to penelope maybe, i think it would be boring if they were to interrupt ANOTHER WEDDING

-cressida blackmailing penelope somehow with lady w as a revenge for lord debling maybe. And the stress of that, eloise, colin, etc, is what will make her pass out at the engament party (if im guessing correctly by the clips)

-Im basing this of a tiktok i saw about the actor being credited on part 2 buuut theo makes a comeback, maybe helping penelope in one last big lady w blast, or (most likely) after the queen does the reward for finding put who lady w is so maybe eloise tells cressida about the printer thing she discovered in s2 and cressida goes there and finds theo. Im going insane

-i personally believe benedict season is next bc it has been a long time and idk how much longer than they show him painting, fucking, etc, etc without getting repetitive, and this is my theory on how he meets sophie: theres the mascarede ball (if i remeber correctly that how he meets sophie) at the end of the season, after polin wedding, the woman he was fucking i dont remeber her name, stops talking to him or they get in a fight of some kind and benedict wants to get her back, so he goes to the ball and he thinks that its that woman and they somehow end up dancing and hes startruck bla bla you know the drill. The dance is over, sophie runs off and benedict, still beliving shes the other woman chases her BUT stops when he stumbles INTO THE WOMAN AND REALISES THAT THE GIRL HE WAS DANCING WITH IS SOMEONE ELSE, AND CANT STOP THINKING ABOUT IT. This is more of a fanfic concept and theory rather than a prediction but i needed to share it. (I realize now that this theory does mot make sense given the speculative actress that is going to play sophie, but i took so much time writing that im going to left it here)

The other option is that the lady is sophies stepmother and she says that shes running out of money or something so she marries so that she doesnt go broke and breaks things off with benedict and he sees sophies father with the lady and bumps into sophie, whose there with her father, so to make the lady jealous dances with sophie but they end up getting along and benedict is starstruck but he asks for her name she runs off(? Bc of something idk im not that creative and bc this is taking place in a mascarade ball, benedict doesnt know neither her name or her face. So s4 will have benedict after a time jump of a year o more maybe (he forgot her voice idk) with a conflict between the lady, bc he genuenly liked her, and getting to know sophie and the strange memory of her in that dance.

- i think francesca will get engaged by the end of the season or will be very close to it.

Anyways i almost wrote a s4 script in this more than imagining what will happen in part 2 but oh well :)

[idabbleincrazy]

The Naked Truth (1/2)

Fandom: Smallville

Rating: E

Pairing: Clex

Word Count: 2527

Warnings: tentacles, alien biology, alien!Clark, Lex knows, s4 au, rift-what rift?, humor, masturbation

Summary: Clark is finally ready to share one last secret with Lex now that they're in a relationship.

prompted by Leata: "I didn't freak you out did I?" +   For a while now, Clark has been hiding something: When wet, they sprout tentacles. Yep. Tentacles. It's been exhausting worrying about people finding out, worrying about getting caught in the rain, worrying about what else their body might start to do. It's almost a relief when Lex finds out. Almost. Except there's something about the way Lex looks at Clark's tentacles. Like Lex... wants something…

A/N: So, all these years of writing fic, I've staidly avoided writing two things - a/b/o, and tentacle porn - but I was presented with a challenge I couldn't turn down. This will be a two-parter since it's taking a while for the porn part of the equation to come together (heh). Even though the bingo I had the quote prompt for is over, I figured I'd still give it a shot.

It's been four years since he'd found out about what he was. Three since he found out what happened to his birth home. It's only been two, however, since he found out that Kryptonians go through puberty in increments. Since he found out that sprouting hair in places where none had been, and having to wash his underwear before his mother saw them were the least of his problems.

Less than a year after gaining control over his hormonally triggered heat vision, a new, even more embarrassing development…arose. One that cold showers tended to cause rather than fix. A development that made showering after gym and football practice a very complicated ordeal, and put a moratorium on any further trips out to Crater Lake. 

He'd thought he had all his bases covered by now. He hadn't thought he'd have to worry about this, though. 

See, shortly after Clark had turned sixteen, well, he developed tentacles. Sorta. They weren't always there, though, and he had first discovered this new change to his physiology one summer morning when he was showering before breakfast. He had been in the middle of washing his hair, trying to block his mind of his increasingly sexual thoughts of not only Lana, but of Chloe…and Lex. He was failing in his endeavor, and that was when he felt it. This horrifying, amazing sensation, rippling through his cock. The shock of it nearly brought him to his knees. 

Rinsing the soap out of his eyes, Clark stared down in disbelief at the new appendages between his legs. The penis itself was still there, though it seemed longer, and slightly slimmer. More shocking still, were the eight thin, writhing tentacles that now surrounded it. 

Certain that he couldn't really be seeing what he thought he was seeing, Clark tentatively reached down and poked one long, wriggling protuberance. The tentacle immediately angled itself towards his finger, wrapping around the digit. He felt his stomach lurch as the little suckers stuck to his skin, the tentacle tightening its hold, trying to pull him closer. 

And, Christ, the sensations that ran through him as he let the tentacle reel him in, the tip of it stroking along his finger. Stronger, even, than the pulse of need that had made him look down in the first place. He'd never felt pleasure that intense in the two plus years since he had first started masturbating. His elongated cock filled quickly as he let the tentacles slither over his hand and rubbed his thumb along one of the slick protuberances. Apparently, the pleasure went both ways, his skin tingling where the tentacles slid over it, and his cock throbbing at each stroke of his fingers over the wriggling appendages.  

That first time, he had come before he even felt his usual warning signs. Less than a minute of exploration, and all eight tentacles had gone as stiff as his cock, and suddenly he really was on his knees this time, watching thick spurts of white fluid wash down the drain with the water. The tentacles then went limp, simply dangling there around his flaccid penis, so Clark forced himself to refocus on his shower, cleaning off the residual soap suds brusquely before turning off the tap. 

Once he had completely dried off, he felt his groin clench. Looking down, he watched in amazement as the eight tentacles all pulled themselves back inside himself, leaving just his cock, surrounded only by its usual thatch of curls, though still longer than it had been yesterday. 

It had taken the threat of a storm during his chores for Clark to finally shove aside his embarrassment long enough to tell his parents about the startling new development to his alien physiology.  And, as always, Martha and Jonathan took it in stride, helping him avoid public situations where he might end up wet whenever they could. 

For two years, he managed to keep this part of his secret from coming out to anyone, even Pete, but now…

Two weeks ago, he'd finally found himself ready to admit his growing feelings for Lex, and had told the older man everything. Well, almost everything. Even after Lex had shown no great horror at finding out that his best friend was an alien who had the hots for him, Clark hadn't been able to do more than hint at the difference between his body and that of a human. He just couldn’t bring himself to say it. It was one thing to know that the person you had been friends with for four years and were now starting a relationship with wasn’t human, it was another thing altogether to see the unequivocal proof of that knowledge right in front of you, dripping wet and wriggly. 

They had spent the past two weeks slowly taking their relationship to the next level. Lex had initiated their first kiss, about ten minutes after the words ‘I’m an alien’ had passed Clark’s lips. It had been better than Clark had ever imagined it would be, softer than he’d expected, but so much more intense than any kiss Lana, Chloe, Kyla, or Alicia had given him. Gentle as the kiss had been, Clark still felt the hunger, the yearning, behind it. The tentative slide of Lex’s tongue along his once he’d opened his mouth to deepen the kiss had sent a rush of awareness through his body, pulling a quiet moan from his throat. This was what had been missing between them all along, and ignoring the need they’d felt for each other had only led to the strained friendship they’d barely managed to maintain for the past year. This was what they were always meant to be to each other. 

Make-out sessions had morphed into groping, though always above the clothes, Clark still too worried that his tentacles might suddenly decide to make an appearance even without the presence of water. He’d never forget the rather befuddled expression on Lex’s face the first time he had made him come in his expensive wool slacks, nor the look of fascination and the love radiating from Lex’s eyes as his cock pulsed against Lex’s hand through the rough denim. That first orgasm brought on by Lex’s hand had been more explosive than any climax he’d achieved outside of the shower, and he had to fight not to grip Lex’s grinding hips too tightly as he rode out the pleasure shooting through him, eyes clamped shut against the stinging heat building up.

Now, though, they needed more. Lex had kept trying to get Clark to let him suck him off, promising him that there couldn’t possibly be anything so different about his body that would change how he felt about him, how much he wanted him. Clark wanted Lex naked, too, wanted to see and touch and taste, but had never pushed for it, thinking it unfair when he wasn’t willing to reciprocate just yet. And so, Clark had dug deep into his reserve of courage, and agreed to finally show him what he had so vaguely hinted at. 

So, now, here they were, in Lex’s poolhouse. The shower, even one as luxurious as those in Luthor Manor, seemed too constricted, and the lake at the back of the sprawling property was too exposed; Lex's staff knew not to intrude on the poolhouse unless summoned, which meant that they would have their privacy and Lex had plenty of space to run away screaming once the tentacles waved their hello. 

Clark pushed aside the queasy feeling in his stomach as he stood in front of Lex, terry-cloth robe covering his near-nakedness. Lex made to undo his own robe in a show of encouragement, but Clark stayed his hand. 

“Let me go first. You may want to make a quick escape after. Plus, if this goes how I figure it will, it would be easier for me not knowing what you look like naked.”

“Clark, I told you, there's nothing you could show me that would change how I feel about you.”

“Just…let me do it this way?”

“If you insist.”

Lex watched as Clark disrobed, curiosity and arousal warring within him as swathes of smooth, golden skin were revealed. He knew from a few past instances - Clark hanging from the scarecrow post in nothing but his boxers, passing him in the hallway in just a towel that week the Kent's had shared their home with him - that Clark was well muscled, but he had definitely filled out even more gloriously in the two years since his stay at the little yellow farmhouse. Lex felt his mouth dry out as his gaze swept over Clark's defined pecs and abs, and then begin to salivate at the sight of the thin trail of dark hair that led down below the edge of the royal blue swim trunks the younger man wore. The scientist in him, while simultaneously thrilled and terrified that Kryptonian biology apparently mimicked human biology to the utmost perfection on the surface level, grew confused as he took in what appeared to simply be the most beautiful human male body he'd ever seen. He was promised oddities. 

He thought for a moment that perhaps the claimed difference lay in their genitalia, even though everything had felt normal when he had brought Clark off by hand the few times they had let things go that far. That assumption was refuted when Clark, blushing like one of Martha's garden tomatoes, shyly skimmed out of his trunks, tossing the balled up fabric on top of the discarded robe, his hands hanging at his sides as he let Lex look him over. 

His own cock twitched painfully in his trunks as he took his fill of the sight now revealed to him. Even limp and nervous, Clark's cock was slightly longer than Lex had estimated, though maybe a hair less girthy than his own. And, definitely human looking, albeit more in comparison to those in pornographic professions than the general male population. Christ, his fingers itched to brush through the surrounding curls of dark hair, to cup the full balls hanging heavy and feel their heft in the palm of his hand. 

“Um, Clark”, Lex took a step closer to the brunette once he had shown no sign of offering up any further explanation, “while I admit that you definitely have a physique made for sculpture, I'm kinda failing to see exactly what about your appearance is making you so apprehensive.”

“I know I look normal now, but, well…”

Letting his sentence trail off, Clark turned away from Lex and dove into the water before he lost his resolve. Speeding through the water to the shallow end of the pool, he felt the clench and pull of his body as the tentacles made their appearance. Forcing himself to resurface, Clark stood, the water level barely lapping up to his hips. He kept his gaze on Lex as he felt the tentacles elongate and slither about in the water, two of them sliding up his body while the others reached outward, seeking out the presence that had their owner's attention so occupied. 

Lex shook off the momentary amazement of Clark’s speed as he traveled almost immediately from the deep end to the shallows, focusing his attention on the movement he saw beneath the water after Clark stood up. Poking out from the dark thatch of hair at Clark’s groin, were a multitude of light purple appendages, all centered around his cock and wriggling. Tentacles. Clark had tentacles. 

“I didn't freak you out, did I?” Clark's shaky voice cut through the haze of Lex's thoughts, bringing his gaze up to the younger man's face. “I-I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I was afraid it would be too much. That…that you wouldn't want anything to do with me if you knew.”

Lex remained silent, looking back down to the water, where two of the slick protuberances had slid above the surface to skim up Clark's stomach. He was amazed to see that, even with Clark's anxiety, the brunettes' cock was definitively harder than it had been. His own was aching. Without a word, Lex swiftly disrobed and removed his own swimwear, diving into the water before Clark could take note of his obvious erection. 

Swimming across the pool and stopping just a couple inches beyond the reach of the tentacles, Lex stood across from Clark, not bothering to disguise the arousal he knew must be emanating from his expression. He couldn't even explain to himself why this discovery about Clark was turning him on so much. This kind of thing had never been a kink of his before. Maybe it was just that, this was Clark, at his barest, truest self. Revealed to him completely. The scientist side of him had gone silent, relegated to the back of his mind, as the animal part of his brain took the reins. 

He ached to touch. To feel the smooth, slick skin of those writhing tentacles beneath his fingertips. To see if his touch would bring Clark pleasure, same as it had with his cock. He wanted to feel them caressing his skin, sliding and curling around him. He wanted-

“Lex? Say something, please.” Lex wrenched his eyes away from the tentacles that were now straining closer towards him. Clark’s eyes were wide with fear even as his pupils had dilated with arousal. “Look, I understand if you can’t be with me after this, if you don’t want to be with me, sexually, now. But, please, Lex, tell me this doesn’t ruin everything.”

That worry, that fear, snapped him out of it. Lex closed the distance between them, holding back a groan as the searching tentacles slithered over his skin as he swam up to Clark. Standing up in the hip-high water, Lex reached a hand up to cup Clark’s face, his heart clenching at the way Clark’s features relaxed as he leaned into the touch. 

“Not want you? Clark, you could turn into a one-eyed, one-horned, giant Purple People Eater, and I would still want you. I want you, Clark, I love you, whatever that entails. There is nothing you could show me that would make me run for the hills screaming, nothing that would make me want to turn away from you.” Lex leaned in closer, pressing his cheek to Clark’s, whispering into his ear. “You may not be from this planet, Clark, but you have more humanity than anyone I’ve ever met.”

“You love me?”

Lex chuckled as Clark’s arms wound around him, pulling him flush against his solid, warm body. While his cock was still hard, his arousal muted, this moment of sweet affection more important than the lust that had fueled him moments ago.

“Did you even hear anything I said after that?”

“You love me, Lex, everything else is just icing.” Clark nuzzled into the side of Lex’s neck, and Lex felt the tentacles sliding around his waist and up his back. They seemed more playful and curious than sexually driven, and he wondered if they were tuned into Clark’s mood and reacted accordingly. “I love you, too, y’know?”

~~~~~

@leatafandom

[bit-of-a-nerd]

What Mike’s Room Means About Byler

we’ve all talked and hear about mike’s rooms queercoding. people talk a lot about the posters, which have two things: fantasy and men. men is obvious queercoding when you look at other characters rooms. the lack of women is interesting when making the case that hes gay not bi. but theres something that people dont talk a lot about

mike and el have a very strong sci-fi coding. that makes sense, its a sci-fi show, and their biggest season together was the season based as an homage to classic 80’s sci-fi films. creators have made comparisons to et, her powers in s1 had a strong “alien” vibe from sci-fi, and imagery with things like star wars. 

however, byler has a strong fantasy coding. their first scene (both at all, but also their first one on one scene) had to do with dnd (fantasy game). this coding does go away for a bit in s2 when dnd takes a bit of a backseat (except for dustin coining the name of the mind flayer). but its back again in full force for s3. their major s3 fight (with TONS of queer mike coding and byler coding in general) was after the failed dnd game. will’s dnd game had some of the most pure fantasty vibes that we’ve seen of st dnd games.  the music he used, the costuming, the village all screamed medieval fantasy. 

not to mention dnd used to point towards mikes conformity. him leaving it in s3 is a sign of conformity, but him returning shows him starting to embrace himself. his costuming at rink o mania show’s thats not fully the case, pointing towards something else being the root of the conformity. then one of the (if not the) biggest byler scene, and the crux of what will be a major byler focused plot point, is will’s painting and the van scene. the painting? A FANTASY DND FIGHT! there’s a reason people love cleradin au’s and love the ship names cleradin and wiseheart. because dnd, and by extent fantasy, are woven into byler.

so keeping all that in mind, lets talk about rooms. rooms are usually a place for self expression. posters and things that express who you are and your interests. we've seen the duffers use rooms to express this in the past. but, they’ve also used rooms to show attraction. we dont see the second point much in mikes season 1 room, but we see the first. his room is a reflection of his nerdy interests and his friends mainly (also closet imagery!!!). but now that hes growing into a teenager it makes sense that we would begin to see the second part when we finally get his room again in s4. 

so: interests, we see his fantasy posters and his guitar. his fantasy posters line back up with his participation in hellfire. not TONS there, but some signals to him adopting eddies style due to some facsination/hero worship/crush(???) of the guy (an example being the guitar).

but attraction is where his room gets REALLY interesting. he has MULTIPLE posters of shirtless men. his one way sign to the closet. does more need to be said? it does. because attraction to men and being closeted, doesn’t mean much for being in relationships. (again bi people do exist!! he could be closeted and still in love with his gf)

In this scene he’s reading a letter from his girlfriend, in their ‘perfect’ relationship, their sci-fi coded relationship. so, even with the attraction to men coded, maybe the duffers didnt see the need to recode his female attraction, they just added coding of his relationship into his room, right? he might just not be the guy to have a shrine to his partner, he might just be more subtle?

except all the posters are more fantasy leaning. which is a different genre from scifi. his room does not point towards his relationship with el. but we fantasy is the coding behind his and will’s relationship. the same relationship that in their time apart he’s somehow managed to start acting weirder around his best friend, and feel the need to assert that they. are. just. friends. the same friend who just got confirmed in love with mike, and is now a love interest. 

I know theres been a lot of talk about mikes room but people haven’t really talked about the fantasy aspect, or bylers fantasy coding and mlvns sci-fi coding. I think it’s a lot more important than people are giving it credit for. 

[raayllum]

it’s high key really annoying the attention toh gets on this website while no one acknowledges tdp exists

Yeah, sometimes I wish TDP got more recognition and appreciation in a fandom space for its storytelling (the parallels, the worldbuilding, the mature theme explorations) simply because we haven't had a western kids' show go this hard since TLOK (even if I think Korra stumbles in a lot of ways) and arguably ATLA in its explorations of war and morality, two things that TDP is obsessed with, as well as a sometimes overwhelming discussion of Grief.

However, to be frank, while many teen and adult fans of kids cartoons say that they want darker themes and storylines, what that usually means, I think, is more akin to something like TOH or She Ra, in which you know 1) your favourite characters will always typically survive with maybe one or two minor parental or villainous exceptions, and 2) one or two characters in an otherwise fairly cookie cutter 'good guy' cast will have a redemption arc or be quirky morally dubious in a way that's played for comedy, and there will be a handful of significantly "Oh Shit!" darker or creepier moments. The characters are mostly teenagers, the heavier plot stuff is regulated to a few standout episodes, with most of the other conflicts being things like figuring out how to make friends or struggling with not fitting in or deciding what you want to do with your life. And those are all good explorations, and it's not as though TDP doesn't touch on some of that (Callum is finding his place in the world, Rayla is 'changing careers', Ez struggles with his new responsibilities and not fitting in, Soren - like Hunter - leaves an emotionally abusive relationship with a parental figure).

But I think it's TDP's attachment of all of those things to morality that makes the emotional stakes higher and less comforting and/or comfortable for people who are, likely, going to fiction for escapism rather than exploration. (To be clear: one is not better than the other, I just know what my personal preferences are.) Rayla's 'career/schooling' change is whether she's going to kill people for a living; Callum deciding what sort of mage he's going to be is rooted in deciding how much he's willing to either slowly destroy himself or take on the impossible, both with some dire consequences; Ezran not fitting is is also tied to having mysterious, unknown magical powers the story still hasn't fully explained the root cause of. Yes, the three main kids are typically good people who want to do the right thing, but that's much easier said than done (Ezran burning the monster soldiers, Callum's ruthlessness, Rayla's self sacrificial tendencies manifesting in destructive ways). TDP is never going to have an episode of "I lied to my friends because I wanted them to think I was cool or not a nerd" or "I'm scared of them preferring someone else over me" or "I need to learn how to be a good friend" (hi TOH with like 5 episodes and She Ra).

Like Rayla lies to the boys, but that's because she isn't sure how to tell them that her father murdered theirs and made them orphans, and she's worried it will accordingly be a wedge between them.

Like, there's hardly any episodes of TDP that don't talk about grief or death or both in some manner. The show consistently explores unreliable narrators across all sides of its ethical spectrum(s). S4 has a subplot regarding religious traditions and the ethics of the death penalty. Most of Arc 1 and now into Arc 2 sees good people with good intentions or understandable motivations doing pretty terrible things to either themselves, the people around them, or both. The death and body horror imagery aren't one offs, but consistent series defining elements that are always treated seriously. Villains aren't people who don't love their families (or anyone) and good guys aren't good because they're good friends to one another. It's more complicated than that, from the body swap and discussions of the soul in S1, to the cycle of violence laid out explicitly in S2, to explorations of punishment and exile in S3.

Overall, I'm fine with the success and appreciation that TDP gets; some of my students watch it, actually, which makes it useful in some of our lesson discussions. Because TDP is a good show for kids, yes, but it certainly never pulls its punches in forcing all of its ensemble cast through the wringer.

TLDR; due to age demographics and tonal differences, particularly in character conflicts, themes, and amount of Lore, I'm not surprised at all that TDP is pretty underrated on tumblr. Again, doesn't mean these elements of 'maturity' make it Better (although I do think it's written more cohesively than She Ra and more consistently than TOH in its set up and payoff), I just know where my (and many other's) preferences lay accordingly, and am not surprised at the split.

[beevean]

Who's the protagonist of NFCV and who's the main villain?

No seriously think about it

Because Isaac, as favored as he is, only becomes a big player in S3, and his story ends halfway through S4, with him not really participating in the ending

At the same time Death also only came into the field in S3 and he was also pretty forced

Well... in theory the protagonist should be Trevor Belmont, and Sypha and Alucard should be the deuteragonists.

But this is a huge issue with the show: while S1 and S2 tell a coherent story, flawed but nevertheless with a clear beginning, progression and end, S3 and S4 completely lose focus.

What is the plot of the show, in its entirety? You can't say that it's about the gang stopping Dracula, because that only covers until S2. What does that make S3 and S4? They're almost like the epilogue, since a lot of the mini-plotlines are related to Dracula's death: Trepha have to deal with Dracula cultists + Death attempting to bring the man back, Alucard has to deal with his grief and loneliness, Isaac has to deal with being left alone to fend for himself in the human world, and the Styria vampires want to take advantage of the unrest left by Dracula to strike (and yes, they are the protagonists of that storyline, because as I've said multiple times Hector has stopped being a character with his own objective and growth). But... the epilogue is longer than the main story, at this point.

Fine, then. Let's treat S3 and S4 as their own thing. What are those seasons about? What is the macroplot told through all those little subplots? How do you summarize it without having to split it? I can't. I can find something resembling an unifying theme, which is the consequences of Dracula's death, but this is not a story, it's an anthology, each with their own arc villain. And that's not even mentioning the sheer disparity in screentime, quality, and relevance to the plot: Isaac is the most active agent in the ensemble of S3, and he's given all the love and development usually reserved to a protagonist, but by S4 his only role is pushing Carmilla into suicide and he's then unceremoniously dropped out of the story once he has served that purpose. On the opposite side of the coin, Trepha do literally nothing worth talking about, their screentime is completely wasted because the agent that matters is St. Germain, but Trevor is at the very last minute kicked back into the role of the protagonist for the sake of the final boss, a final boss that doesn't even have thematic relevance in the story, because there is no story in the first place! Death is the final antagonist because he's cool, but he might as well be replaced by Sala since they want the same thing anyway!

It's also worth pointing out how this microsplitting kills the pacing like nothing else, because if S2 had 8 episodes to tell 2 plotlines, the Hero and the Dark stories if you will (and the Hero story was a complete waste of time to boot), S3 has 10 episodes to tell 5 plotlines - Trepha, Alucard, Isaac, Styria, and St. Germain who is doing his own thing separately from Trepha! And somehow it still feels like nothing happened! And do I need to remind you how rushed S4 is, how eager it is to drop plot points?

And all of this is not even mentioning how most of the plotlines don't even intersect. As pointed out by many people, Trephacard don't even know about the existence of Hector, Isaac and the Styria vampires. Those are completely parallel plotlines. One effect of this is, of course, that it's hard to take Carmilla seriously as a menace, when the alleged protagonists don't even know that there was an mad vampire woman on the loose who planned to conquer the world. Another is that, well, it contributes to the lack of a macroplot. Hector and Isaac did their own thing, and their stories converged into the climax of the Styria story, but the Styria story has absolutely no impact on the other characters - and yet the Styria story is by far the most fleshed out and interesting, because the protagonists, the trio always promoted as being the center stage of the show, did absolutely nothing of value except killing Dracula: their stories were over by S2, but they still ate screentime.

NFCV has no real story. It has one short story that is a vague adaptation of Dracula's Curse that is concluded midway through, and then a lot of meandering. I suppose one could say that its strong suit is its character development, but... well. You can imagine I have a lot to say about that :P

[lovecolibri]

SaL anon here friend amazed at how we just keep winning!! 8b has truly been The Season for us. I really, really did not expect much from Eddie's confrontation with Helena, maybe a quick fight before all is forgiven, the show's history of bad parent redemption is well known. But no, they made her EVIL evil (with Ramon obviously a close second) and I cheered out loud at the end when Eddie put his foot down and took his kid back from them. Seriously just not even correcting people about being his father, that's just fucked. Oh and all Helena's little digs, and dismissiveness were so infuriating, the both of them just ignoring Eddie's hard work at every turn, I've never wanted to murder parents in this show so much in my life. And the Buckley parents aren't by any means innocents, but at least they aren't trying to steal the child of their son when they didn't like how things turned out after not raising their own. EVIIILLLLL. So yeah, I'm glad the show finally went there, stuck Ramon on a five hour ride home while Eddie got to smile bitchily at Helena and put her in her place!! At last, shitty unredeemable parents get to feel shitty in return.

And oh poor Hen 😢😢😢. I mean I get some of the story is meant to be funny but a lot of the time it just made me so sad to see her special day ignored by the people she loves, and after she's so happy, trying on cute outfits, and looking forward to the day, my heart hurt for her so, so much. I know the story involved a ridiculous amount of suspending disbelief (like Karen would ever forget!!), and it was all so she could connect with Archie, but still. That being said, I like that we actually got a personal storyline finally connecting with an emergency like the good old days (and not because somebody knows someone involved, but just because people are human and and we see each other in other's experiences, you know the reason most of started watching in the first place). So while I wanted to give Hen a big hug, I really did love what they did with her story.

Oh and finally the facetime calls between our two idiots were something else. I dare someone to call Buck just the "fun uncle" after these last two episodes. I think its perfect he way they're progressing Buddie along and seeing Buck really step in there at each and every step of Eddie and Chris' journey. He's always been there but the way they're framing things now, not as someone to help but THE person Eddie goes to, the show is screaming at us (and the audience in general) this is a family!! But finally, the overlong Chris and Eddie separation is over, now we just need to get them back to LA ASAP, though I wouldn't be opposed to Chris asking a few questions regarding his dad's codependence on a certain someone along the way....

So happy Friday friend!! Here's to keeping our fingers crossed that 8b keeps the hits coming 🥂!!

P.S. Any song thoughts on this one??

Hello my friend, and WOW is 8b off to a banger start! This episode was such a delight!

First, I am COMING for Diaz parents! The Buckley's were negligent, but at least Buck figured out they never liked him all that much and kinda gave up trying (not speaking on their "redemption" but we don't even ever really hear about them until s4 because he isn't bothering to keep them in his life). But Helena speaking with a smile while undermining Eddie at every turn?? Playing dumb about bringing food because she "forgot" he told her he was cooking, and about "forgetting" to tell him about the big chess tournament?? Guilt tripping him into taking steps back from his son's life every time he tries to move forward?? EVIL. But Eddie's choice to just not engage in her games, to smile while doing exactly as he wants and thinks is best for him and Chris, and to choose to seek joy vs seeking to punish someone else was SO GOOD! (I still think the Kim of it all should have been addressed at some point before now, and maybe it will be, but at this point I'm fine just moving on from that fuckass storyline.)

As for Hen, I'll be honest, my mom's birthday falls at a weird, busy time and I have had those years where I forgot, in that "I fully know your birthday is on the Xth of the month, I just was not aware that the Xth was, like, TOMORROW" kind of way and that's what it felt like happened with Hen, with people just not being oriented with where in the month they are. Like, Maddie was just kidnapped and had her throat cut and lost her voice which has been her and Chim's whole lives right now, Eddie moved and Maddie had *all that happen* which has been all of Buck's life right now, Bobby is building a new house and just found out his mom that he's been at odds with is dying, and Karen is shown to be swamped with the kids and some schedule changes probably threw off her internal calendar of what day it actually is.

The point is, the show has given us the audience all these valid reasons why everyone might have missed where in the month they were, BUT!! It didn't use them!! We didn't see any of the firefam offering excuses and Karen offers a bit of explanation, but doesn't try to brush it off as an excuse. (Toni felt very in character as Hen's mom that she loves but there's a reason they have often been at odds in their lives.) Instead we see first hand how *excited* Hen was to start the day, and we watch as she is let down again and again by the people she loves most, and does so much for! And by connecting the audience directly into Hen's pain and frustration, we're able to side with her in not just blanket forgiving everyone, even when it's clear they feel bad. We don't have to watch any excuses, just people who made a human mistake, apologizing for it in the best ways they all know how. That speech Hen made about knowing it's a silly thing and still being so hurt and being frustrated at her own hurt was SO good and so relatable and I love that she was allowed to sit in it and be hurt! We didn't have to watch people constantly badger her until she caved and said no she wasn't mad anymore, she was allowed to be upset and accept apologies in her own time. The best part around *all that* though was that it wasn't taken to an extreme serious drama point, it was allowed to be comedic (the balloons had me in *tears* when she was trying to get them all through the door!) without undermining the real hurt there, and it was all tied in with the emergency call which was ALSO a story about real hurt that wasn't undermined while still being allowed some tension breaking comedy beats.

The Buddie of it all was once again front and center, paralleling Bathena (why didn't my partner remind me about this important date/I love you but also the calendar is RIGHT THERE babe), and Buck offering the solid support he always has where he reminds Eddie that his parents are getting into his head and his instincts about his own child are NOT wrong. He doesn't try to solve things for Eddie, he just helps support Eddie to make the decision he thought was best but started second guessing because of his mom. And a FaceTime cooking date? Which you KNOW started 9 hours earlier as Eddie was prepping things for the slow cooker, and picked back up and hour before it was done?? Straight outta fanfic. Domestic married husbands behavior. A second call where no one at the firehouse bats an eye because this is apparently normal BuckandEddie behavior? Crazy pants. It's all so loud! And I LOVE that they didn't just abandon Eddie in Texas like when Chim went to Boston and we got a call or two spaced over several episodes and then one resolution episode without the firefam. This feels much more balanced and keeps Eddie included in this.

But also like, it's TIME!! Eddie, pack up your son and go hoooooome to LA!!

Overall a GREAT episode with a high rewatchability.

I'm a little under the weather today (we've had nasty high winds and I think it's stirred something up) so I can't think of a song right now. NGL I was just fully prepared to have mopey, sad, pining Buck and had West locked and loaded, ready to go! But while the sad pining vibes might not be there yet, I still think it could fit! Anything else you had in mind? We'll have time this week to discuss, as long as all hell doesn't break lose like it did last week! 🤣

Cheers friend, and strap in because it looks like we are OUT of fun and whimsy for the foreseeable future 😬

[variousqueerthings]

this may be my preference speaking, but i really do think killing mira off end s3 was possibly the biggest misstep in spartacus, especially in the way it was done (THIS IS WITH THE CAVEAT IDK IF IT WAS AN EXTERNAL THING, LIKE THE ACTRESS GETTING ANOTHER JOB. STILL THINK IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN WRITTEN DIFFERENTLY, BUT ANYWAY).

her arc was building to become something and that something was specifically going to be without her being tethered to spartacus romantically, but then it kind of ends her story on a whimper that doesn't really do her justice -- like a poor shadow of sura's death, in which she's just there to serve spartacus' pain, but doesn't really add anything of thematic value in its execution, because the whole point of her relationship with spartacus is that he'll never love her, and for her own sake she needs to let him go because she's got so much else potentially going for her

it opened up the potential and then immediately snuffed it out without going anywhere with it, or her, arc

i think the hints at her interactions with saxa, her contrasting opinions and temperament to spartacus and the bridge she creates between naevia and the wider cast (since i feel naevia is somewhat disconnected outside of her narrative with crixus in s4) makes her the glue between several parts of the plot -- especially the emotional plot -- that feel just a bit weaker without her there

like saxa gets paired with gannicus in a "pair-the-spares" kinda way, but neither of them are super connected to the rest of the main cast, because neither of them were placed with the main cast until s3 (outside of gannicus knowing crixus, but that's kinda more casual + oneomaus who also dies in s3) so they don't pull the other further into the main character sphere + they never really interacted before this season, so i don't care as much for them together and the show kind of feels a bit lukewarm on them anyway (setting up gannicus and sibyl who is also a new character). gannicus fairs better than saxa, because he becomes "one of the main four," but i do notice the female characters get a bit of short shrift when it comes to character arcs in s4 that aren't about A Dude (naevia, saxa, laeta, sibyl, even kore to an extent, but she's got some revenge to do as well)

and it's all good, it's fine, the final season is still really really good and it has an incredibly satisfying ending, one of my favourites of all time -- but mira as character was doing something that none of the others could do, she was a close friend to most of them from their time at the house of batiatus so her opinion holds emotional weight, which in many ways spartacus' doesn't always (he's like. philosophical weight. political weight. emotionally the whole point is that he's a wee bit of a stone wall because he'll never stop mourning his wife, right up until the latter half of the final season when he does try), and imo ought to have become spartacus' second in command, because without her this whole thing becomes a bit of a macho fest between spartacus, agron, crixus, and gannicus (i notice that they all kind of take on mira's role at times, with saxa and laeta also doing so now and again, but none of them with quite as much Weight to it again, because we've seen mira come to that place over the course of two seasons) (also agron and crixus spend a fair bit of time in s4 losing their damn minds, especially crixus)

and. tbh. she earned it more than any of those three. she and spartacus were planning before anyone else. she kept him from doing things that would harm others way back in s1, she was always the counter-voice to him and it would have been cool to see where they could have gone with that (whether it's her dissenting more, or whether people call her out for taking his side too much, or a mix of both or or or...)

also, while they do introduce three new main female cast members in the final season (kore, sybil, laeta), the only one that has kind of a similar role to mira is laeta, and it's, i would say, again something that would have been stronger if she had been there to witness and react to it, which, if im suggesting a point where she might have died, it could have been with crixus end ep8: spartacus has set out to create a new life and stop fighting, and laeta is his chosen partner for that. if mira -- who spent s3 coming to terms with the idea that spartacus would never love again -- saw that, it would make sense for her to go with crixus and naevia and agron (and would have had someone other than crixus for naevia to care about in those scenes)

without mira it's just naevia from s1 that's the sole woman survivor of the house of batiatus, vs spartacus, crixus, agron, and gannicus, and naevia, like crixus, is not making um... good choices in the first half of the season. and there's no one to ping off of when she makes those choices

naevia is having her whole trauma spiral and has nothing to contrast to so she just floats about doing Fucked Up Stuff, acting without anyone being able to challenge her emotionally, since crixus enables it (due to his own trauma Stuff), and that should have been mira! it's one of the more frustrating parts of this to watch, because naevia is a favourite, but in s4 she spends almost her entire arc either with crixus or off on her own killing people who haven't done anything wrong, and the viewer is kinda like... well that's no good. we need a character who is not gannicus who doesn't know her and whose contribution is calling her a stupid bitch getting in her face. someone she respects. lots of characters make dumb decisions on this show (on any show) and often in order for it to feel grounded, they need a voice at some point going: "hey. i am your emotional counterpart. we've been through shit together. and i am telling you. this is dumb. now are we going to remain friends or will this signal a split? which will be its own emotional arc." i would have been so into seeing naevia and mira fighting each other, because they've experienced many of the same traumas and are pinging off each others scars, to then making up and going on the campaign together

and. i like saxa a lot, she's one of my favourites too. but she's not a particularly deep character outside of what can make of her as a fan. if the story had done anything with the fact that they started out disliking each other, made up through the team-sparring sessions, and then saxa kissed her... well that's something to build on in s4, far more than "gannicus is currently single and saxa like to fuck"

IN CONCLUSION:

mira was by far the most pragmatic character in the cast and one with many emotional ties to characters that would have tied several characters more strongly to the core narrative + given those characters more emotional depth (naevia and saxa especially)

also would have served as a stronger tie between newer characters, especially laeta

would have broken up some of the narrative being so centered on romantic bonds over all others, giving the above female characters more to do than (mostly) follow a guy around

but also had a potential to write a sexual and possibly romantic narrative between two women (her and saxa) that wasn't for some guy on the show's titillation (yes, we had lucretia and gaia, but it wasn't all the way there, we needed that to be a springboard to a more developed relationship)

she carried the early rebellion on her back and her death should have been at a time that caused shockwaves through that rebellion and shook up spartacus' resolve in some way

it could have been deeply triggering to naevia and saxa, and depending on when she died (if it had been earlier in the season for example) then it also could have caused rifts within the main leadership of agron, crixus, and gannicus -- although my preference would have been end episode 8, beginning episode 9, or end episode 10, she's a final episodes character!

although if she'd survived the whole show, it could have been a great mirror to the beginning of the story, in which sura is destined to die to make events happen -- mira could have been destined to live despite everything being against her, keeping the spirit of spartacus alive through her survival

mira is way more "the spirit of spartacus" than any other character on this show, she's giving mirror arc!!!

basically there was just a lot more they could have done with her character and it feels like they were setting up for more, so it's less that "oh it's sad," and more "hmmm feels like a rewrite for some reason. it doesn't sit right, in the plot. everyone else's death is meaningful somehow. and hers just. eh. moving on. and in what feels like the middle of her arc, not the end of it. like they didn't know what to do with her and took the lazy way out, but there was so much they could have done"

and. saxa kissed her and they did nothing with that?? cmon!!

[addictedtostorytelling]

Hello, I have a GSR question. What would have happened if Sara had ended up in a serious relationship with Hank or somebody else? Not that she fell out of love with Grissom, but she assumed he didn't want to be with her and ended up getting serious with somebody else. How would Grissom have reacted and how would the GSR relationship have changed? Would GSR have ended up together in the end anyway? Thanks!

hi, anon!

so i actually have a couple of other posts that touch on this hypothetical, and, between them, they form the answer to my question:

this one talks about how grissom would have reacted had sara gotten engaged to someone else.

meanwhile, this one discusses how things might have played out had sara stayed with hank in the long run, and specifically how that decision on her part might have affected the events of s4/s5.

so to extrapolate from both of those posts, my short answer to your question is:

i think if grissom had the sense that sara was truly serious about hank or someone else—and especially if he supposed she had real feelings for this other guy—his initial instinct would be to back off, as he would feel like he couldn't (and maybe shouldn't) even try to compete.

however, even if he kept his distance, the truth is that for as long as sara was still in love with grissom, her relationship with hank or whomever she was with inevitably would come with an expiration date on it. she would never get to a place (emotionally) where she was truly ready to drop her guard and disclose to her significant other, and her withholding behavior/aloofness would eventually take its toll on the relationship.

if the guy pushed her to divulge more than she was willing to or started pressing for greater commitment than she was prepared to give, she'd bounce, and fast, or else she would behave in such increasingly standoffish and evasive ways that he would have no choice but to confront her, and things would devolve from there.

—and especially because she would presumably still be neck-deep in the ptsd and depression symptoms she only really starts to work through (in canon) during the course of her and grissom getting together in s5.

the center would not be able to hold, regardless of the "grissom of it all."

eventually, she'd either break up with her boyfriend/fiancé or he'd break up with her.

she would never be able to "go the distance" with anyone but grissom.

meanwhile, though grissom's initial instinct would be to leave sara to her "happily ever after" with someone else, if he picked up on the fact that she was in distress or got wind that her relationship was on the rocks, he wouldn't be able to keep himself away from her for long.

for as deeply seated as his doubts about himself may be, his impulse to help and support sara is stronger, even, than his self-loathing.

so if she started to display the same kind of self-destructive behaviors she canonically does in s4 and early s5 or he picked up on the fact that maybe things were not going well for her and his rival, you can bet he'd do something revealing.

and if he did? sara would be receptive.

so even if her relationship with hank or the other guy hadn't already been donezo by then, her renewed sense that grissom was still interested in her would almost certainly seal the deal.

if she got any hint of "daylight" with grissom, she'd drop the other guy like a rock, no question.

as i talk about in the post linked above, "i am of the firm belief that grissom and sara are inevitable—that no matter how stubborn and sometimes foolhardy and self-sabotaging they both are, eventually they do always find their ways to each other—which means that they would have someday gotten together in this scenario, albeit perhaps not quickly or in the same way that they do in canon."

for as long as sara were still in love with grissom, she'd never fully give up on her hope of them being together, even if she were in a relationship with somebody else, and that "one foot in, one foot out" approach would have negative implications for her and hank/the other guy.

meanwhile, though grissom would be intimidated by the prospect of sara being with someone else (just as he is in canon when she is with hank during s2/s3), if he perceived there were any "cracks in the surface" between sara and hank/the other guy, he'd eventually start nosing around again. he wouldn't be able to help himself. not for as long as he were still in love with her.

so the beats of the gsr storyline going forward definitely wouldn't be the same, were sara in a relationship with someone else past the end of s3.

almost certainly, the whole process of grissom and sara getting together would take longer and follow a different path than the one we know from canon.

but in the end, grissom and sara would still end up together.

sara would never settle down with someone who wasn't grissom, and grissom would never fully move on from sara even if she seemed to be getting serious with another guy.

like.

that's their whole thing in canon: they are both constitutionally incapable of getting over each other, even when they both temporarily see other people (hank peddigrew, teri miller), even when it might be better for their respective careers if they could interact solely on a professional level, even though so much time goes by and their dynamic becomes so impossibly complicated, etc.

the bottom line is that they are both ultimately each other's "one and only," and they always drift toward each other eventually, as if by magnetic attraction.

anyway. rambling now.

thank you for the question! please feel welcome to send another any time.

[willel]

If Will was mistaken for El and there was nothing intentional going on about him then i am going to say Will is a pretty irrelevant character in the story. Because what is his role exactly, being an accidental victim that Vecna decided to use at some point? And i guess he is gay and will be accepted or something. I think that is like the most boring character and narrative ever, especially bc his story never gets focus ever at all. I dont know why they would leave this for s5 at all.

Please reread the post. I'll screenshot the relevant parts.

I believe Will's circumstances is all of these things. I don't see how Will would suddenly become an irrelevant character just because he wasn't the original target.

If he was just mistaken for El for a split second on the road but discovered to be someone else, that means it took Vecna/Henry 0.5 seconds to change his plans and incorporate Will into them instead.

If he was mistaken for El for the entire chase and kidnapping and wasn't discovered to be someone else until he was taken into the Upside Down, that means despite knowing he wasn't El, Vecna had the Demogorgon chase Will down for an entire week. A seemingly easy task given what we saw the Demogorgon do in S4 and yet it took it an entire week to track him down "safely" for capture.

If he was mistaken for El for his entire kidnapping and wasn't discovered to be someone else until he actually caught by the Demogorgon, that still means the Demogorgon, despite its claws and sharp teeth which it will happily use on anything that moves.... "decided" to not harm Will in any way shape or form and gently posted him up on a library wall for the tentacles to have him.

It seems like people are looking at this in black and white like "It was completely on accident and a complete coincidence" or "it was completely on purpose and entirely planned out from the getgo."

No, right now I believe the Demogorgon was tracking down El that night and mistakenly confused Will for her at first. It perfectly parallels the rest of S1 where Hopper is chasing down El the entire time thinking she was WIll.

BUT THAT ISN'T ALL. Even though he might've been mistaken for El at first, I think the Demogorgon/Vecna realized he wasn't and STILL had an interest in Will because he is Will. I think there is something about Will that is close enough to El (or potentially more suitable to whatever he's planning) that made Will a valuable asset.

Even if him running into the Demogorgon was a wrong place wrong time situation, I think Will would've attracted the Demogorgon eventually anyway. If the Demogorgon was tracking El and already mistook Will for El once, then of course the potential for that to happen any time of day was very high. Their house is literally smack dab in the hunting zone. We saw it chase Joyce multiple times while she was just chilling in her home. Will likely would've always been a target.

Not only that, the fact that his kidnapping and capture was somewhat purposeful has already been proven thanks to S2. Even if you're someone who believes what happened to Will in S1 would've happened to anyone and it was a complete and total accident.... there's no way you believe everything that happened to him in S2 was also just a coincidence and an accident.

To me, in writing, whether it's the villains or the heroes, they should be able to adapt their plans when the need arises. If an easier way to accomplish the same goal pops up, then you should take it. If you find a shortcut, take it.

If you find a kid who is strangely similar to the one you were already looking for who is also strangely similar to you and seems to have some kind of potential spark........... then why wouldn't Vecna kidnap Will?

I mean, obviously he still wanted El but life gave him lemons in the form of William Byers so it only makes sense that he'd make lemonade out of it.

Did Vecna plan to kidnap Will the moment he escaped from the Upside Down? No I don't think so.

Did the Demogorgon/Vecna intend to run into Will that night on the street? No.

Did the Demogorgon/Vecna intentionally chase Will all the way to his house and kidnap him into the Upside Down even after realizing he probably wasn't El? Absolutely. We saw the Demogorgon chase Joyce at least 3 times or something. Compare those chases to the Demogorgon chasing Will through the woods, to his house, through a locked door, and then all the way into the shed....?

I hope you can see how it's a mixture of "happy" coincidence and intentional fluid plotting?

Even if this were all a complete accident in season 1, it's not an accident anymore. I still find the narrative of a kid getting wrapped up in a plot way bigger than him and suffering for no apparent reason compelling. It's that juicy eldritch horror stuff y'know? So it's still entertaining for me.