#anyway look at him flirting with the audience don't you hate him?

[javelinbk]

Proof that Paul is only ever one wolf-whistle away from making it gay

Paul McCartney talks about the Beatles sandwich on Parkinson, 3rd December 1999

[lala-blahblah]

I will never make this because it would be for an audience of one (me) but ever since reading "If we Were Villains" (story about serious drama kids in college who perform shakespeare and deal with a murder) I have been entertaining the thought of a crack fic crossover with High School Musical The Musical The Series where the staff decides they will no longer put on shakespeare after the tragic accident that happened at Thanksgiving, because Shakespeare plays would only increase the tension and drama. So they hire Ms. Jen who decides their spring play will actually be High School Musical (which exists in the 90s in this universe) and it ruins the vibe so much that everyone gives up on being dark and mysterious because they're universally pissed at Ms Jen for making them learn choreoraphed basketball dancing.

[fanaticsnail]

OMGGGGG I'm so excited you're watching this movie. You'll love it, trust me! The way I'm so obsessed and need you to be too. I've got the court jester downloading so I can watch it on my flight tonight, and I'll send a brainrot paragraph your way when I watch it.....only if you send one back lol.

-♡♡

Anything for you, ♡♡ Anon. I've got my hot Milo, my Tim Tams, and Griswold the ugly orange cat to watch it with. My Friday night date night 💃

I have decided to add my live commentary to this as I go for you:

Immediately, I am absolutely loving the friendship between the mother and her daughters. The teasing, and the love between the parents is spectacular. I don't know, but it's so joyful. The "When a daughter grows up, the mother becomes friends" motion is absolutely beautiful. I love Simran, her desire to fall in love is so incredibly relatable. Her glee is spectacular, and the yearning in the poetry is gorgeous.

-

Oh my gosh, the dance she does while correlating with Raj's unhinged persona is ridiculous. He's insane, and it's hilarious.

-

Raj's dad is equally as insane, but I also love their playfulness. What even is that? The fact that he loves his son so much, and celebrates him even though his shortcomings are painfully obvious to the audience.

-

NOOOOOO NOT AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE. SHE WANTS TO FALL IN LOVE! NOOOOOOOOO.

(I know that it is a cultural norm, but the foreshadowing and the emphasis on love depicts the yearning for romance, as opposed to having an arranged marriage set for her).

-

OH MY GOSH THEY MET AND DID THE BRUSH PAST. AAAAAAAAAAA. It's crack for me. They didn't even look at each other!

-

Oh my gosh, she wants to got to Europe too. Just like Raj 🥹.

-

DAMN IT RAJ COMING IN WITH THE MIGRAINE ASPRIN BULLSHITTERY. WHAT AN ASSHOLE. Beat him with the umbrella. Yell at him.

AND HE TOOK THE BEER ANYWAY? Oh my gosh, I hate him.

The daughters dancing with the mother reminds me of my own family. We did this often at home. Music and liveliness lives in my heart.

And angry dad. Yes dad. Justified dad. I'm on his side.

-

"When a daughter grows up, her father's shoulders start to droop. But with a daughter like you, my shoulders do not droop but my chest swells with pride." - your honour, I love Simran's dad.

-

AND HE HEARD HER PLEA AND LET HER GO TO EUROPE?!

Is this a romance, or we all out here simping for dad?

-

ANOTHER TIME THEY MEET!!!!! AAAAAAAAA.

A N D - T H E Y - H O L D - H A N D S

Raj is a cheeky lad. I am not fond of him so far. I hope he improves for Simran's sake. The constant attempt to snuggle and flirt with her is driving me insane.

-

Oh my gosh, she hates him. I love this. It's ticking my enemies to lovers box big time. Oooooooh and they're both going to the Paris Opera. And they hate it. This is funny.

Okay, I love Rocky.

HE USED THE SAME LINE ON THE FRIEND THAT HE DID ON HER. WHAT AN ASS-HAT. I HATE HIM.

-

Yes baby girl, get your revenge on him my darling. Publically humiliate him by making him live up to his lies.

WHAT THE FUCK RAJ. WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING TO THAT PIANO?!

The Simran slow clap. An icon.

OH SHIT HE CAN ACTUALLY PLAY. Fuck him. I hate him. Damn it. Cocky arrogant prick.

-

The iconic music scene. I still hate him, but he is so playful.

C'mon Simran, you can do better. (I can tangibly feel her tension and hatred rolling off her in waves). I also love her teal dress. I want one. Oh my gosh, her friend agitates me.

-

The flower humiliation trick. I hate him.

AND NOW THEY'RE STUCK TOGETHER. THEY MISSED THE TRAIN. She's crying, you asshole. She hates you.

All this needs is a one bed trope.

-

Okay, the "passport car rental police interruption" was kind of cute. I half-expected him to accelerate as soon as she reached the passenger door.

OH MY GOSH AND THEN THE CAR FAILS.

-

I CALLED IT. I CALLED IT. I CALLED IT.

Say it with me everyone:

One

Bed

Trope

-

And she's staying in the barn. AND HE HAS THE AUDACITY TO STAY IN THERE TOO INSTEAD OF THE ONE BED. DAMN IT RAJ.

And then it's snowing. It's snowing. And they're too cold. And there's cognac. WHY DON'T THEY GO INTO THE BEDROOM. THEY'RE SO STUBBORN.

And she got to the cognac. She's a woman after my own heart. I adore her.

-

SHE IS NOW AN INSANE DRUNK. She is feral, she is unhinged, she is about to break a window with a rock to get a pretty dress. They are singing, they are dancing, they are in love.

Shit.

-

He had gone too far with a joke, she is crying, oh shit. He's sincere, confessing his love for her after being an absolute scoundrel. The gentle thumb caress on the hair. THE CUDDLE. "Don't joke like that ever again," "I'm sorry," -> romance.

-

Okay. He has the same dream as her to fall in love. The call back to the original song. AAAAAAAA.

He's starting to catch feelings, I can tell. She's absolutely not yet though.

-

The admission of love with the sincerity before the "pfffft, I'm joking. I'm a silly joker, aren't I" RAJ YOU'RE NOT FOOLING ANYONE. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. She likes him, he likes her. Damn it.

"What if we fell in love, Simran? What then? 🤌"

"..."

GOODBYE MY GUY.

-

"No I won't come to your wedding," he says with tears pooling in his eyes and glazing over with unconfessed desires and bitter melancholy.

He is so in love. He is so in love with Simran.

He is fantasizing about her. He can't help it.

Poor Simran thinks he hates her

HOLD UP SHE'S SEEING HIM TOO.

-

DAD IS A N G R Y

Her confession is literally everything.

He's an angry dad. "We're leaving for India tomorrow for good." A sealed fate. Oh my gosh, this movie literally has every trope.

C'mon interrupted wedding. You can do it, interrupted wedding.

OR A PLANE TRIP. I'd take a plane trip.

-

HE SHOWED UP AT THE HOUSE AND HE WAS TOO LATE. Oh my gosh, I love it. He's so in love with her.

And now they're in India and dad thinks he's won. The parents are so happy. They are all teary, I am all teary. We are all crying. Everyone is crying.

"I have held these tears back for 20 years," grandmama, I love you. You beautiful woman.

-

Oh, the beau is a WANKER.

Okay, I'm rooting for you Raj. You can do it. Come get your lady. Simran deserves happiness with you.

I hate the beau. I can't. The dialogue and asshollery with the baby sister. Nooooooo. No, honey, no!

Side note: I am in love with the outfits here.

-

HE'S IN INDIA. THE COWBELL RETURNS.

That field looks ripe for the running. You better run, girly.

SHE RUNNING. SHE RUNNING TO HER MAN!!! AAAAAAA. Their love is so tangible. I love it.

Those contrasting colours are spectacular.

-

"I didn't come here to run away with you... I came here to make you my bride." OKAY RAJ, I SEE YOU. YOU HAVE WEASELED YOUR WAY INTO MY HEART. DAMN IT.

He's if Buggy the Clown, Usopp, and Sanji combined into one beautiful man. He's so in love.

-

RAJ, WHAT THE HELL MY GUY?! You were doing so well, and then you prank the fiance??!! What the hell??!!!

-

Oh NO. PREETI LIKES RAJ. NOOOOOOOO. The beau's sister likes Raj. Raj likes Simran. Simran needs to marry her beau. ITS GLORIOUS.

-

Dad recognises Raj. Ohhhhh nooooooo. Noooooooooooo. Oh no, how horrible. How beautiful.

I do not enjoy the fiance. I am glad I was swayed by the rascal, Raj.

-

He's wooing all of the women in Simran's family. I love him so much. He is absolutely unhinged. He is trying so hard with dad, and it's just not happening for him.

This movie is amazing, I can't even.

OOOOOOOOOH NOW WE'RE BACK WITH THE FORESHADOWING WITH THE BIRDS.

AND RAJ IS DOING IT TOO.

-

A STOLEN ALMOST KISS.

Oh my gosh, ♡♡ Anon. I don't know why I didn't watch this sooner. You should've been yelling at me way earlier.

Raj is trying so hard to win over dad, and it's just not happening 😭.

-

"No idiot can give you a ring and take you away from me." -> be still my frozen heart.

And the little peck on the cheek 😭😭.

"I really don't like Kuljit... But I do like the man on the roof." SHE SAW THEM. LITTLE SIS SAW THEM TOGETHER. AAAAAAAAAAA.

-

Simran you little shit, coming in hot with the bandage trick to avoid wearing Kuljit's ring.

Oh my gosh, Raj is singing to her again. WHY AM I SO IN LOVE WITH THIS??

-

THE SCREAM.

The SCREAM I LET OUT WHEN DAD STARTED SINGING TO HIS LADY. THE GASP I GUSPED. THE SHRIEK I SHRUCK.

Oh my gosh, dad being playful. I am in love with Simran's dad. Also, Simran is gorgeous, j don't think I've said that so far.

-

RAJ NOOOOOOOO.

How's he gonna get out of this one?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DON'T INVITE YOUR DAD TOO.

-

....do I have a thing for Raj's dad too.

What is wrong with me? Why am I like this?

AND WHEN HE BUMPED INTO AUNTY. AAAAAAA. MY HEART SCREAMED.

-

The blessing from Raj's dad. The silence that held all meaning. My gosh. I am obsessed.

-

Okay, the way I am going to incorporate some of these elements into Crocodaddy's Sapsorrow fic... The stubbornness particularly.

-

NO MAMA NO

-

YES MAMA YES

-

Oh my gosh, you asshole Kuljit!!! I hate you. He's fully intent on cheating, isn't he? What a dishonest prick.

NOT GRANDMAMA

-

Oh my gosh, how are they going to get through this? How are they going to get together? I'm literally screaming.

-

YES GO OFF DAD

-

Oh my gosh.

This movie.

This movie.

This damn movie.

Oh the confession, the fighting, the violence, the forbodence.

JUST AAAAAAAAAAAA

-

"Let me go to my Raj"

"Go Simran. Noone could ever love you more than this boy. Go to your Raj."

C'MON MAN. C'MON.

[capybaraonabicycle]

Do you ever think about the difference between River's and Clara's trust in the Doctor? The polar opposites they are? I know I've made the joke before that Clara would expect a sunset to admire her back. But it's more than that.

On the one hand we have River's

And if I happen to find myself in danger, let me tell you, the Doctor is not stupid enough, or sentimental enough, and he is certainly not in love enough to find himself standing in it with me!

And then on the other hand there's Clara's

I don't know [where the Doctor is]. But I know where he will be. Where he will always be. If the Doctor is still the Doctor, he will have my back. (Clara reaches behind her.) I'm right, aren't I? Go on. Please, please, go on, say I'm right.

(I mean, there is some slight hesitation on Clara's side but honestly only because the Doctor has just regenerated. If she was talking about 11, that last part would look differently.)

You notice something? They are saying almost exactly the opposite thing.

And neither of them are wrong. Both are just direct consequences of how the Doctor treats them, of how they act vis-a-vis them.

River is used to them failing her, leaving her, pushing her away. She has also seen the Doctor at their lowest when they fail other people, forget them and she has literally studied their behaviour at uni. Plus, she is an independent time traveller. You bet (and the eu will tell you) she has been in numerous situations where there was no Doctor whatsoever to save her and she had to do it on her own. And then there is the whole guilt thing that flows both ways. With the Doctor ruining her childhood and her killing him several times. And then giving her lives to save them.

Clara has seen them at their worst, too, or at least she will. But she is used to being above that. She is used to being the ONE, the main focus of the Doctor's attention. She does not really remember the times they couldn't save her, and anyway, that was not 'her', not really. She only travels with the Doctor, she is used to them always being around and being fixated on her. Plus, you know, the whole showing off to her, flirting with her, wearing a face she would like. Also, she has only recently understood that she doesn't know the Doctor that well and she needs the reassurance here that they still ARE focused on her.

And that behaviour of the Doctor again is just a direct action of how the Doctor - who is doomed to lose everyone they love, who hates goodbyes - meets River and Clara:

River, the woman who dies on their first encounter. Who he has already lost. Whose death is already hurting and will hurt more and more the closer they let her towards their hearts.

Clara, the woman who lived. Who died again and again but came back to them anyway, the woman who gave him hope when the Ponds were gone because maybe this was one person he did not have to lose.

Also, and that is interesting about the scenes, too: River is a diamond and Clara has blown in on a leaf. They are both afraid here, but it's different. River is more angry, and a little smug, because she already knows a way out. Clara is terrified. Like, she is doing amazing here, don't get me wrong, but she is basically at wits end and think she will die.

And that can also be seen in how the Doctor treats them.

They trust River to handle herself. Even when they don't trust HER, they always let her do the dangerous stuff. Not the suicidal one, if they can help it, but they have seen her jump down skyscrapers; they'll let her storm into danger and expect her to be fine. (Also because they already know this is not when she dies. And honestly, we as the audience tend to do the same, I never worried much about River's safety, much more about her mental health.)

And Clara is fully human. Whenever they can, they try to keep her out of danger, do the dangerous stuff themselves; just like they do with most companions.

It is absolutely no surprise to me how differently the Doctor behaves towards them and how differently they know them in consequence. Is it fair to either of them? No. But in my mind it makes perfect sense.

It also obviously has something to do with the fact that Clara considers herself a goddess, basically and River knows she's a goddess but also believes it's the goddess of chaos and despotism.

[bloodgulchblog]

Alright fuck it, s2e1 liveblog.

I'm watching this with people later so the goal is just to get through it enough to sate my impatience, so I'm back to ye olde standby of watching it at high speed with subtitles on. (...Only I guess I'm gonna be slowed down by making comments, huh?)

Spoilers and uncharitable opinions and unfunny jokes will follow.

Not going to talk about stuff in the episode opener until it comes back bc there's not enough to say anything about.

5 minutes in and we're already doing whatever this is huh?

6:30 - Alright okay, fuck, Vannak took his spine pellet out and gets to have one (1) personality trait and it's animal facts and I kind of don't hate that. TV Chief is very unlikable but characters like Kai and Vannak playing the angle of having very youthful quirks bc having emotions is new is cute.

~10:00 - I have nothing to say yet about spooky shapes in the fog but I think this shot of Chief back to back with a marine is fun. Also I wonder if Corporal Perez (this character) will still matter 5 minutes from now.

Also looks like the foggy sword fight from the trailer is here, too difficult to get any kind of cap that doesn't suck out loud. I'm thinking about how I heard someone making a big deal about how Season 2 feels "less like a video game" (whatever that means), meanwhile "fog full of stealth sword guys trying to kill you" feels very very video game level.

~13:00 - Man, and I really thought that sword fighting stuff in the trailer was a solid indicator they were dragging Thel 'Vadamee into this mess. Hey guys look, Arbiter's in this season. 4,000 of him!

Additionally, if a bunch of people decide this is a ship the fandom owes me twenty dollars.

~15:00 - Congrats to Perez for surviving five minutes. Also, we're still doing whatever this is:

16 minutes in we finally get the show's opener. (It has the Halo in it now, I don't think it was there before but let's be perfectly honest it's not like I cared a lot.)

~17:30 or something, reminded once again that a lot of people are attracted to this actor

Also guess what, Keyes is an Admiral now I guess????

Do we think he still gets to get eaten by the Flood eventually? Do we think the Flood will even be in here? Place ur bets at the counter.

Anyway, they're basically diving into a big timeskip here where a bunch of planets have been glassed since last season (including Madrigal). This whole AU is weird to the bone in terms of how its timeline is shaking out.

Anyway anyway, aww here we go

"I'm not here to replace Dr Halsey, I'm here because I believe in you!"

Ohhhhh he knows all the Spartans' names already, ohhhhh they want the audience to like this mf so bad, they want it to be such a tweest that he sucks shit-

Moving right along, at 22:30 we have the Rubble having a crowd decide whether various refugees should be spaced or taken into indentured servitude, because of course we do.

tl;dw the nebbish redhead knows where Catherine Halsey is and there's a big bounty out for her and he's trying to use it as a bargaining chip to not die and everyone thinks that's very funny, also Soren is here. I guarantee he decides to go after her, but first we have to have a scene cut back to whatever TV Chief is doing.

Man I'm really noticing they haven't shown the weird ridged rubber tech suit yet this episode, I wonder if they decided to replace it.

Anyway here's Perez, I still think they want people to start shipping:

Then Jimmy Rings has a meeting with tv show's new guy they want you to like so bad.

Also he says "The O-N-I" like a complete tool. (This is how you know he sucks.)

And while I'm talking trash about him: Ackerson stop flirting, didn't they tell you nobody's allowed to be gay in Halo? Get your shit together.

Thus ends the dream of the funniest possible universe where we just had Cortana: The Show forever. Someone get the penny whistle. My heart will not go on. 😢

Fuck, I was doing timestamps, right? I'm like half an hour in.

THEY STILL WANT YOU TO THINK ACKERSON CARES, BY THE WAY, IN CASE YOU DID NOT NOTICE

They're laying this on so thick so fast there's no way he's not a shitweasel in this AU, but also that would be the funniest possible thing to me.

(If anyone ships this, the fandom owes me forty dollars and therapy.)

ANYWAY... Action figure time. (Remember to boycott Jazwares!)

Soren's kid is playing with a MASTER CHIEF ACTION FIGURE and being weird, meanwhile Soren's wife is calling him out on shit and reminding him that refugees being turned away is, you know, bad.

Congrats to Soren's wife for continuing to be the most unexpectedly sympathetic supporting character I guess, but they made Soren so unlikable off the 1st season it's hard for me to feel investment of any kind here.

35 minutes in: the Spartans are watching a space TV broadcast. They have Ca-ADMIRAL. Admiral. Admiral Keyes presenting the Colonial Cross to Corporal Perez for blah blah blah you saw the start of the episode. The shape of the ceremony and the hovering tv drone thing are obvious H2 references.

(Does this mean Perez is our Sergeant Johnson now? Vote with your phones.)

Get your face out of here, Ackerson, I know what you are.

Oh god there's another team of Spartans (Cobalt) and having adult Spartan-IIs call each other names like children is fucking weird.

Aaaaand tumblr is capping the number of images I can post here and I'm still only about half way done. Fuck. I am not doing this this way for Episode 2 I can promise you that.

(Also hey look the tech suit is back, I guess Silver Team doesn't use it so much anymore to show you they're more human now or whatever?)

[theotherhalfoftheshell]

A drabble from one of the hundred Rockstar!Dabihawks AUs in my head ♡ (no beta, just brainrot)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Touya wiped the sweat from his brow looking out over the crowd in the sold out stadium, "so it's about that time in the show when the rest of the band gets to wimp out and take a little break while I play some acoustic songs,"

The crowd cheers and laughs as his bandmates pelt him with empty water bottles and towels voicing their disapproval as they leave the stage, "boo me all you want, I'm right!"

"As if you don't love having the stage to yourself, fucking diva," Spinner jokes, Touya filps him off in response.

"Anyway, normally I like to ask you guys what songs you want to hear but a certain stab happy princess,"

Toga reappears on the side of the stage, posing a little for the audience in case they didn't know who he was implying.

"Has made a request that I can't refuse for the sake of mine and everyone else's sanity," Touya jokes, rolling his eyes at the little kiss Toga blows his way. "Now I don't know if she's just trying to push the gay agenda or if she just really likes to remind people that I'm an avid Tay Haste fan."

The crowd erupts with cheers, it's not often they do covers on tour but their Haste covers were well loved by their fans, so Touya didn't really mind when Toga had requested they song; A little apprehensive since when the others rarely made request and they'd all seemed rather …chipper? When he'd argued to this one.

Ugh he's starting to sound as paranoid as Shiggy claims he is.

"Quit stalling lover boy!," Toga heckles.

"I can still change m mind ya know," Touya throws back, finally sitting with his guitar in hand. Toga ignores his empty threat.

"Well, you guys ready then?" He started strumming the first notes as the crowd cheered, "Our secret moments, in a crowded room…"

Touya couldn't help that his mind wandered to Keigo everytime he played this song, maybe that's why Toga picked it. A hopeless romantic through and through. And yeah he couldn't deny it fit him and Keigo a little too well.

When they first met (no buzz cut and Touyas hair box dyed black thank you very much) Keigo's management were keeping him on a short leash, saying he needed to portray the image of a ditzy flirt, easy but unattainable. The only time he was to be seen with others would be for pre approved contracted relationships that furthered his career.

Him falling head over tail feathers for the grungy reject of the Todoroki clan was definitely not going to fly. Touya returning those feelings and doing his best to break the pretty bird from his gilded cage didn't help either.

The years they had been forced to keep their relationship quiet had been miserable. Showing up to events separately, sneaking behind the scenes to properly congratulate each other, only being able to refer to each other as 'good friends' when the public saw how close they were.

"There is an indentation, in the shape of you," Touya grins to himself as he sings, "you made your mark on me a golden tattoo."

He'd taken Keigo to get his first tattoo the day his contract ended. Celebrating Keigo's new freedom and going public with their relationship the same day, to very mixed reviews.

Their loyal fans supported them wholeheartedly, having already guessed at their relationship from nearly the beginning, with a creepy amount of stalker like evidence and Touyas own lyrics to back up their claims.

Others hated that Touya, strung-out talentless nepo baby Touya, was tainting their golden boy.

It had only taken one interview with a newly freed Keigo absolutely gushing about Touya for them to realize their criticism would be falling on deaf ears.

"Now I woke up just in time, now I wake up by your side," Touya grins, really getting into the song at this point. Who could blame him when flashes of Keigo sleep rumbled hiding from the sun in their bed flashes through his mind, "my one and only, my life line."

Out of the corner of his eye he sees Compress sneaking across the stage, probably trying to get some videos for their socials. Touya can't deny how well videos of him simping do, almost as well as their unofficial band mascot, Mon-chans.

Fuck it, it's not like he ever wanted to hide his love he belts out the little 'ah, ah, ahs' silencing his guitar for the next part, "Say my name and everything just stops…"

"Touya."

His breath catches in his throat as Keigo's voice whispers his name over the stadium speakers.

Years of practice and performing did nothing to save him from stumbling over the next line as he tries to get his heart back to a normal rhythm, "I don't want you like a best friend."

The crowd erupts in cheers, almost as stunned as Touya.

So thats what those fuckers were up to. Oh god they definitely got a video of his face doing something stupid.spirits they would be teasing him about this for months.

Touya wonders if he can get a version of the song with Keigos voice in it for himself. He'd never be able to hear the song another way now.

[this-is-krikkit]

For the drabble challenge your grace, I request number 29. I was going to pick something much worse but I thought I'd be nice this time :)

send me a number (and a ship/character) and i'll write a drabble

thank you for: the prompt, calling me your grace (i will be requesting that you do so all the time from now on though, cheh), and for picking something nice (although now i def want you to send me the worse one!!!). know that this almost went somewhere really, really dark, but drunk me decided against it.

The Poll

Prompt 29. How is my wife more badass than me?

Tags: levihan, actor AU, the 104th kids, silliness

now edited and posted on ao3

The SNK panel is going well so far, although it's the last day of the convention and even Hange and Conny's social batteries are running low -Levi's has been empty since the end of the first morning, to no one's surprise- but they're pushing through bravely. Only a few more hours before they can all head back to their homes, and Levi can recharge -and take care of Hange as she goes through her usual post-convention depression.

"Hange," the host calls out, finally leaving a red-faced Armin alone after a round of merciless questions about his character's newly revealed romantic arc, "you were elected most badass character from the latest special episode in a fans poll, outvoting even Levi and Mikasa's characters. We've talked about that amazing last fighting scene of course, but I don't think I've heard you describe that emotional goodbye with Levi before. How was it filming that goodbye scene?"

Hange doesn't immediately reply, and Levi can tell they're uncomfortable although they've all been briefed and Hange okayed this topic. He understands their unease as he absolutely hates having to rethink about their last moments on set -well, last until their fleeting appearance in the last part of the season, but the fans don't know that yet- and so for once, he's the one who speaks up and switches the topic.

"Oi, what did they say you beat me at?" he asks, turning to Hange but speaking in his microphone so everyone hears him.

"Most badass character, babe," Hange replies with a thankful grin, flicking her short hair back.

People, both fans and castmates, laugh at the exaggerated gesture.

"Are you guys kidding? How the f- hell is my wife more badass than me here?" he asks, glaring at the crowd and host in the typical way his character is famous for. "She threw herself to her death and left me half to go on and fight my ape arch nemesis and that giant bony monstrosity when I was still half dead and missing parts of my dominant hand-

"Well, as your character said, Levi, two fingers is all you need," she interrupts.

She winks at him -well, blinks, but he's learned to read through her attempts by now- and he prays he's not blushing as hard as he does every time Hange unexpectedly flirts with him in public, even years after they've made their relationship public. Someone -Eren, that's gotta be this shithead Eren- whistles suggestively, and Levi takes a deep breath in before clearing his throat.

"Anyway, my character is the most badass, period. Yours isn't even on the show anymore."

Hange laughs as a few shocked gasps escape the audience.

"Don't hold it against him, folks, Levi's still a little shaken up by that scene," she explains.

"Was it a difficult moment for you to film as well, Levi?" the panelist attacks again.

Levi looks down, then sideways at Hange, and the smile on her face falters as she hears his silent plea to get him out of there.

"Well, it was interesting as actors to portray feelings those characters don't usually display," she starts, "and it was a challenge to do justice to this particular scene. One I hope we lived up to, although from what i've seen in some tweets-

"To be fair, you guys were exhausted by the time they finally called that scene a wrap," Jean interrupts on Levi's other side.

"Why? Did it take long to shoot?" the host asks now, clearly desperate to finally get a reply to at least one of their questions.

Eren laughs, and the rest of the cast has a smile on their face they all try to hide when Levi loudly clicks his tongue at him.

"Oh, come on. I can say it, Hange, right?" he asks, although he sounds a bit less sure than his usual self.

And to Levi's horror, Hange simply chuckles and nods.

"Yeah, go ahead. It's probably going in the bloopers anyway."

Eren sighs in relief, and Levi hides his face into his arms as he awaits his fate.

"I was behind the camera watching them acting this scene out since it was one of my favorite moment from the script," Eren picks up in his most dramatic tone, "and it took them hours to get it right. But not just because one of them cried or messed up their lines, no... the real recurring problem was, those two kept ending it with a goodbye kiss! And since Hange was supposed to fly away right after her last line and that kiss wasn't scripted at all, they had to redo it over and over again, while our director was pulling at his own hair and yelling at them to stop making out!'

The crowd erupts into a chorus of laughter and exicted squeals, and the other cast members join in as they remember that day on set.

"I'm going to kill you, Jaeger," Levi says as he sits back up.

"Hey! No spoilers, old man," the young star retorts.

Hange snorts out a laugh, and Levi stares daggers at her instead. All she does is put her hand on his knee under the table, squeezing gently, and he doesn't pay attention to whoever is getting tortured now.

He only looks into Hange's eyes, glad to finally be rid of that damned eye patch prop she's had to keep on for the last season and loved a little too much -and is most definitely planning to steal from the set, he bets- and can only thank the universe that this is all fiction and his Hange's alive and well by his side.

[cadrenebula]

Prompt #8: Extra Credit

(Modern Fantasy AU with Aryn, Cedrik, Valen, and Ronove (as Jesse) Contains minor violence from a vampire attack.)

Valen sung his heart out to the crowd gathered here for the show tonight. His favorite backup dancers supporting him throughout the show all evening. None of them missing a beat with their steps. Not that he thought they would. No, his dancers were well skilled in their art. He matched them step for step as they had taught him for the song.

Swinging around to pause in the middle of the stage with his four dancers around him as the song was reaching it's climax. Running a teasing hand down the front of Aryn's body with a grin before he danced away and continued the song. Leaving the viera dancer to follow after him as they practiced. Only for Jesse to step between them an act like the jealous lover as the blue haired midlander put his hands on Aryn to stop him. Valen naturally singing about how to be a heartbreaker. Winking at one of the two female dancers as she pretended to swoon.

It was the final song of the night though thankfully. He was growing tired from performing for hours to a well packed crowd in the arena. The dancers and musicians were probably getting just as tired. Whose idea was it to perform for this long for a crowd anyways? Not that he didn't enjoy doing it. Maybe he ought to talk to them about having a break in the middle of a show.

Valen thanked the crowd as the song finished. With it the show for the night. Waving and blowing kisses towards his audience as he headed off stage to catch up with his crew.

"Great show, everyone!" Valen chirped happily as he draped one arm around Aryn's shoulders and the other around Jesse's. "I am so excited that it went so well. Did you see the size of that audience?"

"Naturally. How could we miss it?" Aryn laughed as he gave Valen a quick peck on the cheek before removing the singer's arm. "However you have an after party to go to according to your manager." Teasingly giving Valen a playful swat on the behind. "Besides I need to take Jesse to meet with his boyfriend~!" Sing-songing the last word.

"Haha. You act like we haven't been dating for months now." Jesse stuck his tongue out at Aryn as he slipped free of Valen as well. "Get going, Valentin. Don't keep your adoring fans waiting. I'm sure you want to get a quick shower and change before going to that party. You don't have time to shamelessly flirt with Aryn. I swear you two only ever have one thing on your minds."

Now Aryn gave Jesse a playful swat on the arm. The group of them were all close clearly by the way they all interacted. Friends from even before Valen started becoming popular with the masses. Aryn draped his arm over Jesse's shoulder as they waved Valen off.

"Well let's get going. Hate to keep that cutie of yours waiting. What was his name again? Lee?" Aryn asks teasingly, purposely getting the name wrong.

"Elijah." Jesse huffs and rolls his eyes before giving Aryn a gentle shove. "And I definitely don't want to be late. He's making dinner and I am -starving- after all that work."

Aryn and Jesse laughed warmly at a joke between them as they walked out the backdoor towards where their car was waiting. They often arrived together for shows to avoid them both fighting traffic. Especially since Valen often couldn't leave with them. The girls were nice but they preferred to go to the parties with Valen to connect with other people. Aryn was normally a party person himself most days. He just didn't like the host of this party so he'd offered to save Elijah the trouble of picking up Jesse later. Jesse wasn't keen on high traffic driving around the city.

Aryn frowned as he looked up. Was the alley this dark normally? He could have sworn the light was confirmed working when they setup the venue. The manager usually took things like this seriously for the safety of everyone. But now the light above was dark and the shadows seemed extra worrisome. Something didn't sit right with Aryn. But Jesse had kept walking, only stopping when he realized that Aryn wasn't following.

"What's wro--" Jesse's words cut off as something grabbed him. A pained scream soon followed.

"Jesse!" Aryn hollered as he raced down to try an help his friend. Skidding to a stop as he came upon what had grabbed Jesse. A set of bloody teeth grinned up at him from the creature that was holding a his limp friend. Magic sparkled at the tips of Aryn's hands as he prepared to have to fight whatever this thing was that had just decided to chew on Jesse. "Get away from him!"

"Ah you did save me one." Hissed a voice behind Aryn that made him spin around as glittering golden light surrounded his hands. Another of these things had snuck up behind him. Aryn swallowed hard as he looked between the pair. If he went after the one holding Jesse, he left himself open to attack by this new one. His ears drooped as he chewed on his bottom lip.

Just as the one behind him seemed prepared to leap at him, it went down with a strangled cry at Aryn's feet. A blade protruding from it's back. Aryn blinked in surprise as he stared at the man at the dimly lit area of the door they had come from earlier. One hand outstretched as if he'd been the one to throw the blade that had landed through the creature's heart with force. It was hard to make out the exact features of this mysterious man other than the telltale ears of a viera.

The man rushed forward before Aryn could react. Hand reaching out to grab the blade and rip it from the downed vampire's body. Breezing past the startled dancer to lunge at the other one holding Jesse. All Aryn could tell was his savior had a pale pink hair and moved with speed. The first vampire had quickly dropped Jesse as he attempted to escape the hunter that came for him.

Cedrik cut off the vampire's escape as he skidded to a stop right in the creature's path. Giving the thing a 'tsk' as he pushed off for another lunge. Swinging with first one blade, dodged by his foe. Only for the swing of the second blade to catch the vampire across the chest in a shallow wound. Spinning around to cleave a blade down in another swing as the vampire staggered. He was a dance of death with his blades.

Aryn watched, surprised, till he heard a weak groan come from his friend. Rushing to Jesse's side as he let this stranger handle the immediate danger for the moment. His still glowing hands went to the terrible would torn into Jesse's shoulder near the neck. So much blood. Aryn wasn't even sure when he'd started crying as he tried to stop the blood loss from being fatal. But the damage and what the vampire had drained was like fighting a losing battle.

"It's too late to save him." Cedrik stopped before where the two friends where once he was finished killing the other vampire. Cedrik crouched down as he gently took Aryn's chin in his hands. "I'm sorry."

Aryn's gold eyes blazed as he glared at Cedrik. He wanted to deny it with every fiber of his being. He wanted that to be false. But part of him knew it was true. Whatever had attacked them had taken Jesse from them.

"Come on. In case there are others still lurking about. They hunt in small packs if they hunt in a city. They will come for you." Cedrik stood and reached out to grab Aryn's arm to try and get him to come along.

"But... Jesse... I can't..." Aryn stammered as he didn't want to let his friend stay laying there. What would he tell Elijah? Or Valen? Seven hells... This had to be a nightmare that he just needed to wake up from.

Cedrik looked torn for a moment. He knew he should stab the dead man just to be sure he wouldn't turn. But to do that in front of this gorgeous dancer... He found himself unable to do so. Not when he'd liked watching this man dance. Something always drew him like a moth to a flame when it came to Aryn. He'd been here watching the show tonight just for a glimpse at the other man. Last thing he'd expected was for the vampires he was hunting for weeks to come after the dancers. He was partly at fault for letting himself relax long enough to enjoy the concert. One of the other dancers was now dead and it could have been Aryn. How close it had come to being Aryn laying in this alley dead and possibly soon to be a vampire if he turned.

"We have to. I'm sorry." Cedrik apologized again as he gave Aryn's arm a gentle tug to move the man to his feet. "Trust me, you don't want to be here if more come because I killed their friends."

Aryn looked down at Jesse's unmoving body, wanting to cry. He closed his eyes and took a breath before giving a resigned sigh. "Fine." It would be worse to end up like his friend had. Making a silent promise to come back for Jesse as soon as he was able. He would not let Jesse's final resting place be an alley. Besides he'd heard of an increase attacks on people in the area. This was why the manager had tried to be extra careful only to for things to still go wrong.

Cedrik tugged Aryn along as he moved to quickly leave the alley, hoping the other viera would keep up.

[othramblings]

Ok gonna share my response to the person who I recently replied to a post of. They responded to me and then blocked me so I am going to share a screenshot of what they wrote before I do because I can't reblog it. I honestly mean no hate. As I have made clear I have a hard time sitting silently as Nathan is put on a pedestal and Haley is criticized (which is what the original post did even if they didn't mean for it to be that way which triggers me more bc it's such a MS thing to get his audience to feel that way against a female). Before I do though, I wanna acknowledge that they they blocked me, which is their call, but it's kind of funny because 1) ppl blocking others for not blindly stanning Nathan Scott is 100% a common theme amongst OTH fans, and it's worth pointing out and 2) a post or two down from the original one the OP made says they want Haley haters to come at them lol. I don't want to come for anyone, but I can see how it seems that way. Probably inadvertently it is, but like I said I really can't stay silent when people criticize Haley and put the blinders on and excuse Nathan's actions.

ALSO I had to search for their original post, which is why I came across the other one they made. I then also saw a post they made right after about how weird it is that I responded to them, considering I never engaged with any of their other posts. This is my side blog girl! Come on now lol. I don't interact with anyone because it's hard to when it's your side blog.

Their response to me:

My response:

I don’t want to minimize your experience and it’s so uncomfortable to even be talking about real-life experiences in comparison to this show, so I really don’t want to say much further. I am sorry you had to endure that, and anyone who’s been in a similar situation to yours knows how awful and difficult it can be and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. This conversation is about the show and that’s what I’m going to focus on. I think it is worth saying though that it seems like there’s some projecting onto Nathan from your own experience. We all relate to characters differently and everyone’s entitled to do their own thing. But again this conversation is about Nathan and Haley, and how the fandom overlooks what she had to go through because of him.

Anyway, back to the point, that’s not the experience Nathan had; as he says on the show he knew Carrie was getting attached, and he liked it. Nathan is Carrie’s boss. We females know the power our male bosses hold over us. We have been arguing to legitimize this in the U.S. Why when it's Nathan does none of that seem to matter all of a sudden? Suddenly his being male and a boss is what makes him vulnerable according to Nathan stans. How?? I am not implying that men can’t be abused, or that men who are bosses can’t be abused. But by their nanny? Really? That’s been hitting on him and he’s been engaging with it? That is a reach at best. It's uncomfortable to have this conversation and I think that's why so many don't challenge it. But Nathan is antagonistic. He just also is passive when women hit on him. That doesn’t mean that Carrie didn’t assault him in the shower because she did. But SO much until that moment, Nathan was complicit in BECAUSE he liked it. We saw him like it. That doesn’t go away just because of what Carrie did. Again he knew what Carrie was doing. She was flirting with him and he flirted back. He watched her swim naked with Haley waiting for him in the bedroom, playfully calling him her hero! He told Carrie she looked good at the bar. I don’t know why this is all getting overlooked.

That’s the thing about a lot of Nathan story lines with other women, including Rachel. The show gives him some throwaway scenes where if you just look at those it does seem like he’s not interested—like when he tells Rachel ‘not for a second’ when she asks if she’d have a chance had it not been for Haley being pregnant. But he still entertained her. We as an audience were made to feel like there was something happening there. Back to the Carrie storyline, James did a good job of being confused, but he’s bad at giving nuanced expressions when it comes to his acting a lot of the time. He struggles with it. We should not be wondering if Nathan is confused…that’s not how a faithful loving husband would behave. Especially not when his wife just forgave him in the blink of an eye for being borderline abusive. How about delving into that for a change. Why doesn’t that bother people as much as Haley not firing Carrie sooner? Again, focusing on what Haley could’ve done to prevent Carrie from doing what she did is not OK. There’s an implication here that we can’t critique Nathan but we should be saying that everything Carrie did rested on Haley’s shoulders because she didn’t fire her sooner…. That’s a big no from me. Nathan is the one who led Carrie on. That doesn’t change because of anything else in your post. And I’m gonna call out all of these posts that I see that blame Haley because it doesn’t matter if you’re a Scott Stan. He messed up huge in his marriage in season 5. This is not the time or place to be critiquing Haley. His wife who stood by him and ran their home and took care of their child alone for months. Who had faith in him when the nanny started to act up. Deflecting the blame onto Haley is a copout so that Nathan doesn’t get as much of the blame. If people can’t see how dirty he did his wife here, regardless of how Carrie treated him, then they are essentially saying that Nathan’s suffering matters more than Haley’s. It doesn’t. Especially on a show made by Mark Schwan, who neglected Joy as an actor. I’m not gonna overlook what Haley had to endure like Nathan the character or Mark the showrunner did.

I also personally think people defend Nathan so much in season 5 because it is so hard to stomach all the nonverbal weirdness that goes on between Nathan and Carrie. To accept it is to come to terms with him not being the dreamboat people project him to be. It is also so gross to me that Mark Schwahn would create all this nonverbal weirdness between Carrie and Nathan so that we as an audience feel uncomfortable, question what's happening, and are afraid of what will happen between them but at the same time have the Male character toe the line of cheating but to some he *technically* didn't and that's all that matters.

[nikobellicsthoughts]

so the big-boobed bitch that thinks i want her man has finally apologised to me.

get this: i am inserted into a slutshaming gc on a SUNDAY, two of my acquaintances of six years believe me and the rest think i am capable of taking the girl's ugly man because i look like a player- whatever that means. the orchestrator also informs the group and i about how one of my primary school acquaintance confided in her about how it seemed like i was flirting with her man. I WASN'T BUT APPARENTLY WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO LETTING A GUY DOWN GENTLY YOU'RE FLIRTING. he asked me out first, i said no then he asked confiding acquaintance out she said yes. guess what the guy and his friend did when we were approaching the school holidays (mind you, some of us are not going to cross paths again because we're heading to different high schools)

because i have the hearing of an elephant, i overhear him and his friend discussing how they're going to break up with their girlfriends simultaneously together. "together" my guy and i saw it all happen and had to go to the other side of the park to laugh because yah no.

now that's outta way:

so the nonsensical show starts late january to early feb. i avoid the group altogether except the two ladies that believed me and it's not like they were easy to avoid because not only do we share the same classes but when we're seated alphabetically i am in between them including like one or two classmates.

not only does the bbb having a charming personality when she's not a bully so every afternoon i would avoid the formal gardens because that's where she would be entertaining everyone. this goes on for the whole year until we have end-of-year exams.

I TURNED INTO A SHELL OF MYSELF to avoid further bullying meanwhile the big-boobed bitch is acquainting herself with almost everybody and anyone. love it for her but when does karma have the final say?

anyways so, i am waiting for mommy to pick me up but whilst i am waiting i am discussing how the exam went with my fellow (form) classmate and her friend. guess which spawn of satan walks by and STOPS to not only talk to the girls. not only have i done everything by the victims' playbook but it's like the universe hates me because WHY? WHY?

so i retreat to lean against the hut so that queen b can shine but unfortunately when the last of them leaves she walks to ME. God works wonders, hey because not only did this bitch apologise with no audience BUT besmirched my name publicly she also has the GALL to tell me that even though she was wrong to do what she did, she won't trust me ever again.

LIKE I WOULD EVER WANT TO ASSOCIATE MYSELF WITH THE LIKES OF HER? no, this only so much nonsense i can take on and i don't see myself building any fruitful relationships with anyone in this school that goes beyond anything regarding this school. fuck everyone honestly, i will just have to deal with and befriend myself until i matriculate. it's not like i can slutshame myself this way, lol.

[petalsmooth]

I keep hearing no one cares about Penelope and Colin despite the numbers racking up over 2 very brief clips, one is like 2-3 seconds. They keep claiming it will flop. Next breathe they keep whining about everything Polin are getting and how unfair it is.

Now I thought Polin's friends to lovers/boy next door/crush on best friend's brother trope was boring. So why are you all fuming about such a staid uninteresting sl and all the things you claim should have gone to your favorites? Including apparently Colin's vests which makes NO sense since his vests incorporate he is a traveler and he is the ONLY one who is. lol

To be honest I never understood why there was any talk of their trope being boring to begin with. You know why friends to lovers is timeless? Because you get to see the characters grow together and the actors become comfortable with each other. So when it does turn romantic you don't have to rely on snappy dialogue every second, you have (if lucky) year's to draw on of memories to give a scene more depth. Hence Pen's line about kindness. Because outside of one drunk moment, There are so many others where he is nothing but kind to her and the audience can go....oh.

I remember when he rescued her from Cressida spilling a drink on a favorite dress she was so excited to wear, or when he started writing to her after her4 father was killed. Or when he noticed she was a bit melancholy at her house and asked if ok, or said how highly he esteemed her and her family and that is why he would want to invest. Or how protective he became over the idea of Lord Featherington bringing harm to them (to pen) and basically staged an entire investigation into it on his own and danced with someone he hated (cressida) to confirm by taking the fake jewels.

And then you think ok...I understand. She doesn't love him for the reason everyone else in the ton loves a Bridgerton. Power, money, looks...although sure she likes the latter. She loves him because he is the one person who was kind to her. This is what makes HIM different from others in the ton and HIM special to her. And you just don't have that kind of emotional resonance in a conversation without the history of friendship coming first.

And for his part the audience has watched people flirt with him with no care to what he really says or thinks. One Bridgerton is the same as any other except one has a title. They (the audience) even heard him say the reason he was with Marina was because she took him seriously, even if he was fooled on that point. So if Pen comes out with some lame superficial compliment he'd have brushed it off. If she'd stopped at the blue eyes being remarkable probably would be immune. But no she notes his kindness...a character trait and that strikes his heart. She saw HIM.

Anyway, I like various tropes and there is a place for them. I was a huge Diane/Sam fan back day and they always flirted between love and hate. But my favorite is this one. This trope. It's not boring, it's actually quite the opposite. I mean...tv series used to THRIVE on this back in the day before streaming. It would keep their shows running for years wondering when they would finally have the two get together. Perfectly silly to think this device would not work now.

[navs-bhat]

Student Of The Year Rewatch Thoughts? Idk reallly know what this is yet lmao

I hope this reaches my target audience

Firstly, it's been too long since I've rewatched this I used to watch it whenever it came on tv and I'd find it while surfing

Secondly, I still enjoy this movie I think lmao

Let's see

-okay so to start with the kukkad song

-I never realised that the lyric says " ainu vekhe de munde to kehnde Oh My God" I always thought it was kudiye both times

-kinda gay tbh jk jk

-Abhi is in the wrong tbh like this guy is parking a bike in a car park and then is like who said this is an entitled rich boy's parking LIKE WHY ITS A CAR PARK NOT A BIKE PARK

I STILL DONT KNOW HOW I HADN'T REALISED IT TILL NOW

-then he goes and ruins a beautiful Ferrari😭

-one big question I have is how can Abhi even have thee audacity to get into physical fights with rich boy on what seems to be his first day

-this man is here on a scholarship he can't afford to do all this on his first day bro

-I always loved Siddharth Malhotra more than Varun Dhawan while there were many dying over varun

-I remember the whole thing was just as big as Team Edward or Team Jacob here okay

-Rohan is too mean too Jeet

-ALSO why was even Shanaya still with Rohan like according to her first few lines he definately has a habit of flirting with other girls while he calls her his girlfriend LIKE GIRL YOU COULD DO BETTER

-Rohan's dad and brother are too mean yikes

-no wonder rohan hates his dad the way he does

-why is the dean so weirdly gay its too funny but at the same time CRINGE

-it's sad to see Rishi Kapoor now :(

-all the parents are so weird

-THE WHOLE CONVO ABOUT PUSHUP BRA AND FLIRTY DMS BETWEEN TANYA AND HER MOTHER DBCBFUFBGUEFGHFOIUHKEFJBSJK

-SHE SUGGESTS SURGERY?????!?!?!?!?

-Sumo is so sweet actually

-Dean massaging the coach 😭😭😭

-DID BOMAN IRANI JUST SPANK RISHI KAPOOR IN THE FLASHBACK SCENE WHAT IS HAPPENINGCJNUDKBKJ

-hes so gay its gay

-BIG FAT INDIAN WEDDING

-TOO BIG FAT MAN

-I KNOW YALL ARE RICH BUT WHO TAKES THE WHOLE SCHOOL LMAO

-kjo definately puts in gay-ish scenes for his own self idk pls don't come at me

-THEY'VE BEEN DATING FOR FOUR YEARS :0

-him throwing duffli lmao

-Alia looks so young in this

-this beach scene always cracks me up

-let me just say whoever thinks Alia Bhatt can't act should watch this movie and then watch her current stuff lmao

-classic guy gives other guy speach about a girl not knowing he loves her

-kjo🤝girl goes with one guy while her hand slips out of other guys hand

-I love the compition tbh its so fun I always wanted to play a big treasure hunt like they do

-the really? no kills me

-this rando girl in Abhi's team has no lines like none its too funny

-Galat ghanta lmao

-again Sudo is the best lmao

-WHERE AND HOW DOES DIMPY KEEP COMING TO SAY GALAT GHANTA LMAO

-DADI RULES LMAO

-in my opinion abhi and rohan together and shanaya single lmao

-baby face Alia is really affecting my brain lmao

HAPPY BIRTHSYA 😭

-caption "the love is like a ruby, the love is like a burning sensation, the love like purity, it's more than love, it's affectionate love, I'm in love with you, it's affectionate love' ??!?!?!?

WHO CAPTIONED THIS NETFLIX

-purest love in this movie dadi and abhi

-I find it so funny that anytime no one wants to choose between Abhi and Rohan they choose Jeet

-DISCO DEEWANE

-question- on what basis did they get eliminated in ths prom thing likeis it they can't dance or something?

-the triathlon just reminds me of jo jeeta woh sikandar

-these slowmo running shots i mean-

-kiss toh nahi karega na? me: do it do it

-everyone's way too invested in them making up

-anyway its over

THANKS FOR READING THIS IF YOU REACHED TILL HERE AND EVEN IF YOU DIDNT THANKS

[patroclusdefencesquad]

I've never asked a question on here; I don't know how it works. I hope I'm doing this right. Feel free to skip this....

Anyway, proceeding as if I am doing this correctly, regarding the gay noble who's supposed to flirt with Jaskier and the confirmation of a character who's supposed to be a prince.

I've been tentatively excited about the idea of a gay noble flirting with Jaskier. Excited because I'd be overjoyed to see a canonical gay romance and because I'd be absolutely delighted to see Jaskier fall in love with someone who loves him back (I do ship Jaskier with Geralt but I doubt the show will make it canon because it'd piss off the book purists, and I think the way the show will make the most audience members happy is to have Geralt end up with Yennefer and then set up Jaskier with another man [all that said, Geralt/Jaskier/Yennefer is my OT3 but that would require Netflix being brave enough to allow polyamory]). Let the bard be happy!

However, I've been nervous that there will be even more bard whump in S3. When Jaskier was talking to Yennefer about people donating to the cause of helping the Elves, it sounded like he thought that they were all, well, donations. Money sent in good will. But then the spymaster dude said he wanted the bard brought in to pay up and.... I'm nervous about how the payment will be collected. My guess is that, most likely, Jaskier will be forced to be a spy but....

And then, because I haven't yet read the books (waiting on my library hold), I went to TV Tropes. I didn't find a Prince Radovid but I did find a King Radovid and he's apparently about as bad as the Emperor. He's apparently just a terrible person. So if the Prince isn't a separate character but is the same character prior to becoming king, I don't see how Jaskier would be interested in this guy.

So, maybe they are separate characters and the Prince is a much better person than his father and he and Jaskier will just be a sweet couple. But I'm nervous. I'm worried the storyline could get pretty dark but maybe I've just read too many hurt/comfort fics.

you're doing wonderfully don't worry lmao!

in terms of jaskier and relationships (and presuming you don't mind book spoilers since you've had a sneaky look yourself, and if you DO mind spoilers ignore all this and send me an angry ask and I'll answer again lmao), I haven't read the books but I'm pretty sure he ends up with a woman in them? and although the writers clearly aren't sticking to the book content (cough season 2 cough) they are definitely going down the yenralt route (terrible a job though they're doing of it) so yeah, geraskefer/geraskier unfortunately is unlikely to be a thing. I am however surprised at just how blatant they've made the unrequited love between jaskier and geralt, even if they haven't actually stated anything there's so much that can be taken that way, so who knows where jaskier is going to end up relationship wise. i would assume, if it's anything at all, that this "relationship" with the prince guy is likely to just be a fling though.

here's where we differ lmao bc I'm a sucker for jaskier whump, I just hate the lack of comfort we get for him 😔 so yeah if they whump him again i need some sort of resolution to it not just "oh hey let's torture the bard and then never mention it again." but anyway, considering the set up of this storyline at the end of s2, and that I think spy!jaskier is a significant plot in the books (?) i'm hopeful that it's going to be a decent story!

with this information given from twn twitter, and what we already know about jaskier in s3, it's probably reasonable to assume that these two characters are going to be connected, and the "until someone gets hurt" makes me🤞in a vaguely evil jaskier stan sort of way.

but again, this info compared with the book character doesn't seem to add up, especially when taken with the actors "character types" lmao and twn propensity to ignore the books.

basically, we know nothing lmao i'm just speculating and hyperfixating on a random line of a script that may or may not even be real. we move✌️

[sweetestlamb]

Let's Play A Love Game

Author's note: this one is rated 😈 so yeah. There was originally more angst in my mind but once I got to that part I was over it lol I'm the worst at angst I much rather make it naughty. It's more rushed than I wanted but I don't really have time to write 10k fics right now. But hopefully soon.

Summary: it's just pretend, right?

She hadn't meant to push the event in the corner of her mind until she forgot about it completely, so much so that when the e-vite showed up in her inbox she stared at it in wide eyed shock not even noticing Mi-Seon creeping up behind her.

"It's already time for that? I usually know it's coming because you start buying expensive dresses you can't afford and crying at your credit card bill. Maybe country life has really changed you hm?"

False. Inaccurate. Utterly wrong to the every core.

She lets out a shrill scream letting her head fall painfully on her desktop.

"I'm an idiot! Just kill me now, I deserve it." She has nothing to wear, okay the mountain of boxes in her living room, bedroom and some hidden in the linen closet beg to defer but none of that is worthy of this event. The annual dentist convention in Seoul, it's a week long getaway. It's meant to be an opportunity to build connections and attend professional learning classes, but that has long been abandoned. Now it is a fashion show and chance to show off your success and this year more than ever she has to impress everyone. They all look down on her and her cute little practice. Those judgemental snarky bitches.

"Do we have anymore patients?" She absently asks her best friend, only friend already getting up and walking away.

"No that was the last one. Do you want to call it a day?" She doesn't give a verbal reply lost in her phone and the disease that is online shopping, in the span of three minutes she has already added seven dresses to her cart.

"Chief Hong is going to have a long day."

It's just as Mi-seon says the next day the nosy know it all shows up glaring at her over the handful of packages in his arms.

"Don't tell me you're doing this again. What more could you possibly have to order? How much things does one woman need?" His voice is an air warmer than the last time they were in this very same position, but she tries not to think too hard about it. Their relationship is too confusing these days, as temperamental as the sea.

"Are delivery men allowed to complain this much when they're doing a job they are getting paid for?" She snarks back, snatching her packages from his arms with a huff. Ignoring the grin on his face as she disappears into her house.

"That better be all you order. I'm not coming back."

He comes back. At least six more trips, more boxes each time on the last day he doesn't simply leave after making his delivery.

"I'm coming in for tea because of you I've been working too hard." She squeaks indignantly as he pushes past her, their shoulders brushing in the tight space of the doorway.

She should wait until she doesn't have an audience but she's too impatient so while he's making the tea in her kitchen (so rude and intrusive), she starts to open a few boxes pulling out the contents. Dresses, blouses, shirts, hair accessories, lipsticks in all shades and hues, and of course shoes; heels, flats and everything in between.

"Your house looks like a department store." She jumps at his voice glancing up at him, almost laughing at the hedgehog mug that he's drinking out of that Mi-seon gave her as a joke. Leave it to him to pick the most ridiculous mug.

"Hurry up and go so I can try everything on." She starts to take the objects out and organize them, putting together possible outfits lazily.

"Why not have a fashion show?" He slurps loudly at the tea, sighing and smiling down at the warm beverage. Acting like he's never had tea before, such a plebian.

"A fashion show?"

"Yeah, model all that", he motions to the new boxes littering her bedroom floor, "and I'll let you know what looks good."

She scoffs, loudly looking at his lackluster outfit; a simple white tee tucked into dark cargo pants with suspenders.

"What do you know about fashion?" She replies meanly, despite the little voice in her mind that reminds her that while his outfits are more practical than fashionable there is something distracting about the way his shoulders fill out his shirts and the way his long legs sit in his pants.

He shrugs looking down at himself, "I'm the town handy man I have no need to look good. But I'm still a man I can tell you what I think looks good on a woman."

Oh. It's a nonchalant statement said with no real heat but the implications make her skin warm up, she's never once thought that he saw her as a woman; nor considered looking at him like a man. (Lies.)

"I--why woul--why?" She stutters through an answer, tongue heavy in her mouth. He looks back nonplussed, sitting down pointedly on her couch.

"Never took you for the shy kind. You growing bashful now Ms. Dentist?" His eyes twinkle with mischief and she knows that she's being played but she wants nothing more than to wipe that smug look off his face. Slamming her room door, she pulls off her casual house clothes and grabs the first thing that catches her attention- a buttery yellow dress that grazes her knee, pairing them with white heels and a high messy bun. A swipe of lip tint completes the look and she confidently opens her room door.

Du-sik is staring aimlessly at his phone and doesn't notice her reappearance at first, so she coughs loudly folding her arms and when his eyes land on her, a chill runs down her spine at the look that lands on her body. It's been a long time since a man looked at her in this way, his eyes are undressing her even though he was the one who implored her to dress up in the first place. She hates it. At least she should hate it. But she can't ignore the satisfaction that washes over her at his dumbfounded look, that smug look obliterated by her very first look.

"Well?" She pushes harder, twirling to give him the full look. His gasp is loud behind her, she knows exactly why. The deep revealing plunge that travels all the way to the small of her back. There's no way she would wear this to the convention much too suggestive but that's her business.

"Wher-" his voice cracks and this time she can't contain her smile, dimples flashing now at her clear affect on him, clearing his throat he tries again, "Where exactly are you going again?"

She hums turning back around, gleeful at the vibrant blush on his cheeks. So he is just a man after all.

"A dentist convention." She answers cheekily and he guffaws loudly, eyes narrowing at her like he knows exactly what she's trying to do. They stare at each other for a long moment and she ultimately breaks the stand still, realizing what's happening. It feels a lot like flirting.

Collecting herself, she barrels back into the room.

"What the hell are you doing?" She whispers to her reflection, face too flushed for her liking.

A hard knock at the door pulls her from her self chastisement, "You didn't even wait for my rating."

She sighs loudly covering her face in embarrassment at her own action. She doesn't even have alcohol to blame this time.

"I don't care. This was stupid, let's stop."

Of course he ignores her.

"I liked it. But it's too...sexy for convention. You should wear that for someone special. I doubt anyone with a beating heart would be able to resist you."

What the fuck.

This isn't who they are, when did they become comfortable enough for conversations like this? They despised each other, right? Confused and annoyingly flattered, she peels the dress off her body trying her hardest not to think about the fact that only a door separates him and her naked body.

"I would love to see the others. But I have to go, but if you want my opinion. Red is definitely your color."

"What?" She replies, but she can hear the too loud click of the front opening and then closing and just as capriciously as he arrived, he leaves. 

Burying something that feels a lot like disappointment she flops onto her bed, head fuzzy like its been wrapped in cotton.

"What is going on?"

They don't see much of each other the next day and it's unusual given how much they see each other on a regular basis but she refuses to think about it or even consider that he's avoiding her. He's just busy and she doesn't care anyway, they have nothing to do with each other.

The convention is in two days now, she has her overnight bag packed with all her new purchases and the messages have been pouring in their group chat. She's mostly chosen to ignore them but on a whim she decides to check what they're so excited about, only to feel her stomach drop.

Why isn't Hye Jin answering?

Maybe she's busy with her mystery man 😉

Oh! She has to bring him, we need to interrogate him!

Yoon Hye Jin don't pretend you don't see these messages!!

That she had forgotten about.

"Why did you tell them that he's interested in you? Has living here altered your brain, you idiot." She berates herself.

"Who's interested in you? Why are you an idiot?" Mi-seon looks curious from the doorway, without waiting for an invitation she hops onto the bed with two cans of beer. She grabs one, drinking it in a flash.

"Oh it's that kind of night." Mi-seon says excitedly running to grab more beers.

"So let me get this straight, you told them that Chief Hong is interested in you and that he's been chasing you but you're not interested?"

She nods meekly, wishing the floor would swallow her up.

"Why did you lie?"

That's the brunt of the issue, she's a liar. She should have sent her initial message and told them that there was nothing between them but how could she when they were all calling him handsome and acting like she finally did something right? She'd spent that entire dinner feeling like her teenage self on the outside looking in, wanting nothing more than to be someone worthy of being included.

"I know I should have told the truth."

"Yes, you should have told them that you're interested in him too."

Huh.

Time stops as she processes the words that her best friend just uttered. There is static in her head as she tries to make sense of it.

"What are you talking about?"

Mi-seon looks at her unimpressed.

"You can both keep lying to yourself but the rest of us aren't as stupid. You're both interested in each other. It's mutual."

She wants to ardently deny the accusation but the words are caught in her throat and all she can manage are refusing sounds.

"You've been wearing red all week." Mi-seon says accusingly and she jumps up in huff, "So what? I'm allowed to wear colors!"

"You hate wearing red. You said it makes your skin look too pale. You hardly ever wear it. So color me surprised when I learned that red is the favorite color of a certain part timer."

That damn town chat. There has to be a way to get Mi-seon out of it. Maybe it was a mistake letting her live here. She was learning too much.

"Don't even bother to deny it. I won't believe anything you say. But I think you should ask him to go with you, you'll get some time alone to figure this out."

There's nothing to figure out. They are..... acquaintances who can admit that the other is vaguely attractive at times. His face isn't all that bad and she's pretty, so it's natural that there is tension at times, like he said they were still humans.

So she doesn't tell him about her fib, pretending everything is fine until it's the day of the convention and her anxiety has all but smothered her and her hands have a slight tremble in them as she starts to drive.

"It's going to be fine. Everything will be okay." She doesn't believe a word she's saying to herself, her heart is thumping in her heaving chest. She doesn't want to go alone. Convincing Mi-seon to leave was a failed endeavour, her and that police officer becoming inseparable. She knew what that smile meant when her best friend had realized that she would have the house to herself. She could barely get a word in as Mi-seon started frantically shaving her legs then pushed her out of the bathroom to "shave her wild cat".

With a sigh she starts driving, the car too quiet despite what she'd told Du-Sik and the Gongjin grannies. Uncharacteristically she turns on the radio, kpop blaring from the speakers. She recognizes the tune, never before has something as mundane as butter seemed so interesting but the kitchen essential was given new life by the song. She bops her head to the catchy beat, trying to ignore the fact that she's driving to the lion's den.

Some time later, she pulls into the hotel a valet already coming over to get her car. Grabbing her overnight bag, she exits the car handing her keys to the waiting hands of the valet.

Everyone is here and none of them had come alone, she was the only one without a plus one. They haven't noticed her yet so she watches as they all laugh at a joke she can't hear, unnecessarily stroking at their husband's chests as if to show off their exorbitantly priced wedding rings. Everything was always a competition here.

She shouldn't have come. Their was nothing about her life that they would be envious of. She was going to make a fool of herself. Impulsively she starts stepping back but it's too late, Hong In-A spots her and points her out and immediately all eyes are on her, they all start walking over to her and she wants nothing more than to run far, far away. Get on a bus and go to the beach and never see any of them ever again. But she's no longer a child, no longer that scared little girl; worked too hard to shed that skin.

Fortifying herself she puts on a fake smile. Ready for war.

"Hye-Jin ah, there you are. We were beginning to think you wouldn't come. You never responded in the group chat." Ye-Ri states with an attitude, looking around her as if searching for someone and eyes brightening when she sees no one. "Did you come alone?" This makes all of them perk up, looking around like chickens with their heads clucking. She swallows the shame the question elicits, "Who would I be with? I told you in already, it's not like that."

They all look at her with pity, it makes her want to slap them all across the face. Who were they to make her feel like shit, she didn't need anyone that didn't make her pathetic.

Finally one of the husbands cracks the awkward tension by introducing himself, she tries her best to ignore the pervasive way his eyes run down her body. Instinctively she crosses her arms, feeling naked under his stare. Nobody else notices her discomfort and after all the introductions, they all walk away as if she's no longer worth their time.

Lump in her throat she walks into the hotel, determined not to show them that they've gotten under her skin.

There's a scheduled lunch and she tries to find a new table but Sung-Mi waves her over and she doesn't see anyone else she recognizes or wants to sit with.

He hadn't been wrong, she has no friends besides Mi-seon.

"You were looking around, were you looking for someone? Are we not good enough to sit with?" The question is asked with a bite and sneer as if the idea is laughable that she would ever be better than any of them.

She swallows her pride, "No nothing like that. I was merely looking around."

Sung-Mi looks satisfied as if putting her in her place has righted her world.

They begin a conversation that completely excludes her, regaling drama that she knows nothing about and doing nothing to bring her up to date or invite her to join. It's the polar opposite of her experience in the countryside and with shocking clarity she realizes that she wishes she were there, it's only been a few hours but she misses it. Nobody looks down on her there, no usually she's the only doing that she notes with shame.

"I'll find the restroom." She says to no one because none of them are paying her any mind except the husband with the wandering eyes and she would much rather not have that attention.

Thankfully the bathroom is empty and she has to stop herself from splashing water on her face, her make-up was done perfectly it would be a waste to ruin it. Pushing her hair behind her ears she takes a deep breath and then another until her head is clearer, the noise lessening.

"It's only a day and a night. You've suffered far worst."

With that lacking pep talk she exits the bathroom, almost colliding into a wall. Wait, no it's just a person- a chest to be specific. She looks up ready to apologize when a familiar face stops her in her tracks.

"What are you doing here?" She stares flabbergasted at him, more dressed up than she's ever seen him. In a white suit with a white vest, the tee-shirt peeking under the only thing that feels like him to her. And his white sneakers. She can't hide her surprise at his sudden appearance and without thinking she starts to pull him to the side, to avoid being seen but she's not fast enough and soon they are swarmed by her colleagues, before she even has a chance to talk to him.

"Aren't you the man from the picture?" Yoo-Jin asks blushing way too much for a married woman if her husband's cold stare means anything.

"The picture?" Du-sik replies, clearly confused.

"You're the guy that's chasing after her. She told us that you liked her and you were courting her." Sung-Mi answers for her, she wants to vanish. It would be better if she had never existed. Even non-existence would be better than this embarrassing moment. "I got a picture of you two last time, when you followed her."

His eyes ping-pong between the group and her and she realizes this is his chance to ruin her. After everything she's done, all her rude comments and snobby remarks about the town and people he cares for so much, this is his chance for revenge. He can laugh and deny any feelings for her, tell them all that she's a liar and he's never been interested in her, not even once. This is what is going to happen. She prepares herself for the fall out, surely after this she won't be able to show her face in Seoul again.

He starts to laugh and her stomach tightens, her palms are so sweaty.

Here it goes.

"Oh I guess she wanted to keep me a secret."

Wait. What. That doesn't sound like denial.

"We're together now. I finally bulldozed those walls and made her mine. Nice to meet you all I'm Hong Du-sik, Hye-Jin ah's boyfriend."

Her eyes widen as he bows and starts to shake hands with the husbands, the one that stared at her looking disappointed. Their handshake goes on for a second too long, eventually with the latter pulling away with a pained look. She's too confused to consider what that means.

"And you were so cold earlier saying you had no one. Did you want to make a fool of us?"

He answers for her, "It's nothing like that, my honey is still getting used to us. I'm sorry I'm so late I had something to take care of."

Her head is spinning too fast to keep up with everything happening and she's grateful when he excuses them and guides her outside with a large hand on her hip.

Fresh air is much appreciated and she takes in huge heaps of it as soon as they're free.

Then reality crashes down on her.

He knows about her lying.

He had called her bluff.

But he didn't out her.

"Why didn't you tell them the truth?" She finally manages to say, head still reeling.

But instead of answering he's staring at her legs, then slowly his eyes swivel upward cross her thighs curving around her hips, past her breasts (a bit too slow there) before moving to her collar and settling on her face.

"You look great."

She feels the heat rushing to her face. What was he doing to her?

It hadn't been in purpose but she finds herself in red again, an a line dress with criss crossing straps over her shoulder and a middle slit. It was conservative without being too formal or professional. She'd felt comfortable in it but now seeing that look on his face, comfort is the last thing she feels.

He was distracting her and she couldn't afford that with those harpies inside waiting for her downfall. They needed to get back on track.

"What are you doing here?" She tries again, but he responds with his own question, "Why did you tell them that I was chasing you?"

"It was a mistake. They thought we were together and I just....said that for no reason." It's half the truth.

"They don't seem like your friends. You looked like you needed someone on your side, so I just found myself saying we were together for no reason."

She looks at him blankly, heart pounding now. In her moment of weakness instead of kicking her, he'd lended a helping hand. What kind of person did it make her for expecting the former?

"So what now?" She asks still in disbelief that he's here and that he'd told people that there were dating, she would be angry and offended later that they had readily believed it. Perhaps it didn't seem too farfetched now with him looking like that right now.

"Well, don't look but they're watching us through the glass."

This time she finds herself turning to look and he's the one that has to stop her, he does so by suddenly grabbing her hand and tugging her into his body. She squeaks at the collision. Leaning down so his lips are level with her ear, he speaks, "We can give them a show. I'm happy to be your pretend boyfriend."

Why?

She yearns to ask him why he's willing to go this far for her? Why was he even here when she had never told him where the convention was taking place? But his words were hot on her ear and she's tired of being their source of entertainment so she nods looking up at him, "Just this once. I'm going to lean on you. Let me borrow your eraser and copy your homework."

He stares before a blinding smile graces his handsome face.

"Let's go then." His hand is heavy on her waist as he walks back towards the hotel, taking his role very seriously it seems.

He fits in perfectly. Able to talk about a plethora of topics to anyone he's introduced to and even she's impressed by him. Be it travel, philosophy or poetry he seems well versed in everything things that even she is ignorant to and it makes her regret the way she looked down on him before, he was anything but a country bumpkin.

She leaves him to his conversation to get a drink, a whiskey on the rocks. Needing something hard tonight.

Not that. Down brain.

"Yoon Hye Jin? I would recognize that face anywhere."

Twisting to face the voice, she sees a familiar face- old classmate. Rung Do-Bae, they weren't anything more than classmates despite his many, many attempts.

His eyes sweep over her hungrily. She swallows her drink, painting on a shallow smile.

"Sunbae, how nice to see you here."

Invading her space he grabs her hand, "There is no need for such formalities. You can just call me by my name, Hye Jin ah."

As if she ever would.

Gently she tries to extract her hand but he won't let go and she doesn't want to make a scene.

Suddenly she's warmed by a body pressing into her, she knows who it is without even looking, her body relaxes immediately.

"Sorry I got lost in conversation honey. Who might this be? Another friend of yours?" He thrusts his right hand out and Do-Bae has no choice but to release her hand to return his handshake. Scarily enough she's starting to become used to his nickname, barely reacting to him using it again.

"Yes, this is my sunbae from school. Sunbae this is Hong Du Sik my....."

She knows that this is all an act, they were doing this to help her but she can't bring her tongue to form around the word, boyfriend.

"Her boyfriend." He finishes for her, pulling her tighter to his body.

But Do-Bae looks suspicious now.

"Boyfriend? I thought you were still single. You never changed your status on SNS. I've checked."

"Why are you so curious about that?" Du-sik challenges in return, doing a great job of sounding like a jealous boyfriend. She's almost even convinced.

"Hye Jin ah and I have always had a very special relationship. Beyond that of a hoobae and sunbae. Isn't that right?" He directs the last bit to her and she feels Du-sik stiffen next to her, seemingly believing these lies. So she clears that up.

"I have no idea what you're referring to honestly. We have never had anything that would constitute as a "special" relationship. I would appreciate if you didn't spread such lies, especially to my boyfriend. Enjoy the rest of your night."

She tugs Du-sik away, not waiting for a reply from the other man. The conversation was over anyway.

When they get far enough he speaks, "You have a lot of admirers."

She raises an eyebrow at the non-sequitur.

"Are you surprised?"

He brushes a hand across her cheek, making her freeze.

"No. It makes sense."

She blinks slowly before laughing, it sounds fake even to her ears.

"You should have been an actor. Your acting skills are incredible." He doesn't laugh, doesn't move before they're pulled into another conversation and she tries not to think about how tightly his body is pressed against her own.

"How is he in bed? He hasn't left you alone all day, I bet it's passionate." As soon as lunch had ended they had invited her to a spa, she'd considered saying no but she knew they would talk about her even if she wasn't there so it was best to at least know what they were saying.

Du-sik looked sad to see her go, but she told herself that she wasn't good at reading his faces. They hardly knew each other.

"I can't remember the last time I had a passionate night of sex. Kids and a full time job, leave no time for that. I'm pretty sure he's cheating on me and I'm too tired to even care." Sung-Mi confesses and she's shocked when the others nod in agreement instead of threatening to castrate him, as she'd done when Mi-seon told her about her ex boyfriend cheating.

"I have no complaints. He's... attentive. He's always touching me and pushing his way into my space. He's gentle but passionate, and I like...that he's so much bigger than me." She knows she should stop, this is definitely taking the lies too far. But that night bleeds into her thoughts, making everything she's saying feel true. He'd been so gentle with her, those huge hands cupping her face. She wondered how they would feel on other parts of her body.

"Damn. Look at you getting horny just from remembering. I'm so jealous."

Jealous. There were envious of her, it was all she'd been hoping for but the happiness she expected to erupt never comes. Instead she feels cheap, like she'd used Du-sik for her own benefit. She had tainted that night. This wasn't what she wanted.

As the day had gone on she found herself looking at him too much, he'd come all the way just for her and regardless of her brain trying to minimize that, it was huge. He hated snobby people like them who based a person's worth in their monetary success and yet he put on a smile and chatted with everyone, letting them mock his way of life and call people like him useless dreamers. All while she did nothing to defend him and drank wine, happy that they were being accepted.

He was the perfect gentleman all day and he was getting nothing in return for this. It was all just to help her.

Would a friend truly go this far to help? Was she being naive or was it like Mi-seon said, was she lying to herself?

"I'm such an idiot."

Without another word, she flees the sauna rushing to the locker room and changing back into her clothes. Nobody follows her because they aren't her friends. Why had she wasted so much time trying to impress these people who aren't even truly happy in their own lives?

The drive back is long, and she doesn't know what she's going to say but she knows that she's tired of being scared.

Leaving the key in the car she rushes past the valet, into the hotel elevator pressing their floor and waiting impatiently.

It takes three tries to get into their hotel room but once the door opens, he's right there. Sitting in the seat by the window reading a book.

"You're back early. I thought you would be gone until three?" He looks up, dog earring his book and giving her his full attention. Her heart skips a beat.

"Why did you agree to do this for me? Why go through all this trouble for me?"

It's the same question he's been asking himself since he first met her. Why was he was interested in her and why did he keep wanting to save her?

It was the desire that led to him being here.

He had accidentally overhead Mi-seon talking to Eun Chol about being worried about her, the convention was overnight and everyone would be bringing someone and she'd be all alone. The thought of her alone and isolated, made him race to her without a plan. Only stopping at a store to buy his outfit so he would fit in with her crowd, he'd spent more in that shop then he usually did in a week. But it was worth it for her.

It was a miracle that she hadn't questioned his presence more, he knew it was shameless and deceiving but none of this felt like pretending to him. His jealousy had been real, he'd had to strangle the urge to kick the pervert husband with the wandering eyes and then the insistent sunbae who wouldn't take a hint. She was a vision in the red dress and it wasn't a surprise that men found her enchanting, he just didn't like them looking at her. But she wasn't his, never would be because he couldn't confess.

They weren't right for each other.

"Do you like me?"

That question again. Last time he had laughed it off, called it absurd. But it wasn't. Not liking her would have been absurd.

"I don't know why you're asking me that."

"Because I'm tired of us lying to ourselves. Don't laugh and don't you dare say it's absurd again."

He can't respond, he's stuck on the word "us". It wasn't just him, they were an us?

Hearing that gives him courage he had long thought had been most forever.

"I wasn't pretending today. Nothing was fake to me, I meant it all." It's terrifying, unchartered land for them and he waits to see which one of them will chicken out first. It's sure to happen.

"I'm going to kiss you." She says instead of running like he expected and secretly wished for.

And then she's crossing the room and leaning down to grab his face, she watches him giving him a chance to pull away but he does the opposite, this time he meeting her half way. As soon as their lips meet the kiss is already too much, she's sliding into his lap and he wraps his arms around her tugging her closer until their chests are squished together.

He hasn't kissed anyone like this in a long time.

Hasn't been this close to losing control in a longer time.

"You're dangerous." He whispers into her mouth and she giggles at the statement, wiggling in his arms and rolling into him forcing a punched out groan from his lips.

Carefully he lifts her shirt watching her face closely for any signs that she wants to stop but finding nothing but her palpable lust.

Her skin is unbelievably smooth and soft and he can't stop himself from stroking her, rubbing at her back his hands resting right above her butt.

"How long have you felt this way?" She asks softly seductively nipping at his neck and running a hand over his shirt to caress his stomach, he physically aches for her.

"I wanted you the moment I saw you. But I didn't feel this until you convinced grandma to get her implants. That was when it became more for me."

She looks surprised and he is too, that they're speaking so candidly about feelings they've always denied.

"What about you?"

She stops licking at his neck to look him in the eyes. He's nervous to hear her reply.

"I.... don't know."

He tries to hide his disappointment. Maybe she was starting to retreat back into her shell. Maybe he shouldn't have been so honest.

He's about to untangle them when she continues, "It wasn't at first sight but one day I found myself looking for you. Seeing you become the best part of my day, I started to count on you to be there for me. To expect it. Just like this, I've been scared to lean on anyone until I met you."

Now that's a confession.

Impulsively he stands with her still on his lap, forcing her to to latch onto him so she doesn't tumble to the floor. Not that this would ever happen because he would never let her fall.

"I could have fell!" She cries, clinging to his shoulders and wrapping her legs around his waist. Her half naked bra clad body so close to him is causing another biological crisis in his pants.

Walking to the large bed in the middle of the room he falls backwards, enjoying the view of her on top of him a little too much.

It's all probably too soon and they should probably slow down, but his body is strumming and he wants nothing more than to break her apart.

"I'm all sweaty. I should take a shower."

Instantly an image of her wet and naked under the downpour of a shower flashes in his mind and he has to twist away from her.

"Pervert." She accuses but he can hear how satisfied she is with his reaction. Damn tease.

"Do you want to join me?" She teases some more, having fun now that she knows her power over him.

He looks at her helplessly.

"Are you having fun? Remember what I told you before? I'm still a guy. You're sitting here in your bra taunting me, do you think I'm that much of a good guy? Do you think I don't want to throw you down, rip your clothes off and eat you alive? I'm so hard right now just seeing you naked would be enough to push me over the edge. So don't make propositions you can't follow through on."

She looks dizzy from his words, eyes hooded and glossy. He watches her gulp and then stagger off to the bathroom, without a word to him. It's probably for the best, everything is too charged right now.

A shower for her and many glasses of water for him later, she's back and it's almost time for dinner.

"I think they said dinner starts at 6. Should we head down?"

She glances at him, while opening her bag and pulling out skin creams and some fuzzy socks.

"Would you be opposed to ordering room service and staying here?"

It's the best offer he's heard all day, only second to her asking if he wanted to join her in the shower.

"What about your colleagues?" He asks to make certain that she's really okay with this.

"What about them?" She replies with a shrug and he grins picking up the room service menu.

They order too much food and not enough alcohol but neither of them want to forget this night. She tells him stories about her time in dental school and he's happy to get to know her better, chuckling at the funny stories and commiserating at the sad ones.

Before he knows it night has fallen.

And he realizes that they'll be sharing a bed. Unless she wants him to sleep on the couch.

She's wearing a big shirt and loose shorts and he still can't believe he gets to see her like this.

"Are you coming to bed?" She's already getting under the sheet and that answers his question, this is really happening. He starts to follow her lead, getting under the sheets but keeping a respectable distance between them.

"I'm cold." She announces suddenly and he starts to look for a thermostat in the room or an extra blanket, before realizing that she's looking at him over her shoulder, he stares back confused before she lifts an eyebrow and oh, he gets it. Carefully moving closer he feels her warmth surround him as they meet, forth to back.

"Took you long enough." She grumbles, pulling his arm over here body and settling back into him moving until she's comfortable.

She's so close and warm and her smell is all around him and he feels his restraint dissolving and when she presses back into him, her hip rubbing against his crotch he bites down on his bottom lip.

It's too much for him to resist and without warning or preamble, he's turning her to face him and swallowing her moan of surprise eagerly. He grabs her head firmly holding her in place and slips his tongue into her open mouth, her unique taste exploding on his taste buds. He's hungry for more. So he starts to tug down her shorts, heart beat thundering in his groin. She kicks the shorts away, and he groans at the sight of her panties she was trying to kill him, he was certain.

"You're the devil." He chokes out staring at red lace, he'll never be able to see the color again without getting a raging hard on.

"You haven't seen anything yet. Honey." The word drips from her tongue just like the real thing.

Forgetting all reason and logics he lunges at her, devouring her mouth and sticking his hand in her panties. She's so warm and fuck, wet drenching his fingers.

Simultaneously he thrusts his tongue into her mouth and his fingers in her wet folds, groaning as she melts like butter under his touch. There's no resistance, as he plunges two fingers inside her experimentally before picking up his place when she clutches onto him and grinds back on his fingers, begging the whole time.

"More, more, please!"

As if he could ever deny her anything, with one hand he grabs her ass and the other he thrusts into her opening over and over until her voice gets breathy and she starts to stutter, squirming wildly in his arms and he knows exactly what's coming: the beautiful end. So without warning he pulls back the sheet and slithers down her body, throwing her legs around his head and pushing his tongue in to the brim, hungrily drinking at her until she shakes and combusts in his arms. Sweet on his tongue, he swallows it all greedily.

He strokes her as she recovers from her high, climbing back up her body. So much for taking things slow, but he can't even think about regretting it when he sees the blissed out look on her face. He wants to imprint it in his mind. Nobody else will ever get to see this face but him.

"It's your turn." She says sounding loopy like she's drunk and he laughs as she reaches for the tent in his pants but misses his bulge and instead falls into him.

"You're tired. Go to sleep. That was enough for me, seeing you like that fulfilled every fantasy I've had. "

He truly means it. He's a giver. And it's not like he can't tug one out later in the bathroom with her face and moans playing on repeat in his brain.

She starts to argue, but her phone vibrating on the nightstand distracts her. Reaching over she picks it up before chuckling and flopping back into the bed.

"What?" He asks curious, jealous of whoever is making her smile like that.

Ignorant to his inner thoughts, she thrusts her phone into his face. The room is so dark it takes a moment for his eyes to adjust to the bright lighting of the phone, but once he can see he reads the message on her phone and starts to laugh too.

"Dusik is missing! Nobody has seen him all day!! We started a search party."

[lovecolibri]

SaL anon here bestie *deep sigh*. I take back my comment yesterday about wanting promo person who chooses the final clip fired, if anything they are the only one on the promo team waving red flags at viewers and shouting "This shit is what you'll actually be watching!!!". I'm not saying there wasn't good stuff last night but it's sadly overshadowed , in many ways by all the BS. Eddie's breakdown was incredible (thank you Ryan Guzman) but we should have had sooo much more of it instead of it TBC

being awkwardly shoved in (and probably some beautiful scenes cut) at the end. Loved all the reunions, hated that they seemed like an afterthought and were barely given time to happen while entire conversations we should have seen were just mentioned. And then there is Buck's entire storyline which I 1000% hate. They were actually going to have BL flirting on the job while BT was still happening before the backlash??!! Who the actually fuck thought THAT was a good idea? Also if that is the "toned down" Lucy content we're going to be getting it's going to be a long 6 episodes, really don't need to watch another show where they shove a behated character who is just the bestest thing to ever happen to everyone ever down my throat at every turn. Anyway, sorry this is just bitter and salty, I'll find us a song to honor Eddie's meltdown soon, after I've had a day or two to get over it. Hope your hanging in there better than I am!!

Oh bestie I am....not doing well 🙃🙃🙃 I'm just....GOD I'm so fucking baffled at what we are watching right now. The reunion stuff I kinda got, it was a quick way to show Maddie and Chim connecting with their loved ones while also getting the scoop (and reminding the audience since it's been nearly a month since 5x11) of everything they missed. And I'm glad Buck and Maddie were just happy to see each other and they DID have some good talks but...I don't know it just felt like something was still missing in all of that. She left for six months and yeah Buck got some updates but they haven't really talked and maybe I thought it would be more emotional? I don't know. I did notice Chim saying things with Buck were fine but Buck clearly doesn't think so, so despite what KR said, I'm going to hold a tiny sliver of hope that we might get a little talk between them or a hug-it-out moment.

But not getting to see the Eddie/Bobby apology, especially after what Eddie said? That one frustrates me a lot. And we might get an even better reconciliation scene later (I'm thinking maybe May Day) but if they have plans to do a big reconciliation scene later, then we don't need to be told and not shown now that Eddie apologized, but it just feels like big things are missing. Same with the Madney breakup happening off screen! We had "I got out of the ocean for you" and then they decide to just totally call it quits off screen?! After Chim sat in front of that hospital for months waiting for her and refused to go home without her?! Again, I get that they needed time and I'm not worried about them getting a good reconciliation, but we could have had another "we just need a minute" moment where they decide that they still need space and to adjust to being back in LA for now, and they will work on the rest as it comes instead of a full "we're just too different now" breakup coming out of nowhere, on the heels of such a beautiful episode for them!

As for the Eddie breakdown, yes we got a LOT of good stuff out of that, but it absolutely should have been longer. I hate that my fear about the Eddie breakdown was true which is that they would show Buck getting there and seeing Eddie, and then cut to him being calmed down and talking to Buck. And I know we are going to get more of the aftermath in the next episode(s) but it was so weird the way it looks like they cut it off in the middle of the scene?! What was that? We had time for a billion scenes with girlboss and firebarbie but not for the actual main character that we want to see?? Oliver, Gavin, and especially Ryan were phenomenal and I wanted more! We could have actually seen Eddie in the room breaking stuff! We could have seen Buck comforting him, or even seen him pulling back because he doesn't believe he deserves comfort right now, and telling Buck he's okay and to go check on Chris and give him a minute. I was so hoping we would get enough material to excite us and have a good song choice but I'm left feeling a bit deflated at the moment. The scene was amazing, and what we got delivered, but the emotional weight it could have had is constantly undercut by all the other nonsense going on. WHY is KR so allergic to letting the main characters BE main characters?! We spent so much time on the set up for the spider call than on Eddie breaking down?! Whyyyy?!?!?!

As for girlboss and firebarbie I just....HOW IN THE FUCK did we get both a season 2 m*ria AND a season 3 m*ria at the same time?! And it's going to drag out for the rest of the goddamn season?!?! Hard fucking pass. What was even the point of that talk with Maddie and Buck admitting he did a dumb thing, a thing he wouldn't have done had he been given the slightest indication that he could have Maddie there instead, and admitting he was clinging for the wrong reasons, only for it to lead nowhere?! For him to double fucking down and say no he wants her there and wants to make it work?! How can they keep dragging down one of their best and purest cinnamon roll characters into this mess that no one wants to see?! Also, tay "the truth is everything" kay suddenly doesn't care about cheating or if Buck tells her or not?! Although considering she only has him around because she likes having someone to boss around (the couch scene was SO gross) who she knows won't leave because he has abandonment issues (sound familiar? Hello season 2 m*ria it's not nice to see you again), it shouldn't be too surprising. And as for L...what is the fucking point?! Every single thing she did on that call? That was Buck's job on the calls, to be the one with the out-of-the-box thinking and random knowledge. And instead, he's now reduced to fumbling around in the background so she can be Super Cool And Take Charge. Again, why is KR allergic to letting the characters do the things we fell in love with them doing?! We could be seeing Buck doing what he does best after spending SO much of his time this whole season languishing away in that loft with his dead relationship that they refuse to put in the ground and instead keep dressing up the corpse like we can't all smell that it's rotten. L is so utterly superfluous, and her taking shots at CHIM of all people?! What the fuck? (again, familiar? Season 3 m*ria making her appearance being useless and putting other people down for no reason. For real it is ON SIGHT for her making snide remarks about Howard fucking Han, the heart of the 118. She needs to GTFO)

I said 5x13 would give us an idea of how much we were going to have to see her and in what capacity compared to them cutting her out of the promo, and I guess we have our answer. And they might have shifted the narrative after the backlash to her and Buck having "sweet" moments together where they learn from each other (but I thought she already knew everything?) and trying to play it off as a friendship now, but a) they already kissed, it's going to taint every single future interaction for the audience even if they brush it off in the show, and b) if it's not important then why the fuck did it need to happen in the first place when Buck already has a million reasons he's unhappy with his gf? Either they teased it as something it wasn't ever meant to be and put in the kiss for "shock value" (because watching a fan favorite cheat and lie is so much fun 🙄) or they are focusing on the angles that make it look like more of a friendship maybe? but they clearly aren't cutting her screen time down, and her and tay kay are definitely going to meet which just makes me feel sick. No matter if L ends up only being a "friend" all here scenes with Buck will still be gross because of that kiss, and more importantly she is not needed. It's not enjoyable to watch her take scenes from other characters like Buck who we desperately want to see back to doing those things like he used to instead of just being mired in this triangle drama.

Sorry, this got long and ranty but I'm trying to get the bad feelings out so I can enjoy the good stuff. Some people are rant first, enjoy after, some are enjoy first, rant after and I'm just a metronome swinging wildly between elation and despair. BUT if you have a song, bestie I will have an answer and we can get through this together! We survived RNM, THAT episode and seasons 2 and 3 m*ria, we can survive this too!

[wsaaimagines]

Memories and Illusions

A/N: It's been a hot minute and we're back! Thought I'd kick off with the possible start to a series maybe? Be aware, this is a non-superhero modern AU. I make references to the MCU, but some character relations and things have been modified.

Chapter 1

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You and Loki met 5 years ago, at a friend's house party. He introduced himself with a magic trick that you still aren't able to explain to this day. After a few months of coffee dates and flirting eventually bloomed into a long-lasting romance.

On Christmas Eve, while on a trip to your hometown, you went outside to find your favourite tree growing up was lit up in fairy lights that danced and sparkled in the frosty night. Standing in the glowing light was Loki, handsomely dressed in a dark tuxedo and coat. "Come, my gentle Illusion, I have a question to ask."

Snow gently sprinkled as you made your way to your childhood reading nook to find Loki kneeling at the base of the tree. He spoke of how grateful he was that he had met you, and how you were the only one who supported him to chase his dream. With tears in your eyes and another magical twist of his hands, a ring appeared and he quietly asked you to marry him.

This was a year ago, of course. Now the two of you lived in a cramped apartment in New York. Loki worked his dream job as a child entertainer and called himself the "God of Mischief". The subject of kids hadn't really come up yet, but watching him perform for them always made you feel a little giddy.

"Watching him with those kids makes your ovaries ache, doesn't it?" You snapped out of your daydream to see Wanda watching Loki pull a card from behind Tommy's ear. "I don't know. We haven't even talked about it yet. Plus, we still have the wedding." "Fuck the wedding. (y/n), you two have been engaged for a year now. The wedding can wait a bit longer." "I just don't think we're ready. Anyway, if we can't save up enough for a wedding, we won't be able to afford a child..." You drifted off as Loki bowed to his audience of kids and made his way to you and Wanda. He pulled you into a tight hug and kissed you.

"Sometimes your fake magic can even have me fooled," Wanda cleared her throat and stood up. "My magic's just as real as your rituals and card readings," Loki retorted with his signature smirk. She gave him a gentle smack as she made her way over to the kids. "But really, how did I do?" "Like always, your little illusions are amazing." "Not as amazing as my proudest one yet," he said softly as he brushed a tuft of hair away from your face.

After Tommy's party was over, you and Loki made your way back to the apartment. The place was cramped and there was plenty wrong with the place, but you tried to make it as homey as possible. Seeing as Loki only worked as a child entertainer, he didn't earn very much and there were times he barely had any work at all. To make up for his lack of income, you had picked up a job as a manager of the night-shift at a hotel on the Upper East Side. The pay wasn't much, and from whatever money you earned, only a fraction of that was put towards the wedding.

"Your dinner is packed and I've left some food in your bag to snack on if you get hungry," Loki told after you came out in your uniform, a white blouse, dark grey suit jacket and pencil skirt. "Can you make sure to send my suit to the dry cleaners tomorrow? I need it for a meeting later this week," you asked as you retrieved your food from him and gave him a peck on the lips. "I'll make sure it's back by Wednesday. (y/n), I'm sorry-" "Loki, you start this every night. I don't hate that I have to work. I enjoy it, stop feeling bad for yourself." "Yes," he responded softly. He gave you one last kiss before you grabbed the rest of your things and left for tonight's shift.

"(y/n), we have a special guest staying with us for the next week. James Barnes in the CEO of a L.A. based law firm." The name sounded familiar as your boss, Mr. Fury, started to rattle off about why this guest was so important. "We want the managers to be his first port of call. Any questions or requests Mr. Barnes may have, we want you to chase them up personally."

Entering the lobby, Mr. Fury pointed out the new guest and ushered you and the day-shift manager, Steve Rogers, over to the group of lawyers. "Mr. Barnes! Welcome to the Triskelion. My name is Nick Fury and these are my managers, Steve Rogers and (y/n) Laufeyson." Mr. Barnes shook Steve's hand and turned to you to shake yours. Your eyes met and you were instantly taken back to your high school years.

Sitting in Bucky's car, the both of you looked out over your hometown in silence. You had just broken up with him. You and James grew up together in rich families and had fallen in love once you reached your teenage years. However, you realised you wanted to be more self-sufficient in life while James still wanted to continue relying on his family's money. "So... I'm leaving and moving to New York next week." "What about your family? Your mum? Your dad? " "They'll get over it," you said in a matter-of-fact tone. "I don't want to be stuck in a routine, having to think about my family's image before my own happiness. I want to work. I want to travel." "Your family can get you those things." "But I want to get them myself! I want the satisfaction of knowing I earned those things." "Then I guess we're over." "I guess we are."

You stepped forward to shake James' hand. It felt different, firmer and rougher, compared to what those baby-soft hands you remembered felt like. "Glad to make your acquaintance, Ms. Laufeyson. I'll be looking forward to my stay here," he greeted with a smirk growing across his fame.

"It's Mrs. Laufeyson, thank you."

~ Emma