#bite me ep6

[skoulsons]

Seeing Joel become increasingly more soft with each episode is really wrecking me. In the way he speaks to her, and physically

“You need to stop talking about this kid like she’s got some kind of life in front of her!” Oh ho HO just you wait, mr miller. you’re gonna give that kid the life you swore she’d didn’t have.

“You’re cargo.” And how he doesn’t even believe it. How he’s just saying it as if he’s putting scotch tape under a saw blade. It won’t last.

That to “Ellie. Are you okay?” And moving to embrace her. Because she’s becoming his life. She does have a life in front of her. And it’s him.

How he throws her into a wall and hurts her shoulder when they first meet. How she purposely shoves his shoulder just to piss him off. How he points a gun right at her, threatening her life.

How he yanks his hand away after helping her up. How that instinct kicked in to aid her, but she second he was aware of what he was doing, he pulls away. But how he lingers on it, still.

How he has his arm above both of them, pushing the clicker away from her but letting it get eerily close to his face. How he grabs and pushes her behind him when a clicker comes running. How he pulls her back from infected at the state house. How that protection starts to seep through his hard outer walls

How he shows her what a seatbelt is. How he reaches over her when he literally didn’t need to at all. He could’ve tugged his own out in front of his chest so she could follow suite and find where it is. But no, the same man who wouldn’t dare grab her hand to help her up, is reaching across her and their heads damn near touch so he can show her what a seatbelt is. So she’s safe.

How he so, so gently, grabs and guides her hands to her Beretta, showing her how to hold it so it can’t be taken out of her grip easily. How he, again, didn’t really have to. At least didn’t need to hold them as long as he did. He’s so sentimental. How he boosts her up. “I got you.”

How he protects her. Wordlessly, now. They don’t need to speak it. He just does it. Because it’s him. And because it’s her. Because, while he may need to, he wants to. And she trusts him to, 100%. Because he’s proven he can be trusted, and she’s given him every reason to want to protect her

[fayevalcntine]

I don't actually think the show does well enough in terms of handling Claudia's backstory and internalized feelings re: a lot of what happens in the latter half of the season, but apparently that's an unpopular opinion of sorts in this fandom.

To put it simply, Claudia reminiscing about her past life prior to being a vampire in all but 6 lines is not a proper exploration of said life. In comparison to her parents getting a more expanded view of theirs (Louis thankfully had at least one episode prior to being turned while Lestat's backstory is even going to be repeatedly hinted at in season 2), she mentions a dead mother all but once (twice if you count an easy lie she tells in 1.06), an aunt beating her, having to deal with perverts at the rooming house she stayed in, and not having any more children to play with during the night because she's now a vampire. Again, all this is explored in less than 10 lines total. This isn't really us getting enough info on her so much as barely getting the most basic information that we can get on her past, and again, it's also not a proper exploration of a child suddenly going from an abusive poor household to a rich people's home, with two strangers that suddenly become her parents, and her becoming completely estranged to the life she once knew. Claudia remembers her past life in comparison to her book counterpart because she's 14, yet somehow I'm supposed to accept that she is completely fine with all of these changes until she suddenly isn't?

Subtlety is also not this show's Forte nor is it even the thing it's remembered by: we have Louis referencing books that are clearly meant for us to look up, we have a 10 minute domestic violence scene where the white vampire deliberately tries to kill his Black partner. This just makes the lack of info on Claudia obviously glaring because she is also raped, but her rape is never even talked about BY her. It's hinted at by Louis, it's nagged for more information on by Daniel, it's mocked by Lestat. The only time we even get Claudia referring to Bruce is in a scene that is clearly meant to serve as a not-so-subtle hint that Louis is being raped by his husband? So again, a hint of a moment that Claudia gives is again turned into a message about what Louis is going through. When a show has more men talk about this traumatic incident that happened to this girl than the girl herself, then yeah, it IS glaring and unless Rolin and Co. make some effort to rectify a general lack of attention they give her, or turn it into some commentary about how a Black girl's story is shaped and disfigured by all the men in her life that abused her, then it's still pretty glaring and lacking.

[steven-cartoons]

why would neil do this to us. what the fuck. gonna smash my phone to bits

LITERALLY HOW FUCKING COULD HE

[airenyah]

just had a thought: what if this time around we get to see pran saving pat when he's drowning

[musouie]

art by ohto.begone ノ divider by @/adornedwithlight

⟢ précis: vi seeks your comfort after reuniting with powder ꒱ inspired by s1 ep6

⟢ contents: hurt/comfort, angst, gn!reader, references to s1 ep 3 + e6, wc: 0.9k

Vi comes to you early in the morning. She slinks in with the rising sun, tiptoeing across your floors, narrowly missing the floorboards that often creak with an ease that can only be learned — and then, she sits. 

Quietly, on the edge of your bed, stifling her pained groans from throbbing wounds through clenched teeth and blueblack lips — taking the brunt of it as she’s always done…alone. She tries to fight it — the intrusion, the remembrance — but she’s never been good at forgetting, at smothering all the misshapen fragments of her memories until they were soot in her skull —

(Fire, heady and ashen on her tongue; the explosion, the beast Vander had become — and then all that came after. The poison of her words, the gravel of her voice, the tremble of Powder’s bottom lip as she harshly gripped her jaw)

— they haunted, they haunted, they haunted.

Her own lip begins to tremble, and quickly, she begins to undo her bandages, minding the shallow dip of your mattress as she shifts to a better position. (Perhaps the pain would distract her, one sting to outdo another of a different kind?) She unwinds it once, twice — and immediately her nose scrunches at the foul odour it emits: of blood and grime and sweat and —

“Vi?”

Her head snaps up; you’re staring at her blearily — vision blurry and cottoned around the edges as you fight your heavy eyelids. You blink twice and she nods, slowly turning her muscled back to you as you pull yourself into a seated position, legs still tucked beneath your blanket. “What are you doing here?” Her shoulders tense; you try again. “...When did you get in?”

“Not too long ago,” she mutters, gathering the last of her bandage in her scraped palm. “Snuck in through the window.”

You rub at your eyes. “You know I hate when you do that. There’s a key beneath the welcome-mat, you can just come through the front like normal.” 

She says nothing to that, but her shoulders do that curl, the one that tells you she’s annoyed, that another wall has been drawn up before you. You think it’s because you used the word ‘normal’ – your error. I’m far from normal, she’d whisper on starless nights, the things that happen to me don’t happen to normal people. 

She’d groan when you’d whisper back, And what is it that happens to you?

(What followed was predictable — routine. The crow’s feet by her eyes eased, and her lips hardened into a line — one that you knew not to cross, not to touch…not to kiss in lieu of all the ‘I’m sorry’’s and ‘Please forgive me’’s that neither of you would appreciate the outcome of.)

So you wait for her shoulders to straighten themselves, for the sun to peek through your window, one shy ray behind the other — and for the breath she’d been holding to release itself in one large huff.

“I–” she turns, and it’s then you glimpse the extent of her state, of her lips — indigo and swollen; berries crushed beneath a careless fist, one bruise atop another that has yet to heal. “Can I just lay beside you?”

“Your lips—”

“—They’ll heal.”

“But—”

“I said they’ll heal,” she bites.

And there it is again — the wall.

The wall.

(How many times had you tried to climb over it, to scale the bricks and mortar and find a way inside? How many times had you slipped and fallen, the jagged edges of its foundation cutting deep into the skin of your palms, your knees, the soles of your feet?

How many times had you bled, and bled, and bled, and bled, and asked no more questions?)

“Alright,” you murmur , lifting your blanket to invite her in.

(It was a small mercy, you supposed. To have a part of her, even if it was just a fraction, a piece, a fragment.

To have her close, and not so far away.) “Come.”

And so, she does. Wincing, groaning, hissing — she does.

You hold your arms out and she falls into them, her face burrowing into the crook of your neck. Her fingers, her nails, her hands — they grip the fabric of your shirt, bunching the cloth and pulling it tight.

(If you were to look down, you would see her knuckles, white, and the veins of her wrist, pronounced and raised — and, most of all, the tremor, the shake, the quiver, the shiver, the tremble of her entire being.

A leaf, battered and broken, blown and thrown by the wind.

A bird, with its wings torn and clipped, left to bleed and rot in the dirt.)

“I-I saw her.”

The admission is uttered so weakly, muffled by the fabric of your shirt, that you nearly miss it.

Your chest rises. “Who?”

“Powder. I–” Your shirt is drawn tighter. “It was so foggy… I-I didn’t even recognise her at first.”

“Vi…”

“I should’ve. I should’ve known. I should’ve seen her, I should’ve stayed with her, I should’ve—”

“Vi.”

“I should’ve—”

“Violet.” 

Her body shudders, her shoulders quake. “S-She was just a child.”

You pull her closer, until the two of you are flush and her body heat seeps through her clothes and your thin sleepwear, to your flesh. You cradle her, and carefully, you run your fingers through the jagged, pink strands of her hair — as though she’d skitter off at any moment.

“As were you.”

She doesn’t respond.

So you cradle her, until her breaths are yours and hers.

Until the blood on her lips are yours and hers.

Until her heartbeats are yours and hers.

Until her scars are yours and hers.

(And yours, hers.)

masterlist <3

[cuntylouis]

Haven't seen many people talk about it but the stuff around sexuality in this episode was so fucked up. The entire premise of the trial is the racist victim blaming narrative where Louis was a lustful predator preying on Lestat. Lestat relentlessly calling Louis to come to him is flipped around so that Louis was saying with his every action 'come to me', and when he denies it he's told he still must've done it at least unconsciously and caused Lestat to become obsessed with him. Louis' attractiveness and mere existence is seen as manipulative and seductive, and it's his fault when someone wants him, literally 'she was asking for it'. Louis and Lestat's relationship being a traditional marriage is emphasized, with Louis agreeing to Lestat's offer of companionship in church at the altar 'with a kiss of acceptance' - and thus agreeing to everything that marriage has historically encompassed for a woman, including obedience and constant sexual availability. It's emphasized that Louis not giving Lestat enough affection and not 'sharing his body' with him anymore is what directly caused the cheating and later domestice violence - with an implication that it was justified since Louis didn't fulfill his marital duties, and the audience agrees. Lestat talking about seven years of 'compromise and denial' and Santiago saying that Lestat was 'teased until he toppled' has sexual undertones too i.e. Louis withholding sex from Lestat is what caused him to lose control.

Lestat skips over the part where he bites and forcibly drinks from Louis, maybe because he's particularly ashamed of it, but Santiago saying 'to us monters, what's a bite between paramours' is a clear reference to it. When you consider that drinking from other vampire against their will is seen as akin to sexual assault among vampires, they're essentially joking about marital rape. Lestat says he's 'burdened with his maker's temper', when Magnus assaulted him and in the books Lestat calls it rape. In 2.05 Daniel said that he could 'be on his knees in a second' if Armand lets him go and in this episode Louis literally gets on his knees for Lestat begging that 'he'll do anything, be anything' if Lestat turns Claudia. I don't think either Louis or Lestat was thinking of any sexual meaning in that moment, but it's kind of hard to avoid that implication when Louis was suffering of low libido and Lestat was already very sexually frustrated with their relationship at that point. Like everything in the show is recontextualized when you know that Louis promised Lestat that he'd never leave him, and do everything he wants, and be happy if Lestat just saved Claudia. And he never left, not in those seven years, not when Claudia tried to leave in ep6, not even after ep5, even though he kicks Lestat out he still doesn't leave New Orleans or say that their relationship is over. That dissociative sex scene in ep6 where Louis pretends that everything is fine while having a full telepathic conversation with Claudia about how he's not going to leave is even more unsettling now

[aynavaano]

Masterlist

All my fics are x f!reader, no use of Y/N, reader sometimes has a nickname. All fics are smut/NSFW, minors do not interact.

Bad Batch

Hunter

Tech is always right (comfort/wet hunter/shower sex)

Tell me you want me (sex with your Sarge)

Sunsets on Pabu (beach sex with old Hunter)

Crosshair

Cross x you series starts in S3 EP6 on Rex base on Teth

Part 1- Say my name

(sex at first sight)

Part 2- We all have a hunger

(threesome with Hunter/competition)

Part 3- What kind of man loves like this

(jealous Cross/Pabu festival)

Part 4- No light

(slight angst/injured Cross/soft sex)

Part 5- It's always darkest before the dawn (cockwarming/hurt/comfort)

Part 6- Do i look moderate to you ?

(jealous Cross/rough sex/semi public)

Part 7- coming soon

Part 8- coming soon

Heaven is Here (Old Cross on Pabu/domestic fluff/wife kink)

Tech

Beautifully blind (first time sex fic)

Poly Batch

The cuddle pile (comfort fluff with a bit of smut)

Wolffe

Coming soon

Kinktober

Week 1

The light of Umbara - Rex/501st - exhibitionism/recording of masturbation

Relax mesh’la- Wrecker - thigh riding/public fingering

Dark Paradise - misc. Clones - anonymous sex/group sex

Week 2

Good boy - Hunter - face sitting/submission

Babygirl - Crosshair - dominance/choking/overstimulation

(…)

Week 3

Feral - Hunter - primal play/biting/bruising

(…)

(…)

Week 4

Read on AO3

[murfpersonalblog]

Lestat in Ep5: Louis as a Believable Victim

Although I responded to comments in the post I made last night when the trailer dropped, IRL got in the way, so I had to wait to talk at greater length about this WILD shot of a bloody Lestat, presumably during the Ep5 fight, which we also see in the trailer.

The Injuries

I wasn't the only one who saw Lestat's bloody face in the trailer and was like Ok, we're off to the races now! Cuz this implies SEVERAL things, some I'm more interested than others:

Lestat being bloody in and of itself doesn't surprise me--as seen in the film, even Claudia cut Les hard enough to made him bleed (more on that below). And we know there were MULTIPLE times Loustat physically fought, where Lestat (deservedly, he admitted) caught Louis' hands. However, I'm most curious about how long it took Les to HEAL.

AMC frustratingly does not follow a lot of the diehard Rules(TM) of AR's vampire universe (daywalking, being awake b4 sunset, smoking/drinking/eating/etc, Louis having the Fire Gift, etc).

How impervious they are to physical injury is another large point of contention, particularly when it comes to Ep5 & Ep6, when we see the full extent of Louis' injuries at Lestat's hands; and then see Louis get his payback after the hate-sex.

Especially cuz in the books/film, these kinds of open wounds/bruises shouldn't actually be a thing! Vamp skin/flesh is VERY tough & resilient--we know as early as TVL & QotD that old/strong vamps are darn near hard as stone, though ofc it's not until PLatRoA that we learn WHY (cuz of the Luracastria in their/Amel's blood). It's quite the feat to hurt them; hence why AR vamps often bite/cut their own flesh to help their mortal lovers drink their blood, as human teeth/nails can't pierce it. And any wounds they DO get heal very rapidly.

At the end of Ep5 Lestat floats down into the courtyard with a perfectly clean face. (Although his mouth was all bloody in the sky from having bitten Louis.)

But in their bedroom (BEFORE Lestat dragged them into the courtyard) Lestat's forehead and nose/mouth are bloody.

Until shown otherwise, I'm most willing to assume that Lestat was bloodied up, then his wounds rapidly healed & the blood evaporated, a la the film. What took Lestat mere minutes to recover from took Louis MONTHS on end. Cuz this was 1930/31, at the very peak of Louis' depression when he wasn't taking care of himself AT ALL. When Louis doesn't eat he is physically WEAK. But in his righteous indignation over Lestat choke-slamming Claudia, Lou's Papa Bear instincts/adrenaline allowed him to STAND UP & fight Les off of her.

There are MANY IRL cases where smaller/weaker people have been able to beat the crap out of much bigger/stronger opps--particularly if the opp isn't expecting it, or underestimates how serious/motivated their victim is (*cough* Ike vs Tina *cough*).

And ESPECIALLY if said opponent's deliberately HOLDING BACK and LETTING themselves get beat up. As we KNOW Lestat did!

This is the very heart of Loustat's power imbalance. No matter how strong Louis is/gets, Lestat is still stronger, & more experienced. Just cuz Lou managed to smack some sense into Les, doesn't mean Les was EVER in any real danger from Louis (esp. since AMC!Lou never even set Les on fire 😔). AMC's been demonstrating over & over how the game was rigged from the start. Lestat, the "finest ACTOR to ever walk our stage," OFTEN played with his food and PRETENDED to to be weaker, stupider, or more vulnerable than he REALLY was, Monsieur "Did I Not Tell You I Was Bad At Cards?" de Lioncourt. In Ep6, Lestat WANTED Louis to get mad at him, and did NOTHING to defend himself when Louis went FERAL on him.

I think Lestat was all bloodied up when they got back to NOLA cuz this was 1937. It's 6 years after Ep5, after Louis went through physical therapy so he could see & walk again--finally strong again--enough to swim the entire Mississippi River. That's what Lestat wanted most of all for Louis: healthiness & STRENGTH.

If letting Louis vent & feel empowered by beating him up would get Louis to crawl out of his passivity, Les would do ANYTHING for Louis--including playing along (a la the house rules w/ Claudia).

So like I said, until we're told otherwise, I hesitate to give Les a pass, cuz the show's literally been weaving a narrative that presents Lestat as the oppressor and Louis & Claudia as the oppressed. Oh, Les' pretty face got bloody? GOOD! Serves the narcissist right; it'll build character! 🤣

Traumatized Victims: Believable =/= Reliable

The other side of the argument, pointing out the contradictions between Ep5 & the trailer, inevitably goes back to the dreaded question of Louis' reliability as a narrator & believability as a victim.

Louis' 2022 recollections are FLAWED, not LIES (a la the petty AF skulldragging he did in 1973).

IMO, Louis' sincerity in seeking the TRUTH is what makes him 100% believable, even though he's OBVIOUSLY not 100% reliable. His memories are compromised, yes, but I DO NOT believe he is deliberately lying to Daniel in 2022. And it's already been established that book!Lestat VERIFIED that even when book!Lou contradicted himself, got details wrong, etc, his overall tale still captured the atmosphere of everything that went down, even at his utmost pettiest.

The ONLY outright "lie" Dubai!Lou tells Daniel is the whole "Rashid" ruse--but I strongly suspect that has WAY more to do with ARMAND and Devil's Minion (and AMC tryna throw us off the scent), than anything to do with Louis himself.

So yeah, regardless of Louis/Claudia getting it right about Lestat's face being bloody or not, S2 revisiting Ep5 I think will STILL capture the atmosphere of the toxic environment they were all living under, that culminated in what was obviously a REAL fight that DID happen, that was BAD enough that whatever happened to LOUIS--EFF Lestat, really, ffs--officially made Claudia mad enough to hate Lestat; and Louis guilty enough to go along with her Murder Plot.

[vibratingskull]

First time making a request, so if I do something wrong, I’m sorry!

This idea is inspired by another request about Thrawn and his s/o reuniting in ep6 of Ahsoka, which I loved btw. So, s/o (reader) realised she/they were pregnant shortly after Thrawn disappeared and so when they reunite, Thrawn is meeting his child (that he didn’t know existed) for the first time and his s/o is so happy because she/they never thought they’d meet. I really want to see how Thrawn would react to finding out he has a child and that he missed the first 9(ish) years of their life, I feel like he’d be so soft towards his s/o and child but also so enraged (even if he doesn’t show it) that he missed so much of his child’s life. Either fem!reader or gn!reader is okay, whichever works for you!

Anyway, I hope this made sense. Have a great day!

You did good anon, don't worry! ❤️

Thrawnxf!reader but no pronouns used

You place yourself between your daughter and the Great Mothers by instinct. You keep them at bay, holding her tiny hand in yours, she looks at them curious but they look at her like a predator would a prey. Casually, you reveal your blaster attached to your hips. You already got troubles to get Morgan to accept your daughter for the trip, you’re not gonna let some witches take her. 

They avert their gazes, slowly turning away.

Good.

Suddenly you hear a long loud hollow sound resonate in the sky. Your daughter presses herself against your leg, digging her nails in the fabric of your tunic.

“It is okay, Thooken.” you comfort her, caressing her head “It’s your father coming.”

She raises her gaze to you, you can see fear and apprehension but also a hint of hope.

“We’ll see dad today?” she asks with a little voice.

“He is the Grand Admiral, show some respect!” Morgan shouts over the noise.

You give her black look, she’s really getting on your nerves lately. The only reason you’re all here is thanks to you manipulating Ahsoka Tano to retrieve the map and recommending Baylan and Shin for the mission and she got the dirty habits to place herself as the leader of the expedition. One day you’ll end it all up with a bullet at the back of her skull.

“Cut her some slack, she can call him dad and however she pleases” you bite back “Contrary to you.”

She gives you a dirty look and you smirk at her in response. The exact same word resonates in both of your mind

Bitch.

You feel air movement in your back and spin to discover the Chimaera in all her glory. Your smile broaden. Thooker opens her eyes round like saucers.

“What’s that?” she mumbles.

“This is an ISD, sweety.” you take her in your arms, she grew a lot lately, soon you won’t be able to carry her anymore “This is the ship of your father.”

“Dad commands a ship this big?!” she goes into raptures.

“He used to command a whole fleet of ISDs.” you explain, kissing her cheek.

Her expression darkens.

“What if he doesn’t want to meet me?” she asks full of doubt “what if he doesn’t want me.”

“Oh, my sweet. Of course he wants to meet you. I am sure it is most dear wish.” You lie to her.

Unfortunately you didn’t have time to announce Thrawn the great news of your pregnancy back then, he never knew that was about to become a father. You wish you had the time, it would have been another reason for him to hold on for ten years, as of now you don’t even know in which shape you’ll meet him. Maybe he has been mutilated or became disabled, knowing he had a child somewhere in the galaxy would have given him comfort during dark times…

The Chimaera positions herself over the stone structure and slowly goes down, revealing to you an army of Stormtroopers in ranks, their armors seem patched up and hold on with red ribbons. You bite your cheek, life is not easy around here.

Suddenly they all start chanting the name of your lost husband.

That’s new…

Thrawn used to hate those displays of blind obedience. They had to adapt, it seems like.

A figure starts to descend the ally of stormtroopers, taking it’s time. 

You recognize him instantly.

Your husband.

Your loved one.

Thrawn.

Your heart sing and flutters at his sight.

You designate him to Thooken with a smile but she recoils over herself in your arms.

Morgan Elsebeth walks to place herself in the front and you can’t help but shake your head at her behavior. Baylan and Shin remain in the back, more respectful and humble.

“What was first just a dream has become a frightening reality for those who may oppose us.” he says with a smirk. “Great Mothers, I salute you.”

You smile blissfully.

Finally.

You are reunited!

What a blessing.

“Soon we should all escape this exile thanks to the help of Morgan Elsbeth.” 

Morgan bows with a smile.

“I am ever your servant, Grand Admiral.” she says with a fawning voice.

You remain in the back, managing your effect.

“They brought a prisoner.” one of the Mothers speaks.

“You never spoke of this.” he seems puzzled but not necessarily surprised.

They continue talking about Sabine Wren, Baylan reveals it’s thanks to him she’s there. Thrawn's attention is fully focused on them, giving you time to investigate Thooken’s behavior peacefully.

“What’s wrong, sweety?” you murmur.

“I am scared.” she pleas “What if he doesn’t love me?”

“Oh, my love.” you squeeze her tight “What father doesn’t love his daughter to death?”

She looks at you dead in the eyes.

“Tarkin.”

Ouch. Touché.

“He’s not Tarkin, sweety. He will love you like you’ve never been loved before, I promise.”

She circles her arms around your neck, hiding her face from everyone else.

“You are quite right… She will be of great use to us.” Thrawn nods with a light grin to Baylan before turning back to Morgan “What other great news do you bring to me on this day?”

Morgan seems taken aback, what great news? All news are bad lately, except yours.

“I have got one.” You announce clearly, revealing yourself to him.

His pupils widen at your sight, his light grin broadens.

“(Y/n), I was starting to wonder where you could be.” he says, amused and, you think, relief.

You come closer with love in your eyes, holding your daughter firmly.

“Who that might be in your arms?” he asks, tilting his head legitimately curious.

You turn your head to Thooken but she grips you tighter, refusing to budge.

“Little one?” he calls gently, he pushes a strand of hair behind her ears, revealing her blue skin to him.

You see him freeze. It lasted less than a second but you didn’t miss it.

“Thooken.” you encourage her.

Her grip loosen a tad and she deigns turning her head to meet her father. They cross their gaze and he stares at her, his knuckle grazing her cheek, with a shocked and puzzled expression. She immediately hides in the crook of your neck.

“She’s a bit shy.” you explain, caressing her back.

“It is quite okay…” he says lowly, still shocked. “She must be tired by this trip, as are all of you.” He exclaims for everyone to hear, recovering his serious demeanor. “You should use the remainder of the day to recover some energy. Captain Enoch, please escort them to their quarters.”

----------------------------------------------------------

“He doesn't like me!” You sweetheart laments, seated on the bed while you freshen up in the bathroom. You’re surprised the room got one.

“Of course he does. He’s just a little shocked.” you come back into the chamber “He never was really demonstrative, give him some time.”

She keeps her gaze low, she’s really sad. You come hug her on the bed.

“He loves you very much already, his whole world just got shaken up.”

She buries her head in the fabric of your shirt and you remain like that for a minute when you hear knocks on the door.

It’s Enoch.

“The Grand Admiral wants to see you both.”

you walk in the cold stone corridors of the citadel, following the curious trooper without a word. You finally reach a large door where Enoch leaves you.

“Ready?” You ask Thooken.

She just gulps.

You knock and open the door. Thrawn immediately stands up from his desk with an holographic map.

“(Y/n)...” He exclaims like he doesn’t believe it himself.

You throw yourself at him with a satisfied sigh, you hug him tight, revelling in his presence and scent. It’s been so long…

He seizes your face and kisses you languorously. You moan of pleasure against his soft lips, squeezing him.

“Ten years…” he whispers, eyes in yours.

“We are here now, love.” you caress his cheek “We can all go home now.”

He smiles at you before his gaze ends up on Thooken. He takes a step towards her, unsure like she would run away at any movement. She doesn’t move back but doesn’t move towards him either.

He kneels, placing himself at her level. He extends his hand to her, palm open.

“Let me see your face.” he gently asks.

She closes the gap after an hesitation. He holds her face between his two hands, all words seem to escape him.

“What is your name, young lady?”

“Thooken.” she reveals.

“Thooken.” he repeats “And how old are you?”

“9 years old.”

His thumbs caress her cheeks almost mind-absently.

“Maker.” He whispers “I had planned all the possibilities for today, but you managed to surprise me, Thooken.”

“It’s… a good thing?” she asks with a bit of fear in the tone.

“It is a very good thing. A marvelous thing.” He pulls her gently into a hug, manipulating her small body like the most fragile thing in the galaxy.

You smile when you see her hugging him back.

“Dad…” she mumbles with cracks in the voice.

“I am here my dear.” he comforts her, “I am with you now.”

“We are all together.” you say, putting a hand on his shoulder “And we will remain together.”

“Indeed.” he says with a hard tone “I will need to settle the score with Bridger. He robbed me of so much.” he spites.

He parts with Thooken and kisses her cheek before standing up to look at you.

“A chance we got his friend in a cell, she can be of some use to me.”

“I thought you would honor Baylan's engagement?” you frown.

“It was before I realized he deprived me of my child. I can not let that go unpunished.” 

You look into his red eyes to realize that his decision is taken and there is no changing his mind now.

You would almost pity Bidger.

But it is all his fault, after all.

@Bluechiss @thrawnalani @justanothersadperson93 @al-astakbar @thrawnspetgoose

☆Tag list

[saltygilmores]

THOUGHTS WHILE WATCHING GILMORE GIRLS: S3/EP6: TAKE THE DEVILED EGGS (Pt 2) (This One's Gonna Be a Real Rage Inducer) (Lots Of Interesting Development Though) (So many things happening) (Salty Rambles about Jess Mariano's Birthday)

There is something to be said about Luke (on multiple occasions) readily admitting he pays Jess in ketchup packets to toil in the Coffee Mines more or less against his will. I get that it's just a part time job after school...before school..while he's cutting school..always working...never stopping...never reicieving any tips from Lorelai and Rory... Rory needs a job... Rory and Lorelai need to pay for their food... Anyway these comments shed a light on the shaky economies of small businesses in small towns which is interesting to me. Gilmore Girls is really, at it's core, a show about class. One day he could wake up to find his diner has been turned into a Dunkin Donuts (this is Not-Quite-But-Almost-New England after all, where DD is king).

Hahahahaha!! Jess stole money to buy a car and he committs attempted murder! Hahahahaaha! You're SO FUNNY LORELAI GILMORE. Your daughter stole a boat.

Yeah. And maybe back home, he did had to steal to survive sometimes. How about them apples, Lorelai Gilmore. God, do I loathe her.

Don't say that around Lorelai, I think she'd believe you were being serious.

A couple of the moots and I recently decided that in the recent past, Liz managed to land and then lose a halfway decent boyfriend/ father figure to Jess who had a car and taught Jess to drive and do repairs and some other light adulting. I honestly feel like this is the only thing that makes sense.

HE LOOKS SO GOOD IN THIS SCENE!!! Fuck meeee. Look at that li'l curl...

LOOK AT IT!!!! You know what, I'm calling it. I'm putting my foot down. This is the hottest Milo had ever looked in the entirety of seasons 2 and 3. It's that perfectly gelled hair, the jean jacket, the cool tshirt. Very James Dean. Woof. Let's see, what would I choose for second place? I have to go with the party scene in KegMax, another episode with impeccably jelled hair and a jean jacket (and even while he was apparently sick shooting that episode too). He just progresses in hotness the further season 3 marches on.

These four words "I'm still a minor" are a point of contention for me in the ongoing debate about his birth month. My beliefs: Jess is a Virgo. He was born in August or early September. This would make him just older than Rory by just a smidge. Since well over a year has passed in the show since the episode he arrived in Stars Hollow as a 17 year old (when he arrived, it was early September as Rory had just started school in that episode), he had just celebrated his birthday before arriving and so he has to have already turned 18 by this episode. However, I will consider the theory that Luke was clueless or misinformed about his age at the time he arrived (because it's not like LIz is in any way reliable with information) and he was actually 16 going on 17 when he hopped off the bus last year, and maybe he has an October or November birthday making him slightly younger than Rory. It would make sense that both missed the kindergarten cut off dates in 1989 at their respective schools (which is rock solid canon already for Rory, as she was born in October 84 but graduated in 03 instead of 02), putting them in the same grade.

Salty has put a pathetic amount of thought into this. So, how can I accept this statemen? I attribute it to the same brand of biting sarcasm that gave us "I mugged an old lady" moments ago and also because this scene doesn't make a whole lot of sense to begin with. He's still a minor, but he got his own insurance all by himself under his own name, which is not really a thing, but not his own car registration? Committing insurance fraud perhaps? Sketchy insurance company that didn't ask too many questions? He knows a guy who knows a guy who can print up some fake documents? At that point why not go all the way with the white collar crimes and forge Luke's signature on the registration too? See, Lorelai thinks Jess is a thief and murderer when he's really a white collar criminal like Taylor Doose.

My memory was certain that he produced a cigarrette and not a pen in this scene. I had to edit this post to remove a line about him smoking. I guess I confused it with the Then She Appears/ Cmurrh kissing scene, where he's also wearing a jean jacket with a popped collar. Damn. I can't wait for that scene...

Just some light fraud. If the car belonged to someone in Stars Hollow, whoever's registration he stole probably deserved it anyway. This is how I approach all "Crimes" Jess commits in Stars Hollow. There are only a few people who don't deserve it. Your honor, my client is innocent.

Oh no, the couch of doom. No good conversations ever happens between Rory and Lorelai on the couch, especially after one of them comes home at night and finds the other one on the couch. The Gilmores recieve an invitation to Sherry's baby shower. The moots and I have determined that Doula and Gigi will eventually band together to form the most powerful duo of neglected half sisters the world has ever seen. For the record, today Doula would be 17 and Gigi would be 21. Since Jess eventually comes to adopt and raises Doula she has a somewhat decent chance of coming out a well adjusted adult. At the very least, if she was stuck with TJ and Liz, Jess would still be a positive influence on her life, visit her and look out for her and make sure she didn't get sucked into any cults. The odds are a lot more grim for Gigi with Crusty and Sherry as her forever "parents" and let's face it, very likely her relationship with big sister Rory or any of the other Gilmores is non existent.

And things were so peaceful. Especially since Dean hasn't reared his ugly head in the last two episodes, either.

You flip flop with Crusty so much how can anyone possibly keep track of whether you're on the outs with him or banging him at any given time?

And by saying that out loud you're gonna tip the balance of the universe and he's going to show up. I looked ahead and although this is sadly still a Crusty-Focused episode, he doesn't actually make an appearance. Small blessings. To Lorelai's surprise, Rory admits that she's been in contact with Crusty and Lorelai is okay with it but upset that Rory was hiding it from her. God, he's such a parasite.

Emails. How quaint.

Highly debatable.

[tonydaddingham]

let's talk about shax

looking at shax in finer detail has been on my to-do list for some time, and further to a little ??? post i made, i think it's high time to get some thoughts out on virtual paper. i won't pretend that this is going to reach any kind of logical or plausible conclusion - because let's face it, it won't - but given that she has a pretty substantial 40mins-ish of screentime, and is raising more questions than giving answers, she needs to be looked at anyway!✨

(an extremely long post, for which you can have a half-hearted apology)

rank and position

(and a little bit on furfur my beloved)

chronologically, we first meet shax in 1941 when she and furfur are colleagues processing incoming arrivals to hell - essentially made out to all be nazis. she remarks later on that is a"former admissions demon, senior grade", which would track that, most likely, she is fairly low-ranking, albeit in a possibly supervisory role. she's immediately characterised as efficient and ambitious, processing paperwork robotically and swiftly, and has a more no-nonsense demeanour, especially in contrast to furfur's more... customer service? approach:

but then when furfur goes to the fire vending machine, she follows and hangs back, before making some stilted small-talk with him. she then takes the in that furfur gives her - his discontentment with working in admissions - to put forward an idea of intelligence sharing, a very scratch-my-back-i'll-scratch-yours offer. she hears about a position opening up in temptations, and furfur baulks in that he doesn't have that ambitious drive, that it's never come naturally to him to push upwards and put himself forwards for higher position (despite his fatigue in his current department).

she assures him that she has in-roads with higher-ranking demons, specifically those on the dark council, providing that he essentially does the same for her by sharing any knowledge he gains of wayward demons etc. obviously, he doesn't do this with crowley later in the episode - keeps the intel to himself - and when it goes tits up with the photograph, she appears to rub it in.

now, likening this to any real-life context, it's usually a little weird when a 'normal' member of staff has the ear of the big-wigs. i certainly don't think, in shax's case, it's for any lewd reason that she does, but i think it instead indicates that she's either an internal informant, literally hired to do exactly as she's done with furfur and report any insubordination or rebellion*, and/or she was particularly close with the higher demons pre-fall. the latter, to me, seems unlikely, given their interactions in the bookshop in ep6.

so, shax starts off low-ranking, potentially surveilling her colleagues from that innocuously low position (which could further suggest it's a plant, and she's actually considered high ranking in the figurative sense), and is able to sense discontentment or insecurity in others to manipulate to her advantage*. however, the dynamic is reversed she then has to go crawling to furfur in ep5 when she needs foot soldiers for her bookshop siege, and furfur certainly regards her apathetically during this particular interaction, which ultimately bites her in the demon arse when she can only get 70 demons rallied.

but then we move to her in a newly promoted position on earth, replacing crowley. i think we can be fairly certain that crowley is of at least middling rank in hell (i do not think, by any stretch, he's considered as low-ranking as basic demons are, for example - and, this time, it's probably because of not only his power but his seemingly substantial connection to beelzebub pre-fall, or even based on a part that he had in the fall itself).

now, this doesn't necessarily mean that being hell's representative in earth means you have to have rank - crowley could have gained some rank in hell following the successful fall of humanity, not necessarily before it - but if you are in some measure responsible for hellish goings-on on earth, i'd bet that you would need to be well-regarded in hell to be trusted to do so. ergo - i think by the point that she comes to earth, shax has been promoted by rank, not just by position, if we consider the two as separate elements.

the bit here that gets me is that shax describes herself as a plenipotentiary. this is usually used in relation to ambassadorship and by definition means someone that can take action on behalf of the sovereign, or - more generally - has full powers to act in place of an authority. using 'plenipotentiary' doesn't appear to be a bluff only to aziraphale, given that she also says it to beelzebub's guard, so it definitely appears the case that she does in fact have these powers. that being said, it seems that there is a limit to her authority; she has to have the attack on the bookshop officially sanctioned by beelzebub. but again, it seems indicative that her rank is increased, to have this level of power.

the other bit is that she reveals herself to be 'demon of the fifth house' to the guard, who in turn announces that bit specifically upon her entrance into the throne room (?). so, this must have some kind of significance over her position on earth, and possibly is instead to do with her rank - not to mention would be appropriate announcement when appearing before royalty. if we consider that in the ars goetia, the demon shax held the title of marquis, this would correlate as being below king, president, prince, and duke, also listed as demon ranks, and all five ranks above counts/earls and knights (and im assuming this based on the british nobility system.. im also personally not subscribing the use of 'fifth house' to anything astrological, but it certainly has its implications that are quite interesting).

lastly, in ep6, we end on the suggestion that furfur and shax 'make up', and he agrees to help her get the position of ruling hell in the wake of the departure of beelzebub.

dagon is titled as a lord in s1, and in s2 is indicated as being at least head of admissions (being lord of the files, this makes sense), as well as potentially having their own seat on the dark council (they're addressed by the honorific 'maleficence' by furfur, and dagon is sat along with the two other demons that, together, might make up the dark council)*.

by the ars goetia, furfur is ranked as a count, but his presence in the bookshop itself in ep6 suggests he too may in fact be dark council* (which for me, raises questions - can we presume that he finally worked his way up to recquisitions, gained a rank, and a subsequent seat on the dark council because of some success he's had off-screen? is this where the s3 1941 scene could come in, and was shax involved in this, too?). but in any case, if we follow that above system, shax would outrank them both, even if she's not dark council - making her a prime candidate for the princeship (especially if a) their story to satan about uncovering the biggest traitor to hell* goes well, and b) as long as someone outranking her doesn't make a comeback - duke hastur, perhaps?)

*dagon does say in ep6 that they believe "the dark council will have something to say about all this nonsense", and furfur in turn uses "they" when referring to the council, which would suggest they both sit apart from it... but i personally don't think that excludes the possibility that dagon or indeed furfur are on the council; perhaps that they just, in fact, are only two members of it, with two other members being the two demons sat beside dagon in ep4...?

powers and characteristics

ive noted in this speculation about her ability to sense gabriel in the bookshop, but i don't think that it's necessarily a special ability or power. given that gabriel is indeed in the fly (and, as the linked post suggests, was in fact not affected by the 25-lazarii miracle), she would be probably able to sense him like any demon would, and more readily sense him than a fellow angel would (ie. michael in ep2) - consider it potentially as a self-defense kind of mechanism; to sense out an enemy being.

im undecided, thinking about what other abilities she displays, that they are in fact powers, per se. crowley is described in s1 as being singular in his ability to hold the burning bentley together because he uniquely has an imagination - and i don't think this has changed (that crowley has power because of his imagination). demons in general seem to have innate sense and abilities for certain nefarious deeds, but... shax in particular appears to just be very good at using them.

*the most obvious thing is her ability to sense weakness and insecurity - i would suggest that this is just something all demons can do, but there's conflicting argument to this. regardless, she demonstrates this keenly in ep6 with maggie and aziraphale both:

now, shax deliberately references material things that, on the surface, she hadn't ought to know - the shop issues with maggie, and the eating (specifically the sushi) thing with aziraphale. and both absolutely hit their target. now, she could be able to sense these things as a result of some degree of telepathy or acute empathy.

that being said, however, i think her knowing these things is more to do with her role in hell potentially being that of an informant. which begs the following questions:

how long has she been watching whickber street? and why havent aziraphale and crowley noticed her in the area? (we know from ep1 that crowley knows that shax is constantly checking in on him - but im assuming he doesn't know that she's doing it to this extent?) (and im also assuming that this isn't, in fact, at least one of the reasons why crowley has taken to sleeping in the bentley instead of finding accommodation elsewhere - nor with aziraphale... which leads me to the next question)

has crowley in fact noticed her lurking around secretively, and doesn't want to insert himself into the bookshop permanently because if he did, he'd weaken the security of the shop itself? (re: the whole sanctuary permission thing)

could crowley potentially have let something slip in his off-screen interactions with her? she demonstrates that she's an intuitive talker - crowley nearly lets (ep3) and aziraphale does let (ep4) something slip to her - and misdirection is a huge part in how she gets information divulged to her (whilst posed as being a comic bit, i feel like the boiler conversation was in part used to catch crowley off-guard, before she resorts to outright threatening aziraphale)

alternatively - we see shax recruit furfur in ep4 to gather intel for her. she also attempts to recruit crowley directly in ep1, to her failure (and this informs her on where his loyalty lies - crowley does not make an exemplary spy im afraid). therefore, is there anything to suggest that she doesn't do this elsewhere on earth? are there potentially demons up on earth, specifically in whickber street, that are feeding her intel on crowley and aziraphale generally? (side-eye at ms cheng, and potentially nina? it could potentially account for some Weird Ass moments on both of their parts)

where intel on maggie comes in - is maggie in fact a replacement for aziraphale, and is in shax's purview to spy on? and/or is it just ambient information she's picked up herself from hanging around the bookshop unseen/that her informants have given her? aziraphale had two conversations about the rent with maggie in ep1; one taking place in the record store privately, but the second out on the street.

and, just maybe, is this intelligence on aziraphale specifically being fed back to heaven? to metatron? through the hell-vine? metatron brings him a coffee from GMCoGMD; is it because they've seen aziraphale go in on numerous occasions, and assumes this is what he orders?

moving to my next point somewhat, that also informs on the above: shax is able to fully disguise herself. she disguises herself as the hitchhiker in ep4, and as multiple people in her conversation with crowley in ep3 out on the street. i don't think it's necessarily possession, but more that she's able to, or is mindful to, blend in more completely with humans. this makes sense, once again, if she is essentially a spy (which, now i think about it, poses such an interesting mirror to crowley in terms of the espionage theme). im not convinced that it's really anything more than that, other than to inform that she may have been lurking about, unrecognised from being in disguise, around whickber street.

that being said, she evidently still doesn't have a full grasp on social cues - sarcasm being a prominent one. i think at some points she may use this perceived cluelessness to her advantage - it makes others underestimate her - but for the most part, i think she's still getting used to fieldwork, and is quickly trying to learn these humanisms so she doesn't get caught out again (eg. in ep2, crowley has to tell her that what he said was sarcasm, but in ep6, she herself recognises the sarcasm coming from beelzebub). (it kind of, very loosely, reminds me of the brilliant scene in inglorious basterds with hicox holding up three fingers wrong - assimilation to local custom is a huge part in maintaining a convincing cover).

i do have one small conundrum, however, and that's her scene in the car with aziraphale. first of all, we leave off from ep3 where she asks crowley where aziraphale is - and this seems relatively genuine and not quite a bluff; that she's trying to needle him in a last-minute attempt for information. but, she then immediately seems to know that aziraphale is on his way back from edinburgh. now, i couldn't quite work out why she would suddenly know this (seems to be a big intel gap to be filled off-screen), but then i realised that not only does aziraphale talk about going to edinburgh whilst outside in ep2, but in ep3 it's mentioned in front of muriel:

now, it could be something of nothing (and reflection i think it is, in fact, nothing). we know that muriel likely goes straight into GMCoGMD after this scene in the backroom, and we also know that she reports back into michael and uriel on her findings. was this a bit of information that they reported back in an off-screen conversation, and the intel made its way from heaven, down to beelzebub, and back to shax? and so, at the end of ep4, when shax says "the angel we to edinburgh... you know which one.", she's referring back to a previous conversation between her and beelzebub?

(in hindsight this seems Very Obvious but i needed to parse it out to arrive at this conclusion - apologies)

but back to ep4: she speculates about aziraphale and crowley's relationship, and she could have gotten this information from furfur post-1941. but she also remarks on the bentley - that crowley has had it for 90 years. now, im not entirely convinced that shax would have researched it. did she ask crowley once, and he told her? alternatively, has someone been spying for her since 1941? is it anything to do with his and crowley's conversation about aziraphale driving the bentley, in ep2, taking place out on the street? who was around to hear it?

costume

now i can't take the credit for these two particular spots, they were pointed out by much more observant people than me (thank you @hellsgardener01 and @canarybell for this!!!) but shax definitely appears to have pinched a couple of crowley's accessories - namely, the 2008 sunglasses, and his watch:

so, off the back of this, a couple of thoughts from me:

crowley may well have left them at the flat when he had to vacate (regardless if they're miracled or actual material objects), and presumably shax has just helped herself

she may have done this as a trophy/power move (bless), as an intimidation tactic (she wears them, as far as i can see, specifically when she's confronting crowley, and not in other scenes), or because she has a weird obsession with crowley himself... not sure how i feel about the latter, personally

i couldn't quite get a good enough picture, but he also wears the watch in the 2008 st james park scene, same as the sunglasses. now, i don't necessarily want to get crackpot (but im gonna*), but this is also the same scene where god narrates that the ducks are particularly fond of bread fed to them by secret agents (and yes, yes, i know it was comedy and for The Bit, but stick with me it's fun).

there is also the snake clasp/broach on her waist - now, i can't spot this on any of crowley's costumes (although, if anyone else does, please let me know!!! ), but id also add that whilst it's not 100% clear, she may also be wearing this in 1941, and not just exclusively in 2023 (ie. is it anything to do with crowley?) it's indicated not only by the imprint on the leather breastplate she wears in eps5 and 6, but also supported by the ars goetia, that her aspect is a stork - which begs the question as to why she's wearing a snake, of all things?

and last thing! in ep6, when laying on the sofa, she's wearing a ring that looks veeeeery similar to the one furfur gives the nazis in ep4. it could be that she calls furfur during the siege, and he informs dagon and beelzebub that they need to go check out whats happening on earth (which could explain why furfur is there is he's not dark council*).

on a lighter note: the ducks

this is a relatively small thing, and a bit of a stretch, but hang in there soldier, you're nearly at the end. in s1, in the 1862 scene, i potentially think crowley is on edge after 1827 not just because he got dragged off to hell (and tortured?) for an undetermined amount of time, but because someone overheard him and aziraphale in the graveyard - i explore this in this post. in 1862, he suddenly becomes a lot more paranoid about being overheard, even by the ducks (albeit jokily). because they must have ears - its how they hear other ducks.

so this conversation in s2 feels less like shax being ignorant about earth, and possibly that actually crowley may have had the right of in 1862, even if he doesn't know it - that ducks have ears. shax seems inordinately tense about the conversation, and seems to relax once the conversation changes back to her checking in on crowley herself.

(look, im not saying she has ducks act as her informants, or that she or anyone else is making a habit of possessing ducks, *or - given that her aspect is a stork, - that she's taken to chilling out in the pond herself...but... im not not saying that, either).

all of this to say - not exactly sure what this all means in the grand scheme of things. but i do think shax is - has been - more important than we've possibly regarded her, and that she's been a little closer to home, for a longer time, than we've given credit for. either way, she's my next bond.

[plantsarepeopletoo]

Only Friends Music EP6 part 2/2

Part one covers the first half of Ep6, or you can find other episodes on my pinned comment.

This is a series of posts taking a closer look at the music of Only Friends. Reminder: Playing with the music is like body language, it moves with the conversation. Verbal says something either through lyrics or something like a song title.

[3/4]

Song: Dark Premonitions by Jon Sumner 

Scene: Ray confronts Boston at his house

Type: Vocal, Playful

Starts after Ray yells “You slept with Top”. Another way of seeing Boston shutdown and he turns it back on Ray, saying Ray would be just as evil as him if Ray tells Mew. All the while minimizing and deflecting anything Ray throws his way.

Boston gives Ray a view of the future where he’s the villain for doing what is right. And this feeling makes Ray pause before telling Mew the truth.

Fun fact: the mirror has news clippings on it, one has Halloween in big letters, another might say Halloween is coming.

Song: Too Dusty (Live Version) by Blood Red Sun  Scene: Ray and Mew in the bathroom Type: Vocal

Lyrics in show:

[Verse 1] You got me acting out, you All tenderness is out the window What you do to me when the cold bites blue is straight cruel, mmm Oh, it has to be you leaving writings on the wall You promised me roses and hungry heads but, now there's only madness (Got me feeling dusty) (Got me feeling dusty) And I can't even whisper in this haunted scene oh take my hand and wake me Please Tell me it's a dream (dream) the worst kind you've ever dreamed [Chorus] Don't wanna lay anothеr night, here without you Don't wanna walk another milе, (I just can't) please don't make me do it I, I've got too much to lose I've got too much to lose Too much to lose [Verse 2] Now lay me in the wilderness, to dry out bits of your sweet caress I can't weep no more Willow trees have died, and the last Horned Lark will fly (Got me feeling dusty) (Got me feeling dusty) Please tell me it's a dream (dream) the worst kind you've ever dreamed

It starts in the bar bathroom scene, and most of the song in the show, except the last two lines. playing so softly it’s almost a background sound like you’d hear in a bathroom at a bar. The song is mournful, wishing for release of the old feelings even while hoping for the lover to not leave them. Death, drought, nightmares through out the song, and he just wants to be released.

“You’ve got me acting out” basically is what Ray will do, even though he’s trying to save himself and Mew. He’s fighting with himself, Mew told him that they can’t be friends if he can’t leave the old feelings, Boston and Sand both think that he’d tell Mew because of those feelings. He’s at risk of losing everyone if he tells Mew.

Later, when he does tell, he seems so heartbroken, assuming Mew would also believe it's because of those feelings. "I'm ok, I've always been ok" - "I just want you to be happy, even if I'm not part of it"

Song: ร้ายก็รัก by Joey Boy

Scene: Mew's party, Yo and friends are singing along to Joey Boy

Type: Vocal

Lyrics they sing:

I guess good guys only exist in… "Where?" "In Yo’s club!" A bad guy like me is doomed to misery I guess good guys only exist in fairy stories (You should’ve said “Yo’s club”) I’m a villain, no matter how much I love you, I must die eventually In the end, he’s the one who has your love

Mew's acting strange for what we know in the story, as everyone else is celebrating and singing along to the song. Good guys really only exist in fairy stories, and everyone is going to face their wrongs.

Song: Bursting Into Life by Harper Rey Scene: Ray criticizes everyone Cheum Type: Vocal

Starts after Ray says Cheum always complains to us you don’t have time for her, and she doesn’t understand your indie films. Ray’s finally moving, not just silently taking all the bad energy around him.

Song: Blame Game by GEMINII  Scene: Ray gets punched by Mew Type: Vocal

Lyrics not in show:

Stop fighting Done lying For closure Can we turn this last page over? Talk about it Can’t go round it It’s not over Everything is moving slower  They cling on to the blame Cause it’s all (Can we turn this last page over?) They have left to do Moving on from the pain Cause it’s all (But, everything is moving slower) They have left to do More, then thousands On the horizon I swear we’re trapped in Everything we feared is happening

Ray brought everything to the surface. He kicked everyone’s sandcastles down. The only person he attacked personally was Sand, and even then it wasn’t anything sacred that Sand shared with him. Now he’s trapped holding the blame, he became the villain in their stories like Boston was in his. 

“Everything we feared is happening” is an interesting line, since Boston was afraid Ray would tell Mew about Top, Nick is afraid Boston will leave him, Mew was afraid of Top not being serious about their relationship, Top was afraid that Ray and Mew were more than friends, Sand is afraid Ray will choose Mew, and Ray is afraid that Mew will push him away. Sand already pushed Ray away, so Ray hurts Sand like Sand hurt Ray. Sand doesn’t want Ray’s money, but if Ray keeps repeating it, maybe Sand would get how it feels to be accused of something over and over. 

They’ve all made prophecies that have come true, and now everyone holds onto the blame.

Maybe once they let go of that blame and start actually being honest with themselves, they can move forward. 

[4/4]

Song I’ll Do It All over Again by Mindme  Scene: April and Cheum make up, Boston and Nick in bed Type: Vocal

Lyrics:

I see you struggle Like butterflies in water Can’t get moving forward I see your shoulders Weighed down by armor You don’t need that protection

Lyrics not in show

I would walk on glass I would run ten thousand miles and more I would give my eyes if you lost your sight I would run through fire I would carry you through the heat I would do it all again if you needed me to Wish that I could Take away your pain Like sunbeams in the rain Oh we’re family Where ever you go I’ll follow What ever you do I’ll handle I would walk on glass I would run ten thousand miles and more I would give my eyes if you lost your sight I would run through fire I would carry you through the heat I would do it all again if you needed me to Oh, oh I’ll do it all over again Oh, Oh I’ll do it all over again I would run through fire I would carry you through heat I’ll do it all over again

Song starts as April asks Cheum to not lie, that her words mean so much.

I see you struggle Like butterflies in water

These two lines play as April and Cheum hug, their problem fixed as soon as Cheum stopped blaming Ray and owned up to her own words.

The scene switches to Boston and Nick in Nick’s room halfway through the next line, as they lay silently in bed. Nick and Boston are stuck, unable to move forward since Boston refuses to talk. Ray exploding at the club has upset Boston more than he’s willing to say to Nick, the one person who would listen and accept.

In the show, the lyrics are Nick’s feelings “I see your shoulders” Nick rolls over to put his hand on Boston’s chest, “weighted down by armor” Boston moves Nick’s hand away, and “You don’t need that protection” plays as Boston rolls away, shutting down Nick’s comfort.

Boston’s armor is his minimizing, reflecting blame, his masks, and here, the disconnect. Nick would walk on glass and follow Boston across the world, but he can’t fix anything if Boston turns away from him. You can’t force someone to love you, even if you walk through fire for them.

Song: I Used to Be Free by Fleurs Douces Scene: Song Mew puts on after lighting candles Type: Vocal

Lyrics heard in show:

Feeling caged Unsafe Lights are out I'm fading Angels Call my name Move on Just move on I'm falling so deep, deep below I'm not alright Can't get no sleep, time's too slow I can't keep fighting I used to be free, but now I'm just old Losing my mind It's all in my head, it's all in my head Not too long ago When I still felt joy Not a pressure on my chest Try to find a Way to Control it I don't wanna live a life like this I'm falling so deep, deep below I'm not alright Can't get no sleep, time's too slow

(beginning of next song overlaps and drowns out the rest)

I can't keep fighting I used to be free, but now I'm just old Losing my mind It's all in my head, it's all in my head

Mew lights candles and we get a sickly green glow, the song is haunting and it draws Top into the bedroom. “When we love or get attached to anyone, it’s hard to get over that person. Don’t you think” Mew asks Top.

Not too long ago When I still felt joy Not a pressure on my chest Try to find a Way to Control it I don't wanna live a life like this

Mew took control of the situation, he didn’t give Top a way out, and he proved that it is Top’s voice on that tape. The refusal to want to feel this pressure, this despair, is what drives Mew’s actions in the next episode.

I like how the next song, cold-blooded drowns out the rest of this song. It's angry and decisive, Mew has made his decision. Mew is ready to hurt Top as they start to undress.

Song: cold-blooded by King Sis  Scene: Top and Mew start to do it in Mew’s bed Type: Vocal

Lyrics not heard in show:

I lay you to rest in pieces No picture on a T-Shirt Like you never existed I’m done being a victim This is my villain era, look out I go hard from my heart Play with her, it go down Now you blocked Shhh Don’t make a sound Don’t wish you no harm But I hope that no good come around In my space there's no cheaters allowed I gave you my word Try it again you gonna lose your girlfriend The nerve To think I wouldn’t disappear from your life Cold-Blooded Boy I’m cold-blooded All this blue ice water in my veins Memorial service in your name Cold-blooded You are trying to spin the block now Bring flowers to my job now Oh you realized what you lost now I been pressure, never stop now But I’m way too good at goodbyes Bet you thought grass was green on that other side Guess what I’ll help you decide Tattoo'd on my tears No I swear that you won’t catch me crying Got no reasons left to rewind I gave you my word Try it again I’ll put you on the bench Do not disturb To think I used to dream of being your wife Cold-blooded

The beginning of the song starts after Mew asks for one more gift and turns to undo Top’s shirt. Given this song, that gift might be front row seats at Top’s funeral. Or at least a close up of Top’s shocked face when he finds out about the tape. As the song says:

I’m done being a victim This is my villain era, look out

Top messed around, and instead of doing what he should have done, which was go to Mew with his concerns with Ray, he decides to fuck Boston.

Song: The Vice by Hampus Naeselius Scene: Mew confronts Top about the tapes  Type: Background, Playful

Top’s vice, his wrongs, are brought to light and at first Top falls back to his habit of not telling the whole truth. Mew voices his concerns, his insecurities, angry at the betrayal of a friend and a lover at the same time. The song ends with Mew saying he can’t trust anything Top says.

Honesty and Sincerity are a major theme of Only friends, as the first song in the show says,

Because I know you are honest Someone like you I've never met Take it, take all of my heart It's all yours

Right now the only couple at the end of Ep6 is April and Cheum, who, after their problems were laid out onto the table, were able to start to fix them. Top and Mew’s bewitchment has been broken, and Sand and Ray’s fragile connection has shattered. Nick and Boston, in Ep7 are completely apart, but it’s still early, and I’m not sure how the show is going to direct their path. 

--

That's it for EP6, thank you for reading! Thank you @rocketturtle4 for your patience with me this episode.

Here's the master list

Here's a link to EP6 part 1

[sunshinechay]

Top 5 BL Scenes that Made you Laugh 2023!!!

This one is really hard because I’m drawing a blank on any actual scenes (I’m so sorry 😭😭) so I’m going to go with shows/characters that made me laugh and if I can remember a specific scene I’ll put it in there.

So these are not in a particular order but

Nawin - Laws of Attraction

Literally any scene with this man in it, but his introduction scene specifically is just *chef’s kiss*

Nuea from Wedding Plan

He made me laugh with his overly dramatic self a lot in the early part of the series. He is such a fun and fantastic character and in the beginning of the series, he can be over dramatic at times. A favourite scene of his that comes to mind is in the second episode when he is feeding Lom (*my best Monty python impression* nobody expects the McDonald’s!) and ends up dropping the food into his lap and is frantically trying to clean Lom’s pants while Lom is desperately trying to get him to stop. It’s endearing to see him care so much but also funny to me due to his momentary lack of realizing that he is frantically rubbing at his crush’s groin. Like dude!

This one is a specific scene! The scene in La Pluie where Tai bites Patts while he’s drunk at the end of episode 3. An incredibly drunk Tai rambled on about Patts being a playboy because Patts is his soulmate (which Patts is unaware of at that moment), has decided to pursue someone else (Tai…he’s pursuing Tai) and decided to bite Patts as revenge? and it’s absolutely glorious.

Yao Shun Yu and Xiao Shang Zhou from You Are Mine. Just both of them, every scene they’re in. They’re both of them are the most over dramatic boys grown ass men. Their courtship is so strange and yet I found it entertaining and absolutely hilarious at the same time.

The mpreg discussion from ep6 of Pit Babe…it made me laugh in both a good way, because of course these two idiots would talk about having children literally 2 minutes after officially becoming a couple and also in a nervous way because I cannot believe I am witnessing a conversation about mpreg in a tv show on my screen in the year of our Lord, 2023. And like 4 days before Christmas too, which makes it feel even more strange to me someone *gets dragged off stage before I can go on a rant about Jesus and his birth being Christmas and also the breeding plot line from the book or have the urge to call any children Babe and Charlie did have together some kind of Jesus baby* any way

[three--rings]

4 Minutes ep6

This show is so infuriating but also I enjoy that feeling? The specific way it is infuriating?

Like I do NOT understand what is going on with Tonkla's storyline now. Like, is there a Tonkla and Detective storyline where his brother lives? IDK.

But okay after the credits we're in the No Powers universe where that woman died, so not the primary one we've been in before. This is super interesting to me.

Wait, so that breakup was RECENT recent.

See, like all of this is characterization for Great that we really could have used. Cause as it was, he was mostly confused for like three episodes.

Akira!!!

ON THE FUCKING POOL TABLE??

I do find it really interesting that I've been thinking that this scene of them was really intimate and loving looking and yet uh, here we are. So IDK what that says. In particular Jes seems to be acting something profound during it. Bible is more in line with where you'd imagine his character is.

I like they show Tyme hesitating about the exposure.

Is it wrong of me to say I find these characters, their Prime versions, if you will, far more compelling? Because they're worse people, honestly. The magic timeline versions just don't have the edge and bite they should.

Ok I DEFINITELY like this version better. Great has SO much more personality here.

Okay Wei Wuxian, chill out on the dogs.

Ok I really didn't need to see the whole Great Great Great Great scene again in its entirety. It was just last ep.

In the elevator YES!

Okay okay okay but look, that means that it's very possible/likely that THIS is the real timeline which means I personally AM WINNING because we have a fucked up version of the romance in the Real World.

And the ideal timeline, while okay it's nice that Dome and Nani lived and stuff, but it's all in Great's head while he's near death and that explains literally everything.

I am SEATED for the final two episodes.

[unisongakikoeru]

okay i know tkdb sucks as a game and that the company is extremely shitty but unfortunately i fell in love with the story and characters and i need to show and talk about these two panels in particular because ever since i read ep6 i cannot stop thinking about this. im not even the biggest rui or ruimc fan its just that this scene is so fucking Good (under cut because it got Long but it's just me rambling, really)

for more context rui (blonde guy) has a curse that makes it so any living thing he touches dies. which is why he wears gloves, which supposedly DOES stop the curse (he can touch plants with them on) but he still avoids touching people because You Never Know. and okay here basically they were on a mission and there's this plant anomaly (a monster basically) that was gonna eat a girl and so mc (the girl on the panels) ran to her to attempt to save her and rui. Reaches out to her. Wanting to protect mc, to stop her before its too late because he doesnt want the anomaly to attack her too. but he hesitates. hesitates to touch her because of his curse. which ends in not only the girl getting eaten, but mc too. and you know what the title of that chapter is? "the price of hesitation." i am SICK (dw tho both girls do manage to get saved but like. Man)

its also extremely implied that rui likes mc (has her in his likes AND IS THE ONLY CHARACTER TO; constantly heavily flirts with her; JUST LOOK AT HOW PANICKED HE LOOKS IN THOSE PANELS HE GENUINELY CARES ABOUT HER SO MUCH; this is a joseimuke with heavy yumebaiting you gotta have At Least One character who's in love with mc and guess what, rui's not the only one)

actually while im at it, im gonna talk about another scene i love from ep6 because so far its the BEST episode ive read OH MY GOD

so hi, yes, they have a werewolf, i present here to you lyca. and he is the best tokyo debunker character. and i am saying this as someone who has favorites above lyca (sorry bestie, you ARE still one of my favs tho i prommy). but god he is so, so everything

basically in this scene, as you can see he's transformed into a werewolf, and is so close to just lose control and eat mc. but he manages to resist and bites himself instead. since he's still actually half-wolf here, he may still have some sliver of self-control and awareness left, but it doesn't change the fact that this proves just how much he genuinely cares about mc. because she basically contributed heavily in getting him out of prison (yes, it was because he was falsely suspected of murder tho) and was extremely kind and patient with him in helping him adapt to human society and his new life at the academy (yes they're in a school). and well, lyca can be pretty blunt and short-tempered, making him a bit aggressive at times, but so many instances of him just being. a tad softer and nicer to mc has been showcased throughout the episode, telling us how he does appreciate everything mc does for him and has grown attached to her. AND BASICALLY THEY ARE JUST EVERYTHING. OBSCUARY AND MC ARE SO EVERYTHING TO ME NOW. I'M LITERALLY SO SICKKK

[thebiggestmenace]

Do you have any fanfic recommendations?

hi, anon! I do! I read a little fic every night as ✨️enrichment time✨️ so there's gonna be a lot. all of these are on ao3 :)

"I think I saved myself by saving you" by @not-so-mundane-after-all was actually my first tlou fic that I read! it's a sickfic where Ellie gets sick before leaving Jackson

"violent heart" by @timelesslords is another good one! it's ep8 aftercare, but with aspects from the game and the show. she also has one from Joel's perspective called "never let you down again"

"never let me down again" by tayyys (I'm not sure what their tumblr is) is a good one! it's a rewrite of ep6 and on, where Ellie leaves after having overheard Tommy and Joel's conversation

"miller lite" by captainredspade (CodeNameArtemis) is also good! this one has a lot of Tommy and Ellie bonding, but it's angst cause Ellie got hurt on a day trip with him

"irreplacable" by captainredspade (CodeNameArtemis) is one where Ellie takes a bite for Tommy and there's more bonding between them

"heaven doesn't want me now" by @lkay-09 is one where Ellie (sort of) gets a choice at the hospital. some of the lines in there are just *chefs kiss*

"come tomorrow this will all be in our past" also by @lkay-09 is one where Tommy goes with Ellie, instead of Joel, in ep6

"triplicate" by @penandinkprincess is a very angsty one where Joel finds Ellie's file at the hospital in Salt Lake!

"a half-step to the left" also by @penandinkprincess is the Tess lives au we all asked for hehe :)

"glimpses unseen" by flannelfeelings (@boopernatural here :)) is one where we see Tommy's trauma of losing Sarah when Ellie gets hurt outside the walls

I shall stop listing them now as there are A Lot, but I recomend lkay, pen, and flannelfeelings' fics a lot :) there's a lot of fics between them all and they're all so good :)