#but i want to revel in the domesticities and drama

[cemetery-baccanal]

me when i ‼️

[bucky-bucky-bucky-bucky]

Sweet Nothing | Bucky Barnes x Reader

Back at it again with another Taylor Swift inspired fic because I'm mentally ill, babes :)

Warnings: some anxiety

"They said the end is coming. Everyone's up to something. I find myself running home to your Sweet nothings. Outside they're push and shoving. You're in the kitchen humming. All that you ever wanted from me was Sweet nothing."

Bucky stood in the doorway, silently watching you. He loved to observe, to drink you in without you knowing. He liked seeing how you lived in moments when you thought you were alone, without your self-conscious tendencies or insecurities.

These quiet moments belonged to him- only him. And he never took them for granted. He committed to memory everything about you, every small detail he could catch. 

He loved knowing that, somehow, the two of you crossed paths. You found each other despite all the nightmares. And he could never put into words how grateful he was to have you in his life. Even when he was away, just knowing that you lived in the same timeline eased his anxiety.

But after watching you for a while, he couldn’t take it anymore, couldn’t resist holding you. He wrapped his strong arms around you from behind and pulled you flush to his chest. His stubbled chin rested on your shoulder as his lips found your neck.

“Good morning, doll.” His voice was low, gravelly from sleep. “Whatcha got goin’ on here?”

You reached up and tangled your fingers in Bucky’s hair, eliciting a quiet sigh from his chest. “And good morning to you, Sarge. I thought I’d make us some French toast.” 

Bucky’s “mmmmmm” vibrated against your back. “You didn’t have to do that.”

A quick spin brought you face to face with him. He always looked so cute in the morning, with his tired eyes and disheveled hair.

“You’re finally home, babe. I wanted to make you your favorite breakfast.” His dog tags clinked as you toyed with them for the first time since his return. 

“Well, that’s very sweet of you,” Bucky said, dotting a kiss to your forehead. “Let me help,” he dropped a kiss to your nose. “Put me to work, sweetheart,” finally, his lips met yours. 

“No, you don’t have to do anything-”

“But I want to!” Bucky’s hands made quick work of your sides, tickling you mercilessly. “Let me help, let me help, let me help!”

“Okay, okay!” you breathed, “you can help!” It took several moments for your laughter to cease and your breath to return; Bucky knew exactly how to get to you. “I’m putting you on bacon and fruit.”

He followed your orders and quickly got to work cutting up strawberries and cooking bacon. These were the moments Bucky missed most. He missed the safety, the domesticity, the peace you brought. An unstoppable smile forced his lips upward as he listened to you talk about your dreams from the previous night and the latest update on your work drama. 

It wasn’t flashy or exciting, but it was warm. Comfortable. And while others may have been bored with such a menial task, Bucky reveled in it. He never thought he’d experience the quiet things, the soft things. But now that he had, he couldn't get enough. He wanted to fold laundry with you. Grocery shop. Cook dinner. All the normal things he'd been without for years.

And cutting up strawberries for his favorite person to put on her French toast made him happier than he ever thought possible.

With breakfast finished and the kitchen clean, you gave Bucky an expectant look. 

“Yes?” He pressed his lips to yours, tasting syrup and strawberries. “Can I help you with something?”

“I’m just wondering what you wanna do today!” you told him. “You pick. We can do whatever you want.”

Bucky’s jaw tensed. It was so quick that you almost missed it, but you’d gotten good and picking up his miniscule indicators of stress. “Oh, I hadn’t… I hadn’t really thought about, sweetheart,” he lied. “Give me a little time to mull it over?”

“Of course, babe. No rush.” You planted a quick, syrup-flavored peck to his lips, “I’m gonna go jump in the shower, you think it over and let me know.”

Bucky remained in the kitchen, conflicted. He knew what he wanted to do, how he wanted to spend the day. But he feared you wouldn’t like his plan. He knew you wanted to do something fun, like ice skating or axe throwing. But Bucky’s idea was simpler, more understated. And the last thing he wanted was to let you down.

When you emerged from the shower, you threw another expectant look his way. “So, what’s the verdict, Buck?”

You were ready to do whatever he wanted- no matter what. He’d been gone for just over a week, and letting him pick the entire day’s itinerary was only fair. There were things he missed out on while he way away. Things he didn’t get to do, things he wanted to do with you. And so, if he wanted to spend the day bar hopping or strolling through the farmer’s market, you’d happily oblige.

More than anything, though, you wanted to do absolutely nothing. You wanted to melt into the couch with Bucky’s body wrapped around yours. You wanted to listen to his heartbeat, play with his hair, hold his head against your chest. The safe, quiet world inside the apartment you shared was your favorite place to be. It gave you a sense of comfort and warmth you’d never experienced before. And you wanted to spend every second in the oasis you'd created together.

Sure, going to the movies or the museum was always fun- everything you did with Bucky was fun. You could’ve spent hours watching paint dry with him and it would probably make the list of your top ten favorite days. Time with him passed quickly. Easily. 

But keeping him all to yourself, holed up in your cozy apartment was your favorite way to spend the day. Just the two of you, reveling in the other’s presence. His safe return was all you ever hoped for. And now that he was home, you needed some quiet time with him. You needed to feel him next to you- no distractions, no disturbances- to assure you that he was really back. That he really returned to you in one piece. 

And maybe it was selfish that you wanted to keep him from the outside world. But it was the only thing that could ease your mind after he spent a long mission away. 

It wasn’t fair, though. You knew he was more than just your boyfriend. He surely wanted to spend the day catching up on what he missed while away. There was an exhibit at the Met you knew he was interested in; his favorite author had released a new book just yesterday. There was a whole world outside your apartment- no matter how hard you tried to deny it. And so, you resigned to keep your desires to yourself. Even if you didn’t feel like taking a trip to the pier or the library or the arcade. Because, truthfully, you would’ve been more than happy do anything Bucky wanted- as long as you got to do it with him.

Bucky shifted his weight and brought a hand up to his dog tags- a nervous habit you’d come to know. “Would you…” he sighed, “would you be disappointed if I said I didn’t wanna do anything today?”

You cocked your head to the side, “what?”

Shame bloomed in Bucky’s chest. It pushed through the muscle and bone and rooted itself just beneath his skin- he almost feared you could see it. “I know I just got back, and there’s probably things you want us to do together. But I’d rather just spend the day at home… if that’s okay.”

“Are you sure?”

He nodded. “Or…” he found himself backpedaling, regretting his words. “We can still go out and do something- just a little later? We can compromise; I don’t want you to be bored. I just want some time together- some time for us. Just us. I want you all to myself for a while… if you don’t mind.”

You took his hand from his dog tags and encapsuled it with your own. You wished he wasn’t so nervous about expressing himself. You wished he was more comfortable speaking his mind. But he saw his presence in your life as an interruption, a nuisance, a tumor. He wondered when you’d excise him.

Society kept him on thin ice, no matter how many times he redeemed himself. And though he knew you loved him; he was scared of messing up the life you shared. He feared the ice beneath him would crack. And without you, he’d drown in the freezing water. 

“You don’t want to do anything?” you asked, “you just wanna stay here?”

He gave another nod, his eyes downcast.

A massive smile spread across your face as you melted into his body. “I was secretly hoping you’d wanna stay in.”

Bucky reach down and hooked a finger under your chin, tilting your face toward his. “You were?”

“Yeah, I mean, I always have a good time with you- no matter what we’re doing.” You thought back on all the things you’d experience together, the trips and the museum visits and the concerts. “But- I don’t know, I just like doing nothing with you. I like when it’s just us and we hang out at home, you know?”

Bucky wasn’t sure he heard you right. “Really? I thought that…” he rolled his eyes at his own assumption. Of course, he'd expect the worst. And of course, he was wrong. “I thought I was kind of... I don't know, anchoring you here. Dragging you down with all my excuses to stay home. I’ve been worried that I was boring you.”

The words made your heart crack. They nearly pushed you off balance, forcing you to take a step back and steady yourself. “You thought… you thought I was bored?”

“Yeah, I mean, you’re dating a ‘superhero’- or whatever…” he cringed at the word, knowing that ‘hero’ didn’t apply to him. “I’ve been thinking that… that maybe you had this grand idea in your head of what a relationship with me- with an Avenger- would look like, you know? Stark galas, me saving the world, exciting things happening every day.” A deep sigh left his chest as his hand once again found his dog tags. “And I think we both know that my life isn’t nearly that cool or interesting. It’s mostly just PTSD and people harassing me on the subway.”

“Bucky, baby, I’m not bored-”

“Are you sure?” The doubt in his eyes cut you to the bone. 

“Yes. Oh my god- I only suggested that we go do something because I didn’t want you to be bored."

"I'm not bored, I could never be bored- not with you." The words came quick and firm, like he thought he could stem your leaking anxiety with his assurances. "I'd just so rather be here. With you- just you. And going out always ends up making me feel like shit anyway, so..." At least twice during every outing, Bucky dealt with hecklers. Harassers. They called him names and threw things at him. Screamed and ran when he came near. He'd had the cops called on him more times than he could count.

"Buck, I’m a homebody, babe- I always have been. I just didn’t wanna tell you because I thought you wanted to go do stuff. Honestly," you laughed, "I fucking love doing nothing.”

Bucky pulled you to his chest where you belonged. The unfounded fears he held bout your relationship never came to fruition. He knew they were inaccurate and misguided. But he couldn’t stop himself from believing them.

“And hey, I didn’t start dating you because you’re an Avenger- I was never looking for high speed car chases or you fighting maniacal supervillains in our living room,” you said. “I just wanna be with you. Plain and simple.”

Bucky knew you were telling the truth- but how long could this last? How much time did he have with you before you grew tired of this life with him? How long would he be enough? He didn’t have anything to offer you- not money or social capital. You were simply worth more than Bucky.

In almost record time, he found himself spiraling with no chance of return.

But, as though you’d read his mind, you saved him from the rabbit hole. “I don’t want anything from you- no galas or photo shoots. I just want to be with you. I want you. You’re enough- more than enough.”

“But, doll-”

You held up a hand silencing him. “What do you want from me?”

He stared at you, confused. “I don’t… what do you mean?”

“What are you hoping to get out of this? By being in a relationship with me, what are you trying to gain?” 

“Nothing…” he said, his voice soft yet firm. “I love you- I just want to be with you.”

“Exactly!” You tugged him into the living room and pulled him down onto the couch, demanding that his body rest atop yours. “This is all I want from you. I just want time, closeness. That’s all- that’s all I’ll ever ask of you.”

Bucky’s muscles slackened as the feeling of your touch washed over him. He breathed easier, felt his heart rate slow. His chin rested in the crook of your neck, his stubble scratching at your skin. “This is what I want from you, doll. All I’ll ever want.”

“Good,” you gave a contented sigh. “And let me tell ya, now that the truth is on the table and we’re gonna be staying in more often… we’re gonna save so much money.”

“Money we can use for take-out!” Bucky said. “I know we ate breakfast like half an hour ago but the anxiety burned off all my French toast. So, I’m gonna need to order some lunch soon.” He pressed a line of kisses to your neck before hopping up from the couch in search of the stash of take-out menus.

This was where you wanted to be. Apartment 381 on Bleeker Street. Complete with its warped floors and painted-shut windows. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but it was home. This was where Bucky told you he loved you for the first time. Where you cooked him recipes from your childhood. Where he almost burned down the building because he didn’t know how to use an air fryer. 

The small space with its water damage and metric ton of take-out menus was better any high-profile event or fancy gala. It was your home- the home you shared with Bucky. And that’s all you ever wanted.

——————————

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[user777h]

ѕιℓєηт яєνєℓαтισηѕ🖤

STORY TROPES:Arranged Marriage, Cold Husband, Warm Wife, Secret Pregnancy, Unexpected Acceptance, Character Development, Conflict Resolution, Emotional Revelation, Romantic Drama, Opposites Attract, Domestic Setting

Word count:477

In the opulent silence of their sprawling mansion, Y/N stood alone in the grand foyer, her slender frame swallowed by the vastness of the space. The air was heavy with the scent of expensive perfume and the faint echo of distant footsteps, each one a reminder of her isolation in this gilded cage of privilege and obligation.

As the clock struck midnight, its chime reverberating through the empty halls, Y/N braced herself for yet another confrontation with her enigmatic husband, Wooyoung. It had become a nightly ritual, their exchanges growing colder and more distant with each passing day.

The door creaked open, and Wooyoung stepped inside, his silhouette a dark shadow against the soft glow of the foyer's lights. His expression was unreadable as he glanced in her direction, his eyes flickering with a mixture of apathy and disinterest.

"Where have you been?" Y/N's voice was sharp, cutting through the silence like a knife as she confronted him, her frustration bubbling to the surface.

Wooyoung's gaze remained fixed on his phone, his fingers dancing across the screen with practiced indifference. "Out," he replied curtly, his tone laced with irritation.

The tension between them crackled in the air, thick and suffocating. Y/N felt her patience wearing thin as she struggled to contain the storm of emotions raging within her.

"You're always out," she retorted, her voice tinged with bitterness. "Do you even care about me? About us?"

Wooyoung finally looked up, his eyes narrowing in a rare display of emotion. "This again?" he scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. "You knew what you were getting into when you married me. This was never about love."

Y/N felt her chest constrict with anger as his words cut through her like a knife. "Maybe not for you," she shot back, her voice trembling with suppressed emotion. "But I didn't sign up to be your trophy wife, Wooyoung. I deserve more than this."

For a moment, they stood locked in a silent battle of wills, the weight of their unspoken grievances hanging heavy in the air between them. And then, in a moment of raw vulnerability, Y/N found herself blurting out the words she had been holding back for so long.

"I'm pregnant," she whispered, her voice barely above a murmur as she watched his reaction with bated breath.

Wooyoung's eyes widened in surprise, his mask of indifference faltering for the briefest of moments. "What?" he breathed, his voice barely audible over the pounding of her heart.

Tears welled in Y/N's eyes as she struggled to find the words to explain, to bridge the chasm that had grown between them. "I didn't want to tell you," she admitted, her voice trembling with fear. "I was afraid you wouldn't want this, that you wouldn't want me."

For a moment, there was silence—a pregnant pause that seemed to stretch on for an eternity. And then, to her surprise, Wooyoung's expression softened, his features betraying a vulnerability she had never seen before.

Without a word, he crossed the distance between them, his movements deliberate yet gentle. Taking her hand in his, he drew her close, his touch sending a shiver down her spine.

"We'll figure it out," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

In that moment, as they stood together in the quiet embrace of the night, Y/N realized that perhaps there was more to their arranged marriage than meets the eye. And though the road ahead would be fraught with challenges, she couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope stirring within her—a hope that maybe, just maybe, they could find solace in each other's arms.

[onepiece-polls]

One Piece Shipping War - Round 2 Side D

Propaganda under the cut.

Propaganda for Shanks x Buggy:

What if we were childhood friends who gave up our drama for each other then never saw each other again for years

What can I say, I'm a fellow shuggy truther too 🤝

Shanks obviously adores Buggy, and Buggy is so tsundure~! Mr 'I hate Shanks'-but-will-take-every-opportunity-to-talk-about-him-and-be-with-him.

Oden says in his journal that he can't tell if they're friends of enemies, and I just love that. Plus when you add in the revelation about Shanks and Buggy in the recent chapters.

They're childhood friends. They're exes. They've been married for 20 years. They're opposites. They're the same. They're silly goofy guys who make me want to cry my heart out. Red/Blue is always meant to be.

Buggy """""HATES""""" Shanks. This hate is so strong that he WILL yell at this red-haired bastard despite the fact that he is a coward, who is terrified of all the Emperors. Everyone thinks this is strange. However, when you grow up with said Emperor on the same boat, watching him stumble over his feet as he's trying to learn to use a sword, stuck scrubbing the whole deck because he was stupid enough to prank "Dark King" Rayleigh, and make that same stupid pouty face every time his Conqueror's Haki doesn't do anything because he is an itty bitty child, most of that fear gets pretty quelled. Also, that same fucker lost an arm because he's a DUMBASS and he deserves to be made fun of for it (not because Buggy is worried and missed him not at all no no Shanks is just DUMB and needs to be TOLD he is dumb more. But just by Buggy. Because Buggy has known his idiocy forever. He has earned the right to yell at this stupid, stupid Emperor for being a self-sacrificing fool and for giving away that stupid hat and... Wait, hang on, when did this bastard get hot!? WHAT THE FUC-) And Shanks just keeps smiling at Buggy and his antics because he has 100% been in love with him since they were children (his actions while they were on the Roger pirates are the DEFINITION of pigtail-pulling as flirting) and he is just happy to see that he's safe while being exactly the same larger-than-life clown he always knew. He would gladly give up his life of sluttery (that I am convinced this man has. Just look at how he exists) if Buggy would just agree to join his crew, but will not push him if he doesn't want to. He just loves his pretty clown from a distance and waits. TLDR: Buggy is mad that he's in love with Shanks and Shanks just likes existing with and/or annoying Buggy (they come as a pair). GOD I just love childhood friends to lovers bro. Just let the cabin boys kiss.

[Spoiler Warning] Red and Blue gays! Emperor husbands! Childhood friends to enemies to lovers!

Propaganda for Shanks x Benn:

Daddies hot

A (somewhat) idiot captain, and a calm, cool and collected first mate! Oda literally stated that if Shanks was the sun, then Benn would be his moon. They balance each other out very nicely and I know that one will always take care of the other.

Classic captain/first mate ship. Beckman got all white hair at 50 for dealing with Shanks I know that. There's a part in film Red when Beckman calls Uta "our daughter" that activated my monkey brain.

Your honor they are married! The domestic fluff is all there. Benn loves his captain even though he is a handful and is always there to support him. Shanks has also followed in his parents footsteps and honoring the tradition of falling in love with your first mate. But I mean honestly can you blame him. Plus they raised a kid together!

SHANKSBENN!

[randomfoggytiger]

Alpha In-Depth (Part I): Vibing and Internet Wive-ing

This was an anon request; and the idea intrigued me so much I immediately sat down and started hammering it out. So, here you go!

**Note**: I will ghost edit this later; but I'm working on Part II as I type so I'm in a bit of a hurry.

Surprisingly there is a lot of little details you can weave into an overall narrative in this episode. Alpha follows Arcadia and is followed up by Trevor, all three blending together to create the storm that is Milagro and the revelation that is The Unnatural. And, aside from that, there is still residual Diana-Fowley-under-every-rock suspicion and protection from Scully's side and some self-doubt (in denial) from Mulder's side. Both are half-right and half-wrong.

The Lead Up

I have a different read on S6 than most other meta; namely, that it was a ball compared to their previous seasons. What could have been in S4 (what was hinted in Home) was halted by Scully's cancer; and what couldn't be in S5 was aided by Mulder's "atheism" and Scully's loss and self-doubt (see here.)

But S6 is on the heels of FTF; and, while there was a huge setback in The Beginning with the files being taken from them and Mulder accidentally brushing aside Scully's big hallway confirmation, it's recovered in the name of grim survival: two agents, shoulder to shoulder, mucking through their toilet brush duties together, unbreakable. The shift in Drive is important, establishing Scully's skill at handling all the big mytharc pieces while Mulder is forced into a metal box hurtling down the highway; and Triangle affirms it by having Mulder stumble into another universe while both versions of Scully work overtime to save "Dorothy" and bring him home. By the end of Triangle all is normal: Scully is reaffirmed in her ability to add meaningfully to Mulder, not just his quest; and Mulder acknowledges this more openly, having to rediscover his FTF fears again on the Queen Anne (afraid of never seeing Scully again-- hence the kiss.)

The rest of the season is (mostly) a blast until the drama of Two Fathers/One Son-- which is important (and I wrote about it here) as a one-shot and 1 and 2 as a Typing Personality combo), because it establishes the central flaw of Mulder and Scully's ability to rip him out of it. By the next episode (Agua Mala) Scully is miffed, yes, but more at the storm than at Mulder-- because who would fly down to investigate a sea monster in a hurricane-- but whatever feelings that still lingered about One Son are demolished by the end when Dales forces Mulder to pause and acknowledge Scully's effect on the case. Not that he didn't want to; it's just that Mulder hadn't-- something a future Dales brother points out to him in The Unnatural. By Monday they're teasing and even beaming at each other, etc.

Suffice to say, there is normality restored with the X-Files back. On the heels of Monday there is Arcadia-- and while my posts on Arcadia were a bit dialed up to explore the psychological effects, the result is the same: Mulder and Scully enjoyed their time for different reasons. He enjoyed bullying the neighbors passive-aggressively and she enjoyed the domesticity of it all... but both of them were ready to leave by the end, Mulder having drawn firmer boundaries because of his discomfort with domesticity and Scully having retreated a little due to being teased to death (and almost literally dying.) This leads directly into the episode we're breaking down today:

Alpha

Ah-- Alpha, my Alpha... if only you weren't so badly written or were vastly more interesting.

The first shot of Mulder is him adding photo evidence to his corkboard, intently focusing on the crime. Scully appears in the hallway, having doubled back at some point from leaving the building, checking back in with him-- "Aren't you going home?", a question she may not have asked since Paper Hearts (correct me if I'm wrong.) It establishes that she and Mulder are on completely comfortable terms; and she's curious about his movements and well-being outside of the office, which is opposite to the prevailing meta that they were tense or on bad terms at this time.

"I AM home," Mulder cheerfully responds, still intensely focused, "just feathering the nest."

A fitting follow-up to Arcadia, which was an emphasis on a "normal", suburban home life. Mulder is still firmly rooted in his basement, not yet ready to step out on a Saturday night with his girl and baseball.

"Watcha got?" Scully slings out, interest piqued.

Mulder spells out the case, with Scully zipping out her own "Mind if I ask the cause of death?" in a scene not dissimilar to their quippy exchange in Fight Club (if more low-key and not as RST-y.) He's delighted she's involving herself this eagerly, hiding little smirks and smiles between his rapid-fire sentences and throwing out a quirky inflection to his "multiple bite wounds" detail, adding some pizazz to his delivery.

Scully's skepticism peaks when Mulder mentions the suspect is a dog; and she walks (read: leans on one leg then the other, seesawing into the room reminiscent of a teasing little girl on a playground) into the room to see the evidence herself and disprove it.

Mulder brandishes the X-Files enticingly ("That alone is not what drew me to this case") just out of her reach while he trots out the juiciest part ("The two men were found inside the container.") Scully plays along, taking the casefile when he dramatically relinquishes it--

until Mulder tells a joke so bad (repeating "doggone" thrice with various inflections, each more emphasized than the last, so that Scully will know he told a joke and smirk at his genius) that it spoils the mood and kicks her into full-on skepticism mode. Her "Yeah, I got it" is hilarious and deadpan; but it's a gentle "yeah, you stink" rather than her full-powered sarcasm-- and she bites off a smile of her own for "getting" him by a quick question about the investigation.

"Did anybody, um, examine the victim, Mulder?"

Scully's little quip amuses herself and Mulder, who gives a little head tilt in a 'well, y'know...' kind of way. Her amusement continues despite her charmed exasperation.

Mulder has witnesses, experts, and an outside source; but Scully doesn't budge. "Mulder, I don't have to tell you how absolutely and completely wrong that seems." He gives her a two confirmational head bobs and a few "yeah"s and "mhm"s, unphased by the nonsensical nature of the case.

Their vibe is very S7: lots of "yeahs", Scully sauntering around confidently and familiarly butting into Mulder's business after hours... it's domestic, really. Arcadia was the new wedding and honeymoon, settling in and sifting their lives together; Alpha is an exploration of "the couple"'s first cross-purposes disagreement (in this case, over the woman Karin); and Trevor will explore the complicated familial dynamics of two messed up people having a child. After those three episodes back-to-back, and no change in Mulder, the desperation of Milagro makes clearer sense.

Mulder KNOWS how ridiculous this case is.

Scully: "You're not going to tell me that a dog did this?"

Mulder: *a pause to consider*: "Bad dog."

Scully: "...Yeah."

At the first crime scene, Mulder leads the charge while Scully scuffles off to do some footwork of her own.

When Mulder questions the man in charge of the crime scene team, we learn a bit of backstory--

Man: "Did you ever own a dog, sir?"

Mulder: "Yeah."--

confirming a lot of meta speculation about Mulder's childhood (well, that and there might be a picture of a dog in Tena's house somewhere... if I recall the lore correctly.)

Mulder does a goofy little "gotcha" and hand clap over the man's not-so-subtle dog poop answer to his questions; and Scully, though not particularly fond of poop jokes, does almost crack a smile of her own... if only because Mulder stepped into that one (heh heh, puns.)

Scully takes over the interrogation while Mulder retraces her steps and stares into the same emptied box. ...Until he hears that there's a cryptozoologist involved in this case and scurries over, eager to get into the more outlandish aspects of mythological animals.

Scully's facial reaction-- "oh no"-- is perfect as he winds up and starts to rattle off his myths and monsters spiel; but he's put on pause when she ruthlessly cutting his speech down in the prime of its life with a smirk on her face.

As the case rattles on-- a dog attack in BELLFLOWER??? really?-- and Mulder scopes out the oddities about the newest crime scene (while avoiding dog feces and making a "Watch your step" joke to Scully. She heeds his warnings because she is, after all, practical),

In their exchange of theories, Mulder congratulates Scully on figuring out where he's going with his newest leap: "You get a biscuit, Scully." Scully stores her comeback for later, content (for now) to simply laugh at his idea of a dog with human intelligence.

A sidenote: Scully always, always holds the umbrella (Irresistible, Small Potatoes, etc., and here. Nice continuity.)

This leads them to Berquist Kennels, where Scully springs out her comeback pun, having lain in wait for the first golden opportunity: when Mulder responds "Actually, it's more of a behavior problem" to a contractor's questions, Scully smirks, realizing this is her moment (even the stars aligned so that she is accidentally holding her hands in front of her, clutched, like a devious little mastermind), and cuts in with the speed of light: "Yeah, he doesn't listen and he chews on the furniture."

Mulder, as shown above, is tickled-- but he's more caught out than overjoyed, huffing out a "heh" noise before digging for his badge.

An Odd Moment That Portents More

An odd moment happens: Mulder is completely at ease in Karin's office until Scully makes a sarcastic remark ("You sure this woman's not an authority on bats?"), his mood shifting a little.

He jovially makes a "tsk" sound, and reaches out in a "c'mon, none of that" gesture that almost fully envelops an unsuspecting Scully in a hug. He gets as far as grasping both shoulders before his partner turtles up, tucking her chin in and going straight and stiff as a board.

Scully's expressions shift swiftly from shock to realization that Mulder never gets this grabby without a motive (having just gone through an entire touchy-feely case where Mulder sort of used her as a cuddly prop to forward his sneaky motives.) Cynicism creeps in, and she begins to suspect that he has something to hide, searching through the room in earnest and starting to nail him down about "this expert."

Mulder, meanwhile, is not reading the room-- ironic, yes-- coasting through life unbothered while keeping crucial information back form Scully to determine her either way (which ends up shooting himself in the foot, because Scully's first impression of Karin is not a positive one.)

When Scully finds out he knew more about Karin than he initially let on, she is even more suspicious and not at all pleased... and Mulder knows he's in the doghouse (heheheh.)

THIS explains his weird arm grab earlier: Mulder knows Scully is viciously jealous, personally and professionally; and had tried to detour Scully from getting snippy about his new friend-- wanting his partner to trust and get along with her, a social outcast and someone he is already protective of. We saw how his last "friendship" shook out with Diana Fowley (not to mention his former collaborations with very helpful women in the field, i.e. Detective White in Syzygy and Bambi Berenbaum in War of the Coprophages); and this seems to be a redemption attempt on his part. A "see? I can make good friends-- I'm a good judge of character" mea culpa.

Mulder had even read Karin's books before even meeting her (an interesting parallel to reading Scully's thesis in the Pilot); but Scully is pleased when Mulder answers her "Better than human??" sniff over Karin's book with "She's not a real people person", giving her hope that this lady will be a very disinterested professional. She saunters away, playfulness restored (for now.)

Mulder is fidgety, holding something back; but the full jig is up when Scully finds Karin's 'I Want To Believe' poster.

"Well, she seems to have made a connection to you."

Karin now enters, not noticing Mulder's handwave at first. Then Mulder does something here he usually never does willingly:

"Karin? I'm Fox."

He's says it gently, establishing this is how they'd forged a connection between them; and Scully, savvy as she is, recognizes this and doesn't draw any attention to it. But still. (Not only did she have to content with Dr. Bambi and Fox, but now she has to contend with canid enthusiast Karin and Fox.)

Mulder is genuinely enthusiastic-- "Nice to finally meet you"-- sticking out his hand again with sparkling eyes (ala meeting his hero in Space.) Scully is... less enthusiastic.

When Karin realizes Mulder had come to consult her she asks, "Is there any other reason you came here?" It's sad when you consider her advanced illness and desperate wish for a loving-- or any-- human connection before her death; but this is Mulder pre-The Unnatural: everything is buried in work with no time for socializing.

Scully catches all of this, of course, without any of the context. She knows there is more going on, firmly pressing Mulder on the "friend" claim when Berquist leaves the room.

He admits that he and Karin met online; and Scully pauses, making sure her subtext meaning is clear: "Online."

Mulder catches it and closes his eyes, frustrated he'd fallen right into this pitfall. He firmly insists, "Two professionals exchanging information." Scully knows he's being honest... so that only leaves Karin's motive unexplored. And from what she's already seen of her (antisocial, not a people person) it's very unlikely that this woman's motives would extend only to professional interest.

Another murder, another crime scene.

Another Karin Berquist sighting, another opportunity for jealousy and suspicion.

Scully sees her coming and excuses herself-- "I don't think wolf woman is here to see me, so I'll..."-- not above giving the two "friends" some alone time (which reminds me of Mulder's "Don't say I didn't do nothing fer yeh", though it's a bit of a stretch.) She still tags along with Mulder back to the dog ranch where the three do some research, keeping her grouchy feelings in check until she sees proof positive that Karin is, indeed, amorous for her partner.

Scully then begins to grill Karin on her shift in opinions on the case (Mulder watching their pin-pong match with interest in both ideas), rolling her eyes at Berquist's assertion she's "just going by the facts."

When Karin explains the Chinese myth pertinent to the case, ending with the statement "...capable of opening doors, stealing wives, and disappearing into thin air. Maybe there is some basis in reality for this trickster myth", Scully snidely follows up with a pointed "Oh, I'm... fairly certain there is" while looking from Karin to Mulder, which earns her a measured look from Mulder. Scully turns from her waspish mood and this discussion, mocking the idea internally and recovering some of her former mood as she steps to the car.

Mulder follows her out, not irritated so much as confused; and his question-- "Everything okay, Scully?"-- sets her off.

"How well do you know this woman, Mulder?"

"How well do you know anybody you meet on the internet? She likes to talk."

Scully is appeased by his rationality, stepping back a little from her emphatic (read: aggravated) interrogation: "Well, I question her motives."

Mulder divines her interpretation, flattered but dismissive when he asks: "Are you suggesting that this case was the way to get me out here to meet me?" Off of Scully's confirming-but-not-admitting expression, he responds, "I'm flattered but, uh--" and does a little, flattered head shake.

He insists that Karin didn't kill a bunch of people to draw him to her; but Scully insists that "She's enamored of you, Mulder. Don't underestimate a woman. They can be tricksters, too."

Mulder's not buying it.

Two interesting things:

#1. A rather dark line of thinking for Scully, who would tie even extreme acts of violence to the lengths a woman would go to win Mulder's love or even his attention. This will ring more and more true in Milagro as it exposes Scully's desperation to be the center of his attention, too.

#2. Scully is alluding to this moment, yes; but more broadly, Diana Fowley lies right behind them with her treachery and cunning. Scully knows that her partner is easily manipulated, but it wasn't until the Fowley arc that she realized how much Mulder will believe on hopeful faith and blind loyalty. Since then, she's become his aggressive guardian. This will be immensely important in Part II.

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

[geddy-leesbian]

Mildly high in the bathtub and feeling rambly.. I know from my blog/ao3 it seems like I'm one of the people that's deeply invested in RE men and ignores the girls, but I do love Claire so fucking much, probably not as much as I love Luis but more than I love Leon to be completely honest. It's just that I don't like her in the situations I like to write about. Hurt/comfort, angst with a happy ending, that's been my jam as long as I've been in fandom spaces. And I just don't enjoy the thought of Claire in situations like that. I love inserting Luis into as many fucked up scenarios as possible. I play other RE games he's not in and think "what if Luis was here and got traumatized more haha" but I don't do that in games without Claire because I prefer to think she's fine and thriving and not getting into fucked up scenarios. I play Darkside chronicles and Revelations 2 and love Claire so much but when i get to the end of the game the book closes for me, like "damn poor Claire went through a lot of shit, she deserves a good break" I'm not brainstorming ways to further torment her like I do with Leon and luis, i want her happy. But I also don't like writing happy fluff, again I've been mega into angst as long as I've been writing, and I've never enjoyed domestic fluff really. I only do fluff as the payoff for a bunch of angst. I have vague fluffy thoughts for hwo Claire's nice life could be unfolding, but they aren't thoughts i feel i need to flesh out and write down. And if i tried to write them, I'd be bored to death by the lack of angst and drama

And I know I've written Serrennedy fluff where they're okay and thriving so I should be able to do the same with Claire but it's very specific fluff with those two. It's them being parents because of all my daddy issues and trauma, I don't write fluff of them unless kids are involved. And I also don't see Claire as a parent. Like maybe to Sherry but that's special. (And i mean I usually imagine Leon as the one being Sherry's parent anyway) I've been struggling with the next chapter of wakin' up blind with the house on fire for a very long time and finally realized recently it's because something about it didn't feel quite right, a conversation where Claire tells Leon she's been thinking about having a kid too. Like it's sweet and appeals to my "almost every relative I have is either dead or shitty" trauma because it's claire saying she still sees leon as a brother and their kids will be like cousins, but it just doesnt feel right, I think she's makes more sense as the cool childfree aunt

Idk how to conclude this. Just. I enjoy women escaping traumatizing situations forever and being happy and like to actively put traumatized men through more trauma ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (i focused on claire bc she's my number 1 blorbo but i am fond of most of the other girls too and just don't do things focusing heavily on them for similar reasons. Especially rebecca after umbrella chronicles i was like actually i hope to god she isnt in another mainline game any time soon bc i do not want to see her suffer more girl's been through enoigh 😭 and while claire has also been thru enough and deserves a rest i want to see her in a mainline game again because I think it's really hot when she lifts heavy things and shoves heavy things and beats people up sorry)

[junemermaid]

Yuletide Letter 2024

Dear Yuletide Writer,

Lovely to see you! I hope your Yuletide has started swimmingly. As for me, I'm back in the game after a break of several years.

Please use this letter as it best serves you. My aim is to just give a few signposts and ideas for you to go off on. So, without further ado, here are a few rough guidelines to writing for me:

General Notes:

any rating from G to E is great

gen, het, slash, femslash and various poly configurations are all good in my book. More on shipping preferences in my sign-up.

porn is welcome! My preference is for sex scenes that come with character drama or some sort of relationship shift/revelation.

Do Not Wants:

hard-coded power dynamics (e.g. 24/7 D/s relationships, strict top/bottom or D/s roles)

omegaverse or any related worldbuilding

glorified or super graphic violence

on-page rape or non-con of any kind

kink related to body fluids, breathplay or painplay

underage

bestiality or animal harm

pregnancy or kidfic

alternative universe other than canon divergence (i.e. please stay in the canon setting)

curtainfic or fic whose only point is fluffy domesticity

non-canonical sex/gender changes

issuefic (i.e. where a moral lesson of some kind is the main point)

therapyfic (i.e. anything where a character's main role is to suffer so the others can comfort them or solve their issues to the exclusion of anything else)

focus on a character's mental health/neurodivergence/physical disability in the sense that I'm not looking for fic that delves deeply into these matters; if these exist in the canon, please feel free to include them but not centre the entire fic on them

Do Wants:

moments of domesticity and calm as a counterbalance to danger and conflict

canon-typical action violence is fine (and action scenes are adored!) for any of the fandoms I’ve requested

shades of grey, psychological horror, muddled morality, good characters making hard choices and struggling with their goodness, all of that. Don’t shy away from any sticky controversial subjects, just don’t exploit them. I like seeing characters react to horror and trauma as people do. Dark topics are excellent, but in general I need a dash of hope. Bittersweet endings are one of my favourite things

action/adventure, plot/casefic, capers, dungeon rescues, thrilling escapes, worldbuilding, backstory fic, mysteries, banter, friendly bickering

mellow description, revealing emotion through action, well-crafted vignettes, emotionally charged conversations, characters catching their breath amid chaos, characters being a mixture of vulnerable and confident, moments of revelation

AU of the canon divergence variety is excellent. However, I prefer stories set in the canon universe. In particular, mundane modern AUs are not my cup of tea

exploration of party dynamics and the various ways people come together are always interesting to me

relationship negotiation that feels like the characters, wary/suspicious characters forced to work together, established couples/friends facing a change in their bond, circumstances shaping character dynamics

I am particular to character voices and enjoy it when their personalities, issues and deep dark secrets shape the story

if you're doing porn, some things I enjoy there are: first times, mutual exploration, awkward(ish) sex, little moments of humour and humanity, body worship, light bondage, fucking against a wall, semi-public sex (not being caught but the thrill of possibly being caught), explicit role reversals (from whatever the usual dynamic is), "thank goodness we survived" sex but also "this might be our last night together" sex, reunion sex, sex that is actually about a completely different thing that the characters are processing; in general, sex that reveals character somehow

I hope these are helpful. I strongly believe that when a writer enjoys the process, that shines through in the story. So please write the story that speaks to you best. Have fun, and have a lovely Yuletide!

[wackybuddiemewbs]

Random thoughts about 6x13 before we can move on with life again

OMG. That whole episode was chaotic perfection!!! I really love those "filler episodes" that are just wacky calls, mingled with some domestic firefam shenanigan, a lot of Buddie goodness, and some heartfelt drama. Like, girls (gn), we've been FED this whole episode.

Here a not at all ordered assembly of what was going through my mind, watching the episode:

Human Calculator Evan Buckley

I do hope Buck gets to keep his math skillz a while longer. And I'd really love to see it come in useful on a more serious call, too? But oh well, a fangirl can dream. Chimney asking if he did math "in his head???" was sending me. Just like Eddie's facial journeys during the math homework scene. Like, he's such a muppet.

On a more serious note, I wonder what they are going to do with that, moving forward. They laid on pretty heavy with the whole theme of figuring out the equation (hence answers in life), missing the assignment, and how Buck's skills may only be temporary. So it might be that he'll lose his way again (the same way his math skillz may leave again). We'll have to see. But it's... intriguing.

Babytrap and Sugarbaby

Like seriously. They stole this straight out of fanfic, I'm not even kidding. Eddie is babytrapping Buck so hard, only to start hustling together with him, and Buck happily handing over the money. Eddie Diaz, I'm in your walls.

Love to see Eddie being like: I will use your abilities, for evil. This guy (affectionate).

For real, though. What is the point of all that if not to give those two a nudge in the right direction (aka each other's muscly arms and taut tummies)? Eddie taking out Buck for poker dates... Them doing crime together... Them doing homework over at Buck's apartment... Buck being alone with Christopher to make cookies for school??? What is even happening??? And what's the point if not the BUDDIE AGENDA???

Also, Eddie Diaz, wear some sunglasses, your hearteyes are showing. Geez, wear some protection, you freak.

The Man with the Answers

Speaking of which, Buck's journey this season has now taken him to the stage where he feels like he is the one having the answers he's been seeking for so very long. He began this season, reading self-help books and asking e.g. Hen for the right answers. After his coma dream, Buck figured out some things about himself. He learned to appreciate his inherent value and could let go of the ghost of Daniel haunting him ever since that revelation.

Which is to say: They're moving the chess pieces in the right position, for the strategy to fully unfold. And I do believe it is the Buddie Agenda, I do.

I think a big hint was Eddie telling Christopher that the point of doing the homework himself instead of letting Buck run the calculations is that this is what's for Buck in store as well. Buck will only truly learn and get those life lessons he's so desperately seeking if he's the one to find the answers. He can't rely on self-help books or the opinions of others. He has to figure out that equation entirely on his own. He has to figure himself out.

Details that pointed me in a similar direction:

Buck telling Eddie why he didn't just get more gas: Because figuring it out was "more fun". AKA the getting to the destination is actually the goal. Buck is already where he needs/wants to be.

Eddie pointing out that those "superpowers" aren't permanent: Which may indicate that Buck will find himself struggling further down the road. Once he doesn't have the answers anymore (or rather, has them, but doesn't know how to act upon them).

Buck asking Eddie if he thinks Buck knew math all along (which is why it's actually no secret superpower via lightning ex machina): Because yes, Buck, you knew all along how to solve the equation, you're just running the wrong calculations right now. But I have faith in you that you will figure it out. Maybe just use a different measuring system!

Christopher pointing out that Buck may get more superpowers the stronger he gets: Which may be the big hint that Buck can have so much more than he currently has (more powers), the moment he understands that he already has these things (the family unit with Eddie and Christopher). He just has to claim his winnings.

I tend to believe the upshot is going to be that Buck has the answers, he just didn't put them together yet. It's like he has all the puzzle pieces, but he has to stick them together to see the grander picture (the secret ingredient). And my guess would be that it's going to be the resolution of the sperm donor storyline as well. He's looking right at the solution, and yes, it's Eddie and Christopher. And it has been all along.

The Sperm Donor Storyline(s)

Speaking of which YET AGAIN, I do find it interesting that we got this donor parallel (or antithesis) with Nathaniel and Denny vs. Buck and Kameron's and Connor's baby. Like, they now established that Nathaniel will get to play some role in Denny's life, because that is what Denny wants.

Which makes it hard for me to believe that the writers will choose the same route for Buck, also for the plain reason that they seemingly put Buck and Connor on different trajectories. Whereas Hen and Karen had an agreement with Nathaniel to keep his distance, Connor keeps sending sonograms and what not. He involves Buck actively in this whole "process" or "experience", which makes for an entirely different premise of how they are going to negotiate Buck's future role in Connor's life as well as that of Kameron and the child.

Which is something I honestly didn't see coming, I'll admit. I figured they'd take the route that him and Kameron would rather try to push Buck away (while he'd try to push into their lives). Because they chose someone as their donor who's not as much part of their social circle as Buck may have been, back when he and Connor were still roommates. The point being: I thought the storyline was going to be that Buck has to (painfully) accept Connor and Kameron having chosen him as the donor also because he'd be "easier to cut out of" their lives (and that of their child by extension). But that's not the route they are taking thus far.

But in the light of how they chose to have Nathaniel interact with Denny, I guess it makes sense. Because that'd be repetitive, in a way. Which isn't to say that Buck won't overstep and try to insert himself more into their lives than he should. I actually believe he will (it's been foreshadowed with the baby cozy and all). But Connor actively involving him thus far gives me a different vibe from what I'd previously estimated.

I'm interested to see whether they wish to explore how hard they make it on themselves, by Connor having Buck be that invested. Even though the reality is that Buck's always going to be donor not dad for that child. Like, I see great potential there. Just like I see potential character development for Connor, say, in a scenario where he feels like he's not the child's dad or so. And how he may come to struggle with that (or may even project that on Buck). There are many paths this could go.

But to turn this back to Buck here, the Nathaniel-Denny-storyline fits in so damn neatly. And I personally hope we get that kind of antithesis by the end of the season (because I'd find that very neat storytelling, is all). Namely, that Buck will do the opposite thing and extract himself from the child's life, having finally solved the equation that his family equals NOT Buck + baby but Buck + Eddie + Christopher. Because that is the stark contrast with Nathaniel. He doesn't have the family Buck already has. So that'd be the kind of bittersweet finale to that storyline I'd love to see, personally.

The Wilsons and Nathaniel

I still love to see the show standing true to exploring the different shapes family can take, now also by adding Nathaniel to the mix, portraying the tough reality that comes with this. It felt very real to me, how anxious Hen and Karen were that their son was slipping away from them.

I also liked to see Nathaniel owning up to his actions (albeit belatedly) and apologizing for his irresponsibility, without demonizing him. That guy feels very alone in this world, it'd seem, and to seek out that connection with Denny... It felt very human. So I loved to see them making it out to be just that, people making mistakes, but those mistakes being motivated by love.

And I LOVED to see Toni's growth as a character. Like, she's really trying to be there for her family, she serves as the messenger between Denny and his moms. And now she's seemingly also part of the rules Hen and Karen are setting for Nathaniel and Denny to safely interact. I love to see her safeguarding her family by opening up conversation and accepting people for who they are and how they feel. LOVE TO SEE IT. LOVE IT.

Also, loved how the Wilson family seemed to visually match, when they went to see Nathaniel at the hospital. Like, we saw a lot of yellows and blues, which signified to me that they were being there as a unit. Which tells me they're gonna be alright. Or as Toni said, they just need to figure out the right way.

Chimney's Journey to Healing

First of all, loved to see his interaction with Denny and with Hen. He's such a supportive uncle and friend (note: VERY different from what we see Buck and Christopher doing this whole episode, coz Buck ain't his uncle!!!). Like, I loved to see how he showed understanding for Denny and even let on about his own troubled feelings about his father. Even though that must still be heavy on his mind.

I do find it interesting that Chimney and the Buckley children seem to follow the same path: Which is not to forgive their parents, but to choose to let that anger/grief not control their lives anymore. Chimney has a family of his own and it's wonderful. So him coming to terms with his troubled relationship with his father in an effort to embrace the future he has as a family father is great for him. I do hope it pans out like that.

It also shows how the next generations (Chimney, Maddie, Buck) try not to repeat their parents' mistakes by holding on to e.g. grief but to choose to move on and embrace the future instead. Like, Chimney recognizes his father's humanity, well aware that this man's not changed one bit and did the terrible things he did and still does not see his son for what his son sees him (a fallible human being)... it highlights the long way Chimney's come and the great person he's become. And that's owed to the family he's found and his own strong character.

Like, I love to see that we get different versions of breaking vicious cycles.

With Eddie and Ramon, they seem to take a different route, in that Ramon seems to show genuine interest in reconnecting with Eddie, trying to find a better way for them to be father and son again.

With Toni and Hen, we see a similar thing. They reached a level of healing. Also, in that, Toni is stepping in and actively supporting her daughter and her family.

But then we still got those absentee parents who are seemingly never going to get past themselves. Which I feel is... very real in that way? You will have those people in your life. Some of them may even want to change, but they can't, past a certain point. And buying your son a new couch won't mend that relationship because you still haven't taken full accountability for what you've done in the past. Showing up to one family dinner (and being an absolute pest about it) is not going to mend things either. That's as much the reality of troubled family relationships as are the examples where there is a moving forward, together.

3 Minutes and 17 Seconds

That one's still sending me across the universe, right into a black hole. Like, they are nudging Eddie and Buck in a certain direction, but neither one is seemingly ready yet to solve the equation. Eddie knows down to the second how long he lived in a world where Buck was dead. And he feels the need to point that out, unprompted.

I honestly thought they'd have Captain Mehta point back to the shooting regarding the matter. But again, I guess timing is of the essence (maybe also signified by Buck's and Eddie's fancy watches). But after they were told that Eddie was welcome back without Buck as his human calculator, maybe we will see a second poker scene to get us there?

Like, there is something very purposeful about bringing the actor for Captain Mehta back after he left acting, really. You wouldn't do that if it didn't serve a purpose, right? And up until now, I haven't seen it. So maybe Eddie will play poker without Buck. And then Captain Mehta will say something about the shooting that either we as the audience don't know yet (e.g. Eddie lied to Buck about how little he remembers and he's only ever shared that in the poker family) or Eddie doesn't know (what Buck was like after he got shot, something that Captain Mehta witnessed first-hand).

Performance Anxiety Underway

Something that struck me was that Buck was, on the one hand, rather confident in his abilities that he started to hustle with Eddie. On the other hand, he seems very unsure about them (and what they may mean, or if they're meant to stay, or if they've been there all along). It gave me similar vibes to Buck being unsure if something's wrong with him, when the doctors did more and more tests, without telling him what may be wrong with him.

We got a hint in the previous episode that Buck still has a way ahead of him in dealing with his trauma. Right now, he is more caught up in those "new sensations", and doesn't know how to move on with his life. At the poker table, I also had a feeling that there were those moments when he wasn't just confused (as he often tends to be) or putting on a poker face. I felt like he feels out of place in a way, like he doesn't yet know what to do with his abilities/with his life, after this event. He is still doing lists to be sure he's back to reality (back to life), after all.

Deep-down, Buck is immensely insecure. And the moment he felt like something he used to be confident about (his abilities to sexually please his partners) may actually hit closer to home than just... you know, ego. They played it for laughs, having him call the women he's slept with. But they might actually turn this around to be something more serious (i.e. a symptom for something else).

Like, Buck is hellbent on pleasing other people, so potentially not being satisfactory in bed may just be the kind of performance anxiety we may see in the next episode. It ties in with Buck's previous fear that his donation isn't good enough, so he spends weeks being horny and hangry thanks to green smoothies.

If I remember correctly from some of the interviews, Buck has no intention to dip his toes back into the dating pool and will basically have the shutters on for now... Which makes it unlikely for me that he's gonna start sleeping around, to be sure that he's good at sex after all.

But if it wasn't just for laughs, I could see the theme of "having the answers already" coming back into play here. Though I'm not sure how. There's just something to that theme of Buck needing his body to be functional, and how it may give him serious anxiety, feeling like his body isn't doing what it's supposed to do (or rather, what he always believed his body was supposed to do).

On a side note: Buck telling Christopher that he likes to measure everything to feel like an actual chef hit a similar mark to me. Like, Buck is overthinking things, which may make him miss the assignment for now. Buck seemingly feels like he's only pretending at things right now (which may feed into his insecurities, really), or like he has to seize control (measuring things, calculating everything, doing those lists, and texting Bobby). Like. There is something there. I just can't wrap my wee head around it just yet.

So yeah, I can very well see Buck continuing to have performance anxiety. And I'd love to see more of that, in all of its awkward facets.

Healing Starts in the Kitchen

Kitchens continue to be the places to be for meaningful conversations for characters, and it seems to be back in full swing for Buck and Eddie. Last episode, Buck found himself finally relax when he was at Eddie's (and on Eddie's couch, hopefully soon just on Eddie). The conversation with Eddie in the kitchen definitely helped him in some ways, but the road ahead of him is still long.

It's an interesting choice that we continue to see Eddie, Buck, and Christopher being this domestic in the kitchen/at dinner tables. Like, we started out this season with Bobby's infamous lasagna and Boggle, and now we're here for math and popcorn and more math and cookies.

Others have already pointed this out, but Buck learns to express his care by cooking for his loved ones (contrast that with takeaway for his parents and waffles for Taylor at a point in their relationship where they were basically done for already). So having him repeatedly cook for/with Christopher and Eddie is just SUCH a big thing, I believe. We're shown that Buck's not just the uncle to come pick Christopher up when Eddie's car's broke. He is alone with Christopher, baking cookies for school with him. He is not just a donor, not just legal guardian (AKA the backup plan) here. And I do believe that part of Buck's journey is going to be to figure out that part of the equation.

We've already established in previous seasons that Buck's apartment is a safe space for Christopher, and it continues to be a second home for him. In the same way Eddie's house proves to be the same for Buck (as we were reminded last episode). Which has me think that part of the equation for Buck is to fully embrace that, or rather, see it for what it is, namely his path to happiness that's been there all along.

Honorable Mentions

Here's a list of things that was sending me:

Everyone of the firefam is a himbo, except for Athena and Karen. Which drives the point home that they're the only ones with the brain cell. Like honestly, Bobby and Chimney instantly jumping on detective work like that??? Buck calling his past sexual encounters??? They're all himbos, your honor!

Denny, take your damn shoes off when you are in bed, you little punk!!! Your moms raised you better than that!!!

Hen at the hospital being like "My husband? The heterosexual audacity!" was everything.

Buck continuing to creep people out with random knowledge now fueled by the power of math. We stan a himbo icon.

Eddie interrupting Buck thinking about women he's had sex with, like "I did not take you out to sexy poker night for you to use your brain for that right now, you traitor!"

I guess RIP to a favorite headcanon of mine that Buck's gonna blurt out at some point that he's screwed with plenty of guys in the past. Because he specifically started to think about the women he's slept with, though the guy was talking about partners (gn), I believe. If the writers wanted to keep that door open, I guess he would've said people or partners or whatever, too. But I shall keep it for fanfiction purposes forever and always. Because that scenario is always sending me places.

Chimney asking if Buck did math, in his head??? No, Chimney, he did it in yours, now get the hell out of here.

Buck calling the women he's had sex with... oh, those phone bills. Also: We stan a himbo icon yet again.

Buck and Eddie, doing crime, dressed in blue and red, looking damn fine. I'm here for every damn second of it.

Christopher's sass being back in full swing. We stan the one true icon.

So yeah, that's it. For now anyway. I guess I'll ramble a lot more. But I rest easy in the knowledge that Buck and Eddie marrying in Vegas just became a possibility.

Cheers!

[veilchenjaeger]

Okay. After over a goddamn year, I have finally finished Couple of Mirrors. Consider me wrecked.

I don't even know where to start with this show? It's everything I've ever wanted, save for the censorship issue. (But I think I can read the manhua to soothe that particular ache.) It's so damn good. I watched this with month-long breaks between episodes, so I don't remember everything, but I still want to try to write up my initial thoughts bc it's fun to reread that kind of thing after a rewatch or some time of brainrot.

First, without getting into spoilers: I adore this show. The plot is incredible - dense without being overwhelming, unpredictable without nonsensical plot twists. Nearly every episode had me on the edge of my metaphorical seat. At the same time, the characters were given time to shine and develop. Especially Xu Youyi is just one of the characters of all time, I'm obsessed with her, but I definitely got attached to side characters as well. (Which is dangerous, considering the body count this show has.) I really appreciate the pacing, the little moments of downtime between the imo impeccably paced rush of revelations and developments. There are some things that could be seen as... soap opera-esque, in a way? Just because of the amount of family drama, but I think it all worked really well bc the show immediately tells you what kind of show it is and what the stakes are. None of the drama is out of place, is what I'm saying. There's a lot of murder.

There are complaints about Xu Youyi and Yan Wei not having a lot of screentime together, and while this is in some way true, I... didn't mind? They're both set up well enough as individual characters for their interactions to be meaninful, and it was more than enough for me to get invested in them. (Not to mention that there's a whole episode of domestic Yiwei in the end.) But mostly, and I think I've said this before somewhere, I came for the lesbians and stayed for the plot. Xu Youyi's story is about so many things, and it's important that each of these things was given the space it deserves. This is a murder mystery/thriller first and a romance second, and I honestly prefer it that way. The pacing felt right, and the central relationship still came across well.

Final non-spoilery verdict: PLEASE watch this show if you haven't seen it yet. It's so, so, so good. You can watch the whole thing on Youtube for free, and the subtitles are actually decent.

Spoilers under the cut.

There are approximately fifty separate things I'm obsessed with, but I'll only name a few.

First of all, the whole Thing between Zhou Heng and Xu Youyi, and especially Zhou Heng's character. Holy shit, this is well done. Zhou Heng is never portrayed as the good guy, but the sheer extent of his unhingedness is revealed so gradually that you're pretty much bound to underestimate him. He starts out as a bad husband who cheats on Xu Youyi, but for what it's worth, it seems like he does love her and wants to try to be better for the first episodes. He defends her from his family, he supports her, and while Xu Youyi is right not to let him get away with that after he broke her heart like that, he's sympathetic. He's not a cartoon villain or a cardboard cutout of an evil abusive husband. And he still isn't that when it's revealed that he fucking tried to kill her. That caught me off guard so hard! I didn't expect that at all, and then it just fucking kept going. It's in episode 10, during the dinner he has with Xu Youyi, that I realised that he's not only an utter dickhead, he's batshit insane. And it's the very fact that he was built up as a sympathetic character that makes this reveal as creepy as it is. Gods, what an asshole! Gives me chills of the worst kind! A superbly done antagonist.

(The same is true for Zhang Wan, too. She's a lot more obviously mean, but the extent of that isn't revealed all at once, and the relationship she had with Xu Youyi before is still meaningful. Zhou Heng's father, too - he acts according to his motivations, and whether he's with Xu Youyi or against her depends on the way she fits into his plans. Just, good antagonists all around.)

Second of all, I adore the characters so, so much?! Xu Youyi's development, her sunny personality, her heartbreak, and the way she gets more and more tired of being nice, are so [chef's kiss]. Detective Jiang was right, actually - she is someone who'd happily live with a murderer. She's so genuinely kind, she doesn't mean harm, but after everything she's been put through, she's ruthless deep down. I love how cold and collected she is when she demands the divorce, when she signs the papers, when she's in court, and especially when she finds out that Yan Wei is indeed the murderer of Zhang Wan and doesn't even hesitate to lie to the police to help her. Xu Youyi has had it and she will not be taking any prisoners.

It took me a little longer to get fully attached to Yan Wei, simply because she's not the main character, but the last episode really sealed the deal for me. She's grown so much because of Xu Youyi! She's started to live a life that isn't ruled by her past, she's capable of joking with Xu Youyi and she's a good mother and she's happy, which she didn't know how to be before! She even gets along with other people; she's on good terms with Mr Wang and has a bit of a teasing relationship going on with Detective Jiang. (Big fan of that, btw. I think they should be bros.) And yet, she's also presumably doing some very shady stuff to get money, and we haven't seen her find actual closure yet. I get why the last few minutes aren't the most popular ones - they're a bit of a shock, for one, and the pacing of the show fails here, although I assume that's all a set up for the next season - but they make sense. Again, Detective Jiang is right! Xu Youyi doesn't know anything about Yan Wei's past, and it's a past that's pretty important for who Yan Wei is! That's the one thing I was worried about throughout the show: that Yan Wei's past would just stay unaddressed, and that Xu Youyi wouldn't find out. So, yeah, I do like that they made that into a (future?) plot point. It's such a strong beat for Yan Wei's arc, I really hope we do get that second season and get to find out what she's been doing behind Xu Youyi's back and what those flowers mean. Yan Wei deserves some more development!

(That being said, I still think that season finale cliffhangers are bad writing and shouldn't be done, especially with the state of queer entertainment in China being what it currently is. Looking at you, Scum Villain season 2.)

And last but not least, I'll be listening to the opening song on repeat for the next lifetime, thanks.

[grimmmviewing]

S1E16: “The Thing With Feathers”—B (Watched 5/31/24)

Or, “Rear Grimmdo.”

“I was so excited to be getting out of Portland, but. . . . [d]oes it feel like trouble is following us?”

This one just crept into “B” range for me. For one thing, silly as it might sound, I’ve been waiting for a “Nick and Juliette go away but work intervenes” episode for a while now, so I finally got what I wanted, though I’m not completely satisfied. One major gripe that I have with this episode is that I wish the work intervention had been a bit less… typical? Maybe they could have forgone the Monroe talks, for example, to break with the usual formula a bit more thoroughly. As it is, the distance from home doesn’t really amount to much.

And yet, I genuinely like Nick and Juliette together, which is one of the major reasons I wanted to see this sort of set-up with them. I love Nick as her boyfriend. Here, he almost immediately takes her at her word and calls the local cops when she describes the neighbor’s mistreatment of his wife. The episode doesn’t even really flirt with the idea of taking the easy dramatic route of having Nick disbelieve Juliette. The Rear Window-adjacent voyeurism as they follow this “case” from the window of their vacation lodging is just a lot of fun and very satisfying for how united the two are in their investment and efforts.

They end up essentially trading off reassuring one another that they’ve done everything they can for Robin (the wife)—Nick reassures Juliette on the first night after the cops don’t do anything about the situation, and Juliette reassures him the next day after they’ve passed Nick’s card to Robin at the grocery store. Similarly, later, first Juliette and then Nick get pulled away from preparing their big, romantic dinner by the developing drama they can see through the window. This whole episode is like an expanded take on the dynamic from “Organ Grinder,” when Nick and Juliette ended up working together to interview the homeless brother and sister about their disappearing peers. It’s also further support in the affirmative for the question from that episode regarding whether Juliette can handle this side of Nick’s life. She’s more or less working the case (mundane and magical) with him, even if she doesn’t know the full scope of the thing.

As in “Organ Grinder,” Juliette displays a strong investigative intuition: When Nick is getting somewhat bad vibes when he realizes Robin’s husband is a sinister-looking Wesen, Juliette’s more or less having the same (if not stronger) experience seeing Robin looking out at her from a window. From the beginning of this conflict, Juliette is an active participant. Not as someone endangered by it (damsel-like) or who provides some convenient information without appreciating its impact, but as someone with agency. At worst, you could see this as a Sensitive Woman sort of stereotype—more in tune with emotions—but I don’t ultimately think this episode is particularly problematic.

It does focus on a case of domestic abuse, but I think the potential discomfort of that focus was moderated pretty strongly (at least for me) by the revelation that the husband Tim’s mistreatment is so incredibly mercenary. He’s keeping Robin inside to make sure he doesn’t lose the gold stone growing in her throat, and he force-feeds her to, I assume, grow the stone. That makes it a bit easier to enjoy the episode for its fun elements, like the aforementioned voyeurism, or the incredibly on-the-nose naming of Robin (a bird woman), or like a bit of the grocery store sequence where Gary, an employee there who’s also trying to help Robin get away from Tim, is stocking a shelf further along an aisle where Tim is shopping, and every time he bends and gets more product to place on the shelf, Tim has moved closer during the brief interval of time when our eyes (and Gary’s) were off him. It’s a fun take on the old horror standard, maybe in part because of the setting, in a brightly-lit and populated store rather than in a spooky old house at night…

Though not too gory, the eventual extraction of the matured gold stone (by Nick) is relatively wild, conceptually and sort of visually. His one-liner (the old “to make an omelet” deal) when Tim ends up tripping and accidentally destroying the stone is groan-worthy. Maybe that’s good, or bad? Bonus points (not actually) awarded for using “Season of the Witch” to score Hank’s date with Adalind at the end of the episode!

I barely talked about Monroe, who mostly spends the episode with Rosalee, and didn’t at all address the ongoing, strategic seduction of Hank, or the brief reminder of Sergeant Wu’s unsettling new dietary habits; however, while accidental, these omissions may speak to a preference or wish on my part, looping my thoughts on this episode: I wanted more Nick and Juliette and less of the other usual stuff.

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hey, Steph! Hope you’re well today. Was wondering if you had any really long, slow-burn case fics? Thanks for helping me feed my recently developed sherlock obsession lol <3

Hey Nonny!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh see I'm DUMB and I don't think ahead on if people with specifically want two genres of fics together, LOL. Sooooooooo I'm going to use your ask as an excuse to post up the next part of my Case Fics list that I've had drafted for months, but if you want some longer fics, start at the bottom and work your way up, since I put things in ascending word count order, LOL. On this and all my other lists!! I hope you'll still enjoy what I've selected for you, and will check out my other lists :)

And as always, friends, feel free to add more!!

CASE FICS Pt. 4

See also:

Case Fics || [MOBILE]

Case Fics Pt 2

Case Fics Pt 3

Serial Killer Case Fics/ Serial Killer AU

For a Case Trope

Fake Relationship / For a Case Part 2

For a Case Pt 3

Fake Relationship / For a Case Pt. 4

Fake Relationship / For a Case Pt. 5

Fake Relationship / For a Case Pt. 6

The 3x John Carried Sherlock, and Once ViceVersa by ShinkonoKokoro  (K+, 1,673 w., 1 Ch. || Fluff, Friendship, Three and One, BAMF John, Sherlock Whump, Worried Sherlock, John Gets Shot) – It happens more than he suspects.

When Your Belly's in the Trench by Morgan_Stuart (T, 4,743 w., 1 Ch. || PTSD, Character Study, Rescue, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Torture, Trauma, Danger, Drama, Kidnapping/Captivity) – The next time that door opens, John Watson will kill the person on the other side.

Cadet Holmes: A Detective Undercover by Talizora (E, 6,388 w., 1 Ch. || Military Kink, Public Sex, Homophobia, Captain John, Gay Sherlock, PWP, Case Fic) – Sherlock took a deep breath and reached out to lightly brush his fingers across the heavy fabric of the uniform. The shudder that rocked through his whole body was entirely involuntary and hateful. He needed to get over this reaction fast because if he was this affected by an empty uniform on a bed how would he deal with being surrounded by fit men wearing the uniforms while they got hot and sweaty. Part 4 of the My Tumblr Ficlets and Drabbles series

On The Fence by BeautifulFiction (T, 13,770 w., 1 Ch. || Fencing, Case Fic, First Kiss, Insecure John, Pining John, Hug, Greg Finds Out) – The murder of the King's College fencing champion leads to revelations about Sherlock's past. Will it be the point that tips them from friends to lovers, or will they remain on the fence?

How To Unfold a Heart by elwinglyre (E, 25,477 w., 7 Ch. || Post S4 Fix It, BAMF John, Mentioned Eurus, POV First Person Sherlock, Case Fic, Fluff, Slow Burn Topping from the Bottom, 3 Yr Old Rosie, Introspection, Sexual Fantasies, John Worship, Ogling, Hand Holding, Kidnapping, Domesticity, Sherlock Whump, First Kiss/Time, Doctor John, Caring John, Soft Sherlock, Sensuality, Touching, Crying, Love Confessions, Anxious Sherlock, Rimming, Toplock, Fingering, Bossy Bottom John) – To Sherlock’s dismay, John’s return to Baker Street with Rosie is only temporary. Sherlock’s daily visits to Regent Park with John and Rosie illuminate his lost childhood memories and missed opportunities. But with each trip to the park, Sherlock also feels a growing sense of hope. That is until the past horrors return unexpectedly in a cryptic note folded in the shape of a heart. To decipher the message, Sherlock must uncover the nature of the hearts around him, including his own.

Rupert Street by WritingOutLoud (M, 27,262 w., 9 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting || Case Fic, Sexuality, Demisexual Sherlock, Drugging, Smart John, Sherlock Has Internalized Biphobia, Fluff, Angst with Happy Ending, Gay Bar, Flirting, John Manipulates Sherlock to Eat, John Deduces, Arguments, Kidnapping/Torture, Hospitalization, John Whump) – Discharged from the war with nothing but the clothes on his back and a realisation of his bisexuality, John Watson has to learn who he’s become. He can’t afford London on an army pension, but the city is the only friend he has. In an effort to understand his newfound queer identity, he heads to a bar one night, where he stumbles across a mysterious stranger who turns his life upside down. ‘I dug around inside myself, and I'm not quite sure what I found, but it was beautiful and terrifying all at the same time.’

Lucifer's Gardens by ampersand_ch (E, 32,679 w., 12 Ch. || GERMAN VERSION || Romance, Friendship, Friends to Lovers, Murder, Poison / Drugging, Mystery, John Undercover, Academic Club, Therapy, Rituals, Jungian Archetypes, Doctors & Physicians, Grief/Mourning, Esotericism, Hospitals, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, John Falls In Love With Another Man, Jealous Sherlock, Crying, Doctor John, Hand Holding, First Kiss/Time, Mysticism, Hugging, Touching) – John goes undercover for an investigation as a favour to Lestrade in a village in Suffolk. The events surrounding the case awaken deep-seated fears in Sherlock. While John begins to come to a realisation of what he needs in Lucifer's Gardens, Sherlock tries to find a way to reach John – in more ways than one.

The Hollow Woman by ScopesMonkey (M, 51,335 w., 22 Ch. || Post-TRF, Major Character Death, Mystery, Romance, Friendship, Family, Angst, Crime, Reunion, First Kiss / Time, Nightmares, Doctor John, Jealous Sherlock, Jealous John, BAMF John, Angry John, Dub-Con, Rough Sex, Bottomlock, Possessive John, Villain Mary, Open Ending) – Forced to return to London sooner than expected, Sherlock falls into a case too close to home. Part 1 of the Hollowverse series

A Goose Quill Dipped in Venom by Polyphony (M, 52,748 w., 16 Ch. || Celebrity John AU || Alternate First Meeting, TV Host John, Supermodel Mary, Character Death, Mystery, Romance, Case Fic, First Kiss/Time, Meddling Mycroft, Drug Abuse, Doctor John, PDA, Deductions, POV Sherlock, Toplock, Sexual Tension, Angry/Rough Sex, Hopeful Ending, Asperger’s Sherlock) – Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective, is called in to a very ordinary although brutal murder. Something is badly out of tune with the whole scenario and Sherlock finds himself becoming more and more obsessed with the crime - and also with the victim.

Isosceles by SilentAuror (E, 56,609 w., 7 Ch. || Post-S4, POV John, Original Male Character / Sherlock Dates Another Man, Love Triangle, Jealous John, Virgin Sherlock, Sexual Coaching, Angst, Romance, Domesticity, Unrequited Feelings, Miscommunication, First Kiss/Time, For a Case, Friends With Benefits, Bottomlock, Love Confessions, Spooning) – After solving a case for a major celebrity, Sherlock gets himself asked out. When John asks, he discovers that Sherlock has no intention of going, at least not until John agrees to coach him through whatever he might need to know for his date...

You Might Just as Well Be Blind by ArwaMachine (E, 56,625 w., 12 Ch. || Fake Relationship, For a Case, Bed Sharing, Platonic Cuddling, Jealous Sherlock, Oblivious John, BAMF Hudders, Fluff and Angst, Frottage, Anal Sex, Happy Ending, Case Fic, Flirting, Pining John, POV John, Toplock, Possessive Sherlock, First Kiss/Time, Infidelity) – When a serial killer starts targeting couples, Sherlock and John must do what they have to do in order to get to the bottom of things. Unfortunately, John already has a girlfriend. Surely pretending to be in a relationship with Sherlock won't pose any problems with his relationship, will it?

Gold Rush by ShirleyCarlton (E, 71,783 w., 17 Ch. || Post S3 / No Mary, Friends to Lovers, Mentions of Past Sexual Abuse, First Kiss, Case Fic, Slow Burn, Alternating POV, Switchlock, Angst with Happy Ending, Marriage Proposal, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Abduction, Anxious/Insecure Sherlock, Miscommunication, Emotional Lovemaking) – John has divorced Mary and pops round to 221B one evening to find Sherlock in the middle of a case. As Sherlock tries to find the identity of a young woman’s stalker, John realises he can no longer deny his feelings for Sherlock – which then, to their befuddlement, turn out to be mutual. Shy kisses and tentative embraces ensue. But will Sherlock be able to cast off a shadow from his past that he thinks might prevent John from wanting to stay?

Kintsukuroi by sussexbound (E, 91,823 w., 20 Ch. || S4 Compliant / Post-TLD, Grief / Mourning, PTSD, Internalized Homophobia, Therapy, Past Abuse, Alcohol Abuse, Nightmares, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Depression, Anxiety, Bed Sharing, Love Confessions, Cuddling, Suicidal Ideation, Masturbation, Minor Character Death, Sexting, Frottage, Inexperienced Sherlock, Rimming / Anal / BJ’s, Emotional Turmoil, Finding Each Other) – “I love you.” Sherlock sees the words hit John with almost physical force. He reels back a little, jaw twitching and eyes filling. “I love you,” he repeats, a little softer, a little more gentle, as earnest as he possibly can. Because they’ve been teetering on the brink of this thing for years, and it had become painfully obvious over the last few months that they were at a tipping point. This had to happen. Now it has. Now they can see where they end up. The tears in John’s eyes spill over, and he wipes at them angrily. “Do you even know what that means?”  

Against the Rest of the World by SilentAuror (E, 151,714 w., 20 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Post-TRF, Hiatus Fic, POV First Person Sherlock, Present Tense, First Kiss/Time, Big Brother Mycroft, Escaping from Capture, Soft Sherlock, Toplock, Insecurity, Infidelity, Travelling, Introspection, Pining Sherlock, Depression, Fantasies, Yearning for the Past, PTSD Sherlock, Suicidal Ideation) – Sherlock has been away from London for nine hundred and twelve days and counting, and has no idea what sort of reception to expect when he finally returns. 

[notwithout-mymuse]

Ok so how’s this for a ‘secret’ theory:

I’m probably utterly insane but still, humour me.

So… season 4 opens probably a few weeks after season 3 left off, with soft, domestic just-engaged, deliriously happy Tarlos. Insert this scene here:

I’m thinking a soft morning just-woke-up-together scene, but honestly it could be anything.

Later in the episode we see Carlos meeting Andrea for lunch mid-shift pre-frog apocalypse.

Only, what’s so important that she had to meet him while he’s in the middle of a shift? Maybe because she wanted to talk to him alone? (cause we all know off-duty Tarlos are joined at the hip).

Here, we get our first hint at the big secret. We realise that whatever it is, Andrea knows and is trying to convince Carlos that he needs to let TK in on the secret now that they’re engaged. Insert this line here:

Then, the conversation gets interrupted by the disaster of the week, and the audience is left wondering.

Sometime later we get excited TK in wedding planning mode, probably featuring a lot of this smug playful face:

Only this time, the audience senses that Carlos is hesitating, maybe thinking about his mother’s warning, but it’s not the time or place to have that conversation (and maybe disaster of the week part 2 is kicking off), so again the audience is left wondering.

Very much this scene from S2 kinda vibes, where Carlos (bless his cotton socks) thinks he’s being smooth and subtle in his deflections, but he’s really, REALLY not and TK starts to realise that something is up:

Then we skip ahead to this angsty-looking scene:

I mean, think about this from TK’s perspective, with his past and previous traumas. The show literally opened with him getting his heart broken over a marriage proposal. If this poor little poppet starts suspecting that Carlos is hesitating when it comes to them getting married, that’s gotta reopen a whole lot of old emotional scars.

I still can’t work out which order I think the two photos from this scene will fall, but either way I think it becomes - if not an argument - then at least a very emotionally charged conversation (in which we will charge Ronen and Rafa for our therapy bills after) where TK says something along the lines of ‘if you don’t want to marry me then just say so’.

And Carlos, unable to bear the thought that TK thinks he doesn’t want to spend the rest of his life with him blurts out the truth:

He can’t marry TK. Not because he doesn’t want that with all his heart..

But because he’s already married.

BOOM. MIC DROP. RIP lone star fandom 2020-2023. Of course the ep ends on a cliffhanger so that we all have to suffer for a whole week without answers. Hence the “gasp-inducing revelation”.

HOWEVER (stay with me here) I don’t think it will be quite as straight-forward as like ‘oh here’s an ex boyfriend I never mentioned before and oops we got married’. For one thing, there doesn’t seem to have been anyone cast who would fit that role, and that would be the obvious route for the story to go, for TK to meet this ex - accidentally or otherwise because DRAMA. Also, how would Andrea know if TK is the first of Carlos’ partners that she has met?

But also, you know who has a role in all of this that we haven’t really been able to figure out yet?

Iris.

Again, stay with me here…

Given that we know that Carlos came out as gay at 17 and has never been suggested to be anything else, I’m pretty sure he would not have married Iris out of love.

However, Carlos has been presented as someone who cares deeply about the people around him, who will do anything to help someone in need, and who struggles with not being able to make things better for people.

So what if Iris didn’t need someone to marry her out of love. What if she needed someone to marry her because she was desperate?

Remember - the last time we saw Iris she was homeless, penniless, traumatised and extremely mentally unwell. But in the new stills she looks in much better health. So who has been making sure that Iris is taken care of financially - her unemployed sister? Her retirement-age mother? And we have no evidence that either of them are even still alive or around to help - if they killed Gwyn off why not Michelle - especially if Liv Tyler is definitely not coming back which looks likely.

So who has been paying what are presumably exorbitant medical fees? It’s not likely that she had medical insurance after living on the streets with no job. But what if she had a ‘husband’ - one with a stable job, decent income, and presumably good health insurance benefits?

Only it would have to be a secret, wouldn’t it?Because the marriage is fraudulent, and Carlos is literally an officer of the law.

Of course this makes me wonder about time frame (always a risky thing with shows like this), but I’m wondering if it happened during the Tarlos break-up era. If Carlos thought there was no chance of reuniting with TK - and lord knows the poor boy wasn’t moving on no matter what he said - then what would be the harm in pretend marrying a friend for a little while so that she could get help?

Nothing. Until TK comes back, and proposes of course!

And understandably TK would have grounds to be upset about Carlos not letting him know what was going on (which is what I think Carlos’ real ‘slip-up’ is, rather than the marriage itself) but given everything that happened after the reunion - with Gwyn dying, TK nearly relapsing, the Sadie drugging, Owen’s cancer scare and a building nearly crushing him - I can see why it might have been difficult to casually slip a sham marriage into the conversation!

Ultimately though, the solution is simple. If Iris is doing as well as she seems, then explain the situation, get the marriage annulled - problem solved!

Which is what I think this scene is about, given that everyone seems happy. (Side note: I think that the image of them in the same clothes where TK looks worried, and Carlos seems to be comforting him could be from before Iris arrives and TK is nervous about how she might respond).

But it’s all fine, she’s happy for them and they make arrangements.

Only, DUN DUN DUN plot twist! Something happens to Iris (probably linking back to some other plot that has been bubbling away in the background) and she goes missing/needs rescuing first:

Anddddd, that’s all I got.

[borathae]

Hi Sibi!!!! I had quite the busy week last week and the past few days and I wasn’t able to read the latest chapters until today, which on the positive side it’s good cause I love when I have more than one chapter to read! I read the three latest ones except for the new one from yesterday in one sitting, so I could catch up before reading the new one later today! just so you know I always eat your wonderful writing up like a starved kitten especially when I have more than one chapter waiting for me sjkskskskskdkdkksskksksks so buckle up because it’s probably gonna end up being a long one considering it’s about three chapters jdjdjdjsj so here goes my review…

Chapter 24:

First of all please I just need oc to be wrapped in the fluffiest and warmest blankets and cuddled in the arms of her very much in love boyfriends and friends cause this baby needs all the affection than she can possibly get right now 😭😭😭😭 I can’t even imagine how heavy the guilt she’s carrying is 😭 just please lots of hugs and love for our queen, she did the right thing, it breaks me that she thinks Yoongi is disappointed of her because HE WOULD NEVER, and I mean NEVER be disappointed of her for saving their family 🥺

My dear Yoongi Boongie making her the pumpkin gnocchi that they had on their date and feeding it to her it’s just so AAAAAAHHHHHHH it melted my heart Sibi, he’s so sweet and loving and caring god I love him so much 😭😭😭😭 and then sweet Tae coming to comfort her too 🥺 I just love that she has so many people that she can lean on and are so ready to comfort her when she needs it 🥺

And then the part when Yoongi pushed Tae off of her neck? Jsjsjsjskskjsksskks Sibi I let out an “oh no… not again” expecting the worst, I really though that they would start fighting again or at least say nasty things to each other, I feared for my life jskskskskks but thanks god they didn’t 😭😭😭😭 I love their progress in their relationship for her sake 🥺 and I know it’s going to take Yoongi quite a while to fully trust Tae with her (understandably) but he will get there and everyone’s gonna be happy 😭

Also the part where Tae was washing oc while in the shower reminded me when it was the opposite scenario during SA and it was oc washing Tae’s sadness away while bathing… I love them so much 🥺 they have each other and that’s everything that matters 😩 I do wish Yoongi would have talked to her more considering he’s the one oc THINKS hates her for what happened, once again HE WOULD NEVER OC PLEASE HE LOVES YOU AND UNDERSTANDS YOU BABY

Oh and the little scene with Emma and Kookie sjjsksksksk I loved their bickering and I love Emma so much you don’t understand jsksksksks and Kookie bringing all his “not-made-for-travelling-to-kill-an-ancient-evil-vampire” things with him is so very Jungkook of him sjjsksksksksks

And then Jin and Hobi going after her to comfort her too… I’m just so happy the she actually has so many people that can comfort her and understand her when it comes to the feelings she has about killing someone because after all they all have gone through that and know how it feels 😔 and I love knowing more about their stories, now we know the reason behind Seokjin becoming Jack the Ripper (it stills shocks me and I want you to know even if it’s a tiny little detail of his story it really was a revelation that gagged me hssjjsksksksksksk) but anyways I just LOVE the little found family that they have formed because they all are just so wholesome and deserve everything good for all eternity 🥺 I love them all 😭

Chapter 25:

I love the sweet and domestic atmosphere that you created with all three of them just enjoying each other’s company Sibi, what a lovely thing to just be there feeling all your worries and fears slowly disappear while seeing Yoongi teaching Kookie how to play guitar so softly 😭😭😭😭 I need them in my life asap 😭 but then there comes the biggest drama queen of this whole story 🙄 how dare he call my Yoongi Boongie dramatic?! Especially coming from him 😤 like for real “Park Jimin stop being a fucking asshole” challenge failed…again! Dear Taetae just wanted him to honestly apologise for all the shit he’s done and he can’t even do that properly, please boy get your shit together you are missing being part of such a loving and healing family dynamic just cause you refuse to act like a decent person? One honest apology is not gonna make you turn into dust again Jimin 😭 I truly want for him to be better but he makes it so difficult to like him hsjsjsjsjsksk

Also I love, and I mean LOVE how Tae put him in his place and is finally standing up to him 🥺 like yes my sweet boy show him he can’t boss you around anymore 🥹 him sending him off for a walk killed me tho jskskskskskskssksk and Yoongi’s proud little smile at seeing Tae standing up to Jimin finally warms my heart because I love them and I love that they are not fighting anymore 🥺 precious little family 🥹

And then Tae apologising to Kookie??? 😭I’m glad he felt the honesty behind Tae’s words and actions later when they were talking about the guitar 🥺 I hope he doesn’t fuck up again because Koo deserves only love and happiness and as much as I love Tae I’m gonna start throwing hands at him if he hurts baby boy again…

And he gave back her ring! Oh god it did make me a little bit sad that she and Kook rejected it BUT listen… I know they are protection rings… but Yoongi gave his two loves rings that he himself made and will protect them, in my book that can be considered wedding rings hsjsjsdjjsksksk or at least they hold the same meaning coming from him dhjdkdkdkdkd try to change my mind, you can’t hdjdkdkdkdkdkd I really find it sooo romantic that both of them have rings specially made by Yoongi ughhhh 🥺

Kim Taehyung you master manipulator shsjsjsjsjjskssjjs getting Yoongi to agree to a holiday party at the state by threatening to cook AND using oc too cause he knows Yoongi won’t say no to her hsksksksjsksksks he’s so cute

And I just have to say Sibi that the whole playing music and dancing together scene melted my heart into the biggest happy puddle 😭 that’s how I want them to be always, happy enjoying their lives with the perfect harmony of all their laughter and love for each other, just dancing around, creating music, planning future state renovations, just happy 😭 the part where Tae tells Yoongi “live, remember?” God do you want to make me cry again? I love them all so much All of them! I don’t know how many times I’ll say this but I just love this little family an abnormal amount shjsjsksjsjsksks 🥹

And of course Jimin had to come back and fuck everything up… again! For gods sake can he fuck off and let them be happy for five seconds? How can he not see how much he hurts Tae? It’s so tiring! He was so happy with everyone else and it just took him to appear and act like a little bitch to kill the mood instantly, I’m glad that the at least stood up to him again and that he realised that everyone there wants the best for him and are there to comfort him when he’s feeling broken 🥺 just give this man that has gone through so much thanks to his shitty friend and distorted reality all the affection in the world 😭😭😭

Chapter 26

OMFG JFKDSJJSJSJSHDJDJJSNDKSLLSJDBDBNDJDSJJSJSNS I REALLY DONT HAVE MUCH TOO SAY ABOUT THIS CHAPTER OTHER THAN WHAT THE FUCKKKKK HSJSJSJSJSJJWJSJSKSK ok ok I’ll calm down but seriously wtf how can this be so sweet and seductive AND so fucking hot?????!!!! Like the beginning was soooo sweet they missed being with each other 🥺 but then… THEN GOD WHY IS TAEHYUNG SO FREAKY AND INSATIABLE?!!! Jskskskskksksksksks Are we sure that he’s just a vampire and not half incubus? Cause he was feral, sweet but feral Jskskskwksks kook and oc were so ready to pass out and I’m sure Tae could keep going for a few more rounds jskekeidkdkdkdkek but also I loved how Tae realised when Kook lost control and managed to bring him back so fast 🥺 he really is honest when he says he wants to make things right and keep them both safe 🥺 I was really worried because

what if Kook lost control and Yoongi was not there and Tae couldn’t manage to control Jk’s urges and bring him back, like that could have ended so bad 😭 but it didn’t! That only means there will be more times like this for the three of them, we love to see it 🥹

And we’ll that’s all for now Sibi! I’ll be back once I read the new chapter or this will get even longer jskskskslldleksjbdbe

-Shy anon

Not you writing an entire book of review PLEASE

Chapter 24:

it breaks me that she thinks Yoongi is disappointed of her because HE WOULD NEVER, and I mean NEVER be disappointed of her for saving their family 🥺

SAME OMFG LIKE PLEASE MY QUEEN HE COULD NEVER BE MAD AT YOU :(( ISTFG I NEED HER TO REALISE THAT YOONGI WOULD GO THROUGH HELL FOR HER AND HE WOULDNT EVER BE MAD AT HER FOR SMTH LIKE THAT :((

My dear Yoongi Boongie making her the pumpkin gnocchi that they had on their date and feeding it to her it’s just so AAAAAAHHHHHHH it melted my heart Sibi, he’s so sweet and loving and caring god I love him so much 😭😭😭😭

I LOVE HIM I LOVE HIM LOVEK FID I LOVE HIFMD

I love their progress in their relationship for her sake 🥺 and I know it’s going to take Yoongi quite a while to fully trust Tae with her (understandably) but he will get there and everyone’s gonna be happy 😭

Yes gosh, I love their progress too :( it'll do them well to actually get to a point where they can talk about their issues without it escalating into a huge fight :( istfg I want them to be happy only!!

Also the part where Tae was washing oc while in the shower reminded me when it was the opposite scenario during SA and it was oc washing Tae’s sadness away while bathing… I love them so much 🥺 they have each other and that’s everything that matters 😩

THIS THIS THSIT HTSI THIST HTIS HTSI!!!

I do wish Yoongi would have talked to her more considering he’s the one oc THINKS hates her for what happened, once again HE WOULD NEVER OC PLEASE HE LOVES YOU AND UNDERSTANDS YOU BABY

THIS!! FAJDSFSA TIS THSI THIST IS FAS istfg all I do is keysmash and say "this" but THIS FNADNF

Oh and the little scene with Emma and Kookie sjjsksksksk I loved their bickering and I love Emma so much you don’t understand jsksksksks and Kookie bringing all his “not-made-for-travelling-to-kill-an-ancient-evil-vampire” things with him is so very Jungkook of him sjjsksksksksks

this is so jungkook core and nobody can tell me otherwise istfg I love this man so much you have no idea. ALSO CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW THEM BICKERING WAS LIKE JINKOOK BICKERING?? ISTFG NO WONDER EMMA AND JIN LOVE EACH OTHER AFJADSJF

Chapter 25:

please boy get your shit together you are missing being part of such a loving and healing family dynamic just cause you refuse to act like a decent person?

RIGHT?? like I'm sure that everyone here would love to be there for him and to be his friends but Jimin just can't get that fact into his stubborn head bruuh

Also I love, and I mean LOVE how Tae put him in his place and is finally standing up to him 🥺 like yes my sweet boy show him he can’t boss you around anymore

YES ME TOO I LOVE THIS DEVELOPMENT AS WELL!! Tae deserves to stand up for himself! Sweet boy!!

And then Tae apologising to Kookie??? 😭I’m glad he felt the honesty behind Tae’s words and actions later when they were talking about the guitar 🥺

YES THIS!! GOSH :( the guitar part :( or when Koo was all like "you can talk to my hand" but then proceeded to still talk to him NFADNFNS babybooooyoyoyoyoy

Yoongi gave his two loves rings that he himself made and will protect them, in my book that can be considered wedding rings hsjsjsdjjsksksk or at least they hold the same meaning coming from him dhjdkdkdkdkd try to change my mind, you can’t hdjdkdkdkdkdkd I really find it sooo romantic that both of them have rings specially made by Yoongi ughhhh 🥺

PERIODT. I don't even wanna say more but yes PERIODT. You have no idea how much these rings means to Yoongi, you CANNOT EVEN BEGINT O FATHOM THE IMPORTANCE

Kim Taehyung you master manipulator shsjsjsjsjjskssjjs getting Yoongi to agree to a holiday party at the state by threatening to cook AND using oc too cause he knows Yoongi won’t say no to her hsksksksjsksksks he’s so cute

THIS PART WAS SO CUTE :( jfajdsf

the part where Tae tells Yoongi “live, remember?” God do you want to make me cry again? I love them all so much

SAME SAME SAMEM SAME

Chapter 26:

Are we sure that he’s just a vampire and not half incubus? Cause he was feral, sweet but feral Jskskskwksks kook and oc were so ready to pass out and I’m sure Tae could keep going for a few more rounds jskekeidkdkdkdkek

TRUTH jfajdf he is so insatiable istfg AND I PERSONALLY? LOVE THIS ENERGY NFADNSF istfg my high sex drive ass would love a man who doesn't get all "babe i aint horny anymore" after three strokes KFAKDSF LIKE YES GIVE ME INSATIABLE DEMONS FANDFNADS F

but also I loved how Tae realised when Kook lost control and managed to bring him back so fast 🥺 he really is honest when he says he wants to make things right and keep them both safe 🥺 I was really worried because

RIGHT??? THIS PART WAS SO !!!! it just show how honest he is in wanting their best :( istfg I love them so much :(

Thank you so much for your reviews anonie!! istfg you always put so much effort into it and I hope you know that I don't take them for granted! I love you lots and lots 😭💜💜

[bluedalahorse]

This post by @oneofthosebells about Wilmon with kids has me thinking about kidfic in fandom, and really just the way fiction writes about parent-child relationships in general. I’m going to write about my thoughts here instead of in a reblog so I don’t derail. On one end of the spectrum you can write about your OTP having kids in a cute fluffy domestic way. And on the other end of the spectrum, well, the act of parenting, or even being an adult in a kid’s life, isn’t always easy. It tends to make you confront aspects of yourself and your values and your childhood, and seems to bring up the opportunity for a lot of interesting introspection and drama.

As someone who works with kids (mostly young teenagers) daily, I don’t tend to seek out the cute, fluffy domestic kidfic as much. (If people do want to read that, I’m 100% in favor of them doing that! Read what brings you joy!) On the other hand, I’m personally more interested in the second variety I described with opportunities for introspection and drama and personal revelations. (But, you know, hopefully some humor mixed in as well, because kids can be hilarious?) It’s interesting to me how when we as fans say “kidfic” it’s mostly the fluffy domestic variety that comes to mind. Fandom shorthand exists for a reason, but it often obscures the fun little twists and nuances we work into our writing.

In Heart and Homeland, @heliza24 and I have introduced child characters who are just starting to play a role in our story now. When we were dreaming the story up, we got very interested in the way each of the main five character’s arcs had them thinking about the kind of world they would create for the next generation, and what they would need to do to break away from cycles of generational trauma. For the chapters that are coming up on the horizon we’re going to be leaning on these themes even more—but the choice to not have children is part of that too, for certain characters like Felice. And of course we’ll be poking holes in the ideal of the cishet nuclear family (is it even a good day if you haven’t done that?) and doing our best to re-envision what family and community mean.

I don’t know quite where I’m going with this except that I think like. Idk you can probably sell me on any story (whether the characters are childfree or happy parents) if the author is gleefully willing to dig into the psychology of it all.

[byneddiedingo]

Anna Massey and Barry Foster in Frenzy (Alfred Hitchcock, 1972) Cast: Jon Finch, Barry Foster, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Anna Massey, Alec McCowen, Vivien Merchant, Billie Whitelaw, Clive Swift, Bernard Cribbins, Jean Marsh. Screenplay: Anthony Shaffer, based on a novel by Arthur La Bern. Cinematography: Gilbert Taylor. Film editing: John Jympson Frenzy is so often called a "return to form" by critics commenting on Alfred Hitchcock's films that it's worth parsing that phrase a bit. What's generally meant is that after the triumph of Psycho (1960), Hitchcock's films seemed to decline in quality: To the critics of the day, The Birds (1963) felt like a gimmicky monster movie, Marnie (1964) an overdone, miscast psychological drama, Torn Curtain (1966) and Topaz (1969) attempts to cash in on the James Bond-era vogue for spy movies. Later generations of critics have found intelligent things to say about some of these films (though there are few ardent defenders of Torn Curtain and Topaz), largely because of their ability to see the Hitchcock oeuvre as a whole and to work in the revelations of the Hitchcock biographers about the director's obsessions and predilections. But Frenzy was for many mainstream critics what Roger Ebert called it: "the kind of thriller Hitchcock was making in the 1940s, filled with macabre details, incongruous humor, and the desperation of a man convicted of a crime he didn't commit." I would qualify that observation with the remark that Frenzy is the kind of film Hitchcock couldn't have made in the 1940s because of the Production Code's restrictions on nudity, sex outside of marriage, and excessive violence. Liberated from the Code, Frenzy is rated R. And I think Hitchcock's delighted rush into the new era of frankness in film may have had a destructive effect on his ability to maintain consistency of tone. A scene like the rape-murder of Brenda Blaney (Barbara Leigh-Hunt) belongs to a different kind of film than the domestic comedy of Inspector Oxford (Alec McCowen) and his gourmet-cook wife (Vivien Merchant), and there's something a little too obvious about the snap of Mrs. Oxford's bread stick as her husband is recounting how Rusk had to break Babs Milligan's (Anna Massey) fingers to retrieve his stickpin. There is no heart in the film, the way there was in films of the 1940s like Shadow of a Doubt (1943) or Notorious (1946), in which we could feel anxiety over the plight of the characters. Hitchcock does seem to want us to feel some real-world horror at Brenda's reciting Psalm 91 and trying to cover her bared breast as she's being raped, but even that invocation of sympathy feels out of place later, especially when Babs's corpse is treated for comedy when her feet keep finding their way into Rusk's face. And a "joke" like that of the man in the pub who quips "every cloud has a silver lining" on learning that the killer rapes his victims before strangling them should never have found its way onto film. There is much to admire in Frenzy: Hitchcock never did a more skillful scene than the one in which the camera follows Babs and Rusk (Barry Foster) up to the flat where we know she's going to die, and then silently retreats back down the stairs and across the busy street. McCowen and Merchant skillfully play the comedy of the husband and wife dinner table scenes -- the soupe aux poissons is particularly unappetizing. I especially like the bit in which Mrs. Oxford offers a drink to the sergeant who brings news of the case to the inspector: It's a new cocktail called a "margarita," she explains, made with what she pronounces "tekwila." The sergeant has to leave, however, so she swigs the drink he has abandoned and then, with a rather odd look on her face, hastily makes her exit. But too often in Frenzy what Hitchcock thinks is naughty is just nasty.

[attourney-at-lycan]

Laurence/jeffory

OMG- i haven't thought of that actually?

laurance is constantly hitting on jeffory only for jeffory to laugh it off, say a lighthearted comeback that makes laurance shut up. the hard thing is, laurance knows jeffory isn't flirting and just playing around

"how's my favorite person doing today?" "lmao idk, how are you doing?" "...fuck."

but FUCK. this means laurance taking care of abby when jeffory is gone....

THEY HAVE THOSE SCENES WHERE ONE FALLS ASLEEP W/ THE KID ON THEIR LAP AND THE OTHER PUTS A BLANKET OVER THEM

domestic romance. DOMESTIC ROMANCE!!!!!!!!!!! my favorite

abby absolutely loves when laurance comes over and they play dress up all the time

jeffory gets to have laurance is in his milf era

i do think they fall in love, for jeffory it's very gradual i think? it's very much him realizing laurance is leaving small marks in his life that accumulate to the point where laurance is just... a part of his life he doesn't think he wants to get rid- it's when he realizes this that he finally gets it

for laurance, i think he's always admired jeffory. he initially believed jeffory had his life together, he has a job and a daughter and is pretty much settled down, but he realizes that it's not all sunshine and rainbows, he notices how stressed jeffory is and wants to take the burden off his shoulders, even if it's a little bit

i rlly like these two bc there rlly isn't.. much? there's no super drama or any big revelations, or any shocking circumstances that they're forced into together. it's such a simple relationship and i rlly love it