#even if they're neither married nor a couple

[noa-de-cajou]

Day 8 : Sharing / Wearing each other’s clothes / Sleeping in / Temptation / The Drowning

Faloi belongs to @corneille-but-not-the-author (might be a tiny little ooc but I had too much fun with the dialogue)

______

If you asked Faloi Frosilaen, he would say sharing a bed with Ether Nepheli is certainly an experience.

If you asked Ether Nepheli, she would not be this polite and say sharing a bed with that idiot can be a fucking challenge, and not in terms of fucking.

The annoying part came in when they started to sleep together randomly. Ether would fall asleep in his bed while reading and wake up in his arms, Faloi would collapse at 10 and wake up at 3am to her curled up next to him. No other activities involved. They talked, said they shouldn’t make a habit out of it, and proceeded to make a habit out of it. Like they always did.

That soon made some… issues more visible. And Ether and Faloi being Ether and Faloi, they'd talk about it in the most random of moments in the most random of ways.

“Ether, you should sleep in more clothes than just your underwear."

“... Huh?”

They were both sitting in his office, reviewing papers, and he just blurted that out. Ether blinked, then smirked.

“Why? Don’t like the view?”

“You know that's not what I mean.”

“Yeah. The thing is, I have no fucking idea where you're going with this. Care to elaborate?”

“Well, aren’t you cold at night?”

“Not… particularly?”

“Then why do you keep stealing all the covers?”

Silence. Ether blinked again, slowly. She could have argued that this wasn't the time to talk about this. But of course, she didn't.

“... Faloi. Your bed is huge. You’d need truly amazing hogging skills to steal all the covers.”

“You never cease to amaze me, then.”

“I- Why does it matter? You sleep fully clothed most of the time!”

“Just because I'm not cold does not mean I do not get sick.”

“Bullshit. I never saw you get sick, even in the middle of winter. What, are you too old, do your joints get fucked up by the cold?”

That earned her a sideways glance, maybe an irritated twitch of the eyebrow, but Faloi’s face remained almost as calm as usual. He didn’t reply, so Ether kept going.

“That’s very like you, hiring a thief then getting all petty because she’s stealing the sheets.”

“I am not being petty, I am merely stating facts.”

“Yeah, well you should be more worried about the fact that one of your Commissaries is stealing from the treasury. Because that's what we were talking about before you decided to bring up bed matters, remember?”

That was enough to make them both focus on work, until Faloi had to leave for a meeting. It lasted way longer than it should have, and the sky was already dark when he came back to his quarters. Where he was welcomed by Ether, sprawled out on the bed, reading, and wearing…

Faloi squinted.

“Ether? Is that my shirt?”

“Good evening to you too, Faloi. And I don’t know what you're talking about. You have glasses, use them.”

“Judging by your approximative obfuscation and blatant sarcasm, that is most definitely my shirt.”

“Look at you, answering your own question. I’m so proud of you.”

Faloi sighed and took off his coat. Too tired to be annoyed, and very aware that this is what happens when you let someone like Ether into your bedroom.

“Very funny. I don't really mind, either way, but what is this for?”

Ether shrugged, and closed her book with a satisfied thump.

“Well you did say that I should wear more clothes at night. So I picked up the first item I found on the floor.”

Right. They didn't tidy up the room after last night. Again, he should have expected this. 

“Who’s petty now?”

“I’m not petty, I'm just following your advice.”

She smirked at him as she took the pins out of her hair to let it down. Pins she probably stole from his bathroom as well.

“If you don't like it, you’re free to get it off me.”

Turns out he didn’t need to get it off her. At all.

Let's just say the both of them slept well that night… For a few hours, at least.

Around four in the morning, Faloi sat up, and he barely had the time to put his shirt on before a hand grabbed him by the sleeve.

It was usual for him to wake up around four in the morning, get dressed and start working.

It was a bit less common that Ether woke up exactly at the same time. 

He glanced back at her. She looked half-asleep still, but he did notice an unusually fast heart rate. A nightmare, maybe. 

“Faloi, it's way too early,” she mumbled.

“I need to get to work,” was his only reply.

“You got most of it done yesterday, I know it…”

“I still have unfinished business. Go back to sleep.”

“I’ll go back to sleep if you come back to bed.”

“Do you think blackmailing me into sleep will work?”

“Do you think I'm going to let you go to a meeting on two hours of sleep?”

Faloi squinted at Ether.

Ether squinted at Faloi.

Are we arguing? Is this an argument?

“Ether, if you try to get me to stay every day, you’re going to ruin your sleep schedule.”

“I’m sleeping in your bed, it's basically our sleep schedule at this point…”

She was interrupted by her own yawn and Faloi sighed deeply.

“You’re exhausted. You should really go back to sleep.”

“That's rich coming from the President of Exhaustion himself.”

He gave her a stern look.

“You’re not going to let go, are you?”

Ether gave the look right back.

“Well, I can't make you stay. But I think if you really wanted to go work, you’d have left already. I’m not that strong.”

“... Or maybe I just have enough delicacy to talk this out with you instead of pushing you away.”

“Well, if you’d have the delicacy to come back to bed, I’d be delighted,” Ether replied with enough sarcasm to fill a lake. “Weren’t you the one worried about me being cold?”

His exhaustion was plastered all over his face. He wasn’t even fed up with her. He rarely was.

Ether had to repress a small triumphant smile. He was tempted to just give in, she could see it, because he was not good at hiding it.

This isn’t an argument.

This is a game, and I'm winning.

But he wasn’t fully convinced just yet. Always that sense of duty, something she both loved and hated about him because of how often it was driven by guilt instead of actual duty. If she wanted him to actually rest, she might have to ease his worries first.

“Okay, how about this. Two more hours. Two more hours and at six I'll wake up with you to help with your work so you won’t be late on anything. How does that sound?”

Faloi lowered his gaze, something he always did when he was debating with himself. She waited patiently for him to finish, tried to not tighten her grip around his sleeve.

I can't make you stay. I can't make you take care of yourself. I can't make you do anything. But if it's true that I'm one of the few people you listen to, then please stay.

“That… seems like a fair compromise,” Faloi finally sighed. “I have a condition, however.”

Score.

“Do tell?”

He gave her a tired smile. Well, it was more of a little rise in the corner of his lips.

“Leave me some of the covers?”

She blinked, and chuckled with something like relief.

“Sure. I'll do my best.”

He slithered back into the bed, looking a bit hesitant still. Ether smiled silently at him. 

She knew that this was a rare occurence. She just wished she didn’t have to fight for Faloi to realize he couldn't go on like this for long.

Maybe he knew that.

Their hands were not even an inch apart when they fell back asleep.

If you asked Faloi Frosilaen what they were, he wouldn’t be able to answer. Colleagues? Friends? Lovers? None of those words seemed good enough then, they don't seem any better now.

If you asked Ether Nepheli what they were, she’d say she loved him. That she still does. That it was suffocating then. That it still is now. That they were both nothing and everything.

But the fact remains that as he was dying, that when she thought she would die, they thought about each other.

If you asked them both if they regretted it, their answer would be the same.

No. Never.

[motomamita]

farmer!könig × female!reader

warnings: +18, smut, arranged marriage, breeding kink!

könig never thought that the love of his life would take so long to arrive, much less in such a small town where he lived and where everyone knew everyone. but yes, he just turned 30 he found himself totally alone, without a wife, girlfriend or even someone to fuck with without commitments.

being an only child, his parents rushed to find the right woman for him. they had to ensure that their legacy would continue and their lands would be passed down to their future grandchildren.

that's where you come in, also the only daughter of a couple of lumberjacks and with a long list of suitors. although you could choose any boy in the town, your parents quickly paired you with könig, who was the son of the wealthiest family in the place.

you didn't know könig personally but you had seen him from time to time on the streets driving his truck carrying fruits and vegetables to supply the businesses. you knew that he was older than you, not only in age but also in body. he always had a serious face and a look that forced you to lower your head because of how intimidating he was.

your families introduced you one day where they had lunch and talked about how beneficial it would be for both of you to get married. könig didn't contribute much, as he spent all that time looking at your breasts through your dress and biting his lip every time you dared to look into his eyes. neither you nor he spoke to each other.

after that, they organized a small wedding in the garden of könig's family and formalized the union between the two of you. you were now his wife and lived with him in a small house built by könig on his family land. however, the most important thing was missing, an heir.

you both knew that your families would not be calm until they saw you carrying his baby in your womb. that's why you and könig had to get closer to each other, both emotionally and physically. every time he came back from a long day of work, you would wait for him with a jug of fresh orange juice or even a beer. then you would prepare the shower for him, where könig would end up dragging you with him and you would shower together. he caressed your skin with excitement and you did the same but with a certain shyness. however, it never went any further, until now.

one afternoon you were harvesting vegetables from the garden until the presence of könig behind you caught your attention.

"it's time... for us to have a son."

könig was wearing his work shirt with a few buttons open and his blue jeans. he looked agitated, as if he needed you at that moment.

"könig... i, i don't know. i've never done it and i'm a little scared..."

you couldn't finish because könig knelt in front of you and grabbed your hips with his hands.

"please, please, let me fuck you. i can't wait any longer, my love, i need you.."

he begged with some pain in his voice, resting his head on your stomach and almost sobbing. his cock was throbbing inside his jeans and dripping with precum. your heart sank at seeing him so needy, so you accepted.

without wasting time, könig fucked you right there in his garden and on the ground, in a primitive way. your pussy took a while to get used to its size but soon the pain turned into pleasure. könig was on top of you, with your legs over his shoulders and his balls hitting your delicate skin.

"i knew this pussy was worth the wait... fuck, you're so tight."

könig kissed your legs, leaving a trace of his saliva and even lightly biting your skin, lost in pleasure. his grunts accompanied your moans and pleas for him to finish inside you as soon as possible, you were afraid that you would be discovered.

"these juicy tits, they're going to look even better when they're big and dripping with milk... are you going to carry my babies, huh? are you going to be a good mom?"

you nodded your head because your mouth couldn't let out anything but moans. könig increased his thrusts, fucking deep inside you until he filled you with his thick semen.

he gently lay down on top of you, careful not to crush you until his orgasm passed. he carefully pulled out of you, caressing your legs and putting the cum that came out back in with his fingers.

"i have to make sure it catch, mommy."

[h0bg0blin-meat]

What hindu gods/deities are lgbt (I'm sorry if this is rude or ignorant I just wish to learn as I've heard some are)

Dw it's neither rude nor ignorant. Now before I start I do wanna say that almost all the queerness we see in Hindu mythology is highly subtextual most of the time, which is like pretty obvious cuz these were the ancient times. So this might lead to a varied number of interpretations, and I can only offer the same. But most of them are pretty convincingly queer, so let's get into it cuz why tf not. (This is gonna be a loooooong post so buckle up)

Vishnu

This fella is probably the most pan-coded deity in the entire pantheon. Extremely comfortable with both his masculine and feminine side, Vishnu can sometimes be considered one of the peak genderfluid icons out there. His avatar, Krishna, despite being referred to as the Parampurush (in other words the manliest man in the entire universe), his physical appearance (which is what is considered to be a very feminine body for a man today, i.e., slender and soft) breaks the stereotype of what masculine man should look like. There are paintings of him and Radha where I've stared for like a hot minute trying to figure out which one is Radha (mostly in grayscale cuz otherwise their complexions are a dead giveaway) and yet, he slays it like a badass.

Then we also have Mohini, the goddess of beauty probably the best seductress out there, and the only female avatar of Vishnu. Through her having a union (yk what they mean by that) with Shiva (AHEM subtext amirit), Vishnu gave birth to Ayyappa, and wouldja look at dat he has two dads, which was actually prophesized. Mohini in one of the versions of Mahabharata (not the original one) ALSO slept with Iravan (Arjun's son) the night before he was gonna offer himself as a sacrifice for the Kurukshetra war. Reason was that Iravan had a wish to get married and spend the night with his wife before dying, and wishing his wife would mourn for him after his death. So Krishna felt bad for him, turned himself into Mohini and married him. The next day she held her husband's body and mourned for him like any wife would. We can also go back to the time where he sported (make of that word what you will) with Arjuni (female version of Arjun) as well as the female version of Narad (for a year in the latter's case).

In short, we can see how chill Krishna is with his fluidity with sexuality and gender, so much so that it's hard to put a label on him sometimes, which is fine. But yes interpreting him as queer wouldn't necessarily be a preposterous claim after all.

Shiva

Tbh Shiva is also pretty queer-coded, given his union with Mohini (and yes he specifically ASKED Vishnu to turn into her and hence he KNEW it was his best friend after all), and him turning into a woman to join Krishna's leela that one time, which also denotes that he's pretty confident in his gender fluidity as well, to some extent. He also has a sort of female avatar, who's actually very underrated. I think it's called Shivani. Also no one can deny the tension between Shiva and Vishnu let's be real here. They even have a ship name- Harihar, PLUS that "Vishnu is in the heart of Shiva and Shiva is in the heart of Vishnu" line. Btw this was a joke, but now you know why they're one of the popular ships of Hindu mythology. I personally have very neutral stance to the kind of bond they share, whether you call it platonic or something else.

(Note that I personally do not consider Ardhanarishwar and Vaikunthakamalaja as any genderfluid thingy because I just see them as literal fusions of the two couples, but yes many consider these two fused versions of Parvati-Shiva and Lakshmi-Narayan respectively to be gender-nonconforming, or non-binary of some sort.)

Lakshmi

Why did I add her here? Because I have a feeling she might be bi, given the fact that her husband is also technically her wife, considering we take Mohini into account, who I'm pretty sure she loves just as much as she loves Vishnu. But again, that's just my take on it.

Agni

Now he's one of the more popular queer-coded Hindu gods, specifically known for his implied poly-esque relationship with his wife Svaha and Soma (the wind god). Now many sites on Google have claimed Soma to be his husband, but I am yet to find a scriptural evidence for that claim, so I suggest you to take their words with a grain of salt. But what IS true is that these two guys do share a pretty profound bond. There was also this one instance where Soma went to a mountain and Agni followed him. Then both of them at the top of that mountain, 'became one' (what does that mean? not sure but it sure as hell sounded romantic. anyways). Also Soma is considered the "seed" and Agni the "progenitor" hence releasing the "seed". Now again what does that mean? Idk but that's sus as hell for sure.

Plus, Agni is also very well-known to be the (oral) receptor of Shiva's (and sometimes Soma's but not sure about the second one) semen, which he then flung into Ganga cuz it was too hot to bear for him, and that's how Kartikeya/Murugan/Skanda (Shiva and Parvati's son and a God of war) was born. So yeah.

Mitra-Varuna

These two.... are another pair of popular queer-coded Hindu deities. They're almost always summoned and worshipped together, and you can say they have canonically.... well had a union, and good news is none of them became a woman for the deed. Their union is recorded in the Shatapatha Brahmana 2.4.4.19, where Mitra is said to have "implanted his seed in Varuna" (hmmm nothing homosexual going on here) during the waning moon. Many people consider this a metaphor for the cyclic nature of celestial phenomena so it's upto you to interpret it however you want.

Now they also give off that sunshine x grumpy vibe, with Mitra being the god of friendship, sun, daylight, dawn and stuff while Varuna is the god of the waters, moon, nighttime, dusk etc. Plus, the latter has anger issues but he has a bubbly Mitra (pun intended) to calm him down for dat :D.

They are also known for siring two sages, Agastya and Vasistha after they accidentally released and mixed their semen into a pot as a result of getting enchanted by Urvashi (one of the apsaras or celestial nymphs).

Budh and Ila

Budh is technically an AMAB non-binary (or intersex) deity (and technically the planet Mercury) born to Chandra (who's also synonymous to Soma most of the time) and Tara, to put it simply, and got cursed to be neither male nor female because Chandra had an affair with someone else's wife -_- (Tara was the wife of Brihaspati, or Jupiter, who was also the guru of the gods).

Ila is another genderfluid deity. Some versions of the myth says they were born a woman, some say they were born a man called Sudyumna, while some say they were born a woman, but since their parents wanted a son, Mitra-Varuna (who they preyed to) changed their gender and Sudyumna was born (but then there was some issue with the rituals, which led to the duo to turn him back to a woman, which is when they took the name of Ila. Ik, too much gendershifting going on, bear with me). Anyhoo they got this genderfluidity from Shiva's spell and every month they'd change sex from Sudyumna to Ila and back to Sudyumna and so on. Budh got enchanted by Ila and married her, and bore the Pururavas with her.

Later on, some versions say Ila permanently turned into a man with Parvati's boon. But personally interpreting, Budh was technically still married to Sudyumna so..... idk what happened to them afterwards tho. I hope they were still spouses...

[pressplay-if]

Sfw alphabet for Kalena and her hubby? We never get no questions for em i wanna knooooooow

ohhh I really like this ask! Now I'll be answering this alphabet for Kalena and Russell as a couple, as opposed to them having a relationship with the reader.

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Russell and Kalena are very affectionate with each other. They tell each other "I love you" all the time, hold hands, sit close together. They're still crazy about each other and don't hide it very well, although they're not super wild about it.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Neither Russell nor Kalena have friends outside of the industry. They're both very cutthroat (yes, even kind-seeming, stuttering Russell - you'll see) and are rather unpopular with quite a lot of people due to that. But they're still in contact with some of the people they've managed/produced for, and there's some benevolence there.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

They cuddle all the time, very casually.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

They already have! Technically. It's their version of settled, at least.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Kalena and Russell never once considered leaving each other. They are the perfect storm. Kalena has had partners in the past, and she has dumped them pretty coldly, never having gotten too attached. Russell is very different to her in that regard. He has never broken up with anyone, only ever been broken up with before. He took it in good faith.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Kalena and Russell got married pretty quickly, maybe two of three years after they first met? It felt right.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

With each other? Extremely. Kalena is always very sweet with Russell, she views him as something tender, a creative genius she admires as much as seeks to protect. To Russell, Kalena is like a goddess, a force of nature.

With everyone else? Not at all.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

They do. You can tell the difference between their polite work-hugs, where they quickly touch a person to greet them and offer superficial interest, as opposed to when they embrace one another and melt into the other's arms.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

They told each other pretty quickly.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

They trust each other very much. Russell will get jealous sometimes, very rarely, but when he does, he just needs a little extra affection and assurance. Then he'll be done sulking soon enough.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

They kiss each other... pretty much everywhere. And sometimes they'll greet their musician charges or colleagues with little pecks on the cheeks. You know, the showbiz-greeting.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Sore topic.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

They wake up together, have a quick cup of coffee, and shower together. They'll be discussing work-related matters in the shower.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Russell waits until Kalena has put on her various creams, lotions, hair- and face masks before she climbs into bed with him.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

-

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

By each other? Not easily at all. By everyone else? Very quickly.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

They remember every little thing about each other, but are of course less attentive about others.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

*their relationship; probably the way they met. Russell can't believe he left Kalena waiting until some stupid music video was over before turning around and seeing her for the first time. She still gives him shit for it. They love recounting it.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

-

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

They don't really care very much about that sort of thing.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Oh, you'll see.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Kalena is very concerned with her looks. Maintaining a stately, professional appearance is very important to her. Russell on the other hand doesn't care all that much. He makes sure he's dressed well, but other than that... he thinks he's fine with a quick shower and shave.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

*without each other, yes, absolutely. They complement each other perfectly and have grown accustomed to one another's presence, both in their work and personal life. They would wither, were they deprived of the other's company.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

-

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

-

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

They're not cuddly sleepers, but sometimes they'll wake up holding hands and just be like ":)"

[namika-saya]

Sctir and its multiple forms of love

After finally finishing sctir. I wanted to jot down my thoughts over the multiple forms of love shown in sctir. Bc there are A Lot. Some more healthy than others. Some more incomprehensible than others. Of course, spoilers ahead.

Familial Love:

.Han siblings : The epitome and exemplary example, the Han siblings have undying support and love for each other. The special thing about the Han brothers is that they're not just brothers, they're like parent and child. Han Yoojin raised Han Yoohyun himself shortly after hyh was born, and they continued to rely and put each other first until they were forcibly parted by circumstances. The fact that hyh is the ward and hyj is the guardian immensely helps their dynamic, as even with their differences hyh will respect and listen to hyung.

.Luire siblings: They're similar to the Han brothers and yet so different, just by a switch between the roles of guardian and ward (and their power levels). Riette is a born S-class, which means that she's unable to see things normally or have human empathy. Despite loving her brother enough to die for him, she has given him immense trauma in not respecting his autonomy and forced him to do many dangerous things that is pretty much abuse. In the end, they manage to find a balance, and Riette is still trying her best to understand Noah and have him forgive her.

.Sigma & Puppeteer: They're so interesting. One was borne bc of the other. The other can't exist without the one. They're each other's ward and guardian. Sigma allowed Puppeteer to gain sentience by continually pumping mana into him, while Puppeteer's efforts keep Sigma alive and existing. They care very much for each other and would do anything for the other.

"Platonic" Love:

. Shj & Stw : even if it's never explicitly said, their dynamic is like that of an old married couple where one is tired but used to the other's shenanigans. The Moon and its Eclipse. Fated enemies, but each of their stubbornness in staying human gives them an equal ground that allows them to care and respect for each other. Stw is literally one of the only two existences that shj can ever come to love.

. Shj & Hyj : also a lovely pair with a big contrast. The ordinary and the extraordinary. One who has it all and one who has lost everything. The man at the pinnacle and the man wading through the mud on the bottom. Hyj is literally the only person that sees shj as a human (at first). It's through hyj's love and care that allows shj to love life and carve out an existence for himself, for others to care about him like a human, and for shj to finally gain autonomy over his life. Shj's love and care for hyj allows hyj to be more confident about himself, soothes his worries, and as someone he can lean on without having to act as a caretaker.

"Romantic" Love:

.Chatterbox towards Jellyfish: now we're diving into the more unsavory forms of love in sctir. Well, chatterbox is obsessed with jellyfish. Some might say that is or isn't love, and both would be correct. (I jokingly call chatterbox an incel) Chatterbox loves Jellyfish, but he is selfish. He doesn't care about anything jellyfish cares about, he only cared about having her by his side. His attempt to turn hyj into luka peigya is disgusting, attempting to even modify his body surgically and put it in a glass cage. He's disgusting, only caring about his "revenge" and "love", neither caring about what the object of his love thinks nor if his actions make any sense.

Unconditional Love:

. Cresent Moon: this one's the most difficult one, especially if we take the difference between og cm and current cm. Cresent Moon's unconditional love should be impossible, but she manages it bc her love is inhuman at its core. A love that is equal for everyone, she will love you when you're at your highest and when you're at your lowest. She doesn't care what state of being you are in, and that love is no different than indifference. She will do horrible things to you in the name of love, as long as it's for the greater good. She is the cradle of Transcendents, just how many planets and civilizations have died indirectly by her hand as a result of that? Originally, she had a bit of humanity, loving people and still listening to them, but after morphing into a wish granting system she went mad from the wishes of those trying to live. What she did to shj mightve been the easiest way to save the universe, but it is unbearably cruel for her to try and take away his autonomy, humanity, and identity in order to do so.

All in all, the main theme of sctir is that love goes hand in hand with respect. Love without respect leads to disaster, and it is when one loves and respect one another can that love be strong enough to save the world. The end.

[doberbutts]

Hey there! I hope you don't mind me asking this.

I remember you posting about how cis women say that men don't have to worry about going outside at night for example, and you brought up moc issues and how black men do have to deal with that. Which was a really good post and made me more aware of the topic.

Well so I keep seeing these posts (made by mostly white queer people) about how "cishet people don't have to worry about holding hands in public" / "opposite sex couples can legally marry anywhere" / etc, which doesn't really sit right with me? Cause interracial couples still face a lot of discrimination and are still actively being hurt. (same with disabled couples, but that's a different topic I think)

However every time I brought this up, people (mainly white queer people) would get mad at me. Saying how I'm changing the topic and how that didn't matter to the conversation.

I was wondering how you feel about this, cause I'm white (and also queer), and I'm not sure if my concern with these statements are valid. Personally I see a lot of poc voices are being ignored in the queer community, and statements aren't useful to make our point (besides being false).

Thanks for reading, please tell me if I'm being ignorant / should do more research on the topic. I'm more than willing to do so. Also don't feel any pressure to answer, I know you don't owe me your time to explain.

Another older ask and one I deliberately left until I had the ability to actually answer on a keyboard instead of on my phone.

The TLDR of this is effectively: this is why I prefer black feminism, which does in fact go into these nuances, to any sort of nonblack theory adopted by the larger feminist and queer communities (which is often white and does not address these problems, which was the point of that post tbh)

But it also goes into my point of how most oppression is neither unique nor is it new, it simply changes its face when applied to different demographics. Much of what we call misogyny is not limited to misogyny, much of what we call homophobia is not limited to homophobia, and so on. "Straight couples don't get disowned by their parents for getting married" well... my ex brother-in-law did because he brought home a black woman. "Straight couples can legally marry anywhere" well according to some sitting justices on the Supreme Court, potentially not for long if they're interracial couples, and while disabled couples can marry they lose all or most of their benefits the moment they do so... "No one beats up straight couples for holding hands" my guy not even going into oppression but you clearly have never been to middle school when a deeply unpopular kid has a crush or is in a relationship with someone who is significantly less unpopular than they are.

But again, this is why I don't find this type of theory to be grounded in reality, and thus why I tend to gravitate more towards theory that makes more sense to the experiences I've had.

[starstruckbyacomet]

Buddiebaiting – Real or Imagination?

A. THE TOXIC FANS

Among Buddie shippers, there are growing toxic fans who have become more prominent over time. These are not normal fans. They're obsessed to make Buddie canon, by all means necessary. They have been bullying actors and showrunners at least since 2020.

There are indications that people inside the show have known about those toxic fans at least since 2021:

Oliver Stark deactivated his Twitter account because of the bullying on May 23, 2021.

In a Gay Times interview uploaded on YouTube on Apr 22, 2024 (time stamp 09:07) Oliver admitted that the actresses who portrayed the love interests had felt unfairly treated by Buddie stans.

In a TPN interview uploaded on YouTube on Jul 21, 2024 (time stamp 19:29), Tim Minear said that some fans on X were wishing him to die.

After knowing about the toxic fans, what did the show do?

Neither Fox nor ABC has ever acknowledged that the bullying & online harassments ever happened. They've never condemned the bullying towards their actors and/or showrunners. They didn't delete bullying comments on their OFFICIAL social media accounts. They also didn't block the senders.

Tim Minear also said that he didn't want the toxic fans affect his work (time stamp 15:14).

When talking about the actresses who felt that they had been 'unfairly treated' by the toxic fans, Oliver stated that "whether or not it was unfair or not, I don't speak to that" (time stamp 09:23). A statement that some people interprete as 'COWARDLY THROWING THE ACTRESSES UNDER THE BUS' by implying that they might deserve such treatement, just to avoid upsetting toxic Buddie fans.

B. ARE YOUR INTENTIONS HONORABLE?

Do Tim Minear & co. do the right thing? Imagine if similar scenario happen to you, for example:

A female co-worker with whom you've been doing a project, confesses her romantic interest to you. You're married, and have no romantic feeling towards her. You plainly reject her. However, your co-worker insists that your spouse is not the right partner for you, she is. What would you do?

Borrowing Hen Wilson's word, if your intentions are 'honorable', you would be mindful in your interactions with the co-worker. You would reduce your friendliness, and avoid any gestures which could raise her empty expectation.

If you're acting as usual, ignoring her feelings, or even encouraging it, you are being selfish and deceitful. It seems that you want to continue enjoying her attention without giving what she wants.

Your co-worker is harassing your spouse to make your spouse leaves you. If you still don't limit your interactions with her by now, you are proven to be a cruel & selfish bastard. At this point, the victim is not only you. Your innocent spouse has been dragged into this mess and suffered.

Tim & co. want to portray a close friendship between Buck & Eddie to the audience, including Buddie shippers. In this case, Buck & Eddie's close friendship is the project, Buddie shippers are the infatuated co-worker, and actors who played the love interests are the spouse.

C. EXAMINING THE BAITS

If Tim & co. have 'honorable intentions', they should be mindful in portraying Buck & Eddie's interactions. If we playback Season 2 and onwards, we'd find several Buddie positive scenes which are NOT NECESARRY portraying Buck & Eddie working relationship or close friendship. Are those scenes Buddiebaits?

1)) Ep. 2x01 "Under Pressure" (Sep 23, 2018): Buck admired/envied Eddie's physique.

2)) Ep. 2x04 "Stuck" (Oct 8, 2018): Maddie teased Buck about his boycrush on Eddie.

Tim said that Buck has been coded as bisexual at least since Season 2. Those two scenes might be the codes to indicate Buck has interest in men, but not limited in Eddie.

VERDICT: Not a bait.

3)) Ep. 2x10 "Merry Ex-mas" (Nov 26, 2018): A stranger in Elf costume assumed that Christopher was Buck & Eddie's son.

A Buddie fan wrote this: "The writers could have easily had Buck say that him and Eddie were not a couple and Chris was not his son. Especially since the writers had no problem doing just that in ep. 5x01 "Panic" when Eddie's then-girlfriend Dr. Ana Flores was alluded to being Christopher's mother and she said that she wasn't his mother just a friend."

I agree with the commentary. It is the writers' deliberate decision that Buck didn't deny the allegation when he had the chance. This scene seems to be a nod to Buddie shippers. However, the scene was aired on Nov 2018. I don't think anyone had been harassed by the toxic shippers by then. The writers might think it was a harmless inside joke between them and the fans.

VERDICT: More like a joke, not a bait.

4)) LS ep. 2x03 "Hold the Line" (Feb 1, 2021): Eddie showed up right in front of Buck, after TK mistakenly alluded that Buck was hitting on him.

This scene DIDN'T CONTRIBUTE ANYTHING to Buck & Eddie's working relationship or friendship. Even worse, by the time this episode was on air, both Ana Flores (first seen on ep. 3x12 "Fools", aired on Mar 23, 2020) and Taylor Kelly (first seen on ep. 2x06 "Dosed", aired on Oct 22, 2018) have been portrayed as the love interests of Eddie and Buck (they had been flirting/hooked up on screen). This Lone Star scene is sending a false message to Buddie shippers, and should not be made at all. I don't see any purpose of this scene other than to be A BAIT to KEEP the INTEREST of BUDDIE SHIPPERS, because each BUCK and EDDIE HAD DIFFERENT CANON RELATIONSHIPS which WERE PROGRESSING ON SCREEN.

VERDICT: A bait.

5)) Ep. 4x14 "Survivors" (May 24, 2021): Eddie made Buck the legal guardian of Christopher. Kristen Reidel, the showrunner at the time, insisted that the gesture was platonic. She drew the inspiration from her personal experience. Her mother was a single parent who listed a best friend as Kristen's legal guardian instead of Kristen's own grandparents. The scene was meant to show the depth of friendship between Buck & Eddie, and how much Eddie trusted Buck. This is a tricky one, but because the scene had a clear purpose which it successfully achieved, I believe it is not a bait.

VERDICT: Not a bait.

Scene #6 onwards were aired in 2024. By that time, the bullying and harassment towards the actors and showrunners had been happening for years. And we know that at least Tim and Oliver had known about it.

If Tim & co. didn't want to bait Buddie fans, they should review Buck & Eddie's scenes from Buddie fans' perspective, or as other fans often said, by wearing Buddie goggles. They should avoid any possible misinterpretations which could give false hopes to Buddie fans.

6)) Ep. 7x06 "There Goes the Groom" (May 2, 2024): Buck & Eddie's karaoke scene.

They should include Henren and Ravi, or at least Ravi, to avoid misinterpretation by Buddie fans. Unless, THE MISINTERPRETATION IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY AIMED FOR.

VERDICT: A bait.

7)) Ep. 8x06 "Confessions" (Nov 7, 2024): Eddie talked about beards, right after he mentioned that he was straight.

For anyone who doesn't know, 'a beard' is a common slang for a fake romantic partner whose purpose is to conceal someone's sexual orientation. Eddie mentioned beards right after he said that he was straight has made Buddie shippers interpreted the scene as a sign that EDDIE WAS HIDING HIS SEXUALITY.

Can the scene be written without mentioning beards? Well, here's the actual conversation on screen:

Father Brian: "And you you have that... very handsome mustache."

Eddie (chuckling): "Do you wanna know why I grew this?"

Father Brian: "Tell me."

Eddie: "Because the LAFD doesn't allow beards. Too flamable. Otherwise, I'd have gone full mountain man."

Father Brian: "So, it's a disguise?"

Eddie (averting his gaze): "Something like that."

Father Brian: "What're you afraid of seeing when you're looking in the mirror?"

**************

Here's an alternative conversation WITHOUT talking about beards:

Father Brian: "And you you have that... very handsome mustache."

Eddie (chuckling): "I'm glad someone likes it."

Father Brian: "Nobody else likes it?"

Eddie: "Well, sometimes my friends tease me about it. But I think they're just not used to see me with a mustache."

Father Brian: "So, it's new? Is it a trend that I didn't know about?"

Eddie (chuckling): "No, not a trend. I just want to see something different when I look in the mirror."

Father Brian: "So, it's a disguise?"

Eddie (averting his gaze): "Something like that."

Father Brian: "What're you afraid of seeing when you're looking in the mirror?"

**************

If a non-writer like me could come up with an alternative conversation with the same ending WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT BEARDS, so could the writers. What if the conversation became longer? Then, cut some time off from the fu**king dancing scene!!! THE WRITERS CAN AVOID TALKING ABOUT BEARDS, BUT THEY DIDN'T.

VERDICT: A bait.

8)) Ep. 8x06 "Confessions" (Nov 7, 2024): Pantless Eddie opened his door to Buck and let Buck sat next to him.

There are others iconic dances which Eddie could do without losing his pants: Michael Jackson's Moonwalk, the Footloose Dance, John Travolta's Staying Alive Dance, etc. But no, Eddie had to do the Risky Business Dance so HE COULD OPEN HIS DOOR WITHOUT WEARING PANTS TO BUCK, RIGHT AFTER BUCK WAS DUMPED BY TOMMY, and BUCK COULD SIT NEXT TO A PANTLESS EDDIE 😒. This sexual inuendo only gives a false message to Buddie fans.

VERDICT: A bait.

Aren't those baits actually signs that Buddie will be canon? HECK, NO! Based on the reasons explained on another post.

D. CONCLUSION

BUDDIEBAITING IS REAL. Buddie shippers are NOT ONLY IMAGINING SIGNS, at least not some of them. The show has been giving mixed signals to Buddie stans all these years, to keep them watching & supporting the show, without ever making Buddie canon.

Katey Stoetzel has criticised some journalists paid writers for encouraging the toxic fans' behavior. Lisa Babick has criticized toxic fans for pushing their own romantic narrative over friendship narrative offered by TV shows. However, a lot still need to be said about shows which are ACTING OBLIVIOUS although their scenes could raise false expectation among fandom.

And Tevan fans need to be careful, because WE COULD BE THE NEXT TARGET.

[eustasskiddsprosthetic]

Lads, it's been such a long time since I've returned to my roots—Lu/Law/Lu and I'm happy to say I have an idea! I've read a thread discussing dilf Luffy and it reminded me of my own Dilf!Lulaw fic I wrote some time ago. I'm OBSESSED with Dilf Luffy so follow me.

Law and Luffy are childhood friends. Law babysits Luffy when they were 13 and 6 respectively and they get along. Law would teach Luffy about the anatomy of various small animals, showing him how to dissect (or pretty much butcher) any type of animal they could find and Luffy would watch, quietly and thoroughly intrigued.

When Luffy was 10 years old, he thought the 17 year old Law was just the coolest guy ever, apart from Ace and Sabo. Law's tall, super smart and his deep voice (whenever it doesn't crack) is super nice.

Sure, he's stuffy and a nerd but if Luffy throws enough rocks at Law's window, Law's the best guy to prank people with! He has backup plans after backup plans to get them both out of trouble. He one-ups Luffy's ideas in a non-condescending way. He's also super pretty when he laughs...

When Law's 20, he tells Luffy that he's moving overseas on some sort of scholarship to Japan. Luffy had no idea what Japan was but Ace and Sabo tell him it's a pretty country with plenty of food. Luffy made Law promise to take him there some day, and Law agreed to, figuring why not.

Sabo also tells Luffy to get his contact information and Law agreed, giving Luffy his phone number and social media handles in case he wanted to text.

And text, Luffy did!

"HEY TRAFFY!! I MISS YOU!!!!! HOW'S ANIME JAPAN!!"

[insert image] "This is my new dorm."

"looks boring lul :P"

"Not allowed to decorate too much, unfortunately. However, I have a roommate soon."

"ROOMIE!! WHO WHO WHO"

"My partner. I'm seeing someone atm."

"atm? wots that Traffy 0_0"

"It means 'at the moment'."

"Oh."

For some reason Luffy felt kind of sad. Maybe it's one of those emo spurts as he's growing up but Traffy never dated when they hung out. Did Traffy not tell him anything? That's upsetting.

"Who is it!!! They btr be nice to u >:("

"Don't worry about that. They're very kind to me. I'm looking for a nice picture to show you."

And Traffy sent Luffy a picture of the guy. It's a tall, buff guy with reddish-brown hair and a scruffy chin. Luffy felt his chin and realised he had a little stubble.

Luffy said that the guy looked plain when Ace walked past and asked what's up. Deep down though, Luffy was annoyed that he's actually quite good looking and that he's way older.

"Is there something wrong, Luffy?"

"wot"

"I don't know. You're the first person I told this to... Sorry, I didn't know you're not supportive."

"Support what"

"I like men, Luffy. I'm gay."

"0-0" Luffy thought of how to respond. A couple friends told him something similar before but he seriously didn't care. "is fine lol"

"Really?"

"YUP !! NO WORRIES HAHAHAHAHA I DIDNGT KNOW YOU HAD A BOYFIE WHY DIDNT YOU TELL ME!!"

"I didn't know how you'd react." And then Traffy was seen typing for a few minutes. "Thank you for not dismissing me."

"!!!!"

They text on and off more from there. Indeed, it felt like when they were kids where Luffy would share whatever's on his mind with Traffy and Traffy would reply politely. They talked about whatever, sometimes deep things, sometimes lighter things but it's usually always fun.

Sometimes, Traffy would talk about his relationship with Drake, as Luffy learned his name later and for some reason, that's Luffy's least favourite subject.

Traffy was neither happy nor unhappy. He talked about him the same way Traffy talked about the weather in anime, Japan. Heck, Law probably liked Ace and Sabo more and they don't even talk!

Luffy didn't have the words or courage to ask whether Traffy really loved Drake and so he never talked about it. As he got older, he couldn't accept that Law—the coolest, nicest, raddest guy ever—would marry some guy.

Law invited Luffy to the wedding ceremony but Luffy couldn't go, partly because he had exams and mostly because he just refused to. Ace and Sabo were surprised to hear that but they eventually understood why.

Whenever Luffy pulled up Law's wedding pictures on their social medias, he would only pinch his fingers on the screen to zoom in on Law's barely smiling, kind of sad face. He'd pout and ask what made Drake so special...

They talk on and off but life got in the way for them.

Law's busy with his hectic job as a surgeon. Law's trying to take more time off social media to be more offline. Law's going to therapy and journalling more. Of course there's his marriage.

Luffy's life's developing nicely too. Luffy's busy with all his friends and being present for them. He's his brother's biggest cheerleaders in their respective sports teams. He's also trying to study a little bit more to do well enough to make it in college.

And so they stop texting for a day. And then a month. And then a year. And then a decade rolls by easily. It's as if they never met.

...

And now, Luffy's 40 and he settled into a nice suburban area as a single-pringle. His house became less of a home and more of a gathering space.

Ace and Sabo drive over to have wild cookouts with their respective partners and kids. Zoro and Sanji come over to drink alcohol. Nami and Usopp for movie dates. Franky gave Luffy a sexy ice cream machine. Robin and Chopper would come over to bird watch in Luffy's backyard. Brook would host charity concerns in his front yard for the children and Luffy let Jimbe tutor kids in his living room.

Life hadn't felt so full in a while. Luffy smiled at his framed pictures and thought, "Wah... I've made it."

One day, he heard some people move into the vacant house next door. After all, how could he not hear them? They were arguing so fucking loudly.

"Shut up, nerd! I do what I want to do!"

"If you're as smart as you say you are you'd be more careful! Those drums are expensive! Be nice to them!"

"They ain't your drums, shit head!"

"But I'm responsible!"

And then Luffy heard something fall down and it made this horrible noise. Enough! He said. He put on a shirt and walked outside. There, he saw the culprit of all that noise.

It's some big man, a guy as big as Luffy with flaming red hair and a permanent scowl. He turned to Luffy and said, "What's your fucking problem? Can't a guy move into his fucking house?"

Luffy hated his attitude—what's his problem!

"I asked ya a fucking question, dipshit."

"I don't like you, you're a jerk!"

"Oh, is that-"

"Shut up, Eustass!" Both Luffy and the guy turned their heads to face the balcony.

And Luffy gasped.

On the balcony, stood a tall man who moved gracefully like an ice prince. He wore a loose Sora the Warrior tee shirt, tucked into light jeans. He had piercings on his ears. His jawline was sharp.

"You're annoying me, Eustass. Hurry up."

"Shut up!"

The not-Eustass-guy turned to face Luffy when he realised Luffy was staring. It started with an apologetic look and then he looked cold, annoyed. Why was Luffy staring so much and so intensely? The man squinted as if that would help him. He frowned and put his glasses on. The man blinked rapidly, in complete disbelief.

"I-" Luffy broke into a large grin when the other man's coldness morphed to surprise. Slowly, he warmed up and there's this warm look in his eye that took Luffy back to when he asked Traffy a question about the frog he was dissecting in the woods for Luffy's entertainment.

No way. Luffy shook his head. NO FUCKING WAY.

He made a little sign and Luffy knew what it meant even years later. It meant that he promised that he'd be back. He kept his promise. About twenty minutes later, Luffy heard a knock on the door. He never sprinted this fast in his life.

"Hi-" And Luffy enveloped the guy in the biggest bear hug he had ever given. He's just so fucking happy! And then Luffy pulled away to actually see him for himself. He was always handsome but since when was he smoking hot? Tall, thin-hipped and slightly muscular.

He looked up at Luffy and his sharp, annoyed eyes softened with tender affection. OH YES WAY!

"Hello, as I was saying. It's been a while."

"Hell yeah! How've you been, Traffy!" It's nice to even say his name again! He felt like a little kid again! Traffy smiled indulgently when Luffy slapped his back.

"I'm alright, thank you."

Luffy saw that Traffy was fiddling with his ring finger and said so. Traffy noticed it too and apologised for the habit.

"I'm going through a divorce now. Eustass, being nice for once, offered to let me stay with him and his partner while I figure out what I want to do with myself. It'll take time for my dad to get that carpet installed in his new house nearby so here I am now to kill time."

"D-divorce?"

"We fell out of love, let's put it bluntly," Law said, now distant. "I found out he's been cheating on me."

"Oh." Luffy suddenly felt like that dumb thirteen year old who didn't know how to handle Law coming out to him. "That sucks."

"Yes, it indeed 'sucks'. I was so shocked I didn't even cry about it for a week when I found out last year."

There was the awkwardness of feeling like one of them did something terribly wrong. Law smiled tersely.

"Enough about that, I'm keeping my hands full with idiots who claim that they want to 'help me out'." Law laughed gently. "Some classmates from Anime, Japan are coming to visit for a few days next week. I wonder how they're doing."

Luffy smiled. His heart ached.

"What do you want to do, Traffy?"`

"Me?" Law gave it thought. He glanced to the side. "Well, first things first, I have to help Eustass over there move in."

"After that?"

"After?" Law blinked. "I'm not sure. Probably brush up on my Japanese. Why?"

Bright-eyed and a little bit scared, Luffy said, "Let's go out!"

"Huh?"

"It'll be fun!" Luffy was totally winging it. "We can get beef bowl at Sanji's place! Do you like camping, Traffy? Ace and Sabo set up a really cool fire place out back—why don't we fire that up later! How about ice cream? Robin made cheese cake too! It's super yummy!"

Law started laughing so much tears came out. Luffy thought with some sadness that Law wasn't done crying about his divorce.

"You haven't changed at all!" Law said, smiling widely. Luffy felt proud of himself for that much. He didn't realise how much of a hole Traffy left behind in his heart when they stopped contacting each other.

Life doesn't give second chances but maybe, just maybe...

"It's really nice seeing you again, Luffy. I... I've missed you. It's been a bit lonely these few months, so let's catch up, i-if you want."

Maybe Luffy could finally show Traffy just how much he loved him...

[bronx-bomber87]

Hello lovely fandom and happy Wednesday. Wanted to get this review out sooner than the last. Since I was delayed and late last week. With good reason I know but Wed was my original goal. So wanna stick to it for this next one.

Ahhh the 100th ep. Had we had full seasons in 1-3 would’ve been last year. But that is neither here nor there HA. Also it's our ILY ep ❤️ This is a PACKED ep for them. So did my best per usual for gif space. They had wall to wall moments which is amazing but daunting for reviews ha The gif puzzle was a hard one but I got it worked out. Do love a challenge. Anyways let us begin.

6x02 The Hammer

Our couple starts up still icy and tense af. I relate to Tim so much in this first scene. Shocker I know. I’m very much the kind to be like. 'It sucked, I noted it sucked, I was upset and now we’re moving on.' I hate beating a dead horse if I feel the subject has been talked to death. Now that isn't this situation but it is the jist of the scene for Tim at least. Lucy asking if they can talk Tim says yes BUT there’s nothing to talk about. Now, where I am like Tim in wanting the expedience of a situation to be over, I'm not in how he handled the end of the scene above. Just avoiding it completely. I have grown quite a bit due to therapy thankfully.

So this is where he and I differ in this tiff. What he's doing used to be my M.O. Where as now I still want it over quickly but I now I follow it up with how I recognize how I can be better. If I’m in the wrong that is. I ask what I can do moving forward so doesn’t happen again? Asking what I could do next time to make sure they don't feel that way in the future? Or if I’m the wronged party explaining what I need so this doesn’t happen next time. As we know our boy is pre-therapy Tim atm so he does none of those things….Communication as we know not their strong suit.

Lucy wants to talk it out more in detail. Seeing their fight as another bigger fight to come. She isn’t wrong at all. First time I've agreed with her in this prolonged fight. It totally is a pending issue. Lucy tells him just wanting to move on isn’t healthy. Definitely isn't. And he is riled up from the insinuation. Tim just wants to shove it into a box until that issue comes to light again. Which again isn’t the healthiest approach to what she is aiming at. The reality is right or not Lucy hurt him deeply. He clearly isn’t over that and it’s reflected in their convo above. The start to the ep is a fraught one for them.

Lucy meets up with Angela to go over 'The Hammer.' Which she is more than happy to help her out with. What she doesn’t know is she’s about to step in the middle of a lover's quarrel. Which is going to make her even happier tbh. LOL This is one of those 'Angela is the fandom moments.' Where she’s just sitting back and enjoying the show. Her face while she watches the chaos unfold is everything. Look at her above. She is gleeful she lucked into this fight.

Their bickering has reached astronomical married levels. It’s written all over Angela’s face as she watches them argue. With their pot shots, passive aggressive comments, and the fact they’re fighting like she’s not even there anymore. Lastly just the all around husband and wife banter they're displaying for her. The 100th ep delivered in so many ways. This scene is one of them. Our on screen shipper is having the time of her life with this. Not hiding her delight in the least.

She signed on for help then got popcorn and a show to go with it. They don’t even notice her presence till she interjects ‘Let what go?’. They’re so wrapped up in their fight they had forgotten she was there. Angela wouldn’t be Angela without shooting off a snarky reply as they take off. 'Maybe I'll go too. Grab some popcorn on the way for the show.' So bummed couldn't get this one in gif wise. But I’m dying of laughter when Tim says she isn’t funny. Her firing back to 'She’s hysterical. Ask Wesley' LMAO

They arrive at the Hammer's apt and Tim is trying to give Lucy the rundown. Attempting and failing to be clipped and professional with her. But this is Lucy so that was never gonna happen. lol He mentions his real name is Billy Bob Bennett. Lucy touches his arm like she does so naturally and laughs. Asking if that’s really his name? That no wonder he goes by his nickname. Trying to lighten the vibe. Sadly her touch does nothing to soften his annoyance. Tim is still in grumpy mode and didn’t find this funny in the least.

Asking if he can just finish his good news/bad news? Lucy apologizes and say knock yourself out…Not wanting to fight any further on the subject. Tim continues on saying he has a felony warrant. So they could kick down his door if they wanted right now. Which is the good news. Lucy mentions he bought the ring legally though… Which is the bad news. So he has no reason to give them the ring. That he won’t be any more inclined to give it to them when they arrest him.

It’s here we watch Tim hesitate and it’s hilarious. Lucy is watching him with amused eyes wondering why. Has the look of a man who's seen things. haha Tim explains he loves to fight but more importantly he loves to fight cops more than anything. Hence the nickname. It’s the gentle way he pushes her toward his front door after his 'Ladies first.' line LOL I was laughing so hard. She’s smiling even mad she loves this goober of a man. Who says chivalry is dead eh?

When the Hammer opens the door he looks agro af. I love them being in-sync with putting their hands up. Even in a fight they are simpatico in the field. Lucy explains the situation with the ring while hubby nods along. This scene is gold. Hammer mentions the ring was legally bought. This is where she offers him the deal. That if he just gives them the ring they’ll give him a head start. Give him 20 minutes to grab the future misses and go to ground. They won’t start the hunt and call back up till then.

Of course living up to his reputation that’s not enough to get him to bite. He rather fight it out. Want's a fair fight. One on one. They win they get the ring and he gets arrested. Hammer wins he keeps the ring and they arrest him. I remember getting a flash back of the Pilot in this moment. Tim telling her she’s gonna have to fight him lmao Just like last ep the massive different between now and then is he’s in love with Lucy.

She tells him one will care what he looks like tomorrow LOL That she has to be beautiful and in a dress. I mean she isn’t wrong. But also I very much care about what he looks like at that wedding haha Lucy gives him all the heart eyes when he concedes and says ‘Let’s go.’ Even though she can handle herself no way he'd actually make her take this bullet mad or not. Do love her saying 'You got this.' before the fight begins. Ever the supportive wifey.

First off I cannot believe there isn’t a gif set of this fight. (Not that I could fit it in ha but still)There's one of Lucy’s reactions to the fight. But not of the fight itself. Which is a travesty because it’s sexy af on Tim’s part. The song running through the scene is perfection per usual. Second watching this fight makes me cringe at first. Not cause I don’t think it’s amazing. I love it. As stated earlier it's sexy af and impressive. What makes me cringe is having the back issues I have now and Tim having them as well. Hurts to watch for that reason. Hammer wipes floor with him at first. Idk how he isn’t tore up from the floor up after this lol

Lastly I do adore Lucy’s reactions to this. Worried wife mode has been activated. Mad as she is it pains her to not step in. She wants to at first and Tim stops her. Gesturing his hand to not intervene. Couldn’t fit that part in but I adored it. Hammer wanted a fair fight, and being the honorable man he is, Tim will uphold that. He knows Lucy can hold her only with the best of 'em. But Hammer would’ve been pissed had she jumped in to help him. Still I know it was killing her to watch him get tossed around like he did. Tim was NOT winning at first.

Now back to why this fight is sexy. It’s the way Tim holds his own. He gets tossed around like a rag-doll at first. Then learns how the Hammer moves and adapts. If you don’t think him launching himself off that bed and power kicking into his chest isn’t incredibly sexy, we can’t be friends. LOL It's insanely attractive how he took his ass down after that move. Holy hell. Look at those biceps in action. Bulging and sinfully delicious *fans self* I need some ice water. He could put me in a hold like that anytime....Lucy looks so relieved when he gets the ring and Hammer is passed out cold. Her reactions through out were primo though.

Next comes the best part of the scene. Tim staggers over and grabs the ring. Panting and completely out of breath. Damn near ready to pass out. Now this portion of him being on one knee as he hands her the ring. *screams into a pillow* This is foreshadowing at it's finest folks. Alexi wouldn’t have put this in there if he wasn’t gonna cash in on it one day. I truly believe that. The looks they share as well are so damn loaded. Look at the shared looks as he holds up the ring. Oh my lord.

Especially Lucy’s as she accepts the ring and looks down at him. Feeling all the feels we were in the moment. I remember A.H. saying there would be a moment that would launch a thousand gifs. He wasn’t wrong. This was an iconic moment in an episode full of them for our ship. Lucy is riddled with emotion and can barely choke out ‘Good job.’ You know she wants to marry this man. Stubborn streak and all. In that brief moment when he’s staring up at her that hits her. Stuns her a little too honestly. Melissa does a wonderful job conveying all that.

I remember seeing a great set for this. Had him kneeling on one knee from 5x17 when they're in sally port. Then 6x02. The caption read ‘Third time is the charm.’ In my heart of hearts I believe that. Next time he’s on one knee it’s going to be to ask Lucy Chen to marry him. To be his wife. What a beautiful day that’ll be. *dreamy sigh* That being said this moment was meant to be foreshadowing no doubt in my mind. The way the shot was framed and everything screamed that. It is funny to cap it off with Tim passing the hell out after it all haha Along with Lucy’s ‘Oh.’ as he collapses. It's hilarious. Poor Tim.

We move onto the unconventional bachelor/bachelorette parties. Because yes even though our ship is the best part of this ep, there is still a wedding to be had LOL I loved how this was written and shot. How it bounces back and forth between both parties. And how it’s about Chenford for most part not John/Bailey. Cause let’s be real. Ain’t no one watching this ep for their actual wedding. Also loved how this had that amazing rom-com vibe all over it. Made me very happy and I was here for it.

This portion shows us what we already know. They both got issues and aren’t confronting them. Celina’s comments crack me up. She’s new to shipping Chenford but is a shipper none the less. Basically being like you guys are what I’m striving for in my love life. So please work it out haha Tim noting they’re great when she’s not accusing him of made up transgressions. I mean he’s got you there Lucy....

Once again I’m on Tim’s side with this back and forth dialogue. Yes he was deeply traumatized by what happened with Isabel. But she is projecting onto him in this instance. Because she isn’t ready for all that comes with UC/detective. Chastity has a solid reply to Lucy about UC. A mic drop one really. We all know she is actually dreading what might happen now that she has him. Chastity trying to get Lucy to confront she's scared. Breaking News. She doesn't...She throws it back on Tim instead unfortunately.

Said this before just because you are good at something doesn’t mean it’s your destiny. Having to leave him for possible months at a time is shaking her. Also with how dangerous it is. That it increases the fact she could not come home to him. The detective exam makes UC a legit reality. One I don’t think Lucy really thought about because it was a distant future. Now that it’s closer she’s hitting the panic button HARD. Not only that but projecting onto Tim with this fight they’re still in. She’s in massive denial and it’s all over her in this scene.

Lucy breaks off from the party. She is meeting Tim at the station but she’s not sure why. I love how cute Tim is just waiting for her. So pleased with himself for this solution. Looking mighty yummy in his black shirt all wired up. Telling Lucy she can ask him whatever she wants. Just like the last ep he’s desperate to proof he’s on her side. That he’s truly rooting for her. Lucy gets excited asking if she can ask him anything? Tim is confused and says the point was to ask him about detective/UC….

I adore how Lucy instantly throws him off. How she crowds him and flusters him in the process. Saying they should be 'Thorough' as she scoots closer to him. Madam you aren't here to turn him on haha The way she approaches him says otherwise. Look at that man’s reaction. He’s so distracted he almost forgets why he’s wired up. Even after being together awhile she still takes his breath away. Look at the way he inhales sharply when she gets closer. Encroaching on his space.

Makes my shipper heart so damn happy. He’s a little turned on by her descent on him. How she pulls up nice and close. Not only that but scoots in and brackets his leg with her thighs. She knows what she's doing and is very aware that man loves her thighs. Tim is shook in the best way ahha I bet his heart rate spiked on that machine LMAO The way he looks her up and down. Floored by this woman in front of him. Hell of a way to start this scene.

Lucy wants a baseline so she starts with the bug question. Honestly it’s the best way to diffuse the tension before it gets real. Such a cute married moment this portion. Asking if he really releases the bugs she traps for him? Idk what’s cuter. Tim indulging her by taking them out to “Set them free.” Or Lucy asking him to do so while low key knowing he wasn’t LOL Marriage thy name is Chenford. His sigh before he admits he doesn't is so funny. That 'No' is hysterial.

His bemused face while she see's his answer is true is precious. The hilarious way he’s like yeah. I didn’t cause they’re bugs lol This is Grumpy X Sunshine personified for them with this part. I loved getting this look into them outside of work. When they’re just at her place being them. Clearly it's something that's been going on for a long time and I’m dying. Tim pretending to do so cause he loves her.

But he’s still him and isn’t gonna save a bugs life lmao Cause well. Tim. The fact he’s been killing them and lying to spare her feelings. That’s love ya’ll. Deep down she knew haha But needed to get the proof while he was wired up. Amazing. Damnit I love these two sfm. This episode is a treasure trove of goodies. Also just more proof how pure Lucy is. Wouldn’t hurt a fly literally. Pure sunshine this one.

Lucy gets a little more serious. Asks Tim if he loves her? Now it’s subtle and our ship is so good at the subtle goodness. I adore the slight shake of his head first. The way he looks at Lucy before he answers. Like how is this even a question? He feels every part of his being, every action he does, how he's opened up for her screams how much he loves her.

Like of course I love you, Lucy Chen. His heart eyes are off the charts adorable. I love the way he meets her half way. Needing to be closer to her when he says this. Does that deep breath first. Leans in with the biggest in love smile and tells her 'Yes. I love you.' *swoon* I could hear him say that all day.

You know his deep breath before he replies reminds me of 5x08 when he took a leap of faith. Took a deep breath and went for it. The sweet smile when he says he loves her. *squee* Nothing makes more sense to him than being in love with this woman in front of him. It’s written all over his confession and beautiful face. He couldn’t be more in love with her if he tried. Lucy’s knowing smirk is everything below.

I do remember there being a debate if this was first time he said that to her or not. I mean I’m not sure still tbh. Months later and I'm not 100% either way tbh. I mean how she looks at him when she asks him makes it seem like it is. Almost like she's holding her breath waiting for the answer. But then her reaction above is a knowing smile of someone who already knows. Like she's heard it from him before. And is using hearing it to ground herself in this moment.

Needing to hear that reassurance that he loves her. Because the next question is the biggie. But I could totally see this being the first time as well. It's one thing I'm not confident on which is very rare for me with them. Anyways no matter what camp you fall in this scene is fantastic. We got a love struck Tim Bradford telling Lucy he loves her. Nothing better than that you ask me. Not only that but with the biggest in-love grin we could ask for. So either way the scene is a massive win for us. I also can’t hear Tim say he loves her enough. Wanna hear it on a loop.

Makes me squee and simultaneously want to pass out from the glee. Unfortunately the lie detector detects its first lie in him being ok with her going UC. Even Tim is shocked by it. He truly thought he was going to pass that question with flying colors. Lucy isn’t shocked but Tim is. Why? Because the man as I’ve stated before would die rather than not support her. He is floored it's a lie. It does cause some good self reflection from him later at the wedding as we will see.

They sadly arrive to the wedding separately. Tim showing up looking like an absolute snack though. I love this vertical shot. Giving us a glorious look at him dressed to the nines. Tall drink of water I would like a sip of. Hot damn. Chicken or steak? Neither. I’ll take Tim Bradford wearing the hell out of that suit please and thank you. Also we know that man didn’t pick that suit out. Has Lucy written all over it with how they match. I can only imagine them going shopping for it and Tim protesting the entire time haha

Tim is actively seeking his person out as his eyes scan the crowd. Even mad he needs eyes on her. They lock eyes across the courtyard. Lucy looks excited to see him. She takes in how good he looks then remembers she’s mad at him. Doesn’t maintain it long after that sadly. Angsty goodness right there ooof. I’m here for it.

The wedding happens after but I don't really care about that TBH. The looks continue in the afterparty. Tim drinks at the bar and watch's his girl have fun on the dance floor. Lucy’s gaze a little softer this time around as she looks back at him. *sigh* Does crack me up Celina asks Aaron if they'll be ok as she watches them long for each other haha Girl is seriously worried about them. I love it.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Tim being the one to bridge the gap. He's reaching out to her and is ready to talk this out. He doesn't even acknowledge Luna when he walks up. Only has eyes for his girl. Sorry Luna LOL He can’t be away from her any longer. Tim extending his hand asking her to dance wordlessly. That silent communication of their's in full force. My heart.

I adore how Luna is looking at them when Lucy gets up. Lucy looks back and gets her nod of approval. Like go make up with your man honey. Love Lucy’s smile knowing how Tim coming to her is a huge deal. My god how this man has grown. Makes me happy to no end. The music once again *chef kiss* This song is glorious in it's perfection for this scene. I'll never hear this song the same way again that's for sure. It'll bring me right back to this moment.

From here on out it is all hands hands hands. I saw someone make a tag of *pterodactyl screeching* for this scene. Made me cackle. If that isn’t the fandom in this moment. Eric and Melissa are so good at the little things that make us lose our damn minds. The way he softly takes her hand in his. How she can’t keep hers off him from minute they hit the dance floor. I don’t blame her my hands would be all over him too. I love how they get lost in one another instantly. Looks at those smiles above.

These two couldn't be happier to be near each other. Their time apart has really made that craving to be close increase ten-fold. Despite the lie detector scene they’ve been apart physically since 6x01 if not longer than that. Probably pre-6x01 but post 6 weeks in his office. Haven’t really been affectionate since then either. They’re being drawn back in like a moth to the flame when they're reunited. Like they're coming up for air for the first time in forever. Been trapped in this fight for far too long.

They get so lost in being together again they almost forget they’re still in a fight. I love this so much. The one above has me swooning the most. Look at them. The way she runs her hand down his chest. The smile on his face is everything. Just so happy to have her in his arms again. How Lucy is looking at Tim. phew lord. That is a loaded look. Mixture of sheer happiness and wanting to take him to nearest closest tbh. Seems like such an intimate gaze she's throwing his way.

He's reciprocating with his own fiery intensity. *fans self* Forgetting they are indeed in public. I love how they sway in perfect tandem together. Gah if you wanted to know what utter perfection and chemistry looked like. Go no further than this gif. Look at these stunning humans just exuding their attraction for one other. Beautiful thing to behold. Saying so much with just their incredible physical chemistry. Sweet lord we are so lucky to have Eric and Melissa helming this ship.

Tim is the one to break the silence. Finally admitting after episodes of sheer frustration last year, he isn’t ok with her being UC. That he’s more conflicted than he realized. He truly thought he was ok enough about it. Enough that he could pass a lie detector test. He wouldn’t have done it if he thought it would’ve proved him wrong. In his heart of hearts he thought he was ok adjacent lol

His suppressed feelings for months coming out in his answer. Lucy is very kind in her reply to him. Letting him know it’s understandable. That it was so horrible how could be possibly be over that? I love her fingers climbing up and down his lapel the entire time. Gripping it when she needs it. Almost as if touching him constantly is going to ground her in this moment. Which I think it is. Being near him always been a comfort to her.

I couldn’t be prouder of him if I tried in this portion. Tim growth moments are my fav moments. To not only tell her 'Hey you were right.' but to admit to being wrong. Tim Bradford just admitted to being wrong. Man must be in love baha Tim being even more amazing in growth won’t take the out she's given him.

Stating it’s not fair to her. That he needs to deal with it. He takes it even one step further. Telling her that her dream shouldn’t have anything to do with his issues. What a man. How Lucy doesn’t pull him into the nearest closet/room for make up sex right then and there idk haha Has more will power than I would.

Lucy is touched by his honesty and owning his part in this UC fight. It’s written all over her face when she says ‘Thank you.’ The ‘hands hands hands’ continues and I’m all but squealing. Look at her fingers at back of his neck/head and all over his hair. Her other hand coming up to stroke his bicep too. I’m dying here of cloud 9 happiness.

The way she strokes the back of his head while she’s comforting him. I cannot you guys. It’s so soft and cute. I’m dead. Here lies Caitlin- Cause Chenford was off the charts cute and she imploded. Happily take that death all damn day. The way she tells him they’re gonna get through this. My heart. She truly would’ve gone through ANYTHING for him. Thought they truly could recover from any conflict. Weather any storm as long as they're together.

Look at Tim and the way he's smiling down at her in that second gif. He believes it too because she does. Ugh. Makes what happens in 6x06 hurt all that more. But let’s not think about that too much. I wanna live here for awhile and avoid that until I literally can’t and we’ve reached 6x06 lol I can't get over her fingers in his hair you guys. The way she is sweetly caressing his neck and arm. Some fanfic goodness IRL. My damn heart. I'm not crying you are.

If this scene wasn't amazing enough we reach Lucy's ILY and it's GLORIOUS. The way she searches his face and makes sure he can see it. That it’s splayed all over her face how much she loves him. Her heart eyes on full blast for him. She once again is caressing the back of his neck as she says it too. Then we get the sweet kiss to follow it *heart clutch* I’m weeping at how beautiful this scene is. The writers really did us justice with this moment. Eric and Melissa knocked it out of the park and then some. Always elevating the material given to them in so many ways.

Her hand on his face as they continue to sway in tandem. Her thumb running down his jawline tenderly. The way he’s looking down at Lucy gets me in the feels hard. Like he can’t believe this beautiful woman loves him warts and all. He’s in complete awe of her in this moment. So happy this incredible woman has chosen to love him. The vulnerability he is displaying here is a sight to see. Truly proof of how she obliterated his wall and then some.

The sweet smile he gives her at the end. *squee* He’s ecstatic she loves him despite their issues. Despite his issues. Constantly blown away by the woman in his arms. Lucy returning his expression in kind. Looking up at him like he's the best thing that's ever happened to her. Because well he is. Her loving smile while looking up at him. I'm dying. It's why the man is puddle right now.

Wouldn’t be Tim if he didn’t follow up with a goobery joke though. Because she brings that side out in him like no other. Let us also enjoy how Lucy still can’t keep her hands off his lapel btw. Or him in general really. I can’t stop focusing on the hands and how they’re all over each other. His crack about the lie detector is pretty damn cute. A great way to finally end the tension between them.

It’s the way Lucy laughs and slaps that same hand, with her DOD ring on his chest, that gets me. She loves this ridiculous goober of a man so much. Their physical chemistry is unreal. Never seen any other like it. Tim is beaming down at her. So happy to have made her laugh the way he did. Her laughter is music to his ears. Mine too. If you weren’t grinning ear to ear after that joke you’re dead inside LOL This part is so sweet I’m diabetic.

Aaron sadly ruins the moment with his drunk ass. We immediately see soft, funny, and light Tim disappear instantly. Fierce protector Tim emerges as he pulls Lucy close to him. Never letting his hand leave her waist as he scolds Aaron. Pulling her closer and closer as he does. And uses his other arm to keep Aaron away from Lucy. I love it so much. Once again it’s the little things our captains do so damn well. We eat it up like candy haha

Celina takes off after a call solo. Idk why she would after everything happened with Aaron in 5x22. But Nolan is her T.O. So… Thought we made it a review without a Nolan pot shot didn’t you? Well I snuck one in. #noregrets

Anyways we watch our couple emerge from an unseen area. Smiles for days on Lucy's face. Which we all took as they had make up sex and we’re seeing the afterglow of that heh. It’s where all our minds went and I love it. D is writing a fic based on that. Idk when but I cannot wait for that. *cough* please write it next bestie.*cough*. They all go into cop mode like the BAMFS they all are about Celina. Except Aaron he’s sidelined by Tim for being hammered. Poor sweet Aaron is a struggle bus.

They save Celina and our ship looks amazing as they do it of course. Didn't have room for that great shot of them. Gives me all the feels Lucy showing up to the scene with Tim in his truck. That little things theme continues. Also Tim in his tie and badge showing? Yum. Gimme. To quote ZZ Top ‘ Cause every girl crazy bout a sharp dressed man.’ Mmm. And that concludes the ep Chenford wise.

Phew that was a doozy to write. Their content heavy ones always are I hope did it justice had fun writing it. They beyond delivered with this 100th ep. It’s memorable for so many reasons and we got loads of moments from it. Something did wanna touch on that I didn’t love during their dance. I didn’t love the blame squarely being on just Tim for their fight. Lucy had a hand in it too. Tim deserved an apology too. Other than that its perfect. Now I’m wondering if they’re gonna touch on her mental health stuff more in S7. Because there was a lot of build up to it in this entire season. I’m hoping they do cause they put her through damn ringer this season. Gotta have a pay off or some sort like Tim’s did.

Thank you forever and always to those who read, comment, like and reblog these reviews. They do my heart real good when you do. You are the reason I do them. So thank you. Shall see you all in 6x03 :)

~~~

Side notes- non Chenford

The cold open LOL It’s fantastic. Cop cutie is so funny I love it. Nolan’s reaction is hilarious. Just walks away ahaha while Celina jams out.

Harper telling Lucy to ‘run.’ at the bachelorette party had me rolling. Mekia has great dead pan comedic timing. I adore her for it.

I love Nyla looking out for Celina with Aaron. She’s such a good mentor. Telling her Being Aaron's only support is a slow poison. It's true I've been there.

They all looked amazing for this wedding. We have the most beautiful cast. End to end.

The music at the wedding primo. John Mayer, Young MC and Alicia keys. Solid af. Good job James haha

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC REVIEW: Something Extraordinary by Alexis Hall

4.25/5. Releases 12/17/24.

The Vibes: queer found family, true love, calling HER daddy

Heat Index: 7/10

The Basics:

Horley Comewithers (or, as he is known for much of this novel, Rufus) is set to marry a woman of his aunt's choosing, despite the fact that he is a) gay and b) in love with someone else. In swoops Arabella Tarleton, twin sister of the man he's pining after. Arabella will secure her own freedom through marriage, and she has a fat dowry—but she knows she's no good for anyone who wants true love. So she proposes a scheme: why not run away together and marry?

What neither Rufus nor Belle realize is that there's a lot more to love than storybook romance, and sometimes the person you're meant to be with is the one you least expected.

The Review:

What an exciting, unique, heartstoppingly lovely book. Do Horley and Belle suddenly fall into the kind of m/f relationship you normally see in romance novels? No. But I would call this a romance nonetheless, because, despite Belle being on the aromantic spectrum (I'm not sure if you'd call her totally incapable of experiencing romantic attraction? I'm not educated enough on the aromantic experience to be certain, but based on what I've read, grayromantic may be a way to describe her?) there's just this like... sense of two people finding each other's soulmates in a way that isn't sexual, and isn't conventional, but also goes beyond standard platonic friendship.

Because Rufus and Belle have friends. They actually have a lot of them, even if the relationships aren't always easy or straightforward... and we see several of them in the form of couples from the two previous books in this series. So I would say that it's best to read Something Fabulous and Something Spectacular first. They're great books anyway, but you pick up on some dangling emotional threads from them and get resolution.

But no, what Rufus and Belle mean to each other is such a special and intense yet soft dynamic... They're truly husband and wife by the end of this book. Their future is together. They also enjoy sleeping with other people (though sex isn't out of the question for the two of them—there's a rather beautiful thing Rufus says about the capacity in which he would enjoy sex with Belle, if it ever happened, that I found remarkable).

What I find so smart about this book, the way so many Alexis Hall books are smart, is that she does confront the way something could be "missing" from Rufus and Belle's marriage. But it's not to do with Rufus's lack of sexual attraction to Belle. That's really not seen as an issue. It's not to do with their lack of monogamy, either (they both sleep with other people, on the page and off). It's to do with Belle feeling that, because she can't experience the type of romantic feeling that she's seen idealized in books, or within the sweepingly romantic relationships she's surrounded by... She is essentially depriving Rufus of finding the thing that she believes he needs.

Belle has been a polarizing character for readers throughout this series. Not for me, personally; she's flawed but hilarious, and clearly has had a good heart from the beginning (even if her choices aren't always... the best). She gets a bit of karmic retribution in this book that I feel some of her haters will enjoy, but it's not over the top, and she's not "redeemed", because there's... no need. But being fully in her head allows us to really get into why she is the way she is, and so much of it is like... Kinda meta?

Like—what would it be to be aro or on the aro spectrum in a fucking romance novel series? What would it be like to clearly love someone and not feel like you can ever love them in the "right" way? I will say, I don't consider myself on the aro spectrum (though shit, this book has made me wonder) but I did relate to Belle in many ways. It put her experience in a very "layman's terms", approachable perspective, which could be less than what the aro community could want? I can't speak for them, again, I do not identify on the spectrum. BUT I do think that if you've literally never read up on it at all, this book probably won't confuse you.

Rufus's development is probably a little less significant than Belle's, but it's still a breath of fresh air to see someone who's like... a bit lost, a bit sad, but also so funny and so willing to fully embrace "the difficult one" for who they are. He really rolls with the punches without ever seeming like a doormat. I also feel that his relationship with Belle would have fallen into "gay best friend" in a lesser writer's hands. But he's given such agency and such determination, even as he's initially drawn into this admittedly kind of zany plot.

No, this is a true queerplatonic relationship, and I love that it's given the space to be that while also receiving a classic historical romance novel treatment (albeit with the same degree of hilarious self-aware commentary this entire series has had—at one point we get an entire 1800s version of like, the Google review system for inns, and it is INCREDIBLE). Rufus does a run for your love. There's only one bed (and like, they are naked in the bed together, but no sex). There's an anvil marriage. It's great.

The only reason why I won't rate this a little bit higher is that I would've loved a teeny bit more Rufus and Belle together on the page, but I also deeply appreciated the roles Bonny and Valentine and then Peggy and Orfeo from the two previous books played in this one. Especially Orfeo. My kingdom for Orfeo, would die for them.

The Sex:

HOT. KINKY. SUPER GAY. You get several on the page sex scenes in this one, and they're all great (and not a one involves Rufus and Belle together, and they're so good with that). You have one f/f scene involving a sort of like... baby lesbian "it's giving missionary as in God" but in a funny way girl...? An m/m scene with a would-be highwayman bookseller guy and his MASSIVE SEA SERPENT (and some role-playing! Of the "oh no, I've never touched one before, you show me how" variety).

And... A spanking scene. Which is the first time I've ever read a man call the heroine "daddy". I was VERY pleased.

This may be the most unique romance novel I've read yet, and I'm so impressed with it. Would recommend to people interested in expanding their horizons (as readers, as people, whatever) or like, just interested in a hot, literally laugh out loud book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[overthinkthis]

Final thoughts on MMDIY

This is not going to be a review because I don't really do that kind of thing, but I do want to write about the point that I loved most about this show. I know it's not perfect but I will forgive a lot of wobbles in plot or editing when a show emotionally resonates with me or makes me feel seen in a way other shows don't. And the way queer struggles were portrayed in mmdiy definitely did that.

Neither Wan nor Kim are out as queer but it's like they're living in an open closet. It should be obvious to everyone (even themselves) that they love each other and yet, for the longest time they seem unable to make that last step and confess their love, even though they both desperately want to on some level.

We do get some explicit homophobia with regard to Wan's career but it very quickly becomes obvious that that isn't the actual problem. Wan is very well able to stand her ground when she is attacked directly, we see that with Jessie and with Marwin's family. She is ready to confess to Kim, plans to do so multiple times. Why is it so hard to make that last step?

I do not know what the creators of the show were trying to say, but what I feel when watching the show, is the impact of the invisible homophobia and misogyny woven into all of society. The kind that isn't openly hostile but consistenly equates happiness for women with straight marriage and queerness with being miserable. We can write essays about comphet, but to me, this show gives a good take on what it actually feels like to be pressed into this expectation (although, I should probably say that I come at this from the perspective of a trans guy, not a lesbian - I still think a lot of the feelings are similar).

I love the conversation between Wan and Kim and the end of ep 9, where Kim tells her that she is going to marry Marwin. She basically admits that she doesn't love him, but she is still going to marry him because her mother wants her to.

And we know her mum isn't really trying to control Kim or make her miserable - quite the opposite. All she wants is for Kim to be happy. She should probably know better - given how her own marriage ended - but the idea that marrying the 'perfect' guy is the pinnacle of female happiness is so ingrained in society that it's understandable why she still falls into this trap. I really like that they show how suffocating a parent only wanting what's 'best' for their child can be.

I love that this show made Marwin someone who looks like such a good catch. I mean, there were some red flags from the start, but at a time where Wan was more controlling and aggressive, he genuinely looked like the better option. Gentle, patient, rich (some people even commented that the show made them ship the straight couple). The kind of guy that would be endgame in every second cheesy het romcom.

The people around Kim can kind of feel that he isn't right for her (even Marwin on some level does) but they still all enable her terrible decision to marry him. Which is another aspect I like about the show: The conflict is only resolved when Wan and Kim choose each other.

Women are constantly discouraged from going for what they want, especially when it causes other people distress, but the show clearly says: They make this choice for themselves, even though it hurts people, and that is how they get their happy ending. Not by being perfect all the time, not by caring about everyone else's feelings, but by choosing what they want for themselves.

And yes, obvisouly the whole thing could have been resolved earlier with less people getting hurt. But in another sense it couldn't, because they weren't ready. It's easy to blame Kim and Wan for not being more honest earlier on, but we can't do so without acknowledging the silent (and sometimes very loud) pressure to conform to heteronormativity.

I know some people didn't like this show very much and I do hope you all get all the kinds of GLs you're longing for soon. But imo it shows important aspects of queer experiences that we don't see a lot. And I'm really glad it exists in the way it does.

[gurggggleburgle]

i feel like neither mobei-jun nor Shang Qinghua showed up to their wedding dressed appropriately but for like two completely different reasons.

Mobei-Jun is the kinda guy to show up to his own wedding in the wrong outfit but not because of a lack of effort in the wedding planning. I feel he's more likely to have put effort into the wedding than Shang Qinghua on the principle that I personally think he's the more romantic one between these two screaming wet cats of a couple. I think man would get dressed for the day realize he has to get changed again and be all 'ugh but my shoes are comfortable now and my cape fits snug. It's fine I'm royalty they can't and won't complain'

Meanwhile Shang Qinghua did forget and is panicking. Man is like fuck I'm getting married now????? He can't remember where he put the robes and is amazed he can't find it. He's all 'it's fucking red. How hard is it to spot red. I'm colorblind right now goddammit!!!' It has yet to occur to him it's not in his room. He's going to completely miss the servants coming to get him dressed up. He's just running to the alter in his nicer than normal clothing and he forgot to wash his hair so it greasy.

But also... I in reality I don't think these idiots had a wedding at all. I think that they planned one and just mutually didn't want to put in the effort. Airplane didn't want the days off because paperwork and Mobei-Jun didn't want to be social. They courthouse married on a random thursday afternoon before lunch and didn't even sign the documents. I feel like society assumes they had a wedding. Like everyone is all 'I swore these two got married. I mean look at them' but no wedding technically occurred. They just say they're husbands and nobody has checked because Shang Qinghua is the demon world irs so it's not causing tax fraud. So one day Cucumber Bro gets a letter in the mail inviting him to a wedding and he's just so confused and he gets there and is like 'wtf'

And Qinghua with a shrimp hanging out his mouth eating from the buffet table is like 'I forgor'

[greenerteacups]

I think that the main problem with romione is that because jkr didn't want to deal with teenage sex, they took too long to get together and it ended up looking like they are completely incompatible.

Not being able to get together for four years when you are that young, very good friends AND you are bad at hiding your feelings is a big fat red flag for romione that is hard to get over. The narrative tiptoes around it, too, everyone knew they had a thing for each other, Fred and George didn't even make fun of them.

Draco didn't make fun of them! And you know he would!

If they started dating at the end of the fourth year with Harry becoming a perpetual third wheel (or at least in the middle of the sixth year) - that would have been a realistic teenage couple that had a shot at becoming a stable couple in their adult years. Also it would have been hilarious but thats neither here nor there.

When Ron and Hermione couldn't discuss their feelings and reach a consensus even when they were on the run in the forest and the society was their best friend who approved of that relationship - that's just pathetic tbh. They just don't like each other then, come on.

With hinny I think i was just triggered by them as a child, so I can't perceive them at all. Both the description of Harry's love for her (the beast metaphor frightened me, it was so unlike Harry, although now its just feels turbo cringe), and the fact that Ginny had to change into a tomboy popular hotgirl, who occasionally behaved like she and Harry were married for 45 years at least and was never unreasonable or angry with him.... it just sucks

Yeah, I don't disagree about the Ron stuff. I dunno if it was JKR's general weirdness with romance or her not wanting Ron and Hermione to get together early because it would third-wheel Harry and fuck up the dynamic — which you have to imagine is also canonically one of their concerns, too — but it didn't hit for me. In their defense, they are usually Preoccupied With Other Shit, but after a while the bickering gets grating and it ate up so much space in substantially crowded books that I gave up on it. It's definitely realistic; kids IRL will have these miserable situationships that last all throughout high school because they're so petrified of talking about it, and sometimes that's literally all that ever happens.

The problem IMO isn't anything that Ron or Hermione actually do, it's a problem with the author not creating believable chemistry. There are few plots that believable chemistry can't fix, and only few love stories that can survive a lack of it. But chemistry is also in the eye of the beholder.

Also, I think the parts in Book 6 where they make each other jealous on purpose with Cormac and Lavender are just awful, and that's just my thing — jealousy is and can be sexy in romance fiction, but trying to invoke jealousy on purpose is just like. Not hot to me. IDK. It reads as immature and as deliberately trying to hurt the other person, which I don't... okay, well. I don't find it hot in that context.

I like Ginny and Harry together, though.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

HELLO!!! i have a request for a platonic Crowley and Aziraphale x fem!reader with she/they pronouns 😄 if you know Nimona, then thats what i want the reader to be like. theyre a spunky, immortal, young teenager anarchist who can shapeshift and has unnaturally coloured eyes and hair. one day they find the two (husbands), and kinda just stays, so Crowley and Aziraphale accept their fate!! i dont mind if you decide to include a smudge of angst (or a shit ton whatever you prefer, but im impartial to both, so do with that what you will,) because after the newest season, i cant get enough of it.

many thanks!!

Oh! I haven't seen the movie but I know about Nimona!

......

You met Aziraphale and Crowley in 537 AD, encountering them by pure chance.

At first you intimidate them as a dragon, thinking they were two hapless knights who lost their way back to their kingdom..

Until you saw Crowley's snake eyes, and you realize he's not human at all.

"You there...I like your eyes.....are you another shapeshifter?"

"...um..nope." The demon in black armor looks incredibly confused, especially at this dragon talking to him. "Don't know what gave you that idea.."

"Well technically he is." The white knight adds on, smiling nervously. "You see, my erm..."rival" here is something of a serpent who was sent to-"

"Shut it, Angel. This beast doesn't need our lifestory! Now if you could kindly excuse us, o' great dragon, we have to discuss-"

"Hate to break it to you, but....I'm not actually a dragon."

"Then what are you exactly? You...said something about "shapeshifting" before, didn't you?"

To answer Crowley's question, you transform into a young human clad in knight armor, taking off your helmet to reveal your unnaturally-colored eyes and hair, smiling. "Bingo."

The pair are quite impressed, so they have no reason to hide the fact they were an angel and demon.

You explained how you've had these shapeshifting powers for a long time, being on the run since everyone thinks you're a "cursed child" or some monster that was once banished, wanting nothing more than to drive a sword through your heart.

When it's clear that neither Aziraphale nor Crowley have any intentions of hurting you....that's when you decided to stick with them.

It took them 20 years to realize you never aged, learning you're an immortal being in a teenager's body.

Your powers allow you to keep up with the times, disguising yourself as animals, people...or even angels and demons if your heart so desired.

Sometimes you'll turn into a snake much like Crowley's own snake form (although your scales have the color of your hair, ofc, so you're not 100% identical).

You haven't mastered turning just your head into a snake, however.

In the modern era, you enjoy being a nightingale after learning they were both fond of those birds, often singing in the bookshop out of boredom.

Although Crowley's fully aware you're not a demon, you got a spunky and rebellious personality and love getting up to mischief.

And he 100% encourages this (while poor Aziraphale's practically begging you to stay out of trouble).

But you're definitely on the angel's side anytime he compliments Crowley, who just snarls and denies ever doing something "nice" or "good".

You don't believe he's all that evil for even a moment.

While you're aware that they have to act like they despise each other bc they're on opposite sides...in your eyes, they behave so much like an old married human couple.

Aziraphale emphasizing "our car" when talking about the Bentley made you roll your eyes and joke about when the wedding's gonna start.

When Aziraphale returns to Heaven without Crowley, you realize that maybe your "marriage jokes" went a bit too far...even though neither of them blame you for their falling out.

Still, you feel bad bc you can tell Crowley was genuinely in love with him.

You overheard everything, and after his "no nightingales" remark, you're reluctant to shapeshift into one again out of fear of upsetting him.

Yet he asks you, too, as he couldn't bear the silence in the bookshop anymore...and listening to any of Aziraphale's music records would've been too painful for him.

You obliged, staying perched on his shoulder as he stared out the window for hours...hoping that his angel would come back to him.

You hoped so, too, waiting everyday by his side...until the end of time if you had to.

[aggravatetheaxe]

Hi hello tell me about Caesar's dead wife

ty my beautiful friends :)

here is caesar's dead wife

-Legion name Drusilla Minerva; original name translates roughly to "Red-Eyed Sparrowhawk Woman"

-tan skin, auburn hair, eyes same color as hair. styled as the Daughter of Minerva much how Caesar is styled the Son of Mars

-came from a matriarchal tribe who, upon seeing what the Legion wrought, decided to join willingly despite, well, everything. their thought process was that there is a dignity in Choice, even if it is one of limited Choices, and assimilation was preferable to losing all their knowledge (i know that canonically caesar's legion is one homogeneous culture and erases all other identities but realistically this isn't how empires work so. wiggle room)

-youngest daughter of an elder and medicine woman, possesses knowledge of loads of ancient practices including blood transfusion and c-section

-despite the Legion going on and on about how you have to have a young, fertile bride, Drusilla is neither young (objective - she's caesar's same age, so like 30) nor fertile

-it was Joshua's idea for caesar to get married - citing a bunch of different reasons, not the least of which was "hey you should probably have an heir so that if you die this empire doesn't devolve into immediate chaos." caesar was like "ok but......" and never finished the sentence ("but i'm gay josh"). joshua was like don't worry king i'll handle it

read more

-selects a woman for him to court, and hey, it turns out she's actually bad as hell? she's collected, sharp, insanely intelligent (as in wisdom and learned), fanatically spiritual, with a will of iron and a withering stare that could strike any legionary down. caesar is like "she rocks actually, let's do this." but first he has to tell her he and joshua have been, like, A Thing for a long time and he's not going to stop on her account. she's like I Literally Could Not Care Less, the Business of Men Does Not Concern Me. that seals the deal

-ok ok turns out she's actually super cool and they're bffs. yeah they have sex and whatever but when they hold court? definition of a power couple. every fag must have his hag

-joshua is invited into their bed whenever he wants but he's like no :prayer_emoji: adultery is a sin :prayer_emoji: .. Dru and Caesar are like have it your way you fuckin square!!

-she and caesar and josh are the pillars upon which the legion is built. although as a woman she knows her fate is always to be overshadowed, this is something she accepts, like thousands of queens and empresses before her. she's all about protecting her own peace. she's got all the power, comfort, and privilege she could ever want, so like, whatever.

-can frequently be seen spitting venom across the dining table at officers + reminding them of the Mission of the Legion. simply does not tolerate deviation.

-for fertility reasons, she and caesar only ever have one daughter before Drusilla determined another pregnancy would kill her. she's like go ahead and get a concubine who'll give you more children, idc. caesar is like but ... then i'd have to have sex with a . with a w. with a woman. and she's like jesus christ don't be a pussy

-serving cunt at all times. jewel-tone-pilled queens only

-lives at Caesar's palace (not that one- the one in arizona lol) but frequently makes trips out to war camps, sometimes with caesar, sometimes in his stead, sometimes before or after him. she's got a sharp eye and WILL let you know if anything is out of place or if something is not being done right. she's sweeping into camp with fanfare like a goddess, walking down that line of soldiers, and telling at least one to sashay away

-she may be a Woman but the legionaries are so scared of her. and they should be

-Breasts

-enjoys long walks with her entourage, or just her with a companion (usually joshua or a handmaid)

-took a shine to Vulpes, encouraged caesar's choice not to punish him. vulpes is like *points* that's my Evil Mother

-unfortunately took ill with a respiratory illness a decade (give or take) before the game takes place and, despite her best efforts and the efforts of many other healers, was not able to recover

-when it was clear that she was on her deathbed and that the illness would be drawn out, she and caesar agreed that she should commit suicide in the Roman tradition by poisoning. compared to her illness, it was a painless and peaceful death

-caesar's still not over it. yeah he's gay, but that was his best friend in the whole world. and not long after that he lost joshua too. so as you can imagine, he is going through it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bonus about their child, Julia:

[pretend i drew a busty athletic blond babe here]

-Julia is in her late 20s when the game takes place

-tan, dark blond, brown eyes, very obviously caesar's child in her expressions, anchoring facial features, and even her voice. so basically, sexy as hell

-lives in Arizona at the palace, takes care of her half-brothers and -sisters (with the massive help of a bunch of servants and slaves and nurses of course - but she's who they're closest to)

-yeah she's not a man, but she's honestly probably caesar's favorite kid anyway. he's very proud of her beauty and intelligence and is almost (almost) tempted to name her his heir.

-in her ample free time, she's read all the same literature her father has, though she's come up with...slightly different interpretations of the texts. she's like hmm... the legion is kind of not doing the right thing i think? but it's hard to have views that conflict with your culture when you're literally a princess/demigoddess

-would totally vibe with Arcade i think. he'd be like finally someone half sane

-Vulpes has a big fat lesbian crush on her. thank you and goodnight

[scp230kinnie]

HIII!!I just saw the goth reader head cannons I was wondering if you go to more (or a fic thing up to you😭) with hunter sylvester?‼️ -anon🕷️

I CLOSED AND FORGOT TO SAVE SO IM REWRITING THIS FOR THE SECOND TIME (kill me😻)

Hunter Sylvester x goth! Reader hcs PART 2!!!!

Once again guys I am not goth though I am alternative, so if I get any information wrong or that should be removed, please comment or dm me and I will correct myself as soon as I can

Also sorry if some of these are the same as the other one I’m not rereading it

He honestly doesn’t care how you dress, but I mean the fact that you’re wearing all black is a major bonus

It honestly depends. Sometimes he'd love it, and other times, it'd give him anxiety. Like, on one hand, it's super cute, and he loves how it looks, but it also makes him *noticeably* nervous, since he's worried that people are staring at "his" person. And yeah, there *is* obviously the chance that they're just wearing it to look cool, but he'd still be a tad paranoid, lol.

He absolutely adores you. He loves seeing you in those long flowy black dresses

I’m pretty sure I wrote this in the last one, but he loves to watch you do your makeup

He does complain about how long you take to get ready though

And if he’s feeling REALLY REALLY NICE (rare) he might (KEYWORD MIGHT) let you do goth makeup on him. Makeup here being used loosely. Trad goth.

Only if you let him do corpse paint on you

Sharing makeup with ur boyfriend LMFAO

The movie is set in Oregon, idk if you’re changing that based on ur head or if ur shifting or something, but that place is full of “normal” people I’d say

So before you started dating, if you were in the same school at least, you were one of the only “alternative” people in school, and he noticed that

This guy doesn’t usually get crushes okay.

He’s married to metal

But he liked your look

You can decide how you guys meet/start dating cause there’s infinite ways

He appreciates your individualism, and that’s a part of why he likes you

He’s definitely called you emo a few times (I’m so sorry)

Teach him somethings about goth culture.

He won’t sit down and let you lecture him, but occasionally if you say some comment about the culture he’ll probably retain that information

He doesn’t really care, but he wants you to be happy, so maybe he’ll do a bit of his own research

He loves concerts, so he will accompany you to goth concerts even if he doesn’t listen to the music

He uses his dads card to buy you clothes and accessories

He will come to thrift stores with you.

He’ll say he thinks it’s stupid

Something about how he wouldn’t wear someone else’s clothes

Just force him to go through t shirts and maybe he’ll find some good band tees (neither metal nor goth but I have found sws and mcr shirts at thrift stores)

Even if he does buy some thrift store band tees, he’ll probably complain about how he could get them new from concerts or online or something

But he’ll buy you whatever you want

Imagine doing that one tiktok trend that’s like “guess whos outfit is whos 😁” and forcing him into some black dress LMFAO

speaking of tiktok, social media, whatever, he doesn’t like posting. He’ll scroll through and look and metal memes or something, but he doesn’t like posting himself and is hesitant to let you post him

But if you do post videos/pictures of him and compliment him and do couples trends, he’ll say it’s embarrassing but he secretly likes it

I imagine him telling someone about you and the other person is like “goth girl *lip bite*” or something thinking you’re like an e girl

First off, he’s a little possessive of you

Second off, (assuming you’ve taught him some stuff about being goth) he yells at them and tells them off and something about how e girls are weird

If you teach him how to take good pictures, he’ll be your personal photographer, especially if he really likes your outfit

If you actually go and ASK him to take pictures of you he’ll complain and tell you to do it yourself but he’ll do it for you anyway because he loves you

If you wear those long boots, (same goes for emos who wear knee high converse) sometimes he’ll untie them, just pull the laces or whatever just to fuck with you

He’ll go to record/cd stores and see one of the bands you like and he’ll buy it for you

He loves you no matter what you look like. I mean maybe not if ur a country person but… for the sake of fiction he loves you

———————————————————

Leave sweet home requests if you’re reading this

Also what piercings do you guys think I should get (I already have septum, navel, industrial, and ears)