#i frickin LOVE how this one came out!

[lexiord-art]

Happy Halloween! Looks like Grim Foxy's ready to give you a scare >:)

[sturnmeovr]

“Okay, okay,” Matt chimes in over the mixed chatter in the room, “open mine next!” You watch as he holds up a small, wrapped present, handing it to his mom; the family quickly forms an assembly line, passing the neatly wrapped present one by one until it reaches you, “this is for Chris?” 

“It’s for both of you,” he replies, a mischievous grin pulling at his lips. A grin you were way too familiar with since you had been in a roommate situation with your boyfriend's two brothers since you discovered you were pregnant. You were very much used to Matt’s little pranks he loved pulling on Chris. You thought it was hilarious how Chris never saw it coming, always left embarrassed or laughing so hard he was in tears. Secretly, you prayed your son would have a sibling, that they’d one day share a similar bond that their dad had with his brothers. You bite back a giggle as a smile makes itself known on your lips, you hand the present over to Chris, “you open it.” 

The whole room watches as Chris tears the present open much like a kid on Christmas morning. Completely oblivious to his brother's scheme, his face lights up bright red as does yours once he reveals the present, holding it up for everyone to see. A box of Trojan condoms – ultra thin to be exact. You knew they were Chris' go-to because you two abandoned the half-used box in his nightstand drawer the minute your pregnancy test came out positive.

Embarrassment rises to your chest, and you let out a barely noticeable gasp, slapping a hand over your mouth. Granted it was obvious you were very pregnant; it was unsettling knowing everyone knew sex was what led to you being in the position you were in now — pregnant as fuck on Christmas Day, your belly so big you had to maneuver sideways thru most tight spaces. 

The room erupts in fits of laughter, a few snorts being let out in the process, only adding a darker shade of redness to your freshly powdered cheeks. A shit eating grin plastered on Matt’s face, “I was gonna say I didn��t want any nieces or nephews anytime soon but looks like it's a little too late for that one,” he snorts. You look over at Chris wide-eyed almost like you’re pleading to him for an escape route. He reads you perfectly, clearing his throat, “haha — very funny, asshole,” he shoots out before throwing the box of condoms at his brother. He wraps an arm around you, letting you bury your face into his chest as the laughter fades out, your baby’s grandfather makes sure to add, “better late than never, right?” 

wc - 455

♡‧₊˚ Ofc I seen the video and thought of this immediately lmaoo. Send me asks or suggestions about thes two!! Also make sure your tissues are ready for the next babydaddy!Chris x sweetheart!Reader fic 🫣 (im so srry I love you all, but it was bound to happen)

Tags - @lvrsturniolo @ribread03 @unknvhx @m11rx @sweetshuga @loveparqdise @frickin-bats @katie-tibo @leila-marie4 @delusional-4-fake-people @shadowthesim @immy08 @trevorsgodmother @watercolorskyy @thepubeburgler @courta13 @luvr4miya @chrislilcumslvt @strnilolover @sagesturns @slut4chris888 @watermelonstarzz @purpledragon222 @reidshearts @sophand4n4 @mattssslutbby @imjusthereforthesturniolosmut @sturnslutz @sturniolo101 @sturniolos-manslut19 @stvrniolostan

babydaddy!Chris Masterlist

Masterlist

Taglist (comment to be added)

Requests/asks are always open!

© M00NL1GHTS1VT - please do noy copy my work

[daisyblog]

English Love Affair

Our Story Masterlist Summary: YN plays ‘English Love Affair’ to see Harry’s reaction.

based on this request.

YN scrolled through her phone, trying to find a song to play from her Spotify to put on whilst she cleaned, recording herself to upload to her TikTok later on.

“Guys does anyone else need music on whilst they clean?”. She asked the silent audience, knowing that nobody could answer her. “I just love a sing and dance as I do it”.

As YN scrolled through her never ending playlists, her eyes lit up when she saw the popular 5sos song that was popular in the directioner world. “Fook off…how could I forget this song existed!”.

“It started on a weekend in May…I was looking for attention, needed intervention…Felt somebody looking at me…With a powder white complexion, feeling the connection”.

YN began to mouth along to the words knowing Harry would appear any minute to tell her to turn it off. “I’ll give Harry ten seconds before he appears”. YN continued to dance as she placed some dishes in the dish washer.

“The way she looked was so ridiculous…Every single step had me waiting for the next…Before I knew it, it was serious…Dragged me out the bar to the back seat of her car”.

“Turn it off!”. Harry voice echoed in the distance.

YN stopped her dancing as she placed a hand up to her mouth to stop her laugh from bursting out. “What did you say? Can’t hear you!”.

“When the lights go out, she's all I ever think about…The picture burning in my brain, kissing in the rain I can't forget, my English love affair…Today, I'm seven thousand miles away…The movie playing in my head of a king size bed means I can't forget…My English love affair”.

Harry appeared in view as he stood with an unamused look. His arms folded across his chest, the muscles of his biceps shouting out as they tensed.

YN rolled her lips inside her mouth, trying her hardest not to let out a hint of amusement as she looked at Harry’s harsh frown. But her internal battle failed her as she sang the next line.

“My English love affair”.

“Why are you listening to this song? There’s millions of other songs you could listen to…and you choose this fucking one!”. Harry voice was calm for someone who was clearly annoyed and irritated.

YN shrugged her shoulders as she gave Harry an innocent smile. “It’s a good song”.

“It’s about my sister…yah know…and yeah”. Harry tumbled over his words, not wanting to say what the song was about out loud. “Imagine having to listen to a song like that about your siblings”.

YN knew what Harry was trying to do, but she was one step ahead of him when it came to arguing the point. “Yeah…at least you know how Louis felt listening to Watermelon Sugar!”.

Harry opened and closed his mouth a few times trying to find a way to defend himself, but his lack of words failed him.

Wanting to push his reaction further, YN continued to sing along. “Gemma’s a queen for this one!”.

“YN!”.

Tag List:

@pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @harrys-flower @platinumbarbie143 @frickin-bats@harrysbbyh0ney @chronicallybubbly @goldensunflowe-r  @walkingintheheartbreaksatellite@kaverichauhan @peterholland04 @panicattheuc @or-was-it-just-a-dream @hittiesontour@bunnyharold @fanfictioncafe @lilfreakjez @iamahallucinationnn @theekyliepage @indierockgirrl@buckybarnessimpp @ashleighsss @jerseygirlinca @fake-coolbeans @itsmytimetoodream@treehouse-mouse @mrs-anna-styles211994 @macy-tpwk @mrs-anna-styles211994

[writememysticfalls]

Daddy | Damon Salvatore

Summary: Your husband Damon is the hottest DILF in town... It gets him into some sticky situations.

Pairing: Damon Salvatore x reader

Genre: Fluff, Suggestive, daddy!Damon

Word Count: <1k

“OMG. Total DILF,” one girl whispered.

“I heard he sells cars. I could ride him into tomorrow.”

“I wish he was my daddy!”

Everyone in the class laughed.

You strode over to the window. What jerk-ass dad was distracting your students?

Oh no.

It was your husband, Damon.

He was pushing a pram - surrounded by gushing high school girls. With his wild black hair, and forearms straining out of his shirt, he was no regular dad. And you hated it. That’s why it was a total secret that he was your husband.

“See how tiny she is?” He cooed, lifting your baby girl, Sokhi. “She fits in my arm if I hold her like this.”

“You have great arms,” one girl said. Everyone sighed.

“Shh…” Damon said, his eyelids fluttering. “Quiet, or you'll wake her.”

One girl fainted. You rolled your eyes.

“Stop bothering the nice man!” you said, giving Damon a this isn’t funny look.

The class troublemakers, Raya and Lauren, grabbed Damon’s arms. “Stop getting in the way, Miss L/n!” they said.

“Yeah, Miss L/n,” Damon said, smirking. “Stop getting in the way.”

“Doesn’t Mr Salvatore have an appointment to get to?” you said.

Damon sighed, stretching his arms over the girls’ shoulders. “Nope… I got nothing but time.”

“You better get going,” you said through gritted teeth. “You might get in big trouble.”

“Hey, girls!” Damon called, hands on his knees. “Who wants to hear about the time I slept with the whole cheerleading squad?”

Everyone cheered. Your mouth fell open.

“Oh yeah,” Damon said, winking. “See, the cheerleaders loved us football players. The best part was, they were really flexible-”

“I'm flexible, Damon,” one girl said, stroking his bicep.

“Okay! Enough!” you said, clapping your hands. “Get back to lessons, or I’m putting you all in detention!”

You walked away, unable to even look at your husband.

At the end of the day, Damon walked into your classroom, holding Sokhi.

“Wanna hold her?” he whispered.

“No, Damon,” you said, stabbing a full stop on your paper. “I asked you to pick me up at the end of the day. Quietly.”

“I know,” Damon said, going cross-eyed at Sokhi. “I thought it would be fun if I came early.”

“Well, it wasn't fun,” you said, sitting on top of your table, arms crossed. “The girls were distracted all afternoon. They couldn’t get anything done.”

“Well, who can blame ‘em,” Damon said, smirking.

“You’re picking up teenage girls now? Classy,” you said.

Damon put the baby down and swaggered over to you. Embarrassingly, your heart picked up.

He twirled a loose strand of your hair. “Why? You jealous?”

“No, Damon,” you said. “I’m not jealous. I just hate playing bad cop all the time.”

Damon’s mouth turned down. “Look, Y/n. I’m not just Mr Sock Puppet. I’m not the Tickle Monster! I’m Damon frickin’ Salvatore.”

“I get it,” you said. “You’re a stud. Women love you.”

“It’s not that.” He sat on the desk, twisting his ring. “I love being married to you. I love our life. This old dad just… likes to imagine that he’s a bad boy again. That he’s sexy.”

You smiled, running your hands over his broad shoulders. “That's what this is about? Damon…” you whispered, “you're sexy. It's taking all my willpower not to rip off your clothes right here.”

“Do it,” Damon said, his eyes wide.

Your breaths were shaky. “Damon… that’s crazy.”

He quirked his eyebrow, his large hands running up your back. “I don’t care. You see, I like being a little naughty.”

“Oh really?” you said, looking at his lips. “Then, you’re in for a big punishment.”

“Oh Miss L/n,” he murmured, against your neck. “Please don’t be too harsh.”

You grabbed Damon’s collar, about to say something extremely inappropriate. Then, you remembered where you were.

You jumped away from Damon, smoothing down your shirt.

You shook your head. “See how hot you are, Damon? We’re at school, in broad daylight - and I still can’t keep my hands off you.”

Damon gave you an evil grin.

Later, you were walking back to the car park, pushing Sokhi in her pram. Damon’s arm possessively squeezed your waist.

“I lied. I was jealous earlier,” you said. “Have you seen teenage girls nowadays? They have clean-girl makeup! And push-up bras!”

“Really?” Damon said. “With that bod’? You have nothing to be jealous of.” He turned around and started yelling. “MY WIFE HAS THE TIGHTEST ASS IN THIS DAMN-”

You clapped a hand to his mouth, laughing. “This is a school!”

“So what?” Damon said, his eyes flashing. “Let’s teach these kids something useful for once.”

—

MAIN MASTERLIST

Let us know what you thought in the comments or on anon! 💋

[augustinewrites]

thinking about y/n who somehow ends up time traveling back to 2006 and sees teen!gojo again. meeting him again is so humbling bc she realises that she has completely forgotten how much of a brat (or let’s say brattier brat than he is now) gojo was back then. nevertheless, she can’t help but want to smooch him bc he just looked so cute back then (she will never tell him that tho), and gets kind of sad thinking about everything he had to go through at his age.

once she’s back home, y/n can’t help but be a little clingy and give gojo some more cuddles and kisses while he just wonders how much she must have gone over his credit card limit to suddenly show him so much love

i know this is super late but i just watched the jjk s2 opening and it made me so emotional and made me think of this ask 😭😭😭

“damn,” gojo mutters as he pokes at the burnt mess meant to be pancakes.

“i’ll get your wallet,” megumi sighs from the table, where he and tsumiki have been sitting for the last fifteen minutes with empty plates.

one day he’ll conquer breakfast, but not today. so he quickly grabs his keys, hoping he can sneak out before—

he winces when the bedroom door opens and you step out, looking very troubled. no doubt due to the the smell of smoke setting into the apartment.

“babe,” he chuckles nervously as you make a beeline for him, a deep frown on your lips. he backs up until he hits the counter, waving his hands in front of him. “it wasn’t my fault, i swear! it’s these supposedly non-stick pans! they’re a sca—”

he barely manages to catch you when you lunge forward, wrapping your arms around him and immediately burying your face in his chest.

confused and almost too scared to move, he rests a hand atop your head, slowly securing an arm around your waist.

once he has his arm around you, he feels you sink into him with a deep sigh.

“you’re a frickin miracle, you know that?” you mutter, prompting him to glance down at you, moving the hand atop your head to cup your cheek, testing your temperature.

“…are you feeling okay?”

“yeah,” you send him a small nod. “i had this weird dream last night, and it reminded me that even with everything that happened when we were younger, everything that happened to you— you came out amazing. the man that you are and have always been…you’re a miracle, satoru.”

he’ll have to ask you about this dream later, because whatever it was had you gazing up at him misty eyed and clinging to him like you never wanted to let go. it must have really shaken you. you’ve only ever made sappy proclamations like this before he opened his credit card statement.

but for now he’ll kiss your forehead and tell you, “takes one to know one, right?”

[befuddledcinnamonroll]

Top 10 Things I Love About the QL Tumblr Community 2023

I'm loving everyone's end of year lists, and decided to make up one of my own.

I haven't been on Tumblr for very long and was originally just lurking. 2023 marks the year where I finally started posting, after I read a take that made me feel compelled to come to a fictional character's defense. (Saengtai, my poor little blorbo).

So in commemoration of my first proper year of active tumblring, I present what I love about this community (in no particular order).

(Side note - Technically I know this is still primarily a BL community, but I like to say QL because I am trying to manifest more lesbians for us.)

1) The Gifmakers

Y'all are a good 70% of the reason I joined Tumblr in the first place. There are so many show moments that I want to relive, but without having to search through videos. Sometimes I want to appreciate the aesthetics. Sometimes I want to remember adorable or goofy moments. Sometimes I just want to see cute boys eating each other's faces. Our gifmakers give all of that to us, with the addition of so much creativity and style.

There's too many amazing ones to mention everyone, but I have to shout out @sparklyeyedhimbo, because the way your brain works makes me so happy.

2) The expertise

The other part of why I joined Tumblr was to learn more about what BLs were out there and what I might be missing. And holy hell. Y'all are putting in the work. Not only lists and resources for finding all kinds of QLs, like these fabulous monthly breakdowns by @gunsatthaphan, but also amazing posts that add additional context, like @absolutebl's incredibly helpful breakdown of Asian honorifics. There is so much research people do, for fun! And then they share it!

3) The meta analysis

I frickin love reading people's takes and analyses on series. I love learning, I love seeing perspectives from people with different cultural backgrounds to my own, it's all so fascinating! There's so much context we can miss due to our own privileges, or lack of knowing about various cultures, or due to whatever bubbles we've been living in. People here are just so smart, and nuanced, and willing to reflect and think about things, and also push back at each other, but generally with respect (except when you call out the dumb shit you see, usually on Twitter or TikTok, where people are being reductive and dumb about gender and sexuality).

And I've seen a few takes where people complain about analyses, and say that the director/production doesn't do everything deliberately, and we're all reading too much into it. To which I say, eh, lighten up. How people connect to and relate to media has relevance beyond what was intended. The point is we get to think and discuss and learn and grow. That doesn't happen if we don't analyze.

Special shout out here to @respectthepetty because colors mean things!

4) The wild theories

The other side of the analysis coin, the clown cars y'all drive around in with the wildest of theories. I have happily climbed into an occasional clown car, and usually I am utterly wrong (*cough* Saifah *cough*). But it's a super fun ride. I love seeing how people's brains work. I love it when y'all are wrong. I love it when y'all are right. It's beautiful.

5) Immediate acceptance

I am one of those people who knows that I have a lot of good qualities, and also, always kind of expect rejection. Blame the childhood bullies, I guess. Anyway, whenever I delve into a new space, I still feel like a total dork that no one will want to talk to. It's kind of a fraught way to move through the world, but I manage.

Anyway, I started posting my thoughts as they came up, and people are just totally cool with it. People even follow me sometimes. Even my silliest thoughts and dumbest jokes get at least a couple likes. It's so validating.

And my very silly joke about gay mafia in Kiseki has over 800 likes. I feel very seen.

6) Mutuals

I still kind of can't believe I have any. This ties in to the dork feeling above, but seriously - they are soooo cooooool. They're smart and awesome and funny, and they somehow find me worth following back, which is baffling yet wonderful. I want to squish their faces and give them many kisses (if they're into that kind of thing).

7) The self-exploration

I really appreciate how it's become more talked about how a lot of people are discovering queerness through BL, because that is so the case for me. I think it's both that I was in a bit of a hetero bubble before, and also that I'm evolving a bit as I age. I had figured out I was demi, and maybe a little bit gay, before getting in to BL, but being in this community, and seeing so many of you share so openly and freely, has made me realize it might be more than a little bit.

Either it was a new realization, or being around y'all has made me more gay. Win win, either way.

8) The weirdness

I'm weird. Y'all are weird. I love it.

9) The thirst

So many in this community are thirsty as fuck, and as someone who is in that same condition, I love that it's not just me. There are not many places where I can freely admit how horny I am as a part of my general existence.

Here? I could post about wanting to lick some random BL actor's face, and it would get a bunch of likes and some tags like #lickable, and it's just not remotely a big deal.

Also the gifmakers understand this, and give us beautiful cuts of our spicy scenes. They are genuinely too good for us.

10) The communal watching experience

There is absolutely nothing like watching along with people in the community. It is so worth the torture of having to wait week to week for new episodes. Seeing the show trend, watching the theories fly fast and furious, or the way everyone collectively loses their minds over particular moments. In a world that can feel very isolating, it's a very warm experience.

So there you go. Thank you all for being you. Here's to another year of QL shenanigans and losing our collective minds!

[poppitron360]

*raises hand slowly* Did… Did anyone want some fluffy Grace Siblings set to the backdrop of my Married Valgrace AU??

— — — — — — — — —

“Do you need any help with that?” Jason asked, looking down at where his sister was crouching, “Reyna’s pretty good at this stuff having lived on Circe’s island-“

“I can handle it on my own,” Thalia said, her tone not quite irritable, but a little flustered. She fumbled the long sheet of silk that hung around Jason’s legs, trying to hoist it up in the customary fashion.

She took a crumpled piece of paper out of her pocket and studied it. It was a printed-out screenshot of a Pinterest board, taken from a demigod-safe computer in a New Rome Public Library.

“I’ve fought countless untold horrors,” she muttered to herself, “I’ve slain the unslayable. I’ve completed feats no mortal could possibly accomplish. I should be able to handle a frickin’ toga.”

Despite her frustrations, Thalia was doing very well- all things considered.

She went about pinning down the garment, smoothing the folds perfectly crisp, tucking and pressing the delicate fabric- she was being uncharacteristically gentle as she ran her fingers along the gold embroidery on the hem.

Jason helped where he could- holding the silk in place with his fingers, directing Thalia on where and what to adjust. Eventually they fell into the rhythm of it. There was a quiet sadness to this ritual. Jason could feel his sister grieving for all the moments she had lost with him. All the school uniform collars never smoothed down. All the medals never pinned to lapels. All the ties never tied. She was mourning the loss of a childhood. One they could’ve had together. Where she got to be a big sister.

She clipped the gold broach at Jason’s shoulder to hold the silk in place, and stood back to admire her handiwork.

Jason turned so he was standing in front of the mirror and adjusted the garment.

“Does it look okay?” Thalia asked, glancing at her reference pictures, “I’ve never even worn a toga before, you have more experience than me.“

“It looks great,” Jason assured her.

He turned to his sister. There was so many things he wanted to tell her. So many emotions it was hard to put into words.

Thalia reached a tender, almost motherly hand up to Jason’s cheek, the back of it brushing against the stubble on his chin.

“I can’t believe how much you’ve grown,” Thalia whispered, “It seems you came into this world only yesterday, and now… gods… married?”

She cupped his chin in her palms, and stood on her tiptoes and pressed her forehead against his. A little spark of electricity jumped between their hair. “I am so proud of you, Jason.”

Funny- Jason had worked his whole life trying to make people proud. His father. His friends. Camp Jupiter. They’d awarded him Praetorship and Pontifex Maximus, given him medals and wreaths and titles- but never had anyone said “I’m proud of you.”

And here Thalia was, staring in wonderment of him just standing there, just… existing. Jason hadn’t done anything to make her proud, and yet she was proud all the same. He’d worked his whole life for the approval of others only to realise the love he needed could be given to him unconditionally, by Thalia, by Leo, by the hundreds of friends and found family waiting out there- all for just being himself.

“Oh gods, I’m gonna cry-“ Jason said, hiding his face and wiping his eyes.

Thalia rubbed his back. “Let it out, brother,” she told him.

He fell into her shoulder and buried his nose in her padded suit jacket, letting his face sink into the warmth of his sister’s earthy smell.

“I love you.”

“Love you too,” she patted his arm, soothingly, “Now we should probably get going. You’ve got a man to marry.”

“You’re right,” Jason stood up. Thalia handed him a tissue, which he accepted and used to wipe his eyes.

Then he took a deep breath, and grabbed the door handle.

— — — — — — — — —

So! You all apparently loved my Married Valgrace AU. And if you didn’t… I loved my Married Valgrace AU. This is another little vignette set in the same world, or in any other world where Jason gets married! The fact that it’s Leo he’s marrying only comes up once, so feel free to swap it out for whoever you want in your head. This is just a short little bit of Grace Siblings fluff to keep the gremlins fed while I’m away for the holidays. Their siblingship is everything to me.

Also, for the record, Leo is doing the exact same thing with Nyssa in the other room.

Basically tagging my usual tags + anyone who left a nice comment on the Married Valgrace AU:

@ottpopfic @ginnyluna @groverapologist @echo-stimmingrose @demigod-shenanigans @lavenderfairiez @keefessketchbook @sleepyycapybara @euryvices-deactivated20241019 @123letsgobestie @kaleidoskuls @fairytalesociology @four-leafed-queer-gal @child-of-helios @green-tea217 @puzzled-pegasus @ollieisanerd @twomanyfandomshelp @lokiwiiiiiii @yoshuko-ew @keefessketchbook @xixovart @frayna-of-the-hollow @via-rant @daonedaonlyskh @hadeslegacyhephgirl @siimplyapril @pjowasmy1stfandom

[zmediaoutlet]

for @wincestwednesdays: performance

Dean’s heel won’t stop bouncing. He’s tried to cut it out a few times now but his head won’t stop bouncing, either, brain jerking around to ten different things like a car fishtailing on a gravel highway, and when he gets back to this universe again—there’s his damn knee, jogging like he’s had a triple red-eye and maybe some under the table adderall, too, just as a fun chaser. He leans forward, sets his palms heavy on his knees. Breathes in through his nose, out through his mouth. His heart thudding sick in his throat. Eight months to go.

Motel door opens. “They were out of El Sol but I got the other one,” Sam says, six pack under his arm and plastic bag dangling from his fingers and fumbling with keys, heeling the door closed behind himself, shaking night rain out of his hair. “And, yes, I got the jerky.”

“You’re a lifesaver, Sammy,” Dean says. Big grin. Sam rolls his eyes and doesn’t seem to notice how Dean jumped like a frickin b-horror starlet when he came in. His heart racing harder even though—god, what’s wrong with him. It’s Sam.

Sam, pulling a beer and tossing it to Dean, tapping his open laptop to see if there’s been any update to the police scanner since he left. Like Dean wouldn’t have noticed, and said. Although, given the fishtail— “Nothing,” Sam sighs, and okay. Okay, good. Or, not good, because they’re waiting for an update, so they can figure out who’s been killing random dudes, so they can kill that thing, so they can get out of this town and do something else, anything, except there’s nothing that really counts as doing anything because they can’t, because if they do Sam will—and then all of Dean’s whole life will mean exactly jack squat, all his purpose and hope and love drained out of him like blood pouring from a bullethole, and he already had that happen once, and he’s not doing it again. Sam will just have to live, and Dean will—he’ll—

“Dude, what’s with the fidgeting,” Sam says. He tips his beercan toward Dean’s jumpy fuckin’ knee. “You can go pee, I can watch the scanner.”

“Ha.” Dean stretches out his heels, ignores his racing heart. Smiles at Sam with everything he’s got. “Just bored. Don’t think our ghost’s gonna kill again tonight.”

“The ghoul, you mean?” Sam says, and Dean silently mouths the ghoul? with his most irritating face, and Sam—incredibly—doesn’t go for the same argument they’ve been having for three days, but maybe he’s bored, too, because instead he says, “Yeah, maybe not.”

Raining louder outside, some last hurrah of late-summer weather. Covers up traffic noise and the thudding in Dean’s ears, makes the motel room seem smaller. Maybe safer. Shelter, at least. Dean licks the point of his canine and gulps beer, washing bitter cold to the back of his throat, and Sam watches him do it across the dingy grey-brown carpet, thumbing the aluminum rim of his own can. Some expression in his eye Dean can’t quite pin down. He lowers his beer and Sam’s still looking at him, and then Sam’s face changes, the corner of his mouth curving down, and Dean’s whole chest seizes up because—no, they are not talking about—

“Turn up the scanner,” Dean says. Sam frowns, jarred, but he thumbs the volume on the laptop so they’re getting radio crackle. “Okay. So we won’t miss anything.”

“Why would we miss—” Sam starts, but Dean’s already gotten off the bed and rolled onto his knees between Sam’s spread legs and is grinning up at him before he can ask the dumb question. And, yeah, he gets another eyeroll, and he gets a scoff, but Sam’s legs spread out to accommodate his shoulders and he’s not exactly getting up, is he. “Dude, really?”

“What?” He knows just the right amount to lean into it—how to tip the grin filthy, how to look up under his eyelashes. “I’m bored, you’re bored. I know how we could change that.”

“Pretty sure of yourself?” Sam says, but he says it with red rising in the hollow of his cheeks, his thighs spreading lazily. Dean drags his hands up the soft-warm denim and touches his tongue to the gap between his teeth, the way that’s always worked, and sure enough sees Sam’s lips part and his eyes drop and—yeah, another tick in the win column. It’s so easy.

Sam drags his thumb over Dean’s lower lip, drags down to his chin. “Always am, little brother,” Dean says. He sits up higher on his knees and Sam’s hand drags down his throat, fingers tangling in the amulet he gave all those years ago. Will the hellhounds tear it from his shredded body, Dean wonders, and licks his lips wet and smiles wider. Makes Sam watch his mouth and not whatever might be in his eyes. “Want me to prove it?”

“Knock yourself out,” Sam says, wide open for whatever Dean wants to do, and Dean grips him by the front of that ugly bacon-stripe shirt and pulls him down for a kiss—wet, biting. The hundred dollar treatment, if Dean says so himself. Sam gets those huge hands on either side of Dean’s head and curls forward, knocking Dean’s mouth open and taking what’s on offer to distract them both from the night, and Dean’s heart sounds like the thunder rattling the motel walls. Eight months to go.

[little-miss-dilf-lover]

Oooo so if it’s okay I had this idea! Can I please request a Tangerine x fem!civilian!reader where she makes a meeting with Tangerine and Lemon, them thinking she was setting up a meeting to hire them for their assassin services, but she actually asks them for protection for someone? They almost turn her away because they’re no bodyguards, but she says that she came to them to them because no one else would protect her and she figured that who better suited to protect her than assassins?

aahh hi babe!! I frickin love this idea and can so see the twins warming up to reader while on the job. thanks for requesting, hope you like it💌

OUT OF CRITERIA.

platonic tangerine + lemon x reader

word count. ~340

You needed help. In the protection sense. 

It wasn’t common for you to need it, so you were at a complete loss when it came to finding guards. You didn’t even know where to start.

Eventually, you found someone who knew someone who had hired a pair of twins for prior unknown purposes. You didn’t want to know the details, only their names and contact information. 

Soon before long, you arranged a chat with them - meeting with them at yours to discuss their assignment. Though there was no target like they had previously thought, but instead, they were wanted as muscle. 

“I’m sorry, darlin’. Let me get this straight, right. You want us to be babysitters?” the moustached man –Tangerine– asks, his voice amused, almost pitching at a mocking tone. “That ain’t what we do,” he shakes his head, emphasising his words.

“That ain’t what we do,” his brother Lemon repeats, echoing his twins’ voice. 

“I can pay more,” you desperately offer, clutching at straws to keep them interested. “What if I add another thousand?” you ask, pulling out your cheque book. “Another zero? Please? You’re my last hope. Everyone else turned me down. I don’t know who else to ask— I don’t know how to even get information about it.”

The twins turn to look at each other, communicating via only their eyes. Lemon’s gaze softens at his brother, his head tilting aside as if to sway and tempt his brother into agreement. 

Tangerine sighs and runs a hand over the bottom half of his face. “Fuck alright, fine,” he sighs. “Don’t do that, come on. Put that away,” he extends a hand, wafting at the small paper book from your hand. “Don’t worry about it.”

Lemon nudges at his brother's side, eyes widening at the thought of losing that extra chunk of money you offered. But that expression doesn’t last long before his brother returns a nudge - quietening him.

“So that means you’ll do it?” you ask, your friendly smile turning genuine. 

Lemon hums, nodding. “What do you want us to do first?”

[lovelyjj]

Treasure

jj maybank x reader

requested by @thornyrose463

Being at your house was miserable. Your mom only seemed to care about her boyfriends and not you or your wellbeing. You hated being there because she was neglectful and an alcoholic. And it’s not like your dad was around, he left when you were 2. You only came to grab a few clothing items.

“Bye mom, have fun with your loser boyfriend, not that you care where I am,” you shouted as you walked out of your house carrying your clothes.

Arriving at John Bs you were happy to get away from your mom and be reunited with your friends who were more like family.

“Hey Y/N/N, we’re going out on the boat today to explore the reck.”

John B borrowed scuba gear from his boss Ward so that he can dive and explore the ship reck.

“Sounds good.”

You, Pope, Kie, JJ, and John B all got on the HMS pogue. Then you all drove into the marsh. You all were excited to find something in the wreck.

“This is empty. You took empty tanks?” Kiara said.

“I-“

“Okay, this one’s a quarter full. It’s enough for one of us,” Kiara stated.

“Love it when a plan comes together,” Pope chimed in.

“Does anybody know how to dive?” Kiara asked.

“Anybody?”

“It’s kinda a kook sport,” JJ commented.

“No I don’t,” you spoke.

“I read about it,” Pope argued.

“Great, Pope read about it, so someone’s gonna die.” Kiara spit out.

“Look, y-you put the thing in your mouth and breathe. How hard could it be?” JJ questioned.

“Well if you come up too fast, nitrogen gets into your blood, and you get the bends.” Pope explained.

“Bends like, bend over and…” JJ joked.

“The bends kill you,” Pope deadpanned.

“Right.”

“I can- I can dive.” John B volunteered.

“Yeah you can dive. I’m cool with that.” JJ confirmed.

“Since when can you dive?” Kiara asked.

“I’ll do it. It’s fine.”

“John B,” you were concerned.

“Y/N, it’s fine don’t worry i’m good.”

“Be careful,” you warned.

John B nodded and put on the gear to dive. He jumped into the water and was ready to swim down to the wreck. You were worried for your friend who was practically your brother.

While John B was down there you all above water herd a siren.

“Shit. JJ.” Pope yelled.

“Guys, that’s the police.” JJ pointed out.

“Oh my god,” you huffed.

“Oh, you got to be kidding me.”

“Yep, that’s the police.”

“Just act frickin’ normal,” Kiara instructed.

The police officers boat came up to the HMS pogue.

“Evening officers,” Pope greeted.

“Evening.”

“How you kids doing? You know the marsh is closed?” Shoupe said.

“No.”

“No. Wow.”

“I didn’t know that.” JJ lied.

“Why— why is it closed?” Pope asked.

“Well, we’re conducting a search out here. Boat went down.”

“Oh.”

“Seen anything?”

“No.”

“No boats. No.”

“Where’s your friend you always hang with? He here?” The police man asked.

“He’s working,” you answered.

“I’m gonna check your little boat out.”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah, hop aboard.”

“You wanna check— uh, check her out.” Pope invited.

“Thank you.”

Shoupe checked out your boat and made sure you had life jackets. He looked out into the open water for what felt like forever. Finally he said, “all right.”

“All right.”

“Beautiful day isn’t it.”

“Sure is.” JJ replied.

“Let us know if you see anything on your way out.”

“Will do,” you responded.

“We will be gone soon sir.”

“Yes you will.”

All four of you knew that John B had to of ran out of air by now. So as soon as the police were gone you leaned over the boat and looked out into the water searching for John B.

“There he is!”

“Oh god! Jesus Christ!”

John B emerged from the water and you let out a breath of relief you didn’t know you were holding.

“How’d it go down there? Did you find anything?” JJ asked.

“Did i find anything?”

John B climbed the later and hoisted the duffel bag he found onto the boat.

“Yeah, there we go! That’s my boy!”

“You okay?” You asked.

“Yeah, I ran out of air.”

“You scared the shit out of me.” You chuckled.

“Hey, guys? Guys, bogey, two o’clock.” Kiara warned.

“What?”

“Do you recognize that boat?”

“I’ve never seen it.”

“What are they doing back here the marsh is closed.” Kiara pointed out.

“I don’t know but let’s not stick around to find out,” JJ told everyone.

A boat with two men on it started coming your way. They started following you. Before you knew it they started shooting at you.

“Y/N get down!” JJ yelled.

JJ came up behind you and covered you with his body. Everyone crouched down and John B drove the boat as fast as he could from the floor of the boat.

“Oh my god we’re going to die,” Pope yelled covering his head.

Kiara got up and threw a fishing net into the water behind the HMS pogue. The net stopped the guys that were shooting at you because it got tangled in the gears. You all got away without being shot.

“Oh my god we’re alive,” you exclaimed.

“Pogue life man!” JJ yelled.

“That was insane,” Kiara added.

John B drove the boat back to the chateau. You all got out and stood on the dock. John B put the duffel bag on the floor and started opening it.

“What do you think it is?” Kiara asked.

“It’s got to be money or something right,” John B replied.

“Can we just open the bag already?” Pope said impatiently.

“Wow, Pope, that’s a rare outburst of emotion,” John B said.

“Okay. You guys are literally killing me with anticipation. Just open the bag, we almost died over this,” Pope ordered.

John B pulls out a metal tube and unscrews it. Then he dumps it out into his hand. It’s a gold compass.

“Oh, wow. Yup. That’s about right. Good job, everybody. We found a compass.” Pope said sarcastically.

John B was gaping at the compass. “Dude, what? It’s not worth anything,” JJ commented.

“This was my father’s,” John B whispered.

“No way,” you said surprised.

Nine months ago John Bs dad, Big John went missing. Some believe he got lost at sea. John B was in denial. He just knew his dad was out there somewhere, or so he desperately wanted to believe.

The next day John B remembered his dads office and went to go unlock it. You and the other pogues followed him confused.

John B grabbed a poster board and put it on top of a bin. “Here, look. This is the original owner, right here.” He pointed to a picture of an older man.

John B explained how the compass was passed down to many generations but they all ended up dying soon after they received the compass.

“Look, my dad used to talk about this compartment in here. Soldiers used to hide secret notes.”

“What’s that?” you asked.

“That wasn’t there before. This is my dad’s handwriting.”

“How can you know that?” Pope voiced his opinion.

“Because he does these weird Rs with the— see it?”

“Can I see it?” JJ asked.

“Red— Rout—“ JJ tried to sound it out.

“It says Redfield.” Kiara spoke.

“Right.”

“Okay well what’s Redfield?” You thought out loud.

“Beside the most common name in the county.” Pope deadpanned.

“Maybe it’s a clue. Maybe it’s a clue to where he’s hiding,” John B thought.

The same guys that chased you through the marsh showed up at the château. They took John Bs dads research.

After having a run in with the police twice John B was fed up. He took the family tree poster along with his other crap and set it on fire. After a moment he changed his mind and fished it out with a metal rod. Then he saw the name Olivia and he got an idea.

John B rounded up the gang and took you to the graveyard.

“You know how you’re trying to remember a song and can’t remember who sings it?” John B started.

“Yeah,” Kiara replied.

“So, Redfield. This whole time, I thought it was a place, right? But it’s not a place. It’s a person.”

“Voi-effing-là.” JJ hummed.

“See, my great-great-grandmother Olivia Redfield. That was her maiden name.”

The guys all tried to open the door but it wouldn’t budge.

“I can get through,” you stated.

“Y/N, no don’t do it,” JJ voiced his concern.

JJ was very protective of you. You and JJ have been dating for a long while now. JJ wouldn’t know what to do without you. He loved you like hell. He’d be lost without you. So if he lost you he would break. That’s why he did want you to do anything dangerous.

“Look this is about your dad, you deserve to know the truth. I’ll do it.” You expressed.

“Y/N.”

“JJ, i’ll be careful i promise.”

“Fine. I’m gonna boost you.”

“Remind me what we’re looking for,” You asked.

“You’ll know when you see it,” John B told you.

You stepped in JJ’s hands and he boosted you up and through the hole. You looked around and then you saw something. You picked up what looked like an envelope that said “For Bird.” You handed it to John B.

When you all got back to the château, John B opened the big envelope. Inside there was a map to the Royal Merchant, along with a tape recorder. John B played it.

“If somethin’ happens to me, finish what I started.” Big Johns voice rang through your ears.

John B was sobbing at the end of the recording so you did your best to comfort him. You squeezed him in a hug and told him you were sorry.

After looking up the coordinates on the map JJ had the idea of stealing a drone that can drop 1,000 feet from the salvage yard. You and the other pogues were successful in stealing the drone.

Once it was the right weather you all went out on Popes dads boat. You dropped the drone into the water as Kiara marked the feet as it was going down. When the drone reached the merchant reck there was no gold. Everyone was devastated.

——————

John B was running from DCS when he fell off his bike and tripped over a chain. Sarah Cameron found him and saw his scrap on his stomach. Sarah took him to her house at tannyhill.

As she’s is cleaning his wound, he asks, “Who, uh… who’s the dude on the wall?”

“Oh, it’s Denmark Tanny, founder of Tannyhill.” Sarah says.

“Founder?”

“Mm-hm.”

“So, how did a slave found a cotton plantation?”

“He was a free man. He’s kind of a mystery. He showed up out of nowhere and paid for all of the land around here in gold.” Sarah explained.

“In gold?”

“Mm-hm.”

John B stood up. “Hey, wh— i’m not finished, Sancho.” Sarah scolded.

“Denmark Tanny. I— I recognize that name. He—he was on the Royal Merchant. But there was no survivors. Hey what else do you know about this guy?”

“Uh when we first moved in, we found a diary, an almanac, a bunch of papers. Ward donated all of it to the state archives at Chapel Hill.”

“Can I go see that?”

“See what?” Sarah questioned.

“The— the archives. I need— I need to see them.”

“I mean, I can get you in if you want. He’s got a trustee pass.” Sarah told John B.

“Yeah yeah yeah. I need that.”

“To Chapel Hill?”

“Yes. Right now.”

“Why now?”

“I… I can’t tell you that.” John B hid the truth.

“More fugitive stuff?”

“Uh… fugitive adjacent, sort of. It’s, um… it’s a matter of national security.”

“I’ve just waited my entire life for someone to say that to me,” Sarah smiled.

“Look— God. I know this sounds crazy, but I really need to borrow that pass. The less you know, the better. Okay? You’ve just— you’ve gotta trust me.”

“No. I don’t trust anyone. Especially not with a trustee pass.”

“I need to go now.”

“Okay, then I’m coming with you.”

“No.”

“Yes. One last mission, and then I’m out of this dirty, dirty game. Come on. Let’s go.”

Sarah and John B arrived at the archives after they changed first. They ended up finding a letter written in Gullah. Denmark Tannys last correspondence. They couldn’t translate it.

John B remembered his history lesson and figured his teacher could translate it.

“Harvest the wheat near the water in parcel nine forthwith.”

The was a little symbol at the bottom of the letter and John B realized that wheat meant gold.

John B got a map from Sarah that somewhat showed where parcel nine was. You were looking for a stone wall. Parcel nine ended up to be the old Crain house.

“I heard that Mrs. Crain buried her husband’s head on the property.” JJ told everyone.

“JJ!” you scolded.

“Look, you guys know whose house this is, right?” Kiara asked.

“Oh, yeah. No, I do.” JJ responded.

“Honestly, I don’t really believe the stories of this place.” John B spoke.

“Which stories did you hear?” JJ asked Kiara.

“The one where she killed her husband with an axe, and that she’s been holed up ever since. On certain nights, when the moon is full… you can see her in the window.”

“No, it’s not funny, ‘cause it’s all true.” JJ said seriously.

“I swear to God, guys, this is all real. I knew Hollis.”

“Wait, you knew Hollis Crain?” Pope questioned.

“Yeah, dude.”

“Dude, how do you know Hollis Crain?”

“I remember you told me this, she was your babysitter” you spoke to JJ.

“Yeah she was,” JJ confirmed.

“She told me all about it. Told me the truth… about her mother and what happened in this house.” JJ continued.

“So as a kid, she heard all the stories that her mother killed her father, and… she was a murderer and all. Hollis didn’t believe it. Until that night.”

“What night?” John B asked.

“It all came back to her. When Hollis was six years old, she heard her parents arguing downstairs. So she goes downstairs to see her mom washing her hands in a sink… full of blood. Her mother just says that she cut her finger.”

“The next morning, she says her father and her split up. But then, Hollis noticed something. Her mother going into the parlor constantly, in and out and in and out with plastic bags. Weeks pass, and Hollis decides to use the outhouse.”

“And as she’s using it, she looks down, and there, in the outhouse, is her father’s head, looking straight back at her.”

“God, you are so full of shit” John B insulted

“Dude, I swear to god, man.”

“Did she call the police?” Pope asked.

“She didn’t have time.

John B started walking towards the house.

“Wait! Dude!” JJ yelled.

“What?”

“You sure you wanna do this? She’s an axe murderer. You got a cast on.” JJ warned.

“I don’t give a shit if she’s an axe murderer, okay?”

“John B,” you cried.

“What Y/N?”

“I got nothin’ to lose, right? You comin’ or what?”

“Come on,” Kie said.

“So here’s the plan. We need to look for the wheat near the water like it said in Denmark’s letter.” John B told the group.

“Okay, like, what kind of water? Like, pond water?” Pope asked.

“Bong water?” JJ laughed.

“No. It— it just said look for water, okay?” John B said.

“That’s the shittiest secret message ever.” Kiara spoke.

“Come on guys we can do this,” you encouraged.

“You wanna complain a little more, Kie? Nobody said it was gonna be easy.”

John B went through a wooden small door and called everyone to come look with him. It was the basement. There was a bunch of mosquitoes and Pope knew there must be water near. You all found a well with water under the floor boards.

A couple days later you all went back at night time. This time with Sarah.

“Let’s go get rich, guys.” JJ insisted.

“Yeah, hell yeah.” Kiara replied.

“Let’s go,” you said excitedly.

“Wait wait wait.”

“I wanna say thank you, guys. Seriously. It means a lot to me that you’re here tonight.” John B expressed.

“Always,” Kiara replied.

“Of course, man.” Pope responded.

“I will always be there for you John B,” you shared.

“All right, we done with this circle jerk? Can we go do this?” JJ asked.

“Yeah.”

“Let’s get that wheat in the water,” Pope muttered.

“Weed? I’m up for weed.” JJ got excited.

“Wheat. I said wheat.”

The six of you hopped the fence. You started walking towards the house and then the overhead lights turned on.

“Shit shit.”

“Flashlights.”

“Shhhh.”

“Okay, so she has motion sensor lights,” Pope observed.

“We could, uh… move really slowly, maybe?” JJ thought out loud.

“That’s not a good idea JJ,” you confessed.

“That’s not how it works,” Pope responded.

“Oh, shit. let’s throw a rock at it,” John B shared.

“What?”

“That’s a really good idea. Let the axe murderer know that we’re here.” Kiara said sarcastically.

“Throw a rock at it?” Pope repeated.

“You have a better idea?”

“Literally anything but that.” Kiara stated.

“What about the breaker? In the circuit box on the porch. We used to play hide-and-seek here as kids. And if we were brave enough, we’d go all the way up to the porch. I’ve seen it,” Sarah shared.

“No, no. You’re not going in the house alone,” John B said concerned.

“Watch me.”

“I’ll go with her,” you jumped in.

“Okay, come on.”

“Crain chops people into pieces,” JJ added.

“JJ!” you yelled.

“If you believe that, but she’s like what, 85?” Sarah whispered.

“Yeah, something like that.” JJ responded.

“She’s probably barely still kicking.”

“I’ll go with you too,” Kiara spoke.

“Yeah.”

“We will wait for your signal.” Pope began.

“Okay, cool.”

“Hey! Be safe.” John B told Sarah.

“Y/N, be careful!” JJ told you.

“We will.”

The three of you walked up to the porch.

“She must have a generator plugged into the main power supply,” you hissed in a whisper.

You got closer to the door.

“Shhhh.”

You found the box and Kiara opened it.

“Where are the breakers?” Sarah asked.

“What is this?” Kie asked.

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no.”

“Shit.”

“It goes inside.”

Carefully the three of you went inside. There you found the breaker box and flipped the switches which turned off the motion censor lights.

“They did it. Go time.” John B whispered.

“So, let’s do it.” Pope responded.

The boys went to the basement and started lowering John B down the well. JJ and Pope accidentally dropped John B while trying to situate the rope.

John B yelled, “I told you not to drop me,” which woke up the crazy axe murderer.

John B was scrambling to get out because he saw part of a skull when he stumbled on a secret tunnel. The tunnel was full of gold bars. John B was shocked.

You, Kie, and Sarah came down to the basement and explained that Mrs. Crain is trying to kill you. Everyone needed to pull up John B.

Mrs. Crain chased everyone out with a shot gun. John B got some gold bars and climbed out of the well. Everyone got to the car really fast. John B showed everyone the gold and everyone got really excited and started screaming “full look!”

——————-

JJ was your rock. He was your everything. After a few months of dating you both lost your virginity to each other. He was your first and you were his. The love you shared for each other was bone deep.

What nobody knew was that Ward killed the two bad guys who were also looking for the Royal Merchant. Ward has been hunting for the Royal Merchant for years. He was the one who betrayed and killed Big John Routledge.

Ward saw John B and Sarah talking outside his window. He opened the window to hear what they were saying.

“Four hundred million dollars. It’s all there,” John B exclaimed.

“Hey, that’s crazy,” Sarah replied.

“We did it. Now we just have to get it out of there.”

“Right. So how are we going to do that?”

Ward finally realized where the gold is and he takes it. He takes all of it and puts it on his private plane going to the Bahamas.

John B drives his van and parks it in front of the plane, so Ward had no choice but to stop the plane. John B reunites with Sarah and then Sheriff Peterkin pulls up.

“Oh, thank God you’re here. Susan, I told you he lost his goddamn mind,” Ward says.

“Put your hands on your head,” Sheriff Peterkin speaks.

“I’d do what she said kid,” Ward instructs.

“She’s talkin’ to you, Ward,” John B fires back.

“You’re under arrest for the murder of Big John Routledge.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Put your hands on your head.”

“Are you kidding me, Sue?”

“Put your hands on your head!”

Ward finally listens and puts his hands on his head.

“Turn around.”

“Drop to your knees!”

“I don’t like being used. I waited a long time for this.”

Ward starts to resist so she holds out her gun. Next thing you know Rafe shot the sheriff.

“Rafe. What did you do?” Ward asks.

“I saved you, Dad. I saved you,” Rafe responds.

Ward makes Rafe take Sarah home. Then he waits for the sheriff to bleed out. Since the only other people at the air strip was John B, Sarah, Rafe and Ward, Ward says that John B was the one who killed her when Shoupe eventually gets there.

Everyone on the island is looking for John B because there is a reward. With your help you and JJ manage to get his dads boat the phantom for John B to use to leave the OBX. So Sarah and John B take off and you and the other pogues say your goodbyes.

John B and Sarah head into the storm. Ward calls them on a radio.

“John B. John B, I know you are there, son. I know you can hear me, and if you love my daughter like I think you love my daughter, then you will turn that boat around and come back. You are going into a storm that you cannot survive. John B, please, I will make it right. I promise you. Come back. John B, I am begging you. Think of her and turn around.” Wards voice boomed through the speaker.

“Ward Cameron, do you hear me?” John B yelled.

“Yes. Yes, son, I’m right here. I’m right here. Please bring her back, okay? We’ll work it out when you get home.”

“You killed my father, and you framed me for a murder I didn’t commit. You took everything from me! You took everything from me! But i’m still here. And I swear to God, Ward, I will come back one day and take what’s mine.”

“So, you listen to me, all right? I’m comin’ for you. I’m coming for you.”

John B and Sarah wipe out in the storm. They wake up and see a boat passing by. John B uses the gold to flag it down. The captain of the ship says they’re going to Nassau.

You and your friends are told the police lost John B and Sarah in the storm. So you believe they are dead. You’ve never felt this kind of pain before. You felt like you couldn’t go on. But at least you had JJ and your friends.

[emilylawsons]

HI I’M BACK AND I FINISHED SEASON 3 AND I HAVE THOUGHTS™️

Newsreader spoilers under the cut

Okay first: THE NEWSREADER IS ONE OF THE GREATEST TREASURES TO GRACE TELEVISION AND IT DELIVERED ON EVERYTHING

ANYWAY…

The open ending as far as Helen and Dale goes—my shipper heart is a little sad we didn’t get a more explicitly romantic ending for them BUT these two have so much healing to do, and it starts with being exactly where they are. Finding peace and happiness as individuals before they give themselves to any relationship. And I think, no matter what any fan was hoping for, they can take this ending and decide how it goes for them. (Also the loving way Helen spoke to him and looked at him while she was talking to him off air. 🥹) They’re both exactly where they need to be and in their element, and that’s what the audience has been rooting for since day one.

THE PARALLELS AND CONNECTIONS TO THE FIRST EPISODE IN THE LAST ONE. Dale singing Kyrie in the car. Helen taking Dale home and talking care of him and “coming up with a plan.” Fucking brilliant.

Helen’s journey this whole season—getting a diagnosis and coming to grips with it. Being resistant at first but coming around and COMMITTING to getting better even when it’s hard and she hates it—frickin’ facing the place where she was locked up and endured additional trauma. She truly came into her own, and I’m just continuously blown away by Anna Torv and how, in every single project she does, she puts so much care and thoughtfulness into how she portrays her characters and the difficult situations they face. And she’s just a fucking incredible actress. THE SCENE IN 3.03 AFTER SHE GOT HER DIAGNOSIS AND CALLED DALE BROKE ME. I don’t think anyone else could have portrayed Helen. I just don’t. And Helen’s arc was all the more satisfying because the writers/creators decided to trust their talent and make her just as much a part of the creative process.

And Dale…oh my boy Dale. Sam frickin’ Reid the actor you are. Dale’s character arc has to be one of the most intense and challenging I’ve ever seen on TV, and Sam probably had the hardest job. Dale’s breakdown? OH MY GOD. We always knew Dale needed to break. He would have to be driven to the brink to be human again. And, just like with Anna as Helen, there was no one more qualified to bring Dale Jennings to life. Holy shit. Incredible, meaty, deep storytelling happens when you have creatives with a vision and actors they’re on the same page with. Sam got it from day one, and he saw it through to the end.

But Helen and Dale, stars of the show they are, are not the only incredible arcs we got to see. THE SATISFACTION OF WATCHING LINDSAY CUNNINGHAM GET KICKED OUT ON HIS ASS AND DENNIS SITTING IN HIS SEAT. The stuff of legends. And not just Dennis getting his moment (which we absolutely saw coming after he clocked Lindsay last season), but JEAN FUCKING PASCOE yelling at him from across the newsroom. I clapped. I cheered. And you know, I even cheered a bit for Evelyn Walters in all of it. She’s out for herself and still doesn’t get it (and Geoff was far from a victim), but she stood when it counted. She took action on one good thing. And watching them all collectively work together to get Lindsay what he deserved? Delicious.

And then we’ve got my girl Noelene who also went through The Most™️ oh… She’s got so much to figure out about standing up for herself and what she wants, and Rob’s got so much growing to do to be a better husband and father. But she did stand up for herself. She stopped being afraid to tell people how she felt and what she needed. She called Rob out on his racist tendencies and opened up to him about her work/motherhood balance, and she called out Helen for using her like everyone else and overworking her, and they both listened. She has hope ahead of her, and it was beautiful to see.

A few other small notes:

The whole Dale/Kay dynamic was so strange, but it needed to happen. Her constant comparisons of him and Geoff helped fuel his necessary fall. And it served to show what a terrible place Dale was in.

Cheryl got married!!! Good for her 🩷

Fuck Bill, and congrats to Helen for being like “I’m not gonna be punished because I didn’t wanna fuck you”

Tim gets a well deserved love and happy ending!!!

I’m really happy they brought back Linus. What a treasure.

Overall, as sad as I am to see this show go, they delivered on all counts. Everything they said they would be, they were. Every arc, satisfying. Just so beautifully and masterfully done, and with love by everyone involved. 18 episodes of perfection. And if Michael Lucas and Emma Freeman ever produce another show together and hire Anna Torv and/or Sam Reid or any of the wonderful-across-the-board cast? I will get my VPN’s worth as an American and be there for it.

[daisyblog]

Hormones

Our Story Masterlist Summary: YN gets emotional listening to Louis’ interview.

34 weeks and 5 days pregnant 

YN was watching Louis’ recent interview with Foquinha, where he was discussing music, tour, writing and his One Direction days. It was her favourite pass time, watching the boys old and recent interviews. She loved reminiscing on the One Direction days that seem like a lifetime ago. 

She was smiling happily to herself as Louis discussed his relationship with the boys, comparing it to brothership. YN couldn’t help but think back to her wedding day, where all the boys had come together to celebrate YN and Harry’s big day. No matter what happened in the past, it was soon forgotten about when they stood together and shared a drink. 

Louis was asked about his thoughts on a One Direction reunion and if he thought they would get back together one day. This question always got YN excited because she was one of their biggest fans and always tried to encourage a reunion. 

"I hope so. Do I think it's likely? I don't know. Honestly I have no idea. I think the tough thing is that as time goes on it kinda feels harder to foresee. If I had a gun to my head right now I would say yes. I do think we are gonna get back together. But you never know. There's a million different things that could happen. And also at the moment we're all making such different music so how does that collect back together? It'd be interesting, it'd be interesting."

Tears started to run down YN’s cheeks, wet streaks being left behind in their memory. “The answer is yes, Lou! It’s always yes”. She mumbled to herself.

Harry entered the room, his smile soon disappeared when he could see YN crying as she looked intently at her phone. “Babe? What’s wrong?”. It wasn’t unusual lately for YN to be an upset. Her pregnancy hormones were definitely heightened. 

Last week she cried because Harry wore a grey hoodie instead of his black one. The following day YN cried because of the way Teddy was looking at her, she was adamant the little pug didn’t like her anymore. Two ago, her tears erupted because Harry tried to walk over the freshly mopped floor. 

“Lou-Louis said…sa-id One Direction…I-is not get-ting back together!” YN managed to sniffle out in between her tears. 

Harry sighed knowing Louis probably tried to scoot around the question being asked without giving a yes or no answer. “Babe…you know how interviews are…sometimes we just have to give an answer in a way without giving an answer”.

YN shook her head, wiping away her tears. “No…even the baby is sad about this…I can feel her sadness”. 

Harry tried to hold back his laughter at how dramatic his wife was being, but he had learnt the hard way when it came to YN, pregnancy hormones and laughter. But right now he was glad he wasn’t Louis. 

Tag List:

@pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @harrys-flower @platinumbarbie143 @frickin-bats @harrysbbyh0ney @chronicallybubbly @goldensunflowe-r  @walkingintheheartbreaksatellite @kaverichauhan @peterholland04 @panicattheuc @or-was-it-just-a-dream @hittiesontour @bunnyharold @fanfictioncafe @lilfreakjez @iamahallucinationnn @theekyliepage @indierockgirrl @buckybarnessimpp @ashleighsss @jerseygirlinca @fake-coolbeans @itsmytimetoodream @treehouse-mouse

[championari]

True Love: Why FifteenxRogue Works

WOW. Man, that Rogue episode, huh? Watching that live was probably the greatest experience I’ve had recently regarding Doctor Who. Not just as a queer viewer, but as a queer media analyst. Fifteen and Rogue truly feel like a relationship written for me to analyze, because there is simply so frickin’ much to talk about. So, allow me, gentle reader, to be your Lady Whistledown of queer alien fuckery, and guide you through analyzing the latest dalliance of our Time Lord extraordinaire with the most honest bounty hunter in the galaxy. 

We’ll be covering a LOT of ground in this: the theme of facades/masks, an interrogation of The Doctor’s perception of romantic relationships, and a deep dive into The Fifteenth Doctor’s character overall. So, needless to say, this is going be a LONG LONG piece. Grab a snack, some water, whatever you need, cause we’re going deep on this one. 

You’re still here? Fantastic! Then let us begin! Specifically, with the Fifteenth Doctor himself. Because above all else, this episode works as a dissection of his character overall. 

I’ve already done two metas regarding The Giggle’s ending and The Doctor’s perception of romance pre-Season 1/14, so if you want more elaboration, go read those here: 1, 2. But in case you don’t, I’ll sum up and expand based on what we’ve learned since. 

The Doctor, as a character, has always struggled with commitment and attachment. They never stayed in one place for long and when they did, they had an unhealthy relationship with it (Trenzalore, Darillium, Bill’s University). Romantic connection is a permutation of this larger issue, as every romantic relationship we have seen The Doctor take part in since 2005 either was unbalanced (holding back problems/outright lying) or ended in a really bad way.  However, thanks to the 60th specials and a bi-generation, The Doctor went through a massive change, and with it, came a new perception of openness and love. Fifteen is more expressive, and willing to verbally identify beauty. He openly points out how beautiful people are, and talks about previous exploits with pride. But this supposed openness betrays a deeper dishonesty still inside the Doctor. As much as Fifteen talks the talk of openness, he doesn’t often walk the walk when things get tough.

Fifteen’s character struggle is trying to break out of the Doctor’s previous patterns of unstable attachment and commitment while continuing those patterns. He values emotional honesty and encourages it in others yet simultaneously runs from it when the spotlight is on himself, even when he knows it’s beneficial and necessary for him to do so. So, with all of that in mind, let’s deep dive into Rogue (the episode, not the character, but also the character).

The best word to describe this episode is ‘deception’. Setting the episode in Bridgerton-esque Regency-era England was an appropriate choice, likening to a show that is all about facades and posturing to gain wealth and social standing (yes I am oversimplifying, don’t hurt me). Throughout the episode, we see characters who aren’t who they present themselves to be and use all manner of tools or tactics to disguise themselves to meet their ends. 

We have the Chuldur, creatures who gain pleasure from cosplaying. They thrive on creating fake entertainment for their amusement, honesty is useless if it can’t satisfy them. While this is meant as an obvious commentary on fan culture and how dangerous it can get when taken to the extreme, it also functions as a darker reflection on The Doctor’s habits. Because think about it: what are Fifteen and Ruby doing in this episode? They are having fun, dancing alongside the other partygoers. They’re wearing the outfits but only to blend in. Ruby doesn’t know how to dance, she has to wear psychic earrings to keep up. She watches the fake fight between ‘Emily’ and ‘Lord Stilton’ like she would watch an episode of Bridgerton. Her fight with Emily later in the episode is set to Lady Gaga’s ‘Poker Face’ playing in the background.

What we’re seeing in the villains is The Doctor’s pastimes becoming toxic, taking a companion and bringing them to a culture far removed from their own. But it’s not only a commentary on The Doctor overall, it’s also Fifteen’s philosophy in a darker context. Posing as sincerity and maybe containing it to some extent, but ultimately not completely honest. Through the setting and the villains, the episode is already priming us on a subconscious level to be thinking about disguises and dishonesty, a topic that both The Doctor and the Fifteenth incarnation specifically have a complicated relationship with. And then comes Rogue.

Rogue himself is such a fascinating part of the episode because he is such a deliberate disruption to this cultivated environment of deception. Rogue is the complete antithesis of everyone in the plot. He’s terrible at improvising, he’s socially awkward, he dances without needing psychic earrings, and he never cleans the inside of his ship. Rogue intentionally disrupts the narrative of lies by not being able to play the game. Even when he tries to wear a mask, the mask of an uncaring bounty hunter, He doesn’t wear it well and gets rid of it after the ship scene with The Doctor. Rogue is a character who cannot help but be who he is, he’s a character who not only can’t wear a mask but doesn’t want to. To put it simply, honesty is Rogue’s kink. That’s why the episode is named after him; it’s not just because he’s a central character, but because he provides the counter-argument to the themes of lies and deception. Rogue, the disruptor to The Chuldur’s acts of fake entertainment, and the disruptor to The Doctor’s act of cosplaying with Ruby, and on a deeper level, disrupts Fifteen’s oscillation between sincerity and repression. But we’ll get to that, we have Mount Everest's amount of context to analyze first, starting with their first meeting.

The Doctor and Rogue’s beginning scene sets the stage for the main obstacle in their relationship: their masks. ‘Cause right now we’re operating with two versions of the characters: the facade/mask versions, and the real versions. We get our first look at Rogue when Fifteen looks around for interference on the psychic earrings. He finds him being the most conspicuous while wearing the ‘bounty hunter’ mask: on a balcony (separated from the party physically), not speaking at all. 

He is standing out here but only in the way someone who knows disguises would recognize. The Doctor, remember no. 1 liar, of course he’s gonna recognize that. So much so, that he gives Rogue pointers on how to put on a better “brooding” face, literally teaching him how to wear the mask better. Rogue is an amateur mask wearer, going up against the master of mask-wearing. And that’s why Fifteen smiles when he sees him, he’s intrigued by that contradiction and wants to know more. 

Rogue meanwhile, is being rude and dismissive to scare him off, trying to keep to the mask he’s built. At this point, he knows that Fifteen also stands out from the rest but right now is assuming that he’s still a random partygoer. Notice what he says to him: 

He’s still using language and ideas someone from that era would understand. Where this deviates is this little exchange that felt familiar to me, but I couldn’t figure out from where. Until I remembered this:

(credit to @ngatwa for this set, you're amazing)

This is the first instance in the episode where Fifteen and Rogue’s relationship calls back to previous romantically-coded relationships The Doctor has had between companions. But it’s not just romantic subtext, it’s subtext that explains where the two are in the relationship. Victorian Clara was far more than what she appeared to be (a governess masquerading as a barmaid/echo of a companion scattered in the Doctor’s timeline), and the Doctor was more than he appeared to be (an alien who lived in a blue box). In asking those questions, it’s both recognition of the masks and inquiry for the real person underneath. Same thing here: Rogue and Fifteen at this point are trying to figure each other out, trying to see beyond the masks of the uncaring bounty hunter, and the flirtatious partygoer. Where things start to go wrong is that neither party fesses up to who they are. Rogue instantly assumes Fifteen is The Chuldur he’s looking for, while Fifteen assumes Rogue is a regular partygoer looking to…*ahem* create a scandal in the gardens if you get what I mean. This explains why a violin rendition of Billie Eilish’s ‘Bad Guy’ plays in the background. It’s not just a Bridgerton reference, it’s contributing to both characters’ perception of each other in this scene: both characters think the other is the “bad guy”. The lead into the scene is deception, we leave it the same way. No breakthrough yet. 

Now we’re moving on to the scene in the garden, where both masks of Fifteen and Rogue begin clashing with their real personalities. Fifteen is still being semi-sincere, still complimenting Rogue. And like water, all of it is rolling off of him because he’s still under the assumption he’s talking to a shapeshifting alien. He rudely asks about The Doctor’s info dumping and doesn’t respond to The Doctor’s compliments.

(credit to @klausbens for the gif, you're awesome)

He’s not engaging because he thinks the Doctor is not who he appears to be, and for a character that values honesty, everything Fifteen says is gonna wash over him. The moment this changes is when the two are accusing the other of the murder. Quite literally finishing each other’s sandwiches (C’mon, you know I had to throw a Frozen reference in this somewhere). 

This is a very interesting scene given our current context. Trope-wise, this is meant to communicate to the audience the bond between the two characters, they’re thinking the same thing. But the trope is flipped on its head because both characters take it in opposite directions. Both Fifteen and Rogue are in perfect sync, they are being honest about how much they understand about the situation, but that information is leading them to completely different conclusions (i.e. the other person is the Chuldur). They’re slapping more masks onto each other, this time with information they know is true, which leads to them locking in their heels and simply not being honest altogether until later. This scene is a repeat of the previous one, except this time it’s them showing their hands a bit more, making the backslide all the more difficult. Getting close to sealing the deal, then heel turn at the last minute, a classic Bridgerton move. 

So, what needs to happen to break this backslide? Well, plain and simple honesty. The scene on Rogue’s ship is when both masks start coming off. What Fifteen is doing on the ship during the scene is essentially trying to figure out Rogue. He finds out the ship is meant to be piloted by two, and he discovers the origin of Rogue’s name, the Kylie Minogue music. Which is a moment I want to zoom in on. Right before this happens when Rogue gives a cheeky response to Fifteen finding out about the name, Fifteen makes a joke and starts emphasizing his Scottish accent. This is Fifteen putting on another mask to make a joke, and Rogue doesn’t appreciate that, given his dirty look. 

Then Fifteen finds the music, which he then again uses as an opportunity to joke around and make fun of him (and flirt a little bit with him).  Fifteen is removing Rogue’s mask, while he is staying enigmatic and mysterious, which is why Rogue is still stonewalling him. HOWEVER, two can play that game, and Fifteen makes a big mistake in showing Rogue the psychic paper. This is the first time Fifteen is completely honest about his feelings towards Rogue. No mask, no posturing, complete honesty. And we see Rogue responds positively to this: 

This is the first time the two are both on the same level, communicating honestly. And that’s where we start to see genuine romantic feelings and attraction. 

But it’s not enough, so what does Fifteen do? He pulls out the big guns. He shows Rogue the truth: he’s a Time Lord from Gallifrey and has lived many different lives over hundreds of years. He not only rips off his mask, he quite literally reveals all of the other masks the Doctor has worn throughout the ages. And what is Rogue’s reaction to this? 

Complete besotted awe. If honesty is Rogue’s kink, then The Doctor revealing their faces just supercharged it. This is the moment that Rogue falls in love because he’s finally seeing who this mysterious flirty person really is. 

Now, I’m gonna pull out another previous Doctor romance for two reasons: One, I’ve been seeing this comparison floating around for a while, and if you know me and my old analyses, it’s that I cannot leave an inaccurate take alone, and two, because I think it applies here. I’ve been seeing comparisons online of this episode to Girl in the Fireplace, in which a new character falls in love with The Doctor and gets the rare opportunity to see their true self. But what makes Reinette different from Rogue is that honesty kink. Reinette was attracted to the mystery of the Doctor, her childhood hero who somehow doesn’t age. Note when he comes back the first time, she focuses on how strange he is:

She learns more about them later, but she was already in love with them before that. Rogue doesn’t want the mystery. In reality, The Doctor wearing masks is a turnoff for him. He only wants the real thing, so when Fifteen reveals the truth, that’s when the genuine romance begins. 

(We could also extend this comparison to the discussion of consent: Reinette found out everything without The Doctor's permission, while Fifteen revealed all the info by himself, but whether we can consider this consensual depends on your definition of consent under duress/threat. So I’m not entirely sure what to make of this conversation, feel free to expand in the tags/replies cause I want to hear more about this)

So now we’re moving along to the TARDIS scene. We continue with the theme of disguises with the whole “bigger on the inside” routine, Fifteen riffing as Willy Wonka for a hot moment singing Pure Imagination, and we have Rogue’s momentary slip-up:

(credit to klausbens for the gifs, you're awesome)

This is a great sign of character growth because while he’s maybe not wholly honest about his feelings towards The Doctor, he still is open about his love for the TARDIS, an important part of The Doctor’s life, so big step right there. 

I want to pay attention to the heart-to-heart here because watching what Fifteen says and how he reacts is extremely important to getting his view on the situation. Because right now, I wouldn’t say The Doctor is in love with Rogue back. While there is a lot of attraction and hints at a deeper bond, Fifteen is still operating with most of his mask on. Notice that when he asks Rogue about the person he lost, Ncuti Gatwa’s blocking has him leaning on the railing at an angle to the side of Rogue. He’s purposely staying at a distance, yet is leaning on the railings to appear casual. 

And when Rogue starts opening up, he moves closer and they’re at equal distance from each other.

We get a really sweet (and allegorical to the queer community) moment about The Doctor’s motivation of living out of respect for the dead, to keep living each day that they lost. And then we get Fifteen inviting Rogue onto the TARDIS. I want to focus on this because he doesn’t seem upset or disappointed by Rogue countering this offer by inviting The Doctor to travel with him, meaning he doesn’t see this as a “take it or leave it” offer. In fact, the compromise Fifteen comes up with, “let’s argue across the stars” and Rogue accepting it, is what leads to the almost kiss. So that prompts the question, what is Fifteen trying to say here? 

Well, what Fifteen is asking for is to continue seeing Rogue. It doesn’t matter to him if he’s on the TARDIS or not, all that matters is that he still has him in his life. The choice to see him more. Why does that sound familiar? Because that’s exactly what I wrote about in my dissertation on The Giggle’s Ending: 

“In giving Fourteen their own TARDIS, Fifteen is allowing his younger self to have what they always removed from the equation: free will. The Doctor can still go anywhere they want, which makes them even more motivated to stay and fix themself. Fourteen can feel safe staying with Donna, Wilf, Mel, Rose, Shaun, and Sylvia because the option to travel is still there.”

Fifteen’s love language is giving the people he cares about the freedom to express the love they already have within them. He values freedom above all else, and when Rogue accepts that freedom, that’s when we get the almost-kiss. This is the moment where The Doctor falls in love with Rogue back because it’s Rogue being willing to meet The Doctor where they’re at. He’s allowing Fifteen to set the pace and not force himself on him. 

Additionally, this willingness to be as slow or fast as The Doctor needs means far more to The Doctor overall than to just Fifteen. Many people have already pointed out the similarities between the line “let’s argue across the stars' and previous lines the Doctor has said to villainous characters like The Master and The Toymaker:

"We can take your games back to the stars."

"We can fight across the constellations if that's what you want".

Now, why is that? It’s because again, The Doctor’s perception of Rogue is evolving in this scene. Remember, up to this point, The Doctor doesn’t entirely know Rogue’s morality. All they know is that Rogue is a bounty hunter, and is not afraid to use his gun when he deems appropriate. There’s even a little line in this scene before the heart-to-heart where Fifteen specifically imposes his own brand of morality on the situation: “Whatever the Chuldur has done, I can’t let you kill it.” Now, we know that The Doctor’s morality and romantic life can conflict: River being a known murderer/psychopath, their longtime situationship, and later attempted rehabilitation of The Master/Missy. This is another feature of The Doctor’s character: while they do act like they have the final say on what is right, they also compromise that morality for people they care about. 

Like how The Doctor surprised Rogue by showing all of his faces, Rogue surprised the Doctor right back by not only being honest about his past but by being willing to accept The Doctor’s compromise. This moment is when The Doctor finds out that Rogue is a good person, and that The Doctor doesn’t need to compromise their morality when entering this relationship.

This heart-to-heart is about Rogue not only winning over the Fifteenth Doctor by agreeing with his values of freedom but also winning over The Doctor overall by just genuinely being a good person. But of course, the moral duty of taking care of the Chuldur rears its head in the form of the TARDIS alerting that the trap is ready. The bubble has popped and we still have a long way to go. 

(Plus, Fifteen’s facial expression in this shot perfectly captures that trademark “Oh.” moment, realizing you’re in love with someone but then taping it down to focus back on the immediate problem. Love you Ncuti Gatwa, you do great work)

Alright, now we’re at the dance/fake proposal scene. Oh lord, so much happens here with both dialogue and production regarding character, so let’s take this one at a time. Fifteen, Rogue and now Ruby have figured out the big plot regarding the Chuldur, their obsession with cosplay and dressing up to create drama. In response, Fifteen comes up with the idea to essentially beat them at their own game: create a fake scandal to draw them out. 

Now on paper and in terms of beating the bad guys, this is a plan that could and does work, but in terms of his relationship with Rogue: THIS. WAS. A. BAD. IDEA. Why? The very idea of masks and faking not only was the leading cause of them not connecting in the beginning but specifically doesn’t work with Rogue. You can see it in how Rogue nervously looks at Ruby and Emily when Fifteen asks him to dance, and even questions the validity of the plan: 

(credit goes to @carricfisher for texted gif, you're awesome)

It’s not just that he doesn’t know about homophobia, he just doesn’t like the idea of pretending at all. But the reason why it doesn’t collapse right away is because it’s not entirely pretending. The dance may function on the surface to create a scene, but for Rogue (and Fifteen albeit to a smaller extent) it doubles as an intimate moment between them. This connects to the choice of dimming the lights in an unrealistic way (which btw, as a film student, had me going insane watching it live). We’re seeing a deliberate break in reality, a dishonest showcase of the story being told, that serves the purpose of highlighting an ultimately honest and sincere act of love. Both The Doctor and Rogue are warping the aesthetic of deception in terms of the narrative by fabricating a scandal, and in terms of the production by changing the lighting. 

But of course, things start going to hell right there. Fifteen tries to up the drama and Rogue can’t keep up. Rogue overcorrects and proposes to Fifteen, who freaks out and leaves the room. Now, I don’t want to get into the question of whether or not Rogue was playing along by proposing or being genuine (Personally speaking, I think it was both. 70% true, and 30% fake). Instead, I want to clear up why Fifteen freaked out here. I’m sure a lot of the long-time audience could already guess that it was parallel to River Song, The Doctor’s wife, but I think it’s more layered than that. Why would a reference to River scare the Doctor so much, aside from reminding them of a close person they lost? Because the last time the Doctor got married to someone they truly loved, it involved a 24-year stay on Darillium, which he knew would end in tragedy. Note the word choice here:

“Sorry I…I can’t.”

Not ‘I don’t want this’, it’s a void of agency (which connects to my piece on The Giggle’s ending and freedom). The Doctor can’t have that with Rogue, he was fine with them being casual to avoid the possibility of losing him. 

But on my first watch, I couldn’t help getting a little bit cross with Fifteen here, because the amount of ball fumbling on display is outright ridiculous; The Time Lord brings himself onto the dancefloor, with a guy he nearly made out with two minutes ago, gets all up in his face and starts shouting at him to “tell me what you heart wants!” and then completely freezes when said guy starts proposing to him. What in the fuck did you expect was going to happen, bud?! What made you think this would go off without a hitch?

I want to preface this by saying I had a completely different reading of this scene for a long time. My original thought was that Fifteen was trying to do multiple things simultaneously. He potentially was trying to lure out the Chuldur by creating scandal and at the same time, was trying to have a serious talk with Rogue about where he’s at emotionally. These lines in particular have fascinated me since my first watch: “You would ask me to give up my title, my fortune. But what future can you promise me?”. It did feel like these lines hinted at Fifteen’s thought process at this moment, he chose those specific lines to use for this moment. Was Fifteen trying to have an honest conversation with Rogue about their relationship while being fake to everyone else? But that doesn’t make sense considering the previous conversation in the TARDIS showed Fifteen comfortable with the idea of them being casual and Rogue respecting that, so it doesn’t make sense with where Fifteen is progression-wise. 

But it wasn’t until writing out this piece that I realized I had it all wrong and the truth was far simpler: this is a repeat of their meeting on the balcony, albeit with higher personal stakes. Let’s take a step back here: What is happening in this scene? Fifteen and Rogue are completely missing what the other is trying to say. Fifteen ignored Rogue being visibly uncomfortable over being back to playing with masks, and Rogue is not getting if Fifteen wants him to be genuine or not. Just like on the balcony and the garden, where both sides think they’re saying one thing when it’s the opposite. Before, both parties were wrong about who they were, now both parties are wrong about what they want. 

Fifteen is saying complete bullshit here, not true stuff to their situation but stuff that their audience would react to. He’s being over the top on purpose to elicit reactions. Meanwhile Rogue is thinking he’s being genuine. He thinks Fifteen is, through code speak, trying to genuinely ask him these questions. Which leads him to get down on one knee. And that’s a big problem because Rogue doesn’t know that proposing is wading into a gargantuan trauma pool for The Doctor. This scene is a magnified example of the duo’s problem with masks and not being completely honest with each other. 

However, while this scene may have been a cause for regression from The Doctor on the relationship part, Rogue on the other hand has an epiphany. In the scene following this one, we get the truly iconic callback of “Run.” and Rogue taking the Doctor’s hand. Why is this important? Well, there are three specific examples that this moment is calling back to: 

Nine meeting Rose ("Run!")

Victorian Clara and Eleven fleeing from the Ice Governess ("I do the handgrabbing! That's my job! That's always me!")

Twelve running with River ("Stop holding my hand! People don't do that to me!")

Nine meeting Rose establishes this idea of protection: The Doctor taking care of someone by leading them away from danger. The other two examples are subversions of that idea: Clara and River are now leading The Doctor out of danger. Same principle here, except here it has a bit more context behind it. Clara and River subverting that act of protection made sense given who they were: Clara as an echo across The Doctor’s time stream knew who The Doctor was and what they needed, even if she didn’t know it consciously when the moment happened. River as The Doctor’s wife also knew who they were and what they needed at the time. 

By connecting Rogue’s action of taking Fifteen’s hand and running to Clara and River, it not only again connects Fifteen and Rogue to previous romantic relationships, but it also shows Rogue learning from his mistake. Rogue’s mistake in the proposal scene was him not figuring out what Fifteen needed at that moment, it was a major miscommunication. Now, at this moment, Rogue is starting to figure out what he needs to do. He is, to use relationship lingo, "shelving his agenda" to help the Doctor. 

And that progression continues through the last leg of the episode, including the moment when Fifteen thinks Ruby is dead. I’ve always found this moment in particular so fascinating because of how loud it is metaphorically for both characters. Fifteen is taking off the mask of coolness and revealing that Doctor™ anger. This is a complete switch-up from what he’s been like throughout most of the episode. Yet when he lets out that chilling line, “Good. That’s a long time to suffer.” Rogue doesn’t look all that scared or mad at him. 

The face Rogue makes here looks far closer to a resigned sadness, almost like he knew that he would have that reaction. Keep in mind that Rogue knows nothing about The Doctor at their worst, all that he knows right now is that they lost “everyone”. Compare that with Donna, who was outright terrified of The Doctor when at their worst (for good reason though). 

Rogue isn’t surprised by this at all. He’s not asking “What happened to this person in front of me?”, he’s realizing “This is how much he cares about his best friend.” He’s seeing the depth of this person’s love that is inexorably linked to the depth of his grief, and is realizing he can’t allow that grief to corrupt this person he’s grown to love, even if it means endangering himself. Which is exactly what ends up happening.

This is where the theme of masks finally pays off. At the beginning of the episode, both Rogue and Fifteen are wearing their masks (cold, uncaring bounty hunter, and flirtatious partygoer). Those masks started to come down, but that got messed up thanks to miscommunication. Rogue didn’t understand what The Doctor needed from him, causing their trauma to resurface and The Doctor ran away from having to deal with that grief. This final scene is them being completely honest with each other. Rogue asks him “Can you lose your friend to save the world?”, and Fifteen tells him the truth. He can’t, he can’t let that happen again. And Rogue understands that, he finally knows what needs to be done. And so he kisses him. Why did Rogue kiss him? Again, it’s a repeat of a previous scene, this time the dance. Rogue is comfortable putting on a mask/doing something dishonest when there’s an aspect of truth to it. Even if they danced together to serve a lie, it still was a moment powered by romantic feelings. Same with the kiss. Rogue had wanted to kiss him, so he felt comfortable doing something with an ulterior motive (taking the button from him) because it was also something he would’ve wanted to do regardless of the situation. 

But why did Rogue do it? The one line that I kept thinking of in summing up the intent behind Rogue's sacrifice was, ironically, from Frozen: "Love is...putting someone else's needs before yours”. Essentially, shelving your agenda, like we’ve been saying. Back in the proposal scene, Rogue’s mess up was not figuring out what Fifteen needed out of him at that moment. Fifteen needed him to play along in faking and instead, Rogue heel turned into a lot of trauma for The Doctor. So now, after seeing how important Ruby was to Fifteen, so important that he was willing to torture The Chuldur out of grief, Rogue is putting The Doctor’s needs before his own and stopping him from having to choose between her and the world. It's also why Rogue wiping away his tears before the kiss was so crazy because that's normally the Doctor's job. The Doctor is normally the one who turns sadness into hope. This time, someone else is doing that for him.

(credit to ngatwa again)

The greatest act of love in the episode was not the proposal, it was the sacrifice.

To close our tale, let us circle back to talking about Fifteen’s character arc. I opened this essay by talking about Fifteen’s main character flaw being a contradiction: both valuing emotional intimacy and running from it. That doesn’t seem to change by the end of this episode, so much so that Ruby forces Fifteen to take a moment and mourn Rogue’s loss when he wants to steamroll forward. But there’s one little detail left: Fifteen kept the ring. Not only kept it but is wearing it in the season finale to the point of even playing with it like a nervous tick. 

That bond, that relationship was so important to him that he doesn’t allow himself to ignore it. It’s only after he has that hug with Ruby that he pulls out the ring and chooses to wear it. Rogue is the one thing Fifteen won’t run away from because what they had wasn’t fake. It was real. 

Rogue, the supposed bounty hunter who only cared about wealth, loved The Doctor so much that he was willing to give up his life for his friend. The Doctor, the supposed Time Lord who flees from attachment, loves Rogue enough to remember him every day.  

I ask you, gentle readers, how could one resist a love story like that?

NOTE: some extra bits I wanted to include that I couldn’t fit anywhere else: I’m such a sucker for color symbolism, and having Rogue wear blue in contrast to Fifteen’s normally warm color palette, as well as blue being the color of The TARDIS…it just makes me feel things, ya’ know? 

Also, by not gendering Rogue’s previous partner, only ever using they/them pronouns, it helps add to the relationship in a social commentary way. It subtly shows that Rogue already has experience/is attracted to people who on some level defy gender norms, which helps prime the audience to buy Rogue accepting/liking The Doctor being able to change gender when regenerating.

Essentially, I'm insane over these two, and I need them back on screen as soon as possible.

[bleedingcoffee42]

The only thing I'm taking away from all of these new files is that the men of Easy company gossiped like a bunch of highschoolers.

And I love it.

THEY DID. And it doesn't help that Ambrose has an agenda for the interviews which is A)Talk shit about Sobel B)Tell me about Mr. Mysterious Ron Spears and I'll cut you off if you actually liked him C)Was Lewis Nixon always drunk? D) fangirl over Webster and try to get the guy he was interviewing to agree with him.

AND Then there was the reunion where some guys got a 13 chapter preview and others didn't. THEN the reunion when the book came out which is implied to be like a book club gone nuclear. And all the letters to Ambrose apologizing on behalf of their friends which means it got back to Ambrose somehow the boys were pissed.

AND MY FAVORITE BULLSHIT is the ye old screenshot of private conversations circa 1990s which was Ambrose photocopying everything and sending it to Winters and Winters immediately coming out of the unsuspected sender's mailbox with a folding chair to set them straight, with documentation. Dick sent Lip a nasty letter. Hit General Matheson with a frickin 'Maybe you're old and your memory is shit here is the map to refresh your memory' and the poor West Pointer from Fox company who tried to step in and say Henry Jones was super loved by his men when he died and he didn't remember the patrols going like that only to have Dick slap back. It's wild.

I don't know how these guys survived this book.

And Nix IS the smartest man ever for just Noping out of this bullshit. And Sparky is honestly super polite about it even though Dick goes into harassment territory to get him to talk to Ambrose/Show up for the reunion/get interviewed. I honestly think Ron's wife left the phone off the hook when they went to Montana because her husband already had major heart surgery and was talking he was on death's doorstep and talking to Dick more than likely got him riled up and had him popping blood pressure pills like TicTacs.

I do want to go back in time and fight Ambrose on Lipton's lawn. Chalk it up to an affront on my professionalism for how he conducts interviews. Plus how everyone tried to protect Compton, Ambrose even goes in saying 'I'm not sure how I'm going to write this' and then goes about it in the worst possible way so that his mailbox is filled with Letters of 'YOU CAN NOT PUT THIS IN PRINT'.

But up until this time, up until Ambrose stepped in, they were already all creating these different narratives of how things went down. 30 ft away in one foxhole dudes were probably gossiping.

Buck Taylor was the last one I read who sends Dick a letter and the gist of it it "So..I am not dead like the rumors say. I didn't die in a plane crash in the Pacific. I was working for the CIA. I have no idea where anyone got that?" NO IDEA EITHER man.

It's wild. I'm loving it.

[urperfectcinnamonroll07]

Dancing In The Dark

requested?: no pairing(s): nishimura riki x gn!reader genre: fluff, non idol au warning(s): reader is said to be wearing a dress though gender is not specified, riki being a goddamn frickin gentleman, age gap (not hugely mentioned) summary: 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘳𝘪𝘬𝘪 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 word count: 809 a/n: oart 2 anyone? here is the second drabble, make sure to eat and drink something, love yas, mwah! -Cilla part two is HERE

you and riki were both at a party that was a really big hit. both of your father’s were celebrating a very big milestone in the company they ran together. since your father’s worked in the same workplace, you and riki had always been the best of friends, always there for eachother when you needed to be, literally attached at the hip.

though riki was a couple years older than you, you both never had a problem getting along, besides, riki was around the only boy who had seen you cry. when your first ex broke up with you, he was there holding your hand. nothing ever changed how you both felt about eachother.

although, you always had a crush on riki, and it was weird, because he always chose girls that looked nothing like you to date.

but here the both of you were, standing in the far corner of the party, judging every person that walked by with drinks in hand. riki was wearing a very smart suit, while you were wearing a very light pink floor length dress with spaghetti straps that you had to tie at the back, which also had a slit running up the right leg, stopping about mid-thigh. you looked stunning with your make up done flawlessly and your hair done up in a nice messy bun with curled pieces falling out of it. your light pink sparkly heels also complimented your look with a perfect finish.

you had caught tons of boys staring at you during the night, to which they asked to dance, but you politely declined, saying you were feeling tired.

in reality, the heels had started hurting your feet around an hour ago, but you tried your hardest to ignore it. plus, you didn’t want to leave riki since no girls had decided to come up to him tonight and ask him to dance.

a little while later, you felt it was beginning to get stuffy in the hall everyone was cramped in, so you stepped out into the hallway, letting riki know you were going outside to take a breather. he nodded and you slipped out, making sure nobody saw so you wouldn’t get strung into another terrible conversation with an old man about how he used to work in a wine making factory and get bored out of your mind.

you sat in the courtyard of your manor, sitting on the stone fountain in the dead center. not long later of you looking out at the wonderful landscape of the lake and mountains in the surrounding area, you heard footsteps behind you.

“beautiful night” you turn around as you hear the familiar voice of riki.

“it is” you smile.

you spend the next few moments in silence, until you hear the muffled, but still audible beat of a song. your song. the song you and riki would dance to together whenever it came on the radio when you were kids, the song that was playing softly when riki was holding you because you had already had your first heartbreak. the song you and riki would spend hours on end listening to together if you could.

riki stands up in front of you, holding out one of his hands and bowing down slightly.

“may i have this dance?” he asks softly a smile plastered on his face.

“you may” you say, ignoring the pain shooting through your feet as you stood back up after being down for so long.

you took riki’s hand, and you both instantly started dancing, laughing and giggling as riki spun you and brought you back into his chest. you both laughed at your failed attempt to spin riki, which only failed because of how tall he is.

when the two of you were nearing the end of the song, you both broke out into a slow dance, riki’s hand on your waist and the other holding your hand. your free hand was resting on riki’s shoulder. you were both gazing into eachother’s eyes with nothing but pure adoration in your eyes.

you never noticed how close your faces were until you felt riki’s breath fanning across your face.

“what’re you doing?” you say, your breath hitching as riki’s face grew nearer to yours with each passing second.

“something i should have done years ago” he mutters.

you were filled with shock when riki’s lips pressed against yours. you stood in shock for a few seconds before you began to respond to the kiss, closing your eyes and melting into him. your lips moved against his in perfect harmony, your hand that was resting on riki’s shoulder travelling to the back of his head, your other hand travelling to his shoulder. riki’s hands moved down to circle your waist, holding you tight against you as if he didn’t want to let you go.

[on-the-clear-blue]

Bruce, doing his "I am totally not excited" thing as he settles down in the home theater with all the kids around him, it's his birthday, and the only thing he asked for was them all to get along, and to watch the old, 1960s, likely Hanna-Barbera animated Gray Ghost cartoon: Damian, this if the first time you have watched this correct? My father introduced this to me and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did your age.

Damian, giving a curt nod, he has been preped by the others for this: Of course Father, I shall watch with great attention. (Starts texting Jon for evac before his phone is snatched away by Dick)

Dick, grinning with a slightly crazed smile: Oh come on Dami, Jon can wait till we are done with this tape...don't you flippity frickin try to run from this, suffer like the rest of us.

Jason, tied up and handcuffed, sitting near by: I can't believe I fell for this again...i am going to get you for this Timberly...

Tim, sitting with his legs crossed and a sure smirk on his face: Sure you will...though every time you threaten me Bruce is going to give you the sad billionaire eyes.

Jason, very pointedly not looking in Bruce's general direction, who is indeed giving sad billionaire eyes at his child: And that's why I ain't looking at him...shit I looked at him...God turn those "lipid tears" off B it's worse than going batman...

Steph, cuddling up with Cass on a love seat: Are you sure we can't ditch this? I'm not even his kid...

Cass, elbowing Steph while stealing her popcorn:Shush, he pays your bills, you can show up for the worlds saddest birthday party.

Duke, laid out, his feet on Jason's lap: This is my first time watching too...I mean I got snippets last time but I had a killer crock attack, I kinda wanna see where this will-oh that's racist, oh that's oh...

Dick, wincing and nodding: It's like a train wreck, wait till episode 14, I almost ran away when Bruce showed me that one for the first time, that poor Romani lady gets suspected because she came with the circus...

Damian, tilting his head as he watches, confusion forming on his face: I think I now know how it feels to be hate crimed...I did not even know that slur could be used that way...it very much is not a noun...

Bruce keeps forgetting certain things are in the episodes, and ends up pausing half way through, grabs his phone and called Lucius: HOW much money would it be for WE to move into TV? Only that much? Give who ever pitched that idea a raise...only that much? Double it. Yes I am sure, also the first project will be remaking Gray Ghost, I will the main director. Yes...only that much? I want it done tomorrow.

Bruce, hanging up the phone: We will need to take a rain check on watching this...I am needed in Vancouver, I just baught an animation studio and I am...taking all this (hand waving at the glaring 1960s issues) away and remaking it.