#i probably sound silly saying that but no one told me these movies were good!! [minus the 2001 one that one sucks]

[littleaipom]

so i watched all 9 of the Planet of the Apes movies for the 1st time last year, and now im watching them all again(+saw the 10th one). It's probably just because i wasnt even close to being alive when the originals came out, because i know they're famous, but this franchise feels like such an underrated gem to me haha. And the makeup/prosthetics in the originals are so good!

Anyway here's Cornelius and Zira, i like them c:

[steveseddie]

for protection

steddie | rating: t | wc: 5,2k | cw: none | tags: steve pov, scary movies, accidental hand holding, turned into non-accidental hand holding, soft boys, getting together, fruity four friendship

for week four of @softsteddieseptember using the prompt “protection”

click here to read on ao3

Steve never liked horror movies. 

He didn’t like them before the Upside Down and he definitely doesn’t like them now when he spends most of his time worrying and waiting for the next supernatural shoe to drop. There’s no reason why he would want to spend two hours peeking through his fingers at a screen and anticipating the next jumpscare on top of that.

Occasionally, he will let Robin or one of the kids— or lately, Eddie too— convince him to watch one. They might have gone through the same horrors as Steve, but somehow they’re not bothered by these movies at all. At least when Robin is around she’ll let Steve hold her hand, which has gotten him through worse things than movies about aliens or monsters or psychopathic killers. 

That is the only reason Steve agreed to go to the movies tonight.

“Who are you kidding, dingus?” Robin snorts when Steve tells her as much. She’s sitting in the passenger seat of the Beemer as Steve drives them both to The Hawk to meet Eddie and Nancy. “You agreed to come because you can’t say no to Eddie and his big Bambi eyes!” 

Steve sputters indignantly. “What? Yes, I can!”

Robin rolls her eyes. “Steve, I told you I wanted to watch this movie weeks ago and you kept brushing me off. You only said yes when Eddie pouted and complained that no one wanted to watch it with him!” 

Steve waves her off. “I would’ve said yes to you eventually.” 

“But you didn’t,” Robin says, poking Steve’s side and making him yelp. “You said yes to your boy—”

“He’s not my boy,” Steve huffs, trying to ignore the heat creeping up his neck at the words. 

Robin ignores him and keeps teasing him. “You said yes to him because you love him—” she says, dragging the word love and making obnoxious kissing noises. 

“Christ, what are you? Five?” Steve protests, pinching the bridge of his nose while he waits for the red light to turn green. Robin keeps making those kissing noises, making Steve groan. “Ugh, shut up. Or I’ll shove you out of the car and you’ll have to walk the rest of the way.” 

Robin huffs. “If you do that you’ll have to explain to Nancy that you abandoned me in the middle of nowhere,” she says, sticking her tongue out at him. If she keeps up acting like a child they’re not going to let her in to see this movie. 

“We’re like, four blocks away,” Steve says, pointing ahead where the sign for The Hawk comes into view. “That’s hardly the middle of nowhere.” 

But they both know he won’t do it anyway— not even a horror movie sounds scarier than having to tell Nancy he left Robin to walk the streets of Hawkins alone at night. 

So he finds them a parking spot instead, a few blocks away from The Hawk so by the time they walk up to the entrance it’s exactly 7 pm. They agreed to meet up at that time, meaning Nancy is already there—and probably has been for a while—and Eddie is nowhere to be seen. 

As soon as she sees Nancy, Robin leaves Steve’s side and runs up to her, wrapping her arms around Nancy’s shoulders to hug her. Nancy stumbles back a few steps, taken by surprise but then she smiles and wraps her arms around Robin’s waist, returning the hug. 

As Steve approaches, he hears Robin rambling with her arms still around her. “Hey, Nancy! I hope you haven’t been waiting for long, I told Steve we were gonna be late but he still took forever to fix his hair. And I was like ‘dingus we’re going to be in a dark room for the better part of two hours, no need to fuss about it so much!’ but you know Steve. Duh, you dated him, of course you do. I think he just wanted to look good for—” she pauses, pulling back to look around them and make sure they’re alone, “—for Eddie, which is silly, y’know? Have you seen Eddie’s hair? He does not care about hair care routines and stuff!”

“I should’ve made you walk,” Steve mutters, feeling his blush tinting his cheeks pink again. Nancy stifles a chuckle behind her hand and Steve waves at her. “Hey, Nance.”

“Hi, Steve. Your hair looks good,” she says with a tiny smirk that makes Robin cackle loudly and makes Steve roll his eyes. She turns back to Robin, “And I haven’t been waiting long, I just got here.” 

Robin throws some finger guns at her. “Cool,” she says, “Should we get the tickets?” 

“We still have to wait for Eddie,” Steve interjects, looking around for any sign of Eddie’s van or Eddie himself. 

“You can wait for your boy,” Robin says with a smirk, “and Nance and I will get the tickets!” 

Steve lets out a long-suffering groan. “For the last time, Robin, he’s not my boy.”

Once again, she ignores him and holds her palm up at him. “Money, please.”

Steve sighs, pulling his wallet from his jeans and handing her a few bills, enough for four tickets. 

“Thanks!” She says, whirling around and hooking her arm with Nancy’s, dragging her towards the ticket booth and leaving Steve to wait for Eddie alone.  

He entertains himself by kicking a plastic bottle back and forth. He keeps his eyes on the ground as he does so he doesn’t notice Eddie approaching— not until he jumps on Steve’s back, wrapping an arm around his neck in a chokehold.

“Got ya, Harrington!” Eddie yells in Steve’s ear as Steve stumbles with the added weight but manages to find his balance before they both end up on the ground.

“Christ,” Steve mutters, trying to wiggle out of Eddie’s hold while he laughs like a maniac. “Eddie, get off, man!” 

“As His Majesty commands,” Eddie giggles, jumping off Steve’s back and sweeping down in a dramatic bow when Steve turns around to face him. 

Steve’s hands land on his hips. “You couldn’t just say hello like a normal person?” 

“That, my dear Stevie, would require that I was normal, and as the Hawkins population so graciously accused me of, I am—” he pauses for dramatic effect, “—a freak.”

Steve lets out a snort. “You’re late, that’s what you are,” he says and Eddie gives a dismissive wave. “The girls went inside to get the tickets.”

Eddie gasps, his eyes sparkling under the streetlights. “And you waited for me, sweetheart?” He asks, placing both of his hands over his heart. Steve’s cheeks pink up at the pet name. “You shouldn’t have!” 

“Noted,” Steve smirks. He bumps his shoulder against Eddie’s, jerking his head towards the entrance. “C’mon, they’re waiting.”

Eddie falls into step beside Steve as he starts walking to where Robin and Nancy are whispering and giggling about something.

Robin notices them first. “Eddie!” 

“Lady Buckley,” Eddie greets her with a little royal twist of the hand, then repeats the motion in Nancy’s direction. “Lady Wheeler.” 

“Hey, Eddie,” Nancy says, playing along with a curt nod. “Glad you could make it.” 

“Late as usual,” Robin says, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. 

“Time is nothing but a social construct, Birdie.”

“Tell that to the movie starting in fifteen minutes,” Steve says, checking his watch. “We should head in. C’mon, Eds, I’ll buy you popcorn.” 

Eddie gives him a lopsided grin. “You sure know your way into a man’s heart, Harrington.” 

“Do I get popcorn too?” Robin asks with a knowing smile. 

Steve flicks her on the forehead. “Dude, I already paid for your ticket.”

“You also paid for Eddie’s!” She argues, crossing her arms over her chest petulantly. “Why does he get popcorn and I don’t?”

Steve glances at Eddie and finds him staring back at him with wide eyes, a strand of hair tugged in front of his face. Steve doesn’t know what he’s supposed to say— other than tell Robin to shut up. 

But before he can, Nancy, bless her soul, jumps in. “Hey, Robin,” she says, putting her hands on Robin’s shoulders so she can steer her away. “I’ll get you popcorn, okay?”

Robin lets Nancy guide her away, narrowing her eyes at Steve over her shoulder one last time.

Steve lets out a puff of air. 

He feels Eddie bump his shoulder. “Hey, I- I can get my popcorn, man. And I can pay for my ticket too,” he says a little awkwardly. “I don’t wanna get you in trouble with Buckley.”

“No way, Eds,” Steve is quick to say, bumping his shoulder right back. “It’s on me.”

Eddie offers him a shy little smile. “Well, I’ll get the next one then.”

Steve nods, stomach fluttering at the thought of doing this again with Eddie— maybe just the two of them next time. “Sure, as long as you don’t drag me here for another crappy horror movie.” 

“Stevie, Stevie, Stevie,” Eddie says, shaking his head. “This isn’t a crappy horror movie! It’s supposed to be the best one of the year, I guarantee you’ll be scared.” 

Yeah, that’s precisely what Steve is worried about. He tries not to grimace at that. 

As long as you sit next to Robin, you’ll be fine, he thinks to himself. 

To Eddie, he says, “Whatever you say, Eds.”

They join the girls at the concession stand where Steve and Nancy get large popcorn bowls to share with Eddie and Robin, sodas for each of them, and Steve also asks for some gummy worms because he knows Eddie will put too much butter on their popcorn, get sick of it halfway through and will want to eat something sweet. 

As soon as the kid slides the bag of gummy worms over the counter, Steve puts it in his pocket. He doesn’t want Robin to see them and call him out on that too.  

He hands the popcorn to Eddie who, as expected, soaks it with butter, earning horrified looks from everyone around them, including Steve. Though Steve’s expression might also be overly affectionate. 

“Hey, don’t forget the napkins for your gross buttery fingers,” Steve tells him when Eddie deems their popcorn soggy enough and waits for him to grab a handful of napkins before they follow Nancy and Robin. 

“Why do you care if I have buttery fingers, hm?” Eddie asks, getting all up in Steve’s space. A few popcorn kernels fall on the carpet from Eddie moving so much. “Planning to hold my hand in there or something?” 

And Steve isn’t— he’s planning to hold Robin’s, but the thought of holding Eddie’s hand instead makes his heart stutter in his chest, pink tinting his cheeks.

“You wish, Munson,” he says, picking up the pace to catch up with the girls and walk into the dark movie theater, hoping it will help hide his blush from Eddie. 

“Oh, but I do, Stevie, every night,” Eddie says, following him with a shit-eating grin. 

It’s relatively empty inside and the four of them head straight to the back rows where Steve ends up sitting between Eddie and Robin, with Nancy on her other side. 

While they wait for the movie to start, Eddie leans over to whisper in Steve’s ear what critics are saying about the movie, what he’s most excited to see, what the scariest parts are supposed to be. Someone else might find it annoying— to have Eddie loudly chewing popcorn right next to their ear and talking about the movie they’re about to see— but Steve loves hearing Eddie talk, and maybe knowing what’s going to happen in the movie will help ease his nerves a bit.

Eddie doesn’t stop talking until the opening credits start to appear, settling back on his seat with a happy little squeal. 

Cute, Steve thinks as an idea occurs to him. Maybe if he focuses on Eddie instead of the screen it won’t be so bad. 

And so for the first thirty minutes of the movie, Steve keeps his attention on Eddie with the occasional glance at the screen to not be too obvious— even if Eddie is unlikely to notice since his eyes won’t leave the screen, barely blinking as he shoves handfuls of popcorn into his mouth. Halfway through, just like Steve predicted, Eddie shoves the popcorn towards him, buttery lips scrunched up. He downs his soda as he tries to wash away the taste of salt and butter before using the napkins to wipe his fingers. 

He glances away from the screen for the first time since the movie started when Steve nudges him with his elbow and holds out the gummy worms. 

Eddie’s eyes widen and then he gives Steve a slightly awed look. “Thanks, Stevie,” he whispers, grabbing the bag. 

Steve just winks at him, and when Eddie faces forward again, Steve thinks he can see a pink flush high on his cheeks thanks to the glow coming from the screen. 

Pleased, Steve finishes the popcorn and his soda, setting everything on the floor to pick up later and sitting back to stare at Eddie a bit more, paying little to no attention to the screen. 

That’s when bad things start to happen in the movie. 

Shoulders tense and heart hammering in his chest, Steve does his best to not glance at the screen but even then there’s no way to block out the screams or the other disturbing noises. When he looks at Eddie, he actually seems excited about the horrific, gruesome scenes taking place. On Steve’s other side, Robin and Nancy seem mostly unbothered, though Robin’s nose keeps scrunching up at times. They’re all handling it better than Steve is— fingers digging into his legs, eyes screwed shut, breathing in and out as he tries to calm down. 

Steve makes the mistake of opening his eyes and accidentally glancing at the screen just as some awful monster jumps at them, almost giving Steve a heart attack. His hand leaves his lap to grab Robin’s hand, needing physical comfort. 

It takes him a few seconds to realize that, while the hand he just wrapped his fingers around is thin and bony like Robin’s, it’s also bigger and uncharacteristically cold. Steve glances down at it with a frown and realizes that the reason why it’s so cold is the multiple rings adorning the fingers— fingers that don’t belong to Robin. 

Because Steve reached out with the wrong hand and grabbed Eddie’s instead. 

Fuck.

He glances away from their hands and finds Eddie already looking at him. Steve knows he must look like a startled deer, but instead of the teasing expression he expects to see on Eddie’s face, his eyebrows are knitted in concern. 

“You okay, Steve?” Eddie asks softly, leaning into Steve’s space even though the noises coming from the speakers are enough to drown out their voices. 

“Not really, but um, I didn’t mean to do that, sorry, I thought I reached for Robin,” Steve nervously stammers out. He manages to get his scrambled brain cells working and lets go of Eddie’s fingers— but before Steve can fully retrieve his hand, Eddie flips his hand over, trapping Steve’s there.

Steve blinks at him.

“Does it help? Holding someone’s hand?” Eddie asks and Steve nods dumbly. “Okay, then.” 

And so Eddie slides his fingers through the spaces between Steve’s fingers, intertwining their hands.

Steve looks down at them, blinking repeatedly, expecting them to disappear. “Eds, you don’t have to—”

“Shhh, I’m happy to,” Eddie says, squeezing his hand.  Steve’s breath catching in his throat. “Don’t you worry, big boy. I’ll protect you,” he adds with a wink. 

Steve knows Eddie is trying to lighten up the mood but he doesn’t laugh it off because the truth is that he does feel safer like this, more relaxed. He gives Eddie a small smile. “Okay.” 

“I guess it’s a good thing you made me grab those napkins, huh?” Eddie says, and this time, Steve does laugh, though he muffles it behind his other hand so hopefully the girls can’t hear it. He doesn’t need them glancing over and noticing their hands— Steve is already blushing enough as it is. 

After that, Eddie turns his attention back to the screen but Steve keeps his eyes on their hands for a while, taking advantage of the glow coming from the screen to study each of Eddie’s rings, his chipped nail polish, the tattoo on the side of his wrist, the scar from a demobat bite in the back of his hand. 

When he glances back at the screen, the worst of the movie seems to be over and he’s able to push through the remaining and significantly less scary scenes by squeezing Eddie’s hand and feeling Eddie squeeze right back. 

At one point, Robin glances at him, probably to check on him and her eyes end up on their held hands, a loud gasp slipping past her lips. 

Steve whips his head at her and meets her bulging eyes. She mouths her words at him— “Oh my God!”

“I know!” Steve mouths right back.

Because this might’ve started with Eddie being a good friend and comforting Steve, but as the movie droned on, it started to feel less like that— it started to feel like more. The way Eddie started rubbing his thumb over Steve’s hand, the way he blushed when Steve started to play with one of his rings, the way they both kept glancing at the other and smiling almost shyly. Steve’s heart hasn’t stopped jackhammering against his ribcage at the thought of all of this meaning something. 

But they can’t address any of that right now and Robin seems to realize that, so after giving Steve a dorky thumbs up, she turns her attention back to the movie. 

Steve does the same. On the screen, those who survived are being rescued and Steve can breathe a little easier. Before he knows it, the end credits start rolling up and Steve finally fully relaxes. 

He expects Eddie to let go of his hand right away but to Steve’s surprise, he doesn’t. Without letting go, Eddie leans over Steve to ask the girls what they thought about the movie. 

“I probably could’ve lived without seeing that many guts,” Robin says, her nose scrunching up. 

At the same time as Nancy says, “Oh, it was good!” 

Steve stares at her, dumbfounded, but Nancy has always been the bravest out of all of them. 

“Hell yeah, Wheeler!” Eddie whoops, reaching over with the hand not currently holding Steve’s to give her a high five. 

Nancy returns it with an amused chuckle. If she notices Eddie’s other hand intertwined with Steve’s, she doesn’t show it. “What about you, Steve? What did you think?” 

“I think I’m never letting the kids rent this fucking movie,” he says with a scoff.

Eddie throws his head back with a laugh, loud and full-bellied. It’s a good thing that the movie is over because the sound reverberates around the rapidly emptying room.

Next to Steve, Robin snorts. “You know Dustin is just gonna convince Eddie to rent it for him, right?” 

“Lies and slander!” Eddie protests. “I would never corrupt the youth like that!” He says, pulling his hand and Steve’s towards his chest, clutching it as he plays the to offended part. Well, if Nancy didn’t notice they were holding hands before she sure did now. 

“You would,” Robin says with a shake of her head, “You have.”

“I resent that, Buckley.”

“She’s right, Eds. Max told me you let her try beer last week,” Steve says, voice shaking slightly from Eddie keeping their hands on his chest, letting Steve feel his heartbeat. 

It stutters at Steve’s words and his eyes go wide. “That little snitch! Okay, it was one sip and she was blackmailing me!” 

Nancy raises her eyebrow. “With what?”

Eddie’s cheeks go pink and he averts his gaze, his eyes darting to Steve for a second before focusing on the rips in his jeans, tugging at them. “Um, nothing. All I’m saying is those little shits are menaces. They’ll find a way to watch the movie, y’know?”

“Well, god-fucking-speed to them,” Steve grumbles, “I’m never watching that shit again.”

Eddie leans close. “Not even if I agree to hold your hand, sweetheart?” He asks, his voice low and accompanied by a squeeze of his hand. 

Steve flushes— from Eddie’s voice in his ear, his hand still on his, the thought of holding it like this again. He opens his mouth and closes it, he wants to say no but he’s afraid the word will come out will be an embarrassingly eager yes. 

Luckily, he doesn’t have to say anything because Nancy speaks up. “You guys ready to go?” 

They all nod and set about picking up their trash, which means Eddie finally has to let go of Steve’s hand. He tries not to look too disappointed by that but probably fails. As they start making their way out of the room, Eddie and Nancy fall into step together, engaging in conversation about their opinions on the movie, which in Eddie’s case includes a dramatic reenactment of his favorite parts.  

Steve and Robin are a few steps behind and Steve watches Eddie as he gestures wildly and makes weird noises and even falls to the ground at one point, pretending to die like one of the characters in the movie. Nancy laughs and helps him up and Steve feels a wave of affection for Eddie so strong he nearly doubles over with it. 

“Ugh,” Robin groans next to him. “Tone down the heart-eyes, dingus, it’s gross and I literally just saw someone’s insides explode.” 

“Fuck off, Robs,” Steve says, shoving her lightly, his cheeks dusted pink. She stumbles before crowding against Steve again, a bounce in her step. 

“Nope, you still have to tell me how you two ended up holding hands.”

Steve hangs a hand from his neck, wishing he could say he pulled it off by being smooth or something. God, he used to have game. “Uh, the movie was a lot and I accidentally reached for his hand instead of yours.”

Robin throws her head back with a loud cackle. “Oh Steve,” she says, holding onto Steve’s shoulder as she laughs. “You’re lucky you’re pretty.”

“Hey!”

At Steve’s protest, Robin shrugs. “What? I called you pretty!”

Eddie comes bouncing over. “Ohhh, are we calling Steve pretty? Can I join?” He asks, throwing his arm over Steve’s shoulders. Robin meets Steve’s eyes and waggles her eyebrows. If Steve wasn’t trapped against Eddie’s side he would pinch her arm. 

“No, she’s just being annoying,” Steve says and Robin sticks her tongue out at him. 

“Doesn’t mean she isn’t right, pretty boy,” Eddie says, dropping his head to Steve’s shoulder and looking up at him, eyelashes fluttering. Steve goes warm all over. He ducks his head, unable to keep a dopey smile from stretching over his lips. 

Robin clears her throat— she and Nancy are trying not to smirk as they look between the two of them. 

Steve squirms. “Um, you ready to go, Robs?” 

“Actually,” Robin says, exchanging a look with Nancy. “Nance is giving me a ride home.”

Steve’s eyebrows knit together. “What? Why?” He asks. “Is it because I threatened to push you out of the car and make you walk?” Next to him, Eddie lets out an amused snort. 

Robin waves him off. “No, it’s because um- she left a book! At my house last week! And she needs it back tonight, right Nance?”

Nancy’s eyes widen almost imperceptibly. “Oh, yes, it’s a very important book.”

Steve narrows their eyes at them. He’s not buying any of it. “Right.”

“Yeah! So I’ll see you tomorrow at work,” she tells Steve then to Eddie she says, “And I’ll see you, well, probably tomorrow at work too when you inevitably show up to annoy me and Steve.”

Eddie grins, wiping a fake tear. “Oh Buckley, you know me so well.”

“Yeah, yeah, sometimes I wish I knew you less,” she says but the corners of her mouth are turned upwards. 

Eddie lets go of Steve so he can give Robin a quick hug. Then she throws her arms around Steve’s shoulders. “Call me when you get home and tell me everything,” she whispers in his ear and Steve frowns. 

He already told her about the hand holding and that’s pretty much it. He doesn’t know what she thinks will happen between Eddie and him when they say goodbye right here in the middle of the street, but he nods anyway.

They each get a hug from Nancy too and then she leads Robin away towards her car.  “Bye, boys! Miss you already!” Robin says, waving enthusiastically at them. 

Steve wiggles his fingers at her and Eddie gives her a two-fingered salute, both of them chuckling in amusement. 

“Um, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?” Steve says when it’s just the two of them and a few other moviegoers trickling out of the cinema. He can see Eddie’s van parked just across the street while his own car is a few blocks away. 

“Nope, Stevie, I’m walking you to your car,” Eddie says with a wink. “For protection, of course.”

“You know I keep a nailbat in my trunk, right?” Steve asks with a raised eyebrow. He’s over the movie by now, not worried about some creature jumping him on his way to his car— not more than usual at least.

Eddie shrugs. “My protection then.”

“If you insist,” Steve says with a chuckle.

They start walking towards Steve’s car, the street getting darker and quieter the further away they get from The Hawk. Their shoulders keep bumping together, the back of their fingers brushing with how close they’re walking. Every time it happens, Steve wants to grab Eddie’s hand and hold it again. 

“Hey, um, sorry I dragged you to this movie,” Eddie says after a short silence. 

Steve glances at him and finds Eddie looking at him shyly. “You didn’t drag me,” he says, nudging Eddie with his elbow. “I said yes.”

“But why? If you hate horror movies so much.” 

“I like hanging out with you,” he says and Eddie’s eyes widen almost imperceptively. “And I had fun just— not during the movie. Though holding your hand wasn’t so bad.”

Eddie chuckles, ducking his head. “Mediocre hand holding is what I’m best at,” he jokes. “And I’m glad you said yes, you know I love my Stevie time, but maybe next time you can pick the movie.” 

“You mean next time we come here with Robin and Nancy?”

Eddie bites his lip, side-eyeing Steve. “Sure, yeah, or y’know just the two of us, if that’s a thing you’d want to do.”

His voice is small and he’s anxiously playing with his fingers and with a start, Steve realizes that Eddie is nervous. Cute, Steve thinks.

He tilts his head. “Like a date?” 

There’s a sharp intake of breath and then Eddie is grabbing some hair and tugging it in front of his face, but Steve still sees the way his cheeks turn red. He mumbles, “Um, yeah?”

Butterflies explode in Steve’s stomach then and he feels a dopey smile stretching over his lips. Eddie’s eyes go wide, looking hopeful at Steve’s expression. He spits the hair from his mouth, revealing a small smile tugging at his lips. “How about next Friday?” Steve asks.

A disbelieving laugh tumbles from Eddie’s lips. “Really?” When Steve nods, Eddie lets out a cute little yelp at the confirmation. “Friday it is,” he says. His eyes get a little twinkle in them. “Do I need to pretend to be scared so you’ll hold my hand?��� 

“Nope,” he says, and after looking around and making sure they’re alone in the street, Steve finally reaches over and grabs Eddie’s hand, intertwining their fingers like Eddie did in the movies. 

Eddie’s mouth makes a little “o” shape as he blinks down at them, color rising in his cheeks. 

Steve tugs on his hand to get him walking again, pressed together to hide their hands between them even if it’s dark and there’s no one around.

Sooner than either of them would’ve liked, they reach the Beemer. “Here we are,” Steve says, leaning back against the car, their hands dangling in the space between them. “And we didn’t even need my nailbat.” 

“You know that’s not the only reason why I walked you to your car, right?” 

Steve’s eyebrows go up as he feigns shock. “You mean you didn’t actually expect us to get attacked by slimy monsters with razor-like teeth?”

“Nope,” Eddie says, stepping closer until he’s pressed against Steve’s body, pushing him against the car. “Not that I’d be surprised in this fucked up town but no, um, I was also hoping I’d get to do this.”

Steve opens his mouth to ask what he means by this but Eddie shuts him up by hesitantly grabbing Steve’s neck and leaning in, softly pressing his lips to Steve’s mouth, who gasps in surprise before the sound melts into a happy sigh. He lets go of Eddie’s hand so he can wrap his arms around Eddie, bringing him closer, tilting his head for a better angle so their lips move together more easily and he can taste butter and salt and the slightest hint of sugar. They keep the kiss short, knowing that despite the lack of street lights around them and the late hour, they’re still in public. 

When Eddie pulls back, his cheeks are bright pink and his eyes are sparkling, his smile giddy and so beautiful. Steve already wants to kiss him again. 

“Jesus Christ, Steve, don’t look at me like that,” Eddie groans, and Steve’s eyes snap up from Eddie’s lips, where they darted to without Steve realizing it.

He blinks. “Like what?”

“Like you want to—” His hand slides through the air as he gestures aggressively, “—eat me or something. I’m trying to be a gentleman here and not drag you into the backseat of your car.”

Steve smirks. “I wouldn’t say no to that.”

“Steeeeeve,” Eddie whines.

“Okay, okay,” Steve says, holding his hands up with a laugh. He doesn’t trust himself not to jump Eddie right now if he stays here any longer anyway. “Goodnight, Eds.” 

Eddie’s face softens. “Goodnight, sweetheart.” 

When neither of them move— Steve to get in the car and Eddie to go back to his van— Steve shoves him and sends Eddie’s clumsy ass stumbling back. “Go! Before monsters actually jump from the shadows and murder us.” 

“You’d protect me though, wouldn’t you, Stevie?” Eddie teases, batting his eyelashes at him. 

“Always,” Steve says, then makes shooing motions at him. “Now go.”

“Yes, your Majesty, I’m going,” Eddie says as he starts walking— backwards so he can look at Steve some more.  

Steve blows a kiss at him, making Eddie trip over nothing and stumble, but he catches himself and he catches Steve’s kiss in his hand— and then makes out with his hand, making Steve scrunch up his nose and chuckle fondly at the same time. 

He waits until Eddie turns around to get in his car, catching sight of his dopey smile on the rearview mirror as he adjusts it. But he can’t help it— he held hands with Eddie, he’s going on a date with him, he kissed him. 

Turns out Steve does have a reason to call Robin when he gets home after all. 

[0097linersb]

Little White Lies (m)

Pairings: Satoru Gojo x Reader

Genre: Smut, basically pwp, kind of fluff for a bit

Word count: 5k~

Summary: Satoru gets too excited at the thought of being your husband.

Follow me on twitter: marmitasatosugu <3 I´ll proofread this some other day

You thanked God every day that Satoru had the attention span of a 2-year-old considering that you often got away with stuff solely because he was walking around pointing at random clouds or rambling about what movie to watch later. Shoko joked once that you should just leash him after he rushed excitedly to feed some pigeons on the street, but you just laughed it off – you loved the way he was, fully and completely.

Now to quote an example: after a few years of dating, sometimes you found yourself telling a little white lie around, simply because it was so much easier to just call Satoru your husband rather than your boyfriend, especially since it made people take you so much more seriously. It started small, workers had been referring to the man as your spouse for so long that at some point, you just stopped correcting them. It was great, it was practical; people would treat you with more respect and you would have fun inside your little fantasy world.

“My husband will pay for it, the one with the white hair over there.”

“Good afternoon, I´m looking for a gift for my husband.”

“My husband will pick it up later, thank you.”

“Put it on my husband´s tab, please.”

Satoru never caught on to it and you´d much rather that he never did – but once again, the probabilities of it happening were low: if you weren´t holding his hand, he was probably far from you, exploring the big world around him and all its wonders. But oh well, your luck couldn´t last forever.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Y/N,” The receptionist with the Hawaiian shirt smiled once you and Satoru walked inside the resort hand-in-hand. “This must be your husband, welcome to Crystal Waves, Mr. Gojo. Congratulations on the wedding!”

Frozen in place for a second, you couldn´t for the life of you look at your boyfriend. It´s not that you were ashamed, it was a silly little thing that you knew Satoru wouldn´t mind or judge you for, it´s just that… He would tease you so much, you´d never hear the end of it.

You had forgotten all about how when making the reservations, after a long conversation with the lady on the phone, somehow you ended up with free upgrades because apparently it was your honeymoon – Technically, all you said was that the reservation was for you and your husband, she was the one who, probably trying to be nice, commented that she was surprised because you sounded so young, therefore asking if you were newlyweds, so naturally you agreed because the little lie you told was now too far along to take back.

That was almost two months ago, of course you´d forgotten about it. If you hadn´t, you could have just filled Satoru in on the little story, he would love to play pretend, and this was right up his alley. But you didn´t, so before he could say anything, you swallowed down the embarrassment and pretended normality, “Good afternoon, Martha. Yes, this is he.”

You still didn´t look at Satoru, but you heard him thanking her amusedly.

“We´re so glad to have you here,” She smiled as another worker brought you welcome orange cocktails with a beautiful pink flower decorating the glass before guiding you towards the front desk for check-in.

“Did you have a chance to look at all the activities we offer?” Martha asked after you finished signing the paperwork. “For some of the schedules, we ask for the reservations to be made in advance.”

“Yes, that´s understandable. I´m interested in the SPA treatments; we can book it for tomorrow if you have any spots available.”

“Yes, of course. Are we going for the complete package, back massage, facial, scalp treatment, hot stones, body rub…?”

“I think the back ma-”

“Complete package,” Satoru interrupted, tightening the hold on your hand.

“Ok, perfect. 9 AM, 2 PM or 5PM?” Martha asked, clicking away on the computer, smiling up at Satoru for his romantic gesture.

“9 sound goods.”

“Any other plans?”

You waited for Satoru to answer, since he was the one who spent days rambling about some of the stuff he wanted to do, but since he stayed silent, you cleaned your throat and took it upon yourself, “The parasailing one, what days do you have it available?”

“Will it be just your husband or you´ll be going as well?”

“Both of us.”

“Looks like we have an opening two days from now at 3 PM, does that sound good?”

“Perfect, and what about the White Stones Trail?”

“It happens every Monday at 8 AM, should I book it for the two of you?”

“Oh God no, just for my husband, please.”

You didn´t even notice you got carried away in the role until Satoru dropped your hand, snaking his arm around your waist and pulling you slightly closed, his thumb rubbing the skin on your side. You still refused to look at him.

“Booked. Anything else?”

“We´d like to go scuba diving on Tuesday.”

“We have a boat leaving at 10 AM.”

“Sounds good. I guess that´s all for now.”

“All set then, these are the keys to your room. The elevator is at the end of the hall to your left, press 10. Your bags are already waiting for you inside. Hope you have an incredible stay and please find me if you need anything.”

You both thanked Martha before you spun in your heels and tried to make a run for it, your escape plan being quickly ruined by Satoru´s hand finding yours once again, holding you close. Taking a deep breath, you accepted defeat and prepared yourself mentally for the next days of hell.

“So…” Satoru started once you were out of earshot from the main desk. You didn´t look at him but you could tell just by the tone of his voice that he was smiling as you walked down the hall.

“Don´t start,” You warned.

“Too late. Husband, huh?”

“Listen, don´t get your panties in a twist-”

“Oh, I´m absolutely getting my panties in a twist.”

“There´s a logical explanation for all of this,” You informed as he pressed the elevator button.

“Which is?”

“I don´t want to talk about it.”

“But you will.”

You sighed, “When I made the reservations, I told them it was our honeymoon so we´d get upgraded and get like, some free stuff.”

The elevator doors dinged open and you walked in, not even being able to appreciate the paradisiacal panoramic beach view inside. Satoru dropped your hand now that you had nowhere to run, leaning against the glass window and crossing his arms to look at you attentively – At least that´s what you guessed since your eyes were glued to the ceiling.

“Y/N, I´m rich,” He stated as a matter of fact, because well, it was true. “You don´t need to lie to get stuff.”

Shit.

He caught you on your semi-lie - and he knew it too by the way there was a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

You shouldn´t have looked at him.

“Fuck, ok,” You rolled your eyes, annoyed that he wouldn´t just accept your answer and move on. Taking another deep breath, you carefully measured your words: “Sometimes, for practical reasons, I just tell people we´re married.”

“For practical reasons?”

“Yes, it makes my life easier in certain situations.”

“And how long have you been doing this for?”

Would this damn elevator never reach your floor?

“A few months.”

“And what are you telling people I am?”

“Are you stupid? If we´re married, you´re my husband.”

“Which makes you, my wife.”

The doors finally opened and Satoru reached for your hand, practically dragging you along with his abnormally long legs as you stared at his back.

“Yes Satoru, that´s the correct term.”

“So, you're telling people that you´re my wife?”

You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion, struggling to keep up with his pace and confused at his reaction. You expected insufferable teasing for the next few days and not… Whatever this was.

“Yes Sato – Are you ok? Did you hit your head or something?”

“No,” He finally stopped in front of your room, turning around to look at you with a huge smile on his face as you caught your breath. “I´m just so hard right now.”

“You- You´re what now?” You choked out as he searched his pockets for the magnetic card that opened the door. Your eyes automatically trailed down his pants and he was indeed not lying about his current state. “Do you have a thing for elevators?”

Satoru celebrated when he found the key, positioning it against the lock and smiling when he heard the engines turning, eyes back on you as he opened the door eagerly, “No, but I do have a thing for you calling me your husband.”

He didn´t wait for an answer, pulling you into the room and practically banging the door closed before pressing you against it. Satoru ripped his black glasses off, throwing them somewhere on the floor before bending down to your height so your faces were only inches apart.

“Say it again.”

“Satoru, let´s look around the room first, enjoy the view -”

“That can wait, I´d rather enjoy this view for now.”

“´Twas expensive,” You tried again.

“I´d spend all my money on you. Now say it again.”

“What?”

“Call me your husband.”

You were still so confused, was this a trap? For some reason, Satoru seemed to be enjoying it, a bit too much even. You let your walls crumble down slightly, wrapping your arms around Satoru´s neck so you´d be more comfortable.

“My husband?” You tentatively obeyed.

He instantly groaned, crashing his lips against yours with so much need that you felt like this was your first time all over again. He started by holding your face, his hands so big that he could hold your jaw with his palms while his fingers dug at the roots of your hair on your nape. He just held you like you were absolutely everything in the world to him and that got your legs weak. His tongue massaged yours and you were whining against his mouth in no time, hands clawing at his black shirt harsher every time he grinded against you. Satoru was equally as worked up, his chest heaving up and down as his hands left your face to grab at the back of your thighs, pulling you up so you could wrap your legs around his hips.

It was so much easier kissing him like this, since you were actually able to reach him. Unfortunately though, this new position got your boyfriend´s throbbing cock right against your core which you know, did nothing to calm you down. You grabbed at his hair in pure need, making a mess out of it as he left your swollen and wet lips alone to attack your neck.

“You´re so beautiful,” He groaned against your neck after he sucked at your jugular, his hips subconsciously bucking against yours. “Can´t believe you´re mine.”

“Satoru,” You moaned as he bit into the junction of your shoulder and neck.

His lips caught yours once again in another messy and aggressive kiss, his right hand leaving your thigh to start bunching up the bottom of your dress until he could see your panties.

“I could just take you right now,” He groaned against your lips.

“Then do it.”

The corner of his lips tugged up in amusement, “Now that´s no way to treat my wife, is it?”

His own words seemed to light another fire inside him, before you could even react, he was kissing you roughly once again, spinning the two of you around and carrying you towards the bed, where he threw you unceremoniously. You yelped at the impact and once more when he grabbed at your calves, pulling you to the edge of the bed. You supported yourself up on your elbows, so you could see when he went down to his knees in between your legs.

He stayed there on the floor for a few seconds, simply admiring the wet spot on your panties, your legs folded up so they wouldn´t be dangling from the edge of the bed. As you were about to complain, he pressed his thumb right on your clit over the fabric, before slowly rubbing circles with the pad of his finger, staring at what he was doing like he was hypnotized. A gasp left your lips at the surprise feeling and his eyes, which were so focused, snapped out of the trance to look up at you.

As your eyes met, he smiled, “My wife.”

“What´s up with you?” You shakily asked as he gently slid your panties down your legs, throwing them away somewhere.

“I just like the sound of it,” Satoru answered as he grabbed at your thighs once again, positioning them on his shoulders, placing a wet kiss on your inner tight.

Your head fell back in pleasure when he bent down, slowly licking your slit from bottom to top before giving your clit a light suck. He then pulled away slightly and you could already see his lips glistening, his arms wrapped around your tights firmly.

“Tell me you´ll marry me.”

You raised an eyebrow at him, not familiar with this type of foreplay and not sure if this was the right setting for this type of discussion. In response to your silence, he dove back in, his tongue eagerly working on your clit – Why did your boyfriend, besides being rich and extremely hot, also have to be good at just fucking everything?

As soon as you left a moan out and he felt your body start twitching at his ministrations, he leaned back once again, “Tell me.”

He looked at you so hungrily that you heard yourself answering before even realizing, “I´ll marry you, Satoru.”

“And that we will have a big, beautiful family.”

And suddenly, it all made sense: Gojo Satoru, the single most powerful sorcerer in the whole world, unraveled at the thought of marrying you, of you being his, of being loved and having a happy family. Your chest filled with so much love suddenly; your boyfriend was such a loser.

“I´ll give you all that,” You agreed.

Even if it was a fantasy, for this moment it didn´t have to be.

You gave him the answer he wanted, and he excitedly went back to his job after hearing your words. His tongue expertly lapping at you in between kisses and sucks, one of your hands flying to grab at his hair to try and ground yourself. Even after years with this man, you´d never be able to get used to just how good he was at fucking you - and today especially, after a long time of not being touched because either you or him were always away for work, you were feeling extra sensitive.

Satoru knew exactly what to do to get you squirming in record time, flatting his tongue to draw circles against your clit, flicking his tongue from side to side, up and down, fucking it into you and it just drove you absolutely crazy. Even his groans of pleasure as he ate you out with so much hunger, vibrating against you, got your head spinning.

“I´m close,” You moaned, as if he didn´t already know.

“Not yet, hang in there,” He stopped, breathing hard and turning his head to the side, vehemently kissing the inner part of your thigh twice more before sitting up on his knees. “I´m having fun.”

He completely ignored your whines of protest, sitting you up so his face was now right in front of your boobs. Satoru smiled in victory at the view, softly sliding the two straps of your dress down your shoulder until all the fabric fell to your waist. Your boyfriend wasted no time, kissing all over the skin of your chest and leaving what soon would be many deep purple marks, his thumb teasing your nipples.

“Have I told you how much I love your boobs?”

“A few times,” You joked in between gasps, you both knew he would tell you that like, at least once a day.

“If I could just hold them all day I´d be the happiest man on earth,” Was the last thing he said before his mouth latched around your nipple, your back arching into the touch.

Once Satoru was satisfied with his work, he gently pushed you back into bed and climbed on top of you, supporting his weight on his two arms. At this point, you were just praying that he would fuck you already, you were dripping, walls clenching around nothing so desperately it hurt – and your boyfriend wasn´t much better, in this position you could feel very clearly how much his cock was throbbing.

You whined in need as he stared at you with his pretty blue eyes and laughed at your desperation – as if you couldn´t see he was about to cum in his pants too.

“What does my baby want?” He smirked condescendingly, amused at your need.

“To be fucked,” You groaned.

“Ah, anything for my wife,” He agreed, now only supporting his weight on his left arm as he snaked his other hand in between your bodies. “Just let me open you up first.”

You would complain you didn´t need to be prepped, but before you could say anything, his middle finger was already inside you and you forgot what you were going to say. He gently and languidly pumped his finger in and out a few times, adding another when he considered you were good to go.

You were a whiny mess, especially when he curled his fingers and found spots no one ever could before.

“Will you take my family name?” Satoru asked suddenly, his face right in front of yours, attentively watching your expression, his hair tickling your forehead. You were too out of it to even process the words coming out of his mouth. “You know the Gojo Clan is one of the most important and powerful clans in the country. It would sound nice, Gojo Y/N.”

He smiled kind of sadistically at your dazed expression before continuing, his fingers not stopping even once, “Or I could take your last name, I don´t mind. Who gives a fuck about the Gojo Clan anyways? I just suggested it ´cause I´d love everyone to know you´re mine.”

Satoru sped up his fingers and you grabbed his arm, your whole body shaking as your high approached, “But if you accept, you´ll be the heiress of everything, everything will be yours, including me. You can do anything you want, order whoever you want, and spend whatever you want, I´ll let you rule over it all, one snap of your fingers and it´s yours. My wife, the head of the Gojo clan.”

A dragged-out moan left your lips not only because of his restless fingers inside of you, but also because of the whole scenario he was painting, he wanted you to have it all, he wanted to be the one to give you everything. He felt the way your walls were squeezing around him and smiled, slowing down his fingers, “But for now, I´ll be a good husband and fuck my beautiful wife until she´s crying.”

At that, your eyes lit up, quickly sitting up to unbutton his shirt as he unzipped his pants. Once he was done with his trousers, he started helping you with the buttons and you abandoned your task, deciding to litter the already exposed parts of his chest and abdomen with kisses, an “I love you” leaving your mouth in between each touch of your lips on his skin – Because you did, you loved him so much.

The show of affection drove Satoru crazy, harshly throwing his shirt away. You were equally insane at the sight of your boyfriend in just his boxers, practically salivating as if this wasn´t the thousandth time you´d seen him like this. He caught you looking at him in pure awe and smiled, leaning over you for a quick sweet kiss before getting rid of his boxers.

“I´ll get you a ring so big it´ll weigh on your finger,” He informed as he climbed on top of you. “Everyone will be able to spot it from miles away.”

“Don´t want it, just want you.”

“You already have me,” He held your face, his eyes so intense you froze for a second. “Always had, always will.”

“What a simp,” You teased as if you weren´t right about to cry.

“Only for my wife,” He smiled, admiring your face.

“And now will my husband finally please fuck me?”

You said it kind of jokingly, but the title appeared to do the trick anyways; you felt his cock twitching against your thigh before he grabbed at one of your legs, pushing your knee slightly up and groaning as he grabbed his member to position it against you.

After all this lovey-dovey talk, you kind of expected Satoru to want to make slow gentle sappy love to you, and you wouldn´t exactly mind since that was amazing as well, but oh you were so wrong. You had miscalculated how horny the thought of being your husband got your boyfriend, because as he entered you, a loud groan left his lips and while normally he would wait for you to adjust to his size, this time he just kept going. At least he was slow with it, slow enough that you could feel every vein, every inch of his skin against your walls, every ridge, every bump.

You dug your nails into his back to distract yourself from the discomfort as he bottomed out, his lips open in a silent moan, and you caught yourself thinking about how lucky you were; out of everyone in the world, you were the only one who got to see the Honored one like this, so vulnerable and beautiful and yours.

“You feel so good,” He breathed out, beginning to drag his cock out. “Every fucking time.”

You didn´t care if it hurt, you wanted him to destroy you, “Satoru?”

“Yes, beautiful?”

As he started fucking into you again, you lost your words, but the pleading look you gave him and the drag of your nails down his back sent him the message loud and clear.

“Oh,” He smirked. “How am I so lucky?”

You felt his lips on yours as he began to speed up his hips, his right hand wrapping around your thigh so he could pull you flush against his cock. You cursed, feeling like you were being impaled, “Fuck.”

“To have a beautiful sweet loving wife who wants to be fucked like a slut.”

His hips were so smooth yet so fast, knowing all the right angles to get you biting at his shoulder and squeezing your walls around him.

“And you know what´s the best? All these men wanting you will have to know you´re only mine.”

It came as a surprise to you after a few months of dating that Satoru Gojo was a jealous boyfriend. It made absolutely no sense to you, considering that he was… well, Satoru Gojo. Like, what do you mean the strongest and most powerful man in the world, who could end all civilization with a flick of his finger if he wanted to, got bothered when you and Nanami took a cooking class together?

However, you kind of liked his possessiveness over you, especially when it made him thrust harder into you, got his tongue in your mouth in public, or his hand around your neck at a bar.

He felt the way you clenched at his words, breaking apart from you with a groan and flipping you around before you could even process what was happening. The way he could just throw you around so easily got you moaning into the sheets as you arched your back waiting for him.

Satoru didn´t leave you waiting for long, a second later he was already bottoming out inside you once again, and the hotel sheets were proven to be good quality when they didn´t rip under your fingers as he fucked you like his life depended on it.

You were completely lost, brain scrambled as you communicated through moans and gasps, especially when he pulled you up by the neck so your back stood against his chest. His hand stayed there, holding you in place and choking you as his other hand teasingly found its way down your abdomen, finding your clit as its destination.

Your whole body was shaking, Satoru´s arms were probably almost bleeding with how harshly your nails dug into it so you wouldn´t scream.

“You were made for me. Your pussy was made for me,” His moan was raspy against your ear. “Mine. Only for me. Your husband.”

Satoru was close and you were doing your best to buck your hips back to meet his thrusts, already at the edge too with the way his finger kept rubbing number eights against your clit. You stretched your hand back to grab at his hair, stupid at the feeling of being fucked open. He groaned at you pulling his hair, biting your shoulder to warn you he was about to cum.

“Inside,” You rasped.

He literally shivered at your words, a loud moan leaving his mouth as he thrust into you deeper than anyone had ever been before, including himself. Your vision went blank, your orgasm hitting you without warning and no time for you to prepare yourself, your body twitched violently as gasps left your lips, knowing you would have fallen like a doll if Satoru hadn´t been holding your neck.

“Oh, fuck. Fuck,” He cursed, losing control at the way your walls were crazily clenching around him.

His wet and warm mouth was soon on your shoulders, desperately kissing the bite marks he was leaving. You barely felt as he came inside you, or how his cock twitched against your walls, or how you could barely breathe with how tight he held your neck once his orgasm hit, too lost in your own pleasure. You did hear the beautiful noises coming out from his lips, prolonging your orgasm.

Once the two of you came back to reality, breathing hard, Satoru gently let go of your neck, softly rubbing his thumb over the red marks. As expected, your legs failed to hold you and your chest met the bed a second later, your eyes closed to try and come down from your high.

Satoru stayed on his knees, eyes glued to the way you were dripping out because of your walls´ spasms. He just couldn´t help himself, gathering all his cum that spilled with his fingers, ignoring your whines of protest, and pushing it all back in.

“Just a second baby,” He answered dazedly, his fingers still working.

He was obsessed, addicted to the view. No matter how much your body twitched because of the overstimulation, he couldn´t stop pumping his fingers into you, feeling how wet and slick you were around him. He groaned at the way your lips were swollen because of him, thumb gently rubbing your clit. He continued until your whines turned into moans, until your hips stopped trying to run away and instead bucked back against his fingers, until he felt himself getting hard again.

You didn´t complain when you felt his cock entering you once again, his lips worshiping your back as your eyes remained closed, slightly arching your hips to give him better access as he slowly and gently fucked you. Satoru caressed your hair and kissed your temples, your nape, your eyes, all while calling you beautiful and telling you how much he loved you.

…………………………………………….

“Gojo Satoru.”

Sensing your tone, he didn´t answer in pure fear.

The silence made you leave the bathroom, staring at your boyfriend who was in bed looking at you with wide eyes, “What´s wrong, baby?”

“We´re at a beach resort,” You said in between gritted teeth. “How the fuck am I supposed to go to the beach when it looks like I have been mauled by a bear after being dragged around town by a car?”

“I´m sorry, I got carried away.”

“Oh my god, call Martha and cancel the SPA day tomorrow.”

“I can give you a massage-”

“You´re never touching me again, Satoru.”

He smirked at that, “Yeah, give me a few hours and we´ll see.”

You hated that he was right.

[daysofyellowroses]

noodles

carmen berzatto x reader | 1.9k | based on this absolutely adorable request from my darling @thecapricunt1616 enjoy it then i am beyond happy 💗🌼🫶🏻

It didn't matter how many times you shook the plastic stick, the little pink plus sign didn't fade. You tossed it in the trash can, where it joined three others with matching pink pluses. You couldn't really get your head around it, you'd been careful, taken things relatively slow..well, kind of. 

Things had just progressed a little quicker than you'd expected. One minute you're applying for a hostess job, thinking you probably won't even get an interview, seeing as it was a Michelin-starred hotspot, then next thing you're front and center at a fancy restaurant and spending large portions of your shift flirting with the head chef. 

It was never serious flirting, it was just silly and fun. You made flirty comments to everyone, you just particularly meant them with Carmy. He finally seemed to get the hint when you asked him upstairs after he'd dropped you home for the 10th time. 

Nothing really happened that night, you just shared a drink, cheap wine from your refrigerator, and made each other laugh with stupid jokes. You told him you meant it when you flirted, he insisted you were joking. It was only when you kissed him that he finally got the message, kissing you back with a fervor that had your head spinning in the most wonderful way. 

From there you two developed a relationship that suited you both. You were professional at work, still had some nights apart when you were both exhausted or just needed some alone time. But you had spent hours sitting on his kitchen counter watching him cook, told him stories from your past, encouraged him to tell you some stories too. You watched movies that you didn't pay full attention to, you read your book with your legs over Carm's lap, rolling your eyes with a grin when he would tease you for looking so serious. 

It was the best relationship you'd ever been in, and while you weren't sure what the future held, you were positive Carm would be a big part of it, that you two would keep going, develop your relationship.

Sure, you had thought about kids, marriage, a home together etc., but in a kind of just-for-fun-daydreamy kind of way. 

Now, one of those things was becoming a reality. It wasn't exactly how you would have planned it, you and Carm weren't even living together. Sure, you stayed at his most nights of the week and had more than a few personal belongings left there, but it wasn't the same.

It felt like moving in should have been the next step. The excitement of starting to really build a foundation together. You were just skipping ahead a step or two, apparently. 

Eventually you left the bathroom and chose to sit on your bed for a while instead. You called your doctor and made an appointment, more as a formality. Maybe it would feel more real when your doctor told you rather than seeing it on a plastic stick you'd peed on.

Once you were dressed you went to make a coffee before stopping yourself, wondering if it was ‘allowed’, even though it was so early on. You decided to play it safe, having a herbal tea instead, which you nearly choked on when your phone rang, Carmy's ID flashing up on the screen.

Did he know? How could he know?

“Hey,” You smiled as much as you could, trying to feel normal. “How are you? How is everything?”

You hoped you didn't sound too unusual or not yourself, feeling annoyingly aware of yourself.

“Hey, everything's good,” Carm replied and you felt yourself relax a little. “Just..there's been a slight change of plan for today.”

You stifled a laugh, nothing Carm could say could be a bigger change of plan than an unexpected pregnancy.

“Oh? You raised a brow, lightly tapping your nails against your cup. “What's up?”

“So, it turns out that apparently I promised Richie and Sug that I'd babysit while they have some meetings. I hate to ask when it's your day off but..could you help me?”

You couldn't help but laugh, resting your head on your head on your hand and letting out a soft sigh.

“Of course I'll help, don't worry. When do you need me?” 

An couple of hours later, you found yourself at Carmy's apartment, smiling as he opened the door looking flustered, a toddler on his hip and a doll in his hand.

“Perfect timing,” He smiled, stepping aside to let you in. “I'm outnumbered.”

“Who said I'm on your side?” You raised a brow, smiling at the little boy on Carmy's hip and gently stroked his cheek as he giggled. “I'm here to help the kids gang up on you.”

“Oh good,” Carm nodded, lightly tapping you with the doll. “Bring it on.”

You made your way to the living room, smiling as you spotted Eva on the couch, giving her a little wave.

“Hey girly girl,” You grinned, going to sit next to her. “Hope you've been keeping your uncle busy?”

“Yeah,” She giggled, leaning over to you as Carm came into the room. You leaned down, smiling as she whispered in your ear.

A half hour or so later, you went to open the living room door as there was a knock, adjusting the toddler on your hip before opening it and trying to keep a straight face as you met Carm's eyes.

“Hi, can I help you?” You asked, raising a brow.

“Uh, yeah, actually,” Carmy nodded, trying to keep a straight face. “I have an appointment, I'm a little early but..maybe you could squeeze me in?”

“Maybe,” You nodded, biting your lip softly. “Come in, follow me.”

You turned and walked further into the room, gesturing to the couch. “Take a seat.”

“Yes ma'am,” Carm nodded as you walked to the kitchen door and opened it.

“Your two o'clock is early,” You said, glancing back to Carm for a moment.. “Do you want to fit him in now?”

You nodded before turning back to Carm and gesturing to the kitchen. “She'll see you now, come through.”

You walked into the kitchen and smiled as you watched Carm walk in, the smile on his face as he spotted the makeshift beauty salon that had been set up.

“Take a seat,” Eva gestured to the seat across the counter, an adorably serious look on her face. You placed the baby into his high chair by the table, smiling as you heard Eva boss her uncle around.

“Hands in the bowl, keep them still.”

You went to the fridge, taking out a little light blue lunch box before glancing over to Carm with a smile.

“What color do you want?” Eva asked, pointing to the handful of nail polishes sitting on the counter. 

 “Hm, I'm not sure,” Carm mused, looking at the colors. “I got a big date tonight, I wanna look my best. What do you think will suit me?”

You smiled to yourself as you put the lunch box in the microwave, laughing softly as you heard Eva tell Carm to hold still.

After lunch and Carmy's nail appointment, you decided to take the kids to the park, feeling a new wave of love for your boyfriend that he made no attempt to remove the red nail polish. When you were taking the stroller to the lift, one of Carm's neighbors passed you in the hall and smiled at you and realized that it wouldn't be long before the baby in the stroller would be yours.

You brushed off the thought, trying to focus on just having a nice, fun day. As you were en route to the park, Carm asked if you could have a little detour, and you were sure the look on the kids faces when you arrived at build-a-bear would never leave you.

Carm took his nephew from the stroller and placed him on his hip before taking him to pick out a teddy, your heart swelling in your chest, moreso when Eva took your hand and asked you to help her choose.

You found yourself subconsciously placing your hand on your stomach, wondering what it would feel like to hold your own baby on your hip, feel their hand in yours, see the excitement in their eyes when they were presented with a cute little toy.

Carm's nephew had picked a bear (perhaps with a little nudge from his uncle), that ended up in a chefs uniform (that one was a total push), while Eva chose a bunny that she chose a performance outfit for. 

When you got back to Carm's, you were more than happy to chill on the couch, though you practically melted into it when Carm got a book and read to the kids (and their new toys) til they were asleep. 

“Not a bad effort,” You smiled, looking over to Carm and trying not to imagine the toddler that could be in his lap one day. “You might actually be pretty good at this whole uncle thing.”

“I might just be,” Carm grinned, reaching out to touch your hand. “Had help from the best though.”

“You're welcome,” You smiled, gently stroking his hand. “I presume that's why you're taking me on a..big date, was it?”

“Oh absolutely,” Carm nodded, looking serious for a moment before he grinned. “the biggest.”

“Hm, guess I'll have to get glammed up,” You smiled, looking over to Eva. “Maybe I'll see if I can get a last minute appointment.”

That evening, after a quick trip home to grab a change of clothes, you were back in Carmy's apartment. It felt so quiet without the kids, you found yourself putting on music just for background noise. 

When you were in the bathroom putting on your makeup, you felt a wave of nausea hit you, more out of nerves than anything else. You hoped it would leave, but before you knew it you were bent over the toilet, taking a deep breath as you waited for the inevitable.

There was a knock on the bathroom door when you were washing your hands, looking up at the mirror taking a deep breath. Even with makeup you still looked unwell. 

“Hey,” Carm smiled as you opened the door, the concern evident on his face. “Are you okay? I thought I heard..”

“I'm fine,” You nodded, taking a deep breath and letting out a sigh as the concern didn't leave his face. “I just..need to talk to you.”

You walked into the bedroom, sitting on the bed and trying to think of the right words.

“Okay,” You began. “this is..really not what I thought would happen, and I don't know how you're going to take this but..oh god..”

As you buried your head in your hands, Carm was immediately by your side, his arm around your waist. 

“Whatever it is you can tell me,” He assured you. “I promise. Just let it out, we'll handle it.”

“I'm pregnant.” You said before you could stop yourself or build it up more, lowering your hands and looking over to Carm.

“You're..wow,” Carmy nodded, rubbing his jaw. “Well, thank fuck for that. I mean, I knew, but I thought you were dumping me.”

“Wait what?” You raised a brow. “You knew? How did you know?”

“I just knew,” Carm shrugged with a smile. “I mean, I guess I hoped I was right..I know it's skipping ahead a little but..I want what we had today, all the time.”

“Can you stop being so perfect for like one day?” You rolled your eyes with a grin, resting your head on Carmy's shoulder. “Or maybe just after the big date.”

[kalixora]

[if your seeing this twice— it’s me😭]

𝓜𝓮𝓵𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰

The room was buzzing with low conversation, the kind that filled the space with a comforting hum. The lights were dimmed, casting a warm, golden glow over everything. The fire in the hearth crackled softly, adding a gentle heat that made the room feel cozy and intimate. You were seated on one of the plush leather couches, surrounded by the X-Men and a few others. A half-empty glass of something strong sat on the table in front of you, the alcohol giving your cheeks a rosy tint and making you feel a bit more relaxed than usual.

You’d spent the earlier part of the evening with the students, their eager faces lit up as they sat around you, watching Avatar. You’d told them all about how much you loved the movie, how you’d seen it countless times, and how you’d even learned to speak Na’vi. They’d been impressed, their eyes wide as you spoke a few lines in the language, your words flowing smoothly, effortlessly. The kids had been hooked, watching the screen with rapt attention as you translated some of the dialogue for them, making the experience even more magical.

But now, hours later, you were back with the adults, and the conversation had shifted to more casual topics. Gambit had been teasing you on and off, his playful remarks coming one after another, his Cajun accent making every word sound like a challenge. “Ain’t it somethin’, how much you love them blue aliens, chérie?” he said with a smirk, leaning back in his chair, one eyebrow raised as he looked at you.

You rolled your eyes, trying to ignore the way his teasing made your pulse quicken. The alcohol was starting to make your head buzz, and you knew you were probably blushing, but you couldn’t help it. “Say what you want, I love that movie,” you replied, your words slightly slurred, but your tone firm.

“Oh, we know,” Scott interjected, chuckling. “The kids can’t stop talking about it. Surprised you don’t know the language.”

Gambit grinned, leaning forward, his eyes glinting mischievously. “Bet she’s got a Na’vi dictionary under her pillow,” he quipped, causing a few others to laugh.

The teasing was all in good fun, but you could feel the warmth of the alcohol pushing you past your usual patience. Gambit’s smirk was infuriating, and the way his eyes danced with amusement made your irritation spike. Without thinking, you snapped back in Na’vi, the words slipping from your lips before you could stop them. “Eywa ayngahu kalweyaveng.”

[Fuck yourself bitch]

For a moment, the room went quiet. Then, Rouge burst out laughing, clutching her sides as she looked at you in surprise. “Good gosh sugar, I think she just cussed you out.”

Gambit’s eyes widened in mock shock, a hand going to his chest as if he were offended, but the smirk never left his face. “Now, now, chérie, no need to get all riled up. What did I say?” His voice was dripping with playful innocence, but you could see the spark of challenge in his eyes.

The alcohol had loosened your tongue, and the warmth of the fire and the low light of the room only made everything feel more intense. With the mix of emotions and alcohol, the laughter that filled your ears didn’t feel right anymore. What had started as lighthearted teasing now twisted in your mind, making your stomach tingle with unease, and your palms grew sweaty as the moment replayed over and over in your head. You really liked Remy—more than you cared to admit—and right now, it felt like he was making fun of you.

The sound of everyone’s laughter echoed around the room, but it didn’t reach you in the same way. Instead of joining in, you felt a lump forming in your throat, a heavy, uncomfortable feeling settling in your chest. You knew it was silly to take it so seriously, but the alcohol had blurred the lines between playful banter and something more personal. You glanced over at Remy, his smirk still plastered on his face, and your heart sank.

Why did it have to be him? Out of everyone here, why did it have to be Remy who was laughing at you? The one person whose opinion mattered to you more than anyone else's. His teasing, which usually made you smile, now felt like a jab, and you couldn’t shake the feeling that he was mocking you, even though you knew deep down he probably didn’t mean it that way.

But the alcohol whispered different things in your ear, feeding your insecurities and amplifying every emotion. Your fingers tightened around your glass, the coolness of it grounding you slightly, but not enough to dispel the wave of hurt that was building. You looked down, avoiding his gaze, the firelight dancing on the rim of your drink as you tried to push the feelings away.

The laughter started to die down, but the tension in your chest only grew. You bit your lip, trying to suppress the emotions that were threatening to spill over. The last thing you wanted was to make a scene, to let anyone, especially Remy, see how much his teasing had gotten to you. But the more you tried to swallow it down, the more it bubbled up, threatening to burst out in ways you couldn’t control.

“Chérie, you alright?” Remy’s voice broke through your thoughts, his tone still light but with a hint of concern as he leaned closer, noticing the change in your demeanor. His proximity made your heart race, but now it wasn’t just because of your feelings for him. It was the mix of embarrassment and hurt, the fear that maybe he didn’t see you the way you saw him.

You forced a smile, but it didn’t quite reach your eyes. “Yeah, I’m fine,” you mumbled, your voice betraying you as it cracked slightly.

He frowned, his eyes narrowing as he studied you more closely. “You sure? You look—”

“I said I’m fine, Remy,” you cut him off a little too sharply, quickly regretting it as the words left your mouth. The room fell silent, as everyone turned to look at you.

Remy’s expression softened, but there was confusion in his eyes now, and maybe even a hint of hurt. “I didn’t mean to upset you,” he said quietly, his voice sincere, the teasing tone now gone.

The knot in your chest tightened, and you felt the sting of tears welling up, but you fought them back. “It’s fine,” you repeated, trying to sound convincing, but even you didn’t believe it.

The others exchanged glances, sensing the tension, but not knowing how to diffuse it. The warmth of the fire that had felt comforting earlier now felt stifling, the room too small, too hot, too overwhelming.

You set your glass down on the table, your movements stiff. “I think I need some air,” you said, pushing yourself up from the couch. The sudden movement made your head spin, but you steadied yourself, avoiding everyone’s gaze as you headed toward the door.

“Wait Sugar—“ Rouge tried to grab your arm but you moved away waving her off.

“Y/N—” Remy started to say something, but you didn’t let him finish.

You just shook your head and walked out, the cool air outside hitting you like a wave. You leaned against the wall, closing your eyes as you tried to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside you.

You knew you were overreacting, that it was the alcohol and your feelings for Remy messing with your head, but that didn’t make it any easier. The pain was real, even if it didn’t make sense, and all you could do was hope that he didn’t follow you out, because right now, you weren’t sure you could hold it together if he did.

The cool night air hit your face, sharp and refreshing, but it did little to soothe the turmoil inside you. You leaned against the brick wall just outside the door, closing your eyes as you took deep, steadying breaths. The sounds of the city—cars passing, distant voices—felt far away, muffled by the pounding of your heart in your ears. You tried to replay the scene in your head, rationalize it, but the hurt still lingered, stinging your pride and your feelings more than you wanted to admit.

You were angry with yourself for letting it get to you, for letting your emotions and the alcohol twist something harmless into something painful. And yet, no matter how much you tried to tell yourself it was all in your head, the sensation of being laughed at by the one person you admired most wouldn’t leave.

The door behind you creaked open, and you tensed, knowing without looking who it was. The footsteps were soft, hesitant, and when Remy’s voice came, it was low, careful. “Chérie, can we talk?”

You didn’t respond at first, just kept your eyes closed, willing your emotions to settle. But you could feel his presence, the warmth of him standing close, the way he always seemed to draw you in without even trying.

“Y/N,” he said again, more gently, and the way he said your name made something inside you soften, just a little.

Finally, you opened your eyes, looking at him. He was standing a few feet away, his hands in his pockets, a worried expression on his face. It was a look you weren’t used to seeing on him—Remy was always so confident, so sure of himself—but now, he seemed uncertain, maybe even a little nervous.

“What do you want, Remy?” you asked, your voice quieter now, the sharpness gone but the hurt still evident.

“I wanted to make sure you’re okay,” he said, taking a small step closer. “You looked upset back there. I didn’t mean to push it too far.”

You sighed, looking down at the ground. “I’m fine, really. I just… I guess I didn’t find it as funny as everyone else did.”

He was silent for a moment, and when you finally looked up, you saw that he was watching you closely, his eyes searching yours. “It wasn’t about making fun of you, chérie,” he said softly. “I didn’t mean it like that. I was just… you know, teasing. I didn’t realize it was bothering you.”

“I know,” you said, rubbing your temples, feeling the tension there. “It’s not your fault. I think I just… I don’t know. Maybe I took it the wrong way because—”

You stopped yourself, the words catching in your throat.

Remy seemed to pick up on your hesitation, his expression softening even more. “Because?” he prompted gently, his voice coaxing, but not pushing.

You swallowed hard, feeling your cheeks heat up again. “Because I like you, okay?” The words came out faster than you intended, your voice trembling slightly. “I like you a lot, and I guess… I guess it just felt like you were making fun of me, and that hurt. Avatar the movie… that movie means a whole lot to me and it really got me through so dark times and I— this is so stupid…”

“Non, it’s not stupid,” he interrupted, his tone firm but kind. He took another step closer, close enough now that you could see the concern in his eyes. “I never meant to hurt you, Y/N. Teasing’s just my way of… well, I guess it’s my way of flirtin’ ” He gave a small, sheepish smile. “Maybe not the best way, but it’s the only way I know how sometimes.”

Your heart skipped a beat at his words, the tension in your chest loosening just a bit. “Flirting?” you repeated, almost disbelieving.

He chuckled softly, nodding. “Yeah. Gambit didn’t do such a great job if it made ya feel like this, though.” He reached out, hesitating for a moment before gently taking your hand, his thumb brushing over your knuckles. “I didn’t know you felt the same way, chérie. I would’ve… I don’t know, tried a little harder, maybe.”

The warmth of his touch, the gentleness in his voice, made your breath catch. It was like all the confusion and hurt from before was slowly melting away, replaced by a different kind of heat, one that had your heart racing for a whole new reason.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered, squeezing his hand lightly. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

“You don’t need to apologize,” he said softly, stepping even closer until there was barely any space between you. “I’m the one who should’ve been more careful. I don’t want to make you feel bad. Ever.”

For a moment, you just stood there, the cool night air around you, the warmth of his hand in yours, and the soft sounds of the city in the background. Everything felt more grounded, more real, [despite the buzz] now that you knew where you both stood.

“So,” Remy said after a beat, his voice lighter, a hint of that familiar playful tone returning, “how do I make it up to you, hmm? Maybe you could teach me that language hm chére? I’d love to know what you called me back there.”

You couldn’t help but laugh, “Well— I kinda said to F off…”

“Oh,” Gambit replied with a laugh. “Une jolie bouche comme la vôtre peut devenir méchante.”

You stared up at him with a confusion, “What?”

“Guess Gambit’s gotta teach ya some words too.”

“I’d like that.”

And with that, the two of you stood there, hand in hand, the awkwardness from before fading into something softer, something warmer. All you could focus on was him—the way his hand felt in yours, the way his eyes never left your face, and the way he made you feel like maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something real.

[halliestinks]

Hello!! I really loved your cartman and reader who’s like his sister headcanons so i had a similar request

could you write another wholesome headcanons for a female reader who treats karen like her little sister? the reader only had brothers so karen is like her adoptive younger sister, and how would kenny react?? maybe he also has a crush on her? sorry if it’s too much <33

Karen McCormick w/ Fem!Reader who treats her like a younger sister

a/n: ty for the request! I had a lot of fun writing this and I love karen, she and her brothers deserve sm better :C I hope you like it 🎉🎉 (reader is in highschool & karen is 12-13)

• growing up with brothers was a struggle to say the least

• it’s not like you didn’t love them or anything, you just found yourself yearning for a sisterly bond

• so when you first met karen you instantly felt a connection and took on the role as the protective older sister 💪😤

• you met her at the park one day, she seemed really upset so you approached her and asked if she was okay

"my friends ditched me to go shopping, they said I couldn't come because I wouldn’t even be able to buy anything..."

“……do you want me to beat them up"

• ngl you probably freaked her out a bit at first LMAO

• she’s like ??? who are you???

• the only reason you recognised her was because she’s related to kenny. and even then, you barely spoke to him so it took you a little while to realize who she was

• to cheer her up, you took her to go shopping by yourselves. you willingly payed for whatever she wanted (though she argued that you didn't have to). and from that day on, you found yourselves hanging out frequently

• karen was definitely unsure at first, she’s never had an older female friend before so she didn’t know how to behave.

• but as time went on she started to open up, and before you knew it, you were having deep conversations and learnt a lot about her

• you occasionally invite her over to your place. and you have a girls night! giving each other makeovers, playing video games and watching horror movies is the usual routine

• since karen is also in the same sister-less situation as you, she will go to you for advice if it’s something she doesn’t want to talk to kenny about

• driving around mindlessly while blasting music is another fun activity you and karen enjoy (you jokingly follow people around town and make them think you guys are stalkers 🤭)

“isn’t that Clyde Donovan?”

“yah I think so”

“let’s follow him next”

“good idea 🫡”

• you then proceeded to follow him around until he took off running and squealing

• going over to her house is a rare occurrence, and it only ever happens when nobody else is there. you suspect that it’s because of her parents

• she only told you a little about them, but from what you heard they weren't very good people. luckily she has her older brother to take care of her, even though you didn't know kenny very well it sounded like karen really admired him

• speaking of kenny… karen constantly begs you to become friends with him. the conversation usually goes like this;

“you guys would be such good friends!! and then you can fall in love, get married and have babies so I can be a cool auntie!!!”

“…”

“😇”

“what! 😃”

• you do eventually run into kenny one day when you’re dropping karen off at home and he waits until karen can’t hear to thank you for everything

• you suddenly start seeing him a lot more after that encounter, getting to know him as well (karen teases you whenever she sees you two hanging out)

• he also joins you two whenever you’re at their house, and you manage to force him into modelling with you doing his makeup and karen paints his nails (he claims that he’s only doing it for karen but in all honesty he just likes spending time with you)

• sometimes when it’s a nice night out, you’ll take karen out to go stargazing

• you find a nice spot somewhere just out of town and you lay down either on the top of your car or on the grass

• pointing out silly imaginary constellations and giggling about them until you get tired and go back home

• you couldn’t wish for a better sister 🫶

[donnerpartyofone]

This is from Adam Bornstein's column in Arnold Schwarzenegger's newsletter, which I feel somewhat silly about reading so faithfully but it is not infrequently interesting. Over the past few years I have been thinking about discipline, how you gain it and lose it, and what it does for you besides achieving a specific outcome. To say that the product of self-control is self-control itself may not sound very enticing, but it's pretty important. I feel like I've lost a lot of that over the last few chapters of my life, and I suspect that it is harder to gain back at my age, but I need to think about it.

I've been thinking about my entire life history with self-control. When I was a kid, I was masochistically disciplined. As early on as I can remember, I had this impression that life was essentially or even exclusively difficult and the only way to justify your existence and satisfy other people was to continuously demonstrate your ability to endure pain, boredom, frustration, deprivation, disappointment, and embarrassment, every hour of every day, forever. (Not that I always endured these things without having a fucking meltdown, but they were the entire content of my life it seemed, so I WAS enduring them) It wasn't all bad, I guess; I got good grades and, like, I remember enjoying karate classes, which are heavily predicated on repetition and endurance and delayed gratification. I had a weird fixation on the army; I didn't fantasize about war or patriotism or whatever, it was this whole thing about how I would be amazing at boot camp and getting yelled at. I also had some sort of bizarre idea about prison, like I would be the best at being a prisoner. This is because I'm a natural-born pervert.

Sometime in my 20s, I started to lose my discipline. I think there were a lot of reasons. A big reason is probably that I didn't have anything to be disciplined FOR. I'd been told my whole life that I was smart and I could be anything I wanted when I grew up, or whatever, so I thought that eventually it would start to become clear what I should do with my life, but it never did. The few things I thought would make a good career for me were things I had no practical understanding of, no idea what it took to make them into a job, so I just didn't do them. This surely means I was never going to be good at them anyway; I think when you're truly interested in something you become compelled by an affectionate curiosity about what you need to learn and do in order to participate in that thing. I may also be too intellectually deficient to have figured out the right questions about my interests, but anyway, all that youthful discipline I had built up to get good grades and satisfy adults didn't really have a purpose when I became an adult myself, so my grip on myself started to slip.

My early adult life was pretty bad. Just the basics of finding jobs and places to live eluded me; I never had the knowledge or the paperwork or the experience or the self-confidence to do the adult things, and I think this was pretty painfully obvious to other adults who were in a position to give me opportunities. I had a sense of being really stunted and way behind where I should be in my personal development, at my age, but I didn't know what to do about it. I did try; there's a perception about me that I just give up and don't try, so I often feel like no one is willing to recognize how often I try and fail, and I'm struggling to let go of my resentment about that. Anyway I continued my early childhood trend of having relationships with pushy, manipulative, abusive people who fed back to me the worst truths about myself, so they seemed very "honest" to me, a quality I admired. I spent most of my time just feeling bad and/or trying to survive social situations. It bothers me now when I think about all the years that I could have spent reading really great books that I still haven't read, trying to write and draw more, watching the movies that I'm still struggling to catch up on, seeing more art. Being in pain is a full-time job, it is incredibly time-consuming, and you will lose a lot more time if, in addition to being in pain, you are spending your evenings not reading Nabokov but watching The Jersey Shore and Mad Men and various other shows about abusive cheaters with your abusive cheating boyfriend who is shouting at the screen about how the girls force the guys to cheat, and who might start screaming at you and keeping you awake for days and chasing you into the closet if you betray the slightest hint of discomfort. All of that is extremely time-consuming.

When life got better, I think I had kind of a revenge reaction against discipline. Like in the early part of my life I had no money, and by the time I had some money I had no understanding of how it worked and no respect for it because I always had this powerful sense that everything is turning into ash before your eyes anyway and nothing is yours so who really cares. So if I got money, I'd just fucking spend it. Being so intensely disciplined as a kid had gotten me nowhere, as far as I could tell, so fuck it, I'm eating fucking candy bars, I'm having another suicidal bodega hoagie for dinner, why the fuck shouldn't I. I will sleep all goddamn day if I want, for days on end, I have a lot of self-indulgence to catch up on!

I'm not completely without discipline as a full-blown adult, I still have plenty of guilt and obligation and fear motivating me to go to the doctor and shit like that. I wish I were more motivated by optimism and a sense of building something, but I must say that doesn't often seem to work. The doctor is often frustrating and ambiguous. Sometimes I get a simple-seeming treatment for a problem, and it destroys a different part of my body and then I have to be on four new medications, and medications to control their side effects. Sometimes I pick up a new form of exercise and I feel good about myself for making an effort, and then the new routine causes problems I need to pay for treatment to fix. It seems I always have to sacrifice one part of myself for another and it's just a perpetual balancing act of barely-normal or sub-normal functioning. I wish it felt more like self-improvement. I wish I could enjoy feeling responsible without then feeling like I made a huge mistake and basically my whole being is just a lemon that does not warrant this much maintenance and concern.

But anyway.

After XX years I just had so many disappointments and made so many unpleasant discoveries, I started to wonder why people say "At least you tried." Like are we SURE that "trying" is, in and of itself, virtuous? Isn't it sometimes that you should "choose your battles" or something? Isn't giving up at least sometimes the actual correct and rational thing to do, when the ROI is nonexistent? What's with the "trying" all the time, what's with the not so subtle suggestion that there's some superior moral affect of trying?

It took me a long time to figure out that making an effort, at anything, even if it doesn't pay off in the specific expected way, builds you into a more resilient and capable person. I did have some counter-examples that helped me see what was going on, of people who performatively did the absolute bare fucking minimum and expected to be showered with praise and encouragement for it, and it was like this big trap to prove that nobody was giving them the unconditional love that they believed they deserved, and being in that behavioral habit all the time eventually rendered them incapable of actually sitting down and writing the thing or making the art or shooting the shot, or whatever, just for the love of doing those things and the curiosity about what could happen if you try. I saw that happening and I did not want to be like that. It painted a very clear picture of what "character" is, what is meant by "building character". The total refusal to ever make yourself uncomfortable doesn't only have specific in-situ destructive effects, but it also makes you a person who is generally less capable of dealing with life.

I want to get back to where I can make myself do things, not only out of fear and shame and masochism, and also not only to obtain a certain result which may not ever come, but just to rebuild self-control. I know that at my age, after a lot of neglect and nihilism, it's going to be harder to get that back. But it's gotta be worth it. I'm thinking about that thing where Arnold Schwarzenegger took ballet lessons to improve his posing, which by his account made him feel totally ridiculous, and like he knew he wasn't going to become a skilled ballerina or anything--but in the short term it did improve his poses, and in the longer term it made him more capable of doing things that felt embarrassing and hard and that he wasn't necessarily cut out for. That seems like a reasonable goal for me.

[bleue-flora]

You're so right it's so rude of me to forget about Punz

I am sadly sick with silly idea disease right now so I'm spinning the kids getting on the dsmp in my head rn

(First of all, C!Dream immediately glaring at C!Techno and C!Phil when he realizes that you just told the kids everything????)

(He suddenly understands how C!Tommy got like that a lot more)

I imagine the kids would extra love C!Dream (and probably C!Techno but he's terrible with kids and they know from their own Techno that he gets overwhelmed by people quickly) because he has a big cool cape they can hide under. P!Tommy says he looks like batman

C!Dream builds carves a quick room for nap time in a mountain and when someone goes to check on them they find C!Dream passed out and several kids napping under his cape like baby chicks hiding under their mom's wings

(Okay, also silly ideas: P!Punz pointing at C!Dream super excited because his best friend is gonna be the coolest person in the world, P!Sam trying to put on a brave face and protect C!Dream from other adults when he sees he's uncomfortable, any time any adult gets too angry or shouty the kids will side eye them an ask if they need nap time)

Okay that's it *explodes*

P!Punz being protective of c!Dream for some reason is so funny to me. I imagine p!Dream, p!Punz and c!Sam watch all the superhero movies and stuff including The Avengers and Arrow. So even though they were too young to see c!Dream when he was bleeding out into the table, they still put together a rough picture of what happened (lots of scars like Oliver Queen -> torture). But in general I imagine all kids younger than 13 (ya know PG13 lol) weren’t allowed to see c!Dream until he was properly healed and such, so they didn’t get the download on what happened. C!Dream would still be glaring at c!Phil and c!Techno because they let some of the kids see him so vulnerable and more or less told them everything.

Yeah c!Techno is not good with kids but they think his (backup cape - c!Dream refuses to return the one he left in prison something about finders keepers… damn children encouraging him to use kid logic…) cape and pig appearance is so cool. One afternoon Dream indulges the kids and builds a little bat cave in the mountain next to Ranboo’s house. It’s hard work though and eventually he gets tired and in need of a “batnap” forcing some of the younger ones to join him, they snuggle under the warm cape a little closer than is comfortable for Dream but he falls asleep anyways… it’s the first sleep he’s had in ages without a single nightmare. C!Phil and c!Techno make sure no one pounces on the group, p!Tommy does anyways. Understandably, c!Dream reacts badly to a kid attacking him and his baby chicks and ends up punching p!Tommy, breaking his nose. P!Tommy precedes to whine the rest of the day about how both Dreams are his “abusers”… both Dreams role their eyes, making p!Tubbo and p!Ranboo giggle.

P!Punz is pretty proud to have great taste of best friends in both worlds. C!Phil points out that c!Punz actually betrayed c!Dream, so p!Punz decides he shall take over his job as c!Dream’s bff. C!Dream finds it cute and his mannerisms make him miss c!Punz.

Both Dreams flinch at the sound of angry adults even if it’s not directed at them. Whenever the adults get angry p!Techno, p!Sapnap and p!George run off and hide while p!Dream stays put, ready but scared. P!Sam and p!Punz both know about c!Dream’s parental abuse in some manner and automatically go into protective mode whenever p!Dream looks even remotely uncomfortable around the adults. And after p!Sam notices c!Dream acting similarly, he starts taking a protective stance for him too. C!Dream finds it sweet even if sometimes his brain conjures imagines of c!Quackity killing p!Sam in seconds just to get to him, other times be thinks about how it should’ve been the his Sam, the Warden, standing over him protecting him…

[softquietsteadylove]

Helloo, how are you?

So its halloween and i have a little request for something scary. Maybe the eternals somehow end up in this very old and problaby haunted house, and then the ghost in said house take a liking for Thena, so they start to hide her and make the others see her when she is not there. And poor Gil is more scared that he would like.

(Also thank you for answering to my asks🩷😭)

"This place really is massive," Gil commented mildly as he moved the flashlight around the walls. It was just the sound of their steps and their breathing. The halls of this old asylum were oppressively quiet.

"It's easily the largest space we've ever been in," Thena agreed as she too moved moved her light to examine their surroundings. "Its a good thing the others agreed to come with us to man the equipment."

Their friends were being good sports about it, whether or not they were present as true believers or because if half of their group was already in, they might as well all come.

"I hope they don't hate me for dragging them out here all Halloween night," he gulped as they turned a corner down - what a surprise - another pitch black hallway.

Thena scoffed at the idea, though, allowing him to walk even closer to her, all but clinging to her arm. "Please, all they would be doing is loitering at Phastos' anyway. He and Ben would be watching something, Makkari and Druig would be pretending not to make out in the corner and Ikaris would be trying - and failing - to hold Sersi's hand during the whole movie."

Gil snickered beside her. Thena's observations could seem cutting at times, but they were never all that inaccurate. And they could be pretty funny, in that way. "I'm sure he'd get there eventually."

"I have yet to see it," she drawled about their mutual friend, more frenemy when it came to her and Ikaris in particular. "Speaking of, when did they last check in?"

Gil pulled pulled out his walkie-talkie. "Ground floor, do you copy?"

"Ugh, Gil--aye, we're still 'ere. You don't have to go all air traffic control for it."

Well, if he was going to be such a stick in the mud. Gil huffed, "roger that, Party-Pooper."

"Oi!"

Thena took his hand and pulled the walkie closer to her. "Sersi, tell us if he holds onto you too tight and we'll switch floors."

"Watch it!"

The constant radio static of the channel clicked again and Sersi laughed. "He's really quite all right, you two. Anything up there?"

"Nothing, so far," Thena sighed before remembering to add, "over and out."

Gil smiled as he put the walkie back in his pocket. Thena probably thought it was silly too, but she would never actually say anything. It was one of the many ways in which she indulged him on these ghost hunts. "Hey."

She looked at him, wondering what had caught his attention. Once she saw him wiggling his hand at her, her smiled turned a little bit shy as she slipped her hand into his. "Do you think they'll know what to look for?"

"I told them about what all the equipment does, they should be able to tell if they get any activity," Gil murmured as they turned down a hall into a more residential looking area. "Whoa, this looks like an actual house."

"This must have been an area for those in a palliative sort of care, like a true hospice," she muttered, pressing closer to him. It was still old floors and concrete walls, but there were now rooms with more than nothing, some even still had an old metal bed frame in them. There was a dresser or two, even a mirror.

Gil winced as their flashlights both hit it head on. He lowered his, but he blinked and rubbed his eyes after the fact. "Can't believe something like that is still standing in a place like this in one piece."

Thena had no comment on it, apparently.

"Kinda freaky, right?" he sighed as he rubbed at his eyes again before shaking it off. "Thena?"

He looked around.

"Thena?" he called out with a little more urgency. He moved the flashlight around, plenty of the room doors were open, but he would have heard her. He would have felt her, wouldn't he? "Thena?!"

He rushed to check each of the rooms, forgetting how creepy everything was. His stomping feet were echoing all over the place, but that didn't matter. "Thena, where are you?!"

All that came back was his own voice bouncing around. He was starting to panic.

"Thena, please, answer me!" he panted, even moving the creaky, old doors to make sure she wasn't hiding somewhere. How could she have just vanished into this air?

He shouldn't have let go of her hand.

"Thena, please!" he shouted, retracing their steps, shining his flashlight down every hall he passed. He knew most of them led to dead ends. Where could she have gone? His hand pulled out the walkie-talkie again, fumbling with it a little. "G-Guys?!"

"Gil, what's wrong?"

"Th-Thena!" he gulped, knowing they needed more information than that. "She was right next to me and-and now-"

"Whoa, Gil, slow down. Nothing's happened to Thena, I'm sure she just went to look at something that caught her eye," Sersi attempted to diffuse his worry.

"Why the hell weren't you keeping an eye on her?" Ikaris snapped at him in sharp contrast.

"Oi," Druig chimed in on his set. "You all need to calm down, I just saw 'er."

"What?" Gil frowned. Druig and Makkari were on the second level, although most of it was sectioned off thanks to a fire from the last century. He rushed to the stairs, "you're sure?"

"Yeah, I saw her walk clear through that light grid you put up, actually," Druig narrated. He paused and then continued, "Kari saw'er goin' down the far stairwell."

"You mean the one to your left?" Gil asked, rushing down the main stairs so quickly he almost tripped at the very bottom. But he took off, full on sprinting.

"Yeah?"

Based on where they had set up, there was no way Thena could be on the stairwell to their left, because it led to absolutely nowhere, just a collapsed hallway downstairs and a boarded up room at the top. Whatever they had seen wasn't Thena.

"Keep your nightvision cam on, okay? And you two stay there--and stay close together!"

"Gil, man, you okay?" Ikaris asked a little more sympathetically, obviously hearing the urgency in his voice over the loud and static-y walkies. "Like Sersi said, I'm sure Thena's just fine."

"I'm on my way to you, just sit tight," Gil huffed. His chest felt tight, like it was on fire. He looked around, only now on the second floor. This place was such a massive hell hole, who knew what kind of malevolent spirits were in here. "Guys?!"

"Hold yer bloody horses, man, hell," Druig flashed his light at him from within the main hallway of the floor. As soon as Gil rounded the corner, though, Druig was already on his feet. Despite his words, his face was dead serious, "she really not with you?"

Gil gulped. Tears sprang to his eyes, although he knew this wasn't the time. He shook his head, trying to catch his breath. The light grid they had set up to pick up any kind of movement was still shining into the closed off areas ahead.

He jumped, but Makkari rubbed his back with a reassuring smile. Druig shone the light a little closer to them to illuminate her words. This place is like a maze, I'm sure she's looking for you too.

That was actually what worried him. He had screamed for her, at the very top of his lungs. And not only had he not heard anything back, but apparently none of their friends had heard him either, which seemed impossible.

And if he couldn't hear Thena, then how would he know if she needed his help?

"Where did you see her?" he asked, shining his own light closer to his face for Kari to read his lips.

She pointed. I swear I saw her walk through the grid. I thought she saw something in the window.

Thena would never walk through the light grid herself; it would compromise any evidence they got of a spectral figure. Still, Gil moved closer to it. He shone the flashlight into the corridor, through the propped open door. It was hard to tell with the light in the window reflection, but he was pretty sure it was just a boarded up, empty room through there.

Druig took the liberty of packing up the light grid and putting it back in his bag. "Take a look."

Gil slid closer to the darkened hallway. Despite never having been on one of these hunts before, all their friends were far less scared than he was. Maybe because they definitely didn't believe in ghosts. His heart hammered as he entered the suffocating dark of the hallway. He pressed his flashlight to the window of the door that was boarded closed. If something jumped up at him he might have a heart attack.

It was just a closed up room, full of evidence of fire damage. He angled the light around as best he could without giving himself nothing but reflection to look at. He jumped as some kind of movement caught his eye. He tried to follow it but it was gone as soon as he saw it. But he knew it moved towards the other door to the room.

And it looked blonde.

Druig and Makkari made room for him as he started running towards the main stairs again. "Come on!"

"If she's messin' with us she's makin' us go through a hell of a workout," Druig felt the need to chime in, following him down the stairs.

But Gil knew that wasn't the case. Maybe - maybe - she might mess with Ikaris a little, possibly Druig, all in good fun. But she would never make him worry about her like this, she just wouldn't. She would never scare him like this, not when it was always her calming him down on these hunts.

It really was like a labyrinth in this place. Gil leapt down the last two stairs and whipped open the doors to the main floor. "Did you see her?!"

Ikaris and Sersi both jumped off the bench of the entrance hallway. They looked at each other and then at him. They still had most of the equipment set up around them, and a floodlight pointed at the ceiling for a little more illumination of the area.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ikaris growled at him for storming in the way he did. "Didn't you see her on your level?"

Druig shrugged, "thought we did."

But Gil rushed past all of them, taking a right and pulling open the doors. This place was so massive, it was hard to keep track. But if the figure he had seen in the other room had been Thena, or worse, something else, it would have ended up in here. "Thena!"

Still, nothing but his own voice. It didn't echo like it did upstairs, though. He moved his flashlight around, seeing all the junk that was pushed into this empty but undamaged area of the building. He moved more slowly.

His heart was still hammering, but he made himself take each next step. He couldn't stop until Thena's hand was in his again. "Thena, are you in here?"

He could have sworn a voice whispered back to him. It would have been great potential evidence if he had any equipment or was recording anything. But for now, he took the potential whisper of 'she's mine' and scowled. "No, she's not."

Whatever whispered at him didn't have another reply to that.

Gil slid around a corner constructed of old office furniture, flashing his light in every nook and cranny. "She's my girlfriend! Whatever you are, find someone on your own plain of existence!"

Something rattled in a far corner. He really was going to have a heart attack in here. But he gulped, re-grasping his flashlight in his sweaty palm. No ghost was getting his precious Thena--not tonight.

He moved closer to the rattling. It was a doorknob turning. Okay, so he might die in here tonight. He hoped his friends would escape, at least. But if he did die, then maybe he could be with Thena. If she had died alone in here, he would never forgive himself.

There was a door, and the doorknob was turning.

Gil let out a breath and steeled his resolve again. He could do this. He would do this! He could do anything if it was for Thena. Thena, he repeated to himself as he reached for the doorknob, Thena, Thena, Thena.

As soon as he touched the doorknob, it was no longer locked, and flew open. Thena tumbled into the room, straight into his chest as he caught her. Both of their flashlights fell and rattled on the ground as they held onto each other.

"Gil!" Thena gasped into his shirt, burying her face in it as soon as she knew it was him. "I-I-I didn't--I-I thought-!"

"It's okay, it's okay," he gulped, holding her as tight as he could without hurting her. It was really Thena in his arms, small and warm, blonde hair under his chin. His tears came again, and he didn't force them away, "you're really here."

Thena held onto him just as tightly, clawing at the back of his shirt so she could hold fistfuls of it. "I-I turned around and you were gone--just gone! And I tried shouting for you but I couldn't hear anything around me but silence. And then I thought I saw this--th-this thing-!"

"It's okay, I'm here," he whispered. He couldn't process any of what she was saying right now. All he could think about was the comfort of having his Thena in his arms again.

Slowly, they released one another. Thena sniffled, laughing as she put her hands on his cheeks. "I'm supposed to be the one here for you."

He laughed as well, just as watery and tearful. He put his hands on her cheeks as well, "I can be here for you, just this once."

She leaned into him again as he kissed her.

"You two okay?!"

Thena pulled back and picked her flashlight up first. She shone it around the room, "where are we?"

Gil frowned as she handed him his flashlight as well. "We're on the ground floor, in that side room we checked out first thing tonight."

"The ground floor?" she repeated, looking completely baffled. "We were on the third floor. I-I felt something pull me and I thought it was you, then I was in this completely other room. I was trying to find my way back to you in the hall."

Nice try, ghost creep; Gil took her hand, weaving their fingers together. He could carry his flashlight in his mouth if he had to.

"Gil," Thena continued to frown as he guided them back towards the entrance, "I didn't go down any stairs. We can't possibly be downstairs again."

"It's okay, Thena," he reassured her blindly. It didn't matter. None of it mattered, now that his fear was lifting. He waved as a flashlight circled from where the door was. "I got her!"

Collective sighs of relief were had. Ikaris was the first to bark at them, "what the hell, Thena?! You nearly scared the big guy half to death--that's not funny!"

"Shush," Sersi soothed the beast beside her, as she always did. "We're just glad you're both okay."

Druig and Makkari gave them both more curious looks, "where the hell were did you go?"

"I-" Thena looked at each of them, seeming completely stunned. "I don't know."

"Doesn't matter," Gil spoke up, more sure of this now than he had been about anything all night. "We're getting out of here--now."

He pushed through them, pulling Thena to the door to the outside, hand in hand. He could hear their friends packing up all the equipment behind them.

"Yappin' orders at us now, is he?" he could hear Ikaris gripe behind them.

"Stop it, they've been through enough." How did Sersi put up with him?

Finally outside, Gil took a deep breath. He put his hands on Thena's cheek again, urging her to do the same. She did, but she looked up at him. "Really Gil, I thought I was making my way back to you. I didn't even see any stairs, there's no way I could have-"

"We'll figure it out later," he resolved. They could do that in a safe place, where there was overhead lighting, and a warm mug of her favourite tea. Maybe he'd even have a blanket around her shoulders and massage her feet. "All that matters is you're safe."

Thena's face shifted to something like guilt. She looked down at their joined hands. "I thought I saw you."

"What?"

"What lured me away," she admitted quietly, and maybe with the first bit of true fear he had heard her voice all night. "I thought I saw you in one of those other rooms. That was what made me follow...whatever it was in there."

It had lured him the same way. But, again, that could wait until they were in a brightly lit space with firmly locked doors.

Gil kissed her forehead and pulled her into his arms. "I found you again, so it doesn't really matter."

"Hm," she sighed, nuzzling her face into his chest again. "I knew I'd find you, I guess you finding me is okay, too."

Ah, his invincible Thena. She was the truly unshaken of the two of them. But he had to admit, he was assured by tonight that he had what it took to square up if he really needed to. If it was for the woman he loved, at least.

[blitzsicedcoffee]

Ficlet: Daring to Dream

Timeline: Night after Apology Tour. When he's at home after the party.

-----------

Blitz lays on his couch staring up at the ceiling, the plastic glow in the dark stars he put up there are still there from when he and Loona had a celestial themed movie night when he first adopted her.

He smiles to himself remembering how nervous they both were. Two people that hadn't been loved in a long time, making a connection. Blitz becoming someone she could rely on.

He frowns as the stars start to remind him of Stolas. Reaching his hand up like he could grab one, but would it just burn through him?

That's what he's told himself the whole time they've been together. That this...thing with Stolas would burn him. Like everything always did. Like he always did to other people.

"I'm just a dream to him", he says out loud in a whisper to himself, pulling his arm back to his chest. Clenching his hand around his mother's collar.

What if I dared to dream? He thinks. What would he dream for? Love...acceptance...comfort?

All things he feels when he's with Stolas. Fuck can he get a break from thinking about him for one minute? This is his dream. His.

You know what I wanna do?

What?

I wanna have my own circus. With clowns and horses. And a big office!

An office? For a circus?

Yeah! Circus business with clowns and horses! And they'll all have good names like stapler. And buscuit queen!

Haha that sounds like a good business.

And if you apply, I'll hire you!.....maybe

You'll hire me?

Yeah if I feel like it!

But his dream will now always involve Stolas. FUCK. He holds his head, get out of my head you pompous, rich, fucker! You sweet, caring, laughs at my fucking jokes, wants to hear about my day, buys me horse shit...GAH!

He pushes his eye sockets as they fill with tears, trying to will them to stop producing but it's no use. The flood is here.

"Momma what would you say?" He says out loud again. Probably that he should go apologize. For real. Once Stolas wakes up and isn't drunk off his bird ass.

"But it's so scary momma, I can't do it..." He tells her again. It's like he can feel her touch on his cheek, wiping his tears.

Hun you're being silly. He cares for you that's clear, she'd say.

"MOMMA I DONT DESERVE HIM! Or anyone", he cries into the pillow. His mom's phantom hands caressing down his horns. Then she's gone. And he's only left with himself. As he's been for the last 15 years.

If he dared to fucking dream a new dream. One with Stolas. What would that even look like?

Would they go out for iced coffee, would they have more adventures on earth? Would they watch favorite movies on the couch as he falls asleep against his soft chest? Would they talk endlessly about their interests while holding each other close?

Or would they just...fuck?

He doesn't know what could happen. It's all a mystery. And that is fucking terrifying.

He jumps as his phone makes bird cooing sounds, and he quickly swipes it open.

Stols: Can we please talk tomorrow?

Fuck it's still night. He's still drunk. Maybe the text was a mistake?

Fucking take what you can get bitch.

He swallows the pit in his throat and hovers his claw over an automatic reply and closes his eyes, pressing it.

Blitz: Of course.

Fuckin hell why did he feel like he was gonna stop breathing? Now all he has to do is wait. Yeah he isn't getting sleep tonight. Again.

[lil-melody-moon]

Hello, love! I hope you’re doing well❤️

You know I love the way you express yourself when it comes to talk about music. It’s always so satisfying to read how passionate you are for the bands and songs you love so I wanted to ask you a few questions.

I’d like to name this section…Let’s talk about The Who!! (I’m sorry, I’m sorry HAHAHA) All right, let’s get started with the questions:

- How did you find out about The Who? What made you fall in love with the band?

- What’s your favourite album? And your favourite song?

- Have you seen all of their movies? (Tommy, Quadrophenia, The kids are alright…) What are your thoughts on their movies? (I haven’t seen any of them but I’m looking forward to seeing Tommy cause it’s my favourite The Who album)

- Why is Keith Moon your favourite? (I know you love drummers😏 but I’d like to know what makes you love Keith so much)

- Some people like to compare The Who with Led Zeppelin to the point they say The Who is way much better than Led Zeppelin. I’ve heard they say that Who’s Next is better than Led Zeppelin IV. I think they’re both good bands with great musicians but I don’t think I’ve heard The Who enough to form a solid opinion on who’s the better band so I’d like to know your opinion since you listen to both bands.

- And for the last question: If you could go back in time, which The Who concert would you like to attend and why.

If you want to add some more information about them such as fun facts or things you’ve recently discovered/learnt about them, please do it.😂 Thank you so much for taking your time answering my silly questions. I’m getting my revenge for pushing me into Def Leppard (Just Kidding, I love you Mel❤️)

Hello! I'm kinda fine, thank you <3

Uuuu, I like the sound of that! Let's start then, shall we? :3 I'll tag you additionally if something breaks @jimmysdragonsuit13

How did you find out about The Who? What made you fall in love with the band?

How did I find out about them…Oh God, we gotta go back toooooooooooo… 2008 actually. Tiny me walked into the living room when mom was watching CSI: Las Vegas and you know. I knew mom loved watching tv series with murders and what not so I stood in the hall, looking at the tv, curiously and then came the intro, short version of "Who Are You". I heard them for the first time that evening and tiny me was blown away. Mom eventually noticed me, because I walked in the living room and asked her if I can watch with her, silently hoping this intro will play again and I was blown away again by the instrumental at the very end.

I've watched all three series with her - I actually need to give them a good watch sometime soon - and I know one day I've asked her about the intros. She didn't remember the band's name, but all she told me was this: "Those songs are long and kind of weird. This band was weird, let's begin with this. Crazy, destroying everything, but how they were called again?" and she didn't recalled sadly and I wasn't interested to the point of searching by myself - mind you, I was at primary school, had it really stressful, was bullied, searching for a band and get into them, especially if they were old was the last thing on my mind back then. So I gave it up, just enjoying the intros.

Now, let's skip to me being in high school. I think to 2016, it was probably this year that I started get into music with mom's and dad's help mostly, but also the guy I really liked. This was my Metallica phase, strongest one, and the second one out of three, and Japanese music phase, but anyway. I know that while mom searched for music to download we stumbled upon The Who - I remember the fragment which was played and it was that moment from the tv program, where Keith blew up his drum kit. It was short, so I didn't get to listen to them well, but mom somehow recalled my question about CSI intros and she told me, it was them XD But she cut my curiosity short by saying that they aren't very good, dad agreeing with her. I was very susceptible to their opinions back then so I gave up on them again.

Just to rediscover them in the last year at May or June. TV Station randomly played "My Generation" and while dad was complaining - he hates them - I just listened. First time without any breaks and like, I was "Okay, they're fine" for most part. Enter the drumming instrumental break tho and from "Okay, they're fine" I just sat there, listening, saying to myself: "THAT guy is GOOD", but I couldn't see him properly back then. Skip to July, when I started using Instagram again, and the app was like: "You know? You forgot about someone" showing me Keith Moon. It was this photo:

So the usual, totally wasted Moon <3 But you know, I didn't connect that he was the guy I considered this good. Skip ahead a few weeks and tumblr showed me gifs with him - and I think it was YOU who reblogged this gifset - when he was totally elegant and I was like: "That's… That's Moon?!" reading in the tags what band he was in. And like from this day I just wanted to find an opportunity to listen to The Who, but dad came in with "I will show you Deep Purple now" and I skipped a few chances on getting "Who's Next" album at the record store, actually feeling that I should get it, but I somehow didn't for some weird reason.

I was fucking hesitant. Like, I remember finding this album, staring at the cover, thinking to myself: "That's Moon's band, the one he was in…" and you know, I almost reached for it, but I didn't for some reason - later regretting it big time, but like, skip a little bit more (this is a span of a MONTH I think) and Spotify randomly played "Love Ain't For Keeping" from this very album, actually throwing me so off guard, because I always heard their more chaotic songs and this one just entered, with the drumming, the good guitar, Roger started singing, the lyrics flowed SO WELL. I was blown away for the fourth time in my life by them XD

And I think that I only waited two days to listen to the entire album and once I did, fifth time being blown away has to enter the stage. With this, we can go to the second question of this part of the "Let’s talk about The Who!!" (I love the name!).

So, what made me fall in love with the band. …I gotta start from this… The thing that made me blink and stare at the tv when I was 10, literally hypnotized, the one that made me actually consider giving them a try is the fucking drumming! I MEAN, DID YOU FUCKING HEARD THAT?! I know you did, that was rhetorical XD Just the way Keith plays it's like… It's the ideal way of playing drums to me. There's literally nothing better for me than to hear the beating on the double bass drums from him, not to mention the constant fills, the way he just seems to use every single drum, even if his drum kit looked like this:

This guy was all over his instrument, actually making it sound like a freaking lead one, and you can't tell me, nobody can't tell me that The Who had other lead instrument than the drums. I mean, you only have to compare one song to 1978 and any other one after that year. I will never say that Kenney or Starkey are bad drummers, far from that, but the fucking emptiness in later songs after 1978 is unbearable for me. And not like I listened to only one song and said: "Nope, I'm sticking to the albums to 1978" and that's that, no. I actually listened to a few where Kenney played on the compilation album I got for myself and I just couldn't stand the shift. I can't shake the feeling that the songs after 1978 are a shell of what they could be, so for my own sanity I decided to stick to the albums to the 1978 and that's that and I'm happy. I'm a really happy lil Pole now <3

Second reason would be the lyrics. And now get this, I'm never, almost never paying attention to lyrics, especially when I listen to a song for the first time, but like… Pete is a genius at lyrics. Probably the most free to interpretations pieces of poetry/lyrics I have ever seen. It happened a few times that the meaning that Pete wanted to get through the lyrics was totally different to how I felt about the song, but like if both interpretations work for both sides, it's good. This is how you actually write good poetry and I tend to think of The Who's lyrics like that. Taking a fragment of "Who Are You" as an example, which is probably my most favorite fragment of any lyrics Pete wrote:

I know there's a place you walked Where love falls from the trees My heart is like a broken cup I only feel right on my knees

I spit out like a sewer hole Yet still receive your kiss How can I measure up to anyone now After such a love as this?

Such tiny details in lyrics, lovely ones are really scattered everywhere in the songs and they get me every time. "Love Is Coming Down" is entirely like this, the instrumental actually giving more than the lyrics, they being only as another instrument, at least I feel about them like that. Which also brings us to third reason and that being Roger's vocals.

I freaking love his voice. The way he can express emotions is like nothing else I heard before - not saying that Robert Plant is in any way worse, he isn't, but like their screams of emotions can't be compared. "Love Reign O'er Me" settled the bar too high for me, sorry Robert! But like, Roger also has that specific tone of voice that gets to me. I can't explain what is it, but it's just good to listen to you know - even when he speaks, it's just making me a bit tingly inside - also his laugh is adorable, not to mention his smile!

And like, John Entwistle can't be listed as fourth reason, but I actually like his playing, like a lot and I can't skip on him. I like all of them, I really can't skip on John XD He has such a nice style of bass playing and I'm definitely not a fan of this instrument XD John is such a big exception as Paul McCartney is. Making me like bass in songs is almost impossible, so this guy literally achieved the impossible.

All of THAT, would sum up the answer for your first two questions. Now, let's move to the next ones, shall we? :3

What’s your favourite album? And your favourite song?

Favorite album would be "Quadrophenia" and I doubt that will change, even if I finally listen to "The Who Sell Out". "Quadrophenia" is so much deeper than "Tommy", at least for me. You know, it's that kind of album that when I've listened to it for the first time, I knew it was my favorite from the get go, the one that spoke to me right away. It actually carries a somehow heavy story that can't be shown in any other way than through music.

Everything is put perfectly, from the first sounds of sea to the last sounds of insane drumming at the very end, but let me just state why I feel like that towards this album. There are literally no skips on this one for me, each song is unique, but it only makes sense if you listen to it with the rest. It's also the case where the lyrics got my attention. I have a weird case of not listening to lyrics, but here, when I've listened to it for the first time, I had to check out the lyrics to "Cut My Hair" because something just brought my attention to it. One listen was for the music, second listen for the lyrics and I got the grasp of the story that this one tries to tell, even seeing two acts in this one. I will part the album in two while talking about songs if you don't mind <3 First half being from "I Am The Sea" to "I've Had Enough" and second beginning from "5:15" and ending at "Love Reign O'er Me".

The shift that happens between "The Dirty Jobs" to "I've Had Enough", followed by the masterpiece that is "5:15" - the first song I've heard from this album, fun fact - which gives an amazing feel of traveling far away from everyone, just wanting to disappear is insanely good. I usually stick to the second part of the album, because like the first half is focused on showing Jimmy's (the poor sod that is the main protagonist of this story) everyday life, the second shows him actually losing everything bit by bit - I'm talking about this album for the third time, it should be my bachelor degree by now XD - and that is what makes this album shine for me.

Let me just sum up the songs of the second half real quick - mind you that I didn't read the lyrics and this is my interpretation from what I feel from the music, heard from lyrics, got emotionally and saw in the movie:

5:15 - a journey by a train to nowhere, just far away from the everyday routine after losing everything, literally everything (this is so well shown in the movie!)

Sea and Sand - actual feeling that can be described as calm after the storm, just calm loneliness, the urge to disappear from life, from existence

Drowned - wanting to come back to the sea, suicide attempt, failed, but it's still there, feeling of helplessness

Bell Boy - meeting the idol that is not who Jimmy imagined to be, feel of betrayal, the biggest one (you can even say that Jimmy's world crumbled at this point)

Doctor Jimmy - insanity, all of the personalities coming out, one or two always triggered after alcohol or drugs, the feeling of not caring about anything and anyone even about himself

The Rock - the grand final, giving up on life, struggling before doing so, regret of being born, everything that happened is just too much and here is the second suicide attempt

Love Reign O'er Me - an emotional ballad that sums up the feeling of the entire story, it doesn't give a conclusion, the conclusion if Jimmy died, riding off the cliff or not is up to you (I usually go with the conclusion that Jimmy drowned, but his body was washed ashore on an abandoned island and now his soul is stuck there, as he's too troubled to go to the afterlife, maybe meeting similar soul there, but like that is the ending I'm usually going with).

All of that, all of the second half of the album is the best piece of music I have ever heard. Not only the story but musically it's just… As a whole it's probably the best album of the 70s for me, but also, I think I kind of feel sorry for the poor sod that is named Jimmy, connecting to his "trying to fit in the world" a bit too personally. Like, seeing/hearing his struggle, his hesitation, just trying to find a place for himself in the world that certainly "is not for him" just got to me. Additionally there comes the open ending and like my conclusion is one of the many you can come up with really. And there's also the repeated theme that plays throughout the entire album, the main theme of Quadrophenia, it's just so good to listen to. Sad, melancholic with a bit of hope/calling for help. As of now, you should know I love sadness in music, so that was a given I would be attached to this album.

But now, going to my favorite song. I certainly have a lot, like: "My Generation", "A Legal Matter", "The Ox", "Cobwebs and Strange", "Happy Jack" (drumming, OMG, DRUMMING IN THIS ONE), "Overture", "1921", "Eyesight of the Blind (The Hawker)", "Underture", "Pinball Wizard", "Tommy's Holiday Camp", "We're Not Gonna Take It", "Love Ain't For Keeping", "The Song Is Over", "Getting In Tune", whole "Quadrophenia", "Slip Kid", "However Much I Booze", "Squeeze Box", "Trick Of The Light", "Love Is Coming Down", "Who Are You", BUT there is one that isn't listed here and was mentioned up above.

And that, my dear friend, is "Bell Boy". There are three reasons for that. First reason and the main one is the fact that Keith Moon is singing in this one. This is literally all it took to make me love this song and it happened immediately - just imagine me listening to this one for the first time, suddenly hearing Keith, I was NEVER this happy before XD Second being the opening of the song. It begins with Keith's drumming, what can I want more? XD Third reason, this song is absolutely catchy. I have no other reasons, they are pretty simple, but like, I can't help but love this song! Plus there's this part of the lyrics where Keith sings - with a very pretty voice of his:

Some nights I still sleep on the beach Remember when stars were in reach Then I wander in early to work Spend my day licking boots for my perks

And I kind of tend to imagine him sitting on that beach at night, looking at stars, everything silent, only the sound of sea heard. …Just a calm image that is appearing in my mind each time I hear him start singing this verse, but that is a detail. Moving on!

Have you seen all of their movies? (Tommy, Quadrophenia, The Kids are alright...) What are your thought on their movies? (I haven't seen any of them but I'm looking forward to seeing Tommy cause it's my favourite The Who Album)

Not at all, but I saw "Tommy" and "Quadrophenia". I'm slowly getting to watch "The Kids Are Alright", but I'm a bit hesitant about this one. Dunno why, I just am - something is telling me to wait with it XD

My general thought about those two is that they are okay, like really okay, but like, they could be better, especially "Quadrophenia" and so I will go with this one first!

So, as you know it's my favorite album and I have to say that the movie shows the entire plot very well. It's rough, actually being very similar to the photos that were done for this album specifically and it gives away the vibe of 1965 (I think) very damn well, comparing it to the photos. Actors are okay - the one who plays Jimmy stole my heart, I can't help but have a crush on this poor sod, all the reasons you've already read, so I won't repeat myself, but I do have a few things that itches me about this movie.

The order of the songs and that some of them were cut out of it. Don't get me wrong, I know there had to be changes made, some songs are replaced by the actual acting and that's cool, but mixing the order of the songs is totally different. I'm talking specifically about the moment they've played "Love Reign O'er Me". It threw me so off guard at first, it was just not sitting well with me. This is a freaking conclusion song and they threw it right before "Bell Boy" started to play, before the scene where Jimmy sees his idol working at a hotel as a bell boy. The song playing in the background saved me from a rant when I was watching it with a friend, but ya know, it was just the worst moment to play it, like come the fuck on XD

And I have a very big BUT to Sting being in this movie. Like, this guy is a brick, he can't fucking act, he has a poker face the entire freaking time, like move a muscle on your face! XD But there also was that motif in the album that each band member had his song, "Bell Boy" being Keith's song, making the character Ace Face his character and Sting does not do well in that character. I mean, after listening to the album, knowing about it, knowing how Keith was it just doesn't add up at all. It would probably, or most definitely, look different if Keith was still alive at that time, because Pete clearly stated in one interview (if I remember correctly) that there were plans in 1978 to make the "Quadrophenia" movie and for all members of the band to be in this one, so I think Keith would automatically play as Ace Face - just like it happened with Uncle Ernie in "Tommy", BUT THAT LATER - and the interpretation of the character would be accurate with the source material. This is what ticks me off personally a little bit, but like I have no right to blame anyone and I won't.

Overall the entire movie could be much worse, I'm kind of happy with what I saw. So now… Moving to "Tommy"…

I'll be honest with you, I've watched the movie first, then listened to the original album and while I like the original score much more, I can't say a bad word about the musical. It's sometimes weird, fucked up, scenes are very long, they made me uncomfortable due to the fact how Tommy is treated - I literally feel so sorry for him the entire time, I almost hate every character in this one - besides two, Tommy and one more, but that later, and God, how happy I was at the very end! This musical makes a nice loop actually and I won't spoil it for you, but like, remember the opening scene on a mountain when you'll watch it, just remember it <3

Some songs are changed, like very changed, I love some changes, I hate some, but like, all of them fit the artists in the musical, so that's good. I don't have to like everything, but like this musical did something. I actually told myself at the beginning of the last year when I've dropped out of anime and all the fictional worlds for good that I won't fall for a fictional character. I meant it only for animated guys, the ones in games - you know, a bunch of lines/pixels - but I didn't think about actors and characters they are playing. I started watching movies very recently, actually enjoying them more and more and this movie, this freaking musical made me break the promise. Uncle fucking Ernie stepped into my life and I was a goner! LET ME EXPLAIN!

I knew, I was aware that Keith plays in this movie. My freaking bestie send me some gifs of him from this musical on Discord and even then I was like "This is probably from "Tommy", I bet my ass it is" and I was right. I know what character Uncle Ernie is, but like my bestie said "You always liked the worst, it doesn't surprise me anymore" and that's kind of typical for me. But this had five stages actually.

First being the scene where he showed up for the first time in that small window of his. I leaned in the direction of the tv, this scene was pretty dark and it was a bright afternoon and I was like: "That's Keith, isn't it?" not being sure 100%, but I was excited. Second, then came the scene where "Fiddle About" is playing. And I swear it to you, I fucking swear it to you, I've never was laughing and feeling embarrassed to the point of blushing and curling on my bed ever in my entire life. Not gonna spoil this beauty, but this musical and Uncle Ernie destroyed the word "fiddle" for me XD Third being that one tiny scene where Tommy is famous already and Uncle Ernie has a cameo there. He is somehow changed, the outfit and general look, vibe totally the same, creepy older guy, but like… The fact that I thought: "Oh… You look good…" should be a big red flag for me, but I carried on. Bring in the fourth stage where "Tommy's Holiday Camp" plays. Uncle Ernie is totally changed in this one, probably trying to look friendly and that made me say out loud: "Oh fuck, now you look hot" and that just started a wave of things. Fifth stage being a few days after the movie, having a conversation with myself that went like this: "You remember Tommy, right?" "Yep" "Remember Uncle Ernie?" "How could I forget?" "You would let him fuck you, wouldn't you?" "…" "…" "Yes…" And that brought up this post, which is still a big state of my mind, ESPECIALLY during horny days and it also brought up a big au where I've made a self-insert in this musical, went for a uncle-niece trope and actually worked on it so hard to make everything work as I wanted, that I'm proud of this personal fuckery I've made. In conclusion, I love this fucker and that's that <3 (Hmhm, I will watch "Tommy" at my horny days with friends, this will end well)

Also, a fun fact! I vaguely remember that I've watched this movie when I was tiny, I could be 3 back then, but I remember two scenes from it. The one when it's shown how Nora is disgusted by Tommy when he's already famous and she's sitting in that white house of theirs, all rich. I remember this scene because it's just turns weirder and weirder, but no spoilers for you ;3 And the one where "Tommy's Holiday Camp" starts, Keith as Uncle Ernie having his second 5 seconds of glory. Just a random fact <3

Why is Keith Moon your favourite? (I know you love drummers😏 but I’d like to know what makes you love Keith so much)

…Oh My God, this will get emotional…

Okay, first of all! Keith is the guy who started my obsession with drumming. He set the ideal type of drumming style that I love, with those short intros to CSI. Sure, I could forget about him in those longer breaks between encountering The Who once in a while, but unconsciously I always knew what I was searching in drumming. That would actually explain why I was always bored when I heard the drums going in one rhythm, without any changes in songs. I just had a type, thanks to who I've discovered in the last year.

Second would be his personality. I still don't know a lot about him - still hunting for a book about him! - but from what I know, knowing what flaws he had, how he acted around people, just the tiny details I could catch here and there, watching documentaries, especially that one that made me hysterical at the very end… I don't know, I just got so attached to him in such a short span that it's insane. One week I was cautious about him, knowing how much he drunk, how much drugs he took. Second week I started getting attached, just to fall in love with him in the third week. Sure, that one documentary had a lot to do with it - it was talking mainly about his last day of life and talking about his life in short, but what was okay was the fact that his girlfriend was in it, talking about him as well - and you know, I learned a lot at that day, the fact how he died bringing the previously mentioned hysteria and I just… It was the day that started the rest of the reasons of why I like him so much. It just kicked everything in.

So third reason that appeared at the same day would be the fact that I saw a mirror image of my dad in him. And I'm not joking here. Mostly in the behavior and addictions. My dad's a tame version of Moon in those two aspects, except drugs luckily, but like, seeing how Keith died and knowing damn well that he and my dad had the same drinking addiction and knowing how bad it was with dad - alcohol was slowly killing him, it was slowly destroying my family - I saw in that moment that if not one accident that happened and if not my mom's constant fight for dad to stop drinking, my dad would end the fucking same as Keith. And like, I think my mind made that connection, caused a hysteria, understood the tragedy and I think I started to feel sorry for Keith to the point of the insanity that is now.

Which also brings us to the fact that I started seeing a handsome guy in him. No matter the age, I just see a handsome, exactly my type of a guy. And like I know I sound insane, but for the entire life I felt like I was searching for something. This feeling only getting stronger two years ago when I got interested in music, started listening to older bands and you know. I've jumped from The Doors to The Beatles, from The Beatles to Led Zeppelin, from Led Zeppelin to Deep Purple just to jump from Deep Purple to The Who, this day making the feeling of searching disappear. Like, I've found Keith, that's all I apparently wanted. Keith is a special guy to me and I can't help it but love him to the point that I decided if I don't have a boyfriend now, he'll get the entire love I can offer, even if it's only in form of fics or scenarios in my head.

And like, something else happened as well. I sometimes have strange dreams where I can see the dead ones and I had one like that with Keith. I can't tell you what exactly happened there, because I don't remember, but like, one fragment remains: I was sitting with him on a white floor (it's always a white space) across in close proximity. We were talking about something, dunno what, but Keith was so happy. He was actually beaming with happiness, making me laugh with something he said and from here I only know that he got closer to me, but what did he do? I have no idea, yet I felt tingly all over my body the entire day. I feel tingly when I think back to that dream, but like, that happiness of his was so real. And this dream happened a day after I heard "Love Ain't For Keeping", day before I've listened to "Who's Next". And funny thing, after I listened to the album, I heard in my mind: "Finally back at home". Just a thought crossing my mind randomly. I can't explain that as well.

But the attachment grew to the point of how it is now. I don't know, I just feel like at home with him around. Even if he's just in the music, he's still around and even the thought of that brings a smile on my face. Also a lot, and I mean A LOT of The Who's lyrics makes me think about him, bringing in the slight urge of taking care of him. "Love Is Coming Down" is probably the best example for that, but like the scattered fragments of beautiful poetry I've mentioned earlier… I was talking about the fragments that always makes me think of him. And sure, yeah, I ship myself with him just for fun, to make most of my loneliness go away, but like I do feel a strong connection to him. I don't know if it's a soulmate thing, if it's attachment, if it's just a simple human sympathy or if it's just a woman's lonely heart going insane, because it thinks that it found the second half, but like… Keith is special for me for all of those reasons and I think I could find many more, but those are the most important ones.

I feel like a piece of me that should be in the place finally got in and I'm happy with that <3

Some people like to compare The Who with Led Zeppelin to the point they say The Who is way much better than Led Zeppelin. I’ve heard they say that Who’s Next is better than Led Zeppelin IV. I think they’re both good bands with great musicians but I don’t think I’ve heard The Who enough to form a solid opinion on who’s the better band so I’d like to know your opinion since you listen to both bands.

Oh God, I've never compared them. I mean, okay, I did two times. Once because I wanted to decide who's got his ass on the first place of favorite drummers - this was a hell! - and second while answering on one of your questions, but now that I think about it…

It's still difficult to choose, because both are great bands and their style is completely different in everything: bass, drums, lyrics, vocals, guitar, everything. And I know that people love to compare, I don't do that, unless I have to decide on the ranking, but that's like personal thing.

I would say who is better depends on the music taste, because some will love The Who, hate Led Zeppelin and the other way around (my dad hates The Who, loves Led Zeppelin) and honestly if I was asked about that, like I am now, I would have to compare them depending on my taste, so I would have to do the same as I did a few months ago to make it clear who's on the first place on my long long LONG list of drummers. Album comparison doesn't make sense for me, because you can clearly hear that "Led Zeppelin IV" has a totally different vibe than "Who's Next", but then it's also a matter of music taste and if there's no skips on album.

But if it comes to solely my opinion, so coming back to the struggle on who's better, John Bonham or Keith Moon, I'm gonna say that Keith is slightly better than John and that makes The Who automatically be better than Led Zeppelin for me. But again, slightly. It's such a small difference that they could be both on the first place if I didn't want a clear answer.

Then again, it's a funny situation, the comparison of drummers. I remember saying at August that if I ever find a better drummer than John Bonham that'll be a miracle. I shouldn't have said that, you know? XD

And for the last question: If you could go back in time, which The Who concert would you like to attend and why

Ack, fuck, I only watched two of them XD But there are two, most definitely!

The one from Charlton from 1974, the last one I've watched and the second. It was a good concert really, Keith was incredible - and they played "Bell Boy", I would pay everything to be there and hear him sing!

And the one concert I didn't watch and just had to search where it was and what year it was, it's the one from Kilburn from 1977. I only saw one fragment of it, one song, but like, if Keith was acting like a bastard who wanted to piss everyone off the entire time, sign me the fuck up! Plus, it's the concert where he wears this costume - it's mainly purple and white, all sparkly!

I love it! I even specifically searched for this photo to get it on my facebook header - yes, Moonie is even there! - because I wanted this specific Keith, from this specific time and in this specific outfit! I just love him in this one. Fuck I need to watch this concert one day XD

And please, the only thing I've recently discovered was a fragment of an interview, when Keith was talking about how he destroyed every room below his one in a hotel by making the waterbed break, water destroying the floors and ceilings while he was sitting on in his chair, looking like: "Well, that happened" as if he didn't expect it would break XD I love this idiot so much, I can't fucking express it properly XD Oh come on, they weren't silly, I had a blast with them! Oh, your revenge you say… Well then mischievous grin Expect to receive something soonish ;3 (Love you too, take care! <3)

[br1ghtestlight]

random thought but i love eugene mirman's gene sounds ESPECIALLY when gene is sleeping. they're so good & cute

louise tina bob and linda looking @ gene literally exactly like this when he forgets how his song goes at breakfast LMAOO

love that tina and louise seem to actually pay attention to what songs gene is writing and what they're about despite the fact that there are SO MANY. supportive family <3

gene's dream.... bro that was god speaking to you. like for real wtf

also im only a minute in and there are SO MANY good screenshots already he's such a cutie i love him so much!!!! <3 gene episodes my beloved

"Now I'm going to change into last night's pajamas, AKA my only pajamas, and brush my teeth with Tina's toothbrush because that's what I accidentally did last night."

"Wait, what?"

gene and tina are so silly?? 😭

me and gene share many similarities including waking up in the middle of the night every two hours for no fucking reason. like THATS relatable

MR AMBROSE APPEARANCE LETS FUCKING GOOO‼️‼️ why does his voice sound slightly sped up is he okay. does he have a new voice actor?? he sounds slightly off not like in a bad way its just strange

THERE WAS A NEW VOICE ACTOR BCUZ BILLY EICHNER WASNT CREDITED maybe bcuz its such a small appearance but thats very weird. i feel like mickey fans in season 12 episode 6 when loren did that horrible mickey impression 😭😭 also whoever did his voice in this episode wasnt credited so it was somebody from the main cast doing an impression of him. will try to figure out who. sorry episode review cancelled i need to figure out who the hell voiced mr ambrose in this episode

based on the fact that u cant obviously tell who it is i dont think its eugene mirman and probably not h jon benjiman?? dan mintz can only do one voice so its not him either. probably either john roberts larry murphy or a random crew member who they didnt bother to credit

(most likely billy eischner just wasn't avaliable to voice mr ambrose due to his movie career etc so i dont blame them but it was noticeable enough to ME that i needed to figure it out. not even a bad impression honestly the average fan wouldnt notice)

"What do you lucid dream about?"

"I do revenge stuff on people who were mean to me in high school, some fantasy and science fiction, some adult stuff I can't tell you about."

this is literally the gayest thing mr ambrose has ever said omg FHFMDDJKSKS i cant believe this drama club ass nerd was bullied in high school who could have guessed. not me thats for sure

(now somebody has to write a fanfic about mr ambrose having Adult Stuff dreams about mr frond. i want this on my desk by 3pm tomorrow)

love mr ambrose and his gay ass curly hair..... mr ambrose my beloved <33 kisses u

i dont have anything to say im just strangely invested in gene's lucid dreaming plot at this point. Love all his silly little dreams and its incredible he never seems to have any nightmares or anything!!

this is reminding me of the movie where gene had a dream and he was scared that he wasn't good at music and that people weren't going to like his performance and the aliens came down to told him to stop 😭😭💔 his insecurity that he might not be that good a musician literally makes me cry. he's so sweet and kindhearted my babyy boy

CAN I SKIP SCHOOL AND GO BACK TO SLEEP LMAO

"Even successful musicians went to sixth grade, Gene."

"That's a MYTH!!"

weirdly mr ambrose started sounding completely normal at some point like did his voice actor come back and just wasn't credited?? or whoever did this impression was REALLY good jfc

mr ambrose HATES these fuckign kids bro

HES SO UNHINGED LMAO 😭😭

NOT THE STARING AGAIN. why are they literally just this image every single time gene plays music in this episode im gonna cry

love this specific frame of gene running his hand through his hair

awww bob is such a good dad

sidenote but this subplot with tina and louise is so stupid it actually made me laugh LMAO the fucking girl cricket. thr female cricket. like what if he's gay huh what then

"or if she's not his type she also makes a great best friend. she's a good listener" THANK YOU louise for acknowledging the cricket might be gay. she's an ally 🙏

AWW GENE WRITING HIS SONG <3 eugene mirman isnt a Good singer (not hating he literally says that all the time. they have to record each line seperately bcuz he cant sing on key) so its hard to tell when they're trying to make gene's songs seem good or not but this is really sweet. u can tell he just loves music so much

why is gene's song kinda making me emotional..... like this show is usually 50/50 on if it actually wants to take gene's songwriting ability seriously but in this episode its so clear how much he LOVES music and songwriting and how talented he is at it. he has trouble with focus and commitment sometimes but thats never an issue when it comes to his music and he'd happily spend an entire afternoon writing a song from start to finish (even skipping out on dinner) because he was so hyperfocused. love how much respect they give gene in this episode tbh

deeply appreciate the "larry murphy as teddy" credit despite teddy not having one single line in this entire episode. Literally just a legacy credit at this point

I LOVED THIS EPISODE 😭😭💕 i dont think it'll be as widely popular as some other episodes this season but as a gene fan and an artist this episode really resonated with me. the ending sequence was actually really beautiful (gives me the same vibes as "your heart's not broken its only growing" tbh) and i loved gene's song and all the different costumes they put him in for his dreams!! tina and louise's subplot was really cute too. very enjoyable episode if you're a gene fan or just a casual viewer who wishes he got more focus. he's SO SWEET and so passionate <3

[gideongrovel]

I love when others acknowledge my F/Os being my guys, or just hearing others talk about them just makes me 🥰🥰🥰 no tw,,, im just adding a readmore cuz i don't know how long imma ramble lmao,,

so my brother's been visiting for a couple weeks, and normally we (me, my brother, and sister) watch or rewatch a bunch of shit while he's here,,,, so last night we were doing that but my sister wanted to go to bed after a couple movies, but me and my brother wanted to stay up and still watch something still,,,, so we wanted to pick something our sister wouldn't care if we watched without her,,,, so we decided on C.astlevania,,,,, my brother didn't wanna watch any eps from the third season, i said "we have to watch episodes from the fourth season because V.arney is in it" im pretty sure he just thinks I like V.arney as a character he doesn't know how i ship with him tho I'm not good at hiding my affections, so he probably knows it's more then platonic love of a character *rip*,,,, but my sister who does know that I ship with V.arney or at least know vaguely that i do, from down the hall overheard my suggestion, and was like "I heard he stinks, you can't watch that" (she wasn't being mean she was doing a bit, since we will roast characters eachother like for sillies,,, tho he canonically does smell bad lol)

when i was pulling up the episodes my brother started laughing cause he realized the timestamps are all at random points of each of the episodes,,, and he was like "You have them all stopped in the middle of the episodes, on the V.arneys scenes don't you?" and I just laughed and agreed cause he was spot on 😂 I told him "earlier I mentioned how I had "''episodes recorded"'' I really just meant the V.arney scenes" idk what he was thinking when I said that cause he just laughed and was like "Oh my gosh" 💀 Anyways,,, when V.arney first shows up I'm like "There he is! my boy!" and the next scene when they show him my brother immediately was like "There's your boy" 🥰 and then later on when G.ermain (one of my brothers faves in the show) is going through it, I made a joke saying "Your boys looking rough" he just responds saying "It's your boys fault" 😂 calling V.arney just "my boy" feels very much so like an understatement,,,, since he is in fact my husband, not just "my boy" that sounds more casual,,,,Idc if my brother knows I ship with V.arney,,,, but at the same time idk if I would feel comfortable if he knew I see V.arney as a husband,,,, 😅

But being able to gush throughout the episodes at his scenes, and pointing out details about him has me feeling all 🥰💞💞💖💞💞💞 I don't get to gush about V.arney enough to other people,,, since not all of you know his source, so id feel bad just info dumping, and fandomwise there's hardly any post for him to reblog,,, so I can't do it much as I want to,,,, so it's nice to be able to do for a change with to someone who actually know him,,,, and it's always fun to see others acknowledge my affections for a f/o UwU 💕 Still doing our rewatch so I will mention if anything else noteworthy is said (or if i just wanna post about for myself so I don't forget, like mostly how this post is meant to be)

-

Been so focused on my wife lately,,, so haven't been watching the husbands stuff as much or not as focused when i do,,,,, and coming back after a while,,, gots me in a shippy mood,,,,, I need to draw more ship art of us 👁️👁️ other then the 2year anniversary art the majority of my stuff is from before most of y'all followed me,,,, 😭 i need to finish up an trade I'm working on,,,, after that I can work on something for myself hehe >:3c

[angelst4re]

It makes me so happy to see someone as feral over Jamie as I am🤣 could I please request another Jamie x trans masc!

Reader has never had a proper relationship before because people fetishise the fact he is trans rather than seeing him as a man (fucking RELATABLE) but after a few dates and some reassurance from our fruity Jamie, they become an item and Jamie introduces him to the cast of stranger things as his boyfriend <3 (let's say they're preparing to film season 5 and Jamie is bringing his boyfriend to set for a few days <3) sorry this was long asf <3

ofc!! we're all feral for jamie here my love!! also i ended up writing quite a lot for this!!!

First Dates- Jamie Campbell Bower x transmasc!Reader

summary: you were drunk at a party and overshare to a man you just met, which happens to lead to a relationship...

warnings: none?? :)

notes: transmasc!reader has my heart!! i do so much research whenever i write for different readers because i feel like everyone deserves to have a fic where they actually ARE the reader, as i know how special that can feel (even though that sounds so silly!) so i hope you like it!! <3 (p.s i haven't proof read this and the majority was written when i was overworked and underpaid and EXHAUSTED so bare with me, I'll be editing it soon!!)

‘Hey I’m going to a party tonight, if you’re not up to anything I’d love for you to come with me! :)’ 

You stared at the text, thinking of how to say no politely. But you knew it would be good to get back out, and perhaps even meet someone new. 

You were let down yet again by a guy you were talking to on tinder. You didn’t think it would’ve gone anywhere anyway, but you were still quite upset by it. You really liked him.

You texted your friend back, telling them to let you know when it starts and where it is, but they offered to pick you up from your house at 6, so you quickly jumped into the shower and got ready. 

You never really cared for parties, the music was too loud and the conversations were too boring. But this one felt a bit different, and there was a guy who caught your eye. You could’ve sworn you recognised him, you just weren’t sure where from. 

You told your friend he looked rather hot, and they immediately dragged you over to him to introduce you. 

“Jamie! I didn’t know you were going to be here!” They smiled, glancing at you before continuing, “this is my friend, y/n! He said he thinks he recognises you from somewhere.”

The two of them chuckled, as if it was some kind of inside joke, but Jamie then reached his hand out to shake yours. 

“I’m Jamie,” he smiled, “you’ve probably seen me on-”

“He was the guy from stranger things! Remember?!” Your friend tried to explain, but you didn’t have the guts to tell them you hadn’t watched the newest season yet.

“Oh!” You pretended to realise, “so how do you two know each other?” You asked, trying not to mess up your words as you felt Jamie’s eyes on you as you spoke, yet you felt your cheeks heat up. 

“Through my brother, Sam.” Jamie said. 

“Remember Sam? My old friend from-”

“Oh Sam!” You didn’t have to act this time, “I remember him, how is he?” 

Jamie answered, telling you how he’s really focusing on his music at the moment, and that he’s currently away so he couldn’t be at the party tonight. The two of you continued to talk, and your friend slipped away at some point, leaving the two of you alone. He was such an easy person to talk to, and you felt comfortable speaking to him, unlike many other people you’ve met at parties. 

You got onto the conversation about his career, and you had a sudden realisation. 

“You were Jace?!” Your eyes widened in shock, as Jamie grinned and nodded his head, “no way!” 

“Well, you better believe it! I’ve still got the ring from that movie.” 

“What?!” You did have quite a few drinks, and they seemed to have hit you all at once. And then you suddenly felt something, it felt like guilt in a way, as if you knew this moment wouldn’t last, something was going to happen, it made you feel a little sad. This is how it always went. 

“Hey,” Jamie smiled softly, “is everything okay?” He asked. No one has ever asked you that before and sounded so sincere. He was truly something special, you could already tell. 

“I need to tell you something." You began, already beginning to feel overwhelmed by thoughts rushing through your head, "I don’t want it to change anything, I don’t want you to think-”

“Hey, hey, don’t work yourself up, love.” He said, sensing that you were getting overwhelmed by what you were trying to say,  “what do you need to tell me?”

“I’m trans.” You blurted out, "I don't want- I mean, I knew I had to tell you now because, you see, I’ve never been in a real, proper relationship and... well, I went on a date the other day, I really thought it was going well but- shit, all the dates I’ve been on have ended terribly," you knew you were rambling on, but you couldn't stop, the alcohol in your system seemed to have taken over. "I’ve never been out with the same person more than once. They don’t see me as me, y'know, it's so obvious they just want to get in my pants. I’ve never actually spoken to someone the way I’ve spoken to you, knowing that's all you want. Knowing what they're thinking just feels so... I can't explain it. But with you I feel comfortable, I don’t know, it just feels different- Oh fuck! I’m so sorry! I’m oversharing and we’ve only just met and-” 

Jamie took your hands into his, causing you to stop speaking, and your eyes met his. He rubbed his thumb over the back of your hand, and began to speak. 

“Thank you for telling me,” he smiled, “and don’t ever apologise for oversharing, I do it all the time, it can’t be helped… If you want to talk about it I’m here to listen. Don’t bottle things up, okay? Trust me, it’s a terrible thing to do. We all need someone every now and then.” He paused for a moment before carefully asking, “so y/n is the name you choose to go by, right?” 

You couldn’t wipe the smile off of your face as you said yes, and told him your pronouns. He really made you feel so comfortable, and so safe. You found it hard to believe you’ve only just met. 

You spent the rest of the night talking to Jamie, you shared things you thought you would regret with him, but he was perfectly comfortable talking with you. And nothing changed after you told him about everything, which was extremely rare for you. 

Jamie really was something special. 

At the end of the night, you had already begun sobering up after having something to eat, and you began to apologise to him again for oversharing, as the two of you had only just met, but it felt like you had been friends for years. 

“Do you know how you’re getting home?” Jamie asked as everyone had begun to leave. 

“Yeah, my friend’s taking me back. It was really nice talking to you tonight. And thank you again for listening to me, I think we both needed someone to talk to. Sorry if I-” 

“Don't finish that sentence!" Jamie chuckled, "I told you earlier, you don't need to apologise for anything. Tonight was really fun, it's been nice getting to know you,” he smiled, “I’d love to meet up with you again. Are you free on Friday? I was thinking maybe I could pick you up and show you that record store I was talking about?” 

“Sure!” You grinned, “what’s your number? I’ll let you know when I’m about!” 

You handed your phone to Jamie and he typed in his phone number, and even took a silly picture for the contact photo. You smiled to yourself as he handed it back to you. 

“Text me something quickly, I want to make sure I put the right number in.” 

You sent him a ‘hello :)’ and his phone pinged. 

“See you on Friday, Jamie.” You said, spotting your friend waving for you to hurry up. 

“See you on Friday, y/n.” 

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Friday came along quicker than expected, and the two of you spent the day together. You went to the record store for a while, then Jamie took you to another store he frequently visited. It was full of all sorts of jewellery and oddities, and you enjoyed looking around. You couldn’t help but pick up a few things to buy, and neither could Jamie. 

You went for drinks after, and Jamie opened up to you about his past with drinking and you suddenly felt terrible for the night you met you. However, he didn’t seem to mind, he had been sober for quite a few years now. 

At the end of the day, as Jamie was driving you home, you had wondered what today really was. Was it just a fun day out with a friend, or could it have been considered a date? You didn’t think far into it, it was better that way. 

“I’ve had a great time today.” Jamie said, one arm resting on the open window, his other hand on the wheel. 

“Me too, it’s been fun.” You smiled. 

“If you’re not doing anything this week you could always come to mine? I’ve got some friends over for a couple days but that doesn’t matter, I know you’ll love them. We could watch that movie I told you about?”

You couldn’t say no to that, and you visited him the next week. You made sure you arrived after his friends left as you weren’t sure about meeting them yet.

Jamie’s house was just so… him! There were a few horror movie posters on the wall, fanart he had been given from all different conventions around the world, many, many books. But there was one thing you wondered about. 

“I remember you saying you still had the ring from the city of bones movie?” You mentioned, hoping he'd take the hint. 

“Oh! That’s right here!” He grinned as he picked it up. 

“I can’t believe you still have it!” You gasped as he handed it to you. 

“Neither can I if I’m being honest…” he paused before saying, “it’s yours now. From one stunningly attractive man to another.”

Your eyes widened, there’s no way he would let you have it, would he?

“No way.” You shook your head. 

“Try it on. See if it fits.” He said, placing his hands on his hips, almost in a sassy way. 

“It does…” You furrowed your eyebrows as you tried it on, and it fit your middle finger perfectly. 

“Then you should have it!” Jamie insisted, “I’m not the same guy I was when I was 24. It doesn’t fit me anymore, and it looks better on you.” 

“But Jamie-”

“Nope!” He insisted, a grin on his face, “I don’t want it back, love. It’s yours.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

A couple months passed, and you were still meeting up and going out with Jamie every week or two, and when you weren’t with each other, you were texting each other. You honestly thought he only thought of you as a friend, nothing more, when you would go out for dinner with him that was just two guys hanging out. But your friends thought differently. 

“C’mon! It’s obvious he has a crush on you!”

“I don’t think so,” you said, “I thought he was straight, he’s only dated women before.”

“Are you serious? He literally said it himself that he was ‘fruity’, he gave you the ring from a movie he was in, you own two of his t-shirts, he bought the cologne you use because it reminds him of you, he takes you out for dinner, what more proof do you need! Y/n, that man is in love with you!” 

“But he can’t be!” You argued. 

“Why not?! You’re the coolest person I know, you’re so fun to be around and spend time with! I can see it, he can see it.”

“I just don’t think I can accept the possibility,” you admitted, “that he might actually be interested in me as more than a friend, because I’ve only ever thought of him as a friend!” You lied, you spent the last few months daydreaming about what it would be like to wake up next to him. 

“Well you better accept it pretty fast.” Was the last thing your friend said before hanging up the phone. 

Jamie was taking you out again tonight, and you had called your friend in a panic as he referred to it as a ‘date’. You wondered whether all these other times he had taken you out were also dates. However, they must have been for Jamie to ask a certain question during said date. 

“So, I was thinking…” he began, as he was walking you home, “I really do like spending time with you, and I’ve loved getting to know you, and I hope I’m not moving things too fast but…” you could Jamie was a little worried about asking you this, and he was stumbling over his words a bit, but he did it anyway, “do you want to become exclusi- fuck it- do you want to be my boyfriend?” 

You felt tears begin to gloss your eyes, happy tears of course. The question came as a shock, and you almost thought you were dreaming. 

“I…I thought we were just friends-”

“That’s okay, we don’t have to-”

“No, no! That’s not what I’m saying- I’d love to be your boyfriend, I-” You couldn’t believe what you were saying, you couldn’t believe he had actually asked you. 

“You would?” A smile spread across Jamie’s face, it was unlike any other time you had seen him smile. The look he gave you, one of pure happiness, is what set you off, beginning to cry. However, he wiped them away, placing a kiss on your forehead. “I know I’ll be your first, and if things go right then I may be your only, but I’ll make sure I treat you better than anyone else ever could, okay? I love you so much.”

You nodded your head, you couldn’t believe you finally had a boyfriend. You didn’t want to think about what your friends would say, you were expecting a lot of ‘I told you so’s from them. 

“I was also thinking about asking you to come with me when I leave for Georgia, when we start to prepare for season 5. It’s the week that you said you weren’t at work. I thought it would be perfect, like our first holiday as a couple.” He suggested, and you smiled. 

“I’d love that,” you said, “you’re such a romantic!” You teased, shaking your head as you got in his car. 

“I can’t wait to introduce you to my friends- just don’t listen to anything Joseph says about me, and don’t believe anything he says about our trip to Brazil either! I only joked about him eating it, I didn’t know he was actually going to!” 

You looked up at your boyfriend in confusion, and he simply smiled back at you. You both felt like the luckiest people ever, so grateful to have found each other. You could never imagine yourself with anyone else. 

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

“Guys this is my boyfriend, y/n!” Jamie introduced you to his castmates, you gave them a wave from your spot at the table.

You all went out for lunch after the readthrough of part of the script for the new season of stranger things. Jamie finally got you to watch season 4 with him before you both flew out, and you were hoping so desperately to see him come back as Henry. You wouldn’t have recognised Joseph without his Eddie wig if it wasn’t for the thousands of pictures Jamie had with him, and you held yourself back from fanboying over Joe Keery. 

You joined Jamie and Joseph for a smoke break, Jamie quickly had to answer a call, leaving you to talk to Joseph, and as he lit his cigarette he said,

“We’ve heard so much about you,” he smiled, “you really do make Jamie happy, y’know. He texted me the day before he asked you to be his boyfriend, he was really nervous about it in case you said no. He cares for you so much.”

“Awh,” you weren’t sure what to say, but Joseph’s words really touched your heart, “I never thought it was possible to love somebody this much.” You said. 

“That’s just Jamie, mate.” 

“So, I was told about a trip to Brazil?” You enquired, “Jamie told me not to believe anything you say about it?”

“He’s just embarrassed because he-”

“What are we talking about?” Jamie turned around, putting his phone back into his pocket. 

“Nothing!” You smiled, kissing Jamie on the cheek, “I might go back inside now, it’s a bit cold out here.”

“You can have my jacket, love?” Jamie offered, but you shook your head. 

“I kinda want to get to know Maya and Joe a bit better, but thank you.”

As you walked back inside, Joseph handed Jamie a cigarette and told him, 

“Don’t mess it up this time, man. He’s a great guy, don’t do anything stupid, and don't let him go.” 

When Jamie and Joseph finally went back inside, Jamie couldn’t help but chuckle at the questions you were asking the others.

"I'm starting to think he only said yes to flying out with me for a free meet and greet.” Jamie said jokingly to Joseph, who also began to chuckle. 

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

When you and Jamie got back to the hotel room, he’d gone into the bathroom to take a shower, you stole a t-shirt from his suitcase, got changed and got into bed. 

When Jamie got out of the shower, he had the towel around his hips, revealing his v-line, and you didn’t realise quite how hard you were biting your lip until it stung a little. 

“See something you like, do ya?” Jamie teased, watching as your face pinked. He placed a quick kiss on your lips before getting changed. And although you’ve seen his ass a thousand times before on the internet alone, you still looked the other way to give him some privacy. 

“You know, I was thinking the other day, I almost didn’t go to that party- the one that I met you at. But there was something that was telling me I just had to go, and I’m so glad I did.” You said, “you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, I don’t know what I’d do without you.” 

“Is this just because you got to meet the rest of the cast?” Jamie teased. 

“No!” You grinned, followed by a quiet, “but that too.” 

“I just knew from the beginning that you were going to be a big part of my life,” Jamie explained, “it’s like, when we first met it felt like I was talking to an old friend, not a stranger.” 

“That’s how I felt too,” you confessed, “it’s like it was meant to be!” You joked, but there was an ounce of seriousness in it.  

“Perhaps it was.” Jamie said, kissing you on the cheek as he got into bed next to you.

[nelson-riddle-me-this]

2 4 5 18!

2) Album of the year?

The cast album for the '95 revival of How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying - the story and songs are dated in much the way you'd expect a 1960s musical about office politics would be, but the orchestrations for this revival are INCREDIBLE and so up my alley. The brass is tight, punchy, big, and so much more in your face than the original cast album or the '68 movie version (not Nelson Riddle's fault, I believe he was contractually barred from significantly altering the arrangements?). The Daniel Radcliffe and Nick Jonas recordings sound downright puny in comparison. Like THIS is how the orchestra for a splashy Broadway musical should sound imo. It sounds like an orchestra, not a tiny pit band (though that works for some shows, but I have a preference for the former). And it's well recorded/mixed. I remember one of my professors years ago told me of a renegotiation with the musician's union that happened in the early 2000s allowing producers smaller orchestras than originally called for in revivals. Also the change in vocal style - I frankly find the current prevailing vocal style on Broadway annoying and have for some time (too forward, too chewey, too contrived, the R's are so hard and nerdy and annoying). Anyway but yeah it's very fun and I've listened to it a lot in the past few months.

4) Movie of the year?

Probs The Slender Thread (1965). It was the 1st movie I saw at the TCM FF this year and it was just as good as I was hoping it would be, if not better! Sidney Poitier and Anne Bancroft were great. Sydney Pollack's direction is stylish, dramatic, and sensitive. Though in some ways it's very dated, it's exploration of someone in a mental health crisis is still very relevant and has imo aged better than you'd expect a movie from the mid-60s to. That movie's stuck in my brain more than perhaps anything else I watched this year, and just become a little part of my life. Also Quincy Jones' score is very good and this track from it was my wakeup alarm most of the year.

5) TV show of the year?

Hmm, probably Mad About You (1992-9)! I started watching it I wanna say last year with my mom when I was living back home for a while, but It's something I've watched a lot on my own this year. There are so many sitcoms about nuclear families or perpetually-single adults, it's nice to see one about a newlywed couple with a fundamentally loving and healthy relationship who aren't awful human beings (looking at you, Jerry). The writing's witty and warm, and also it kinda brings to mind what things might have been like for my parents being childless newlyweds in the 90s. Also the older I get the more accurate I find these sitcom 'I'm adult and my parents are insane' interactions. Aaaand Paul Resier's chest hair and silliness make me feel things...

18) A memorable meal this year?

@sailor-freddie-mercury and I went to a nice restaurant called Yamashiro up on a hill above Hollywood blvd. Gorgeous views, great food, great atmosphere, it's kind of expensive but worth it for a splurge.

Send me more End of the Year asks !

[whatyourusherthinks]

Twisters Review

I was pretty excited for this movie. Not because I've seen the original Twister, I haven't. But because it is a disaster movie. And I've only seen one other disaster movie in my life is the cinematic masterpiece Moonfall. (Wait, do we count Kaiju movies? Some of them are kinda like disaster movies.) Also, like all of my coworkers went to go see this movie as soon as they could. I was not expecting that kind of anticipation from them for this movie. Needless to say, my expectations were pretty high going into this movie.

What's This Movie About?

Kate is a climatologist who thinks she found a way to disrupt a tornado, and she gets a chance when her friend brings her on to a team attempting to get a 3D model of a tornado. However, a rival tornado chasing team lead by a sexy cowboy has her rethinking her perspective on the situation.

What I Like.

Pretty much the whole movie, honestly. It's silly and kinda crazy, but it's got good actors playing good characters in a good script. I like both the leads, and there's a great scene that goes into Kate's backstory that lets Daisy Edgar-Jones really act. I also like the Javi character, but Anthony Ramos is really charming so I'd probably like anything he does. The YouTuber characters seemed really annoying in the trailer, and they have their moments where they are funny. The plot is dumb but hides it really well. When you boil it down, it's basically that the Tornado Whisperer has found a way to kill tornados, but they bullshit the science well enough that my non-meteorologist brain was like, "Yeah, that makes sense." They way the clouds and tornadoes look is very impressive. They do a lot of shots of the clouds from above, or of funnel clouds forming and it looks really cool. The devastation the storms cause is also crazy impressive. The movie almost becomes Game of Thrones with how many death there are. They movie even treats the storms like they are monsters, and everyone talks like it chose to destroy these towns or kill these people. It was darkly funny. And all the deaths aren't crowds of nameless extras either, I think everyone who dies has at least a moment of characterization to help the audience connect with them. And then they get sucked away. It was kinda dumb that no Warning sirens go off until it's way too late to seek shelter, and they people in Oklahoma don't know how to properly keep trying to drive away from tornados, but it keeps the action up and eventually I just completely forgot about it.

What I Didn't Like.

So this is a weird new complaint. This movie kinda liberal-washes Oklahoma. Like, no one has guns. There's a part where Kate goes back home in the middle of the night, and her mom comes down without realizing it's her, and I expected that the movie was gonna make a joke where her mom has a shotgun and points it at Kate before being like "Oh, you scared me sweetie!" but they just don't do it. The movie also almost admits that climate change exists, which could have been a topical and interesting point, but everyone instead acknowledges that inclement weather has been getting worse and then just accepts that it's happening. The trailer kinda spoils a twist, but it's pretty obvious in the movie anyway. Finally, I didn't care for half the music. Not that it's badly used or mismatching the situations they use it in, it's just pop country shlock that I hate and all sounds the same to me. The kind of songs that are about the singer's ex-wife leaving him and taking his pick up truck, but he's from [INSERT SOUTHERN US STATE] and he's go a cold beer so he still loves Jesus.

Final Summation.

Much like the Tornado Wranglers themselves, Twisters is a wild ride and a lot of fun! I think I might be a disaster movie fan and I just don't realize it. The same day, my coworker friend told me about a movie called The Core which is all about people trying to restart the earth's magma core with nukes. That sounds fucking ridiculous and I am 100 percent on board.