#i should just delete it but i love conflict
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emotargaryen · 1 year ago
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i commented on a tiktok and it blew up and every single person replying to it is so fucking stupid im scared for my generation for real
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thatharringrovehoe · 6 months ago
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When someone says "Dark Romance" y'all better know that I'm thinking of the ELITE tropes. I'm talking 'stalker x stalker' and 'pet sociopath'. If I pick up another "Dark Romance" that's just a horror novel in a trench coat I'm burning down the bookstore. PUT THE ROMANCE IN YOUR DARK ROMANCE MY GUY!!!
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natsmagi · 1 year ago
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hi again
#thinking abt deleting the prev rambling i did in the tags#bc i think i got a lil heated and i also feel my point may get misconstrued#the point i was making is i feel like people are coming at the current state of switch from very biased perspectives#and lacking in nuance of said characters aswell as the current state of all other units#a Lot of the !!-era stories have sucked and rehashed old conflicts between charas that had been resolved in !-era#and all in all its just been. Weird. for everyone#but i didnt like seeing people ignore the progress switch have made#which can even be evident in current stories#the charas have also changed since !-era and that shift should be acknowledged when discussing them in current day which i felt it wasnt#in a sense all of them are outcasts. the current state of switch is a very complicated one#i dont wanna talk about this too much#ive just been sad about the way the switch community has formed i guess#i remember when there werent many eng speaking switchPs#its the reason i even started posting about them so much to begin with#i wanted to share my love for them with people who loved them too#but whenever i check twitter its just so much needless discourse........ esp at the expense of tsumugi ??#or just ntmg in general. its a weird shift that has happened and i know its to be expected but i cant help but feel a little sad#seeing these perceptions of the characters i love deeply be created and skewed in real time#i know i should just ignore it#and i have been for a while#but when nearly every single switch account is talking about the same stuff? i get tired#i dont know#this is very rambly#i was struggling to fall asleep which is why im typing this#this is very venty and i apologize#but yea. i dont know#nat rambles
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fragmentedblade · 1 year ago
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The more I learn about them the more I think the heliobi are in the right
#I talk too much#I should probably delete this later#I loved that Jing Yuan pities them#And I love that he talks about the debt that never got paid#ngl I think had it been some other species or some other people with whom the Xianzhou had made the deal#(or had it been some other debt) the debt would have more likely be repaid or at least tried to be repaid somewhat#since the terms of the deal were impossible to fulfill given the circumstances#Definitely keeping them caged as source of energy through millenia doesn't seem the way to go nor how the Xianzhou would have treated#some other people (although they are consistently terrible and prejudiced against the Abundance followers‚#and they don't seem to really forget conflicts)#With how there was a deal that was never (and in exact terms could never be) repaid‚#no wonder the heliobi talk about everyone in the Xianzhou being tricky and untrustworthy lol#I love that Jing Yuan sees their point and understands where they come from‚ and as I said I adore that he sympathies with them#'The hero and their followers would lose their physical bodies for eternity' I imagine he meant just the people fighting#since everyone dying was the cause why the pact was unable to be fulfilled. What did the heliobi gain with this?#Was it the bodies of those they possessed? A flesh body of their own? Is that what the heroes would be giving away?#Their selves for the heliobi to own for all eternity‚ to live in physical form?#I'm loving the heliobi and their struggles with existence haha The pain and suffering and charm of wishes‚ desires‚ emotions and physicalit#The pain and suffering and charm of human life
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yououghtaknow · 1 year ago
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#ANDREW!!!!!!!!!!!!!#ANYWAYS. fucking hate the medical system. hate being mentally ill. hate being disabled. hate this life.#but at LEAST my parasocial bway besties are making good music#[everything is falling apart] [five minutes later] omg musical theatre#deleting so many tags because i have so much to say but i can't because of the [redacted] of it all#going to try and go for a walk and listen to music and try not to go insane#i love simultaneously oversharing and being a man of mystery. i am everything and nothing and so so special.#evening plans: walk. music. dinner. try and do a little creative work. sleep.#i have planned social things for the weekend so i am NOT isolating myself#i am doing all of the things i have been told to do to get better AND YET!!!!!!!!!!#it will be okay. at least i'm at my parents' house for the weekend so i can belt about it#anyways if my paranoia is Correct and my irls are reading this Hello. I Will Explain All Of This Eventually But You Probably Know What's Up#in many ways i am just like alistair fletcher but in many ways i am not. i contain multitudes.#ooh i should try and finish the current episode of my skambr annotations tonight. at this rate i will finish s1 by the end of the summer.#the thing about sandy neuman is she's sooooo flawed but in a way that is just like me (conflict avoidance and over/undersharing)#she would fuck with yellowjackets sooooooooo much. she's a soccer player she's a lesbian she has fucked up girlbestfriendships.#ANYWAYS. if you're still reading this hiiiiiii. going to feel the sun on my vampiric skin now.#Spotify
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autistickfigure · 10 months ago
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in trying to be Funny for Camp i now have to think about BOB past. FUUUUUCK
*you know how it is with spaghetti
#flowers arts#steve#tk#vincent#sicker#Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh#catboy two#Ok that is the tag#anyway. im conflicted. i always love the idea of the reader not being able to tell who is who so i think the eyes should stay the same#forever. btu then they wont even KNOWWWW. except unless they dooooo. I dont know. TUFF thinking and reasoning and bargaining and pleading#steve doesnt know shes a system so he acts more (as a lack of my lexicon) freakish. oh and i guess xe doesnt front as often as they end up#thing about steve is since eve is the guy who ends up knowing about System she has funny relationships with everyone#which i cant play with. because they are just Parts of Alters or Fragments right now#Come on man. What the hell#tk is short for the killer by the way. she has to be here (i guess theyre all he/him during this time.)#i said that he was almost 2 billion in the sign up But be real that could be like 1000 years for him. i dont know the timeline for this#Trust me though#i shouldve talked about tks personality at least one time but i dont think ive done that. Well. just imagine Uhhh a guy. OK?#they accidentally have ideals for freedom happiness and purpose which. i didnt that mean that Sorry. 🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷#i will have to think about this more Obviously. but its an interesting excercise in stepping back in time when you Deleted all those words#you put on toyhouse . So there is nothing but Pictures and what you rember#i should edit his sign up when i figure out what the FUCKKKKKKKs going on. hes like BOB YOU LOOK LIKE A GENDER in this#not stickfigure fronting alone so hes Meancore
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ohnoitstbskyen · 3 months ago
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I deleted the ask, but someone wrote one basically saying "why do you post reaction videos to Helluva Boss? Don't you know the show exploits its workers and they're overworked and get burned out?"
And, I mean, I love your energy, person who asked, definitely hold on to those values and speak up about this. But also, I am afraid I might have some bad news for you about literally the whole entire animation industry.
As near as I can make out from the sparse journalistic reporting that's been done on SpindleHorse -- and as a sidebar, please for the love of god read actual reporting about these things and not just callout posts and fandom discourse -- as near as I can make out, SpindleHorse as a studio is neither all that much better nor all that much worse than basically anywhere else in the industry on their level. It seems like it is (or was? Hazbin Hotel seems to be run differently) a studio mostly run by contracting people on a project-by-project basis, which leads to a crapton of turnover, and a huge need for organizing and onboarding, which according to the reporting I have read, the producers and freelancers have struggled to balance and manage properly, which has negatively impacted a number of the workers.
Top that with the usual catty, clique-based backbiting, sniping and poorly managed conflict resolution that's just kinda endemic in creative environments mostly staffed by twentysomethings and stressed out freelancers, and you have the recipe for a workplace where a lot of people are going to have a great time and feel creatively fulfilled, and a lot of people are going to come away feeling justifiably burnt the fuck out and exploited.
All of this is... not especially unusual for the animation industry, or indeed for any creative industry. Which is not to say that it is good, or that it should be allowed to be normal, or that it shouldn't be reported on and criticized (and please for the love of god support unionization efforts because that's the only thing that will actually address these kinds of systemic problems). It's just to say that if those kinds of issues are the line in the sand you draw where you refuse to engage with a studio's output...
Then, for starters, say goodbye to basically all of anime, because the Japanese animation industry is actively in a state of crisis trying to recruit new talent because its working conditions and pay are so astonishingly abysmal. And the horror stories that escape from that industry make the issues at SpindleHorse look like summer camp at times.
But you also have to say goodbye to a lot of American and European animation. Please do not imagine that Disney and its subcontractors, or that Nickelodeon or Warner Bros, are benevolent employers. They exploit their staff brutally and are currently trying to crush the labor value of animation with threats of generative AI being used to replace jobs. But those corporations also have extremely well-funded PR departments and the ability to silence employees with NDAs and threats of blackballing, so you don't get to hear as many of the horror stories as you might from a smaller independent studio that's less able to silence criticism by holding people's careers hostage.
All of this is to say that 1) it's valid and important to have criticism of both large and small-scale animation studios, and to keep the well-being and happiness of the workers higher in your priorities than the output of Products™.
And 2) if you're going to have a principle for what kinds of problems make a studio's output morally untouchable for you, and what kinds of problems you think should make a studio's output untouchable to other people, you do need to apply that principle consistently to the entire industry, and not just to the independent animation studio that happens to be surrounded by the internet's most inflammatory fandom discourse.
If you don't apply that principle consistently, maybe don't send reproachful messages to strangers scolding them for not living up to your standards, and even if you do apply that principle consistently, maybe still don't do that, because it's mostly quite annoying, and doesn't really do anything to support animation workers struggling for better working conditions.
The Animation Guild in the US is currently in the middle of a bargaining process with their industry, and they have a social media press kit as well as relevant talking points on their website which you can use to post in solidarity with the workers. If it comes to a full industry strike, consider donating to their strike funds to help them maintain pressure. Outside of the US, try and find out what (if any) local unions exist for animation workers, and maybe sign up to their mailing lists. They will let you know what kind of support they need from you.
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thebleedingwoodland · 5 months ago
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TS3 World Adventures - Chinese Chopsticks Longer & Texture Replacement Mod
D E F A U L T   R E P L A C E M E N T
New custom mesh and 5 textures to replace EA default chopsticks.
Reason why I made the change:
Chopsticks portrayed in The Sims 3 World Adventures are too short. Shang Simla is China world, therefore chopsticks in-game should be portrayed as Chinese chopsticks, which are the longest compared to Japanese and Korean chopsticks.
EA Default Chopsticks. Short, too boxy and have pixelated & stretched texture of "random Simlish Chinese writing".
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The modded textures:
福 ( Fú ) means happiness, luck, blessing, good fortune.
龙 ( Lóng ) Chinese Dragon symbolizes gods who control rain, weather, and seasons; kind, benevolent, powerful, who bring luck and prosperity.
Peacock symbolizes "grow old together" and will bring harmony to the couple and a long-lasting marriage.
FuZi_Mu ---> Hanzi writing "Fú" with wooden texture.
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2. BaiNianHaoHe ---> Peacocks with Hanzi writing "BaiNianHaoHe" / 【百年好合】 means "To bless this unison with harmony that would last over hundred years".
In short, wishing the couple everlasting eternal love.
Recommended for your couple Sims and especially have just married.
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3. Long_HuangSe ---> Yellow colour and has Chinese dragon image with Hanzi writing "Lóng".
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4. FuZi_HeiSe ---> Hanzi writing "Fú" with black colour.
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5. FuZi_HongSe ---> Hanzi writing "Fú" with red colour.
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This is custom 3D mesh I created by myself. The bottom end of chopsticks has round shape and upper end has rectangle shape.
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I increased the size of texture to 1024 pixels. You can see the details on the chopsticks clearly.
⚠️ Disclaimer: The mod doesn't alter the animation in-game. If you see the chopsticks going through Sim's hand, you should ask that to EA employees why they made the default chopsticks position and animation like that. Default EA The Sims 3 chopsticks are already going through the Sim's hand in the game.
Requirement: World Adventures Expansion Pack
Sim must have Asian trait to have chopsticks while eating.
Tips to unlock Asian trait: NRaas > Master Controller > (Sim) > Advanced > Traits > Change (Master Controller Cheats add-on module required)
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⚠️ This package will be replacing the default EA, so you have to choose one. Installing more than one default replacement will cause conflict. ⚠️
As usual, install one of these packages on Package folder. You can safely delete the package if you no longer want to use the default replacement.
【 Download FuZi_Mu】
【 Download BaiNianHaoHe 】
【 Download Long_HuangSe 】
【 Download FuZi_HeiSe 】
【 Download FuZi_ HongSe 】
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luna-loveboop · 3 months ago
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Luna, my dear sweet friend, can I pick your brain?
Lofty gave me a veeerrry good scenario for a Time vs Sky conflict, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on what that could look like? I picked 2 very mature characters and now I have to make them brawl lolol
I think the best route (for me at least) wouldn't involve the master sword or Hylia. So this would be a personality conflict. I don't wanna spoil the scenario she gave me, so I thought I'd ask for your general opinion on what you think would make them fight, personality wise🥰
Feel free to delete if you don't care to go over this, but I thought I'd ask cus you're really good at going in depth with character analysis❤️
BYE FRIEND😀 also I hope you're doing well and you're amazing and wonderful❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
YES ok so personality conflicts between Sky and Time. There's... a lot to look at there lol.
So I'm just gonna look at each of their personalities +flaws, and then how they interact :))
Soo for Time
Time is dad. He's older and more experienced- and he's still a stubborn gremlin like all of them. He's patient with them but also stern- he cares very deeply about all the boys and Sky is no exception
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I don't doubt for a second Time wants to be just as close to Sky as the others
One of Times biggest flaws is the idea of a closed mindset. Which makes sense, since we know Time's ending as the hero's shade- he spends years in that mindset of regret. Time has these thoughts of being too old to change (<no), and allows himself to keep holding onto bitterness, especially about the sword. Which he has good reason to be a grumpy old man already, with the mental and physical age difference, but still
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Time is obviously capable of changing his mind- as Wind took a challenge to prove
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But overall Time is still. He's not super expressive, my man likes to just be. He wants to be still and live, and hero as needed, and not be a super crazy hero, but just a chill dude with malon.
Time is patient and stern and calm and good. He is also closed and stubborn. That's all good, but it doesn't always work the best with Sky.
So Sky.
I literally love this ask because I could rant forever about his flaws to talk about them more (no one kill me).
Sky very highly values being a hero as part of who he is- in contrast to time who literally just doesn't want to.
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I see so much of Sky's patience. And with good reason- with others Sky is endlessly patient and calm in resolving conflict. He's emotionally intuitive and intelligent and awesome
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But Sky is also I think extremely impatient. With himself, and with things around him that aren't going well.
He wants answers and he wants them now, which is kind of scary from him. I see a lot about Skys temper, but I don't want to forget how much of that is from impatience- not knowing how to handle things going slow.
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Because things moving fast and violently is how it needs to be right? *cough cough IMPA
For all sky is extremely patient with others feelings, he is one of the most impatient people with himself and his circumstances. Which a lot of comes from immaturity, which is my next point-
Sky is. A monster with pranks. I don't even know why it took me so long to realise this was Sky-
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Saying 'I know we should help but this is too funny'. Twilight and wild are looking disturbed and like they want to help, and Sky and legend are just cold-blooded leaving four struggling for his shield and taking bets. He's very immature, and furthermore, he doesn't really respect Time as an authority as much in the face of pranking/joking
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Bro is not remorseful at all I swear-
I also think 'nice hair' Sky is a little... idk judgy? With people he doesn't get along with as well. Like Hyrule. (Wait I haven't yet I gotta rant on that sometime sorry- but yeah he and Hyrule don't vibe well)
Sky can also be unrestrained with his words and snark- his words can practically be a prank in itself 'nice hair' 'am I late?'. I think sometimes he toes the line with pranks and joking around (like that one quest where you could break Peatrices heart?), and same with his words. Overall he's a snarky and sharper person- and being able to pull off good pranks and jokes isn't inherently a bad thing- he's smart. He's a kind person too, but I think sometimes his words and actions can be too sharp.
I think Jojo also said in the post with their ages that she made him slightly younger because of his immaturity compared to twilight. Do with that what you will
So point is, Sky has flaws that are mildly subtle but still prominent, like his impatience with himself and situations, his immaturity with joking and temper and words, and I hc he's a slightly judgy person. 'Nice costume' to Zelda like SKY but I swear I love him. Don't kill me for discussing flaws please I have a dog
So how this comes together with between him and Time is pretty cool-
Skys impatient, and Time has a resistance to change in his mindset- which means that as far as the sword, Sky wants change now, he wants validation and Time to not hate it. Time does not care about this because the sword hurt him and he's spent years hating it.
But with situations and stuff, especially with the entrance arc, we can see Sky being very impatient after Twi's injury- from what I can tell he wants to rip dinks throat out. But it's still subtle- what's not as subtle is how much Time wants to slow down. He wants to hold them back and protect them, and Sky is impatient in a frustrating situation. I could honestly see Sky wanting to run after the shadow on his own right now (sorry, I've been rereading elastic heart). Sometimes patient + wanting to hurry up doesn't work well.
If you think about it in relation to their journeys it makes sense that they are portrayed this way. Skys journey was about rushing and trying to hurry up. Times journeys were horrifying, with this insane feeling of running out of time.. but he could still turn back said time.
I can't even count the number of people I've seen say they tried to rush through the eldin temple as fast as possible on reruns- after Impa telling him it was too late trying to run as fast as possible even knowing it wouldn't change anything. That translates into skys character, and it must be insanely frustrating for him.
They are both heros. Time's journey was about saving the world and Sky's was about trying to kill a god. It's a big disconnect between them- one is patient and one is not, one doesn't want to be a hero and one's life is being a hero dating a goddess. One lightheartedly jokes and one throws a love letter down the toilet (SKY), one is older and one is immature. Yet on the surface Time wears a scowl and Sky is as soft as can be.
They are so very different in so many ways, but so much alike- they are both heros, they both want to be young and playful at heart. They both really like stabbing things and setting them on fire. And also saving the world.
They are also both extremely mature in ways beyond their years and endlessly kind.
I love them so much.
I wasn't sure to say this in the post bc the ask is about personalities, but I feel like another major issue between them could be whatever happened with Time and timelines and the triforce. Obviously the timeline is messed up. I also have not played times games... but I think in timeline talk one he mentioned the triforce of courage ended up broken? I can see Sky not taking well to all of that.
Soooo in terms of personality conflicts that would make them. Fight? Yikes what are you planning Oma, I would say there's several possible triggers outside of the master sword and Hylia (which I think is wise of you to avoid btw)
I think that Skys impatience contrasting with Time's fixed mindsets can have issues. But the way Sky has shown no acknowledgment of Time when he's tried to stop the boys goofing off w/ pranking can also be a trigger- as well as that sharp and sometimes insensitive snarkiness in Skys words we all know and love. They have. A lot of issues. lol.
Yeah! I uhh hope that helped and was relevant or made sense at all- I swear I love these guys. These two are fun to look at because outside of the obvious stressor of the sword they have a lot of other issues as well. They have differences in thinking and personality that can lead to a lot of tension between them.
Thank you for the ask and I can't wait to see what you come up with
The art and comics is by Jojo @linkeduniverse au :D
Thank you for listening to my rant, and here's one of my favourite pictures of these guys
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Simply majestic <3
:)
@skyloftian-nutcase
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temtamtom · 4 months ago
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Please ignore the fact I accidentally posted this and then deleted it okay anyways
These two have had a myriad of personal conflicts over the years. They had a difficult relationship as children and then spent the rest of their adolescence and early adulthood separately. They interacted, of course, and they saw each other as brothers, but that was it. We are related by blood, but I don’t see you as FAMILY family. If that makes sense. But if I had to pick their biggest fight, it would be:
Tl;Dr: Emotions were running high and unchecked after Italian unification, leading to a blow-out fight when Romano announced that he was moving to America for a little while.
I need to provide some context and explain my headcanons, so this might be a long one kjdfgk I hope it makes sense! Also, a warning because my Feli isn't all that canon-compliant ;; but I think he's a bit more accurate to the northern attitudes of the time
There's a common headcanon within the fandom that Romano was entirely against unification and resisted it from the start. I think this is a bit of an inaccurate and an over-simplified perspective. By the early and mid 1800s, there were many instances of uprisings against absolutism in Southern Italy, which strove for more liberal ideals. The revolutionaries wanted a constitutional monarchy, or even a republic. Through their uprisings and the creation of a secret, revolutionary network across the peninsula, revolutionary ideals began to spread throughout and inspire others.
This is of course a gross oversimplification of the history, but I’m bringing this all up to illustrate the idea that Romano was starting to grow tired of the “status quo”, and was desperate for a change. Unification wasn’t necessarily what he had in mind at first, especially when we consider that he and Feliciano were pretty distant at this point in time. However he soon got swept up in the fervor and optimism of the patriots, and he began to believe in their vision. He believed in a future where he could finally be truly independent- free to call the shots and live his life freely without the worry of being tossed around and claimed by other European powers. He believed in a future where, maybe, he could have a family again. To fix what was broken between him and Feliciano. Romano may come across as quite crude, but he’s a very passionate man. Someone who loves and craves so deeply, to the point where his heart/imagination can far outrun him.
So imagine the betrayal felt when he realized that unification wasn’t working in his favour. He was practically discarded, and seen as “lesser than” his northern brother. His brother, who treated him as an oddity, and had an air of moral superiority over Romano. They kept each other at arm's length, as though they were roommates forced to endure the other, rather than two brothers sharing a home. Disillusioned and hurt, Romano felt like a fool for believing in a dream that didn’t come true. 
Feliciano struggled with many emotional grievances, which Romano wasn’t privy to. He lost his long-time husband/partner just a few decades prior, and instead of taking the time to confront the grief, he picked himself back up and turned his attention towards independence and unification. He threw himself head first into uprisings, wars, political negotiations, and rallies- all to achieve this patriotic goal of forming “Italy”, and perhaps to distract himself from the loss (though he won’t admit it). He also thought, maybe foolishly, that his life would get better after unifying with his brother. That he would have a family again, that he wouldn’t feel so alone, that he would love and be loved and they could hold hands and skip happily into a field of sunshine and rainbows and everything would be okay– 
What should have brought them together, they both realized, seemed to drive a deeper wedge between them. The reality was that they were incompatible. They couldn’t stand each other. To Feliciano, Romano was nothing but an uncivilized brute who only complained and never wanted to work, and lived to insult him every day. To Romano, Feliciano was a pompous, stuck-up elite asshole who refused to acknowledge the very real pain and disillusionment of his new, southern citizens. Both brothers felt as though everything- all the blood, sweat, and tears- was just a massive waste.
As you can imagine, it was a VERY tense and unhappy household for many reasons. They began to argue. A LOT. Fights that were far uglier than the scraps they had as children. It got to a point where they couldn’t even stand to be in the same room as each other.
It all came to a head, however, when Romano announced that he was leaving. He had his motives, reasonable ones too, but Feliciano didn’t see that. All he saw was his no-good, lazy brother abandoning him and their country after all the effort they put into creating it, leaving him with all the stress and work while he galavants off to America. This was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The announcement devolved into an explosive fight. Things were said that, to this day, haven’t been fully forgiven. With all the anger and tension, they probably threw in a few good punches as well. Romano eventually left, and Feliciano thought to himself “Good riddance”. However as time wore on, they couldn’t help but think about the other, wonder how they were doing, and reflect on how they parted ways. 
Things were still a bit tense when Romano returned, and they didn’t acknowledge the fight for a while. However, they began putting a bit more effort into rekindling their relationship. It took some time, and it wasn’t an easy journey, but they’re in a much healthier place now than before. They’re glued at the hip, they share everything, they know every little quirk and detail about the other, and they’ve begun to love each other as family (though teasing and head-butting is a common occurrence). 
If you asked them back then if they would go through unification, they would be incredibly iffy. But if you asked them now, they would likely say yes. They wouldn't trade their brother for anything in the world.
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algae-tm · 6 months ago
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Kill Bill P.7
Charles Leclerc x famous singer ex!reader
previous part next part
Author’s note : all the songs are real although I’ve played around with who’s featured on what, but I recommend everyone listen to the songs I’ve chosen not for any particular reason just cause they slap and I had such fun creating a playlist for this AU.
Also, I have WAYYY too much time on my hands now that uni is over… so hope you enjoy - Algae🌱
•••••
INSTAGRAM
yourusername
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liked by y/bff/n, lewishamilton, charles_leclerc, oscarpiastri and 32,324,487 others
yourusername : ‘TIDES’ out now on all streaming platforms 💚
y/bff/n : Now you did not play me Cellophane when i listened to this earlier! Why do you have me crying in walgreens by the edamame beans??
— yourusername : girl? do you want me to come get you?
— y/bff/n : please.
— y/bff/n : HURRY UP nobody gets me started playing and the cashier is wondering why I’m using grapes to dry my tears.
user1 : y/bff/n is so real for that cause what do you mean, “didn’t I do it for you, why don’t I do it for you?” y/n please explain yourself STAT!
— user3 : no cause the most devastating part, ‘WHEN ALL I DO IS FOR YOU’ y/n I’m in your walls, how dare you start an album like that wtf?
user4 : oh okay 😀
lewishamilton : So fun collabing with you
user5 : no cause we were robbed! we should’ve had XNDA on girls need love.
— yourusername : I was not about to sing about fucking and sucking with my surrogate uncle! Even could’ve been was too much for me. y’all should be lucky I brought the old man out of retirement
— lewishamilton : glad you made that executive decision but I’m not that old :(
danielricciardo : me rn - 🎧😭🕺🪩😭😢
— yourusername : I appreciate you Danny 💚
— yourusername : but make sure you give your therapist a ring yeah?
— danielricciardo : on call with her rn!
user5 : what’s everyone’s favourite track and why is it love on the brain?
— user6 : how could you even choose?? This might be a no skip album I fear.
user8: I’m sorry y/n did not lay out the 5 minute from the heart ballad that is Ex-Factor for y’all to just not talk about it??
— user9: “no one loves you more than me, and no one ever will!” You listening Lord Perceval????
— user16: “no matter how I think we grow you always seem to let me know… IT AIN’T WORKING.”
— user13: but like if she’s trying to send a message to Charles it’s a bit disjointed no?
— user10: ex-factor isn’t to Charles Leclerc
— user11: be so fr who is it for then??
— user10: it’s obviously y/n grappling with her conflicting emotions… it’s not meant to be for Charles. This whole album is her going through it. She’s sorting thru her emotions. Are y’all dumb or stupid?
— user15: alright now
user21: AHHSHHEJSJSJSKEDVDKZKSUDJ
— user23: real.
hallebailey: call me asap for any more collabs, had such fun on Forgive Me!
— yourusername: love you hal x
— chloebailey: do not call her! She got her chance call me! (liked by yourusername)
y/bff/n: SUPERMODEL??!!?? Another one you didn’t let me listen to???
— yourusername: cause I knew you’d smack me upside the head for begging a man to see me as pretty enough.
— user24: WHO DIDN’T THINK YOU WERE PRETTY ENOUGH?! CHARLES?!! LET ME AT HIM!
oscarpiastri: on repeat 🎶
— user31: Oscar 😭 it’s giving desperate
— user26: keep commenting, she’ll reply one day!
— user27: bros talking to himself in her comments
sza: album of the year I fear
— yourusername: Solana 💚 couldn’t have done it without you
user32: @oscarpiastri are you the homeboy she’s been secretly banging like she says on supermodel?
— yourusername: I have NOT been secretly banging anyone’s homeboy! Supermodel is the only track with joint writing creds! I fear @sza came up with that lyric. (Comment deleted by yourusername)
— user34: NO Y/N let Charles think you’ve been secretly doing Oscar!
— user35: @user34 love me some psychological warfare!
landonorris: first!
— yourusername: you literally are the last person to comment😒😒
••••
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Y/N Strips Off Expectations on Her New Album ‘TIDES’
R&B superstar delivers sharp barbs and haunting melodies on her long-awaited LP, amidst relationship drama with ex Charles Leclerc.
By Will Dukes
June 10, 2024
If you thought the singles released prior to the album were indicative of the direction this LP would take, think again. Y/n’s highly anticipated latest release, "TIDES," is an ambitious and masterful exploration of love's euphoria and its darker, toxic undertones. Known for her sultry R&B style, y/n transcends genre boundaries in this 15-track opus, weaving together dance, electronic, pop, and reggae influences to craft a cohesive narrative.
The album opens with "Cellophane," a haunting electronic ballad reminiscent of FKA Twigs' ethereal work. This opening track is something we’ve never seen from y/n, yet her delicate vocals float over a sparse, echoing production, setting a tone of vulnerability and foreshadowing the emotional journey ahead. This track is a stunning prologue, drawing listeners into a world where love is as fragile as the titular cellophane.
As we transition to the 3rd track of the album "Forgive Me," the album's pulse quickens. The track opens with a haunting, ethereal intro that quickly gives way to a pulsating beat and assertive bass line, setting a commanding tone. Y/n’s and Halle’s harmonies are immediately striking, blending seamlessly while each woman’s distinct vocal timbre adds depth and texture to the song. Their voices convey both strength and a sense of liberation as they sing about reclaiming their power and refusing to apologize for their choices. Mid-album, "Doo Wop (That Thing)" introduces a surprising but seamless shift. The pop-reggae rhythm provides a laid-back contrast to the preceding tracks, reflecting a momentary calm in the tumultuous relationship. Yet, y/n’s lyrics hint at something more sinister, the song can be seen as a warning, y/n clearly saying to her listeners I’ve made mistakes and here is how you can avoid them.
I won’t blame anyone for mistaking her single “Kill Bill” as the climax of the album. That is what y/n wants you to believe but the climax arrives with "Mary Magdalene" an electronic ballad that ties with the opening track “Cellophane.” For me "Mary Magdalene," is a standout, embodying the album's central themes. Drawing on the figure of Mary Magdalene, y/n reclaims and redefines her story, exploring themes of femininity, devotion, and resilience. The song's intricate layering and hypnotic rhythms create an almost spiritual experience, inviting listeners to delve into its complex emotional landscape. The production is haunting, with distorted synths and echoing beats mirroring the disintegration of trust and affection. y/n’s vocal performance here is raw and powerful, her pain palpable as she sings, "a woman’s touch, a sacred geometry. I know where you start where you end. How to please, how to curse.”
"TIDES" concludes with "Mirrored Heart," a poignant ballad that brings the narrative full circle, echoing the album’s opening. With an album so tumultuous listeners would probably wish for a sense of closure. This song does not give you that, rather you’ll be left questioning ‘what’s next.” y/n’s voice, both fragile and resilient, lingers long after the final note.
In "TIDES," y/n not only expands her musical palette but also delivers a profound and relatable story. This album is a testament to her artistry, marking her as a versatile, timeless and fearless force in contemporary music. It’s a disjointed album, songs sometimes seem out of place, but like the title “TIDES,” suggests, and given the situation that inspired the album, that is exactly the atmosphere y/n was looking to create.
••••
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INSTAGRAM
charles_leclerc
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Liked by landonorris, danielricciardo and 1,256,712 others
charles_leclerc : best believe I’ll move on to better things
user1: do y’all hear that?
user3: not you using lyrics from y/n’s song it’s giving desperate.
user4: poor Alex
landonorris: what is bro doing lmao
user5: oh -
arthur_leclerc: if before you had a chance now you have 0 😂
— user5: oh Arthur’s messy messy
—lorenzotl: we want our sister in law back, and this idiot isn’t doing us any favours.
user6: I’m sorry this is so disrespectful to Alex. Just cause you guys broke up doesn’t mean you can do this
user7: lmao get a life
carlossainz55: cabron… this is not what we agreed you’d do 😅
lewishamilton: 😒
— danielricciardo: 😒
— georgerussel63: 😒
— y/bff/n: 😒
— francisca.cgomes: 😒
pierregasly: brother delete this 😔
— oscarpiastri: 😂
(this post has been deleted)
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••
TAGLIST
@forevercaffeinated-lee @callsignwidow
385 notes · View notes
hungermakesmonsters · 21 days ago
Text
Love, Sick Love
Chapter Ten
Plot summary : Working at one of the shadier bars in Brooklyn, you have one rule; don’t mess around with the patrons. Most of them are criminals, dangerous. None more so than Billy Russo, but Billy believes that rules are made to be broken. Especially your rule. One lapse in judgement is all it takes for Billy to decide that you’re his, and he’s never been the sort of man to take rejection well.
Pairing : Billy Russo x Reader
Story Rating : R 
Warnings : [This is a fic for 18+ only, minors DNI] Mentions of child abuse. All chapters will deal with dark and smutty themes, including but not limited to stalking. Please check the warnings on each chapter if you choose to follow this story. 
Word Count : 5.9k
A/N : 😅😅😅
CHAPTER ONE | CHAPTER TWO | CHAPTER THREE | CHAPTER FOUR | CHAPTER FIVE | CHAPTER SIX | CHAPTER SEVEN | CHAPTER EIGHT | CHAPTER NINE
Master List
Chapter Ten
You knew from the moment Billy left that there was nothing stopping you from going into the bathroom and removing your cum-stained panties. But you didn’t. In fact it only crossed your mind as a fleeting thought, not because you were scared Billy might find out and certainly not because you felt like you had to obey him, but for some other third, more nebulous reason.
As uncomfortable as you were, as much as you hated it, some part of you... enjoyed it.
It was that same strange and conflicting mix of emotions that you’d felt the morning after sleeping with him; that feeling that you weren’t supposed to enjoy rough sex as much as you had. Shame. That was it. You felt ashamed, but every time you thought about your panties, you remembered the way you’d felt, bent over the table and at his mercy. You remembered how good it had felt.
So, you didn’t remove your panties and you didn’t think twice about slipping into the bathroom after closing while Jenna emptied the cash register. 
It took you a couple of minutes to work up the nerve to stand in front of the mirror and pull up your skirt to snap a picture, though it took you a lot less time to grip your phone in such a way that you could flip him off in the process. When it was done and sent, you deleted the photo from your phone and, once again, found yourself glad that you still had Billy’s number blocked.
That feeling of conflict, of knowing how you should feel versus how you did feel, followed you home and had your stomach tying itself in knots when you thought about his other demand.
At first you told yourself that you wouldn’t call him, slipping out of your clothes and straight under a hot shower, but the longer you were left to think about, the more your stomach seemed to coil itself in knots. 
Did you want him to show up? Did you want to finish what you’d started with him earlier? 
No.
Yes.
Fuck.
Finally, you settled on calling him - but you were only going to allow it to ring three times before you hung up. If Billy missed the call, that was his own fault.
Unfortunately, he answered on the second ring, as if he’d been sat there all night, just waiting for your call.
“Hey,” he said, and you could almost hear his smile in his voice, “you get home safe?”
“Yeah,” you answered, wanting to keep things short and sweet.
“You’re late.”
There wasn’t any accusation of malice to it, it was just a statement of fact; the bar had closed almost an hour ago and you only lived a few blocks away.
“I needed to take a shower.”
“Yeah, I guess you did,” Billy said.
You were grateful that he held back his laughter, but you didn’t know what to do with the silence that followed.
“How was your night?” He asked.
“Really? That’s really the game you want to play?” You said, unable to stop the irritation from filing your tone.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“This - getting me to phone you, feeding your ego, thinking you can make me do whatever you want. I -”
“That’s not why I asked you to call.” He interrupted.
“You didn’t ask, Billy. You told me to. You threatened me.”
There was another few seconds of silence and then you heard a sigh from him.
“Fine, whatever, but that’s not why I wanted you to call me.”
“Then why?” You asked, barely biting back a sigh of your own.
“I wanted to know that you got home safe.” 
Your heart stuttered in your chest, that strange feeling of butterflies taking flight in your stomach again, but you did your best to tamp it down. You were confused. More than that, you were still angry with him, even if you couldn’t quite pinpoint the reasons anymore. 
Because he kept pushing, kept taking you by surprise.
Because one minute he was sweet and gentle, and the next minute he left you wanting to strangle him.
“Why?”
“I told you. Because I care about you.”
The comment caused the feeling in your stomach to get worse.
“How can you care about me? You hardly know me...”
In the moment of silence that followed, you steeled yourself for whatever argument he’d try to make, hoping that you could finally take some control of the situation. 
“I’m trying to get to know you, kitten, but you’re not exactly making it easy,” he said. You remained silent, so Billy decided to push the matter. “Fine. Why don’t you tell me about yourself?”
You let out a forced and particularly loud sigh, sinking back on your bed and staring up at the ceiling, not sure what you could tell him or if you even wanted to tell him anything at all. He’d been right earlier when he’d said you didn’t like honesty - you didn’t like anything that let people get too close.
The longer the silence dragged on, you knew you had to say something.
Honestly, you weren’t sure if you felt the need to talk just to fill the silence and placate Billy, or if it was because you felt shitty for refusing to answer when he was making such an effort to get to know a little more about you.
You took a breath, not sure what you wanted to say until words started to pour from your mouth. And, by the time you realised what you were doing, it was too late to stop yourself.
“When I was twelve, my dad died. My mom had no money and there were debt collectors just waiting to take everything away, so she took my and my siblings back to her family home in Virginia.” You took a breath, stomach churning. “Her family was loaded but my mom had been cut off and taken out of the will for marrying my dad.”
Billy remained silent, as if he was hanging on your every word, so you continued.
“Our grandfather was a cruel old bastard - or so our mom told us. Her plan was to win him round, but she couldn’t do that with kids in tow. So, her and our grandmother hid us in the attic. It was only supposed to be for a couple of days while she fixed things with her father, but... we ended up stuck up there for three years, never allowed to leave the attic until we eventually managed to run away.”
You hated yourself as you finished speaking and, this time, allowed the silence to hang in the air. Billy let it linger for almost a minute before speaking again.
“Nice try, kitten, but that’s the plot to Flowers in the Attic.”
The worst part was that he didn’t even sound angry about catching you in another obvious lie. He just sounded resigned, almost hurt.
“You’ve read Flowers in the Attic?” You weren’t sure why that was the question you chose to ask. 
The feeling in your stomach continued to get worse, as if some part of you felt bad about lying to him and pushing him away. The worst part was you weren’t even sure why you did it, why you couldn’t just offer him some watered down version of your past, something that was true but only to a comfortable extent.
“What can I say? I’m a man of hidden depths.”
“Yeah?” You asked, doubling down on your course of action. “They have a lot of VC Andrews in the prison library.
“No, I came across a copy on base in Afghanistan,” he answered, pausing for a beat before; “... have you just been assuming I was an ex-con all this time?”
“Wouldn’t exactly be the only one to drink at Sam’s,” you offered, feeling a little silly at your assumptions. Military made more sense, though you supposed you’d only given fleeting consideration to him being an ex-con as yet another reason not to get close to him.
Again there was a silence and, then, another soft sigh.
“Why do you do that?” He asked.
“Do what?”
“Lie like that?” When you didn’t answer he continued. “What is it about your past that has you so scared?”
“I’m not scared,” you said automatically, like a reflex kicking in. You weren’t weak. You weren’t going to let him think you were weak.
“Then why have the go-bag?”
You felt a chill run through your body when you thought about the backpack nestled in your wardrobe. You still hated that he’d seen it, that he understood what it was.
“It’s in case I need to get away from my stalker who spent weeks breaking into my apartment without my knowledge,” you answered coldly. 
“Cute, but I know it’s been there longer than that.”
He didn’t elaborate and you didn’t ask him to explain, already knowing you wouldn’t like any answer that he had to give you.
“Nothing’s gonna hurt you,” he said softly after a few moments of quiet.
“I don’t need protecting, Billy. I can take care of myself.”
“Can you?” He asked and you were sure his lips were pulling into a smirk on the other end of the call.
“I could kill someone if I had to.”
“Really?” His tone shifted and that hint of playfulness that you were used to started to creep back in.
“I’ve killed before,” you said casually, leaving him to guess if it was just another one of your lies.
“Did he deserve it?” Billy asked, not seeming at all bothered that you might potentially be a murderer.
“Who said it was a he?” 
“Educated guess. So, did he deserve it?”
“Yes.” 
“Did he hurt you?” 
You heard the sharpness slipping back into his voice as he asked the question.
“Yes.”
“Then I’m glad he’s dead. I’m just sorry I wasn’t the one to do it.”
Your mouth felt dry and you could feel your heart pounding harder in your chest, practically knocking against your ribs. You weren’t sure what you’d been expecting, but it certainly wasn’t a response like that.
Again, there was a pregnant pause while you tried to think of what to say.
“Is it really that black and white for you?” You asked.
“No one who hurts you should ever get away with it,” he said, quickly adding; “but you don’t have to worry about that now. You’ve got me for that.
“Right...” you said, rolling your eyes even though he couldn’t see you. Honestly, you should have expected that answer from him.
“You never asked how I hurt my hand,” Billy said, seemingly changing the subject.
You didn’t say anything for a few seconds, taking the time to wonder if he was trying to set you up and walk you into a trap.
“How did you hurt your hand?” You finally, reluctantly, asked.
“I paid a visit to the guy that spiked your drink.”
It felt like all the air had been sucked from the room, and a part of you worried that Billy could hear the way your heart was racing through the phone. Even though it had only been two days since it had happened, you didn’t want to think about it, didn’t want to think about what had almost happened.
And, now, you didn’t want to think about what Billy might have done to protect you.
“Is he -” you started to ask, words coming out as little more than a whisper.
You weren’t even entirely sure what you were asking and, worryingly, you weren’t sure what you wanted his answer to be. It was hard to care too much about the fate of someone who’d spiked your drink, someone who might have done it to other women before you and planned to do it to other women after you. He didn’t deserve any sympathy. 
But that didn’t mean you wanted Billy to be hurting people in your name.
“He’s still alive,” Billy answered. “He might be eating through a tube for a while and, if he’s lucky, he might walk again, but I don’t think he’s ever going to think about messing with someone’s drink again.” There was a hint of laughter in his voice that sent a shiver down his spine and, when you didn’t respond immediately, Billy asked; “you okay, kitten?”
“I didn’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t have to,” he answered. “Besides, I couldn’t let him keep doing that to people. He needed to be stopped.”
There was that edge in his voice again, a pain that you were certain he didn’t realise gave so much away. Maybe it didn’t around other people, but to you it was a punch to your gut, a feeling of like recognising like.
“Someone hurt you,” you said softly. Again. 
All Billy offered was a grunt.
Another lull in the conversation had you rolling onto your side and letting out a sigh, the phone still clutched tightly to your ear - though when you’d started holding the phone like that, you honestly couldn’t say. Despite how you’d felt when you’d dialled his number, there was no part of you that wanted to hang up now.
Later you might blame it on exhaustion or loneliness, but right then, all you wanted to do was keep talking.
But Billy wasn’t saying anything and that left it to you to fill the void.
“When I was nine my mom started dating her dealer,” you offered quietly. “She moved us into his place. He used almost as much as my mom did, and when he was wasted...”
You trailed off, the words sticking in your throat, forcing you to stop.
“You don’t have to tell me,” Billy finally said.
“You said you wanted to know me.”
“I do, but not if it hurts you.”
Again, the butterflies took flight in your stomach, and the feeling was enough to prompt you to continue, to finally share a piece of you that was real.
“He was violent. With my mom and with me,” you continued, hearing the way Billy’s breath caught through the phone. “Then, one day, my mom went out and didn’t come back. She just upped and left me with him. About a week later, he got wasted and I... I hid from him in the basement.”
Billy didn’t say a word, you couldn’t even hear him breathing, but you could picture the look on his face; that expression of barely contained rage.
“When I refused to come out, he locked the door from the outside, and left me down there.” At some point your voice had turned quiet, almost like you were whispering a secret to Billy, something that you needed him to guard with his life. And, somehow, you knew that he would. “I was trapped down there in the dark and cold... with the spiders...”
You heard a sharp inhale.
“There was this sweet old lady across the street... if she hadn’t called social services, they never would have found me...”
“How long?” Billy dared to ask, though you knew that wasn’t really the question that he wanted to ask you.
“Four days,” you answered. “Felt like longer.”
You expected more questions, pity - or one of those perfunctory I’m sorry’s that those kinds of events tended to garner. Instead you were met with nothing but another gentle sigh.
“Thank you,” he said softly, “for telling me. It means a lot to me.”
Despite being on the phone, your response was to nod, pressing your head further against your pillow.
“I should let you sleep,” Billy continued. “It’s getting late.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll sleep soon.” He said and you were almost disappointed that he didn’t offer to come see you (though that thought was definitely one you’d chalk up exhaustion). “Goodnight, kitten.”
“Goodnight, Billy.”
And, like that, the line went dead.
For the longest time after the end of the call you stared at your phone, some part of you expecting it to light up with a message or for him to call back, even though you knew you still had him blocked.
It was strange, you felt somehow lighter for having been honest with him, even if what you had told him had only been scratching the surface.
Falling asleep, you felt like things had finally reached a turning point.
But you had no idea just how right you’d turn out to be.
The next evening you arrived at the bar to find it mostly empty, save for a well dressed woman sitting at the bar, talking to Jenna. The suit she wore screamed law enforcement and the subtle look that Jenna flashed you confirmed it.
It wasn’t often that cops dared set foot in Sam’s, and it definitely explained why the place was so empty. But you and Jenna had dealt with this sort of situation before, and you knew exactly what to say. Or what no to say, as the case may be.
You took your time ditching your coat in the back before stepping out to start your shift and getting a proper look at her.
The moment her eyes lifted to meet yours and she cast you something of a forced smile, you changed your mind. Definitely not a cop. Her clothes alone looked like they were worth more than you made in a year. And she was - well, stunning was the first word to come to mind. 
“Agent Madani, Homeland Security,” she said, flashing you her ID before placing it in her pocket again.
You offered your name. Just your first name.
“What can we help you with?” You dared to ask, ignoring the roiling sensation in your stomach.
“Yeah, no offence, but having a cop sat at the bar isn’t exactly good for business,” Jenna added.
“I’m looking for someone,” she said, lifting her phone from the bar and bringing up a photograph. “Have you seen this man? His name is Billy Russo. There have been reports placing him in the area.”
Your heart stuttered in your chest as you looked at the photo; it was him, but it wasn’t. Those dark eyes were unmistakable but his hair... his face. The man in the photo was every bit as beautiful as you’d assumed Billy used to be when you’d first gotten a good look at him.
Without the scars he had been perfect but, somehow, you found you preferred your Billy more. There was something about the eyes; the man in the picture looked soulless, but your Billy... his eyes gave away so much.
Despite your shock, your face remained neutral.
You spared Jenna a glance and then shrugged. “I don’t think I’ve seen him in here, but we get a lot of people passing through.”
“Yeah,” Jenna agreed, taking a closer look at the phone. “Though I’d remember serving someone that hot. What did he do? Looks like one of those Wall Street guys...”
“He’s wanted in relation to several murders,” Madani stated,  and you damn near threw up in your mouth.
“Several murders? Is he a serial killer or something?” Jenna asked, keeping Madani’s attention away from you while you regained your poker face.
“No, not as such...” she shook her head, dropping her phone back into her pocket and placing a business card on the bar. “But if he comes in -”
“Is he dangerous?” You asked before she could finish.
“Extremely.”
“If we see him, we’ll be sure to call,” Jenna was quick to answer.
There were more words exchanged and you simply nodded along, feeling like you were spiralling into some dark abyss that you might never escape from. The Homeland agent kept glancing between you and Jenna but, if she noticed you were freaking out, she didn’t say anything.
Once she was gone, neither you nor Jenna spoke for at least a minute.
“Fuck,” Jenna said, “you don’t think -”
“No,” the word tumbled out of your mouth before you could even stop to think about it. “No, it - I mean... she must be wrong. He couldn’t...”
“Wow, not like you to jump to his defence.”
You tried to ignore the smirk on her lips, instead focusing on the way your heart was pounding in your chest. 
It felt wrong, though you couldn’t place your finger on why. You’d always assumed that Billy was dangerous, that he could hurt people if he wanted to - hell, he’d put someone in the hospital for spiking your drink - but murder? Murders, plural?
“It’s just... you don’t think he’s -”
“A serial killer? I doubt it... unless he’s really good at hiding how much of a psycho he is,” Jenna answered.
Ah. That was it. Billy was good at hiding it, at pretending to be some sweet and charming guy to everyone while simultaneously stalking you.
“But, look... maybe you should stay away from him until we know for sure?” She carried on, and you nodded.
Jenna was talking, saying something, and you barely even realised you were stepping back.
“I... I need to -”
You didn’t even finish the thought before heading into the back and pulling out your phone, calling Billy. As it rang, you steeled yourself for him to answer and for all the questions to start pouring out. Part of you felt betrayed, lied to, while another part just couldn’t accept anything that Madani had tried to tell you.
It felt like you were falling, like you’d been hanging off the side of a cliff for so long, looking for something stable to cling to. The last few days had made you dare to think that maybe Billy could be that for you. But, now, the rockface was crumbling beneath your hands and you were falling.
“Kitten?” 
His voice was a dry rasp, like he’d just woken up, and just hearing him again had your heart pounding painfully in your chest.
“You - you can’t come to the bar anymore, Billy. It’s not safe for anyone and I just think -”
“What? Kitten, slow -”
“There was a Homeland Agent at the bar. She was looking for you,” you tried to explain, word fast and frantic, almost running into one another. “She said you killed people, Billy. She’s looking for you, and we can’t -”
“Hey-hey, take a breath.”
You did as you were told but it didn’t help. Your heart continued to pound wildly in your chest while you struggled between what you thought you knew about Billy and what the Homeland Agent had told you.
Was he capable of murder?
Yes.
There wasn’t a single doubt in your mind that Billy could and would kill someone if he had reason to. That alone should have been enough to make you end the call, enough to go home, grab your bag and leave the city. But, really, were you in any position to judge him?
“Tell me what happened,” Billy said, breaking through your racing thoughts.
There wasn’t much to tell really, just that the Homeland Agent had been there and she’d told you and Jenna that Billy was a killer, that he was dangerous. But you also made sure to tell him that you and Jenna hadn’t said a word - though you had no idea why that piece of information felt so important to share.
Then came the pregnant pause, the silence that you couldn’t stand.
“Did you do it? Was she telling the truth?” You asked in little more than a whisper, not sure you even wanted an answer.
“I...” he trailed off into an uncomfortable sigh, “I don’t know. I still don’t remember.”
You nodded, at a loss for what to say.
“I wish I could tell you that it wasn’t me or that I had a good reason but I don’t remember,” he continued. “Fuck. I wish I remembered, just so I knew, just so...”
“I... I think you should stay away from me, Billy.”
“Kitten...”
You’d lost count of how many times you’d told him to stay away, how many times you’d told him to leave you alone but this was the only time you’d heard him sound so broken about it, like your words had finally hit home. Just hearing the pain in your voice had you wanting to take it all back, but you knew that you couldn’t.
“Even if you didn’t do it, I... I can’t have cops - or Homeland Agents - sniffing around,” you said, and there was no hiding the way your own voice seemed to want to break and betray you.
Billy paused and you dared to hope that he was actually thinking about what you’d just said, thinking about how he could ruin your life if he persisted. 
“I can’t,” he said softly, “please... don’t ask me to give you up.”
“You said you wanted to keep me safe. You being around me, bringing law enforcement to the bar - that puts me in danger.”
Silence fell again and you heard Billy take a ragged inhale and it reminded you of the panic attack that you’d witnessed him having, and it made your heart ache all the more.
“I can’t,” he said again. “I won’t. I’m sorry, kitten. I won’t let any of it come back on you, but I can’t let you go.”
“Billy -”
The line went dead.
He’d hung up on you.
You felt sick and you spent the rest of the night feeling like your stomach was twisting and tying itself in knots. Of course, Jenna noticed and tried to talk to you about it, tried to help convince you that it was probably for the best if you didn’t see him again until everything blew over. If it ever blew over. But all you could think about was Billy and how he’d sounded on the phone.
Jenna tried to convince you not to worry and that, one way or another, the truth was bound to come out.
There were so many questions and thoughts, but no answers to be found. If he didn’t remember, was he even the same person who’d done it? Was it fair to blame him for things he couldn’t remember? Were you in any position to judge him? Is that why he’d been hurt so badly by a man who’d been his best friend?
Each question only brought with it more uncertainty, and you had no way of knowing what was true and what wasn’t. All you knew was Billy, the person he was when he was with you.
Jenna offered to let you stay with her that night but you turned her down, not wanting to spend the night being scrutinised every time you mind wandered to Billy and the chaos you’d invited into your life.
No, you just wanted to go home and crawl into bed, hoping that in the morning everything would be back to normal.
Some time around four a knock at the door startled you awake.
Slowly, you climbed out of bed, staring at the door, your heart beating a mile a minute. For a second you expected the door to be knocked off its hinges and for armed cops to swarm your apartment.
The second knock had you tensing, ready to grab your go-bag and make a break for it down the fire escape.
But then you heard him.
“Kitten, it’s me.”
It didn’t exactly make you feel any better that Billy was at your door at four in the morning, but you still let out a sigh of relief. You kept the chain on the door as you opened it and heard him sigh.
“Let me in, kitten.” It wasn’t quite a demand but you already knew that saying no wouldn’t end well.
“It’s four in the morning,” you said, not moving. “What do you want, Billy?”
“I want to see you.”
“Well, now you’ve seen me,” you answered back.
“Just let me in before I kick the door down and disturb all your neighbours,” he said. As firm as his demand was, he sounded tired but, given the time of night, you didn’t think much of it.
It wasn’t just an idle threat, you knew him better than that now, and you couldn’t risk your neighbours calling the cops. So, with a frustrated huff, you took the chain off the door and took a few steps back, making sure there was plenty of space between you and him.  
His movements were slow, closing the door and locking it behind him. He looked tired, exhausted, and it was almost enough to spark a hint of sympathy inside you. 
Billy immediately took a step towards you, unhappy with the space you’d created, his eyes taking in the sight of you and the light blue satin slip you were wearing.
“Christ,” he muttered, “you’re gonna drive me crazy, kitten.”
“What do you want, Billy?” You asked again, folding your arms in an attempt to cover the way your nipples were poking through the silken fabric. “I told you... you need to stay away from me.”
“I can’t. I needed to see you.”
“It’s four in the morning. What could you possibly want to see me for?”
“I -” there was a noticeable hesitation, something you’d never really seen from him before, “- I want to stay the night. With you.”
“No,” you answered flatly. “No, I’ve told you, I don’t want -”
“Just to sleep,” he interrupted before you could complete your rejection of him. “I just want to sleep next to you.”
“Billy, they think you’re a murderer,” you said, hugging yourself all the tighter. 
“I don’t remember,” he told you, equal parts frustration and pain. “I don’t know what I did or why I might’ve done it. All I know is that I’d never hurt you.”
You didn’t say anything. There was nothing you could say. There was no figuring out the truth of the matter and, if there was one thing you did believe, it was that Billy wouldn’t lie to you and he’d never hurt you.
“Please,” he tried again, “I’m... I’m so tired, kitten. If I knew about any of it, I’d tell you. But it’s all still jumbled up. And I - I don’t even know if I’m that person anymore. This - me, now - I’ve never been like this before. That Agent, Madani, I think we used to sleep together... she used to visit me in the hospital, used to taunt me every single day... I don’t know why.”
The more he spoke, the more confused things became, but Billy made no attempt to move any closer to you.
“I just want to sleep,” he said again.
Common sense told you to say no, to stick to your guns and tell him to leave but, seeing the state of him, the thought of turning him away made your chest ache regardless of all the uncertainty surrounding him. Without a word, you sighed and turned back towards your bedroom, crawling back into bed and pulling the covers up over your face.
You heard him slowly follow after, heard the sound of clothes hitting the floor before you felt the mattress dip behind you. Billy waited a moment before shifting closer, pressing himself against your back and draping his arm over you. He let out a soft sigh as he buried his face against the back of your neck.
He felt warm against you, cosy - though you tried to ignore it as best you could.
“Why are you doing this?” You asked quietly, half-hoping he wouldn’t answer.
“I just wanted to see you.”
“No, I mean why are you doing any of this?” The million dollar question. “Why me? Why are you dragging me into this shit, Billy?”
“Because you’ve been stuck in my head since the first time I saw you,” he told you, his fingers softly tracing patterns on your stomach through your slip. “Every time I close my eyes, I think about that night in this bed with you. You’re under my skin, you haunt me.”
“It wasn’t that mind blowing,” you muttered.
“Right,” Billy grumbled, sounding half-asleep already “‘cause you still want to pretend that I’m the only one that enjoyed it...”
“Why would I lie?” You answered back, not willing to give him the last word.
“‘cause you’re scared of admitting that you like the way I touch you,” he answered. “Or maybe it’s ‘cause you’re scared of admitting that you might actually like me.”
“I don’t like you. All you’re doing is making my life more difficult,” you huffed. “I must be fucking crazy to have you in my bed like this, not knowing if you’re some psychotic killer...”
You didn’t expect him to pull away, to roll on to his back behind you and let out a sigh. More than that, you didn’t expect to feel the loss of his embrace so acutely.
Had you managed to hurt your stalker’s feelings?
And why did it bother you if you had?
Drawing your knees up to your chest, you tried to ignore the feeling of awkwardness that was starting to gnaw at you, closing your eyes and trying to fall asleep. But you couldn’t. Not when you knew he was right there, not when you didn’t know what was running through his mind.
You weren’t even sure what was running through your own head anymore. It was almost enough to make you laugh at how ridiculous the whole thing was; you had a man who was wanted for murder in your bed but, still, you felt safe with him, comfortable in a way you hadn’t for a long time, despite what your protests might have suggested.
And he was right. You were scared that some part of you liked him - that some part of you still liked him, even after everything you’d learned.
It was all such a fucking mess and you had no idea how to deal with any of it.
But, now there was something, some feeling in the pit of your stomach that felt so wrong but, at the same time, it felt like it was the only thing in your life that made any sense. 
Cautiously, you rolled over, your heart skipping a beat at the way the heel of his palm was pressed against his eye. It was another headache. He’d come to be with you because he was in pain, because he’d needed comfort and, for whatever reason, you were the only person he thought he could find it with.
Everything you knew about him seemed to twist and alter, leaving you more confused than ever. 
Without a word, you got out of bed and headed for the bathroom, running a washcloth under the cold water before returning to him.
Billy hadn’t moved, he didn’t even look at you as you climbed back into bed beside him. His eyes didn’t open again until he felt you press the cold cloth to his brow. A relieved breath slipped from his lips but, the moment he looked like he was going to say something, you silenced him.
“Don’t say a word.”
Defiance flashed across his face, but exhaustion quickly overtook it. His eyes shut and you continued to gently press the cloth against his forehead, trying to soothe him, watching as the tension slowly seemed to leave him and he fell asleep. 
Once you were certain he was asleep, you laid back down beside him, curling into his side, resting your head on his shoulder, not sure what the morning would bring.
End Note : 😅 this is slowly starting to move towards the endgame now, I think there's about four chapters left? Maybe five depending on how I decide to do the ending.
As always your comments/likes/reblogs/asks/general screaming is always cherished and appreciated. I hope you all have an amazing weekend!
Let me know if you'd like to be tagged in future chapters! If tagging doesn't work for some reason (aka Tumblr being dumb) I post most Fridays around 7:30 gmt (and on AO3 at some point in the hours after).
Tag List : @xxxsweetcarolinexxx @sweetserendipity65 @dreadfulxives18 @snowkestrel @ladyblacky
@readingabouthim @cheshirecat484 @broadwaybabe18 @oliviaewl @lincerad
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@everything015 @unlikelystarlightcowboy
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annymation · 9 months ago
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My Thoughts On Wish Deleted Scenes
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Now that we got all the deleted scenes out, I thought it would be fun to share my thoughts on them... Mostly rant, yeah, I might get pretty heated with this heheh but it'll be fun.
Villain Couple
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So let's begin with my personal favorite, the villain couple that we could've had
I am literally scared with how I nailed their characterization in my rewrite, like, that's them, that's King Magnus (Magnifico) of Rosas and Amaya (Amable) of Rosas right there. The dramatic, power hungry dude that can barely control his temper + a cunning, calm and collected queen that thinks before acting but is just as vicious as him.
AND THEY CALL EACH OTHER SO MANY PET NAMES! SHE CALLED HIM "GOOD BOY"!!! HE PULLED HER FOR A ROMANTIC DANCE UGHHH DISNEY YOU TOOK THEM FROM MEEEE!!!
Now let's talk about... WHY this was scrapped, according to Mark Kennedy, the head of story in Wish, he says in the Behind the Scenes documentary that the reason they changed this, and I quote:
"We didn't want people to know Magnifico was evil right away, we wanted the people of Rosas to love Magnifico, and have only Asha realize he's not as good as he seems"
... Okay? That's not a reason to not make him SECRETLY evil, just have the rebels be like a group of people who are considered ungrateful weirdos by the people of Rosas, and the king spreads rumors that they're a threat, since they think NO ONE should get their wishes granted. So we have Asha being part of this rebellion, that doesn't fully know what Magnifico does with the wishes, but they know he's doing something bad, so it's up to Asha to find proof and open the eyes of the citizens of Rosas who love Magnifico, easy.
"Also it serve the story better to have Amaya be a good person"
Why? Because she distracted Magnifico and told them about the pulleys they needed to open the castle's ceiling? Just have one of Asha's MANY FRIENDS be a spy of the rebels that became close to the king and queen, maybe the king's apprentice, let's say Safi, and he tells them that info and also distracts them if needed, there, no need for good queen.
This one is the cheery on top, are you guys ready? I don't think you are, but here goes... "Additionally we couldn't really answer the question of why Magnifico wanted a star, and what it would do for him."
............................. I don't know if I can put into words how ENRAGED this make me feel, but I will try.
Mark, my guy, I'm sure you're a lovely person, but I know for a fact that you are lying. Because in a room full of professional screen writers THAT MADE IT TO DISNEY there's absolutely NO WAY no one stepped in and said "Oh but why does the villain want power though?"... THAT'S LIKE ASKING WHY JAFAR WANTED THE LAMP OR WHY URSULA WANTED THE TRIDENT!!!! HE'S A VILLAIN!!! VILLAINS ALWAYS WANT POWER!!!
"Oh buT MaGNiFicO Is DiFfERRenT bEcAuSE He'S A kINg sO He alREadY HaS pOWeR" SO WHAT??? Villains are never satisfied! Magnifico says it himself in the deleted scene
"I can't take it, this wanting that is never satisfied"
THERE! That's your villain motivation, he wants to fill a cup with no bottom, he wants more and more than he already has! Which makes him a PERFECT FOIL to Asha, because Asha wishes for more to her people, because they indeed are struggling, she wants what they need! And she'll fight for it, while Magnifico will only lie, cheat and steal his way into more power! GAAAAH IT WOULD BE SUCH A NEAT CONFLICT I'M GOING FERAL!
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Anyway, on to the next one
Wishing Tree
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Deleted Sabino my beloved, you only get one scene in my rewrite, Tiana's father style, but I love you so much you sassy old man
I love this concept of the wishing tree so much, because this is actually a tradition here where I'm from, we take colorful ribbons, think of a wish, and tie them on a tree.
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Would be lovely if Wish showed many types of different traditions of wishing besides just wishing stars, like blowing dandelions, throwing a coin down a well and soon.
But I digress, Asha has such an inspiring personality here, her writings show how she's fierce, longing for adventure
SHE HAS KNACK FOR SWEARING LMAO
She has an undying hope in her, and she wonders if it'll take Magnifico to DIE for her people to be free to wish, this is amazing, this is what I wrote my Asha into in Kingdom of Wishes
@uva124 joked the other day saying I might secretly be one of the disney writers just pretending to be a fan and sharing the original script, guys I swear that's not the case, they just communicated with me telepathically.
Jokes aside, this scene is so beautiful, Asha had everything to be an amazing protagonist.
Now for what Mark said in the documentary... Oh boy...
"The people of Asha's village keep their wishes a secret, and don't say them out loud, because if they do Magnifico will find their wishes"
Now THIS is very interesting, making Magnifico this almost omnipresent threat that even if you just SAY what you desire he might hear with his magic, maybe with a crystal ball or something Idk but regardless this is a great way to make him aware of who Asha is.
Cause think about it, Asha does make a wish, upon a star, so Magnifico would probably feel that wish, and thus he'd know Asha is the one who summoned a wishing star, so the chase would begin.
Heck, with this concept he could manipulate Asha into giving away star by promising that if she did so all her people would be free and he'd stop eating wishes all together because he wouldn't need more power anymore, obviously that'd be a lie, but it would make Asha have to choose between taking the easy way out and giving away her friend/love interest in exchange of her wish coming true, or risk it all and protecting him at all cost, ya know, a internal conflict.
"We wanted people to love Magnifico, and Asha to be the only one who finds out about his true evil nature, that way, when she tries to tell people, nobody believes her, and that's make fighting him much harder for her"
See Mark, that's a good idea, thing is, that's not what happened... Asha didn't try to tell people, and the times she did tell her family that Magnifico would never grant their wishes, they DID believe her, and Sabino got mad she wanted to tell him his wish. And when she told her friends, they didn't question her much about the fact she challenged the king, Dahlia just rolled with it like it was no big deal...
So yeah it would've been great if Asha tried to spread the truth but people didn't believe her, it really would, but that's not quite what we got
Star and Asha Chase Scene
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And there it is, the closest thing we'll ever get of Star Boy, and I love him
Star can take shape of any animal in this version, and that made him too similar to Maui and the genie, well, dear Disney, riddle me this, why didn't you just scrap the idea of him being a shapeshifter? There are many ways for a being to embody magic and creativity that don't involve them turning into animals, maybe have them be- oh I don't know- ANIMATED IN 2D???
"The ability to change into anything made star very powerful"
Here's an idea, make Magnifico MORE powerful than star, by making forbidden magic Star's weakness
"We wanted Asha to be our hero, and we wanted her to solve all her problems by herself, without too much help from star"
Bruh, Walt Disney said himself "You can design and create, and bild the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make that dream a reality" Asha could NOT do this on her own, and that doesn't make her weak or less of a hero, it just means the threat was too big.
And if she was the one who had to make her wish come true, GREAT, just use Blue Fairy logic, she couldn't make Pinocchio a real boy right away, all she did was give him life so he could pursue that himself, same could happen to Asha, star gives her some magical intervention, but he can't do everything for her.
Also let me just say, that interaction between Asha and Star?
"Star we'll have to be very discreet" "Discreet? Got it, sounds like another plan, I'm getting pretty good at this planning stuff" "Uh you know what would help that plan? If you weren't so bright" "Oh-hoho thank you!- oh wait, you mean-" "Shinny, glowy, way too much light, turn it down"
I can SEE KOW!Asha and Aster having this exact same interaction!
And then that scene Star holds her hand under water! Bruh don't tell me they wouldn't be a thing Disney!
And all the sea creatures coming together to make a big spectacle, THAT felt like Disney magic, that WHALE!!!
That would've been so beautiful to see fully animated.
In The Dungeon
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Can't believe that I also wrote a scene of the 7 teens and Asha going to the dungeon before this scene came out, like, it's such an specific scenario
Anyway, so once again we see this better version of Asha, that is caring, smart and inspiring.
And Magnifico being a freaking DESPICABLE monster, saying that Dahlia is a burden that no one would miss because of her disability, like DANG that's something I never considered writing because it's so heavy, but they almost did include it, and I think it would've been great to show just how evil he is, and in turn, how amazing Asha is because of what she says next
"He underestimates you, and that's a good thing. When you're underestimated, they don't see your power coming until after it changed the world"
Thank you Wish deleted scenes, I'mma take this line and fit it in my rewrite somehow cause WOW imagine that, the 100th disney princess teaching something very valuable for children of today!
Think of all the disabled kids that would've felt seen in this scene! Instead Dahlia's disability is more of an after thought, and from what I've read, the way she walks doesn't even seem like she's disabled according to some crutch users.
"Also, Asha already had 7 friends, and we thought adding another one was too many"
I agree Mark, so here's a thought, make ONE OF THE 7 TEENS the apprentice that gets locked up in the dungeon, like Safi for example, and they find him by hearing him sneeze! There, suddenly the character whose only personality is sneezing get's something to do!
Magnifico breaking the wishes of people "No one would miss" is actually a thing in my rewrite, I didn't explore it that much cause it wasn't that important, but I'm glad I also got that right
Star was more useful in this clip than he was in the whole movie
Climax
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Not much to say about this one, hot take, but I'm actually glad this one was changed, sure I like Magnifico eating a bunch of the wishes to get more powerful, but personally I'm not a fan of him turning into a giant muscular monster, but I understand if you're into that.
Though, it's still a funny scene, it's silly yeah, but it's definitely entertaining, which is more than what I can say about the movie
Also Valentino is cute here
I like how Magnifico uses the wishes to shine a spotlight on Asha
This face, lmao
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"THATS JUST A GOAT!"
The thing about this scene though is that... I can't imagine where they were going with this, like, then what? Magnifico climbs the tower to get star and Star manages to defeat him somehow? If so then yeah no wonder you deleted star for doing all the work for Asha, what's Asha supposed to do now that the king is all powerful???
Star saying "We just need one more ingredient" YALL MAKING A POTION??? This feels weird, a magical being making a potion... Wait hold up, I thought of this in this second, was the last ingredient Asha? Like she goes up there to warn them and it turns out she was what they needed to figure out how to defeat Magnifico?... Probably not but who we will never know.
Wish Worth Making
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This made me CRY when I first watched it, like WOW Disney, are you TRYING to make this movie as soulless as possible???
This is such a powerful moment that would make us actually CARE about Sabino, feel what Asha feels, and it's a calm and beautiful moment in this movie that never stops to just BREATHE.
Can you imagine Magnifico showing up after THIS?? It would've been so scary because it was the calm before the storm.
Imagine him breaking not only Sakina's wish but also Sabino's lute!
If I was Sabino's voice actor I'd be pissed to find out they deleted my song but kept the chicken dance song... That was a thing.
Anyway, hope yall had fun with this little rant, let me know YOUR thoughts on these scenes too! See ya next time!
Thank You For Reading!
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fragmentedblade · 1 year ago
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Just how big was Teng Xiao if Cirrus calls Jing Yuan a "lightweight"???
#I talk too much#I should probably delete this later#I guess they don't mean it physically and more in countenance given the insults they direct to Jing Yuan#but that was my first thought lmao#I keep forgetting people here don't age so I always picture the masters old or at least like Gongshu aesthetically#so this line made me reconsider how Teng Xiao may have looked like#I always think of him‚ Fu Xuan's master and Huaiyan‚ for example‚ as old(ish) people#until the reminder of how they don't age hits me on the temple with a pan lol#The one time I saw Huaiyan art it took me a moment to place who that pretty man was because it wasn't anything like I pictured him#And then the idea that he could actually look like that even nowadays dawned on me like a punch. Same thing happened with Fu Xuan's master#Yet even after the punches I keep forgetting after two days and go on to think of them as rather old looking#only to be hit with the realisation again at some other time. Like right now xD#Super funny that he just pushes the fight on us. In line with his 'okay but why do I have to deal with this? This spark isn't even worth it#And then he pulls the 'if you lose you must answer one question without lies or tricks'. The same guy who can't be named in front of#the prisoner who collaborates with the interrogations of the Ten Lords Commission and that has a few free days yearly#This is so his way of doing things and god I love him so much for it#Odysseu.s-adjacent kind of character. A scoundrel truly in many regards‚ Fu Xuan was so right. I love him so. He should have been my fave 😔#Cirrus talked about chessboard‚ pieces and pawns. I love how Jing Yuan's opponents keep talking in chess metaphors#And how he manauvers conflict and his moves in a similar fashion yet how he draws a clear line between real conflict and a chess match#when asked if war is truly similar to a xiangqi game#Ahfksjkd I love him sooo much haha
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lemotmo · 3 months ago
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What do you think the chances are that BT is actually endgame
Thank you for the interesting question Nonny. 😊
I've had some time to think about this and honestly?
Zero chances.
If you had asked me this question right after episode 7x04 had aired, I would have hesitated to answer this. I would have maybe said that there was a 20% chance, because we didn’t really know in what way they would develop Tommy as a character. The main question was whether or not he would only stay as a part of Buck’s arc or if he would get his own storyline.
Having watched the rest of season 7 and knowing what we know now? I can confidently say: ‘Nah, not a chance.’
And there are many reasons why I’m so confident about it:
The way that 7x04 was in essence not about Tommy at all, but all about Eddie. It was confirmed that this episode was shot from Buck’s point of view, so that makes it even more obvious that he was very conflicted on Eddie’s new friendship with Tommy and how Eddie almost seemed to shut him out of that friendship. Even more, Tommy essentially took Eddie out on ‘dates’ and I can’t help but wonder if subconsciously Buck was afraid that Eddie would be interested in Tommy instead of him. He then, in true Buck-style, proceeded to do some foolish things and got his emotions all mixed up. Tommy saw a chance and took it by kissing Buck.
And I’m sure Buck liked that kiss and developed a crush on Tommy. Otherwise he wouldn’t have made an effort to reconnect with him after that failed date. So I’m not saying Tommy doesn’t matter to him or doesn’t have an important part in his story. All I’m saying is that Tommy was basically the wrong guy at the right time.
The interview Tim did about Tommy wasn’t all that promising either. In it he said something about not expecting wedding bells for them and that it was just an entry level relationship. In other words he was warning the audience to not get too attached, because Tommy wasn’t sticking around. At the same time it was revealed by Lou that he was only going to do a few episodes and that originally he was supposed to kiss Eddie. Which is interesting, because it tells us that they were discussing getting Eddie out of that closet. But ultimately they decided on Buck first. Which was the better way to go in my opinion.
Tommy was hardly in the rest of season 7. The main reason for that was that he was introduced as a plot device in Buck’s narrative arc and he fulfilled that function just fine. Basically he only showed up to further Buck’s storyline and that was it. Even that hospital kiss was in function of having Buck come out to his family without making a big deal about it.
He also wasn’t always portrayed as the nicest guy who we should all root for.
First Tim made the decision to choose the man who made Chimney and Hen’s lives worse when they started out at the 118. Which is an odd choice if you ask me. Why would you choose the guy who was obviously a bully to become another character’s love interest? The answer to that question is easy: Because you want to make sure that people remember that this -on the surface- seemingly nice and agreeable guy who helped Hen to save Bathena, has kind of a shady past.
And this showed again and again in the show itself. The way Tommy abandoned Buck during a date and left him standing on the sidewalk as he drove off? The way he was always dismissive of Buck’s interests and used this very sarcastic -almost negative- humour on moments when Buck really could have used some support. Don’t even talk to me about that scene in the finale where he once again deflected Buck’s worry by making THAT joke at such a bad time.
I know deleted scenes aren’t really canon, but -in my opinion- they released that Tommy & Henren scene to, once again show us that Tommy really isn’t invested in his relationship with Buck. The fact that Hen and Karen were suspicious and didn’t trust him, is also notable. We as the audience were meant to see and share their concern.
The way that Oliver doesn’t acknowledge the relationship either speaks for itself. He has once said that he stopped talking about Buddie because, at that time it wasn’t an option because of FOX, and he didn’t want to lead people on.
Right before season 7 Oliver started talking Buddie to everyone who wanted to listen. There was so much promo with Ryan as well. But he never mentioned BT as anything that has a future. He mostly talks about Buck’s bisexuality and leaves Tommy out of it. He doesn’t engage with anything BT related. So to me, there is the possibility that he doesn’t want to lead people on.
The few times he did talk about Tommy it was in the same way he talked about Taylor and Natalia. Generic things to keep people interested, but we all know what happened to Taylor and Natalia, so…
The way the show does absolutely no promo for BT whatsoever is also very obvious. If they had really wanted to push BT, they would have made Oliver and Lou do extensive promo through interviews, photo shoots, magazine articles… all of the things to get them noticed. Kinda like with the actors that play TK and Carlos on Lone Star. There was none of that for BT. Yeah, one single really awkward interview where they didn’t even talk more than a minute about the show. That doesn’t count.
Oliver did do quite a lot of interviews after 7x04, but all of those were centred around Buck’s bisexuality. Tommy was hardly even mentioned. You know who was mentioned in those interviews? Eddie. A lot of these interviewers asked about the chances of Buddie happening. I think Oliver navigated those questions really well, not giving anything away, but at the same time hinting that there was a chance there if the story was told right.
Personally, I am convinced that Oliver and Ryan got the get-go on Buddie last season. But they were also told that the road towards Buddie wouldn’t be linear. They threw a new male love interest into the mix to help Buck realise some things about himself. And I do believe that season 8 will be about Eddie’s personal journey to figuring out who he is and figuring out his sexuality. I don’t think they will give Eddie a new love interest though. I think they might just make him realise he feels more for Buck than friendship and that will be the beginning of him questioning all of his life choices.
As for Tommy? I can see him in another episode or 2 in season 8, to close the arc for Buck’s narrative. But I don’t expect anything more than that.
However which way you turn it, the story will always end up with Buddie together.
Okay, now will everyone please remember that this is only my opinion and my own point of view. None of this is set in stone. This is the way I think it might go. But it could turn out different in many ways. The only thing I’m almost absolutely certain about is that BT isn’t going to last very long in season 8 and that the end goal will always be Buddie.
Also, don’t come into my inbox to hate on me over this. This is literally me talking and speculating about fictional characters on a TV-show. It isn’t all that deep. These people aren’t real. I’m allowed to have opinions about them, even if those opinions go against all of your opinions. If you don’t like reading this, just move on and go read posts that you do agree with. Life is too short to get angry and frustrated over the love life of fictional characters that live in a fictional world. Thank you.
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hamcakevaletguy · 7 months ago
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My thoughts on the Damien situation, from the POV of someone who’s relatively uninvolved with posting on social media:
As a newer fan of Smosh myself (I watched some videos in 2012, but haven’t really kept up since, and only started regularly watching the last year or so), I went through the backlog of content that they have because I enjoyed their more recent videos. Zayna, a newer Palestinian fan, did the same and found this joke in an old TNTL disappointing and wanted him to address it firsthand and make his stance clear.
For anyone saying Damien has already made it clear that he is in support of Palestine: it’s not a given that the fan who brought up the clip would have already known about Damien’s stance on Palestine. Yes, he’s talked about it in a couple of his streams and posted Insta stories about it, but a newer fan of Smosh, not necessarily Damien himself, wouldn’t know about those unless they were looking for it because they are:
temporary (IG stories only have a lifespan of 24 hours unless you take screenshots) or
a few minutes hidden under several hours of game streams on a separate platform (he talked about Palestine several months ago and has streamed a lot since, unless you know the specific Twitch stream and the timestamp when he talked about it or had clips of it, most casual fans wouldn’t know either)
In his defense, Damien himself has recently said that more fandom stuff has reached his timeline than he would like, so maybe he thinks more people know about his activism because of that. However, even if Zayna did know, wanting a straightforward statement apologizing for the insensitive joke (because bringing up the "Israeli-Palestinian conflict" [as it was called back in 2019, not accurate to what has been going on for 70+ years and counting, which is an ethnic cleansing] for shock value, as he himself said, is insensitive) is not an unreasonable request.
More under the cut
When all you have is 240 characters per reply, the things that you do choose to say matter even more. When you parse out everything in Damien's replies, he doesn't come out looking too good. Yes, he did apologize for the original joke. In his replies, he said:
using it as shock value was in poor taste and naive of him,
it was in poor taste back in 2019 and he wouldn't make it now
(in response to his first couple of replies) he is sorry for reacting in frustration and he'll learn from it,
and, in his final reply, his parting words were "With all my heart, I hope for safety for your loved ones. Be well."
However, he also says and does things that undermine his apology in the same replies:
questioning why the clip was brought up in the first place, as if bringing up old content wasn't something fans regularly do with things they're interested about and as if it's not still a public video fans can easily find,
bringing up that the fan in question had 19K followers, a fraction of the followers he has as a public figure,
saying that this conversation could have been done in private, as if an initial DM request wouldn't be buried in his other requests as a public figure, and as if he doesn't have the capability to start a DM himself to clarify things after the initial reply/post,
saying that the original tweets tagging him should have been deleted after his first response when he never asked for that, and just assumed it would happen for some reason,
deleting his replies a couple of hours later,
and blocking Zayna and several others who were only interacting with Damien through quote tweets (I'm not sure how quote tweets work, do they notify the OP?), some who don't even say anything remotely critical of him - in his defense, blocking is not inherently a bad thing, it just means that he doesn't want any further interactions from them for whatever reason. However, silencing any Palestinian voice isn't good, to say the least.
Damien has always been a proponent of “trying to understand and see from different perspectives” so his response here surprised me, personally. I get that he has a fear of being misunderstood, but jumping to the conclusion that the other party is purposefully trying to be incendiary is the opposite of that.
I'm not going to try to make excuses for him. He knows better. He's been a content creator for years. He knows he has more influence than any normal fan would. His autism is not a part of this conversation either. Mental illness is an explanation for behavior, it doesn't absolve you of the consequences of it. If you're citing Damien's autism as an excuse for his behavior, you have to also account for Zayna's autism.
People are also bringing up the possibility of Damien getting death threats as a result of this, which we have no proof of and won't have proof of unless Damien himself decides to disclose that. He has only stated that he is taking a social media break, which has been a long time coming, not necessarily only because of this, because he has been busy and tired in recent months. What we do know has happened is that Zayna has received death threats (weird of people to want the death of a Palestinian when the original argument they're defending Damien for is that he is in support of Palestinian liberation).
This isn’t an issue of cancel culture, it’s an issue of accountability and frankly, hero worship of Damien in the part of people attacking Zayna and other people on Twitter.
When the only people who had spoken about their support of Palestine in their own words, however briefly, are two or three cast members, some people are naturally going to put them on pedestals. This hero worship of Damien has been exacerbated by his image as the most politically correct member of Smosh, and Smosh’s (until recently) silence about the issue.
While we're at it, for people saying Smosh's sudden outward support for Palestine and joining Creators for Palestine is in response to backlash about Damien, or only in response to the block list going around:
It's only been a few days since the Damien's whole ordeal. Smosh is not that fast, and historically, their response to backlash would have been either complete radio silence or unlisting or privating the TNTL that the clip is from, combined with silence.
I’m sure Shayne, Ian and Courtney have been working on it for more than a few days, based on their liked posts, to get everything straightened out with the organization themselves and adding their names to the list of creators.
People have been asking for Smosh to be more public about their views on Palestine. Some of the cast members have said their piece on their personal social media, but their views could have changed. Those posts were made shortly after the events of October 7 brought even more media attention on Palestine and the Gaza Strip, which was not necessarily in favor of Palestine because of the effects of U.S. propaganda. It's been several months since then and people have a lot more information now, and more clarity.
Up until now, the only indication of Palestinian support not from social media is a brief statement from Ian who said something along the lines of "travel watermelon", while they were talking about their rejected roasts during Anthony's Funeral After Show in December, which are codewords that were used in TikTok for Free Palestine. However, this is heavily censored, behind a paywall, and temporary, because of the nature of their live shows. This support of CFP is the bare minimum of what Smosh could do, but the bare minimum is more than they were doing before.
They listed Smosh as the name under their $15,000 donation to CFP, not just Shayne, Courtney and Ian, which could be intentional, referring to Smosh as a whole company, or just referring to the three that have posted about it as a collective. Unless Smosh makes a full statement about it, themselves, it's still up in the air.
The timing of it is unfortunate. Damien has been silent about it so far, making his original posts about Palestine seem performative to some. However, it’s only been a few hours and he is on a social media break. The only thing he has briefly gone back online for is to promote something he's doing with Nintendo, which he could have been contractually obligated to do. He may or may not say something when he fully comes back from his social media break, but for now, that's everything we know. People can make their own conclusions based on all of this.
I am being very intentional with every single word I say on here, as to not be misconstrued in any way, however, if I missed anything or anyone else has anything to add (constructively, like images of either the actual conversation had by Damien and Zayna, or the cast and crew's support of Palestine prior to CFP, not outright anger and disagreement), please do. If anyone has any genuine questions about the situation, please feel free to message me directly and not bring it into this post, which is supposed to be a civil discussion surrounding more facts and events, less speculation. If I feel those questions have relevant points to add on here, I will add on in reblogs.
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